TravelswithCharie

Found this at Narita Airport. Sweet sighting for the sweet tooth! *  *  * Image by Charie

Shrimp ukoy Shrimp ukoy from my Aunt's table is one of my favorites. I can eat quite a few. These super delicious fritters are prepared with flavorful shrimps native to these islands.  Here's how you can make shrimp ukoy:  http://panlasangpinoy.com/2010/06/18/ukoy-shrimp-fritters-recipe/ My Uncle had this crab plate especially prepared for me. I love crab, specifically female ones as these have "aligue" which is crab fat but which I call "red caviar". I know that this is really not healthy to eat but I only get to indulge when I'm in Roxas City where crab is on the menu in most restaurants and here at our family table. Try also rich crab fu yong . Talaba These enormous talaba  (oysters) are always in demand, especially since it's not expensive at all to order them at any of the seaside restaurants. At less than P100/plate, it's a steal. And goes down well with cold beer. But I'm not a fan. :( The image above is of the adobo flavored

Sitio Sawang shoreline We were in Olotayan Island to distribute school supplies and slippers from Balay ni Charie to the students of Olotayan Elementary School. The kids, from Kindergarten to 6th grade, came to school on a Saturday morning to greet us and receive their school supplies. The fourth grade class received slippers thanks to the generous donation of my friend, Rose Driscoll. 4th graders at Olotayan Elementary School To get to Olotayan  Island, we boarded a motorized outrigger from Banica Pier in Roxas City and cruised passed fishponds and mangrove to Punta Cogon and from there to the open sea. It took about 40 minutes on calm waters to get to the island. As we approached the island, the waves became bigger and the ride was slightly choppy.  Punta Cogon They were  celebrating their annual fiesta at Sitio Capaculan which is on the other side of the island from Sawang. There's a paved road that goes over the hill to the shores of Capaculan. If you're seeking a st

Tinapa Spring Rolls I've read and heard about tinapa spring rolls but have never tasted one. So on a stopover in Manila recently, I decided to try these much talked about "lumpia" appetizers with a twist. MESA at Greenbelt 5 in Makati serves these lettuce wrapped delicacies. I could smell the tinapa (smoked fish) as the waitress approached my table.  I dipped the roll in the vinegar sauce and mmmm, what a delight! I've missed eating tinapa, tiny fish with bronze skin you can peel open intact. The tinapa meat is delicious but it has bones. There were no bones in the tinapa rolls I tasted. The kitchen must have deboned the fish first before making them. This plateful of tinapa spring rolls is only P140.00. And it's a generous serving for one person. There is also tinapa fried rice on the menu.  I didn't try it because I ordered palabok (a noodle dish) instead. Palabok To make the tinapa spring rolls, try the recipe from the link below: http://www.yummy.ph

Recently while traveling from New York to San Francisco,  I sat next to two women in their 20's who made the 6-hour flight an ordeal for me. They never stopped talking during the entire flight. When the stewardess came by to pick up their trash, the woman closest to me dropped her plastic utensils and cup with some liquid leftover on my lap and didn't bother to apologize. As if this was not enough, she flatulated in her seat and left a stench all around. Of course she had to go to the restroom after that but would not transfer her laptop to her seat from the folding table to make room. So in order to get out of her seat, she stepped on my seat with her dirty shoes. And these women talked like they were well employed and the most offensive one indicated she worked in IT, a job which  requires considerable training. You never know these days who you'll sit with so it's best to spread the word around about plane etiquette and hopefully someday, we'll all have a pleasan

The Sunken Garden It's so refreshing to be outside and to be surrounded by so much natural beauty. At Filoli, everywhere you gaze, there's a flower or tree or piece of pottery that will call your attention. How I wish I took notes of the names of the flowers, but I must remain content with the colorful images I had the pleasure of taking. Though none can equal seeing the gardens and house up close.  The Chartres Garden The gardens change with the seasons. We just missed the tulips and wisteria. We're now into May when roses, foxgloves, peonies, lavender and violas captivate the landscape. There are so many varieties of roses (about 500) that we had a field day just looking for the Mr. Lincoln rose. In the process I found the Johann Strauss rose but I was most impressed with these October roses that are in full bloom and overwhelming its bush (shown below).  The October Rose in the Rose Garden The Knot Garden is always a highlight. The intricate geometric design weave

It’s always fun to be at the Ferry Building Marketplace  in San Francisco especially to meet old friends for lunch or dinner. I met up recently with long-time friends from Honolulu who were in the City for a few hours layover. Their cruise ship was docked right behind the Ferry Building so the Market Bar was the perfect venue for our get-together.   It was not easy to decide which of the appetizing entrées to choose from and I narrowed my choices to three: 1) Local Halibut a la plancha with Asparagus, artichokes, leeks, citrus butter , 2) Wild Shrimp Linguine with olive oil, chile flakes, arugula , 3) Asparagus & Wild Salmon Risotto with fava leaves. Really loved my risotto! It was quite tasty and the kitchen didn’t skimp on the chunks of salmon. We were a large group and arrived at various times but the staff was accommodating and attentive. 1 Ferry Building # 36 San Francisco , CA 94111-4230 (415) 434-1100 http://www.marketbar.com/ *  *  * Image by Charie