Here is a decadent, delicious and totally fattening way to start off a weekend of good eating… merienda on the veranda with three fantastic options… first, a caviar pie made up of cream cheese, chopped eggs, 
and black fish roe that is plastered all along the external part of the “pie†with some snuck into the middle as well. This little black wonder is just 4 inches in diameter but whoa! is it seriously over the top. All of these pica-pica’s were provided by a friend, and I don’t know where they ordered them from, but I suspect they are relatively easy to make at home. For this one, you will need cream cheese, chopped boiled eggs, some salt and pepper, and two tins of black fish roe, available from Santis delicatessen for a few hundred pesos each. Do not use premium quality caviar, it would be wasted with the cream cheese. Always enjoy top quality caviar on its own. You can also add some chopped onions if you like and some lemons as garnishing. On a piece of toast or sliced French bread, this was a terrific way to start the weekend of eating… At say PHP1,000 to make, it easily served 8-10 persons with other things on offer, so seen from that light, it doesn’t have to be totally extravagant at PHP125 per person…and enjoy it only once in a while.
Now if you throw in a bottle of good champagne, we are definitely starting to go over the top. Aside from the caviar pie, there was a salmon and caper pie as well. Into the 
cream cheese is mixed in chopped smoked salmon, some fresh dill and chopped capers and this is garnished with whole capers. This should also be relatively easy to do at home, and if you do it yourself, you can even add more salmon to really ramp up the flavor! This pie can be a bit salty as the smoked salmon is salty on its own so you need to taste as you go to make sure you have the right balance of richness and saltiness. Perhaps the capers also added to the salt quotient. rinse your capers and dry them before using. Alternating one of these with one of the caviar pies is heaven on a lazy Saturday afternoon…
As if the first two pies aren’ t enough, why not throw in a third one made 
with cream cheese, chopped walnuts, basil pesto and some soft sun-dried tomatoes? This, the vegetarian version, is meant to make you feel like you are eating healthy… I liked the mixtures of flavors and textures on this pie/dip and I will disclose that I ate at least 10 pieces of bread with large amounts of these three pies slathered on. And wait till you see what meal I had to cook up for dinner just an hour or two later… I don’t encourage most folks to partake in such a feast of a merienda more than once or twice a year but if you have a reason to celebrate, go for it!
12 Responses
I’ m leaning towards the salmon and caper pie. Making this pie for me chopped red onion is in order. The caviar has an exciting twist egg on egg – chopped hard boiled eggs. If I have these three pie spreads – I will be cream cheese out for a week or two!
I really like the idea of pie #3 (the first two are a bit too adventurous for me) … the calories in the cream cheese will definitely kill you though, and I’m sure reduced fat cream cheese just won’t do. =)
Hey MM! I guess I still have to acquire the taste to really appreciate caviar…haven’t dipped into the small jar sitting in our fridge! I believe that I’ve tried the cc-salmon-capers spread somewhere,cant’t recall though, whether the salmon used was smoked or just plain fresh… I would love to try whipping up the cream cheese/basil pesto/sun dried tomatoes/walnut pie. How many boxes or tubs of cream cheese did you use and did you have to whisk the cream cheese? hay nakuu…I don’t think no one can eat these delectables moderately!!!!
yeah these are easy to make. . . you cant go wrong with cream cheese dips/pie, even fruits can be added, I did one before with dried apricots, figs and toasted poppy seeds. . . even just a simple mixture of chopped herbs in the pie will do a great dip. . . just have a platter of assorted crackers and breads or even veggie sticks and you’ll have a geat appetizer/cocktail pica pica. . .
wow they all look so good! i definitely want a piece of each pie…..
These are great ideas for a nice meal planning to entertain special guest at home. The sun-dried tomato pate is interesting. Will surely try making the capers and salmon, since I love making my quick breakfast with a toasted halved croissant spreaded with some cream cheese topped with slices of smoked salmon and sprinkled with crushed capers.
They all look delicious! I would’ve eaten 10 pieces of toast myself, easily. The third pie is very similar to the Cheese Torta of Connie’s Kitchen, except that theirs has no walnuts. Each time I’ve served it to guests, it’s been wiped out. They also have a salmon version. Salmon with cream cheese, dill & capers is one of my favorite food combinations. I’d love to try it with caviar too. MM, did you see Lori’s recent post on caviar pie? It looks almost like this one, except bigger…unless it was just the perspective of the picture.
Maria Clara, no joking, I was all cream-cheesed out for a month after that! Wysgal, the first pie sounds a it bizarre, but it was pretty good… elaine, I didn’t make these pies so I don’t have the proportions, but it should be easy to estimate…as you make it… Wil-b, cream cheese seems to be the basis for many “wonder pica-picas” for now… tulip, I just had a bagel with salmon a couple of hours ago… Katrina, the caviar pie is similar to the one on Lori’s site, but i think this one was completely and generously encrusted with caviar instead of having it just on top… either way, I think the taste would be similar!
mike mina’s blog lafang has a similar post(dec2006, i think) and he has the box with the phone number of the seller,it looks yummy.
Marketman, I love your blog. :) I think you don’t just cook or prepare food… you create. :) It inspires me to create more food, too.
With the gushing fanaticism out of the way, I would like to ask: Where can we order or buy these delectable pies? :)
Lavender Girl, unfortunately, I do not know the person who sells these pies and we were guests in the home that served them so it seemed rude to ask…
Hahaha.. true. :)
Would you remember if the caviar pie happened to have sour cream mixed in it?