I think I have taken over 130,000 photographs over the lifetime of this blog. Perhaps I have published 10,000 or so of them. Another 100,000 probably deserve to be deleted (yes, that’s how bad I am with cameras) but since disk space seems infinite these days, they wallow somewhere in bits and bytes. Another 20,000 photos just didn’t make the cut, or time passed them by, or I forgot, or got lazy. Here are some photos I rediscovered recently when I had to hunt through my disorganized and now mostly useless low resolution photos of just 5 years ago or so… In the first photo above, three or four low celadon pots, filled with white bougainvilla blooms from the yard. We didn’t have any flowers at the beach one weekend, and had guests over for lunch, so these “picked from the yard” centerpieces were crafted. They looked beautiful, but only lasted a few hours.
Unripe achuete blooms or seed pods, before they turned deep red. They were interesting en masse in a silver wine bucket.
Ham & Cheese platter, Venetian garden breakfast.
A photo of my crystal ball. :)
A bowl of vegetable soup, and a copy of “Years in the Darkness” — a book about the Bataan Death March were a few family friends names were included in the text of that period of our history.
Dried Squid Ink Pasta.
Chocolate cupcakes.
Cantaloupe granita.
A cheesecake square topped with mangosteen brandy sauce.
Some oils from the pantry.
28 Responses
MM….did you cut the bougainvilla at night, morning or just a few hours before your guests came? Placing them first in warm water and then in the cooler will make them last longer. Cutting them at night or early morning helps as well with prolonging their shelf life! Just like watering vegetables…at night (though it will be a haven for slugs) or early morning works best for they can absorb water and food readily and store them.
I can’t take a decent photo for what my life ‘s worth – so congrats! And thanks for the advice about the confit. Where do you buy the canned/bottled/frozen? Also, regarding stock portfolios, I am a stockbroker, as they say here in France ‘manquee’ as in not really. But my dear departed Dad, whose death anniversary happens to be today, left me his brokerage which I kind of run from a distance. Luckily I also inherited the experienced and dedicated staff, so MM please don’t think I’m looking for free advertising, but if anyone wants to do a plunge into the market our company is very old, sound and honest. And you won’t be dealing with me but the guys on the ground (luckily!) as, you can see from my adherence to this blog, I actually feel more comfortable on the kitchen floor than the stock exchange floor…
i love bougainvillas and have always rued the fact that they don’t do well as cut flowers, but i might try bettyq’s suggestion. instead, i have covered my front yard with zinnias so there’s a supply of long-lasting flowers ready for cutting anytime.
nice pics, MM! mangosteen made a brief appearance here about three weeks ago, and they were in top form, and only P50/kilo. alas, they’re back to P80-P120/kilo now.
I went to the annual Sto Nino parade in World Trade Center last Sunday and saw one float decorated with those atchuete seed pods. At the time I thought they were unripe rambutan. Thanks for the info!
The cheesecake with the mangosteen brandy sauce is making me drool!
That La Tourangelle Roasted Almond Oil is the best among their line of specialty oils because true to its name, it actually tastes of freshly roasted almonds. I used it once for chocolate chiffon cake and never looked back and now I find myself thinking of excuses not to do the recipe without it.
wow i would love to taste that mangosteen brandy sauce and the cantaloupe granita looks so refreshing! nice pictures MM!
love the ham & cheese platter. Manchego?
i love the cheesecake photo as well as the chocolate cupcakes.. i could have taken at bite at my computer screen…thanks for sharing!
Sorry everyone, off topic, but I hope someone could help me. Betty q and avid followers of Market Manila, can you please help me find Betty q’s award-winning chocolate cake recipe? I first read about it in the “What Recipes Are You Searching For This Holiday Season?” post (November 29, 2008), but can’t find it. I came across another Chocolate Cake recipe of Betty q’s in the same post, but I’m looking for the award-winning one. :) I’ve been turning MM’s succeeding posts and reader comments upside-down searching for the recipe for weeks now. Please help.
The bounganvilla is so refreshing to the eyes. It is relaxing and soothing to one’s frayed nerves.
The bougainvilla (did I spell it right?) “arrangement” looks spectacular despite its simplicity. I think bougainvillas are very underrated– being relegated as practical and attractive fencing material. This is the first time I’ve seen the flowers used as table centerpiece, and they work!
I also like your photo of the crystal ball. Can you see your distorted reflection on it? Makes the object look more intriguing. I have the habit of looking for the photographer and/or the camera set-up in any photo of a reflective surface. :-)
bettyq, i’m curious about the technique of putting the cut bougainvilla in warm water first and then transferring them to a cooler. What’s the principle behind it?
Papa Ethan…I am no expert when it comes to flowers. My nephew is the expert having worked for years for a florist and so is my good friend, A.M., whose garden looks like the Van Dusen Gardens and I am not kidding! What I know, I learned from them. Placing freshly cut flowers in warm water …the water is more readily absorbed when warm is used than cold water just like people! I can drink warm coffee faster than a smoothie (I usually get BRAIN FREEZE!!!!) unless it scorching hot outside! Haven’t you noticed in the stores that the cut flowers are placed in the cooler and those in the cooler look fresher than the ones out on display?…if placed in the cooler, it slows down the moisture loss from the pretty blooms and from the leaves as well. Even me, I look and feel more comfortable and feel fresher in an AIR CONDITIONED ROOM!!!! So, right after cutting, the exposed stems are subject to moisture loss. The warm water to “higop” agad easily than cold water. Then in the cooler before you arrange them to prevent further moisture loss.
Now why cut in the morning or at night…sa umaga at gabi, more moisture from the morning dew and at night, moisture again the air. I remember when I was small, my mom used to say …huwag magpapagabi ng labas at baka mahamugan?!?
Thanks, betty q for the simple, practical science. The bougainvillas in MM’s photo appear delicately fresh and moist. :-)
If i had extra time. I would post some unused photo on youtube maybe, presenting it like a slideshow and adding you favorite music maybe, ,,
It would be wonderful if i could see flowers from this wonderful blog on youtube with kuh ledesmas song titled bulaklak or what a wonderful world,,
Love, love, love the white bouganvilla. Call me bouganvilla crazy because in October 2010, I ordered $600 worth of bouganvilla from a nursery. She delivered it to my home March 1, 2011 with 7 different colors of flowers, in a dozen big pots, all blooming sooo beautiful. The blooms lasted 4 months then rebloomed again until early December.
This coming March 1, again I will get my beautiful bouganvillas.
@ josephine, is there a contact number or person that we can call in case we do need someone?
MM, crystal ball looks like the EYE in Lord of the Ring series… LOL :)
on the side: will you be studying your butlering course at the French culinary Institute- bespoke institute? they have a course on estate management. just for your info.
psychomom, email Melinda mapconsolacion@yahoo.com and say Josephine recommended you.
*Bettyq, can you share with me your award winning chocolate cake recipe that stay@homemom&fan is looking for? Thanks!
@Josephine
I am interested too. Not certain about plunging but would like inquire. I only have a modest sum to tinker with.
For those looking for the chocolate cake recipe:
See this post:
https://www.marketmanila.com/archives/what-are-the-recipes-you-are-looking-for-before-christmas
Then scroll down to comment #84.
hi Mart! that’s not the one that I’m looking for. see comment #87 of the same post. thanks for trying to help though. :)
Oic. Sorry about that. Looking through the rest of the comments it would seem that the award winning chocolate cake recipe never got posted to the site. BettyQ may have emailed it to MM though.
see https://www.marketmanila.com/archives/a-dinner-outdoors
(post #27) (Mar 20, 2011)
and https://www.marketmanila.com/archives/zubuchon-restaurant-update
(post #78) (May 4, 2011)
*BettyQ, to save you time typing the recipe for your award winning chocolate cake, this is my email – debrav326@gmail.com
Many thanks!
that cheesecake looks good, yummy and not baked as i prefer it. did you make it and probably share the recipe? thanks:)
Thanks a lot Mart for helping. MM doesn’t have the recipe on file anymore. :( The elusive chocolate cake… Thankfully, there are a lot of other recipes to try. :)