What’s Cooking for MM’s Birthday???

Today is my birthday, so I am taking the whole day off from blogging. I have been cooking something for the past 5-6 hours (Sunday afternoon and evening) and that is only the first few steps in the whole process… After cooling it down and an overnight snuggle to marry all of the flavors nicely, I finish the dish off tomorrow in time for a fabulously simple lunch. It is a dish that I absolutely love when it is done right, but regrettably, I have NEVER had a stellar example of it at a Manila restaurant, so I have decided to make it from scratch, and the first few tastes of the dish bode very well indeed. Oddly, it is a dish you OFTEN see on restaurant menus, but it almost always falls short of expectations. Many of you have tasted this dish, but ahhh, have you eaten a version that is truly memorable, and properly cooked? It is rich, flavorful, salty, sweet, herbaceous, probably unhealthy yet downright satisfying. I have never featured it on Marketmanila.com before. Care to guess what it is? If you guys figure it out I may even share some photos and a recipe…

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Marketman

Marketman is a well-traveled management consultant who loves buying, cooking and eating good food. Read more »

198 Responses

  2. happy birthday…sorry can’t guess what the dish is…maybe have just been around food too much…

  6. Happy Birthday MM! Hmmm, Callos? Pata Tim? Beef Bourguignon? Anything that needs a lot of prepping, marinating, and stewing, that’s my guess =)

  7. HaPpY bDaY MM!!!!!

    Can’t guess but for sure everything is mouthwatering….. goodiliciousssss =)

    God Bless… and thanks for sharing all your recipies to us.

  8. >>>>>>>HaPpY bDaY MM!!!!!

    Can’t guess but for sure everything is mouthwatering….. goodiliciousssss =)

    God Bless… and thanks for sharing all your recipies to us.

  9. Sorry MM no fortuneteller here… If it’s unhealthy it’s not fish or chicken.. Definitely not fried because it took you hours to prepare the first steps.. Something we see in restos? Something you needed to boil… Or marinate to be flavorful.. Salty and sweet.. with vegetables? Waaa I am making a backtrack of all the food I’ve seen in buffets that comes close to your vague description but that’s what it is– vague!! Give it up!!! :D Happy Happy _th Birthday MM! :) How old are you now? How old are you now? Happy Birthday happy birthday.. Happy Birthday to you!

  10. happy birthday MM!
    can’t wait for the next post to know what you’re cookin’, guess we’ll just have to wait :)

  11. Happy birthday MM ! I’d go for Chris’ suggestion of callos, but maybe it’s because I’m wanting some right now too.

  13. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MM!!! May God shower you and your family with more love, peace, harmony and tons and tons of kindness and “patience”. Enjoy your special day with extra care…. :)

  14. Goodness me! We share a birthday! :) I shouldv’e pegged you for a Leo….

    My guess is a truly made-from-scratch French Onion Soup. You probably made the stock separately, then carmelized the onions slowly, added the stock, wine and other flavorings, then let the soup sit in the fridge. You also probably pre-made the croutons or toasted slices of french bread. For lunch, you will simply ladle the soup into bowls, top it with your toast, then sprinkle it with gruyere and bake until ready. It is a “simple” dish that is often on menus, but like you, I’ve never really had a stellar one in a Manila restaurant. It is rich, flavorful, sweet and salty, satisfying but unhealthy. Also, you’ve never featured it….

    So, what do I win? :D

  17. happy, happy birthday, MM. you deserve a very happy one as you make thousands of us happy with your blogs.

    the dish — adobo?

  18. Could it be something like hamong pilipino (Philippine-style ham)?
    Maligayang Kaarawan, MM :)

  19. So this is really why they moved the holiday to today… coz it’s ya birthday!!! Heehee. Have a fabulous one MM! I can’t resist venturing a guess… Caldereta?

  22. Rich, flavorful, salty, sweet, herbaceous, probably unhealthy yet satisfying describes the bulk of your main course and a few of your rant entries so the only operative qualifyer is it has not been featured on Marketmanila.com and involves 5-6 hours of prep-work. Umm let’s see… cassoulet, beuf en daube, tripe a la mode de Caen, estoufade de trois viands. Anyway, many happy returnsof the day.

  24. MM, have a happy, happy birthday and may you have more happy, happy birthdays to come!!! Wow….that’s more than 17K blogposts to go (365×50). My guess is Frush Spyds ala MM! …scrambled (rich, flavorful, salty, sweet, herbaceous, probably unhealthy yet downright satisfying)

  25. Happy birthday!!!!

    My guess would be barbecue. Rich, flavorful, salty, sweet, herbaceous, probably unhealthy (cause its meat, “probably”, cause its grilled).

  30. Happy happy birthday to you MM! May your day be filled with love and happiness, not to mention “good” food! :-) God bless you too on this special day!

  32. Happy birthday MM!!!!
    Keep up the amazing work – I hope to see a book from you someday for the kitchen and for non-computer savvy audiences (my mother, for example, would LOVE a collection)- you’ve certainly got more than enough material and wonderful photos to boot!

  36. Happy Birthday MarketMan! Enjoy your special day! May the Lord bless you with more wonderful years so you can keep your loyal readers happy with your posts! :-)

  39. Happy birthday, MM and many more posts to come. My guess is callos or lengua estofado. BTW, I did the sinigang sa manggang hilaw (with salmon head and it was perfect. I’m done with Knoor cutes! Even tamarind nowadays does not giveme the same sourness of yesteryears.

  40. Wish you all the best MM. Good health and more blessings to come. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! God bless…

  44. Happy Birthday MarketMan! Wishing you all the best in Life, Good Health and Long Life.

    For what’s cooking??? My guess would be Kare-Kare :)

  48. Happy Birthday Marketman! May the God Lord bless you with your heart’s fondest wishes!

  49. Probably unhealthy but downright satisfying–that’s heaven on earth :-)
    Happy birthday, MM — good health, more blesings, and more stuff to blog about in your new year. Santé!

  51. Happy Birthday MarketMan!
    May you have a lot more birthdays and food blogs to come.
    All the best,
    Beng

  54. Happy Birthday MM…your one famous man in the country…see even the President declare a non-working holiday today to give way for you to celebrate your birthday. he he he

    Anyway, my guess to your mysterious dish is pata tim?

    Again, Happy Birthday and happy returns. Enjoy your day.

  61. happy, happy birthday, MM! From me and my hubby :-). Well, as to your mysterious dish—it must be quite porky :-). That’s our only gauge of “unhealthy.” But then, enjoy it and then drink hot tea after na lang!

  64. I’m guessing it’s a heavy meaty dish with thick gravy. Enjoy your special day. On a side note, you share the same b-day with someone once close to me.

  65. Happy birthday, MM! I’ll go for callos; we had a Spanish chef over at the house for a day ages ago and I couldn’t imagine why it took him an eternity to make the blasted stuff. Needless to say, I was totally humbled by the finished dish; it was the most exquisite version of callos I’ve ever had. Still, it’s a pain in the rear to prepare, hehe…

  67. Happy Birthday MM! My guess would be some sort of braised dish like beef bourguignon or even cassoulet. Anyway, I’m sure it will turn out delicious.

  75. Happy Birthday! All the best for the best!

    Callos, or lengua de champignon would be my guess.

  76. Happy Bellybutton Day MM!

    May you have many more years of great cooking and delicious food together with Mrs.MM.

    Doddie

  77. Happy birthday Marketman. Your post is making me hungry even if I don’t have a clue what it is. Have a wonderful feast on your birthday.

  79. Happy Birthday MM. hmmmm herbaceous? five to six hours? I must be marinated or baked ever so slowly— hmmmm ok here is a wild guess— you are making pizza from scratch starting with the crust and with herbs and all the toppings cooked separately hehehehhe. But wait it must be more than just a pizza for MM….hehehehee

    Ok what is it??? :)

  80. A very Happy Birthday to you,MM! Wishing you all the best!

    My guess is some french dish or something mediterrenean?

  84. Happy birthday!!! More blessings, good health and happiness! My guess is French Onion Soup or Callos.

  89. No guess here…just a simple wish for MM. May you find joy and love in everything that you do. You make millions of us happy. I hope you never get tired of sharing your experiences with us. Happy Birthday!

    MF

  90. happy birthday! may God bless you more and may you share more food blogs here including your mystery birthday dish, he he ..

  91. Happy happy Birthday!The world is a happier place because of you :) Wishing you good health so you may cook and eat all the cholesterol-laden, artery-clogging foods and never suffer from the effects!

  92. Happy Birthday! Wish you and family bountiful blessings and good health (to keep you posting , whether healthy or unhealthy). My guess is consomme, that is one dish with a long process. I only make it once a year.

  98. Happy birthday, MM! Looking forward to your birthday menu and pictures as well. Do we all get to finally put a face to a name?

  99. wishing you a very happy birthday mm! thank you for your blog that keeps us closer to home.
    your dish? let me guess – osso buco?

  100. Happy bithday MM. I’ve racked my brains but still cant figure out what your cooking. Whatever it is, i’m sure it’ll be great. Hope you can share the photos and the recipe. Enjoy your day!

  102. is it some sort of boneless crispy pata with some sweet and salty and herb stuffing?

    You’re a naughty birthday boy for keeping us guessing…..hehehe! Again,have a wonderful birthday!

  103. I will not venture a guess. While I am a foodie as a foodie can be, still sometimes I just can’t relate to some of your posts. Hahaha…. ‘Ika nga, magkaiba lang talaga tayo ng estado sa buhay. But that won’t stop me from wishing you the best, lalo ngayon. Maligayang kaarawan MM!!!!

  105. happy b-day! wow ka bday nyo pla dad ko…hmmm maybe thats why…sometimes you sound like him…I really love your website, i want to go to all the places you mention..probably next vacation.waaaah mis ko na pinas…

  107. Have been wracking my brains trying to guess the dish. Can’t be lengua as you said you dislike it. Perhaps croissant — you once wrote you haven’t found a really good one in the Philippines? Though I have no idea if the preparation time is really 5-6 hours! Any chance of kalamansi jelly to the winning guesser?

  114. Happy birthday to my favorite blogger, MM! Here’s praying for your good health and another year full of God’s blessings! Are you cooking up a fabada dish? wild guess lang… anyway, i’ll know it naman in a day or two :)

  115. Happy Birthday! Your blog is tops on my list of food blogs. Thanks for sharing wonderful food tips (or otherwise) and recipes. Can’t make a wild guess on what’s cooking, but hopefully you’ll be able to share the recipe:)

  116. happy birthday! i pray that God would bless you above and beyond what you could hope or expect. have a great year ahead!

    no idea what you might be cooking. whatever it is, i’m sure it will be excellent.

  118. Happy Bday MM! Can it be beef caldereta or some kind of stew? Hard to guess without any clues! :)

  123. Happy Birthday MM! I’m guessing it’s the kare-kare. Rich, salty and sweet at the same time, with lots of vegetables.
    hmmm

  124. magandang kaarawan po! I still wonder what’s in November that makes August a favorite birth month in the Philippines.

  126. Happy Birthday MM!Is it Kare Kare that you are cooking?I cannot think of any other dish that will satisfy the clues that you gave us.More power to your blog!!!

  128. Happy Birthday MM! I wanna make a guess is it pata tim?embutido or callos? Leo ka rin pala like me…We have many things in common like the love for cooking, flowers,shopping and eating out in different places.More postings to come but you deserve a day off today!

  129. Happy Birthday MM! If you would be so inclined please post the birthday menu when you have a chance!

  131. I’m always reading your site with eagerness every day after I arrive home from work no matter what time of day. Thank you so much for a wonderful site with interesting topics shared……HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MM!

  134. Happy birthday MM! More power to you!

    I remembered your birthday a few days ago when I read your posts on your wife’s birthday. I know it is 20 August based on your post last year and considering it is sometime after my birthday (12 Aug).

    Cheers!

  137. Happy Birthday MM. My guesses are Osso Buco, French Onion Soup or Ratatouille. May this be your best year yet!

  149. happy Birthday MM! i hope you enjoyed your special day. Could it be callos or fabada? =)

  152. Bon Anniversaire MM! Who knows if you’re having bouillabaise?, after all it’s the rainy season,so soup’s great in a meal .
    Well, whatever is it,it must be very good. Bon Appetit!

  158. Happy birthday, MM! I hope you had a day that was truly special, and that you ate your fill of your favorite food!

  160. Happy, happy birthday, MM! Hope you had a fantastic bday!

    Hmmm…can’t be kare-kare, osso buco, duck confit, lengua– you’ve featured all these.. Callos? All your clues fit except PROBABLY unhealthy. ‘Coz Callos is really bad..

    But am sure it’s a classic dish perfected ala MM!

  161. (to the tune of birthday song..)

    Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday…… H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y to you !

    May you have more to come… God Bless

  163. Happy Birthday and I have countless ideas on the glue you gave out. Gave up guessing and will sit tight and just wait when you unravel it.

  164. Happy Birthday, MM!

    Selamat Hari Ulang Tahun!
    Bon Anniversaire!
    Saengil chukhahaeyo! 생일 축하해요!
    Tanjoobi omedetoo gozaimasu! 誕生日　おめでとうございます。

  166. Happy Birthday, MM…and many happy returns!
    Wow….must be nice to receive so many greetings from all over the world – 165 and counting! Well, you deserve all the attention today. Am guessing the dish is osso bucco….if am right, do i get sent the leftovers : )

  169. Callos! May joy, good health and laughter (and good food) shower your birthday and everyday.

  170. Happy birthday MM! May you have many more years of blogging to come :-) I have 3 guesses on this birthday dish: 1. kare-kare, 2. bulalo, 3. pata tim. Enjoy your special day!

  172. Happy Birthday MM,

    Thanks for sharing important milestones such as this with u syour readers. =)

    Good health and happiness.

    My guess? something as prosaic as spaghetti?!!

  173. Happy birthday, Marketman! Thanks for the wonderful work you share with us. God bless you.

  175. Oh-oh! I’m late but the greeting is heartfelt nonetheless: Happy Birthday MM!! May you continuue to live the contented, caring..and sharing… life you have surrounded by your lovely family and blogfriends!

    Is it osso buco?

  177. OMG, I’m a day late!!

    Anyway, I hope you had a perfect Birthday!! How old?

    BTW, my guess…salty and sweet…hmmm…kiamoy? Adobong kiamoy?

  187. A common restaurant fare but not done properly (too many cheap cuts) to be served for lunch usually on a Sunday it can only be nothing else but Kare Kare. I also miss the Kare Kare of my grandmother.

  188. Hello Marketman. Belated Birthday greetings to you! Ooooohhhh…I’m really quite curious as to what’s cooking in your kitchen. I think it’s a toss between Callos and Paella…yum!

  196. super belated happy 30th bday mm!!! 40 is the new 30 !!! we share the same bday!!! i’m so envious of your feast, i spent mine in red-alert cotabato for work, and just arrived today.at least they have giant crabs but it’s a pity no one there seems to know how to cook them properly

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