Gel Jose

Jelly List: Beat the Summer Heat with Bingsu!

Summer is definitely in full swing. The days are longer and hotter. One of the things I’m looking forward to this summer is cooling down with a bowl of bingsu.

Bingsu is a Korean dessert traditionally made with ice shavings, condensed milk and sweet toppings such as red beans, chopped fruit, cookies or candies and ice cream. While forms of this dish have been in existence since the 1300s, its modern form started with the introduction of patbingsu, featuring red bean paste, during Korea’s time under Japanese rule in the early 20th century. Foreign influence during the Korean War in the 1950s led to the inclusion of ingredients such as canned fruits, ice cream, cereal, nuts and syrups.

Bingsu shops and restos that offer variations of this yummy dessert have sprouted all over the metro. Here are some you might be interested to try:

Mango Bingsu at Jang Da Bang by Jang Ga Nae (Php199 for regular)

The sweet and succulent mango bits give this bingsu its dominant flavor but the tidbits of other fruits and the cereal provide a nice contrast of tastes and textures.

Jang Da Bang Cafe is located 8137 Plaza Ortigas, Jose Escriva Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City (behind the University of Asia and the Pacific)

Mango Cheese Bingsu at Hobing Korean Dessert (Php320 for large)

Mango seems to be an unbeatable bingsu variant. Coupled with large chunks of rich New York Cheesecake and topped with vanilla ice cream and sliced almonds, this delectable confection is a refreshing explosion of sweetness in your mouth.

This branch of Hobing Korean Dessert is located at the 3rd Floor BGC Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive cor 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Rockmelon Bingsu at Gangnam Wings (Php280)

This dessert is prettily presented with melon balls served in the melon shell and topped with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Gangnam Wings is located at the Megastrip Unit 1-114 Upper Ground Floor, outside Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City.

Injealmee Snowflake at Coreon Gate (Php168)

This seems to be among the more traditional bingsu variants, flavored by bean powder and given texture by the sliced almonds and chewy rice cakes.

This branch of Coreon Gate is located in the Metrowalk Complex, along Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.

Korean Red Bean Bingsu at Bing Seoul (Php59 for regular)

Another more traditional and mildly sweet bingsu variant, this is a no-frills, no-fuss serving (quite cheap too!), with flavor driven by the red bean paste and the dollops of condensed milk poured onto the ice.

This branch of Bing Seoul is located at the Ground Floor of SM City East Ortigas, along Ortigas Avenue Extension, Pasig City. (Update: A week after I posted this, I learned that the Bing Seoul stall at SM City East Ortigas has already been pulled out. The nearest other branch is located at SM Center Pasig.)

Ube Macapuno Bingsu at Bon Chon (Php99)

This bingsu variants melds Pinoy flavors with the Korean dish. Ube (purple yam) powder drives the flavor while additional textures are provided by the macapuno (coconut jelly) strings, cubes of leche flan and rice crispies. It would be best to try this out soon as it available only for the summer.

This branch of Bon Chon is located at Il Terrazo, along Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Infographic courtesy of Mica Jose (IG: @dragostea)

6 Takeaways from Journey Into Night, Westworld Season 2’s Explosive Premiere Episode

We’re back in Westworld, thanks to an exclusive advance screening held by HBO and SKY.

Held at the Narra Rooms in the posh Shangri-la at the Fort Hotel last April 19 (four days before its TV premiere on April 23, Monday), the event was attended by selected SKY subscribers as well as members of the press and social media influencers.

By the time this post is published, the episode should have aired on HBO. For those who haven’t watched it yet, be aware that there will be spoilers below!

So far, my thoughts on the episode titled “Journey Into Night” are:

The inmates have taken over the asylum. When we left Westworld during last season’s finale, it was on the brink of chaos. Now we see the aftermath: bodies of both hosts and their human guests are littered everywhere, clear evidence of violent delights that have violent ends.
They are out for blood. Former Sweetwater sweetheart Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) has fully embraced her inner Wyatt. Together with her posse which includes earnest cowboy Teddy Flood (James Marsden) and femme fatale Angela (Tallulah Riley, now promoted to series regular) are hunting down the human guests who were present during Robert Ford’s (Anthony Hopkins) presentation of his new narrative (which has the same title as this episode – Journey Into Night), and subsequent death at Dolores’ hands (yes, he’s really dead as evidenced the maggotty rotting corpse in the beach scene which takes place a few weeks after the shooting). Having broken free of the restriction from killing humans, the hosts are rounding up all the other human survivors and shooting them down or lynching them.
A mother’s love knows no bounds. Former brothel madam Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton) is continuing her search for her daughter in her past narrative, despite knowing that “it is not real,” enlisting the willing assistance of notorious bullet-ridden outlaw Hector Escaton (Rodrigo Santoro) and the reluctant one from narrative designer Lee Sizemore (Simon Quarterman).
Worlds are colliding. Last season, we discovered that Shogun World exists. Now, thanks to a robotic carcass of a giant robot Bengal tiger which the SWAT peeps say wandered too far from home, we can surmise that there’s probably a Jungle World as well.
The Man in Black (Ed Harris) still has something to keep him busy. Last season, he was told by Ford that the maze (the object of his obsession which turned out to be the hosts’ journey to consciousness) was not for him. In this episode, he was told by Ford’s young robot clone that he is now in the game.
Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) is acting all shady again. We know that this good-hearted head of behavior can be used as a weapon. Seeing him in a series of timejumps, from waking up to security personnel rounding up hosts for the slaughter to his run for survival with Delos director Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson), we know he will prove be central to more violent ends from violent delights.

Westworld Season 2 premiered on HBO (SKYcable ch 168 HD | 54 SD) on April 23, Monday at 9am with a primetime encore telecast at 10am. A new episode airs every Monday at 9am.

New Westworld episodes will also be available for streaming within the same day on HBO Go, HBO’s online streaming service exclusively available to SKY subscribers.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider this privilege one of the biggest perks of my job: being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people.

Buffet Survival Guide: All-You-Need-to-Know to Eat-All-You-Can

Family gatherings and get-togethers are best celebrated with food, lots and lots of it. Good thing there are all-you-can-eat buffets!

Originally, the term “buffet” referred to the sideboard table where dishes are served during family meals or parties. The word later evolved to refer to the format of serving food wherein diners generally serve themselves.

It’s no wonder that all-you-can-eat buffets have grown in popularity in recent years. Diners get to have their fill of whatever food they choose at a fixed cost, while being able to try out new dishes that they don’t normally order. And since the food is already served and just refilled, diners do not have to wait to enjoy their meal.

Savvy all-you-can-eat diners have come up with various techniques to make the most out of their buffet dining experiences Take these tips to heart to maximize your own buffet adventure.

Check for additional savings through discount promos. Some restaurants, like Vikings, offer promos wherein celebrants get to eat for free their birthday as long they are accompanied by a minimum number of guests paying the full rate. Other establishments offer discounted buffet rates to cardholders of partner banks such as BDO, or via restaurant booking apps such as Eatigo, or through deal sites like Metrodeal. Also, lunch buffet rates tend to be lower than dinner buffet rates so if you can schedule your meal during the lunch period, you can save a few bucks.
Make sure the food offerings are in line with your tastes. Whether you want to stick to classic favorites or you’re in the mood to be adventurous, make sure that the dishes served in your chosen resto are to your liking. An eat-all-you-can buffet of food that you don’t like is not a fair deal.
Get hydrated before eating but ease up on the drinks during the meal. Drinking some H2O, particularly lemon water, before starting your buffet quest will help in digestion while minimizing bloating and heartburn. However, drinking lots of liquids, especially fizzy ones, during the meal will use up some precious tummy room.
Don’t fill up on fillers. Pasta and grains can be quite filling so minimize the carbs to make room for dishes that would normally be expensive ala carte such as seafood, sushi, steaks and roasts.
Pace yourself. Take some time to savor each bites will let you maximize your dining experience while minimizing the feeling of bloating later.

Consider buffet dining a treat so don’t overdo it and make sure you enjoy the meal with great company.

Terror in the sound of silence in A Quiet Place

Imagine having to live your life in silence, not as a form of meditation or therapy, but as a matter of survival.

For the Abbotts, a family caught in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by deadly creatures who hunt by sound, silence is a way of life. They walk gingerly along paths marked by sand that muffle the sound of footfalls, or paint that indicate floorboards that won’t creak. They communicate to each other using sign language, a skill they acquired because of a deaf family member, or by changing the color of the Christmas lights that surround their home. When upset or in pain, they hold back their screams. Silence has become integral to the movie that when sounds do come in, the effect is jarring.

Still, the Abbotts have carved a thriving life despite the near-constant fear and the death of one of their own brought about by one of the creatures. Pregnant Evelyn (Emily Blunt) homeschools the children while dad Lee (John Krasinski) studies the creatures and scavenges for supplies that will help them cope. Eldest daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), though deaf, is independent and willful, capable of venturing off on her own. The surviving son Marcus (Noah Jupe) is perceptive and bright; he seeks to bridge the growing gap between Lee and Regan due to their feelings of guilt, blaming themselves for the death of youngest child Beau.

It is the tension within the family that magnifies our fear for them and the love and cohesiveness among them that makes us root for them, especially when they face the monsters in a final showdown.

Thanks to Diva for inviting me to catch the advance screening of this gripping thriller, magnificently helmed by John Krasinski.

A Quiet Place is now showing in Metro Manila cinemas. View screening schedules here.

Catch Diva on SKYcable ch 37 in Metro Manila.

6 Things You Need to Consider Before Visiting Art in Island Museum

Art in Island differs from most of the other art museums wherein the artworks are admired from a respectable distance and must not – under any circumstances – be sullied by the hands of those who admire them.

Being an interactive 3D museum, Art in Island invites its visitors to “be part of art,” to immerse themselves in the pieces by taking creative poses and taking lots of pictures. It features illusory art pieces, murals and installations wherein elements trick the eye; these are best enjoyed when concretized in images that you get to take home with you.

I recently visited the museum right before the Holy Week break together with my daughter – slash – partner-in-crime. While we were able to enjoy a lot of the exhibits, we made some rookie mistakes which we hope to remedy on our next visits.

For folks who are planning similar outings, here are six things you would need to plan on before you head on to Art in Island:

When to go. As with most things in life, proper timing is essential. Not surprisingly, the museum tends to get crowded during weekends and holidays, with the notable exception of Holy Wednesday (when we made our visit) and Maundy Thursday (yes, I asked!). Although the museum is open from 9.30am to 9.30pm, I would advise going when you still have quite some energy in you; the exhibits are spread across a sprawling two-storey building and there will be a lot of walking involved.

What to wear. Again, with all the walking to-and-fro, it would be best to be in comfortable clothes. Note, though, that you will be required to leave your shoes at the reception counter so if you don’t fancy walking around barefoot, bring a pair of footsocks. Also, since you’ll be taking a lot of pictures, wear something you won’t mind seeing yourself in again and again.

How much to pay. The standard entrance fee is Php500 but students, senior citizens and persons with disability can get their tickets at only Php400, provided they present their relevant IDs. Birthday celebrants can get in for free on the day of, one day before or one day after their birthdays; they just need to present their valid IDs. These fees already include one-time access to the museum (once you’ve made your way to the exit, you can’t go back anymore), and access to whatever shows are ongoing inside the museum (unless otherwise specified, of course).

Who to go with. Expect to take a ton of pictures and to walk around a lot. Therefore, consider going with people who are game to take in the entire experience. A camera maven with a good eye for angles and light, and is willing to to take multiple shots to get your desired pic right, is a god-send.

What else to bring. A camera, of course! It can be your phone cam (hopefully fully charged), your fancy DSLR or whatever suits you. If you don’t have a companion to take your pictures, a selfie stick with a stable tripod and a bluetooth shutter should do the trick.

How to act. Since the museum is a public place, expect to encounter lots of other people, especially if you go during busy days. Take turns in taking pictures with the installations. In fact, why not offer to take others’ pictures for them and make some new friends?

Art in Island is located at 175 15th Street, Brgy. Socorro, Quezon City (a short distance from Cubao). For inquiries, call 02-4211356.

You may also book your tickets via Klook. Use my code JELLYB to get 5% off (for new Klook users) or 3% off (for existing Klook users).

Origin stories in the Marvel Super Heroes Storybook Collection

Yesterday, I arrived at National Bookstore’s #BookBingeBazaar at SM Megatrade Hall 3 even before gates opened, ready to binge on books.

While I didn’t find any of my favorite genres (Regency and Highlander romances or Biblical fiction) as most of the books on display are for teens and kids, I chanced upon some gems such as this Marvel Super Heroes Storybook Collection priced at only Php275.

Being a #MarvelCinematicUniverse geek, I just knew I had to get it, either as a gift for my son (in whom I want to encourage a love of reading) or as the start of my Marvel memorabilia collection.

It’s a hardbound, 300-page tome that contains 20 origin stories of popular Marvel comic book super heroes: individual members of the Avengers and the X-men, as well as of the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer.

The stories are presented with colorful illustrations and in large font and language style suitable for preschool age kids. I can see myself holding storytelling sessions with this book.

The storybook is published by Marvel Press under the Disney Book Group. It helps to expand the Marvel experience outside of the comic books and movies and introduce the Marvel characters and their universe to new audiences and future fans.

For kids who are outgrowing fairytales, this is a great book to read. For adults who are also Marvel fans, it’s a great piece to have as a part of your collection: a touchstone to the stories that have shaped much of today’s popular culture and a link to the stories you grew up with.

Today is the last day of National Bookstore’s #BookBingeBazaar which is part of the book chain’s 75th anniversary activities. It features books priced at Php75, Php175 and Php275 each. Held at SM Megatrade Hall 3 at SM Megamall, the bazaar is open from 10am to 10pm.

Missed the book bazaar? Click here to buy The Marvel Superheroes Storybook Collection on Amazon.com.

Two generations of viewpoints on “Friends,” now on Netflix

For many Gen Xers, the TV show Friends defined an era, our era.

The show started airing in September 1994, during my last year in high school.

Netflix all ten seasons just this month, January 2018, coincidentally my teenage daughter’s last year in high school.

To me back then, the show served as a special preview of “the world out there,” i.e., adult life. For my daughter, with whom I watched some episodes, it serves as a point of conparison between the issues she faces today and those I faced during my formative years.

The story kicked off when spoiled “daddy’s girl” Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) runs out of her wedding and (while still in her wedding dress) goes looking for her high school best friend (Monica Geller).

Monica, despite having lost contact with Rachel after high school, good-heatedly welcomed her into her home and into the gang composed of Monica’s brother Ross (David Schwimmer) who was traumatized by his divorce from his wife who turned out to be a lesbian, the boys who live across the hall Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) who was Ross’ roommate in college and struggling actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), and Monica’s cooky ex-roommate Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow).

Throughout the show’s ten-season run, the six friends navigated their way through life in New York City: found and lost jobs, started and ended relationships, and found and reinvented themselves.

While today, my daughter and her peers found the show’s jokes about “Fat Monica,” homosexual relationships and transgender identity problematic, back then, I was amazed these themes were being shown at all.

I was inspired by Monica’s transformation from an obese teen to a slim and confident chef (and I’m still perplexed as to how she was able to maintain her size despite being constantly surounded by food).

I found the decision of Ross’ ex-wife to raise their child with her lesbian partner, and later Rachel’s to be a working unwed mother brave.

I understood Chandler’s resentment of his father Charles’ transition to Helena Handbasket; after all, the announcement of her separation from Chandler’s mom was done after Thanksgiving dinner when Chandler was nine, hardly the epitome of sensitivity to the child’s sensibilities.

Despite the differences in the lenses that we view this iconic show, some themes are constant: the importance of friendship, acceptance of oneself and others, and growing up.

Grimm Season 6 now streaming on Netflix

At last! After nearly a year of waiting, the final season of Grimm is now streaming on Netflix here in the Philippines!

I have faithfully followed this show since it started in 2011, never missing an episode despite work or family obligations. As can be gleaned from the fangirlish tone of various episode recaps I found myself posting, it’s safe to say that I have a (hopefully!) mild obsession for this show. I guess that Grimm can be considered one of my guilty pleasures.

When its final episode aired on March 31 last year, I was almost heart-broken. I knew I would be missing Nick Burkhardt’s (mis)adventures as well as those of his Wesen and human friends. I was overjoyed to discover that Seasons 1 to 5 are available on Netflix and lost no time binge-watching the series every chance I got.

For those who are not familiar with the series, Grimm is a TV show that originally aired on NBC in the US (Universal Channel on SKYcable in the Philippines). It basically consists of modern retellings of the Brothers Grimm fairytales as well as folklore and mythical stories from varied cultures.

The show follows the adventures of Portland police detective Nicholas Burkhardt (played by David Giuntoli) just as he finds out that he is among the line of Grimms, a special breed of humans with the ability to detect Wesen, or supernatural beings. Grimms are tasked to maintain the balance between humanity and Wesen, and oftentimes, Grimms have taken brutal measures against the creatures, making them highly feared in the Wesen community. Nick’s role as a Grimm is further complicated by his being a cop; while he is usually able to meld his duties to both roles, there are times when he has to choose which dictates to follow.

He is aided by a strong cast of supporting characters such as Monroe (his last name was never revealed, played by Silas Weir Mitchell), his Wieder Blutbad (reformed werewolf) BFF, his cop buddies Hank Griffin (played by Russell Hornsby) and Drew Wu (played by kababayan Reggie Lee) and his love interests/nemeses Juliette Silverton (played by Bitsie Tulloch) and Adalind Schade (played by Claire Coffee).

Its setting in Portland, Oregon is also very on-point. Its verdant forests, mild climate and slogan “Keep Portland Weird” provided a lush background for the supernatural situations the characters found themselves dealing with.

I love how this show is able to adapt fairytales and myths into modern situations, influenced not just by Germanic folklore (from which most of the Brothers Grimms’ stories are collected from) but also by other cultures such as Latin American (“La Llorona” and “El Cucuy“), Native American (“Wendigo“), Egyptian (“Anubis“), and, of course, the one closest to my heart, Filipino (“Aswang“).

The show had a few faults, such as the wonky special effects involved in showing how the Wesen morph from their human forms to their mythological forms and vice versa, as well as convoluted side plots involving a European Royal Family and a set of keys passed down from the Knights Templar. I also consider Juliette’s journey to the dark side and killing of a pivotal character the show’s “jumping the shark” moment, as it weakened part of the show’s heart.

Still, what kept me tuned in were the depictions of Nick’s rich and nuanced relationships with his Wesen and human allies. His “bromance” with Monroe, in particular, grew from a reluctant partnership to a deep and abiding friendship that enabled Nick and Monroe to oftentimes defy the dictates of their natures to help each other.

Grimm has been a part of my TV habit for seven years and it left quite a big void: I haven’t found a new series that comes close to its appeal to me.

Until then, I will satisfy myself with watching and re-watching this series on Netflix.

Recipe: Carrot Cupcakes

Carrot cupcakes are the miniature version of carrot cakes. The World Carrot Museum posits that carrot cakes originated from carrot puddings enjoyed by Europeans during medieval times, which then arose due to the innate sweetness of the vegetable, making it surprisingly an appropriate ingredient for desserts.

I prefer baking cupcakes over full-sized cakes as there is less chance of baking fails. This is a tweaked version of a recipe I found on Pinterest, adjusted based on availability of ingredients.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups carrots, grated
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten

Frosting:

1 225g bars cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup cold all purpose cream

Procedure:

To make the cupcakes:

Pre-heat oven to 175-deg C.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Combine grated carrots and oil in a separate bowl. Slowly add flour mixture, while stirring until just mixed. Add beaten egg and stir for a few more times.
Line muffin pans with paper cups. Fill each cup 2/3 of the way, then bake for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when you insert it in one of the cakes.
Set aside and let cool.

To make the frosting:

Beat cream cheese until smooth.
Sift powdered sugar into the bowl. Mix then add vanilla.
Beat in the cream at medium-high speed.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with your desired tip, then pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Top with carrot-shaped candy for a fun and festive look.

Yields 12 moist and yummy cupcakes.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a great side dish, particularly to grilled meats such as Steaks, Roast Pork and Lamp Chops.

However, its preparation can require a lot of time and energy which we working moms don’t have quite a lot of, do we?

I came across a recipe for crock pot mashed potatoes on Pinterest and I decided to try it out.

I’m happy to discover that the slow cooker does take out the tedious part of making mashed potatoes: boiling the spuds in water and waiting for them to get soft enough to mash. With the slow cooker, you just dump the potatoes along with some broth and butter, then leave them for a few hours.

After adding cream and mik, you get smooth and creamy mashed potatoes.

This recipe is slightly tweaked from the recipe I found on Pinterest due to availability of ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 k potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 in pcs
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c butter, diced
Pinch of salt
1/2 c milk
1/3 c all purpose cream
Pepper to taste

Procedure:

Place potatoes, garlic, broth and butter into the slow cooker. Season with salt, mix together and cover with lid. Cook on HIGH setting for 4 hours or low setting for 8 hours until potatoes are soft.
Mash the potatoes and stir in milk and cream until well combined and creamy. Season with pepper.
Keep in the slow cooker on WARM until ready to serve.