Homecooked Goodness

So after getting home from the culinary heaven that was our vacation, we landed ourselves back in the thick and thin of things, starting with leftovers in the fridge.

Thankfully, there wasn't very much leftovers in the fridge, so we made some congee from whatever rice that was leftover (note the cute monkey spoon I got in California).

And some honey mint tea with the homegrown mint:

Look at that floating loveliness...

And I have to say that even though the cocktails at the resort were nothing sort of amazing, it still pales in comparison to the simple taste of mint.

I also cooked up some breakfast with the chives in the backyard (hubby didn't like it but I insisted on some "vegetables" in the eggs). The pancakes are from a mix, and Hubby complained it was too thick (roll eyes).

I on the other hand settled from some cereal (I really missed the crunchy goodness of colorful flakes and cinnamon-ma-bobbers!)

 

Then for lunch I settled for some congee, homecooked burdock and a colorful plate of sweet bell peppers and bulgogi (store-bought marinated beef). The thing on the top right-hand side is spicy squid, which I also whipped up myself.

 



 

For dinner, I settled on some braised tofu and mushrooms. To get it right this time, I actually googled a recipe as well as yes, how to cut the tofu so it's perfect for this dish.

 



 

So apparently, you're supposed to half it then cut it again into four long blocks, then for each block make 4 cuts to create 10 pieces each. In the meantime, soak some mushrooms in water to expand the meat of the mushroom.

 



 

Once that's done, throw everything into a pan, along with some green onions. Cook on medium-high for about 3 minutes.

Then create a semi-glutinous mixture of soy sauce, corn starch, rice vinegar, salt and sugar (and a dash of spice if you'd like) and leave it there to cook on medium-high.

 

You want to cook until most of the juice has been absorbed by the tofu. This makes the tofu both firm and juicy, exactly how Hubby likes his tofu. I dropped some goji berries in to add some color and nutrients to this meat-like dish.

 



 

In fact, he liked it so much he ate the whole thing, leaving none for me to even try. And that's okay, as long as he does the dishes.

 

Welcome Back...to Sweet Potatoes

On our last day at the resort, Hubby and I woke up early to grab brekky, then waited around in the lobby for our cab. I was actually amazed at their punctual service up until our last day, because everything seemed quite orderly. Somehow on the last day, the cab that was supposed to show up at 10:30 came at 11am. I guess their cabs still run on vacation-time.

So I took the time and liberty to snap a few last photos of our picturesque resort, including the flowers and leaves that amazingly seem to even line up beautifully.

If I ever built a house/hut, I would want to to look exactly like this:

We got to the airport still about 2 hours early, so we wandered around the duty free shops amongst all the American tourists. The prices there are still pretty steep - the only thing I could afford was a bottle of vanilla, but even that was $5. 

So I was pretty glad that I had this banana (and various other assortment of fruits) with me on the plane. We'd swiped it off the tree from the spa, and I left it inside the ice bucket for the duration of the week so it would ripen. I ate it on the plane, and it was probably the best small banana I've ever had. It was tart yet starchy, just the right combination of banana-ness for me.

After we got home, we made some ramen, just about the only thing we had left in the cupboard. I almost forgot how to make it lol. Compared to the food at the resort, this was definitely something from different realm.

The next week it was back to domestic living. Hubby got off work early one day, and I made him some eggs n tomatoes, along with a cucumber, orange pepper and Korean seafood sausage stirfry. It was pretty yummy for the most part, except he complained that the sausage wasn't cooked still. So I had to go back to fry it again.

Three Color Stirfry

I also reheated some pita bread, which went well the eggs n tomatoes to soak up the juices.

I also popped some sweet potatoes in the oven to make sweet potato fries. It was pretty difficult to cut these babies, so I didn't manage to get it out on time. But it provided for a sweet ending to the meal.

Sweet Potato Fries

Last Meal in Paradise

If had to eat your last meal tomorrow, what would it look like? If it looks something like this, would you still be afraid of the afterlife? 

To answer that question, I'd look forward to the first day of mine (afterlife). We started the day at Aquamarina for sit-down breakfast. I decided that since today was my last meal here, I would go all out and eat whatever without any reservations for the calories.

I started with a cup of cappuccino and a cherry cream danish, the combination of which was pure bliss - the bitterness of the coffee complemented the sweetness of the danish wonderfully.

Tulum Juice: Pineapple, Pear and Guava 

Then I got a Tulum juice to imprint the flavors of the tropics into my tastebuds. The drink was freshly squeezed and savory as usual.

Motul Style Eggs

Hubby got the Motul style eggs, sunny side up over fried tortilla, with a side of plantains, sweet peas, ham and fried beans. He also got a side of hash browns on the side. It's hard to believe that normally that's the amount of food and calories I would eat in a day!

Here's a sideview of the Motul style eggs. It wasn't quite cooked the same as the one I'd ordered earlier, because the egg here was a tad on the runny side.  It's also hard to eat this thing because when you bite down everything spills over, throwing out bits and pieces of tortilla chips and beans.

Eggs Benedictine

I went a bit boring on the side and got the eggs Benedictine with hollandaise over english muffin, with a side of cambray potatoes.

Here's another look at my beautiful eggs Benedictine. I really liked how the muffin absorbed the richness of the egg and sauce.

As we left to go, I took one last sweeping view of the beach. I also took a little dip into the ocean to remember the freshness of the waters.

I'd never imagined my experience in Mexico would be like this - I'd always envisioned Mexico as a land of tacos and burritos. But now, Mexico will forever have a place in my heart as my little piece of R&R.

Good Morning

Food is about memories, it's about who we are as a people. Some would even say that it defines a civilization. It's also our way to channel out all our negative thoughts, daily stress, and pains from broken hearts. 

For me, food is life. Looking back now at this wonderful breakfast spread we had during our vacation, I can't help but reminisce the good times in a land free of worries from everyday life. I also wonder if I can bring that back to my daily life, that is, life at home. 

Enough of my ramblings, onto memories of a splendid breakfast. I woke up that morning feeling slightly groggy but happy to begin another day in paradise (but also dreading that the day would be over soon and I'd be sent back to reality before I knew it).

Detox Juice: Peach, Orange, Strawberry and Grapes

I started with some detoxing juice to cleanse the system from the previous night's hefty Mexican dinner - it's a fruity concoction filled with nutrients and vitamins. Actually, it's really just full of fruit juices that hits the spot because of its tangy sweetness.

  

Citric Plate - Grilled Grapefruit with Orange and Tangerine

Then I decided to go a bit healthier with a lighter fruit menu consisting of mandarin oranges and grapefruits, drizzled with honey.

Fruits and Pastry Creme Crepes with Whipped Cream and Nuts

I got the fruits and cream crepes with a side of Calabrese potatoes. I didn't know what they were until I bit into them - essentially pan-roasted potatoes infused with flavor, kind of like spiked up hash browns. The crepes themselves were delectable - a hot, gooey mess of soft deliciousness. Surprisingly, they hold up pretty well, so when you bite into them they don't break up like some other crepes.

Hubby got the egg benedictine with a side of sausage and hash browns. The hash browns dimmed greatly in comparison to my Calabrese. But now, my breakfast of Kellogg granola flakes dim greatly in comparison to that. So I guess in life, everything is relative after all.

Breakfast in Paradise

I want you to take a moment and close your eyes...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....what do you see?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are happy (and tranquil) enough to see this, then call yourself lucky...



 

Well, I definitely considered myself lucky, because that's what I found myself waking up to every morning, along with a cup of...

...really creamy cappuccino, the ultimate way to start your day in this tropical paradise. The milk here is much more creamier than the water-flavor ones we have back home and carries a flagrant aroma similar to European milk.

We began our day at Aquamarina, one of the resort's three a-la-carte restaurant that's open for breakfast. The breakfast menu is as extensive as the dinner we had yesterday, if not even more so.

Our meal started with a pastry selection. On our first day in paradise I chose the ribbon pastry sprinkled with sugar. By yesterday's dinner I had already decided not to count the calories lest my heart stop from the shock of knowing how much I ate.

Thankfully, there are detox juices to prevent your heart from actually working. I got the Exotic Greens with spinach, cactus and a bunch of other goodies while hubby got the Tulum featuring fruits of the tropics like pineapple and guava. Both tasted really good, but the Exotic Greens had just the right balance of sweet and savory.

Mayan Eggs

For breakfast, I got the Mayan Eggs just because it sounded exotic. But I was pretty disappointed to find out it was actually just scrambled eggs with Chaya (kind of like Mexican spinach), plus a side of beans and avocado. I had to ask for a bottle of ketchup to down the flavorless eggs.

Mexican Crepe

 

Hubby got the Mexican crepe, stuffed with pumpkin flower and huitlacoche with pablano chips, which tasted a lot better than mine. It was at once creamy and tangy inside, with the flowers adding a touch of sweetness to the otherwise cheesy filling.

 

After our hearty breakfast, we decided to walk it off. Somewhere down the mile walk back to our room, we met this little guy.

Apparently there are also crocodiles in the area too, since the resort is built around a real cenote. We  walked a bit faster after seeing this sign.

When we got back, we found a little Muslin rag doll at the door handle. I had to take a picture of it because it was just so darn cute - the uniform is exactly the ones that the staff wears at the resort. I almost thought it was a joke but realized later that it's actually housekeeping telling you that they are inside.

 

So. Cute.



Monkeying Around

Not a lot of people are fans of monkey bread, I actually didn't even know what this was until I tried some at a friend's bakery. It's like this crazy sweet and chewy bread layered with a healthy dose of cinnamon.

The cinnamon and sugar is encrusted on the top of the bread, making it a caramelized layer of the "muffin" top, which makes it incredibly tasty. A friend of mine who hates cinnamon swears by monkey bread, particularly this one:

Ultimate Breakfast Pairing - Korean coffee with Monkey Bread

After bringing one to the office, it was gone in 5 seconds flat. Three of my friends ripped it apart. Thankfully, they saved some of the bottom, which is especially nice because it soaks up all the sugary and oily goodness. Now if only I can learn how to make them at home...

Btw: This Korean instant coffee mix is out of this world!