Chewy Rice Balls in Coconut Milk (Ginataang Bilo-Bilo)

The other day I visited the World Wide Plaza in Central with Evelyn, and after being treated to a lovely lunch of taro greens, jackfruit, rice, and halo-halo, she showed me around the place. It was a wonderful jumble of stores selling all sorts of things- Filipino souvenirs, fast food, snacks, clothing, DVDs, toys, jewelry… You name it, and they probably have it!

One thing I didn’t get to try there was ginataang bilo-bilo, for the simple reason that I was absolutely stuffed! But Evelyn promised to teach me make it at home, and I promised to write about her recipe. So here it is, ginataang bilo-bilo in all its glory- with many thanks to Evelyn, until I can properly return the favour! 🙂

Cherry and Coconut Carob Ice Cream

It’s winter. And yes! I made ice cream. And guess what? It’s made with just a handful of ingredients and does not include sugar, dairy, or heart-stopping amounts of fats and cholesterol.

I’ve been waiting for a long while to share this ice cream recipe, and since summer isn’t coming round fast enough, I’m going to enjoy my ice cream now. Plus, it’s never too early in the year for ice cream- who needs summer when you’ve got scarves and jumpers and blankets and the warmest spot of sunshine near the window to cuddle up in while you enjoy your ice cream?

Strawberry Marmalade with Lavender Scones

The other day Evelyn brought home some beautiful strawberries and left them on my desk. And they smelled so good! Fresh, sweet, summery and perfumed. As the afternoon wore on I battled the intense desire to gobble them up then and there, and the result of my victory is this luscious strawberry marmalade that goes wonderfully with freshly baked lavender scones.