#NomNomChallenge

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I wasn’t as worse as these guys when I tried the meat gelatin, was I? 😜  

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Curious about Maryia’s reaction when she tries Mik-Mik? Stick around!! In the meantime, watch as Buzzfeed staff try this Filipino snack. 😉

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Just letting you guys know that we're working on the 2nd video! 📽

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Backtrack: My Russian experience

This whole week has been a blur that I totally forgot to write a review regarding my Russian food challenge yesterday, so let me backtrack a little and set things right.

As you probably know by now, I went to Maryia’s flat yesterday morning so we could film the 1st part of our video. I was really excited because aside from the Kvas, I have no clue as to what Russian cuisine is. I’ve never been to the country nor to a Russian restaurant, but I was ready to face this food challenge with an open-mind and with little expectations as possible.

After setting the table and the camera, we got right down to business. 

1. Manka (Semolina porridge) 

I’ve already mentioned this in one of my posts, but this has got to be my new favorite now. It was like eating Cerelac, which I enjoyed a lot. Even after we finished doing the video, I was still eating this creamy milky stuff! For reals, yo! LOL 😋

(Photo credit: http://www.kitchenrussian.com/articles/view/24)

2. Tvorog (Cottage cheese)

I LOVE CHEESE, but to be honest, I don’t think I’ve had cottage cheese before. I was expecting it to have a pungent smell and a strong taste, but I was surprised it wasn’t like that at all. It was dry, which is different from the regular wet cottage cheese I normally see in the supermarket. I approve of this!

3. Kurinaya Pechen & Grechka (Chicken liver & buckwheat)

Where do I even begin??? HAHAHA! Right after I told Maryia that I wanted to be surprised by the next dish, she brings out a plate full of brown stuff. My childhood flashed before my eyes and I immediately wanted to take back what I said. Hahahaha! The buckwheat was pretty good but I was never a fan of liver, and I don’t reckon I ever will be. But I knew Maryia woke up early and really made an effort to cook so I had to eat at least one chicken liver. My left eye was slightly tearing up while I was chewing. No kidding. 😂😂😂 I’m really sorry about that, Maryia! It wasn’t because of your cooking at all. I just never liked liver. 🙊 

4. Holodets (Jello headcheese / Jellied meat)

I tried guessing what this dish was and I only got the gelatin and carrot parts rights. I initially thought it was made from tuna but it was more like corned beef. I enjoyed the meaty part but I was kind of put-off by the texture of the meat jello. Pretty interesting stuff, though!

(Photo credit: http://vladimirforayear.blogspot.ca/2012/09/holodets-its-one-of-two-russian-foods.html)

5. Halva (Made from sunflower seed butter)

This one tasted strangely familiar! Probably because we have tons of desserts/snacks in the Philippines that’s made of nuts and/or seeds. Kinda reminds me of Baklava, as well.  👍

(Photo credit: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-halva.htm)

6. Ryazhenka (Fermented milk / variety of yogurt)

Though I haven’t had Ryazhenka before, it brought me back to my childhood because it kind of reminds me of Yakult since they’re both fermented dairy products. I really liked how thick it was!

(Photo credits: http://retsepty.online.ua/producty/3051/  and http://www.yakultusa.com/products/)

7. Gematogen / Gematogenka (Caramelized bull blood with vitamins added)

Caramelized bull blood. BULL BLOOD. This actually freaked me out a little. 😂 But seriously, this candy tastes really good. If Maryia hadn’t told me it contained blood, I would’ve eaten more. Hahahaha! Crazy.

(Photo credit: http://skazkarussianfood.com/food/candy-sweets/gematogen/)

To sum up, it was a fun and amusing experiment. And boy, was I full the whole afternoon! If you want to see how this experiment went, you can catch the video right here. 

-- Anne 😺

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Judgement day!

Going to Maryia's place to do the Filipino food challenge felt like judgement day. SERIOUSLY. I know a couple of friends/ex-colleagues who we're quite critical and got disappointed when they tried Filipino food and I didn't want that to happen this time. I was anxious... I felt very uneasy... I wanted to delay the process BUT I also wanted to get it over and done with! So, I finally decided to muster all my courage and just presented my first dish. I was preparing for the WORST reaction, but Maryia was such a good sport and was open-minded about trying everything. After getting over the initial roadblock, I felt comfortable sharing the other things I prepared for her. Below is the list of everything on today’s menu: 

Ginataang bilo-bilo (Glutinous or sticky rice balls, plantain bananas, jackfruit, sweet potatoes and tapioca pearls cooked in coconut milk)

Kutsinta (Steamed rice cake)

Chicharon (Fried pork belly or fried pork rinds)

Kropek (Prawn crackers)

Lechon paksiw (Sweet and tangy pork stew made with chopped lechon, vinegar, sugar and liver sauce)

Calamansi juice (Calamondin / Philippine lime)

Dried mangoes

Spicy sampalok candy (Tamarind pulp, sugar, salt, spices)

Choc-nut (Peanut milk chocolate)

Mik-mik (Sweetened milk powder) HER FAVORITE! 😜

Here’s a picture of her plates after eating, so I think it’s pretty safe to say Maryia wasn’t grossed out or anything. In fact, I think she enjoyed it because she almost finished all the lechon paksiw in her bowl. I even left all the kutsinta for her and her husband, and all the remaining Mik-mik. LOL. 😂

I would say this challenge was a SUCCESS, yeah? Yeah. 👍 👌 👊

-- Anne 😺

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Maryia was up until 5 in the morning editing this. LOL.

Stay tuned for the full video. 👍

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Sneak peek of what I had yesterday. Video will be up soon! 📽

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Filipino Food Prep time! (Part 2)

As per my previous post, I realized I needed more food for tomorrow’s video shoot. And since today was pretty busy for me and I didn’t have ample time to cook, I decided to save myself by just buying a couple of dishes from a restaurant on Main Street. (Sorry, Maryia!! ✌)

(Photo credit: http://dinehere.ca/vancouver/josephines-restaurant)

I’ve only been to Josephine’s once before and haven’t tried any of their food except for the halo-halo, which is basically shaved ice with milk and various toppings, so I honestly don't know if this is a good idea at all. I am quite picky when it comes to Filipino food, but all I can do now is just hope for the best!! As much as I want to prepare an excellent dish for this project, I’m afraid my schedule won’t allow it. I just hope Maryia won’t be disappointed tomorrow! Wish me luck!

-- Anne 😺