Before her victory at the 2011 Ford Supermodel of the World competition, Danica Flores Magpantay shared her recipe for delicious Ensaymada, proving that even supermodels have their guilty pleasures.
“It’s been a tradition in our family to eat this dish during Christmas season,” says Magpantay who’s special Ensaymada –made from day-old ensaymada with custard, baked and topped with queso de bola, is just one of the eight celebrity-inspired dishes at Lola Maria’s.
The restaurant recently launched eight new delectable dishes to add to their fabled menu. Feast on fish pinipig– cream dory fillet covered with crispy pinipig flakes, dipped in tartare sauce inspired by actress/host/endorser Iza Calzado; or Vegetable Quiche by fashion designer Randy Ortiz, baked tender pastry crust with fresh vegetables, topped with a dollop of sour cream. There’s also Prawn cakes from show car maker Atoy Llave; Cocido from food blogger Anton Diaz; Rosemary and Garlic Rib-eye by Actress Ara Mina. For dessert, there’s ube and Langka Panna Cotta by actress Sherilyn Reyes-Tan; and fried suman sa ibos dipped in creamy tsokolate from Wilma Doesn’t .
Ensaymada Pudding by Ford Supermodel grand winner Danica Magpantay
“It’s been a tradition in our family to eat this dish during Christmas season.”
-day old ensaymada with custard, baked and topped with queso de bola
Ensaymada or ensaimada is a sweet bun that originated from Majorca (Mallorca), Spain. The name comes from the word saim, the name of the high quality lard originally used in making the roll. It is believed to have come to the Spaniards from the Moors, since its coiled shape looks like a Moorish turban.
The Philippine version has evolved to have many different versions and toppings. Butter rather than lard is often used as a shortening. Cheese, from queso de bola to cheddar is the favored topping. Sugar may also be sprinkled on top. Ensaymada is usually eaten for breakfast or merienda, with a tsokolate beverage. http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ensaymada)
Vegetable Quiche by fashion designer Randy Ortiz
“Perfect for breakfast or snack, this dish is ideal for people like me who are always on the go.”
-baked tender pastry crust with fresh vegetables (asparagus, mushroom, bell pepper, onion, egg, spices, cheese and fresh cream); topped w/ dollop of sour cream
Although quiche is a classic French cuisine, it originated in Germany. The word “quiche'” is from the German “Kuchen”, meaning cake. The original quiche was an open pie with a filling consisting of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. It was later that cheese was added . The bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, but today is a pie crust or puff pastry crust. Quiche became popular in England in the 1950s. (http://www.foodreference.com/html/artquiche.html)
Fish Pinipig by actress/host/endorser Iza Calzado
“I chose this dish because it is healthy and easy to make. It’s like the Filipino version of fish and chips.”
-cream dory fillet covered with crispy pinipig flakes, dipped in tartare sauce
-pinipig flakes give it the extra crunch; good as appetizer, filling for tortilla wrap, or main dish
Cream dory is a relative of the hito and the kanduli. But whereas the kanduli is silver, the cream dory is silver and black
Known for its mild taste and white, flaky meat, the method of raising the cream dory in the Mekong River has helped it create a following among those who like fish. Most feel the cream dory fish has a “cleaner” taste than most other forms of farm-raised fish, because of new water constantly flowing in to their pens. Widely known as basa, sutchi, and white river cobbler. (http://www.freshcatch.net/products/4)
Prawn Cakes by the most successful local show car maker Atoy Llave
“I love seafood! This dish is perfect with cocktails. It’s easy to prepare, but stylish in its own way.”
-oriental style minced shrimps coated with bread crumbs -served with Hoisin sauce
Hoisin sauce is commonly used for barbequing or in the common dish “Peking Duck.” Hoisin sauce is soy-based and regularly used in Chinese dishes, as well as stir-fry recipes. The ingredients in a typical bottle of hoisin sauce are soybean paste, garlic, vinegar, and various spices such as chili peppers. The flavor this mixture yields is described as sweet, salty, and spicy. It is common for people to either love the taste of hoisin sauce or hate it. Hoisin sauce has a very distinct taste. The color of hoisin sauce is dark brown, sometimes with a reddish tint. (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hoisin-sauce.htm)
Cocido, a favorite of Our Awesome Planet blogger Anton Diaz
“This is my personal favourite, especially the eggplant.”
-beef ribs stewed in rich tomato sauce with chorizo and fresh vegetables
Cocido (koh-SEE-doh) is the foremost representative and beloved national dish of Spain. Indeed, it is internationally the most well known by all visitors to Spain – but ask any Spaniard and the answer will be the ‘cocido’. The literal translation is ‘cooked’ but the closest description is ‘stew’ or ‘hot pot’, though those hardly do it justice. It can have the consistency of the ‘dry’ stew or be ‘wet’. In any case, it was a full meal that every worker took with him from home to be warmed up later and eaten with bread. (http://www.epicureantable.com/spanish.htm)
Rosemary and Garlic Rib-eye by actress Ara Mina
-best cut of beef, seared and marinated with fresh garlic and rosemary
rib eye or ribeye, also known as the Scotch fillet (in Australia and New Zealand), is a beef steak from the rib section. The rib section of beef spans from ribs six through twelve. Ribeye steaks are mostly composed of the Longissimus dorsi muscle but also contain the Complexus and Spinalis muscles. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib_eye_steak)If you buy a steak that comes packaged in plastic wrap, it’s a good idea to remove it from its package when storing in the refrigerator to let it breathe and dry correctly. You can put your steaks on a grid placed on a plate in the refrigerator, covered with a clean towel and it will benefit the steaks greatly. All the prime cuts of steak come from the rib or short loin areas of the steer, mainly because these are the areas of the animal that get the less exercise and that will therefore be the tenderest. (http://paleodietlifestyle.com/art-of-cooking-steak/)
Ube and Langka Panna Cotta by actress Sherilyn Reyes-Tan
“It’s yummy and easy to serve to friends.”
-light Italian dessert of fresh cream, flavored with vanilla bean
Panna cotta (from Italian cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It is generally from the Northern Italian region of Piemonte, although it is eaten all over Italy, where it is served with wild berries, caramel, chocolate sauce or fruit coulis. It is not known exactly how or when this dessert came to be, but some theories suggest that cream, for which mountainous Northern Italy is famous, was historically eaten plain or sweetened with fruit or hazelnuts. Earlier recipes for the dish used boiled fish bones in place of gelatin; sugar, later a main ingredient, would not have been widely available as it was an expensive imported commodity. After years this treat evolved into what is now a gelatin dessert, flavored with vanilla and topped with fruit or spices, and served chilled. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panna_cotta)
Fried Suman at Tsokolate by actress/host/model Wilma Doesnt
“This comfort food recipe came from my Lola and Dad. Our family loves chocolates!”
-fried suman sa ibos with tsokolate
Suman is a rice cake originating from the Philippines. It is made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, and often steamed in banana leaves. It is served wrapped in buli or buri palm (Corypha) leaves and usually eaten sprinkled with sugar. Suman is also known as Budbud in Visayan dialects in other parts of the Philippines. There are numerous varieties of suman, with almost every town or locality having its speciality. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suman_(food))
“What makes them special is that the recipes were shared to us by our celebrity friends. These dishes are staples whenever they have gatherings with family and friends. We just made sure we give each dish that distinct Lola Maria Restaurant twist,” said Ginger Villavicencio, Chief Operating Officer of The Legend Villas. With its Vigan-inspired design and wooden interiors, Lola Maria successfully recreates an atmosphere of old Filipino family dining. Among Lola Maria’s biggest hits are kare-kare, lechon kawali, beef steak and chicken gallantina. The 80-seater restaurant offers a host of Filipino specialties, but is not without tasty international offerings like baked fish with garlic mayo, beef lasagna and salmon with pesto.
The Legend Villas is located along Pioneer corner Madison Streets, Mandaluyong City. For inquiries, interested parties may call Lola Maria Restaurant at (632) 702-2793 or visit www.legendvillas.com.ph.