More BTS of the FoodPrints Christmas Special

Did you watch the FoodPrints Christmas Special on LN last Monday? December 8 (tomorrow) is the continuation of the holiday edition. It really felt a lot different watching the show on TV than when we were working behind the scenes. There is that sense of pride somehow ‘coz nothing’s adulterated or staged. Everything’s just so spontaneous. Chef Sandy is naturally as pleasant as he is on TV.

The FoodPrints Christmas Special Part 2 includes Sandy’s sweet seven, cooking time with sibling Nina Daza and a potluck party with foodie friends.

Posting more BTS photos. Here’s the link to my first post if you missed it.

From mom Nora Daza’s cookbook.Nina Daza, ever so nice.Lovely photo of Sandy and youngest daughter.Walking along the Farmer’s Market in Cubao where Nina bought fresh seafood for her paella..At Sandy’s home for the Potluck Party shoot.BTS breakfast. Chef Sandy brought out pan-fried kesong puti, pan de sal and Shine Bakery and Cafe sans rival. OM, I could have the whole cake for breakfast!The crew’s sashimi lunch. Meeting Tinee de Guzman and his own brand, Mr. Cochinillo. With Tinee and his mom (at his left).During shoots, we don’t get to chat often. We also take photos of each other rarely. When we’re on the road, we sleep:)Bob and Ninay’s Roast Turkey The girls of Dolcelatte.Rustic Torta de Torrejon that is a cross between sans rival and brazo de Mercedes. You should check out this cake. Easily one of my favorite discoveries through FP.Cameraman Patrick Claudio, scriptwriter Nikki Alfonso and director Cris Sevilla-Bilbao with Chef Sandy.Took the opportunity to pose with Sandy’s son, Franco.With Chito Benito of Catherine’s Cakes and PiesFood at Focaccia was delicious. There’s EP Jennie Celdran in a denim shirtdress. Will post a story about the crazy roll separately. Below was the caramel cake given by Costa Brava.

Happy viewing friends of FoodPrints. Til the next season.

Thank you, FoodPrints, for making me a part of the Christmas Special.

Other photos by Nikki Alfonso, Cris Bilbao, Melanie de Leon and Poks
Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Sports Unlimited Laoag “La Paz” Sand Boarding/Duning BTS

Sports icon Dyan Castillejo and prominent TV host Marc Nelson were in Ilocos recently to shoot for Sports Unlimited’s upcoming episodes. At the end of a via ferrata adventure in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, Sports Unlimited proceeded to the capital of Ilocos Norte, Laoag City, where they were led to the capital of sandboarding in the Philippines for the uniquely Ilocos thrills, with no less than the pioneers of sandboarding in the country, the Laoag Eco-Adventure Development Movement, simply known as LEAD.

Dyan and Marc are not new to La Paz. Sports Unlimited was the first sports and adventure show that featured the iconic Laoag La Paz Sand Dunes more than a decade ago. A couple of LEADers were among a group that hosted Sports Unlimited for that first ever local sand duning adventure on Philippine television, which later evolved to a creative palangana, yes, a batya adventure, if you will recall. And then came the trending sandboarding culture introduced by LEAD Movement.

Very pro to the core, the duo tried every imaginable trick on a board. The younger members of LEAD were so amazed.

Catch Sports Unlimited every Saturday evening on ABC-CBN with replays on the ANC Channel.

With special thanks to Sports Unlimited, Dyan and Marc, Gene and the rest of the crew.

Contact LEAD Movement: Reny Tan 0919-873-5516 /0917-841-5155 or Nicole Arce 0917-523-0331 Like Ilocos Sand Boarding on facebook.

Davao’s Tiny Kitchen is packed with love

Did you watch Chef Sandy Daza’s Binondo FoodPrints last night? Reny, Alexa and I were like hungry kids awaiting our favorite eats from Chinatown. It was a mouthwatering premiere episode of the new season! It felt different just watching. Alex couldn’t help it, she brought out a plateful of Bee Tin ma pa (pork jerky) from Eugene and Brandon’s stash without them knowing.

Back to FoodPrints BTS, one of the highlights of the recent Davao food trip with Chef Sandy Daza and the team was the Tiny Kitchen experience with the Rodriguez family. Vincent does the marketing and cooking while wife Donna bakes the cakes. Their three cuties are the aprrentices. Adorable 10 year-old Anna is the very efficient cashier (when she’s not in school), according to mom and dad.

A constant stream of Davaoeños and tourists enjoy the paellas and other family-style grub from authentic Catalan recipes. The menu, consisting of comidas, sopas, salads, sandwiches and an array of beautiful Dulce Vida cakes and breads, potentially corrupt the mind. Servings are generous. You’d wish for a bigger pouch to fill in with memories by the mouthful.

We had two kinds of paellas, one was fideau negra with mixed seafood and cooked in lavish squid ink, and the other one was saffron-flavored and topped with soft, tasty duck. Paella-style angel hair pasta was also served

My initial encounter with Spanish-influenced balbacua of the Sothern Philippines.

Donna’s frozen chocolate brazo de Mercedes was among the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s 25 Best Desserts of 2010. (Btw, I’ve tried at least two others from the list. The durian cheesecake by Melvin Aviles of Lachi’s, another Davao City cakeshop, here, and the chocolate cake, from an old-fashioned UP recipe, by Chef Nic Rodriguez of Candon, Ilocos Sur, here.)

I’m not too fond of chocolate mixed with anything else.My pick, the frozen mango sans rival! It is like a subtle Filipino mango ice cream sandwiched in brazo yumminess. The moist carrot cake with perfect fresh buttercream frosting was likewise remarkable.

Vincent welcomes DoT Asec Art Boncato Jr and FoodPrints Excutive Producer Jennie Celdran.