By Raïssa Robles
On this day of love, let’s take a break from corruption investigations.
I’d like to share with you a recent dinner we had with some friends, among them Steeve Mago and his wife, Pia Guanio. They brought a lovely surprise – their daughter Scarlet.
How Scarlet has grown. Pretty soon, she’ll be running a triathlon like daddy, who is now into triathlons and is training himself to join the Ironman race this year.
Scarlet is an interesting baby. Among all the objects we had on the piano she chose a toy airplane – that’s what she’s clutching in the photo.
Pia says Scarlet’s favorite “toy” is a big plastic box with wheels – the kind you buy in the department store to place things in. Scarlet likes riding in the box. Hmm, perhaps she’ll become the first female race car driver?
Between wine and callos and German potato salad, which my hubby cooked, and chicken with carrots which I roasted, flowed stories and laughter. We shelved all talk of politics that night and simply concentrated on the food and the friendship.
I’d like to share with Pia’s fans other unpublished photos I have of them.
This is a photo of Pia Guanio when she met Miley Cyrus in Manila:
These are two of my favorite photos of Steeve. I told him I wanted to post them and he said ok.
raissa says
Thank you for the greetings,
Vander, Chit, Leona, Sir Buddy, Aida, Leona,Chit.
And to all you guys who have come to this site, A Happy Hearts Day.
zamera says
Lovely name for the kiddo – Scarlet. I used to bug my elders when I was small that my name should have been Scarlet as I was obsessed with the color red ^_^
Tomas Gomez III says
……and Scarlet O’Hara of Gone with the Wind!
vander anievas says
to all CPMers, my belated greetings for the Hearts Day!
esp. to the couple madame Raissa and Alan!
have to work on that day, yesterday.
but it’s really worth working on that Lovely Day!
i met one of my idols, the late Jesse Robredo’s spouse Atty Leni…
at the lobby of the NAIA terminal 3.
i’ve just took then a visitor’s pass from the pass control booth.
it was when i saw Gov. Leni Robredo walking towards my direction.
it was a casual one but i was very excited!
i greeted her by calling her “Gov”.
she offered me her hand right away and we shook hands.
she’s alone i presume, though a guy, several feet away, was behind her, but not sure if she brought with her a bodyguard.
i was guessing she just came from Bicol to spend the day with her daughters here in MM.
it’s a chance of a lifetime for me…
zamera says
Congresswoman po siya ^_^ Answerte niyo naman! I really like her too, she’s so natural and no airs whatsoever.
Alan says
thanks Vander
chit navarro says
refreshing change indeed! may kasama pang recipe & cooking tips!
Happy Valentines Day every one!…. Enjoy your dates…. and enjoy life despite the corruption all around us!
Tomas Gomez III says
All the world loves a lover !!!……….especially lovers and pursuers of Truth…like all CPMers led by the chef and the investigator…Alan and Raissa. Love to y’all.!!!!
Aida says
I am just happy to know tha Pia found her soulmate, bless her and her family. She might have married a very sensible man coz they are a friends of yours and your husband. Happy Valentines Raissa and extend my greetings to Allan.
leona says
Hi Alan and Raissa – Happy Valentine to the TWO OF YOU! :-( )-
hehehe…
raissa says
Thanks, Leona
pelang says
raissa, you said allan made a german potato salad. this is interesting because i live on the southern part of Germany and i guess Allan stayed in Berlin for a long time and i do know those from the southern part (Baden and Schwäbisch) prepare their potato salad a different way than the north and east. When I have guests from abroad like america, england or australia, and i would serve them our potato salad, they would ask, how did you make this? it’s very tasty. Often it would accompany another dish like Sausage (Bratwurst) and it’s a meal already.
For others who are interested, just in case. Here is the recipe:
750 g. potatos (select the small ones that looks about the same sizes, they tend to be more sticky when cooked, they are cooked after 20 min. of boiling
220 ml hot stock or stock from knorr cube
2 tsps. mustard (from tube or glass)
1 small chopped onions
chopped chives
French dressing:
3 Tbsps vinegar
6 Tbsps. Salad oil
pinch of salt
a pinch of sugar
finely chopped parsely
Pare the boiled potatos and slice it thinly while still hot. Add the hot broth while the sliced potato are still warm. Mix gently and let the potato absorb the broth. add prepared mustard and chopped onions. Mix well. Never mind if it becomes mushy.
Add the french dressing. Add some chopped parsley and chopped chives. This can be eaten cold. Bon appetit.
pelang says
i forgot just in case, alam kong marami ang marunong magluto diyan when making the dressing, be sure to mix vinegar and salt and sugar and pepper very well first before adding the oil para matunaw ang asin at asukal muna bago lagyan ng oil.
Tomas Gomez III says
@Pelang and Alan…..I also enjoy and love experimenting in my kitchen… do you think instead of potatoes we can use taro ( small gabi…not the big ones). I will try your recipe and report back sometime in the future. (Whenever I use gabi for some recipes, after I peel it, I keep them in the fridge for a couple of hours to dry them a bit before cooking)
@ Alan…..Do you also use “mukha ng baka” (cachete, in Spanish) with ox tripe for your Callos? What chorizo do you use? Marca El Rey (which is now an American product) is hard to come by here in San Antonio. I sometimes fall back on Pepperoni. Or Goya has its version of Chorizo but I swear by Marca El Rey.
Danke !
pelang says
@tomas gomez, i haven’t tried taro but i guess that would be a good idea but the result might be different. for example, i can’t imagine the mustard mixed into taro while it goes well with potatoes. at any rate, the asian shops are far from where i live so it’s difficult to buy taros while potatoes are available the whole year round. we have special varieties just for salad but i don’t remember what its name.
Alan says
that’s an interesting idea, I should experiment with that. I’ve never used cachete, I stick to callos, though I have to say the tripes they’re selling in the supermarkets now are getting more and more clean (scrubbed), which seems to make it blander. I use chorizos from Dulcinea, Saenti’s or Terry’s, the deli at the basement of Podium. Once somebody actually brought me some chorizos from Spain, along with pimenton.
vander anievas says
@pelang,
i’ll try your potato salad.
thanks for posting this recipe..
Alan says
Pelang, I’ll certainly try your recipe. Mine is the hot potato version, which relies on bacon, onions, vinegar, mustard and sugar (plus dill). I actually got it from a German cookbook, I suspect it’s a southern German recipe — i remember seeing a show where an Austrian chef made a variant of it that used pumpkin seed oil
Alan says
thanks Leona