I turn to food when I am happy, sad, relaxed, hormonal, stressed, tired, and so on. Food is good. I do not need to be hungry to eat. It is not the healthiest attitude in the world but it is sure one I believe in.
This love of food I inherited from my mother, who is an incredible homecook with a stomach that knows no floor or ceiling. For better or worse. Following are food that I have been obsessing over lately. Consider this your munchies trigger warning!
Mushrooms
Well into the wet season, our mushroom substrates think it is Christmas. Blooms spring from our grow kits on the regular and it is so much fun. In the morning, you see suggestions of protrusions and in a few hours, the baby mushrooms are clear to see. Magic!
Love mushrooms in a quick vegetable stir-fry or creamy pasta but my absolute favorite is frying them up twice battered. The humble mushroom is then transformed into crispy, spicy, moist deliciousness that is like fried chicken but better. Highly recommend growing your own mushrooms, too.
Masala chai
My mornings are incomplete without a fragrant cup of masala chai. This spiced milk tea is exotic and familiar, comforting but with attitude, and is simply the best thing to come out of India, probably. I make mine on a stovetop every day to get the most from the organic tea blend. It feels a treat everytime. In this regard, more is more.
Ensaymada
When Markus and I were together in The Philippines for the first time, I made him eat ensaymada with hot chocolate – my favorite local treat.
Perhaps a legacy of colonialism, the Filipino ensaymada is a local variation of the original pastry from Spain. It is sweet, soft, buttery, and possibly the condensed form of everything good in the world.
My youngest sister taught me how to bake ensaymada and I am happy to flex my new skill to anyone interested in dreamy homebaked goods.
This will be my gift to Germany.
Avocado toast
Is there anything better than bread baked by your own hand topped with avocado from a generous tree that you know? No, I do not think so.
There is no way I am not eating avocado toast when avocados are in season. That is criminal. I particularly enjoy with egg, sometimes just plain dusted with lemon zest and chili. I do not want to be friends with anyone who can dislike this.
Bread
As a beginner homebaker, I would not brag about my bread to others but nothing can stop me from enjoying it to the fullest. It is so satisfying.
Here in The Philippines, bread is sweet, even the everyday bread pan de sal. Learning bread baking from my youngest sister gave me the luxury to enjoy light, crispy, and yeasty bread every day. It is not as great as that in Germany or France but it is definitely the best bread this side of town. I am so keen on practicing and learning more!
What food are you obsessed with lately? I would really love to know. For science!
Markus + Micah 
This all looks delicious!
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They really are. I feel really lucky that I am able to cook food that I like. It is cheaper and infinitely pleasurable. Thank you for visiting us and welcome to out blog.
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I love mushrooms – with pasta, on toast, with so many things. It is winter where I am so all root vegetables are on the menu a lot these days.
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That sounds delicious. Do you grow your own mushrooms, too? I feel like I can eat mushrooms every day.
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Ohhh my gosh all this food looks amazing! I’ve been pretty obsessed with finding vegan alternatives for my favorite dishes right now. For science of course 😋
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Thank you. Oh, let me know what food you are looking to turn plant-based. I think about thesw things all the time. It is fun!
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I’ve been looking for ways to get cheesy and creamy textures and flavors like with cashew cream and nutritional yeast 😁
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Vegan, I see. How about trying some non-dairy yogurt to get the same effect?
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Ah yes that’s a good one!! 😊
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I love your obsession – maybe because I am obsessed with food too!
Your avo toast looks divine! Off your tree? Goodness! If only I were so lucky! And your fried mushrooms … I can just imagine the deliciousness! I don’t like to deepfry things (too much oil spluttering!) so I shall just have to enjoy yours.
If you remember, I have you to thank for ciabatta gracing our table now. And I have printed off an ensaymada recipe – ready for a rainy day! to eat with that Mexican hot chocolate (which is also courtesy of the video you shared).
My current obsession is with banchan. I love little eats, and I love pickles, and these Korean accompaniments to a meal are to die for. I decided to make them because they are so expensive to buy from a Korean deli.
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Yes, we love growing food and there is nothing more satisfying than eating your own harvest. I actually do not deep fry these mushrooms and they do not splatter that much. I am actually really happy I do not eat meat because they splatter like crazy. This is the ensaymada recipe my sister follows: https://youtu.be/m-8f7dv_5mg I hope you make it when you have the time. It is quite fun! And well done on making your own banchan! You are right, they are so fun to eat. Plus you can eat more when you cook them yourself. Your family is very lucky to have you!
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Ooooh, thank you for the ensaymada recipe. I am looking forward to having it with my hot chocolate (I have just collected the last of the ingredients needed for the Mexican – dried chilli peppers).
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You are ready. Have one for me!
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It’s not my all-time favorite, but falafel has been on my mind a lot lately, maybe because I used to live near a Middle Eastern takeout place that served a terrific falafel gyro. It closed during the lockdown in my city, and at least from the street, it doesn’t appear to have re-opened…yet. (I remain hopeful that at some point during the summer, it will!)
I think anything we weren’t able to have during the lockdown stirs intense cravings in a lot of us: Chinese dim sum, tacos from your favorite taco truck, ice cream in hand-rolled waffle cones, movie theater popcorn. That said, I’m not going to, for example, rush out to a movie theater just to have a barrel of buttered popcorn: but I’ve grown to appreciate the memories from those experiences, like that of eating popcorn in a darkened theater, the smell, the sound of the kernels crunching in one’s mouth while the movie’s soundtrack plays, that oddly unique sound of a hand rummaging around for the remaining popcorn at the bottom of the cardboard box. I never gave those things much thought until I realized I couldn’t replicate them at home. They’re unique to the place and time, and thus more enjoyable.
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Oh, falafel is an excellent choice! I wish you can have this again soon. We also love cooking falafel and other chickpea dishes. Really yummy. And your point on food suddenly unavailable makes sense. The things we take for granted. With us here, it is ramen. Lucky, there are ramen kits available to us so we have it occasionally. Of course, the plastic kills me but we reuse the stuff so there is that.
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Being on a starvation diet, I’m currently obsessed with – but not eating – hamburgers and pizza. Sometimes french fries. I’m 100% sure this is due to tv commercials.
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Have you looked into keto diet? My cousin, who is also a physician, recommends it to his patients who need to lose weight fast.
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I’ve done it a bunch of times, back when it was called low carb. I don’t process fat correctly so it really upsets my GI issues.
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Sorry to hear about this. It is something I cannot do as well. Oh well, just keep working at it and you will reach your goal. Cheering for you!
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Thanks. I appreciate the encouragement! I’m down 2 more pounds today but it’s prob dehydration.
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Well, pro mma fighters dehydrate themselves to near death for the weigh-ins before their fight so it does work.
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Yeah… but it’s temp. I need to sustain the loss. And be healthy enough for surgery.
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Yes, right attitude. Loss it and keep it off! You have been eating food that fills you up longer?
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No. I have been on a liquid starvation diet… the current goal is FAST, to get knee surgery, so I cam quit my job.
I ate food Fri night because the combo of little sleep, literally no food, and bitchy coworkers left me severely mentally fragile.
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Sorry to hear about the recent challenges. How long do you usually fast? I really hope you get the results you need so the knee surgery can happen.
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I don’t usually fast. This is specifically to qualify for surgery ASAP.
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I really hope it works. It is about time you get your knees fixed.
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Whaaa? They’ve only been bad for, ohhh, 30+ years. At 26, after a different knee surgery, I was told I’d need replacements. Now that they’re critical everyone acts like it’s NBD.
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Wow, that is a long time. Keeping my fingers crossed for your best knee health outcomes! I worry about my knee sometimes, too. I obviously injured one before and sometimes I have pain on the other one. Haha.
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When the knees decided to quit, the right one went out first. After I gave up working out, the L one suddenly surpassed the R. But now they’ve reversed again.
Things are still on target but after a good job interview today I realized I wouldn’t want to screw over a new employer but immediately taking medical leave. There’s no job offer at this point… just something that could alter plans. As could my ongoing fantasy about moving to New Mexico.
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I hope it all works out. I know you will not force anything so I trust things will fall into place soon. And omg, may Mexico work out for you! I fantasize about eating my way through it.
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Lol… not the country, Mexico… the state, New Mexico… good weather, liberal, nice landscape, much lower home prices and cost of living. But I’d miss being near the ocean (even though I rarely go).
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Haha. Got it, New Mexico. I see it often since there are MMA fighters that train from there. I hope that you can move there if you really want to!
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I’ve never lived anywhere but SoCal, and have no idea what NM is really like. If I make the move, it will be a radically change for me and unlikely I’ll ever be able to afford to return to Cali.
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Maybe visit and stay there for two weeks first?
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Two weeks… lol… I’ll be lucky to afford a long weekend! We still have some travel restrictions and I’m not getting on a plane till the Delta variant settles down.
Right now, jumping in – both feet first – sounds exciting. A radical Life shakeup.
But there are other moving parts in play at the moment..
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I hope you figure out what is the best way to go. I did cross continents in this time of Delta. Interesting experience. When I have more life, I look forward to writing about it. Hoping you are well!
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OMG your bread….
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It is actually a fun quarantine project. I hope we can share a roll together at some point.
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Please! I love breads haha
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Is nice bread readily available in The Maldives?
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As Linda is still away in charge of food for the movie being made in Esperance (along with our daughter who is in charge of set design and our eldest son), I have been cooking at home non stop for the last six weeks, much to the satisfaction of our youngest son. The most successful dishes: slow cooked beef brisket with a spice mix rub, beef stir fry with Thai vegetables, lasagne (the real deal), roast pork with vegetables, chile con carne, super charged nachos, steak in a garlic butter sauce with cauliflower white sauce and parsley (so some French classics happening). So all in all, I am rediscovering my cooking mojo. My Nana taught me to cook and I have just kept on cooking over the years.
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Your family is cool. And you, too, for cooking all the food all this time! I am sure your Nana is proud every time a dish comes out of your kitchen. Your dishes sound yummy. Of course, I imagine it veg version, but they still sound delicious. Mushroom lasagna is the stuff of legends!
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Thanks Micah. Yes, we do a mean vegetarian lasagne as well. I must look into the mushroom version. I can still remember hunting for field mushrooms with my Nan and Pop when I was about 4 or 5 just as the sun was coming up and then frying them up for breakfast.
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Wow, that is an amazing memory! I do not have any with grandparents because I was born too late. I hope you make a mushroom lasagne and I look forward to seeing photos of it and imagining eating it.
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Dear Micah, what are you like? Obsessing about food! Yes! Why not? I wish I could bake, I’d make bread and anything with pastry. Don’t fret! There is nothing unhealthy about your obsessions as far as I can see!
Obsessed? Me? Welsh cakes it must be! I do like a scone but Welsh Cakes are the best. I think I should make some! Don’t you? Then I’ll send you the recipe and you can be obsessed with scones too! 😊💖💐🙋♂️
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Okay, what if I send you the recipe for the simple bread that I make and you send me your Welsh cake and scones recipe? We can try them together, like our little project.
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Micah, that is so sweet! I’d better make those Welsh Cakes first and see how they turn out! I will keep you posted 💌💐🙋♂️
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Looking forward! Just in case you want to think about it, here is the easy ciabatta recipe we follow: https://youtu.be/7BjMBavA4g0 It is simple and the only investment is time. Well worth it though.
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I love avacado on toast as well
Some unusual dishes here
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Avo toast is just the best, isn’t it? What dishes do you find unusual?
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Lately I have been obsessed with waffles topped with blueberries! The juicy blueberries on a warm crispy outside but soft inside is delicious!
And a BIG Thank you my dear friend for sending G a video for my birthday! I am so touched that you would go the extra mile to help make me feel special 😊 And that’s what I appreciates about you!
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Now I am craving for waffles. Ugh. And I hope you had a wonderful birthday. I was so happy to have the chance to greet you. G is the best!
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My birthday was perfect! Filled with juicy peach tarts, new orchids, kitty shenanigans, and lots of love! It was so special seeing you and hearing your voice. I am so happy that we have connected and I appreciate our friendship 😊
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Happy to hear. There are plenty of good things that happen despite our health challenges. And yes, I am thankful, too. One day we will see each other somehow and hang out!
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Well that all looks delicious! My daughter introduced me to Avocado toast last year when she was home for the summer. I love it, but I wish avocados were native to Canada. I am always disappointed when I buy them in the store because when I cut into them they are brown. 😢 I tried using frozen avocado but it didn’t work so well.
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Yes, frozen avo does not sound delightful, unless you are blending it in a smoothie or ice cream of some sort. I count myself lucky to have avos from nice trees that I know. It is one reason why I always grow the seeds I get. I wonder what is wrong with your supermarket avos? Or maybe get unripe ones and watch them ripen at home?
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Honestly, I think it’s because they have to travel thousands of miles on a truck to get to us. I have bought unripe, hard ones, and they are still brown inside. It’s frustrating because I love them. I have even tried buying them at different supermarkets with no success.
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That is sad. I saw a documentary about this. About how healthy eating can be challenging for the environment if our healthy food comes halfway around the world. Markus always says eating local is the best. I think he is right.
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I agree and do try to eat local where possible. But, living in a colder, northern climate is limiting becaue so many things just don’t grow here. It’s one of the reasons I can’t give up my frozen fruits and veggies. It’s either that or go without fruit and veggies all winter.
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I see, and I am a believer in frozen fruits and vegetables, too. I do not have to use them yet but these are infinitely better than wilted ones!
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These pictures and the little tales behind them, is so delicious and heartwarming at the same time. That feeling when you sip your habitual hot coffee in the morning after craving it just enough. A similar wishful satisfaction of the sensory. So good to see the different types of bread too. I think I’m always hungry. Aargh. 🤭💜
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Thanks, same! I think about food all the damn time. There is just so much to love about it. What food are you loving lately?
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Streetfood, because I miss it so much and snacks always cheer me up. 😭
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Oh, we have something in common – I also love snacks! Still no street food in your area?
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Not really, I hardly go out. I’m partially vaccinated though so might be going out a bit next weekend! Snacs 😍🥰
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