TRIED & TASTED: HOPIA SEBUYAS TAGALOG

This one's a surprise. A good surprise.  I grew up knowing that hopia as a  flaky pastry filled with sweet mung beans and that sebuyas tagalog (Tagalog onions) is pungent and has a unique sharp taste. That these two could come together is a surprise. A pleasant one. 

Discovered these when the hubby brought home some. The onions turned sweet and less pungent when cooked. I'm guessing, sauteed then baked in with the pastry. According to the book On Food and Cooking,"When onions and their relatives are heated, the various sulfur compounds react with each other and with other substances to produce a range of characteristic flavor molecules."Apparently, the sulfur breaks out the sugars as well, thus, the sweetness.

I get my packs from the Supermarket but the label says it's from Margie's Cakes and Pastries from Bacolod. 

Margie's Cakes and Pastries

Address: No. 12 Las Vegas St. Las Palmas Subdivision 

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100 Philippines
Telephone: +63-34 434-9375;  +63-34 433-4566

TASTED: BOCADITOS FROM BAKED BY ANITA

Back in 2011, every time I found myself at the Powerplant Mall on a weekend, I'd make sure to drop by the Baker's Fair stalls at Level 1 and get a box of bocaditos from Baked by Anita.  These moments were few and far in between because I live an hour and a half away. A few months ago, I discovered that they're  no longer part of the Baker's Fair (I guess it's been that long since I've been to Powerplant on a weekend).

Was really glad to discover that Baked by Anita now has a stall in SM Megamall's new Fashion Wing.

Got myself a box of six of these small but tasty and filling pastry.

Bocaditos (which loosely translates to "morsels") are Cuban tea sandwiches, usually made with soft rolls filled with ham spread and served as snacks or as party appetizers.

Baked by Anita's bocaditos' are not made from soft rolls but buttery and flaky pastry dough cups. Every filling is distinguished by its marking on the crown. This one with the star, is the Chicken and  Mushroom in Marsala Cream. It's a bit like bite sized chicken pot pie but a little bit dry.

 

But if chicken bores you, there's the Spanish Chorizo with Mozarella with the "C" marking.

That's a "C" not a horseshoe

For the vegetarians, they also have the Baby Spinach with French Goat Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts.

My personal favorite is the Wild Mushrooms with Gruyere & Truffle Oil. The truffle oil aroma wafts inside your mouth as you bite into the bocadito. Then the silky texture of the mushroom slides onto your tongue as you taste the nutty saltiness of the gruyere. This is what got me addicted to Bocaditos. Make sure to try it when do get a chance to buy from Baked by Anita.

Baked By Anita

Telephone: 736-2877 

E-mail: simplygood@anitali.com.ph