Seriously…

old pic, I know...

Main Entry: se•ri•ous•ly

Function: adverb

1 : in a sincere manner : EARNESTLY

2 : to a serious extent : SEVERELY, EXTREMELY

Use seriously in a sentence –

a. I seriously want to learn more about the pastry arts.

b. I seriously want to bake a cake, a few cupcakes and some pies.

c. I want to go back to school and study pastry arts, seriously.

Are there enough "seriouslies" in this post? Okay, I won’t use it anymore.These past few weeks, I’ve been researching, calling schools and weighing my options.So I thought, I’d share with you some of the culinary schools offering a pastry arts program here in Manila.

1. Academy for International Culinary Arts (AICA)

Website: http://www.aicaculinary.com/

E-mail: info@aicaculinary.com

Address: Skyway Twin Towers, #351 Capt. Henry Javier street Pasig City, Philippines

Phone no: +632.672.2271

2. American Hospitality Academy (AHA)

Website: http://www.ahaphil.com/

Address: 108 Aguirre Building, H.V. dela Costa cor.Soliman Sts., Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines

Phone no: (632)892-7372, (632)892-7702

3. Apicius Culinary Arts Academy

Website: http://www.apicius-culinary.com/

E-mail: info@apicius-culinary.com

Address: 24 A&B Olivarez Plaza, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, Paranaque City, 1700 Metro Manila

Phone no: (02)8298640

4. Center for Asian Culinary Studies (CACS)

Website: http://www.cacschef.com/

E-mail: cacs@cacschef.com

Address: 455 P. Guevarra Street, San Juan, Metro Manila

Phone no: (+632) 725-5089

5. Center for Culinary Arts (CCA)

Website: http://www.cca-manila.com/

E-mail: marketing@cca-manila.com

Address: 287 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, 1108 Philippines

Phone no: (+63 2) 426.4840 to 41

6. CLICKS Culinary Learning Institute Inc

Website: http://www.clicksgma.com/

E-mail: clicksculinary@yahoo.com

Address: #20 Ist Avenue Brgy. Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Santolan Quezon City

Phone no: 02-7241016/7822295

7. Enderun Colleges

Website: http://www.enderuncolleges.com/

E-mail: marketing@enderuncolleges.com

Address: 1100 Campus Avenue, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1634 Philippines

Phone no: (632) 856 5000

8. First Gourmet Academy

Website: http://www.firstgourmetacademy.com/

E-mail: info@firstgourmetacademy.com

Address: Capitol Green Street, Capitol Hills Drive, Old Balara, Quezon City, Philippines

Phone no: +632 951 1687 and +632 951 9655

9. Global City Innovative College

Website: http://www.gcic.edu.ph

Address: 3/f Bonifacio Tech Center, 31st st cor. 2nd Ave., Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Phone no: 757-55-88 / 818-09-45 / 818-09-46

10. Global Culinary & Hospitality Academy

Website: http://www.globalacademyph.com/

E-mail: info@globalacademy.ph

Address: 2F Amber Square, Don Escriva, Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1600 Philippines

Phone no: +632 638 5949

11. Heny Sison Culinary School

Website: http://www.henysison.com/

E-mail: info@henysison.com

Address: 33 Bonnie Serrano Avenue, (formerly Santolan Road) Crame, Quezon City

Phone no: 726-5316 412-7792 413-2428 to 29 0917-8800228

12. ICF@FEU Culinary School

Website: http://www.icf.com.ph/

E-mail: FEU Makati

Address: Gil Puyat Avenue corner Zuellig Loop, Makati City

Phone no: FEU - Makati (02)836-2002

13. International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCHAM)

Website: http://www.iscahm.com/

E-mail: sales@iscahm.com

Address: 4F FBR Bldg, Katipunan Avenue, 1108 Quezon City, Philippines

Phone no: [63] 2 926 8888 / 920 1481

14. Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA)

Website: http://www.mihca.com.ph/

E-mail: makaticampus@mihca.com.ph

Address: 5/F WALTER MART MALL, CHINO ROCES AVE COR ARNAIZ AVE, MAKATI 1200, PHILIPPINES

Phone no: (+632) 887 5329

15. The Kitchen Academy

Website: http://thekitchenacademy.ph/

E-mail: info@thekitchenacademy.ph

Address: 3/F D Grand Bldg. 43 San Beda Homes, Alabang Zapote Road, Las Pinas City

Phone no: 02.872.2734 / 02.382.3940

Did I miss anything? Quite a list, isn’t it?I’m still not decided. Have you studied in any of these schools? Or any culinary school for that matter? How was it? Can you help me?

Happy Cupcaking,

Aikko

Cupcake Picnic, anyone?

No baking post this week.

My hands hurt, but not from baking. I've been taking up boxing lessons to shed some weight that got stuck in my arms. Nope, the culprit is not the speedbag. I love the speed bag. Whoever invented it was a genius! The culprit is the punching bag. I think I maybe overdoing the punches. So for now, my hands are resting -- after typing this post, that is.

Instead, I'll just distract you with pictures from a cupcake picnic I had with my friends, Shetan and Nina. This was taken a few months ago but I forgot to post it. Shetan, Nina and I met in college, so we thought a little get together would be nice since we have a lot of catching up to do. UP Diliman is a perfect place for a picnic, specially on Sundays when families go there for a Sunday brunch, lunch or snack. Since it's also the place where we all met, so why not?

I brought 2 boxes of cupcakes just for the three of us. I know that's more than enough but I was thinking if we cannot finish it all, they can give it as "pasalubong" when they get home.

I love get-togethers! I hope we can do it soon, this time with all our other friends. Hmmm... are 10 boxes enough?

Happy cupcaking,

Aikko

Chocolate Chip Peanut Banana Loaf

I particularly liked the top most part of this loaf. It's like all the banana gooey goodness concentrated on the top part which made me want to eat only the top part.

Of course, you can not go wrong with banana! Throw in a little peanuts and chocolate chips, now that's what I call an awesome combination. Thanks Magnolia Bakery for this recipe.

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Chocolate Chip Peanut Banana Loaf

from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas

1/3 cup milk

2 cups sifted self rising flour

½ cup finely chopped, unsalted peanuts

¾ cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the mashed bananas and the milk. Mix in the sifted flour until well combined. Stir in the peanuts and the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

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Happy cupcaking,

Aikko

Mint Filled Brownie Cupcakes

I love mint.

I can eat it everyday.

I love chocolates.

I can also eat it everyday.

Now, if I can get my hands on some chocolates with mint or mint with chocolates....

That's another story.

I can eat it every hour of every day.

I would even wake up in the odd hours of the morning to raid the fridge for some.

That's how I love mint with chocolates (or chocolates with mint).

These cupcakes came from Martha Stewart's Cupcake book. It was so yummy, I want to eat all of it!!!

But I can't do that... so I gave some away... okay... just a few... I can't help it...

Wanna know why?

I love mint.

I can eat it everyday.

I love chocolates.

I can also eat it everyday.

Oooopps, deja vu... I said that already, right?

Happy cupcaking!

Aikko