Aligue and Mushroom Pasta

This is one of my side that I also want to share. Aside from being a fashion designer/enthusiast, singer, writer and nurse, I am also a cook. Well i try to be. I love things that are related to creativity. I'm an artist, so I try every bit of artistry there is. When it comes to cooking, i love experimenting, adding unconventional ingredients to create a new taste. My specialties are pasta dishes. To start of this new self-proclaimed "expertise" on my blog, I want to share my recipe for Aligue Pasta. It is a crab paste base pasta. Aligue is the Tagalog term for crab fat. Most of the aligue pasta recipes there is uses the paste itself as a sauce and just sauteing it but i have a different take on it.

First of, we need to boil the pasta: Any pasta type will do but since I only have the regular spaghetti, that's what i have used for this dish: (You can also use fettuccine) then after the water was brought to a boil add pasta and cooking oil:



After the pasta was done, put it aside and strain immediately, to prevent the pasta from being overcooked.

Get the sauce ingredients. You will need crab paste, (aligue) this usually comes in bottles and/or can and you can buy it at any local grocery stores. I choose this brand, because of the taste, it is somewhat bland and spicy at the same time. Most of the aligue there is has lemon juices and a bit salty, but this brand is somewhat bland but still the crab fat flavors is still very very distinct:



Saute the crab paste, and tuna using olive oil. Normally, aligue pasta doesn't have tuna, but i just added it as i need meat on my dish. This is just an option if you prefer aligue alone it is still okay or you can add your favorite seafood like shrimp, squid and clams. I use Olive oil since it is the most healthy oil there is. I try my best to use healthy ingredients on my dishes. Since crab paste is rich in fat and they say it can add up to your cholesterol, i use Tuna since it has Omega 3 that helps fight cholesterol.



Add Mushroom, season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder and my secret ingredient which i use most of the time on my recipes: the Italian seasoning. It is a mixture of 5 different Italian herbs: Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Marjoram and Basil. It is perfect for tomato-based sauces and also good for green salads, dips, soups, and dressings.



After simmering for 5 minutes, add tomato sauce. As i kept on blabbering, this is not the usual aligue pasta as they don't add tomato sauce on it, most of the time they use cream or just plain aligue. But since this is fat-rich food i try to balance it with healthy options. Let it simmer again for 5 minutes:



Mix it with your pasta and add Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon or calamansi and voila you have the healthy Aligue and Mushroom Pasta:

Back To School Look

This look was inspired by a contest held at our office, "Back To School". We have to wear an outfit inspired by going back to school. Most of the team dressed up for the occasion. Some wore school uniforms, preppy look, scout's uniform and professors just to name a few. The event was done to promote camaraderie. team spirit and to alleviate some of the stress at work. Winners will receive gift certificates from their chosen restaurants. This is a good way to have fun at work. To tell you more about my look: to start of, My top was a classic white polo from Lee, which i accessorized by wearing a red, blue and black polka dots tie and a brown printed jacket. For the pants, Red jeans which I got from Robinson's Department Store. Top-sider shoes in Red and white leather from Cardams. My bag was created out of faux-fur, and gold straps from my old bag.

Enchanting Gaga

This look was my entry for Spookbook Costume Contest.

All of the pieces in this look were created by me. I was inspired by Lady Gaga's outfit when she performed in the Brit Awards 2010 Alexander McQueen Tribute.

For the one piece, i used stretch tulle and covered it with lace. I also applied gold applique to the edges of the lace to enhance the design of the outfit. The tulle cape was multiple layers of tulle. I used ballerina skirt application to achieve the fluffiness of the cape at the neck area,

The boots were my creation also. Shoes are my specialty. It is made out of yellow alligator skin leather. You can check some of my creations at facebook.com/kylsdesign.

Hope you guys like it.. ^_^

Violet Hues

I can say this is one of my most favorite looks I have pulled of so far.  I am wearing my black, violet and white stripes shirt from Bum Equipment, a local clothing store in PH.  The fabric used for this shirt is so breathable and soft that you feel like you aren’t wearing anything at all. 

I have made the pants for this.  This was my attempt in making a low-crotch pants/cargo pants.  I have found this amazing pink denim at a local fabric store in Marikina Market Mall and I immediately envisioned the pants that I want to do with it.  Here is the picture for a close-up look.






These shoes were my favorite. Aside from the fact that it is animal prints in pink, two of my most favorite things in the world, this was my very first creation for shoes.  I started making shoes when Espadrilles are really making its comeback.  I decided to create not the usual espadrilles type, but use out of this world fabrics and prints and this was the result.  Here is a close up look.






Till next post..

XOXO
Kyl♥