The Mommy Book

3 min. read Cebu City, Philippines                  Dark chocolate has always been my favorite.   Even when choosing chocolate bars, I search for the darker kinds.   I’m a big fan of our local sikwate (Filipino hot chocolate) too.   The thing is, I always thought it was not good for me.   I was always told it raises my blood pressure.                But would you believe the truth is actually the opposite?   Johns Hopkins nutritionist Diane Vizthum, M.S., R.D. i n an article titled “The Benefits of Having a Healthy Relationship with Chocolate” said it lowers blood pressure.                The article stated that dark chocolate contains antioxidants including a flavonol (compounds found in plants) called epicatechin.   Flavonols fight inflammation and protect against cell damage caused by free radicals.                Here are 2 main benefits of dark chocolate: Helps your heart.  It has antioxidants that lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of clotting and incr

To us, nothing beats Chef Ronald's Ube Cheese Pan de Sialo.           Soft, chewy ube cheese pandesal have made a comeback these days and have found its way back into the hearts of many Cebuanos.   This purple yam salt bread has flavorful cheese filling inside so it comes with a hefty surprise when you bite into it.           My boys are not really fond of ube, but my sister-in-law and I were curious as to which among the many variants sold in the city were the best ones.   We got to try five of them and here we share our two cents’ worth for quick reference. 1.   Ube Cheese Pan de Sialo           For us this is, hand’s down, the best.   The bread is amazingly soft and chewy.   The filling, oh wow, amazing!   Chef Ronald Villavelez is the genius behind this pastry.   He uses cream cheese for filling if requested, but most times, he uses aged cheddar.   Of course he uses only fresh, real-deal ube roots.   As for the bread, he uses precision in measurements, timing and t