Watch Italian Movies for FREE

A movie date need not be expensive. With so many foreign embassies promoting the films of their respective countries under the banner of "cultural sharing," you can literally have a movie date with your special someone or your friends for FREE for several days. And you can do it in classy malls, too. You only need money for your fare and your food. If you're really on a budget, then bring a sandwich and a bottle of juice with you. A 27 peso sweet and salty Kettle popcorn is all you need and you've got the perfect movie experience.

You can do this FREE movie date these October with Italian cinematic masterpieces.Cineplex is partnering with the Philippine Italian Association to bring to Filipino moviegoers 15 critically acclaimed Italian movies that will capture your minds and hearts. These will be screened at the Shang Cineplex Cinema 4 from October 21-26, 2010. 

Here is a screening schedule:

October 20 (Wednesday)

OPENING NIGHT (by invitation only)

7:30 PM Three Men And A Leg

October 21 (Thursday)

1:30 PM If I Were You (1:40)

4:00 PM Hard Boiled Egg (1:40)

6:30 PM The Girl By The Lake (1:35)

9:00 PM Good Morning Heatache (1:33)

October 22 (Friday)

1:30 PM We Can Do That(1:51)

4:00 PM Ginger and Cinnamon (1:49)

6:30 PM Different From Whom (1:48)

9:00 PM Unsane (1:50)

October 23 (Saturday)

1:30 PM Almost Blue (1:35)

4:00 PM Ask Me If I'm Happy (1:40)

6:30 PM The Stendhal Syndrome (2:00)

9:00 PM Such Is Life (1:48)

October 24 (Sunday)

1:30 PM Night Before The Exams (1:40)

4:00 PM Unsane (1:50)

6:30 PM Ginger and Cinnamon (1:49)

9:00 PM Three Men And A Leg (1:40)

October 25 (Monday)

1:30 PM Good Morning Heatache (1:33)

4:00 PM The Stendhal Syndrome (2:00)

6:30 PM If I Were You (1:40)

9:00 PM Ask Me If I'm Happy (1:40)

October 26 (Tuesday)

1:30 PM The Girl By Lake (1:35)

4:00 PM The Feast (1:42)

6:30 PM Such Is Life (1:48)

9:00 PM Almost Blue (1:35)

For other inquiries, please contact 633-7851 loc.113 or log on to www.shangrila-plaza.com

Fish Tinola on a Budget

For every home maker out there, one of the greatest challenges is to cook a dish that is cheap yet nutritious. That's why I am so glad that a friend shared a basic fish tinola recipe, which I brilliantly call Winona's Fish Tinola! (My friend's name is Winona). She says that fish tinola is a staple dish in Visayan homes and they prepare it almost daily. I think the Tagalog equivalent would be Pesang isda but I am not sure. So, if you quote me on that, I am going to deny it.

Now, how do you cook these? It's really very simple and can be cooked in a rice cooker if you don't have any cooking equipment like I do. 

Ingredients and how much I paid for them

• Maya-maya  - P25. I bought the belly part. You must be wondering why this maya maya is so cheap. Well, it's a poser maya-maya. They're flooding the markets like crazy and since this is the first time I cooked this, I opted to use cheap fish so it won't be such a waste of money if it becomes a catastrophic culinary experiment.
• 2 pieces tomatoes for P5
• 1 medium sized red onion for P2
• Spring onion for P5
• Small ginger for P5
• Kangkong for P5

How to Prepare:

Bring the water, tomatoes, onions, spring onions, and ginger to a boil.  Put in the fish and the kangkong for about 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure the fish isn't overcooked. 

• Caution: Don't put all the ginger in. Just a small piece of it. 
• Tip: You can use pechay instead of kangkong. Or, you can totally forget about putting any green leafy vegetable in there.

Total cost of the dish is just P47 and it is more than enough for two already. Even if you use the real maya maya, i don't think your cost will go over a hundred pesos.