80 Breakfasts

Asian Style Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:14:00 +0000

Here I am. I haven’t gone very far. Just across the main avenue that divides our busy little central business district into two. Thank you for all your warm wishes and greetings of luck on our move! We have successfully installed ourselves in the temporary flat, which is located in the same building as our new/old flat that we will be calling our home. We'll be staying here until early next year while our soon-to-be home (some floors below us) gets a much needed face lift.

I must confess to slight nostalgic twinges for our old home and our old neighbourhood (we still make it to the market there) but I am growing very fond of our new one. I’m much closer to another weekend market (which I’ve also frequented in the past). The sidewalks seem bigger and I see more trees around. The view is much better too – still a city view, meaning building and more buildings, but at least none of them are condemned or under construction...and the afore-mentioned trees add a touch (albeit a very small touch) of green :) Anyway, I actually love looking at other buildings***. Oh and we have a teeny-tiny balcony...my kaffir lime plant can finally know what it feels like to live in the outside world!

On the cooking front, we have managed not to totally fall into the trenches of store-bought food, thank goodness. Plus renovation is hungry work so best to be prepared with something a little more substantial than a convenience store bun!

Asian Style Meatballs

500 grams ground pork
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes (depends how spicy your chili is...mine is from Thailand and very spicy)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and upper stem parts)
1/4 cup brown sugar (scant, not packed)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
1/4 cup Ilocos vinegar (sukang Iloco)

- In a bowl mix salt, pepper, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, cilantro, and sugar until well blended.
- In a bigger, non-reactive bowl, place ground pork. Add vinegar and fish sauce, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
- Add the spice mix from step one to the pork and mix with your hands until incorporated.
- Cook a small amount of the mince mix to taste and adjust seasoning (and cook and taste again) as needed.
- Leave the mince mix in the fridge for an hour.
- After the mixture has rested, shape into balls, patties, or logs and fry until just done...do not overcook! Watch them to make sure the sugar does not burn.
- Serve immediately. Serves 4.

This dish was inspired by two (well, three actually) bloggers' attempts at making their own, homemade, Filipino longanisa. Longanisa is our local sausage and every corner of this archipelago has their own version. One blogger is Marvin of Burnt Lumpia who I have long admired for his tireless dedication to learning Filipino cooking. His family is from a region in the Philippines (Ilocos) known for their delicious longanisa. The other bloggers are JS and TS of [eatingclub] vancouver who shared their old yaya’s (nanny) recipe. Now, how did it go from Filipino longanisa to “Asian Style Meatballs”? I added a bit of this and a bit of that, searched the internet some more, and ended up with what you have here. That’s not to say you can’t turn these back into Filipino Longanisa. If you omit the ginger and cilantro, form the mince into little logs, and fry or grill, you should have your own version of longanisa!

C and I (and our friend who dropped by last night) both enjoyed this! The meatballs came out tremendously flavour-packed! The garlic, ginger and cilantro all came through beautifully, the chili added just the right amount of heat, and the sugar worked perfectly in tempering these potent flavours. The fish sauce (patis) adds a more rounded savoury-ness than salt and I’ll be trying an all fish sauce-no salt version next time.

These go very well with some (Thai) sweet chilli sauce for dipping and I imagine would make a jaunty addition to a spread of appetizers. You can also shape the mince into little patties and cook up a noodle salad much like this one. You can freeze the shaped balls (or patties or logs), uncooked, as an emergency stash...just in case your contractor or designer is in need of some sort of bribing! ;)

***Does anyone else have this strange insectile fixation? It gives me a peculiar sense of pleasure to gaze at a zillion other windows, imagining the zillion other lives going on behind them. I can stand like this for quite some time, oddly entranced.

In Between Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:13:00 +0000

Oh my, it has been a while hasn't it? Since I have been over here, gabbing about this and that. Suffice to say that a LOT as been going on. Yes, as much there has been absolutely nothing going on here! And even as I quickly send this post out, much is demanding my attention so I will make this brief -- We're moving!

This isn't a cross-country venture, and we aren't upgrading to that stately chateau with adjoining pig farm just yet. In fact, we are just moving across our little central business district, from one "village" to another. But it's a move nonetheless (a bigger place yay!!! with extra room and a real lobby and doorman!), requiring all the packing, sorting, sweating, and dust-inhalation that all moves entail. PLUS, the complete renovation of the new place. Hence the silence over here. And it heavies my heart to say it, but there will be more silence to follow as this will be my last night online in our wonderful, old, little flat. After this it's all up to our local broadband gods to get me safely online on the other side...where a mountain of unpacking await.

The big day is tomorrow, when, if all goes well, we will be sleeping in what will be our temporary home until the renovation is done (which should be done by early next year). I can't promise when I'll be back with food and photos (my oven will be packed up until we move to our new flat) but we will have to eat...so please check back if you are not too impatient. Our temporary home has a little two-burner and a small oven which I am sure I can convince to churn out something delicious!

Until then, I am a bundle of emotions -- excitement for this new phase in our lives (Home owners! Debt! Are we ready?? To finally grow up???), and a melancholy nostalgia for the life we are leaving behind (the fun and fancy-free, albeit a bit messy and disorganized, life of our first years of marriage). These old walls saw the makings of our foundation, and though a struggle at times (foundation-building is never easy if your building it to last), it was a big adventure...one that I wouldn't trade for all the truffles and foie in the world :) I will miss our little flat and all that we had here...

Time to cook has been sparse but I really needed to throw myself together a store of healthy snacking to help me through this move. This granola is just the thing...and easy to throw together between packing boxes.

But enough sighing! Onward and upwards I say! We are on to all sorts of different adventures and I hope to share some of them here at some point in the not too distant future. I don't know how long until I'll be able to sneak back in here...but I will be back! :) Hopefully with something good to eat! :)

Salmon and Salsa Verde Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:27:00 +0000

Remember this salsa verde? Don’t worry, I’m not about to drag it out of archives and repeat it all over here. Well, not totally anyhow. I do believe though that it is worth the second mention. I’ve found it can brighten up many a plain dish, do wonders in a tuna sandwich, and has become my go-to condiment for salmon.

I love salmon and its distinct flavour, rich meat, and cheerful color. C enjoys it too, although not as much as I do...and he is not exactly a fan of it baked with dill and mayonnaise as I am. He isn’t too keen on creamy sauces either...another thing I like with salmon. This bright, tangy, and extremely flavourful salsa verde was just the ticket then. Its sharp, herbaceous personality keeps the salmon’s strong flavour and fatty-ness in line beautifully. I imagine it will go well with many other kinds of fish too. You can find the recipe for the salsa verde here.

But this post is not exactly about the salsa verde, though in and of itself it is quite wonderful. This post is about the leftovers (if any) you might have after a meal of salmon with salsa verde. As I’ve mentioned a couple of times before, I am doing what I can to avoid food waste. That includes making short work of leftovers and giving them a new lease on life.

Salmon and Salsa Verde Pasta

150 grams cooked pasta noodles (or your typical one serving measure, uncooked)
100 grams cooked salmon, flaked (or equivalent uncooked, )
2-3 tablespoons salsa verde

- Heat pasta and salmon if using leftovers. Alternately, if not using leftovers, cook noodles as per package directions, and cook salmon by either by pan-frying, roasting, or steaming (rub with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper first) then flake.
- While salmon and pasta are hot, toss with salsa verde. Taste and see if you need to add more salsa verde. I’ve just given an approximate here but amounts will vary depending on the salsa verde you are using.
- Top with grated parmesan if desired. Serves one.

You will have to judge just how much salsa verde you want in your pasta so please use your taste as a guide and put more or less as you see fit. When we have salmon with salsa verde for dinner, and it is not totally devoured, this makes an appearance for my lunch the next day. It’s a light pasta dish that doesn’t scrimp on taste, is easy to throw together (since the salmon and salsa verde are already prepared), and makes use of leftovers! Good taste, no waste ;)

Typhoon Ondoy

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:48:00 +0000

As some of you may have heard, we were struck by a horrible typhoon (typhoon Ondoy, international name: Ketsanaon) on September 26, Saturday. Most of Luzon (the region where Metro Manila is) was placed under a state of calamity on Saturday as cities and provinces in the region lay victim to massive flooding.

My family and I are safe but that is not the case for a lot of my fellow countrymen. Many lost their homes, and in numerous tragic cases, dear ones as well. Some are still missing. They need our help.

Here are some ways to help:

You can donate to the Philippine Red Cross HERE – you just have to choose Typhoon Ondoy under Project/Activity. More ways to donate to the Philippine Red Cross HERE. You can also donate via Txtpower.org to the Philippines Red Cross. You will need a Paypal account though.
Midge of Sybaritic Diversions has put together some numbers to call HERE.
Marketman is increasing his feeding program's efforts in the public schools in Taguig HERE.
Starting today, 29 September, the Philippine National Red Cross will be accepting relief goods and donations for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy from 8am to 8pm at The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion, 100 Park Ave. McKinley Hill Vill. Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Enderun College (1100 Campus St, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio) is preparing food packages for distribution and accepting food donations.
Whitespace, a venue in Makati, is also accepting donations. Most needed are: potable water, rice, blankets, clothing detergent, body soap, clothes, canned goods (or any food that can survive transport). Also needed: crackers/cookies, noodles, toiletries, formula...and VOLUNTEERS to help repack everything and load them into vans. Also badly needed are Vans for transport. Whitespace is in 2314 Pasong Tamo Extension (in between Cantinetta and Makati Hope Christian School). You can call 8447328 for more info.
All LBC branches, both here and abroad are available as drop-off centers for relief goods and cash donations which will be transported/remitted for free. They have partners such as ABS-CBN to make sure the goods are sent to those most in need.
If you are in the Alabang area you can call Deds. They are offering their showroom as drop off point for donations for the flood victims. They will deliver the goods to De La Salle Zobel so you don't have to go inside the village. Please drop off from 9 AM to 5 PM at Shop Familia, #406 Richville Corporate Centre 1314 Commerce Avenue Extension, Madrigal Business Park, Alabang Muntinlupa City. Phone: 8428412.
You can check Mc Donald's or Jollibee outlets. Most of their outlets are drop-off points for everyone to donate relief goods.
All La Salle Schools are accepting donations in cash and kind for the typhoon victims. Details on their Ondoy Relief Operation can be found HERE.
ABS-CBN drop off point for donations is at Examiner St., right by Alex III. Manggy has heard clamor for new underwear but of course food and potable water is the priority.
Also from Manggy: Doctors who wish to volunteer their services can contact the Philippine Medical Association at 929-6366 or 929-6951.
Ateneo de Manila University is also organizing relief operations. See details HERE.
For those in the U.S., you can view links posted by Knitty Mommy for US donations HERE.
If you are abroad, you can also use your Amazon account to donate to THIS Kickstart project.
THIS LINK lists the consolidated efforts for Typhoon Ondoy relief.
Gawad Kalinga Foundation is also organizing relief efforts. You can make donations HERE.

Amidst this tragedy, the amount of people coming together to help is truly inspirational. If anyone knows of more avenues to help, send donations, places in need of volunteers, please leave a comment. I will repost them here as well. Thank you!

Lemon Butter Cookies / Sablés Au Citron

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:16:00 +0000

We had such wet weather last week, with rains pouring down and gloomy skies. Going to the market required juggling an umbrella with my usual market bag, and using my free hand to inspect veggies and fruits (and trying to avoid the big drips of water from overhead make-shift awnings that seem to target my head specifically!). It also meant having to market in actual “closed” shoes as opposed to my usual flip-flops...criminy.

C was woebegone as he couldn’t go biking (he’s a passionate mountain biker). I would spy him early on weekend mornings, shuffling out of bed and peering hopefully through the window blinds, then shuffling back to bed with a sigh and a resigned look. The trails would be too muddy to ride through.

This week however flounced in full of sunshine! Sun blazing through the windows and hammering the streets with its heat. And though I’m tempted to turn on the a/c during the day, I resist. Opting instead to enjoy this bit of light and warmth in one of my beach batiks and my latest pair of flip-flops. I admit the heat may often drive me bananas, but sometimes it’s good to take a step back and be thankful for the blessings the sun brings me: all-year tank tops, never having to suffer through bitter cold weather, vitamin D synthesis, and protection from vampires just to name a few.

No matter how yummy it may be to nuzzle back into a fluffy duvet on a rainy Sunday morning, I can’t deny the air of hope that sunshine brings with it.

That’s what I’d like to celebrate with this entry to A Taste Of Yellow – hope. The hope that when many gather together in support of something, the darkness does not seem so daunting nor as insurmountable. The hope you feel when you know you have someone who will stick with you through tough times. The hope that they may find a cure. The hope that tomorrow will be sunnier, cooler, better.

LiveSTONG with A Taste of Yellow is a food blogging event created by the fabulous Barbara of Winos and Foodies in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, to raise awareness of cancer issues. It is a platform for bloggers to share their stories, or simply their support. I have always been a great admirer of Barbara and the way she approaches life...with polish and flair and always a kindness for others. And hope too I believe.

I chose these Lemon Butter Cookies (or Sablés Au Citron if you want to be cute and French...which I must admit I sometimes do) from Clotilde’s cookbook Chocolate & Zucchini, page 224. The cheery yellow of the lemon and the butter, along with the heavenly smell of lemon rind being grated, assured me that I was on the right track with this recipe. And the delicious results were all the proof I needed to know I had made the correct choice.

Here’s what you do: Mix together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (I used one scant teaspoon), and 1 tablespoon freshly grated and finely chopped lemon zest (from organic lemons if possible!). Add 3.5 ounces (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter that is well chilled and diced. Rub the butter into the flour mixture (this feels really nice), or cut in with a pastry cutter until combined into what looks like coarse crumbs. Add one egg yolk and stir with a fork until blended. Take the dough into your hands and knead (lightly now...you’re not making a baguette) until it comes together and forms a ball. If they dough looks too dry add some ice water (a little at a time!). If it feels too sticky add some flour (a little at a time!). Now, halve the dough and roll each half into a log about 1-inch in diameter. Wrap each log in cling wrap and tuck in the freezer for a 30-minute nap (you can also freeze the dough for up to a month -- freshly baked butter cookies any time you want...yay!). When you are ready to bake them, remove a log from the freezer, unwrap, and slice into 1/4-inch rounds using a serrated knife (roll the dough a quarter-turn after each slice so the log stays round). Repeat with the second log. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and stick into a 350F (pre-heated) oven for 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the cookies cool completely before adding the glaze.

To make the glaze: I only made half the glaze so to get the full quantity just multiply by two. Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a bowl with 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice – whisk until syrupy. Glaze the cookies using a pastry brush or the back of a teaspoon...or as I did here, place glaze in a ziplock bag or parchment paper cone and pipe onto cookie in any design you wish! Let cookies stand until the glaze is set.

These cookies bake up to a buttery crispness on the outside and a melting flakiness on the inside, infused with a bright lemony aroma and shot through with bursts of fleur de sel. They would be perfect shared with a good friend over tea and a nice chat.

Barbara has extended the deadline for entry submission to September 18 so you can still catch up!

Wishing you all a sunny day with a taste of yellow! :)

p.s. the sun was out for the past few days, but as I post this it has started to rain again...good thing I have stored a little sunshine in the form of these cookies!

p.p.s. it's the following day and the sun's out again! :)

Callos

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:41:00 +0000

What is it about old familial favourites that make them so daunting to me that I shuffle my feet in eternal hesitation to even hazard an attempt? I’m fine and dandy with things I’ve never made before, like soufflé and opera cake. I dive head first into dishes from other shores, like Thai green curry and Arni Youvetsi. But when it comes to familiar, well-loved dishes with long histories, I cower like a mouse facing a lion. I supposed you could say that when it comes to trying new things I am all daredevil and bluster, but when much is at stake (like wreaking havoc on an old family dish) I get cold feet.

Well no more! I’ve conquered my fear of making adobo (I now love making it – as only someone who has started making it late in life can). We’ve successfully managed to start down the tricky road of paella. And now it was time to revisit callos (Callos a la Madrilena...but just callos from here on in to keep things simple).

I made callos for the first time 3 years ago when I got married. No, not to make it for my spanking new husband, but for K’s talented then-boyfriend, now-husband J. He designed our fabulous save-the-dates and callos was his preferred mode of payment. So I promptly set about harvesting culinary information from my grand-aunt and my mum-in-law (two experts in our family) and cobbled together a recipe.

Now if there is anything I can say about our old family recipes it is this: there is no recipe. And back then, I was not as adept as I am now at recognizing the subtleties and nuances of these age-old, hand-me-down methods, or knowing how to extract the correct information from beneath memory and reminiscing, or asking the right questions to translate a technique from past to present. In short, although J’s invite design was indeed fabulous, my callos were not. They came out much too watery no matter what I did. I spent most of the night over a huge pot of what looked like a Spanish-style stew that simply refused to make the leap to a proper callos. J and K did say the flavour was good...but it hadn’t made the cut in my book. I never made callos again.

Until now.

Like Thomas Keller riding back into Manhattan on a golden chariot made of French Laundry to build a palace called Per Se, victory was finally mine.

As with the paella, I have no recipe yet. Perhaps there never will be. A basic framework, yes. An exact recipe, probably not. Dishes like these are meant to be tucked in here and taken out there and tweaked to your own brand of deliciousness.

Here’s what I did: I divided the work into two days. This is a dish that needs a lot of patience and love so I broke down the steps so I wouldn’t get too tired and ornery. On day one I prepared the meat and the stock – the backbone of the callos. Because of my first attempt’s lack luster performance, I decided to stick with a small batch for now. I used roughly 400 grams each ox tail, ox feet, and tripe. I wanted a good mix of gelatin-rich joints, a little meat, and of course the tripe (I love tripe). I bought the tripe already clean, as you can find in most supermarkets if you search and ask questions. This allowed me to nix the step of multiple boiling and tossing of liquid (which I did the last time...which caused me to lose all my gelatin from the other meats...which caused the watery callos). That being said, go ahead and brush your tripe with salt and rinse under running water if you feel it isn’t clean enough. Feel free to experiment with other callos-friendly meats as well (I know I certainly will in the future!) like pig’s feet and face. Cover the meats in water to about 1-2 inches above them, bring to a boil and skim off the scum. Try to get as much of the scum off as you can. Once all the scum has been removed add a piece of ham bone (if you can get jamon Serrano bone use it!), some halved red and white onions, lots of whole black peppercorns, and a couple of bay leaves. Simmer until all the meats are soft. This took me about 6 hours. Be patient! It takes time to coax the meats into tender submission, as it does to render all the gelatin from their bones and reduce the stock to a sticky, glistening mess. Don’t rush this part I implore you. Do this on a day when you have to stay home and do a lot of work/chores. Just check on your pot every once in a while --- add more liquid if the water level gets too low and fish out meats that have already gotten tender before the rest. You want a stock that is reduced, glossy, and a bit sticky. When you are almost there, taste and adjust the seasoning – do this at the very end as you may not need any additional salt. Once done, I took the meats out, deboned them, and cut them into chunks. Make sure you get all the bits! Strain the stock (I didn't have much left after all that reduction - but that's ok...if it's good and rich you won't need copious amounts) but don’t lose any of the gelatin. Once cool, I stored the stock and meats (separately) in the fridge. When chilled, my stock turns into a jiggling solid mass – one piece of solid gold flavour and deliverer of unctuousness. I have yet to explore freezing options but will do so soon!

On day two, you can now breathe a sigh of relief as you get ready to make your callos knowing that the long, arduous part is over. I heated some olive oil in a pot and sautéed lots of chopped onion and garlic, and a bay leaf. Once the onions were soft I added some canned roasted red pepper sliced into strips (you can roast and peel your own as well) along with a couple of dollops of carne de pimiento choricero (bottled pulp of a type of red Spanish pepper). I then added some chorizo bilbao (or any Spanish chorizo meant for cooking – use something fresh but strong) and some chopped bacon slab. Once they rendered their oils I deglazed the pot with some red wine and let the alcohol cook off. Add some pimenton de la vera and, if you like and additional spice kick, some cayenne or chili (I do and I did). After giving this a few stirs I added a 400 gram can of chopped tomatoes, juice and all. I cooked this until pulpy (evaporating much of the liquid). At this point you can remove some of the oil if it looks excessive to you. I then tossed in the reserved meats, stock, some garbanzos (about half a 400 gram can, drained), and some green olives (unpitted) and cooked it until it all came together in a bubbling, sticky pot of goodness (which doesn’t take too long – watch your pot!)!

C loved this version – I know because of the many high fives that came my way with dinner, plus he had it until the last drop was gone! He declared that it must be logged down into our own tome of family recipes (which now consists of a furry purple notebook unbeknownst to him). So in it went!

I feel (as I do with fabada) that it is essential to make a rich and full-bodied stock to serve as the flavorful foundation on which your callos will stand (and also to get it as sticky as C likes it to be). Actually, looking back, I think I ended up with something more akin to a demi-glace than a stock...either way, it was phenomenal and I believe a big part of the success of this version. That, and using good chorizo (get the best tasting Spanish cooking chorizo you can find -- something fresh ideally, not from a can, with a nice strong flavor) and pimenton de la vera (look for the denominacion de origen please!). This will no doubt be treated to much variation as time goes by, but I think this basic method works well for us :)

***Our callos was an amalgamation of recipes and methods from our two families, patched together to form something that both C and I loved. I also took inspiration and technique from another wonderful cook’s informative callos post.

Apple Bread With Sugar & Cinnamon Topping

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:32:00 +0000

If you’ve been visiting here for a while you would have surely bumped into my best friend K in and around these posts. She popped up first here, during my first year of blogging and her move into a new apartment. Since then, she’s made many appearances. It’s inevitable really. Someone who is as much a part of my life as K will certainly find her way into the stories I tell.

She dropped in to try my first ever attempt at soufflé. She is the mother of my awesome godchild Z. We’ve gone off on adventures together. She knows what I like and brings me lovely gifts. She tastes the stuff I make even if they don’t turn out as good as they should. She tastes the stuff that does turn out good! We try to save the Earth together. She recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and we celebrated with a tea party.

K and I met in high school, and though on the surface we may seem very different (she is a gung-ho athlete who loves the smell of competition and I am a slow moving nap-lover who shies away from organized sports), it was the best friend version of finding your soul mate. Heck, forget versions, it was finding a soul mate! There are friends you bond with over common interests, friends due to some sort of proximity (same school, course, neighbourhood, family), and those serendipitous ones that happen by happy accident. Then there are those that you know are no accident...those who you know you were heading towards from birth and that become such an integral part of your life that you cannot imagine one without the other. That's K.

Some people have masses of friends, hundreds, even thousands if you check here and here. But a true best friend is worth ten million times that in my book. And for her birthday you'll want to try your darnedest to give her something really special – even if it’s just one of your favourite cookbooks and an Apple Bread baked from its pages.

Apple Bread With Sugar & Cinnamon Topping
(from Apples For Jam by Tessa Kiros, page 350)

150 grams sugar
150 grams butter, softened
2 eggs
120 grams all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
400 grams apples (about 2), peeled, cored, and coarsely grated (I didn’t bother peeling them...I just took them to the grater unpeeled and this worked fine...and much quicker)
60 grams walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

60 grams walnuts, finely chopped
60 grams brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- For the topping, mix together the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat them in well.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon into the mixture and add a pinch of salt. Mix until just incorporated. If using a mixer I just give this a couple of turns with the paddle and then scrape down with a spatula, mixing the rest of the way by hand.
- Add the apples, walnuts, and vanilla and mix through until just incorporated evenly. I did this with a spatula by hand as well. Scrape into a buttered and floured loaf tin (12x4 inch).
- Sprinkle topping generously over the batter. Bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for 45 minutes or until at cake tester poked in the center of the cake comes out clean. My loaf took about 50 minutes.
- Cool slightly before turning out carefully...the topping will scatter a bit! So do this over your serving plate so you don’t lose any.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature...plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

I have spoken about my love for Tessa Kiros before, and Apples For Jam is even more proof of why I am such a fan. Her enchanting “voice” draws me into her recipes like no amount of chef-cred, fame, or restaurant ownership could. So I wanted to share a bit of this with K on her birthday, along with Tessa’s delicious Apple Bread. This cake is beguilingly moist and laced with the spicy scents of apple and cinnamon – one of the best smells you can have coming out of your oven (if you live in a flat like me, this is a great way to get rid of fried fish smell)! The crunchy sugar-nut topping is the perfect foil to the cakes softness. A scoop of vanilla ice cream will not go amiss here. The only thing I have changed is forgoing the ground cardamom used in the original recipe. I have already made this two times, and both times everybody loved it...so despite its simple looks it is a definite crowd-pleaser.

K’s birthday was two days ago but I wanted to celebrate it here too (and share this lovely recipe with all of you) --- Happy birthday again my friend! :)

Simple Jam, Not So Simple Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Several people have asked me about the breakfast dish I prepared during my tv interview on Us Girls (yes, not-so-little old me on tv!). I realize now, in retrospect, that I didn’t really go into full gory detail about the interview, just to say when it was coming out and where. I didn’t think much of that then, but looking back, I suspect I must have been a little shy. It’s one thing to share your photos and thoughts to the whole world on a blog, or even have a photo of your face in a magazine, it’s quite another to have yourself moving and speaking in full Technicolor-vision on a tv screen!

When I got the email requesting for the interview I almost said no – tv? Me? Not likely. But I had been thinking about the premise behind this book lately. Do I say no too often? I don’t think so. In fact, I’d like to think I’m up for anything, and I usually am! But what if that anything just happens to be a something way outside my comfort zone? Will I still grab it with two hands and fly by the seat of my pants as I claim I like to do?

Deep thoughts.

So I found myself with those deep thoughts, looking at an email a lot of people would not have even blinked twice at (whether to say yes or no). And I decided to stop thinking and start doing.

And then I got really nervous and went out and bought a new dress.

See how good stuff happened almost immediately?

Then the shoot came and I had a ball! The staff of Us Girls were professional and thoughtful. The host was just this side of enchanting, and immediately put me at ease. We were shooting for an episode of the show called virtual life which featured people who, in one way or the other, were connected to the tech/cyber world. I also got to touch base with another blogger friend who I hadn’t seen in a long while (who was interviewed before me). During the segment, we talked about my blog, what it’s all about, how I started blogging and what I like about it (a lot!), and I prepared one breakfast dish. They asked for something easy to put together so I chose this yogurt parfait. It makes for a delicious, healthy breakfast that lends itself to many variations (you can use the fruits and preserves you have on hand) and a cinch to whip up...plus it looks nice.

So to those of you who were asking, you can find the method for the yogurt parfait here. Some were also asking what brand granola I use – although I don’t always have time to make my own, I urge you to try making homemade granola. It’s easy and leagues more delicious than anything you can buy in a store (plus you know for sure what goes in it). The recipe I use is here. You can make it ahead of time, store in an airtight container, and use whenever the mood strikes...which will be often, believe you me.

For the original parfait I used this blueberry syrup. For the show, however, I made some quick strawberry jam. Simple, quick jams are something I love to throw together. Let me just say here, before you think I am up to my elbows in fruits and jars and sterilization implements, I usually make small batches of jam...enough for roughly one bottle. I don’t go through the whole boiling of the bottles and sealing and what not either. I’m not storing up for the winter. I make the jam, pour it into a clean jar, and store in the fridge. It’s usually all gone after a week or so. It requires very little time and supervision, and will have you feeling like a proper domestic goddess without breaking a sweat, I promise you. Also, it goes without saying, homemade jam is a whole different world from store-bought in taste, and you have total control of what goes in and how sweet (or not) you want it.

No recipe for this, just a sort of loose method: I clean and weigh my fruits (peel, de-seed, and chop them too if needed depending on the fruit -- before weighing). I then toss the fruit in a non-reactive pot with sugar that weighs a little less. For example, for the Nectarine Plum Jam pictured here I had about 250 grams fruit (chopped and de-seeded weight) and I used about 170-180 grams sugar. Add a squeeze of lemon. Place on the hob and let cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and setting point is reached. For this amount it will not take too long. When done, pour into a clean jar and cool. Store in the refrigerator.

I test the setting point with the old saucer-in-freezer method: Place a saucer in the freezer while you are making you jam. When your jam looks like it’s thickened, take the saucer out and put a drop of jam on its surface. Now tilt the saucer...if the jam runs down the plate it’s not ready. It should catch and droop slowly...then push the jam lightly with your finger, it should wrinkle a bit.

It’s lovely travelling out of your comfort zone to enjoy the new things that await you there :) Even if you already grab every opportunity by the horns, try something that you typically wouldn’t do. You may be happily surprised! :)

Tomato Salad 3

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:48:00 +0000

Are you tired of tomatoes yet? I’m not :) I’ve been enjoying them a lot lately, much more actually than you see here. I’ve had this tomato salad with steak and this tomato salad with chicken. We have had even more in between.

You see, I don’t like tomatoes in my salads. But I love tomato salads! I’m funny that way. Since my last two posts however, it seems that a lot of you are funny that way too. Nice to know I’m in such great company! :)

So, I’ll share one last tomato salad before I move on. I hope you don’t mind terribly. Like the first two salads, this is blazingly simple to make but delicious nonetheless...highlighting the tomatoes' natural flavour.

Tomato Salad 3

250-300 grams tomatoes (different sizes and colors are good -- of roughly the same volume)
1 small red onion
A couple of sprigs each parsley and dill, leaves only, roughly chopped
5 basil leaves, roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

- Slice the tomatoes in chunks – they don’t have to be the same shape, just approximately the same size.
- Slice the onion into thin half moons – as thin as you can manage.
- Toss onions, tomatoes, and chopped herbs together and dress with a couple of good glugs of olive oil and some dashes balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt (as good a finishing salt as you have – and don’t be shy about it) and freshly cracked black pepper. I always do this to taste but if you want a guide just use 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, toss, taste, and adjust. Toss carefully...you don’t want battered tomatoes!

I know, I know...this is basically Tomato Salad 2 with herbs, and although almost painfully obvious (tomatoes + herbs = good), it’s still one of my favourites and I do feel I’d like to mark down my love for it here. The addition of greenery (herbs not lettuce!) really does make this an altogether different salad, adding its own layer of flavours that do a sprightly little dance, an altogether pleasant one I might add, around the tomatoes. I could eat this straight from the bowl with a spoon in one hand and a piece of crusty bread in the other.

I don’t always use the same set of herbs I’ve used here. In fact, each time I make this salad the number if herbs I use, and the combination thereof, changes. Cilantro, mint, culantro, thai basil, spring onions, chives, marjoram, chervil, lemon thyme. The possibilities are giddily endless! I usually toss in what I have on hand or fetch what I think would go well with whatever else we are eating.

Recently I bought a hefty tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish – one of my favourite types/preparations of fish ever. Period.) at the market, and we served it with the salad above, but switched all the herbs for cilantro – fish perfection! In fact, as far as we may be geographically, the cilantro version of this salad is our go-to siding for Filipino fish dishes and Mexican food (using a splash of red wine vinegar instead of the balsamic above). Gets on famously with both!

I’ve come to the end of my tomato salad series (although certainly not the end of tomato consumption!)! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :) You can check out more ways with tomatoes over here.

For even more about tomatoes, go take a peek at the Summer Fest Party...they are celebrating tomatoes this week: Steamy Kitchen, Simmer Till Done, Matt Bites, Away to Garden, White on Rice, The Sister Project, and Gluten Free Girl.

Tomato Salad 2

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I’ve been talking about tomatoes – tomatoes and the media, my funny/strange ways with tomatoes, and a series of tomato salads that keep these fruit in the spotlight (and away from my greens!). And why not? It’s been quite warm of late (typhoons then this heat...the weather is leaving me befuddled) and the tomatoes are almost jumping of their own accord into my market bag, so I think it’s apt that I post about my tomato salads.

As I said in my last post, I like my tomatoes in salads of their own, away from my greens, and of fairly simple preparation. If I’ve found really excellent tomatoes, or if I’m hungry and can’t be bothered to prepare anything that requires utensils or washing up, then I just have tomatoes with salt. Effortless and unbelievably delicious...it also brings back fond memories of the days before I could cook ;) My Tomato Salad 1 is just a small step up from this :)

If I have a whole bunch of tomatoes that needs to be used up right away, or if the mood strikes me, I slow-roast them in my oven. This method is also good with less than stellar tomatoes as it concentrates the sugars in particular and the flavor in general. It is also cheaper to do this than to buy fancy (and imported) bottled sun-dried tomatoes. You can also control how dry you’d like your tomatoes...I prefer mine semi-dried, with a little “meat” still on them.

And then I have my second tomato salad to trot out...

Tomato Salad 2

250 grams cherry tomatoes (or other tomatoes of your preference – different sizes and colors are good -- of roughly the same volume)
1 small red onion
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

- Slice tomatoes: no rules here – slice them as haphazardly or as uniform as you’d like. For these cherry tomatoes I left the smallest ones whole and sliced the majority in half...for the biggest ones I cut them in quarters.
- Slice the onion into thin half moons – as thin as you can manage.
- Toss onions and tomatoes together and dress with a couple of good glugs of olive oil and some dashes balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt (as good a finishing salt as you have – and don’t be shy about it) and freshly cracked black pepper. I always do this to taste but if you want a guide just use 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, toss, taste, and adjust. Toss carefully...you don’t want battered tomatoes!

This is another way I like my tomatoes – with onions. Good and proper, breath-busting, red onions. Held together with sweet balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper (lots!) this salad is not shy with its flavour. It’s wonderful with anything grilled or fried...though we’ve had it with everything from roast chicken to adobo and it goes splendidly with those too.

For this salad I use any nice or interesting tomatoes that come my way. I’ll get different kinds, shapes, sizes, colors (I sometimes like to add some green tomatoes here) and cut them up into random chunks (just trying to remain in the vicinity of the same size). I used cherry tomatoes in this particular one because I came across some cute specimens in the market :) So don’t limit yourself! Feel free to grab what looks good to you. Some also prefer to “de-fang” their onions by soaking them in water and salt (then rinsing and draining) to remove some of the bite, but it’s exactly that raw-onion-bite against the sweet tomatoes that I love in this salad, just make sure you slice them as thin as you can.

More tomato salad coming soon! Happy weekend everyone :)

Tomato Salad 1

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I have this funny thing about tomatoes and salads. I love tomatoes and tomato salads, but I don’t like tomatoes in salads. Does that make sense? It makes perfect sense to me. I find that tomatoes leave my salad greens a soggy mess. Perhaps I’ve been a victim of one too many soggy restaurant salads, or maybe I just take after my mother who is the consummate “on the side orderer”***, but in our home tomatoes are served separate (I’ll usually make one tomato salad and one green salad...which C will eventually mix together on his plate).

Good tomatoes are fantastic on their own anyway, and it is one of my great pleasures to enjoy them this way (and if they are not so brilliant? slow-roast them and watch them transform!). It starts with buying the best tomatoes you can – cheery organic ones, big buxom hydroponics, interesting varieties and colors...let your tastebuds be your guide. Then bring them home and place them in a pretty dish in a cool place (you can even use this as a centrepiece of sorts and not have to buy pricey flowers). Do not place them in the refrigerator! This will destroy their texture and flavour.

In celebration of the tomato and my funny habits towards them, I am sharing my three favourite tomato salads (along with variations and such) over the course of three posts...a tomato series :) I must warn you...they are extremely simple! No elaborate techniques here...

This first salad is the simplest and also the one I have been enjoying the longest. Taught to me by a cousin from Spain, it is too easy to even warrant the writing down of a recipe...but too good not to.

Tomato Salad 1

A very good tomato
The best extra virgin olive oil you have
The best finishing salt you have (I like the flaky kind so there is more of a salty crunch)

- Slice the tomato into medium slices (you can go thinner but I like a meaty bite for this salad). Spread on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt – be generous, the salt makes the tomatoes shine.
- Serves 1.

Because this salad is so simple it is essential to use the best ingredients you have or are available to you. The combination of the tomatoes' flavour and natural sweetness, with the fruity olive oil, punctuated by the salty crunch is really nothing short of magic. There is no fancy cooking or flavourings to hide less than stellar ingredients. Times are tough though so don’t go breaking the bank to get the most expensive olive oil or salt you can find! Work with the best you have or can afford – that is what I do and the gourmet cops haven’t come knocking yet :)

Variations:
- Add some basil and fresh mozzarella and you have an Italian Caprese salad!
- You can also add an acid, like balsamic or red wine vinegar if you prefer. For this salad I like it just the way it is :)
- Experiment with different tomatoes, oils, and salts (try smoked salt!).
- Add procuitto and omit the salt.

Stay tuned for my next two tomato salads!

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging. This event was originally created by Kalyn and it is now in the care of Haalo. This week it's being hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Anh :)

To those of you who watched my little tv interview on Studio 23 on Sunday: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you didn’t count my “ums”! I’m not the most tv-savvy person...I’m usually behind a laptop and not in front of a camera ;) To those of you who have asked about a video: I’ll see if I can get one! :) To those who have asked if the Rogue magazine write-up will be available online, I will keep you posted on that too (it should be online once their September issue is on the stands)!

***People who order their dishes with every speck of sauce/dressing/garnish/whatnot “on the side”.

Tomatoes and the Media

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Such an ominous title! The tomatoes one usually equates with the media are of the rotten variety... figuratively thrown at their ill-fated targets. But, as you can see here, these tomatoes are in good spirits – fresh, sparkly, and ready for anything.

I can never resist cherry tomatoes, especially when they come in different sizes (from cherry to blueberry), shapes (check out the elongated ones in the foreground), and colors (from brilliant reds, to pale orange, to green). I found these ones at the Sunday market in my neighbourhood. So no, these were not a sweet gift from the media :)

I do have two media mentions to share though, both being occasions about which I was fairly excited/nervous (eep!). I'm happy to report that, so far, no rotten tomatoes in sight!

The first is a feature on food bloggers in this month’s issue of Rogue magazine (their 2009 Appetite issue). I have mentioned Rogue before (over here) and since then they have just gotten better and better. A more interesting and cutting edge local magazine I would be hard pressed to find. And I’m not just saying that because it was through their shoot that I got to meet awesome veteran photographer Neal Oshima, oh no. Not even because they bought me the sweet smelling watermelon I posed with (yes, me and a watermelon, proceed with caution!), no no. I say it because it’s true...it’s always a pleasure to read through Rogue :) Why was I nervous? Because I was desperate that I not turn into a blathering dork in front of afore-mentioned awesome photographer (who also happened to be really nice and funny!). To this day I wonder...in any case, it was a very good watermelon!

I’m there with 9 other food bloggers from these parts: Marketman of Market Manila, Lori of Dessert Comes First, Anton of Our Awesome Planet, Spanky of Manila Boy, Ivan of Ivan About Town, Christine of Hundred Pound Foodie, and Franco, Paul, and Mariko of Table for Three Please. The write-up was done by a good food-loving friend (who I met through blogging!) who also happens to be a great writer (and she did a terrific job!). Yay :)

Now, the second...the second actually involved a lot more nervousness. Why? Because I haven’t really been on TV much. At all. Gulp. But you only live once so I decided to be bold and say yes! It’ll just be a short interview about this blog with one of the most charming hosts that ever walked our shores (yes, she is just as lovely as she looks!)...so if you’re curious, and in the Philippines, tune in to Studio 23 this Sunday, August 9, at 7:00pm :) Hopefully there will be no rotten tomatoes!

As for the tomatoes in the photo? These went into one of my favourite tomato salads...I have this funny thing about tomatoes and salads. But that’s for another day...

Fresh Chanterelles here now!

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:21:00 +0000

Just a quick note to say guess what landed on our shores today! Well, not quite today, but today was when I discovered that they were here. Fresh chanterelles!!! Yes, it's been that long since the previous time I came across them at a local specialty food store. And it's been that long since I have been checking back to see if they have returned.

And today, when I was looking for some fresh thyme, these beloved forest creatures caught me totally by surprise. Fresh chanterelles are, as you can surmise by now, not regularly available here. My chanterelle cravings are usually sated vicariously through this blog. But today...today they are mine!

Now, to anyone who actually is lucky enough to have these mushrooms grow near them, know that I use the term "fresh" quite loosely. These specimens are imported so may be less sprightly for their long trip over to the tropics. But having them here, neither frozen nor dried, is thrill enough for us!

If you are in Manila, you can find these lovelies at Santis Delicatessen Rockwell branch...while supplies last. They are quite pricey (at P1000++ per kilo) but you can purchase 100-200 grams and enjoy them anyway :) Or splurge and freeze what you won't use immediately.

We had these for dinner simply sauteed with some butter, garlic, parsley, and cream alongside a roast chicken that C cooked. Happy Sunday indeed!

Chocolate and Fig Preserve Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Just about four months ago my best friend K and her husband J brought a lovely new human into this world. Their new baby is happy, laughing, and good natured...seemingly content with everything going around her and pleased with the attentions of her family (including her big sister, my awesomely terrific godchild!).

How wonderful it must be to be a child...napping and drinking milk, having people bathe you and comb your hair. I sometimes wish I could go back to that time, if only to relish this life of being absolutely care-free. I would store this feeling for stormier times to come, when I can then take it out and rub it against my cheek like a blankie.

Then again, I don’t know how long I could be on a diet consisting of milk and milk.

I suppose there is a lot to be said about every stage in life, and the important thing is to make sure we don’t forget to savor each one – embracing all the good that comes with the moment you are in. Like being a child (Kids, don’t try to grow up too fast! You will miss those carefree days when you have rent to pay!). Like being an adult (Yay! My own kitchen...all the raw cake batter I can eat!).

And for all ages, except the strictly milk-drinking set, there’s chocolate cupcakes...

Chocolate and Fig Preserve Cupcakes
(adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes in How to Be A Domestic Goddess)

For the cupcakes:

125 grams unsalted butter, softened

100 grams dark chocolate, broken into pieces

300 grams fig preserves

150 grams caster sugar

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs, beaten

150 grams all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

For the icing:

100 grams dark chocolate, broken into pieces

100 ml double cream

Candied nuts for garnish

- Place butter in a saucepan and put over low heat to melt. When it is almost completely melted, add chocolate. Once the chocolate has softened a bit, remove the pan from heat and stir until chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add the fig preserves, sugar, salt, and eggs to the chocolate mixture, then mix until everything is well incorporated. Stir in the flour, to which you’ve added the baking powder (do not overmix!).
- Pour into a 12-bun muffin tin lined with papers and bake in an 180C oven for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out fairly clean.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out. Wait to cool completely before icing.
- For the icing, melt chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk until it’s smooth and thick. Ice the cupcakes, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Garnish with a candied nut on each – I used candied pili nuts.

The changes I made to the recipe were substituting the original cherry jam with fig preserves, and using a mixture of all purpose flour and baking powder instead of self-raising flour (which I didn’t have)...and using candied nuts instead of glace cherries for garnish. If you own this book you will notice that the recipe is pretty much the same as her Chocolate Orange Cake a few pages earlier (which I adapted for Yummy Magazine last march), using the cherry jam instead of the orange marmalade. I love both the orange cake and this fig preserve cupcake version – adding the jam/marmalade/preserves to the batter does two things: it yields a moist and rich cake as opposed to a light and spongy one, and it gives another dimension of flavour...the fruit underlying the chocolate. It also makes for a supremely satisfying raw cake batter to lick off everything! I will be experimenting with other fruit preserves soon...

I made these to take to K’s house for a small tea party. We sat outdoors and enjoyed K’s lovely spread of tea sandwiches (in a proper multi-tiered, afternoon-tea-type tray) and buttermilk scones with cream cheese icing. We chatted and played with the baby and whiled the afternoon away together...enjoying the moment :)

One day we will introduce K’s little one to chocolate...and I hope to be present on that special occasion. Until then, she’s happy chugging away at her milky sustenance and we are happy just to watch (while having tea and scones and cupcakes) :)

More Munggo

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Decisions, decisions. Some of them are easy to make, some of them will keep me up at nights, splitting hairs and weighing a mountainous list of pros and cons. Some I actually enjoy deliberating on, some I enjoyed in the beginning but am now losing steam. Some make my forehead pound. Decisions – not a personal strength but something, as an adult I have to make every day. And these days there seems to be more of that than ever!

I’m a Libra you see, and decision-making is not something that comes easily to me. I’m not a huge believer in things zodiac but I can say this, what they claim about Librans being indecisive, and being able to see all sides of a story or question (some sides even purely hypothetical and not very likely), is 100% on the ball when it comes to me. I need to dissect every single possibility and permutation before making a decision...a long and sometimes painful process. This goes for everything from life-changing choices to what I want from a menu!

Thank goodness there are some decisions that I actually enjoy pouring over. Not that I totally abhor decision-making, I understand it comes with that thing called “being a grown up”, but it’s nice to know that there are some that give me less wrinkled-forehead moments than others.

Like what kind of beans to buy.

These may seem like regular munggo beans (mung beans) to most but they’re not. They are actually lighter in color and slightly longer than the common munggo. The reason I know this is because when I saw them at the market they sat side by side with a bag of the usual green, roundish munggo, so the difference was apparent. Plus I eat my weight in munggo every month, so I should have learned something about these beans by now. I found them at the stall of my favourite organic veggie & herb grower at our neighbourhood Saturday market (Gil Carandang at the Salcedo Market – such a treasure trove!). He was busy with another customer so I discussed the merits of the beans with his son. He knew they were a different type but wasn’t quite sure of the name – he did mention that he liked them better and they had been having it for dinner. After a few back and forths I decided to buy a small bag full and went away quite pleased with my purchase.

These are the kinds of simple choices that help me de-stress from the bigger more “grown-up” choices we all have to deal with. It may sound trifling but let me tell you, therapy does not get any cheaper than a 250-gram bag of beans.

No recipe for today – I used up various leftover bits for this batch of munggo. I prepared it the same way as I always do, using garlic, onions, tomato, and a combination of smoked and dried-salted fish as the flavorings. Filipino dried-salted fish (daing) is wickedly potent and does wonders in flavouring munggo – you can use dried shrimp (hibe) as well. I added malunggay (moringa) leaves at the last moment.

Happy weekend everyone! I hope you have something nice and relaxing planned :) Me, I will be heading to the market to unwind over some produce related shopping :)

UPDATE 7/26: Thanks to a nice commenter, Bea, I now know what the beans are! They are called tapilan or rice bean and although a relation to munggo, they are not the same. To Manila residents: Bea also sells a wonderful selection of natural, eco-friendly products (lovely soaps and more!) at the Sunday Legazpi market...you can also check out her stuff here.

Breakfast #29: Creamy Mushroom & Onion Omelette

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:26:00 +0000

Our family doctor believes that the egg is still the golden standard when it comes to protein. I have to agree – not that I know anything about protein, or much about nutrition, but eggs, in my book, are a wondrous food. They can be a complete meal unto themselves or used in a myriad of different ways from breakfast to dessert. They come in their own container, are simple to find and use, and you can dress them up or down as you see fit. Plus they are delicious. And yes, golden.

So in keeping with the doctor’s advice, I’ve prepared eggs for breakfast...as I’ve done, in one way or another, many times before. I must confess, I am not the healthiest person, nor am I a star patient, and the reason I eat eggs (or anything else I love for that matter) is because I love them, not quite because they were given someone’s seal of approval. But it’s still nice to know that sometimes, my opinion does coincide with that of someone of the medical profession – it’s not often the case so when it does happen I feel it cause for a little celebration.

The “making an omelette with earthy mushrooms and softly caramelized onions bathed in cream for breakfast” kind of celebration.

Creamy Mushroom & Onion Omelette

Olive oil or butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large white onion or 2 medium ones
200 grams Swiss brown mushrooms
1/4 cup cream
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 eggs

- Heat a glug of olive oil or a pat of butter in a non-stick pan (olive oil if you want to be healthier, butter if you want it to be richer – you can also use a combination).
- Add garlic and onions and sauté until the onions are soft and slightly caramelized.
- Add the mushrooms and sauté until cooked. Add the cream, stirring continuously (don’t let that cream burn!). The cream should reduce slightly and get into all the nooks and crannies, picking up mushroom flavour and taking on its nutty brown color as it goes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Clean pan and return to heat with another small glug of oil.
- Beat 2 eggs gently in a separate bowl, then pour into the pan. When the bottom sets but the top is still moist and jiggly, add half the mushroom mixture to one side of the egg. Flip the other side over the mushrooms to enclose. Slide onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs and mushroom mixture.
- Serves two.

This is no fluffy omelette – I can’t seem to master that particular artform. This is more a flat picnic blanket of egg made for the purpose of enfolding some luscious filling. Don’t discount the egg for its flatness though – I love the taste of egg, flat or not! I am, however, very much open to the secrets of the fluffy omelette if anyone out there is inclined to share :)

You can make this breakfast for two, or, just use 2 eggs and half the mushroom mixture for a breakfast for one. In which case you can then toss the other half of the mushroom mixture with pasta, or serve on toast, for a nice lunch for one. You can also add 2 slices of camembert or gruyere to each omelette if you are feeling particularly decadent, or are in need of cheering up, or the morning is grey and gloomy. I don’t know how your family doctors would feel about that though...

Weekend Escape: Moon Garden, Tagaytay

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:19:00 +0000

So much is happening right now...some thrilling, and some extremely stressful! Each not related to the other and some may have a wee bit to do with this blog :) I’ll post about it soon but for now here are some photos from another weekend getaway, this one much closer to home.

I’ve mentioned Tagaytay before, just a drive away from the city and fairly easy to get to...although anything south of the city can be quite a headache right now as they are doing works on the highway. In any case, mum-in-law gifted us with a night’s stay in a hidden gem of a place she discovered.

Appropriately enough, in these frenetic times, the place is a pocket of absolute tranquillity. It’s filled to bursting with brilliant foliage that seems to tuck themselves into every nook and cranny. Secret corners are hidden about where old wooden benches share the space with wild flowers and creeping vines. Kick-knacks like ceramic moons and elephants pop up in unexpected place, peeking out in between the plants. Huts with big comfy sofas lie as if floating in the middle of ponds lined with lily pads.

This is exactly the place to be if you need some time to exhale and listen to the crickets – which I think we all do once in a while, even the most boisterous and crowd-loving of us!

Our casita seemed almost overgrown with vigorous vines with big shiny green leaves and unidentified fruit. A wrought iron table and chair sat beside it, right next to a small field of pineapple. I had no troubles settling in immediately for a deep, worry-free nap, lulled by the comforting swish of the ceiling fan.

They grow their own organic vegetables on the grounds (plants thrive here...as they do all over Tagaytay) and, predictably because of this, they serve an awesome house salad. With something like four kinds of lettuce and seven kinds of vegetables, and two kinds of dressing, it was delicious and fresh and a perfect example of how fantastic salads can be when well-cared-for ingredients are used and a little thought is put into it.

Because C and my jobs don’t allow us any long vacations at present (no weeks-long, cross continent holidays for us right now!), I like to make sure we still take these short little jaunts “away from it all” to relax and recharge. With the right outlook even the shortest hops can seem like a holiday, and a night in a new place can be an adventure :)

More food (in particular breakfast!) soon...I promise!

Breakfast #28: Nectarine Crumble

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:46:00 +0000

Truth be told, the only thing that makes this crumble breakfast is the fact that I had it for breakfast. When it comes to breakfast, I see no reason why we need to limit ourselves to what is traditionally considered to be breakfast food. What is one country’s dessert, or another country’s lunch (Filipino breakfasts have rice and meat and egg and condiments!), may be your country’s breakfast. So why even bother with the boundaries of cold cereal when breakfast can one glorious place that needs no plane or visa to get to?

Not that I have anything against cold cereal. I actually do love it (I’m serious), especially with nuts and fruits, drowning in straight-from-the-fridge milk. But if we just open our breakfast plates to other than just the usual suspects, perhaps more of us would be eating this very important meal.

This is something I threw together because I had two nectarines sitting around, on the verge of neglect, though still hopeful and tarty. I have written the recipe below with four nectarines because I ended up using only half the crumble topping for my two. You can make the full recipe below for breakfast (or dessert) for four, or do what I did: Use two nectarines and half the crumble topping...keeping the other half in the fridge for breakfast or dessert the next day, using either nectarines again or any other fruit (or mixture of fruits) you deem crumble-worthy. We had apple crumble for the next day’s dessert (I used only one apple) with the other half of the topping, wherein I substituted the vanilla below for a nice dusting of cinnamon.

Nectarine Crumble

4 nectarines
A few drops of lemon juice
A few drops of vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons white sugar (depending how sweet/tart your nectarines are)
Scant teaspoon all purpose flour
50 grams butter, chilled
100 grams dark muscovado sugar
75 grams whole wheat pastry flour
2-3 heaping tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans (I used a combination)

- Seed and chop nectarines into chunks. Place them in a bowl with a sprinkling of lemon juice (I used less than half a lemon), a few drops of vanilla extract, the white sugar, and the teaspoon of all purpose flour, and toss to combine. Set aside and get on with the crumble topping.
- Combine butter, muscovado sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, and nuts in another bowl and rub dry ingredients into the flour with your fingers until the whole thing resembles coarse crumbs. You can use a pastry cutter but really, why bother with something more to wash in the morning?
- Place prepared nectarines in an oven-proof dish that will accommodate all of it leaving some room on top for the crumble. Alternately, you can also divide the fruit into individual dishes.
- Crumble topping over the fruit.
- Place your crumble dish (or dishes) on a baking sheet (to catch messy drips and make things easier if you are dealing with multiple dishes) and bake in a 180C/350F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until filling is bubbling.
- Serve with yogurt or cream.
- Serves 3-4.

I brought out my whole wheat pastry flour to use in the topping, for which I bought a sack for this cake, and I must say here that although C was not too happy with the cake (though I liked it), he loved the crumble! I think the delicate touch of earthiness in the flour, echoed in the dark muscovado, and complemented by the nuts, provides a perfect rustic, comfy blanket for the sticky-sweet warm fruit! I imagine it also makes it a touch healthier than using white flour and sugar. A splodge of cream or yogurt will not go unappreciated. A scoop of vanilla ice cream if your feeling indulgent. Dairy comes in all forms my friends ;)

I made this one morning when I woke up earlier than usual and the sun was shining and everything looked fresh and promising (it rained later that day, but what better weather in which to eat warm crumble leftovers right?). It doesn’t take much time to whip this up, though you can also prepare the crumble mixture the night before and just top your fruit with it the next morning. Preparing the fruit is not something I recommend doing ahead of time though as they will brown and look generally down-trodden if you leave them for long.

I have just come back from another weekend escape, this time just a drive away, and I hope to share some photos here soon. Until then, happy breakfast everyone! :)

Weekend Escape: Sirangan Resort, Sorsogon

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Another week has gone by, despite my all best, chocolate-covered, intentions of coming here and sharing the wonderful escape we had last weekend.

How we did absolutely nothing but lie in incredibly squashy lounge chairs, take dips in the pool and sea, have naps in our white canopy bed, and sigh contentedly at doing absolutely nothing away from absolutely everything.

How the place we found to hide away was filled with a charming, eclectic mix of faded rugs, native lamps, grandfather chairs, chandeliers, and an old-school snooker table.

How there was only one other couple there, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Aside from a saucy little kitty with a gold collar and a friendly bunch of dogs who watched over us. And two adorable puppies.

How they had their own organic herb and vegetable garden with the hand painted signs in Spanish.

How the manager is also the cook and she made us freshly baked bread every morning.

How we hardly looked at the menu...just chatted with the cook every day about what was the fresh catch, whether we should have prawns or crabs or fish (we had all three), how we should prepare our spanking fresh seafood, and what vegetables to pair with it – all we had to do is sit back and enjoy awesome meals on a terrace fronting the sea, with nothing but distant islands and a few fishermen’s boats dotted about.

How we made a mess of the tablecloth while eating the crabs.

How I finally saw Mayon Volcano!

How there was fresh flowers all around, even if we were practically the only ones there.

How many avocado shakes I had.

How, despite it being rainy season, the only time it rained was when we napped.

How I really wish we could’ve stayed longer.

Hope these photos give you an idea...happy weekend kind folk!

I'm in Yummy this June!

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Tomorrow is our Independence Day and a holiday over here :) Which means a long weekend for us! I am rushing between getting all those last minute things done and stuffing my red duffel bag with everything I'll need for the weekend. I'm headed for some much craved r&r and when I get back I'll share some photos! It's a relatively new place I learned of from, far though she may be, my cousin who lives in Barcelona. I know, I need someone a continent away to point me to places in my own stomping ground! Tsk. Well, whatever the case, C and I are very excited and looking forward to just lazing around.

Before I go though, I thought I'd share with you a bit of news...I have another recipe feature in this month's issue of Yummy magazine! :) Now, although I adore slow cooking and craftily making things from scratch, I do know that the reality for many of us has little time for spending hours (or days!) in the kitchen. So for this issue, I've put together some quick-as-can-be recipes for all us busy girls and boys!

To give you a sneak peek: one of the recipes I've included is my "quick Fabada". When I make fabada (a Spanish bean stew...what is it with me and bean stews?) from scratch, it take me two days. Yes, two days! That's because I make the ham stock from scratch the day before, and then the actual fabada cooking takes a good part of the next day! But when I'm not cooking for guests, and it's just C and I (or my brother and I), and we are craving for a bowl of fabada, I whip up this "cheat's" version and we have on the table in under 30 minutes :)

The other recipes are even quicker! If you'd like to see them, pick up a copy of Yummy this June :)

I'm off! Happy weekend and to all the Filipinos out there....Happy Independence Day tomorrow!!!

Spanish-style Munggo Guisado

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Was I just talking about the heat not too long ago? As June rolls in, so does our rainy (or “wet”) season, the second season of our two-season year (the other being, you guessed it, “dry” – or summer if you want to give it a prettier name). The season’s misty monsoon spray showers us all, bringing with it its usual accoutrements – grey skies and power outages, leaks and traffic, and on the more serious side, the dreaded typhoons.

Although a gloomy, overcast aura that hangs over the city (and nothing does gloomy like a city in the rain) and slowly dampens warms summer spirits, there is a silver lining for those who care to see it. After the blazing heat of the summer, the rains bring me fresh relief (and I love summer so don’t think I’m a sun-shunner). The steady thrum of raindrops, even the severe lashing of torrential downpours, can make my oft-too-hot apartment seem like a cozy and cool cave. I sometimes open the windows just a sliver to let some of that chilly wind in (supervised of course). Weekends ensconced in a warm duvet, good books tucked into its folds, musings both important and random to keep me entertained – that’s rainy season.

And that is not even saying anything about the absolute best part of all this – the comfort food! Soups, stews, hot chocolate! I love this type of food, both the making and the eating of it. Slow-simmered pots of goodness, hearty with sustenance and comfort and memories. Unfortunately, with most of the year being under a glorious tropical blanket of humidity, this is really not the place to indulge in such home-and-hearth dishes. Which doesn’t stop me of course. It’s just much better to enjoy them when you aren’t breaking a sweat.

I’ve spoken about munggo guisado before and how much I love this humble bean stew. It is a dish that crosses many social, political, and economic barriers over here. Eaten by all. Perhaps not enjoyed by all though, but definitely enjoyed by my brother and I who, even as children, would scrape our bowls of munggo clean and fight over the last remnants in the pot. This definitely ranks as one of my top comfort foods of all time. I can eat this for days on end and still come back, like little Oliver, empty bowl in hand, asking for more.

Munggo Guisado is basically a kind of bean stew using munggo or mung beans. The beans are boiled until soft, and then sautéed with a mixture or onions, garlic, tomatoes, flavourings, vegetables, meat or fish...or any combination thereof. It’s very typical here, the type of dish you would find in somebody’s home rather than on a Filipino restaurant menu.

Since I started cooking munggo on my own, I’ve experimented quite a bit. Beans being what they are, this dish is open to limitless versions. Here is one of my favourites (with tinapang bangus – smoked milkfish). This is another.

Spanish-style Munggo Guisado

250 grams munggo beans
4 cups of water
4 – 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
150 grams Spanish chorizo for cooking (either what is known here as chorizo bilbao, or any other Spanish-style chorizo that is meant for cooking)
100 grams slab bacon, chopped
1 cup malunggay (moringa) leaves, optional
Canola oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

- Clean the munggo by dunking the beans in a bowl of tap water and skimming off the “floaters”.
- Place munggo in a pot with the 4 cups of water and cook on low heat until soft (around an hour, more or less). Add water if you see it drying out.
- Once beans are done, start with your guisa (sauté).
- Heat some oil in a large pan (large enough to fit all your cooked and softened munggo).
- Sauté garlic, onions, and bay leaf until the onions are soft.
- Add the bacon and chorizo and sauté until the bacon is cooked but still soft and the chorizo has rendered its orange oil.
- Add cooked munggo and stir. If you have a lot of liquid with your munggo don’t add it in all at once, add all the beans and some of the liquid first. As you cook the stew, keep adding liquid until you reach your desired consistency. Some like this very soupy, some like it thick.
- Let it simmer until all the flavours have melded together, about 20 minutes, stirring every so often. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- If using, add malunggay leaves, give it a few stirs (they’ll cook fast), and you’re done.

If you really want to give this amazing depth of flavour, boil the beans in ham stock instead of water, just make sure to taste before adding any salt...you may not even need any. If you don’t have 4 cups of ham stock lying around you can use part ham stock or part water. Or you can also toss a small piece of ham bone in the water when boiling the beans.

If you don’t have any slab bacon you can use whatever bacon you do have. I’ve labelled the malunggay (moringa) leaves optional because it doesn’t really fit with the Spanish theme but I really do love greens in my munggo so I always add them – and it still does taste wonderful with this addition. I like to eat this atop a bowl of steaming rice with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Some argue that I’ve fancied our munggo up unnecessarily with this but I have to disagree. I think munggo is a perfect canvas for all sorts of adaptations and we should experiment far and wide with our little green bean. Why would we give the same treatment to lentils but not munggo? And it’s delicious! Which is really all the reason I need to make something :)

As I type this the sun has peeked out again, hissing at the moist leavings of last night’s rain. But this is only the beginning of rainy season, so I foresee more munggo on the horizon.

Saving the last of the veggies...

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:47:00 +0000

Once again I find myself at the end of the week, rushing to use up all the remnants of my organic veggie basket before my charming organic farmer shows up at my doorstep with my new basket. With every new batch, I promise myself that I will be diligent about using all my vegetables, and find delicious new (or not new, but still delicious) ways to prepare them, after which I will post them here and pat myself on the back.

Some days that is exactly what I do.

Sigh...not this week.

Not last week either, judging from the glum lack of posts here.

I won’t bore you with tales of feeling under-the-weather and mountains-of-work and what such. I’m sure nobody is a stranger to that (and if you are well, lucky you!). As such, I am also sure that there are those of you who likewise fall into that inevitable position of having to make use (or “liquidate” as I like to nerdily refer to it) of the vegetable remainders.

So, instead of letting another silent week pass us by, I decided to share what I sometimes find myself scrambling to do come end of the week (if I haven’t been diligent about using up all my vegetables in new and inventive ways that is).

I usually get half a squash with my basket, and no matter how much I love squash, there is sometimes a straggling portion that remains in the bottom of the crisper by the time the next squash is due. When it’s evident that I am not going to make good use of it, I chop it up, put it on a lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast it until it’s toasty and soft. While it’s roasting I can get on with whatever is keeping me too busy to make a proper squash dish. When it’s done I let it cool then chuck it into a freezer bag, and using my hands, mash the squash through the bag until it is a rough puree. Then I put it to bed in the freezer for some future squash soup!

Another regular specimen I get in my basket is these lovely white cucumbers. They are crunchy and refreshing...especially in the heat we are experiencing now! Although they are fantastic fresh in salads or on fish, I find myself more often than not pickling them. It’s a great way to extend their shelf life (especially if you are getting another batch soon and need to make room) and it becomes a wonderful condiment that complements anything from grills to sandwiches to fried fish! I have no recipe to share on this count, as I usually just throw in whatever appeals to me at that moment (remember, this is usually done on the fly, when very busy, and there is no choice but to use the cucumbers now!). You can use your favourite pickling solution but in a pinch I just mix some vinegar with salt and sugar (by taste) and add whatever herbs or spices I might have on hand (fresh dill, fennel fronds, shallots, chilis, whole peppercorns, dill seed, coriander seed...whatever strikes my fancy!).

The cucumbers aren’t the only things that get pickled. Pickling is a terrific way to take something, put it in suspended animation for a while, then resurrect it at some later date when you have caught your breath. For this batch, I’ve also done it to a small piece of ampalaya (bitter melon) and radish. Pickled radish is something I’ve made before, and for this mix I’ve used much the same pickling solution as I did then. Vinegar and sugar, and lots of black pepper (freshly ground and whole). I also added sliced long green chilis, and some Himalayan pink salt. Before adding the ampalaya to the mix I prep it first as I did here to tone down the bitterness.

Now, bear in mind that I’m not referring to pickling produce by bulk for the winter! That does demand time and work (and certain strict measures of sterilization). What I do is make a small pickling solution (as I’ve described above), place some veggies in it, and store in the fridge for short term usage.

Whew! Now I’ve got some veggies effectively tucked away for future use. The crisper is breathing easy and so am I :)

Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:56:00 +0000

One of the wonderful attributes of chocolate, and I mean good chocolate, is that it has the ability to be absolutely perfect for just about any of life’s occasions. Whether it acts as a salve after crazy-hectic weeks at work, or the exclamation point to mark life’s wonderful celebrations, or just the last essential piece to a gloomy-day-in puzzle...or even as a earnest offering for having been away from this blog for a while!

And if it acts as all four? Why then, use four times the chocolate!

I had bookmarked this famous (infamous) recipe by the Domestic Goddess herself a while back when spied it over here. There is nothing really more to say than I saw all the chocolate, and I was smitten. I’ve read the good (glorious!) reviews and I’ve also read the bad (doesn’t cling-film melt?) reviews. But so far, Nigella has not let me down. And this cake was no different.

Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake
(From Nigella Lawson. See here for original recipe.)

For the cake:

200 grams all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

50 grams cocoa powder

275 grams caster sugar

175 grams unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

80 ml sour cream

125 ml boiling water

175 grams dark chocolate chips

For the syrup:

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

125 ml water

100 grams caster sugar

25 grams milk or dark chocolate (I used a 30 gram Lindt milk chocolate bar)

- Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
- Pre-heat your oven to 170C and stick a baking sheet in. Grease a loaf tin (21 x 11cm and 7.5cm deep) and line it with parchment paper. Leave a little bit of parchment to extend beyond the tin so that you will have something with which you can easily lift the cake out of the tin later on.
- Put the flour, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream in a processor and blitz until it is smooth and satiny. Scrape down with a rubber spatula and process again while pouring the hot water down the funnel. Switch it off, remove the lid and the blades, and then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in your pre-heated oven for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out pretty clean...there may be stickiness as this is a damp cake and that is totally fine.
- When you still have about 10-15 minutes left of baking time on your cake, get started with the syrup. Put the cocoa, water, and sugar in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes or so. You want a reduced, syrupy liquid that is still pourable.
- When the cake is done, place the tin on a rack and pierce the cake here and there with a skewer. Pour the syrup as evenly as you can over the cake.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, take it out of its tin (just pull it out with the parchment overhang you so carefully crafted), peel off the parchment, and place it on a serving platter. Now take your bar of chocolate and cut it into flakes and splinters and scatter all over the top of the cake. I used milk chocolate for the topping because the cake was already dark chocolate all throughout and I was taking this to a friend who is more a fan of milk than dark. You can also try topping with chocolate before the cake cools down so the chocolate shards melt a bit...MMM!

Let me take a moment here to just say: I really prefer weighing ingredients over fiddling with measuring cups! Weighing your ingredients is not only more precise, it is a whole lot easier! Especially if you have to do the washing up. Imagine a world where you never have to wash those darn measuring cups. That is the world of the scales my friend.

I am sold on adding boiling water to the batter as I did in another of Nigella’s cakes here. It really produces an enchanting crumb! Soft, tight, rich, but light. And despite the quadruple-ness of the chocolate, the cake just holds itself back from being over the top...stopping at being a lovely, luscious, comforting chocolate cake.

We took this cake to a friend’s house for dinner and it was enjoyed by all! Even my non-cake eating husband :) I hope you find it a suitable gift as well for my being a delinquent blogger :)

Chocolate Hazelnut Friands

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Five egg whites were burning a hole in my freezer. I had used the yolks for something (crispy cereal prawns!) and decided to try freezing the whites...as I have heard so many people do. I was quite pleased that, finally, I would not be sending some poor unused whites to the bin without a fighting chance. So I smugly tucked the whites to sleep for a bit in the deep freeze and that was that.

Much too soon, little niggling egg white thoughts began to badger me. “Must use those egg whites soon!” “What will you do with those egg whites?” “Don’t forget about those five frozen egg whites!”

Criminy.

I know you must be thinking of a ton of things to do with egg whites – meringue or some version of it – like a pavlova (which seems to be enjoying some kind of crazy resurgence!) – maybe an angel food cake or a canonigo. But you see, I am not an egg white kind of girl. I, sigh, do not like meringue (even though I think the making of it is pretty charming). I do not really like any (solely) egg white based desserts. I am more an egg yolk kind of girl – rich, creamy, intense, and loaded with cholesterol.

So what to do with those whites that didn’t involve something even slightly meringuesque?

Financiers and friands. Almond meal, melted butter, and unbeaten (trumpet sounding here please) egg whites. The perfect vehicle for any egg white of mine I say! Not only are they delicious, financiers have an interesting provenance involving Parisian bankers, breakfast, and gold ingots. What more could you ask for in a lovely little cake? Friands meanwhile, are pretty much the same in make-up, although I am still a bit unsure as to their origins. Some say they are the Australian versions of financiers, and I am inclined to agree since my recipe came from one of my favourite Aussie ladies :)

Chocolate Hazelnut Friands
(adapted from Chocolate Friands, page 40, Simple Essentials Chocolate by Donna Hay)

1 cup (110 grams) hazelnut meal
1 2/3 cup (250 grams) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (75 grams) all purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup (40 grams) cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5 egg whites
200 grams butter, melted

- Grease mini muffin tins, or mini tart pans (I must have used over 30 over these little pans).
- Place hazelnut meal, confectioner’s sugar, flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the egg whites and stir to combine.
- Add the butter and stir until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the tins and bake for 15-20 minutes in a 160C (320F) oven (until springy to touch). Adjust the baking time to the size of your tins and check early on how it’s cooking.

I fear there may be some French bakers out there shaking their fists in the air at my mentioning financiers and then using hazelnut meal instead of the traditional almond meal in this recipe. There may even be some hissing and scratching about how a chocolate version could in no way be likened to a gold ingot – although I’ll have you know that Pierre Herme, French pastry chef extraordinaire, has also made a chocolate version. The simple fact was, I had some hazelnut meal that needed using and no almond meal in sight. Plus, as any Nutella lover would know, hazelnuts and chocolate were destined to be together.

Friand or financier, I liked how these came out! Not too sweet, very chocolate-y, with the hazelnut’s nutty flavour all throughout. They were not too heavy and their small size made them perfect for serving with a cup of coffee or tea...or as a nice hostess gift :)

I’ll need to start freezing my egg whites more often!

p.s. I got these cute little tartlet pans from a famously sweet-toothed local blogger who needed to find new homes for some of the many bits of bake ware she had accumulated (as any expert baker out there with mountains of baking stuff needs to do once in a while). I also got this pan from her. Lori, your stuff have found a good home over here :)

Balsamic Snake Beans

noreply@blogger.com (ChichaJo) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:35:00 +0000

Sitaw, also known as long beans, or even more excitingly as snake beans (shiver-shiver), are a standard fixture in my organic veggie basket. It is a vegetable commonly found at the markets here. Pretty much most of us grew up eating it in one form or the other – and I can hazard a guess that the form most common was adobong sitaw.

Adobo is arguably our National Dish, being cooked in a plethora of versions from one end of our archipelago to the other (and beyond!). Every cook has their own version and you can find my basic one here (although I must admit I have more versions besides!). We can turn any edible into adobo...from chicken to pork to beef to lamb (I love this!) to seafood to vegetables. And adobong sitaw, long beans cooked with soy sauce and vinegar, is one of the most typical veggie-adobos around.

Adobong sitatw is also one of C’s favourite vegetable dishes so that, along with it being a regular in our veggie-basket, is the reason that it is often present in our dining table. Although C can wolf this down all day any day, I need a little more variation. I decided to try this dish using balsamic vinegar after seeing a similar preparation in a magazine. It is simple to make and provides a nice, tasty alternate to a much-loved but too-oft-repeated dish!

*I’ve gone with snake beans in the title because I think it sounds sexy and dangerous...which is not something beans are often given the chance to be! ;)

Balsamic Snake Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
300 gram bundle of sitaw/snake beans/long beans, chopped into one-inch pieces
1 – 1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

- Heat oil and garlic in a wok/kawali or skillet (this way the garlic will infuse the oil without burning).
- Once the garlic’s aroma wafts up, and it starts to sizzle, add the sitaw/snake beans and toss so everything is coated in garlicky oil. Sautee until almost done.
- Add balsamic vinegar and sautee until the vinegar’s acidic smell mellows, tossing once or twice to make sure all the beans are coated in the caramelizing vinegar.
- Season generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Serves 2.

I love the sweet-sharp tang that the balsamic vinegar lends this dish, rounded out by the spicy-savouriness of the garlic. Paired simply with olive oil, sea salt, and lots of cracked black pepper, it is proof that you can get fantastic flavour using good ingredients without much fuss. The garlic-black pepper-vinegar blend is reminiscent of our adobong sitaw just enough for you to recognize a smidgen of comforting familiarity among bright new flavours.

I hope to post more about other vegetable preparations I stumble on in the ongoing adventure of trying to use every single leaf and bulb in our veggie-basket. For me, it’s an exciting challenge I always look forward to! If anyone wants to share other sitaw/snake bean/long bean recipes, please do and I will make it with my future batches! Credit to you of course :)

Tomorrow I am getting half a kilo of kalamansi with my basket, which I plan to turn into icy-cold, kalamansi juice...another way to combat the Manila summer heat!