tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42497319100332542722026-08-23T16:47:59.915+08:00if you can't stand the heat...get out of the kitchenchef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-86367017212944379132012-11-19T15:56:00.001+08:002012-11-19T15:56:17.599+08:00

  Our hosts for this month's challenge Frances and Jenn chose Sisig as this month's challenge.  I chose to do Bangus Sisig as a healthier alternative to all the meat I've been eating.  For the uninitiated SISIG according to Wikipedia: Sisig is a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour". It usually refers to fruits, often unripe or half-ripe, sometimes dipped in

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-29219676212017751212012-11-15T08:16:00.000+08:002012-11-15T08:16:00.535+08:00

Audax of Audax Artifax was our November 2012 Daring Cooks’ host. Audax has brought us into the world of brining and roasting, where we brined meat and vegetables and roasted them afterwards for a delicious meal! I must say I really enjoyed this month's challenge because it made roasting chicken or any other meat or vegetable easier and more flavorful.  For the past years that I've

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-38351167453217991632012-10-27T00:00:00.000+08:002012-10-27T06:43:57.415+08:00

Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full. Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it! I was excited for this month's challenge not only because of the recipe but more so because it was hosted by Suz, one of my favorite bloggers! 

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-66702882622170605502012-10-24T09:26:00.001+08:002012-10-24T09:27:03.128+08:00

I have a confession to make to my Kulinarya friends, this is the first time I made Filipino-style spaghetti in my whole life.  Don't get me wrong, I like it, and there were one or two instances that I drive-thru Jollibee just to get my sweet spaghetti fix.  I remember when I was small, we used to attend children's parties where this dish was never absent.   So here I am

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-68647851876936825152012-10-14T18:16:00.002+08:002012-10-14T18:16:55.440+08:00

Rachel Dana was our October 2012 Daring Cooks' Challenge hostess! Rachel brought Brazil into our lives by challenging us to make Feijoada and Farofa along with some other yummy side dishes traditionally served with Feijoada, which is a delicious black bean and pork stew. According to Rachel :"Feijoada is a famous Brazilian black bean stew filled with meat, mostly pork parts. A really

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-48815149053658593712012-09-16T09:21:00.008+08:002012-09-18T15:43:23.489+08:00

It's been a while since I last updated my blog because I've been blessed by so much work, but there was no way I'm going to miss this month's Daring Cooks' challenge just because Paella is one of my favorite dishes to cook and eat! I grew up eating a "Filipinized" version of paella which my grandmother called "Arroz Valenciana" and I'm guessing that's where my love for paella came from. So

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-39013520748004625252012-07-15T11:00:00.005+08:002012-07-15T15:41:55.036+08:00

Our July 2012 Daring Cooks' host was Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie! Sarah challenges us to learn a new cooking technique called "Cooking En Papillote" which is French and translates to cooking in parchment.According to Sarah "...this cooking method in parchment is also called "al cartoccio" in Italian, it is a method of cooking in which the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-28265855903030261242012-06-27T09:23:00.002+08:002012-06-27T10:14:55.069+08:00

I was thrilled when I found out that we were going to make a Battenberg cake for this month. It looks really pretty, it was one of those cakes that made me think "How did they do that?" when I was not into baking yet. Also it was a very nice gesture because it is the Queen's Diamond Jubilee...not that I am in the UK, far from it...but my parents were in London when it was her Golden Jubilee 10

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-2272843209038421362012-06-20T08:39:00.004+08:002012-06-20T14:12:37.808+08:00

I've always been fascinated with marshmallows even when I was a kid...those unbelievably soft, mushy and oh so delicious cubes or balls of sugary goodness. Fast forward to a few months ago when I happened to watch Alton Brown making them on TV, I was suddenly eight years old again craving for them so when I found his recipe, I got the brilliant idea to make them at home. HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS by

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-72797870222262406462012-06-14T18:35:00.004+08:002012-06-14T19:43:28.201+08:00

So excited about this month's Daring Cooks' challenge...why you may ask...well just because I made bacon for the first time and I wanted to include it in another recipe. And this month's challenge was perfect! I bought around 1.5 kg of pork belly skin on and followed this recipe. Manu from Manu's Menu was our Daring Cooks lovely June hostess and has challenged us to make traditional Italian

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-85439086903285305072012-06-08T09:54:00.005+08:002012-06-08T16:50:46.897+08:00

So summer is officially over...here in the Philippines. But thankfully the rainy season has been kind...no flooding yet. We took advantage of the last days of summer and visited a farm in Bulacan which is about 2 hours or so away from the capital. There was no traffic along the North Expressway, the sun was shining brightly and this was what greeted us... Don't you just love the green green grass

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-37352350111250883202012-06-03T09:03:00.001+08:002012-06-03T09:03:24.610+08:00

Posting late for the May Daring Bakers' Challenge:  GUILTY, but I really didn't want to sit this one out just because it was hosted by Ruth of The Crafts of Mommyhood.  So here's my late post. May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-23879665265752198552012-05-15T20:29:00.005+08:002012-05-15T21:33:55.063+08:00

Our May 2012 Daring Cooks' hostess was Fabi of fabsfood. Fabi challenged us to make Boeuf Bourguignon, a classic French stew originating from the Burgundy region of France. I couldn't believe the timeliness of this month's challenge...I've been spending two month's worth of Saturdays taking up French at Alliance Francaise de Manille. So it was really a nice surprise when I read what this month's

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-82397440963914697182012-05-10T14:01:00.001+08:002012-05-10T14:02:26.374+08:00

This is my recipe for breakfast to help me accomplish the tasks of a very busy, very taxing day... I made up my own juice with some of my favorite fruits and vegetables...it has to be that way because I drink this every morning...every single day :) But once in a while...like on Saturdays...I can't resist a slice or two of Bibingka!

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-52021989187344616272012-04-15T11:26:00.007+08:002012-04-15T12:12:04.378+08:00

Our April 2012 hosts were David and Karen of Twenty-Fingered Cooking. They presented us with a very daring and unique challenge of forming our own recipes by using a set list of ingredients. I really like it when we are asked to come up with our own recipes because it brings out everyone's creativity. So what is the list of these ingredients that we can play around? They gave us 3 sets and we had

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-54127654241345714922012-04-07T10:15:00.005+08:002012-04-07T10:59:00.241+08:00

I didn't realize how easy it was to make Bagoong Alamang. I have a friend who grew up in Navotas, a seaside community here in Manila and they used to make their own Bagoong Alamang, she was the one who told me how to make it. For the uninitiated, Bagoong Alamang is shrimp paste made from very small shrimps that are fermented and then sauteed with additional ingredients (onions, garlic, etc). I

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-42258703261191814652012-04-05T17:57:00.007+08:002012-04-05T19:04:38.520+08:00

A while back my baby sister asked...no, actually more like begged me to help her make these. I really cherish the times I have with my family especially my younger sisters, having lost our mother 10 months ago made me feel more maternal and protective towards them so when I found time (long weekend because of Holy Week) I grabbed the chance and we set aside an afternoon making these yummy treats.

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-61666833457086273992012-04-01T09:51:00.004+08:002012-04-01T10:20:27.566+08:00

Everyone needs weekends for relaxing...I especially love Saturdays because it's market day at home and lunch is usually better than usual. There are extra special saturdays when we decide to splurge, like last week when my sister bought crabs and prawns which we made into chili garlic crabs and prawn sinigang. She also asked me to cook braised pork belly which came from last month's Daring Cooks'

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-20307552486632181732012-03-27T10:30:00.001+08:002012-03-28T09:39:47.372+08:00

Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!This is the first time I've heard of this so I am sure, I am not the only one who is wondering what exactly is Dutch

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-10999814901908208512012-03-25T09:23:00.006+08:002012-03-25T10:12:13.094+08:00

So it's officially summer here in the Philippines...but the weather is very erratic, it could be a full week of sunny days and then without warning, we wake up to a gloomy rainy morning. But even when it rains, it's already scorching hot. Our hosts for Kulinarya Cooking Club's theme for this month Arnold of Inuyaki and Jun of Jun Blog decided to let us make frozen treats...popsicles, ice candies

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-68990396085761803482012-03-14T19:12:00.003+08:002012-03-14T19:38:32.550+08:00

The March 2012 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Carol a/k/a Poisonive--and she challenged us all to learn the art of Braising! Carol focused on Michael Ruhlman's technique and shared with us some of his expertise from his book "Ruhlman's Twenty".So what exactly is Braising? Carol gives us this definition: from the French word "braiser" offers us a combination of cooking method...typically

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-71287339365272869382012-03-03T15:59:00.003+08:002012-03-03T16:44:30.682+08:00

I'm so easy to please...just give me food and I'm a happy camper. This week, I received food gifts from my friends--talk about the gift of friendship! I will be making posts for the other stuff I received but this afternoon I chose to prepare half of the smoked salmon that I got. So I was thinking what to do with it, honestly speaking, I can eat smoked salmon on its own but my friend said, make

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-21003282986724582502012-02-27T20:08:00.004+08:002012-02-27T21:14:07.951+08:00

The Daring Bakers' February 2012 host was--Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.So what are quickbreads? Lis shared Epicurious' definition as: Bread that is quick to make because

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-36596666450103912622012-02-21T17:35:00.008+08:002012-02-23T15:25:57.552+08:00

I can finally say I've eaten in a Michelin-starred place, yay! It happened last week while I was on a short break in HongKong. According to Wikipedia: The Michelin Guide (French: Guide Michelin [ɡid miʃlɛ̃]) is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249731910033254272.post-54347679960450734502012-02-01T00:00:00.000+08:002012-02-01T10:22:59.529+08:00

The first day of February is special in our house because it's my baby sister's birthday. Today she is turning nineteen (!) and it's bittersweet because last year, our mom threw a surprise 18th birthday party for her and starting this year, she will be celebrating without our mom who passed away middle of 2011. The birthday girl's interests are varied, she does wushu, has gotten her certification

chef_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08531263554792795803noreply@blogger.com4