Fusion Gourmet

Perfect Popovers, Martha Stewart's Style

2011-03-22T22:07:00.005-04:00

For tonight's dinner I was thinking of what to have with our Max's style fried Cornish hens and decided to make Popovers from scratch! I remember my cousin, Elva made this for breakfast one time and I really enjoyed it. She later then told me it was a recipe from Martha Stewart. This is an easy recipe to make and definitely foolproof! This is lightly browned on the outside, and soft and chewy in the inside--and as the title suggests, it is the perfect popovers--totally puffy!!! With a little dab of butter, everything else melts in your mouth. You can certainly add a few ingredients to this to make it either sweet or savory. I'm feeling bacon popovers soon!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp of unsalted butter

1 cup of AP Flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven at 450 degrees F. Grease popover tin (since I don't have one yet, I used a large muffin pan) with butter, but I used a baking spray with butter flavored.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pour over flour mixture, and fold until just blended. Fill popover cups (or muffin mold) 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Transfer tin/pan into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature 350 degrees F. Then, continue to bake for another 20 minutes. Remove popovers from the oven, and unmold to a rack. Puncture the sides with a sharp knife to let the steam out. Serve it while hot.

According to Martha Stewart, this recipe yield 6 popovers, but since I didn't have a popover tin, I came up with 5 of these on a large muffin pan.

Max-Style Fried Cornish Hen

2011-03-22T21:16:00.007-04:00

One of the most popular restaurants in the Philippines is called Max's Restaurant--famous for their scrumptious and finger-licking good fried chicken! As far as I can remember, they have a large chain in the Philippines even back then and finally, their chain has been expanding here in the US as well. It started in Glendale, CA in the 90's and has recently opened their newest shop in Jersey City, NJ last year.

Growing up in the Philippines, Max's is a household name and my family and I used to go there for lunches or dinners or simply for takeouts. I remember this is my Dad's favorite places to get food after work and he would buy a whole fried chicken to take home. One night, my Dad came home with Max's fried chicken and in the bag were packets of ketchup included with the meal. As a kid, I never really liked ketchup because of its color and texture. I've always thought they looked like blood! It scared the bejesus out of me! So that night, I took all of the packets of ketchup and threw them in the garbage can as soon as my Dad walked away! Ha ha! When we were ready to eat dinner, my Dad was looking for all of the packets of ketchup. So, I pretended I didn't know where they went, but I felt guilty that told him I threw them out! Needless to say, he had to dig through the garbage for those ketchup packets! And for the record, I started using ketchup as a condiment when I was already in 5th grade! Yes, it took me awhile to get used to it and now, I love all kinds of ketchup from Heinz's classic to Philippines sweet banana ketchup!

So, here I am at home reminiscing the nostalgic taste of Max's chicken and at the same time thinking of my Dad and his mother, my Lola who used to take me to Max's for lunch after clothes and shoe shopping in Manila. Those were the good ol' days. So today I scoured the Web for Max's style fried chicken and found the best one at "Panlasang Pinoy" (Taste of Pinoy)! But since I didn't have fresh parsley or cilantro at hand, I used dried lemon grass instead. The result was still incredible and love the citrusy notes on the hens. It was quite lovely that my husband and I really enjoyed this dinner tonight. The meat was so tender and juicy, and just bursting with flavor! I served this dish with freshly warm popovers, Martha Stewart's style and it was just the perfect meal.

Ingredients:
2 Cornish Hens
6 Bay Leaves
Cilantro or Parsley (but I ran out of these dried herbs that I substituted with dried Lemon Grass)
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Canola Oil for deep frying

Banana Ketchup

Directions:
In a steamer, boil water with the dried herbs. Season Cornish hens with garlic salt and pepper. Once water is boiling, place Cornish hens on the steamer basket. Let it steam for 45 minutes. Remove hens from the steamer and place in on a baking rack. Let it rest for at least an hour before deep frying to remove excess liquid from the hens. Deep fry it for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the deep fryer and allow oil to drip.

For dinner, I served this with fresh popovers and sweet and spicy banana ketchup. YUM!

Irish Colcannon Soup

2011-03-20T22:25:00.001-04:00

On the eve of St. Patrick's Day, I made a light Irish meal for dinner -- just a simple Colcannon soup and fresh homemade soda bread. I made this soup thick and hearty as possible, which were loaded with wild boar bacon, leeks, cabbage, and potatoes, and this is the reason why I served only a bowl of soup and a slice of bread for dinner because of its high caloric content.

This is really an easy recipe to follow. I just love the creamy factor of this soup without compromising its flavor. Truly a big meal by itself and you'll see why...

Ingredients:

4-6 Bacon (I used Wild Boar Bacon)

1 Medium Sweet Vidalia Onions

2-3 Potatoes, cubed

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

2-3 Leeks, sliced thin

1/2 a head of Cabbage, chopped

1 cup White Wine

4 cups Chicken Stock

1/2 cup Heavy or Light Cream

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

In a large stock pot, fry bacon first until crisp on medium heat. Remove bacon and let it rest on a plate with paper towel. Brown cubed potatoes on bacon fat. Remove potatoes when they are golden brown. Then set it aside. Let chopped onions sweat on bacon fat as well. When translucent, add chopped garlic. Then add leeks and cabbage. Stirring occasionally until soft and tender. Remove about a third of leeks and cabbage mixture from the pot and place it aside. Add white wine, scrapping off the bits on the bottom of the pot. Then, add half of the browned potatoes. Keep stirring. Then add chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a full boil for a few minutes.

Take a hand mixer and blend the soup until nice and smooth. Be careful when doing this to avoid splattering. If an electric hand mixer is not available, you can also put this in a blender in batches. When the soup is well blended, add the remaining potatoes and leek-cabbage mixture that were set side. By doing this step, makes this soup thick and hearty. Stir well. Then add cream in the end. Let it simmer for a few minutes.

Serve a bowl of this soup with crumbled bacon on top and a slice of Irish soda bread.

Enjoy!

St. Patty's Day Feast: Corned Beef, Cabbage & Potatoes

2011-03-18T23:22:00.010-04:00

Let's just say St. Patrick's Day can't be without a slab of corned beef, boiled cabbage and those ultra-starchy potatoes! So for last night's dinner, I did all of the above except for serving everything just plain ol' boiled stuff--the traditional Irish way. I am Filipino, nevertheless, I only become Irish by thought when comes to St. Patrick's Day only (Ha ha!), and tweaking any dish is just my style. By adding a few more steps in my cooking regime yesterday is nothing unusual, and boy, I'm so glad I did because slow roasting a brisket of corned beef and then broiling it in the end made a whole lot of a difference in taste and texture, melts in the mouth kind of thing! Even by simply sauteing the cabbage in olive oil with onions and garlic just made it more sweeter, and roasting potatoes with onions wrapped in tin foil was definitely better than those boiled ones. What more, by reducing the juice from the brisket and using it as a gravy to drizzle over the sliced corned beef was too sinful, yet so flavorful that St. Patrick would probably be rolling down from heaven just to get a taste of it.

As you can imagine, last night's dinner was pure joy -- even though the luck of the Irish wasn't on our side yesterday (long story to be told!). But lo and behold, my slow roasted corned beef and its trimmings hit the right senses that brought my husband and I to another level of gastronomic transcendence. We had some of the leftovers tonight and it gave us the same effect no less. To simply put it, everything was truly delicious! Hands down with my head high above, no ifs or buts!

So, here it is...the recipe you've been yearning for. If you can't wait to make this for next year's St. Patty's Day, might as well do this this weekend. Hurry up! 'Cause let me tell you, you'll never be sorry!

Ingredients for Slow Roasted Corned Beef:
A Brisket of Corned Beef (packaged located in the frozen meat section of any grocery store or ask the Butcher where to get one. Make sure to get the Point Cut (brisket) of the Corned Beef--it has the most flavor and marbling of fat)
Stone Ground Mustard
Whole Cloves
Brown Sugar
Pure Honey

Directions for Slow Roasted Corned Beef:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Remove the brisket of corned beef from the packaging. Place the brisket in a large pot, fill it up with water and bring it on the stovetop, let it boil on medium high heat. When it boils, discard the water and repeat the boiling process. This time add the seasonings that came with it. Remember, you have to boil the brisket twice in order to reduce the salt content. Once the second boil is done, transfer the brisket fat side up on a baking dish with lined with tin foil loosely. Insert whole cloves one at a time on top of the meat, about an inch or two apart or very sparsely. Don't use too much since cloves can be very powerful. Spread stone ground mustard on top, then lightly dust it off with brown sugar. Place another sheet of tin foil on top, then seal the entire sides off. Then slide it in the oven and let it slow roast for 2 hours.

When the two hours is up, remove brisket on the baking pan from the oven. Slowly remove the top layer of tin foil, let the steam out. Be careful not to burn your fingers from the steam. Let it rest for a few minutes, then drizzle pure honey on top. Set your oven temperature to BROIL. Then place the brisket back in the oven for at least 3-5 minutes, watching it closely so that it wouldn't burn. Take it out from the oven when it's golden brown, lightly crisp on top. Transfer the brisket on a cutting board, let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Save the juices for the gravy.

Gravy:
Juices or Drippings from the Brisket of Corned Beef
1/2 -1 cup cold water
2 Tbsp Cornstarch

Directions:
Transfer the juices from the brisket by letting it run through a strainer to remove any mustard seeds from the glaze into a small saucepan. In a half cup or 1 cup of cold water, mix cornstarch until completely dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture into the drippings. Let it come to a full boil on medium heat. Stirring constantly until it thickens. Set aside.

Sauteed Cabbage:
1/2 a head of Cabbage, julienned or chopped
1 medium sized Sweet Vidalia Onions, chopped
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot, add onions and let it sweat until translucent. Add garlic. Saute for a little bit. Add half of the cabbage at a time. Mix well until slightly wilted and browned. Then add the last batch of cabbage. Keep sauteing it until nice and soft. Set aside until ready to be served.

Roasted Potatoes and Onions:
1 large Sweet Vidalia Onions, quartered
2 Large Baking Potatoes (Idaho), quartered
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Toss potatoes and onions together in a tin foil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Then wrap the tin foil completely. Place it on a baking sheet. Bake half way through with the Corned Beef in the oven or for an hour at 350 degrees F. Remove from the oven, uncover when ready to be served.

Succulent Country Ribs with Sweet Chili Sauce

2011-03-14T20:40:00.002-04:00

Not too long ago a friend of mine from the Netherlands posted photos of her version of "Fall Off the Bones Baby Back Ribs," which got me craving for baby back ribs (once again)! Consequently, I found this recipe online by the Steamy Kitchen for baby back ribs using only one key ingredient: Mae Ploy's Sweet Chili Sauce. Intriguing, I know since this sauce is always available in my pantry. I mainly use it for dipping with chicken wings or spring rolls, but I never had the urge to use it for cooking until now. Thanks to Mrs. Jaden Hair, now I would never look Mae Ploy's Sweet Chili Sauce as an ordinary condiment ever again! Since I only have a pack of country ribs, I decided to give it try and slow roasted it in the oven for about 3 hours, an hour less than Mrs. Hair's version. I did this because the country ribs I had is less than half of the original recipe, and then broiled it with the Sweet Chili Sauce on top! The result was phenomenal. Slowly roasting it definitely made the meat to fall off its bones. Amazing. So succulent. I ate every morsel off my plate!

I'm sure instead of slow roasting the ribs in the oven, you can probably cook this in a slow cooker as well for a few hours (6 to 8 hours) on the lowest setting. Then, simply transfer the ribs on a baking sheet, brush with the sauce and broil it until golden brown. I might try this procedure some other time...the next time I get a craving for ribs again! Hmmm...

Ingredients:

A rack of Baby Back Ribs (for this recipe I used Country Ribs)

Salt and Pepper

Mae Ploy's Sweet Chili Sauce

Directions:

Remove the white layer of membrane found underneath the ribs (none from the country ribs, but you have to do this step for the baby back ribs). Season the rack of ribs with salt and pepper, on both sides. Place in a baking dish and cover it tightly with tin foil. Heat the oven at 250 to 275 degrees F. Bake for at least 3-4 hours, depending on the weight of the ribs.

After 3-4 hours, remove tin foil, and discard all of the juices out. Then, adjust the oven's temperature to BROIL. Brush ribs with the sweet chili sauce. Broil for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. You can serve this as is, but I like mine with a side of steamed veggies (tonight, we had this with Broccolini) and white rice. Yum! Finger licking good!

Sinigang na Baka (Beef Shanks Tamarind Sour Soup)

2011-03-13T16:05:00.003-04:00

Sinigang na Baka is a classic Filipino dish, in which beef shanks are boiled into a steaming broth. Usually, an instant tamarind seasoning (which can be found at any Asian market) is added to give that sour taste, but to be more technical, in the Philippines, fresh young tamarind is used or a sour tropical fruit called "kamias" can be added as well for that sour note.

For this dish, steamed or boiled vegetables such as bokchoy or cabbage, green beans or long string beans, potatoes or taro root are added to this soup to make it quite hearty. This can be eaten as is, but this is best served with a bowl of rice and a little dish of fish sauce to give it a bold and salty taste! Pork, fish or shrimps can also be used as the main ingredient for this soup as well instead of beef.

Ingredients:
3-4 Beef Shanks (already pre-cut and individually wrapped found at Wegman's or your local grocery store or butcher shop)
or
2 lbs of Beef Chuck (although I must say beef with bones are better for this type of soup)
1 large Vidalia Onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tomatoes, sliced
1 Packet of Sinigang - Tamarind Seasoning (Knorr Brand-found in Asian markets - some even have a Taro flavor added)
Ground Pepper and a few black peppercorns

The following vegetables are to be steamed or boiled:
A bunch of Bokchoy or quartered Cabbage
Green Beans or Long String Beans (Sitaw)
2-3 Potatoes, quartered
4-5 Taro roots, halved

Fish Sauce

Directions:

Place beef shanks in a large stock pot, fill it with water. Let it come to a full boil. Discard the first boil, then fill it up with water again. This time add the tamarind seasoning, black pepper and whole black peppercorns, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Continue to let it boil while until beef are nice and tender, skimming the top off with any froth from the soup. By doing this, it will make your broth clear as a crystal ball!

On a separate pot/steamer, let all the vegetables (except for the potatoes and taro root) steam for a few minutes, usually for 8 to 10 minutes. For the potatoes and taro root, boil them separately until they are soft. Set the cooked vegetables aside.

To serve this soup, simply pour the broth and pieces of meat or shank in a big bowl, then add some of the steamed and boiled vegetables. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice and a side of fish sauce for seasoning.

Enjoy! This is a wonderful comfort dish especially in cold and dreary days...

Coq au Vin

2011-03-07T20:31:00.006-05:00

I wasn't at all prepared on what to cook for dinner tonight, and all I have were frozen split chicken breasts. I'm tired of roasted or baked chicken. And I hate frying!!!

As I looked over the counter, I saw a few of half-opened bottles of red wine, all of the sudden I had an Aha! moment! So, I decided to make Coq au Vin, a classic French dish which simply means Chicken in Red Wine. I quickly scoured the internet for a Coq au Vin recipe on my iPod Touch and saw Tyler Florence's version online. As I quickly glanced over the ingredients, I pretty much have everything in stock except for a few items like cognac to flambé, pearl onions or burgundy wine. Instead I skipped the flambé part, which I thought would be so cool to do. Boo Hoo :'( So then, I substituted the pearl onions to sweet Vidalia onions, regular bacon to wild boar bacon and the burgundy wine to my leftover red table wines. And since I'm not following Tyler's recipe to a tee, I've also decided to add a few more things to this gracious dish; like the a can of diced tomatoes and frozen peas as you will see.

This is an easy dinner to make yet so flavorful. And if you have tons of leftover red wine, now you know what to do!

Ingredients:

4 Split Chicken Breasts

Flour

Salt and Pepper

6 Wild Boar Bacon

1 small Vidalia Onions, chopped

5-6 Garlic Cloves, crushed

1 can of Mushrooms

1 can of Diced Tomatoes

1 small package of frozen Peas

1 can of Low Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock (14.5 0z)

4 cups of Red Table Wine

2 tsp of Dried Thyme

2 tsp of Herbs de Provence

3-5 Bay Leaves

Olive Oil

Directions:

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

In a dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium heat until nice and crisp. Transfer bacon in a plate lined with paper towels to drain oil. Brown chicken in bacon fat on both sides. Remove chicken from bacon fat. Add onions and garlic. Let it fry until tender and translucent. Then, add mushrooms, diced tomatoes and peas. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Then bring the browned chicken back into the pot. Slowly add chicken stock and wine. Add all of the remaining herbs. Let it simmer for an hour and fifteen minutes, uncovered. Remove chicken and transfer them on a rack over baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and broil in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Serve chicken over mashed potatoes, then spoon over some of the red wine sauce with veggies. Finish it off with crumble fried bacon on top!

Dinner is served. Bon Apetit.

P.S. In Tyler's recipe, it says to add cornstarch or tomato paste to help thicken the sauce during the last 15 minutes of the simmering process. In my dish, however, I didn't have to do this, partly because the starch on the peas helped thicken it up! :)

Sweet, Hot and Spicy BBQ Ribs

2011-03-02T21:38:00.011-05:00

I heard there's a new BBQ place in town...in Plymouth to be exact called Uncle Buck's BBQ. I haven't been there yet, but I received some great reviews from my brother who was just there for lunch and had a rack of their ribs couple of weeks ago with a friend of his. According to him, Uncle Buck nailed it when it comes to their rubs...southern style to the tee!

One of these days, I'll take a drive down there and try out one of their dishes on their extensive menu, but for now I decided to make my own BBQ sauce made with Sriracha Hot Chile Sauce. If you like some hot stuff, this is one steaming hot BBQ ribs!!! My face was still blushing even after I finished my meal...so I know I've got some HOT, HOT, HOT sauce over here!

For dinner tonight, I served this BBQ ribs with some sweet corn cake and golden french fries sprinkled with coarse sea salt, doused with London Pub's malt vinegar, and a side of ketchup for dipping.

I hope you'll try this recipe someday. It's finger-licking good!

Ingredients for BBQ Sauce:

1 cup Honey

1/2 cup Sriracha Hot Chile Sauce

1/4 cup Rum

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Soy Sauce

1/4 Ketchup

1/4 Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed

1 tsp Honey Ground Mustard

Black Pepper

A rack of Pork Ribs

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan. Bring it to a boil on medium-high heat. Stir constantly until it reduces in half.

Season the rack of ribs with black pepper. Place it on a rack over a sheet pan lined with foil. Spread some BBQ sauce over the rack of ribs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes. Baste with BBQ sauce every fifteen minutes. Then, broil it for 3-4 minutes until it gets a little crusty. That's it! Enjoy!!!

P.S. Most likely you'll have leftover BBQ sauce. Just simply store it in a glass jar and refrigerate. You can use it for anything...baked chicken, sauce for your burgers, and etc.

My Version of Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

2010-10-18T20:16:00.005-04:00

A week or so ago I tackled my first homemade Sambal Oelek and shortly thereafter, I made my own version of Nasi Goreng, an Indonesian fried rice!

Here it is and it's quite simple...and my secret ingredient is Bagoong (Philippine-style shrimp paste) and used vegetables that I already have on hand!

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 shallots, minced, divided in half

4 cloves of garlic, smashed, then chopped, divided in half

Few cups of a day old (steamed) Basmati or any types of Rice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sweet soy sauce (Indonesian Kecap Manis) or Japanese Tamari Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen peas

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 Sweet peppers, finely chopped

1 Tbsp of Shrimp paste or Bagoong (Philippine version of Shrimp paste)

2 fried eggs

Directions:

In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Saute half of the shallots and garlic until tender. Add rice. Fold well and let it fry away. Then, add soy sauce, salt, and Sambal Oelek. Stir occasionally to keep the bottom from sticking on the pan.

In the meantime, heat the remainder vegetable oil on a separate pan. Saute the remainder of the shallots and garlic. Add mushrooms, tomatoes and sweet peppers. Let it cook through. Then, add the frozen peas and shrimp paste. Keep stirring well until all of the vegetables are nice and tender. Add this mixed vegetable to the fried rice. Mix well until all of the ingredients are incorporated well. Keep tossing for awhile, then serve a heaping of this fried rice with fried eggs or grilled pork or chicken with a side of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

Enjoy!

Death by Oreo Cuppycakes

2010-10-10T12:31:00.004-04:00

Well, the title says it all! These cuppycakes were made with yummylicious Oreo cookies from top to bottom. Just layer after layer of Oreo cookie goodness! And I'm not kidding either! So, if you're an Oreo cookie addict like me, join the club as these cupcakes will definitely knock your socks off and all you'll need is a tall glass of milk to go with 'em!

Actually, I found this recipe from the "Just A Pinch Recipe Club" that I have recently joined online, which was posted by Debbie Wright of Louisiana. This recipe was featured one morning from the website and it so happened that my sister-in-law's birthday was the following day that I thought of making these sweet treats to take to my SIL's birthday get-together. Since I pretty much have all the ingredients in-house to make these chocolatey cupcakes, it was a piece of cake from then on. The only thing I didn't have was those mini Oreo cookies, but with Halloween just being around the corner, those mini Oreo snack packs were overflowing from the cookie aisle at a local grocery store that I didn't have any problems acquiring them.

This recipe was really easy to make with each layer were filled with Oreo cookies as you can only imagine! The cookies were used as a whole, chopped, and finely grounded, but they were all incorporated well in such a way that different textures were achieved throughout. How ingenious! And sinfully delicious! A batch of this recipe yield 30 cupcakes!!! I had more than enough to bring it to a party, and the rest I shared with family and friends. :)

Ingredients:

1 Bag of Regular-sized Oreo cookies
1 8oz Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
1 stick Butter, softened at room temperature
3 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Box of chocolate cake mix (follow the directions on the box for cupcakes)
Mini Oreo cookies for decoration
Cupcake liners

Directions:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Mix packaged cake by following the directions on the box. Set aside.

Line cupcake pan or silicone cupcake cups with liner. Place a regular sized cookie on the bottom of each one.

Take 1/2 of the cookies and chop it coarsely in a food processor and add to the cake mix. Pour batter about 3/4 full on each cupcake mold. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

In a separate bowl or mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Chop the remaining cookies finely, then add to frosting.

When cupcakes are cooled, frost and decorate with a couple of mini Oreos on top.

Enjoy!

Slow Roasted Chicken with BHF's Best & Sambal Oelek

2010-10-05T22:53:00.003-04:00

Bittersweet Herb Farm is one of my favorite vendors at the Philadelphia Flower Show. It is a company that produces high quality jams, jellies, finishing sauces, dry seasonings, flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars from Massachusetts. And since I only see them once a year, I tend to stock up on pretty much everything they sell. I know I'm their No. 1 Fan! I just love their stuff!

Anyway, I've been wanting to use this Smoked Maple Chipotle Finishing Sauce I got for a while now and tonight I finally used it. Well, technically I used it last night when I marinated a whole chicken with it, stuffed with sliced lemons (left over from the Sambal Oelek I made yesterday) and shallots.

So, around noon today, I transferred the whole chicken and marinade into a slow cooker and left it there for about 4 hours on HIGH, and gradually turned the notch down to WARM around 5pm. I was in and out of the house today running errands, and every time I walked in, the smell of the chicken slowing roasting with its marinade just permeated throughout the house! I could really smell the smokey flavor of the Chipotle with a little hint of sweetness from the maple syrup. My stomach growled each time, but I hung in there like an obedient puppy! So as soon as my husband came home from work, I moved the whole chicken on a rack over a baking pan, basting it with its natural juices, then broiled it in the oven for 5 minutes until browned.

The chicken meat is just falling off from its bones as I served it over steamed Basmati brown rice, then doused some more marinade juices over it. Just by the sight of it, I mouth was salivating like there's no tomorrow! I'm so, so glad I skipped lunch today! The wait is so worth it! Then to add some heat, I served it with my freshly made Sambal Oelek (an Indonesian Chili Sauce). Only a spoonful is needed, and I must say, it was the perfect condiment for this slow roasted chicken dish! So tender, hot, flavorful and YUMMMMMMY!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cleaned and washed thoroughly
Salt and Pepper
2 limes, quartered
2 shallots, sliced
Bittersweet Herb Farm's Smoked Maple Chipotle Finishing Sauce, half a bottle

Steamed Basmati Brown Rice
Sambal Oelek

Directions:
Clean and wash the whole chicken thoroughly. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with quartered limes and sliced shallots. Place the whole chicken in a container and pour over BHF finishing sauce (I used about half a bottle). Cover tightly and let it marinate overnight.

Place the whole chicken and marinade in the slow cooker. Cook it on HIGH for about 4 hours. When ready to serve, transfer the chicken on a rack over a baking pan, basting it with its natural juices, then broil in the oven for 5 minutes or less or until crispy and golden brown, leaving the remainder of its natural juices and marinade on the cooker. Serve with steamed rice and Sambal Oelek on the side. Use the remaining marinade as a sauce as well over the chicken and rice.

Bon Appetite!

Sambal Oelek (an Indonesian Chili Sauce)

2010-10-05T21:59:00.003-04:00

Truth be told, I have never even heard of Sambal Oelek until recently. More than a week ago, one of my husband's patient gave him two bags of fresh sweet and hot peppers from his garden, and aside from those peppers, he also gave us a bagful of super red ripened tomatoes. Overwhelmed by his kind gesture to the point that I don't even know what to do with those gracious bounty!

We consumed the tomatoes quickly, using them in salads and sandwiches, which were absolutely divine! Nothing really beats fresh tomatoes harvested directly from the vine to your table. But I was still left with those peppers. I was roasting some of the sweet peppers, but by golly, I really don't know what to do with the hot ones!

Finally, I posted a photo of those peppers on my FB account looking for suggestions 'coz I was just going to use them for flavored vinegar with onions and garlic seasoned with salt and pepper, otherwise, I would just can them in a simple pickle juice. But it didn't take a while until a friend of mine from SoFlo named, Zee suggested that I should make them into Sambal Oelek!!! I was 'like' what the heck is that? It sounded so strange to me, and with the Internet right on my fingertips, I quickly 'GOOGLED' it and found out that Sambal Oelek is an Indonesian Chili Sauce, which is used as a base for anything. It's like an Eastern condiment like Tabasco sauce!

So, I scoured the Internet for a good recipe for Sambal Oelek! Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by the number of recipes out there! Some are very simple, but most of them are the same, and others are just way too complicated for me. But in the end, I've decided I'm going to do it my way and combine the most popular ingredients that are more readily available in my pantry to make it spew SAMBAL OELEK!!!! :)

Upon my guestimation, I probably have 1 1/2 pounds of hot peppers on hand, so here's my proportional analysis on the matter:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of Red Hot Peppers, sliced (most seeds were discarded, but can be added if you want more heat!)
2 Fresh lemon grass, thinly sliced (or 3 Tbsp of bottled/preserved lemon grass found)
1 clove of garlic, mashed in a mortar and pestle
3 shallots, cut in half
1 lime zest
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor (I used a blender for this project and it worked very well). Pulse for few seconds at a time until it is completely minced. Transfer all of the contents in a saucepan. Let it come to a full boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally for five minutes. Then, fill sterilized jars with the hot sauce close to the rim, but leaving enough space. Seal and place them in a canner with boiling water for food processing. In this case, I had them processing for about 40 minutes. Remove jars from the canner and let it stand flat on the counter. And that's it!

Serve this hot chili sauce with anything you like. We used it for the first time tonight with slow roasted chicken and it was the best chili sauce we've ever had! So fresh and hot, hot, hot! My husband loves it better than Tabasco Sauce! For real!!!

Enjoy!

Nilagang Baka (Beef Broth with Veggies)

2010-10-03T02:05:00.002-04:00

Nilagang Baka is simply a broth from beef shanks, which is lightly seasoned with salt, peppercorns and bay leaves. The beef shanks are boiled in a huge stock pot over on a stovetop for couple of hours until the meat is nice and tender. It is also considered to be one of the comfort dishes in the the Philippines that is usually served with boiled or steamed vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage or bokchoy, long string beans, then using fish sauce with kalamansi (a common Philippine citrus fruit like a lemon) as a condiment.

This dish is definitely one of my favorites growing up as kid in the Philippines that even now and then, I still get a craving for especially in the cooler months over here in the northeast region of the States. Slurping this beef broth, and meticulously dripping tiny amounts of fish sauce and freshly squeezed kalamansi juice over the tender strip of meat from the shank and bits n' pieces of the gelatinous bone marrow with every spoonful of steamed rice is like eating a piece from my childhood. Remembering my Grandmother (Lola Carmel) that once said, "Drink all the soup, that's where all the vitamins and minerals are!" It is indeed very soothing to taste and so comforting. So basic, yet flavorful and nutritious, too!

So when Tropical Storm Nicole swept through the East Coast last Thursday, this is the only meal I could think of having that evening. It rained. It poured. All day and through the night until the next morning. And all I wanted is something warm, something slurpy, and something that's close to my heart. And this broth can really warm every man's heart and soul. It definitely did to me and I'm glad I was able to make it for dinner that night and share the memories of this dish with my husband...

Ingredients:
Beef Shanks
Water
Salt
Peppercorns, ground and whole
Bay leaves
Small red potatoes, boiled
Cabbage, quartered and steamed
Long String Beans, cut into 2" strips and steamed
Fish Sauce with freshly squeezed kalamansi (Philippine lemon) as condiment

Directions:

Place beef shanks in a large stock pot. Lightly season with salt. Bring to a full boil over high heat. Discard the first boiled water. Fill stock pot with water again. Season with salt and peppercorns (ground and whole). Add bay leaves. Let it boil again over medium-high heat, skimming off the foam (or what I call dirt) that surfaces on the top. Do this periodically as the broth continues to boil. Keep boiling it until the meat is soft and tender. Season to taste or as needed.

In another stock pot with steamer, boil potatoes first (without the steamer) until slightly cooked. Add the quartered cabbage and long string beans in the steamer then add it to the pot of boiling potatoes (remove excess water or enough water for steaming).
Serve the shank in broth with the boiled potatoes and steamed veggies in a big bowl. This is great eaten with steamed rice and a side of fish sauce with fresh kalamansi juice as a condiment. Then, it's nom-nom time!

Adobong Sitaw (Vinegared Long String Beans)

2010-09-27T21:33:00.011-04:00

This year's spring and summer season came and went faster than the speed of light it seems, but it doesn't mean that I forgot about being a foodie and a cook altogether. Actually, I was busy traveling and continues to enhance my skills in the kitchen, which includes cake decoration and food preservation for the past few months...and blogging, well, is a different story. Let's just say, my lack of time on the matter is the real culprit.

Anyway, the other day my friend, Irene gave me a bunch of long string beans (called 'sitaw' in Tagalog) that were picked fresh from her garden. How sweet of her to share her beautiful bounty with me. So today, I blanched all of them, then I kept a bunch enough for this dish, and saved the rest in the freezer...all two quarts of it! How incredible is that and I just can't thank her enough for her thoughtfulness.

So for dinner tonight, I decided to make a simple vinegared dish, in which we call "Adobo" in the Philippines that is lightly seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, onions, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Normally, ground or cubed pork is added to this dish, but since I only have ground beef on hand it still worked out great! I've also added some mushrooms, sweet n' hot peppers that my husband brought home the other day, a gift from one of his patients. We are indeed lucky to have these fresh veggies from the people we know. There's nothing better than eating vegetables and knowing that they are home grown. And I just can't thank them enough for sharing their bounty with us.

Below you will find my version of Adobong Sitaw with a lil' twist!

2 lbs of ground meat (pork or beef)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp whole and crushed peppercorns
1 hot banana pepper, seeds removed and sliced
1 hot red peppers, seeds removed and sliced
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 bunch of sitaw (long string beans)
2-3 Hard boiled eggs

In a large sauce pan in medium-high heat, add ground meat with the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onions, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Bring to a full boil. Add hard boiled eggs. Let it simmer uncovered in medium heat. Stir in sweet and hot peppers. Then add mushrooms and long string beans. Mix and simmer for 5-7 minutes until mushrooms and beans are cooked through.

Serve over steamed white-brown Basmati rice or any rice of your choice. And that's it! What a quick and hearty meal! Enjoy!

Red Velvet, Red Velvet, Red Velvet Cake...

2010-02-18T22:38:00.010-05:00

As smooth as silk,

So moist to touch,
As sweet as a red, red rose...
I can't ask for anything else on Valentine's Day!

***A Red Velvet Cake is also known as the Waldorf Astoria Cake***

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Parchment Paper

Cream Cheese Icing:
16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand or stand-up mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Then, add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and place them in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pan, place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, then gently lift the pan. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost with cream cheese icing.

*Sift cake flour once before measuring, then sift again with the other dry ingredients per recipe instructions.

Cream Cheese Icing:
With a hand or stand-up mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the icing will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after icing softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

Crumbled Cranberry Cake

2010-01-26T20:25:00.003-05:00

Hmmm....the first time I had this cake was at Barry's clinic before Thanksgiving. Elling, one of his staff brought a sheet of this cake for us try and I just love every bit of it. It's like a fruity blondie, sweet and buttery that it almost melts in your mouth on every bite!

Oh, how sweet of her to always think of us, and of course, she came prepared as she already had this recipe written down in a piece of paper for me and Irene. This is definitely the perfect cake for the holidays. So this past Christmas I made a bunch to give out to family and friends. Some I made them into crunchy bites and added a crumb topping to this beautiful sheet cake for an added texture. The result is quite phenomenal and everyone seemed to enjoy them.

Hope you'll try this someday! Not only it is easy to make, but they're so good, too! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping (Optional):
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cake:
3 Eggs
2 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Butter, softened
1 tsp Almond Extract
2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen Cranberries (thawed if frozen)
2/3 cup Pecans, chopped

Directions:
Crumb Topping (Optional):
Mix all the ingredients well.

Cake:
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar until slightly thickened. Add butter and extract. Stir in flour just until combined. Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Spread in a greased baking pan. Optional: Sprinkle crumb topping on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

New York Style Cheesecake

2010-01-26T14:00:00.009-05:00

This past holiday season I made three cheesecakes from blueberry, raspberry to cherry, and brought one of each of those flavors to separate family gatherings. Needless to say, they've always been a hit each time!

I've been making this recipe for a number of years, and I've been modifying it to fit my taste or the way I bake it. Although the ingredients hasn't changed much, but baking these cakes can pose a challenge, even to the seasoned bakers out there! Trust me, you have to worry about the cracks, burnt tops (which I have done many times before and still do...), or is it too soft or too dry??? And the list just goes on and on...Oh, so many things to worry about, but everything else really depends on your oven temperature, timing and technique. So, if you really want the perfect cheesecake, you just have to pay close attention to every detail, and of course, you ALWAYS have to watch the time! Then, everything else will fall right into its place...

As far as the topping goes, I have always used a store bought canned fruit sauces or pie fillings, which are so great and convenient! Then, maybe one of these days when I get REAL ambitious, I'll try to make them from scratch...he he he...

For the size of this cake, I always call it the "10 pounder cheesecake" because of its density, and not because it will add ten more pounds on your hips! Ha ha ha! So, I'll just let you be the judge...but don't worry about it 'cause when it's done, you just have to sit back, relax, and enjoy your creamy and luscious cake!

Have fun!!! It's worth a try!

Ingredients:
Crust:
4 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, melted
¼ Cup Sugar
1 Package of Graham Crackers - Finely Ground

Filling:
5 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 ¾ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons all - purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Crumb Crust:
In a food processor, mix all the ingredients together, and pulse until crumbly. Fill the bottom of a 10" spring form pan with the graham cracker crumb. Pack it tightly. You can also bring the crumb onto the side of the pan if you want to, but not necessary.

Filling:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a food processor, stand up mixer or electric hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and zests until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient are well incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Pour filling into spring form pan with crust. Place the spring form pan on a baking sheet or pan to catch any drips. Bake in middle of oven 12 minutes or until puffed. Reduce temperature to 250 degrees F and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken) about one to two hours more.

*This recipe can be split into regular shallow pie pans. Baking time at 250 degrees F will be reduced in half. Watch closely for doneness.

Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in spring form pan on a rack. Chill cake in the refrigerator, loosely covered for at least 6 hours before serving. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate.

**Another side tip: Pour hot water (from the tap) on a deep baking dish (about half-way up) and place it on the second rack below the cheesecake when baking. This will keep the oven moist and will prevent the cake from cracking.

Cheesecake keeps well for two weeks. The longer it sits, the better it is. Can be eaten plain or served with your favorite fruit topping/sauces and topped with whipped cream. Enjoy!

The Original Butter Bell® Crock

2010-01-02T20:23:00.010-05:00

The very first time I've ever seen a Butter Crock was at a local dairy shop nearby some time ago. The one I saw at the store was something similar to the one above, but it was made out of clay, roughly-shaped with almost the same color glaze as a bean crock pot. One of the Salesclerks showed me how it works and advised me that it was the old way of preserving butter without refrigeration. Hmmm...at that time I thought it was interesting, but I wasn't 100% convinced! Months later, I have forgotten about it...

Then around Christmastime, I was looking for something practical and functional to give to our closest family and friends, and the idea of a Butter Crock came to mind. So, I searched online and stumbled upon this Butter Bell® website, a manufacturer of the original Butter Bell® Crock by L. Tremain. According to them, their Butter Bell® is the modern version of a French beurrier, where butter can be safely stored at room temperature without spoilage, and best of all, it keeps butter at spreadable state without losing its flavor and creamy texture. Just by the sound of it, I was getting more curious, so I decided to try it out for myself before giving them out as gifts.

The one pictured in this blog is my very first Butter Bell®! It is the Antique White Linen design and it is just the perfect match for my dinnerware set. And I must say, it is one of the best purchase I have ever made! I love every bit of it. The ease-of-use is quite impeccable! By simply filling the bowl with cold water a 1/3 of the way, and packing the cup with softened one stick (8 Tbsp) of butter (if refrigerated, let it stand at room temperature or pop it in the microwave for 12-15 seconds to soften it up, but not melted), then just change the water every 2 to 3 days, and you got yourself the most spreadable butter ever for 30 days!

Say GOODBYE to softening butter each time, and NO more spreading hard butter on breads, pancakes or waffles without tearing them apart! Not only does a Butter Bell® has the best innovative concept for storing butter, but the design itself is quite presentable and definitely a conversational piece in your kitchen and dining!

As you can tell, I'm so happy with my Butter Bell® that it made gift-giving so easy for me this Holiday season :)

Bon Appétit!

Spam and Eggs Omelette Sandwich

2009-12-04T20:37:00.006-05:00

When Barry took a half day to go hunting with my Step-Dad the other day, I know for sure that he would be in a hurry trying to get his gear ready as soon as he walked in the door, and for him to stop for something quick to eat on their way to his Uncle's farm was highly impossible.

So, I scrambled to look for something quick to make, but found nothing in my pantry except for fresh brown eggs in the fridge and a can of spam! Hmmm...and with those two ingredients, I managed to make him a Spam and Eggs Omelette in a jiffy! It was quite a wholesome meal for a guy on-the-go. I served the omelette on wheat bread with loads of ketchup and his favorite Tabasco sauce, then wrapped them on wax paper. I also made him a big mug of freshly brewed coffee, tossed in a piece of fruit, some granola bars, and a bottled of water in his lunch box. And before he could even mutter, "what can I take to eat?", I was already handing out his lunch-to-go.

He will be going hunting again tomorrow and leaving the house by 5am. Guess what he'll be having for breakfast? Hahaha...

Ingredients:
Spam, thinly sliced
Olive Oil
Eggs, scrambled
Salt and Pepper
Ketchup
Tabasco Sauce
Wheat Bread

Directions:
Heat skillet with olive oil. Fry up slices of spam until crisp. Beat eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the skillet with spam to make an omelette. Serve over slices of wheat bread and top with Ketchup and/or Tabasco sauce.

Stuffed Salmon

2009-12-01T22:07:00.007-05:00

While food shopping the other day, I found this whole salmon for sale at a local shop and I couldn't resist taking it home. All I kept thinking about is how to stuff it! For a farm raised Atlantic Salmon going for $1.99/lb. is not a bad price considering a Wild Alaskan Salmon can be as much as $7.99/lb. these days. This whole fish weighed in about 2.53 lbs., which is not bad either. Between my husband and I this whole fish is a meal X 3 for us!

With few simple ingredients, I was able to stuff this monster fish into a lovely, yet flavorful gourmet dish, served with a side of buttered couscous and garlic roasted brussel sprouts with sea salt. It was the perfect meal for my honey to come home with after his deer hunt adventure with my Step-Dad this afternoon (even though they came home empty-handed!). Oh well, I know they'll have better luck this coming weekend...with no buck or doe, my honey deserves anything, but the best!

Ingredients:
Whole Atlantic Salmon, about 2.5 lbs
2 Wild Boar or Regular Bacon, cut into 1/4" slices
1 med onion
2 cloves garlic
2 Tomatoes, sliced
Fresh Rosemary
Frest Sage
Calamansi slices and juice
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
In a skillet, brown bacon bits. Saute in onions and garlic. Cook until tender and translucent. Add tomatoes. Remove from heat immediately. Set aside and let it cool.

Clean and scale fish. Pat it dry with paper towel. Season with salt. Stuff the fish with the bacon-onion-garlic-tomato mixture. Add herbs, slices of calamansi or lemon. Then squeeze a few more calamansi or lemon juice on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie fish with a kitchen twine. Place fish on a rack over a foil-lined baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes, then broil for about 5 minutes unitl skin is lightly browned. Serve cut salmon steaks with couscous and garlic-roasted brussel sprouts. Watch out for the bones!

Pochero, a Philippine-Spanish Beef Stew

2009-11-22T20:31:00.004-05:00

Pochero was one of those dishes that my Lola Carmel used to cook, especially on Sundays after church. When I was a young kid growing up in Manila, this dish along with her Calderetta (Spicy Goat Stew), Pot Roast, Binagooang (Pork Adobo cooked with her homemade Brine Shrimp), and Nilaga (Boiled Beef Dish) were among the meals I looked forward to on those lazy, but restful Sunday afternoons. These dishes have always reminded of my Lola, and Pochero was one of my favorite meals made by her.

I've been meaning to cook this dish for almost a week now, but my plantains were taking forever to ripen that it held me back for a bit. Then on top of that, I also got ill for the last couple of days that cooking was not on my top list this week. Luckily, I was feeling a little better today so, I decided to make this dish once and for all! While this stew was cooking, my husband and I also took advantage of the time and sunny weather to work on our yard and get our place ready before the winter freeze. We worked awfully hard this afternoon and as the sun was setting down, we could feel the cold chill down our spine. By then, we knew it was time to head inside our humble abode and enjoy a hearty stew...not only it warmed our hearts, but our souls, too...

Slow cooking is the main component in any kind of stews. This process keeps all the simple ingredients together, while it delivers a robust flavor. I love it when the meat is so tender that it just melts in your mouth, and digging into that succulent gelatinous marrow from the middle of the bone is extremely delightful. Then at the same time, you couldn't miss the smoky flavor from the Chorizo, and the sweet and starchy bounty from the vegetables. Oh, you definitely can't beat a stew like this...bursting with flavor and nutrients, as I recalled my Lola stating, "all the good stuff is in the soup!" So true! Having this meal tonight really brought some fond memories of my childhood and I'm feeling way better than expected already. I guess I was just missing this stew (and my Lola) that it now cured all of my ailments :-)

Ingredients:
2 lbs. of chuck roast, cut into 1" cubes
Salt and Pepper
Flour
1-2 lbs. bone marrow or ham bone
Olive Oil
2 Plantains or Saba, cut into
2 Chorizo (Spanish Sausage), sliced
1 medium-sized Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
8 cups of Water
2 Tomatoes, sliced
1 can Tomato Paste
1 tsp Peppercorms
2 Bay Leaves
3-4 Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes, quartered
2 cups Carrots, sliced
1 /12 cups Chick Peas (Garbanzos)
1 1/2 cups Frozen Green Peas
1 head of Cabbage, cut into wedges
1 bunch of String Beans, cut into 2-3" length (optional)

Directions:
Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Lightly brown the sliced plantains, then set aside. Toss in sliced chorizo and fry them up until golden brown. Remove from oil and set aside.

Cut chuck roast into 1" cubes, pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and lightly dredge them in flour. Brown beef cubes in the same oil/drippings. Add onions and garlic. Once they are translucent, add the browned chorizo, water and bone marrow. Bring to a boil, skim the fat/scum off from the top layer. Add plantains, peppercorns, bay leaves, tomatoes and tomato paste. Continue to boil until meat is tender. Add chick and green peas. Let it simmer on low heat for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.

Boil water in a separate stock pot with strainer. Boil cut potatoes first, halfway through cooking add carrots and lastly, add cabbage wedges and/or string beans in the end. Simmer for another 10-12 minutes. Drain, cover and set aside.

To serve: add a wedge of cabbage, pieces of carrots and potatoes in a large bowl, then scoop beef stew over it. Serve with a side of rice. Enjoy!

Banana Blossoms in Coconut Milk

2009-11-17T21:41:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend when Barry and I were leaving Philadelphia, we took a quick stop at the Asian Market in the southern part of the city (between Washington & 6th Streets). My main purpose was to only get items for the Boba tea, but walking around the store with Barry in tow, I knew we should have gotten a cart!

This is not the first time he's been in that market with me, but for some reason he is like a little boy in the candy store. Everything he saw that seems interesting and unfamiliar, he wanted to get and take 'em home. He even wanted to take the live Tilapias and Eels swimming in the tank for our aquariums at home, but I told him "no!" just because I don't think the guys at the seafood stand will hand them to us in a big bag with water! Anyway, I will only take them home to cook 'em up! LOL Before we knew it, we had two baskets filled and a handful of stuff. So, we got a boxful of Persimons, fresh oyster mushrooms, and bobas to name a few. He even liked the huge rough-looking Chinese cleaver, which also made it in the basket!! Even though I told him that my cleaver at home (Henkels-made by all means!) works perfectly fine in our kitchen! Oh, well, I guess another cleaver wouldn't hurt to have during those "just in case" or "you'll never know" moments!?! Hahaha

But one thing that really caught his eye at the fresh produce section was the banana blossoms! He really liked the looks of it and since I'm not a big fan of it because of its bitterness (like bittermelons), I tried so hard to persuade him not to get it, but after a while, I gave in and took it home as well. I promised him I'll make him a dish similar to what my grandmother used to make and forwarned him that it's going to be bit bitter...

So, tonight I decided to cook the banana blossoms in coconut milk with lots of red pepper flakes since I forgot to get some fresh chillies. I actually have to refer to a cookbook that was given to me by Rob and Shella called "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan (a birthday present they gave me two years ago that I love so much!) just to give me a slightest idea on how to proceed with this dish. I know most people would have cooked this dish as is or with dried or smoked fish, but I'm not much for the fishy smell so, I used chunks of pork belly for flavoring (sliced bacon would have worked well, too), then I added tomatoes for coloring, and garlic, scallions, ginger, and bay leaves for the aromatics. Then by adding coconut milk at the finale made this dish come together with a rich and creamy texture...oh, was it good, especially with the broiled milk fish and lotsa rice! Soaking the banana blossoms in salty water really took some of the bitterness out, and this is a MUST-DO step! I think this is the reason why I had an aversion with banana blossoms because most them never soaked and rinse them out properly. I remember every time I see banana blossoms in a dish, I pick them out as I do with bittermelons...although the white bittermelons are the ones I love the most (but that's another story!)...

Well, here you have it...the perfect banana blossoms in coconut milk with my very own personal twist! I hope you'll try this recipe someday 'coz my hubby and I really enjoyed this side dish a lot! :)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Pork Belly, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Scallions, chopped
2 Tomatoes, sliced
1/2 tsp Ginger
2-3 Chillies/2-3 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Fish Sauce to taste
2 Bay leaves
2 cups of water
1 Fresh Banana Blossom
1 cup Coconut Milk

Directions:
Prepare banana blossoms by taking off the first two or three leaves of the heart until you reach the pale colored area. Cut off the stem and discard any of the old/wilty leaves. Cut it in half and finely chop the banana heart. Immediately place them in a large bowl with water and salt. Let it soak for at least twenty minutes. Drain and squeeze all the water out. Rinse with water and squeeze them again. Set aside in a colander.

In a large casserole or wok, heat up vegetable oil and fry up the pork belly cubes until golden brown. Saute in garlic, scallions, and ginger. Add two cups of water, tomatoes, green chillies (or red pepper flakes), bay leaves, and a dash of fish sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Add coconut milk. Bring to a full boil. Then, add the blossoms. Let it simmer for at least ten minutes or more until the sauce thickens a bit.

Serve as a side dish with broiled fish over white rice. Enjoy!

Boba Milk Tea Slushie

2009-11-16T22:07:00.008-05:00

Boba Milk Tea, also known as Bubble Tea or Pearl Milk Tea. I was first introduced to this unusual drink when I was vacationing in California during the turn of the century! It was actually my cousin, Renel from San Jose, who let me taste his Boba Milk (shaken black tea with milk and tapioca pearls) Tea and from then on, I was hooked to this wicked drink! Sadly, at that time, it was only available in the West Coast. Slowly, but surely, the Boba Milk Tea phenomenon finally made it to the East Coast and I had a taste of it again while walking the streets of Chinatown, NYC in 2002 and discovered a small restaurant that carries it! From then on, Boba Milk Tea Cafe's were popping up in every metropolitan cities, especially in a heavily populated Asian communities.

According to history, Boba Milk Tea orginated in Taiwan and it slowly spread through its neighboring Asian countries until it finally reached North America! Aside from the original Boba Milk Tea, it also comes in a variety of teas, coffees, and fruity flavors from the usual strawberry, honeydew, banana smoothie flavors to tropical and exotic fruits such as a Lychee, Mango, Soursop, Avocado, Taro and many more...

I remember one hot summer day when Barry and I were first dating, I attempted to make this drink from scratch. I got a bag of uncooked black tapioca balls and I just used a regular iced tea mix as the base for this drink. Well, I know raw tapioca takes time to cook, but given its bigger size, those black tapiocas took forever! It took me more than two hours to cook those suckers, and I swore to myself, I would never do them again especially in a hot and humid day...standing in front of the stove and stirring them constantly to avoid it from sticking to each other was horrible!!! Whoa! I remember that day like it was yesterday...sweating my buns off just to have a Bubble Tea! Ha!

Well, I guess times have change. On my recent trip to Philadelphia, I went to an Asian market and found these instant Black Pearls in a vacuum-sealed package, and with a big writing on the front of the bag that says: READY in 5 mins!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! Aside from the original black tapioca, it also comes in rainbow colors that I'm sure the kids would love. I knew then and there I had to get it and give it a try. At the same time, I also picked up a couple of bags of the ready mix Boba Tea powder and different colors of large straws for us, and to also share with my Stylist, Anna (whose daughters are into the Asian culture and have been dying to make Boba Teas at home as well!).

Tonight, I finally got the chance to make this Boba Milk Tea at home and this time around, it was a such huge success!!! I mean, literally, a HUGE SUCCESS! Those big black pearls were REALLY ready in 5 minutes, and the texture was just perfect! The Boba Milk tea mix itself was also superb! On the instructions, it says to mix it with hot or cold water, but I added cold skim milk instead and placed in an electric blender with ice to turn it into a slushie/smoothie. The result was awesome and it tasted like a light mocha...Mmmm...Mmmm good! It's the best homemade Boba Milk Tea I've ever made at home yet! And if you don't have any of the ready-made powder tea mix, you can always substitute it with your favorite tea (black, oolong, green or chai) or hot cocoa mix as well. Good luck!

Ingredients:
Boba Milk Tea Mix
1/2 cup Milk
1 cup Ice
Boba Pearls (Tapioca Pearls)
Whipped Cream (optional)
Large Straw*

Directions:
Cook tapioca pearls by following the directions on the package.

In an electric blender, mix all of the ingredients (mix, ice and milk). Add a few tablespoons of the cooked tapioca in a big cup or mug. Then, fill with the slushie mixture. Top with whipped cream and serve it with a big straw! Enjoy!

BBQ Pork Rib Tips, Korean-Bulgogi Style

2009-11-06T12:14:00.010-05:00

Of course, of all the times I want to grill outside, the temperature is already dropping to near freezing point! Hmmm...why is it we always crave for things that is out of reach???

For weeks, I've been craving for Korean Bulgogi Barbeque. So, finally the other day, I got some Pork Rib Tips from the grocery store and marinated it with simple 'Bulgogi' ingredients (as seen below). And instead of throwing those rib tips on the grill last night, I baked them in the oven to a grill-like perfection, basting it with its own reduced-marinade! The result was oh--soo--delicious and finger-licking good, while the meat just falls off from the bones!

This is the best recipe for either outdoor summer grilling or indoor cool baking! So easy to make...just marinate, grill, or bake!

C'mon let's eat! Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

2 lbs Pork Rib Tips (or beef ribs will be great as well!)

1 Onion, diced

3 Tbsp Sugar

1/3 cup Sesame Oil

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

1/3 cup Sweet Rice Wine or Dry Sherry

3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp Ginger, freshly grated or powder (or more)

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes or more, based on your preference

Freshly Ground Pepper

A Bunch of Green Onions (Scallions), chopped, save some for garnishing

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (black and white, optional)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together except the scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Place the pork rib tips in a large container with cover. Pour the marinade sauce over the ribs, cover, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

When ready to bake, heat oven at 300 degrees F. Place rib tips on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top (save some seeds for the sauce and garnishing). Slow roast them for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes. Baste it with the reduced marinade sauce every 15 or 20 minutes.

Pour the saved marinade in a small saucepan, reduce it in half by placing it on medium heat and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally. Strain and use it as a basting and dipping sauce.

Serve rib tips over steamed white rice and dipping sauce with toasted sesame seeds on top and chopped scallions. I paired this up with a glass of Blue Newt Semi-Sweet Niagara White Wine. Mmmm...mmm...

Buffalo Chix Wing Hoagie

2009-11-02T20:29:00.007-05:00

Hoagies, Heroes, Subs, Grinders, Wedges, Torpedoes, Po' Boys...

"You like potato and I like potahto,

You like tomato and I like tomahto;

Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!"

How ever you wanna call or pronounce it, they're all the same! In our area, we like to call it "Hoagies!" It's a Philly thing! (Yup, GO PHILLIES!!! World Series!!!) Just going for the underdogs...hehehe

Tonight's dinner is casually easy. No fuss, no hassle...everything was store-bought and tossed into a hot and spicy meal!

While we were on our last wine stop around Seneca Lake this past weekend, my husband picked up a Hot Wing Sauce by Arthur Marc's at Earle Estates. So, tonight I decided to use the sauce for my Chicken Wing Hoagie with chunky, moldy Danish Blue Cheese to top it with. Oh, it was so good, but hot, hOT, HOT! Thank goodness for the fresh celery sticks and additional blue cheese dressing to cool things off! Otherwise, I would have hit the roof! Hehehe

Hope you'll try this someday. It's really good!

Ingredients:

Breaded Chicken Tenders, frozen, thawed and baked

Hot Wing Sauce (of your choice)

Danish Blue Cheese

Hoagie Buns

Celery Sticks

Blue Cheese Dressing

Directions:

Bake chicken tenders as directed on the package. Usually bake it for 15 minutes on 350 degrees F.

Heat Hoagie buns in the oven until lightly toasted for a couple of minutes.

Toss chicken tenders in a big bowl. Pour hot wing sauce enough. Toss it around until chicken tenders are fully covered with sauce.

Place a piece of chicken on a Hoagie bun and top it with slices of Danish Blue cheese. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dipping sauce, and a cold can of soda. Yum!!! Dinner is served! See how easy that was!