Kam Over Here

Chicken Menudo a la Kam

2012-01-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

First and foremost, Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are all as excited for 2012 as I am. :)

My brother (let's call him Yams :b) from Manila is in town for the holidays and he is a complete health buff, so in an attempt to eat healthier, we have been tweaking rich and greasy Filipino dishes to make them lighter versions. I admire his discipline on food (FYI: this brother used to eat a whole bag of Hershey's kisses like potato chips).

So here's my version of the Filipino Menudo, no it's not the same as the Mexican one. Filipino menudo is a stew that is usually eaten with rice (like every other Filipino dish) while Mexican menudo is a spicy soup made with tripe (I bet it's a good hangover soup).

What you need:

- Around 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, cubed

- juice of 1/2 lemon (you will use the other half for the stew)

- 2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

- 1 tbsp. Olive oil

- clove of garlic, minced

- small onion, chopped

- 1 medium potato, cubed

- 2 carrots, cubed

- Around 1.5 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

- juice of the other half of the lemon

- 1 small can tomato sauce

- green peas or cubed bell peppers (optional, great for pops of color)

- salt and pepper to taste

How it's done:

Combine soy sauce and lemon and marinate chicken for around 30 minutes.

Heat up a wok, add the olive oil. Saute garlic and onion. Once onion is translucent, add chicken and cook until all sides are brown.

Add stock and let simmer for around 5 minutes. Add in potatoes, carrots, lemon juice and tomato sauce and simmer for another good 10 minutes.

Add in green peas/bell pepper and simmer for another minute.

Season as you wish, you can either do fish sauce or salt and pepper. I like adding a little bit of rosemary.

Serve hot with rice :)

Kam's Tips:

- Like pork? Substitute the chicken with 1 lb. pork and add another 5 minutes simmer time.

- Some add chick peas and raisins, two things that I am not a fan of, you can add them towards the end if

you prefer.

- Want it spicier? You can either add a little bit of red pepper flakes or a few drops of tabasco sauce :)

Buco Pandan Chiffon Cupcakes

2011-10-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

The idea of making cupcakes with Filipino flavors came into me after watching back to back episodes of Cupcake Wars in the Food Network. Every major city has a cupcake store so I wanted to be different and incorporate tropical and fruity flavors to my cupcakes. (FYI: I strongly disagree to anyone who says cupcakes are out this year)

So here it is! Buco Pandan salad flavors in a mamon-like cupcake :)

Buco Pandan Chiffon Cupcakes (tweaked this recipe by Kirbie Cravings)
(makes 24 cupcakes)

What you need:

(A)
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar

(B)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 egg yolks
1/2 tbsp. Green food coloring mixed in
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. Pandan flavor

(C)
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar

How it's done:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Combine (A) in a bowl. Stir well to blend. Add (B). Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Beat (C) (egg whites and cream of tartar) in a separate bowl until soft peaks formed. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff and shiny peaks are formed. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolks mixture, fold to mix and then add the rest of the egg whites. Fold gently but thoroughly, so no white streaks remain. Scoop into cupcake pan.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Kam's Tips:
- Always, always use room temperature eggs especially if you are using egg whites.
- Never open the oven door while the chiffon cupcake are baking (I know you are tempted by the smell, must resist!) Opening the door will result to sagging cupcakes.
- Frosting ideas: Vanilla buttercream topped with toasted coconut flakes - FTW!

Chewy Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies a la Kam

2011-08-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

How do you like your cookie? Do you like it crunchy on the outside yet chewy on the inside? Or did you prefer it crunchy all the way? I like mine chewy all the way! This does not only lessen the occurrence of crumbs (which I hate because, in case I haven't mentioned yet, I am a major neat freak) but also because I like it tasting like it just came out from the oven.

Here's a quick cookie recipe I like to do when I crave for something sweet and comforting :)

What you need:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Salt

- 3/4 cup Crisco Shortening (added 1 tbsp. water to this)

- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips

How it's done:

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 320 degress F.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt and then set aside.
Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, cream shortening, white sugar and brown sugar.
Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla.

Mix in the sifted dry ingredients.
Stir in chocolate chips.

Form dough into 1.5" balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Let cool on rack for few minutes.

Kam's Tips:
- I am planning on doing a Macadamia and White Chocolate version! Instead of 2 cups of chocolate chip, make that 1 cup white chocolate chip and 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts :) (Ohh yummy!)
- Everyone loves the smell of baking cookies! If you are expecting guests and want your place to smell amazing, make a batch!

Pork Adobong Gapan with Pinakurat

2011-06-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is my default Adobo recipe, just because Piano man and I LOVE fried garlic. There's probably hundreds of Adobo versions out there but my palate is used to two versions, this one and the Cavite version. (FYI: Haven't really tried making the Cavite version but all I know about it is --> achuete is your friend)

My father's family is from Gapan, a small town in the province of Nueva Ecija up North. I remember spending weekends there enjoying the best pastillas, barquillos with ice cream, my lola's Chicken Afritada and Adobong Gapan. I was in awe everytime we go to their town market as I often see "unique" ingredients that are not only new to my eyes, but also to my smell. (Burong Isda FTW! Eekkk, I kid)

Dinuguan & Burong Isda. Pic taken from pinoy_pinay

What you need:
- 1 lb. pork (I use pork butt but this is better with pork belly)
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup Pinakurat**, optional
- 1 cup water
- 3 Bay leaves
- Salt & Pepper to Taste

- 5 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
- Another 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

How it's done:
In a big sauce pan, add pork, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, Pinakurat, water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until meat is tender. Season to taste.

Remove meat and strain. Set sauce aside.

In a big wok, heat up the vegetable oil. Brown minced garlic, add in meat and brown all sides.
Add in the sauce. Serve hot with rice.

Kam's Tips:
- I add a bit of ginger powder for a bit more flavor.
- Craving for something salty? After browning the meat, add around 3 tbsp. of brown bagoong to make Binagoongan :)
- **Pinakurat is a vinegar mix of coconut sap (tuba) and small red chilies known as labuyo in the Philippines. You can always use ordinary vinegar of course. Always take note though: Filipino vinegar is what makes Filipino adobo tasty! You'll find some on most Asian stores.

Humble Banana Bread

2011-05-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

This morning, I noticed 4 ignored and lonely bananas on top of my kitchen counter. They don't look very pleasing to the eye, thus no one wanted to eat them, but they are actually the perfect baking bananas for banana bread.

So here's a very simple banana bread recipe from my mother-in-law. I'm not sure why she called it humble (will ask the next time she visits).

What you need:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour, sifted
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 4 Ripe baking bananas, mashed
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

How it's done:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease 1 large loaf pan (12in x 4.5in) or 2 medium loaf pans (7.5in x 3.5in). Set aside.

Using the paddle attachment of your mixer, cream butter and brown sugar.
Add eggs and mix on low speed.

Combine flour and baking soda and then add to mixture.
Add bananas and mix on medium speed for about a minute.

Pour mixture into pan/pans. Top with walnuts (optional)
Bake for 1 hour.
Let cool before slicing. Great for afternoon snacks and tea :)

Kam's Tip:
- Are you a chocolate lover? Reduce the brown sugar to 3/4 cup and fold in around 1/4 cup or more of semisweet chocolate chips before pouring into loaf pans.

Tinolang Manok (Chicken Soup with Chayote and Spinach) a la Kam

2011-04-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

As you may already know, I am HUGE fan of chayote, and so it's just obvious that I love any dish that has it. Tinolang manok is one of my favorite dishes to make, mainly because it is fast, easy and soothing (hmm ginger) especially when served hot over steamed rice.

Other versions use dahong sili (chili leaves) or malunggay (moringa), but if you live in the US, I would recommend using fresh spinach.

What you need:
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
A clove of garlic, minced
Ginger the size of a thumb, minced** (I hate having to take out pieces of ginger in my mouth)

4 Chicken Thighs (that I sliced into smaller pieces)
Around 2 cups of Rice Wash or Hugas Bigas (or you can use chicken broth)

2 Chayote, sliced
1 tbsp or more Fish Sauce
Bunch of Spinach
Salt and Pepper to taste

Here's how it's done:
Heat up a wok and add in vegetable oil, after around 5 minutes, add garlic. Saute.
Add in onions and ginger. Saute until onions become translucent.

Add chicken and saute until all sides are brown (My mommy calls this "sangkutsa").
Add fish sauce and mix to incorporate into chicken. Add rice wash or broth.

Simmer for around 20-30 minutes.
Add chayote and simmer for additional 10 minutes.
Add salt and pepper, or more fish sauce if you wish.
Turn off fire, and then add the spinach.

Serve hot with steam rice.

Kam's Tips:
** I ALWAYS use minced ginger when cooking, it is not only more convenient to eat, but also more flavorful.
** You can use green papaya or squash instead of chayote. Green papaya would give the tinola a sweeter taste.

Chocolate Crinkles a la Kam

2011-03-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I've noticed most of my friends posted a Baguio photo album and I can't help but miss all the goodies you bring home from a trip up North. I remember always getting sayote (which was 7 pesos A KILO!), peanut brittle (not really a big fan, preferred the Good Sheperd brand over others), choco flakes (I could finish half of a container in one sitting, what a whale) and chocolate crinkles. The last two were my fam's favorite, mainly because we are such chocolate lovers (or should I say addicts).

So here's a very simple crinkles recipe I got from my mother-in-law:

What you need:
1 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1 cup White Sugar

2 Extra Large Eggs
2 tbsp. Sour Cream
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

2 cups sifted Confectioner's Sugar

How you do it:

Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and then add in the eggs, sour cream and vegetable oil.

With the paddle attachment on your mixer, stir on low until evenly mixed. You can also do this by hand by using a spatula. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Prepare confectioner's sugar, make sure you place 'em on a large bowl.

After an hour, remove mixture from ref. Lightly grease your hands. Using a small teaspoon, scoop some mixture and form into a ball. Drop on powdered sugar and completely dredge each ball. Arrange on baking sheet, around 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Best when served the same day it was baked (with some awesome black coffee)

Kam's Tips:
- Do not over-bake! You don't want dry crinkles. For a chewy version, bake for 8-10 minutes.

Siomai a la Kam

2011-02-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, we love shu mai. I remember celebrating Piano man's birthday with 6 orders of Hen Lin shu mai rather than eating at a fancy resto. I figured creating my own version shouldn't be that bad. Nothing that a good garlic chili with toyomansi can't fix.

The first batch I made was not a big success, Piano man's comment was, the wrapper was too thick, making the shu mai a bit chewy and too starchy-tasting (though he still finished the whole thing). And then I came across this article in the LA times about how they searched for the best shu mai/dumpling wrapper in terms of thickness and quality. Thanks to that article, the next shu mai batches I made were a hit and I love seeing Piano man's eyes lit up whenever I tell him shu mai's the ulam (dinner).

What you need:

1 lb. ground pork

1/2 lb. shrimp, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

around 4-5 stalks of green onions, chopped

1 small can of water chestnuts, chopped

1/4 cup shitake mushrooms, chopped

1 tbsp. Lee Kum Kee chicken powder

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. oyster sauce

1 tsp. Chinese cooking wine

1 tbsp. flour

Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

One egg beaten, for sealing

1 pack Dynasty gyoza wrappers

How it's done:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure your hands are clean because, just like Paula Deen says it, the best mixing tool are your hands. Mix well.

Prepare your workstation. A clean counter top or a huge chopping board will do. I usually place 1 heaping teaspoon per wrapper. Get a small pastry brush, and brush the sides of the wrapper and then seal. Don't close totally, you want a bit of meat showing on top.

Low quality pic from my camera phone :b

To cook, you can use the steamer in your rice cooker. I found a great bamboo steamer from a garage sale that I place on top of a wok with boiling water. I also bought a steaming cloth from a Daiso, that works great so that the shu mai does not stick. I think cheese cloth, wax paper or foil would also do fine.

Steam for 30-40 minutes. Serve with soy sauce, lime and chili garlic sauce.

Kam's Tips:

- Healthier option: Use ground chicken on ground turkey instead of pork.

- Shrimp can also be substituted with crab or scallops.

- Have extra wrappers? Here are more great recipes using gyoza/dumpling wrappers:

* Crab Rangoon

* Pansit Molo

* Edemame Dumplings

Kitchen Gadgets Used:

- Black and Decker mini-chopper

- Bamboo Steamer

Rebosaw: Pan Fried Bananas with Caramelized White Sugar

2011-02-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

I just found out about this delicious saba banana dessert from my mother-in-law during the holidays. Piano Man's family comes from Zamboanga, an urbanized city in the south, famous for their vintas, sattis (spicy barbeque which I heard, is also amazing), curacha (spanner crab) and of course rebosaw. He was actually surprised that I wasn't familiar with it because apparently, they've been eating this comfort food since they were kids.

So here's my version, not bad for someone who's never been to Zamboanga :b

- 4 semi-ripe saba bananas, sliced diagonally (plantains are also good)

- 1 tbsp. Vegetable oil

Since Piano Man is starting to watch what he eats, I made sure I used very little oil. I just pan fried it until all sides were brown. Set the bananas aside and using the same pan, place:

- 1/8 cup of sugar

- 2 tsp. water

Let it simmer, and then add the fried bananas. Gently mix to incorporate sugar into bananas.

That's it! Best when served with tea or black coffee :)

Vineyards and Wines 101

2011-01-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA

One thing I love about living in Redmond is the fact that it's 20 minutes away to everything (20 minutes to downtown Seattle, to the nearest falls, nearest hike, and nearest vineyard). Hubby and I visited a nearby winery for some wine tasting and we loved it, mainly because it was free.

Now we aren't really big wine connoisseurs but we enjoy a good glass or bottle from time to time. (I did my first wine tasting when I was 22, in Santa Barbara, and it was a pain thinking of the appropriate adjective to describe 5 or so wines that you actually didn't have to finish, just a sip will do). Piano Man and I always play it safe in choosing a wine, it's never really wrong to ask the server what they recommend.

So here's a list of not-so-fancy wines that I've tasted and loved and would probably try again:
1) Conte D' Alba Stella Rosa Rosso - from San Antonio Winery in LA
2) Kuhl Reisling 2006 - tried this one at Wine Steals, a great wine bar in SD
3) Columbia Valley Muscat Canneli - from Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville
4) Red Barn Fire Barrel - from Skagit Valley in WA, tried this one after visiting the tulip festival.
5) Red Barn Burro Loco - also from the same winery (They offer free wine tasting too! Is it too obvious I love free stuff?)

So going back to the winery review, we went to Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. It is not only a great place for wine tasting, people get married there too, also during the summers they have jazz concerts on the field. It's no Napa but it's good enough for wine cravings, will definitely be back.

Food Memories: Jamaican Patties

2010-12-23T23:56:00.000-08:00

The idea of this great food memory came into me after reading a status post from a friend in FB who's craving for Jamaican patties. These patties are very similar to empanada, but Jamaican patties' crust are more flaky and they have a spicier and flavorful filling. Around 12-15 years ago, a family opened a food chain selling these patties and my brothers and I have been very great fans, that's why I'm not surprised why my friend craved for these little bundles of joy all of a sudden, so I decided to give it a try.

After a quick research, I found a good recipe from this site, did a few changes and voila! Jamaican patties that took Pianoman back to his HS cafeteria (Yes this was available at their cafe, lucky kids!) and also took me back to that small store in SM City North Edsa Annex.

What you need:
Pastry

2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tbsp. curry powder
1/4 cup Solid shortening
1/2 stick margarine, cubed
1/3 cup Cold water

Beef Filling
2 tbsp. oil
1 small white onion, Finely chopped
1/2 lb. Lean ground beef
1/2 tsp. Curry powder
1/2 tsp. Dried thyme
1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Beef or chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small pan, add the oil, saute onions until translucent and then add ground beef. Stir occasionally and cook until beef is tender. Add curry powder, thyme and chicken stock. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the breadcrumbs and then some salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the pastry: Sift flour, salt and curry powder on your mixer bowl. Attach dough hook. Add the shortening and margarine and put into medium speed. Dough will start to become crumbly, add cold water. Dough will start to form into a ball. Lightly flour a clean counter top and then using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into circles (I used a small saucer as guide).

Preheat oven to 350 F

Scoop around 2 tbsp. of filling into the dough, fold in half like an empanada, and then seal ends with a fork. Brush with egg wash and then bake for 30-35 minutes. Recipe makes around 8 patties.

Kam's Tips:
- Want it spicier? (AKA Pinatubo style?) I would add red pepper flakes for kick.
- Dough can be kept overnight, just keep it refrigerated, covered with wax paper.
- Dough will be very sticky, so yes, keep that jar of flour right at your side.

Gadgets Used:
- Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer, dough hook attachment. If you don't have one, a dough blender will do :)
- Rolling pin

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2010-11-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of pumpkin, but I wanted to give Martha Stewart's recipe a chance because I felt like I needed to make a pumpkin dish for Thanksgiving. I made cream cheese frosting with it (because everything seems to taste better when you add some cream cheese). I did remove some of the spices though, just 'coz I prefer a cleaner taste.

And the outcome? Yummy, very moist and not too sweet cupcakes with a hint of spice, paired perfectly with cream cheese frosting! Here it is:

What you need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can pumpkin puree

How it's done:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinammon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk eggs, brown sugar, white sugar and butter. Add dry ingredients.
Whisk together until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

I package (8 oz) Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Butter, softened
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix cream cheese and butter.
Add in vanilla.
Gradually add confectioner's sugar.

Pipe in cream cheese frosting. Top cupcakes with chopped pecans or chocolate chips.

Kam's Tips:
- Use room temp butter and cream cheese for the frosting.
- I downloaded cupcake holder templates from the internet to make 'em prettier :)

Gadgets Used:
- 12-cup muffin pan
- Wilton Tip 1M and a
- Disposable decorating bag for piping my frosting.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last post! Sorry for being idle for so long, will (or should I say MUST) start blogging regularly again, since Piano man already bought me a sweet little 60D!

Can you believe how fast this year flew? I can't believe we are nearing the end of 2010! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Family Recipe: Pasta Carbonara

2010-10-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

My family loved eating at Don Henrico's and we always ordered the pizza special, the buffalo wings (that I have yet to discover the recipe of) and the carbonara that tasted like garlic explosion inside your mouth. Yummy!

So because we are such copycats, my brother experimented on his own version of the recipe at home, and the result? He nailed it! From that time on, this has always been the star pasta of family parties in Manila and San Diego (well either the carbonara or the baked macaroni -- another family recipe that I will share soon!)

What you need:

500 grams of pasta (I prefer linguine, fettuccine or plain 'ol spaghetti)
8 cloves of garlic, chopped VERY finely (the chopper is your friend honey)
around 6 strips of bacon, cubed
1/2 cup ham, cubed
1/2 cup fresh button mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
1 big can of evaporated milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
chopped parsley
herbs: pinch of basil, italian seasoning and oregano
salt and pepper to taste

How it's done:

Cook pasta according to instructions and then set aside.

Heat up a wok, or a saucepan.

Add bacon and cook until a little crispy. Put bacon to the side of the saucepan and then add garlic.

Saute garlic for around 2 minutes, and then add the ham and then the mushrooms.

Add the whipping cream and then the evaporated milk.

Simmer for 5 minutes, and then add the cheeses.

Stir constantly until cheese melts.

Note: If sauce is too thin for you, add more cheese :)

Season with salt and pepper and then add herbs.
Simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve sauce over pasta and top with more grated parmesan cheese!

Kam's Tips:

Healthier option: Substitute bacon with chicken, ham with turkey ham and then add asparagus!
When in Manila, I use 1 tetra-pack of Nestle All Purpose Cream instead of the whipping cream.
I have friends who used 1 can of Cream of Mushroom instead of cream, if you do this, omit the salt.

Kitchen Gadgets Used:

Hate chopping? I use a mini-chopper. They are so helpful, I actually have two! One for baking and one for cooking.

Long time no blog :)

2010-09-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry for being MIA for almost a month! The reason: I sold our camera. Piano man and I are planning on moving up the camera ladder but still not sure which one to get. I'll keep you guys posted!

The month of September has been very interesting so far: there was the labor day weekend spent couch potato-ing and then the adventurous weekend in Boise, ID after that. We met up with past colleagues, did some ziplining and white water rafting and then devoured a large potato ice cream (which is not exactly made from potatoes, it's vanilla ice cream shaped into a potato, dipped in cocoa/mocha powder and then topped with whipped cream, genius!).

grabbed pic from http://meggan-pingree.blogspot.com/

This weekend however is dedicated to my one and only. Happy 30th Birthday Piano Man! Looking forward for more years of holding your hand. :)

Photo by Lui Teh

The Top Chef Challenge

2010-09-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Photo by Doctor Leng

I am a huge reality-TV-cooking fan and I have always been curious on how it feels to be a challenger. Every night I always catch reruns of Top Chef, Iron Chef or Chopped. After a while, I influenced Piano man's TV habits and he started watching the shows with me thus, he was even more excited with the idea of holding a cook off challenge with our friends (with the boys being the judges of course).

So the boys made the rules: 3-Course Dinner with each meal having either a secret ingredient or a theme. We were allowed to cook on our own kitchens but the judges should not be aware of what we were making (thanks to Starcraft2, Piano man was pretty much pre-occupied while I was whisking away).

For the appetizer a la Chopped, the ingredients were cheese, green onions and popcorn.

Chef A: Risotto Cakes Chef B: Carnitas Flautas Chef C: Bacon Cheddar
w/ Arugula Salad w/ homemade salsa Popcorn

According to the judges, they were all very good. I actually finished maybe half a tray of the bacon cheddar popcorn (you can never go wrong with cheddar and bacon!). The judges' favorite for this round were the risotto cakes because it was the dish with the most creative use of the secret ingredients, plus they taste like hash browns and they love it.

Moving on to main course a la Iron Chef, the theme was Surf and Turf and after drawing some random numbers we came up with:

Chef A: Beef and Scallop Chef B: Lamb and Squid Chef C: Pork and Shrimp

And the winner for this round: Beef and scallops! It was well balanced and the meat was cooked very well. This dish also changed the judges' view about broccoli. (FYI: 2 out of 3 of the judges HATE broccoli)

Lastly the dessert round a la Top Chef. The theme was colorful and angry and this was what we came up with:

Chef A: Pepper Ice Cream Chef B: Fruit Tart Chef C: Spicy Chocolate
w/ melon and cantaloupe Brownies w/ berries

I loved the idea that someone actually made ice cream from scratch! The brownies were soft and chewy with a hint of spice which I think was just something awesomely different. The judges' favorite for this round was the fruit tart.

And the grand winner was!!! Chef A :) And I think she did a great job, actually we all did a great job and we had so much fun too (the boys enjoyed it more I assume). Next, BBQ challenge and it's the girls' time to judge!

Bicol Express: My Tamer Version

2010-08-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Bicol dishes are known for two things: gata (Coconut milk) and chillies. Their dishes are usually made using a small red chili called labuyo which is a hotter local variety, but since labuyo is not easily available in the US, long green chillies or japaleno can be a good and milder substitute.

This dish I think is very similar to the Thai Panang curry as it can also be done using seafood. The only difference (which also makes this dish a winner) is the bagoong: a salty Filipino condiment made with fermented fish usually eaten with green mangoes or even singkamas (jicama).

Spice Meter Rating: 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest - This recipe is a 3.

What you need:

- 1 lb. pork thinly sliced (I used country style pork ribs)

- Around 4-5 long green chillies, sliced diagonally

- 1/2 lb. string onions, sliced diagonally

- 6 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 1 can Coconut milk

- 1 tbsp. Bagoong or Fish paste (I use Barrio Fiesta original bagoong)

- around 1 tbsp. cooking oil

- salt and pepper

- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

How it's done:

Heat up a wok and then add the oil. Saute garlic and onion and wait until onion is translucent.

Add pork, saute until pink is gone. Add coconut milk and then simmer until pork is tender, around 10 mins.

Add sliced chilies and string beans. Simmer again until sauce thickens, around 5-8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper (easy on the salt since we'll be adding bagoong) and red pepper flakes.

Add the bagoong, stir and then simmer for 3 more minutes.

Serve with white rice.

Piano man suggested this dish is great paired with tortang talong - will post a recipe for that next time.

Kam's Tips:

- You can add more veggies! I've tried a version with green and red bell peppers, still tasted great and looked prettier with the colors.

- I prefer using dark brown bagoong instead of the pink ones. For me it is less salty and tastes better.

- Adjust the spice meter and make it a 5: Add more red pepper flakes for more heat or if you could get a hold of some labuyo, chop around 2-3 pieces and mix those in.

- Be sure to cook an extra cup of rice :b

Champorado from Scratch

2010-08-16T11:04:00.001-07:00

Champorado is a Filipino chocolate rice porridge made with sticky/sweet rice and served for breakfast during the rainy months of June and July. It is usually eaten with tuyo (or any salted fish) to add contrast with the sweetness. I have tried a lot of instant mixes but nothing beats the real thing made with chocolate tablets or tablea de cacao.

What you need:

4-5 pieces tablea melted in 1/2 cup water

3/4 cup Malagkit (Sweet rice)

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

Evaporated milk for topping

How it's done:

Place tablea and water over medium heat and stir until tablets are melted.

Add water, rice and sugar and let simmer for around 30-40 minutes until rice is cooked, stir occasionally.

If too thick, you can add more water.

Top with swirls of evaporated milk, serve hot or cold.

Kam's Tips:

- Can't find malagkit rice? You can also use short grain rice. I just like having malagkit in my pantry for arroz caldo (I live in rainy WA state remember?)

- There are a few instant Champorado mixes in the market, but I've read that the closest to the real thing is Antonio Pueo's Double Chocolate Champorado Mix.

- I like adding an extra tablet and decreasing the sugar for a more dark chocolate taste :)

Buco Pandan Salad

2010-08-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

I am in love with the smell of pandan, I remember having this plant in our garden and then having to do the errand of getting some for my mom before she cooks the rice. Unfortunately, this tropical plant is only available frozen in the US and so, after a recent trip to the newly opened Seafood City in Seattle, I re-stocked my frozen pandan leaves, grabbed a back of tapioca and of course some buco (shredded young coconut) and decided to make one of my favorite Filipino desserts, buco pandan salad.

Here's what you need:
- 2 packs of shredded young coconut/buco (I use Pamana brand)
- 1 bottle Nata de Coco
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 cup Whipping Cream or 1 medium can of Nestle All Purpose Cream

SET A Saucepan
- 1 cup tapioca pearls cooked in
- 3 cups boiling water with
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 small drops of Green food coloring
- 3 small drops of Pandan extract
- 1 Pandan leaf

SET B Saucepan
- 3 small envelopes of Knoxx Gelatine dissolved in
- 2 cups of buco juice and 1 cup of water with
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 small drops of Pandan extract
- 1 pandan leaf
- 5 small drops of Green food coloring

How it's done:
Defrost shredded young coconut and strain for buco juice. (This juice can be used to dissolve Knoxx gelatin). Prepare Set A Saucepan and place over medium heat, let water boil and then add on all ingredients, simmer for an hour and then wash tapioca over running cold water. Set aside.

Prepare Set B Saucepan over medium heat and stir 'til all ingredients are dissolved. Strain green gelatin mixture and pour on any container. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until gelatin has solidified.

Get a deep bowl and then add strained young coconut, tapioca and nata de coco. Pour condensed milk and whipping cream and mix with spatula.

Carefully slice green gelatin into medium cubes and then add to young coconut mixture. Gently mix with spatula. Done! Place salad in freezer for at least an hour before serving.

Kam's Tips:
- Some filipino stores sell cooked tapioca or sago, you can use that instead of preparing your own tapioca (Preparing tapioca can be time-consuming, buying sago can be a GREAT help)
- Nata de Coco can be substituted with kaong (Preserved sweets made from sugar palm fruits). Just make sure you buy the green ones.
- Too sweet for you? Decrease the amount of condensed milk for just a hint of sweetness.

Jornix's Kung Pao Chicken Pasta

2010-08-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Reposting from Jornix's blog, haven't tried his version yet but it looks superb to me. Just a quick FYI: I got inspired to learn how to cook because of my mom and my brother (yes Jornix and I are sibs) and although he is blessed in terms of flavor inventions and putting humor in writing, he is now a busy father of two, thus the idle blog.

Another funny side note: Trying to explain an order of Kung Pao chicken with a side of chow mein noodles instead of rice to a middle-aged Chinese waitress is like rocket science.

So here it is:

Ever since the onset of Yellow Cab Pizza here in Manila, it was always a curious notion of mine on why would they put on their line-up a pasta dish with an Asian twist. I've tried it, quite a few times already; back then, it wasn't such a big deal. It was pasta, it was brown, it was spicy, and I couldn't care less it there was a next time or not. It didn't quite appeal to me like a nagging wife sort of way.

Fast forward to when we had a 3 week family vacation in the States; where anything edible is of in abundance; hamburgers as big as trash can lids, pancakes the size of dinner plates, unlimited ketchup packets, ranch dressing, mustard tins, java cream tubs, well... you get the picture. Halfway through our R&R, it just struck me like a bat out of hell. I want Charlie Chan Chicken Pasta; but wait, how on earth am I able to have that when, fact of the matter is, I'm not in Manila. The solution... research! After a good helping of Google and blog searches, it came to my knowledge that Charlie Chan and Kung Pao Chicken were in fact, one and the same.

To get my Kung Pao fix, we just ordered a side of chow mein noodles apart from our Kung Pao Chicken. It was pretty close. During those times, it was the bomb. From then on, I have pledged myself to the cause of knocking off Charlie Chan the moment I got back to Manila.

Here's the recipe that I rehashed from the different other recipes I got off the net.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN PASTA/CHARLIE CHAN CHICKEN PASTA

1 package 400 gms. Del Monte Pasta

1/2 K. chicken breast fillets

3 cloves garlic minced

1 medium white onion diced

1 small toe of ginger (cut however you like, you'll take it out later anyway)

3 tbs. Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce

1/4 cup Kikoman Soy Sauce

3 tbs. Oyster Sauce

3 tbs Aristocrat/Reye's BBQ Peanut Sauce

2 tbs. Sesame Oil

1/4 cup water

1 tb. constarch

1 bunch of green onions

1 packet of nuts (cashews or peanuts)

I'll try to make this a simple as possible.; start boiling water for your pasta so that the time you get finished with your sauce, your pasta is ready to go.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.

Marinate chicken in Kikoman soy sauce and a little pepper to taste.

In a seperate bowl, combine all wet ingredients i.e. hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, peanut sauce, sesame oil, water and constarch.

Heat oil for stir frying chicken.

Stir fry chicken until it is firm and has a nice bite to it. Remove chicken and drain excess oil

Remove excess oil in pan, reserve just enough for stir frying the veggies.

Toss in the ginger, then onions, when translucent, add the minced garlic.

Just about before the garlic turns golden, toss in the pre-assembled liquid mixture.

(Remember this is stir fry, the fire is always on high, and all this happens in about 10 mins.)

When the sauce begins to thicken and start to boil, toss the chicken back in and the nuts as well

Start looking for the ginger that you tossed in earlier, its gonna taste horrible when someone bites into that. Take it out.

Cut the green onion into 1 inch pieces and add to the sauce.

By this time, the pasta should be ready and you can put the pasta in the sauce and toss.

Enjoy!

Mini Brazo de Mercedes

2010-07-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Without a Filipino bakery nearby, I decided to try making Brazo de Mercedes to satisfy Piano Man's craving. To be honest, I was a bit intimidated with the idea, since I know how delicate-looking the cake is plus having egg as the star of the cake could mean disaster if not "handled" properly.

I made this recipe twice already and each time the cake didn't last 48 hours. The first batch wasn't that pretty but the taste was jackpot. I made sure I nail this second batch for my photo session :)

What You Need:

Meringue

10 Egg whites

1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

3/4 cup White Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Filling

10 Egg Yolks

1 can Condensed Milk

Lemon Zest

Confectioner's sugar for topping

Cooking Spray

How it's done:

Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until it forms soft peaks. Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Beat until it has a nice even sheen and then fold in the vanilla extract with a spatula.

Prepare two 9x13 baking pans, spray with spray butter and then line with wax paper (for easier cake release later). Transfer meringue mixture and spread evenly.

Bake for 350 F for 15-17 minutes.

Prepare a heatproof bowl and place over simmering water. Put egg yolks and condensed milk on heatproof bowl and stir constantly until thick, around 15 minutes. Add the lemon zest.

(FYI: My method for preparing the cake may seem complicated when described in written form, I hope there can be an easier way to describe how it's done, but you'll get the hang of it, I hope.)

Use the bottom of another 9x13 pan as base before inverting the cake, in simple terms:

- Remove meringue from oven

- Dust top with powder sugar (this will prevent the meringue from sticking)

- Place wax paper on top

- Place the bottom of 9x13 pan on wax paper

- Invert

- Remove the cake pan and then remove the wax paper from the bottom of the cake (spraying with

spray butter made this step so much easier)

Spoon the filling in the meringue and then using the wax paper, gently roll the cake. Make sure it's tight.

Dust with more confectioner's sugar. Serve chilled :)

Kam's Tips:

If you can get dayap around the area, add dayap zest instead of lemon zest. Like previously mentioned, the citrus flavor gets rid of the egg-y taste.
Want to make a larger Brazo de Mercedes log cake? Use a 10x15 in jelly pan instead of two 9x13 cake pans.
Make sure the eggs are room temperature.

Kitchen Gadgets Used:

KitchenAid Mixer or handheld mixer is fine. A mixer is important when making meringue.
Zester/Grater
Sifter

Apple Cinnamon Tarts

2010-07-19T19:27:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been very fond of making small versions of desserts, just so it could be easier to serve and eat. One of my all-time favorite sweet treat is the Apple Pie from The Apple Pie Company in Julian, CA. Pie slices served fresh from the oven topped with vanilla ice cream that's just beginning to melt, oh heaven!

So here's my cute little version of a classic Apple Pie. It may not be the original thing, but the flavors are there and Piano Man loved it, eating 5 pieces in one minute then deniably saying right after "hindi naman talaga masarap e" (It's really not that good). Yeah right. :)

What you need:

Tart Shells

I used the same recipe from my pecan tarts

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 package 3oz cream cheese
1 cup flour

Filling

2 apples, cubed (I used Fuji, but for more tartness you can use Jonagold or Winesap)

1/2 cup Unsalted butter, softened

3 tbsp. All purpose Flour

1/2 cup White Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Water

3/4 tsp. Cinnamon

Top

1/3 cup White Sugar

3/4 cup All Purpose Flour

6 tbsp. butter, cubed (chilled)

How it's done:

Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Tart shells are made just like the ones in the pecan tarts recipe here.

For the filling, in a small saucepan melt butter and then add the flour, creating a paste.

Add white and brown sugars and water.

Let boil and then reduce temperature to low heat.

Add apples and cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes.

For the top crust, mix white sugar, all purpose flour and butter in your mixer using the flat beater attachment. If you don't have a mixer, you can use a dough blender or a fork.

Place dough on a floured surface and then flatten with rolling pin to around 0.5 inch thick.

Using a cookie cutter, cut dough to small circular sizes around 1.5 inch in diameter.

Set aside.

Fill unbaked tart shells with apple cinnamon filling, around 1 tbsp each tart shell.

Top with circular dough and prick little holes using a fork.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Kam's Tips:

For the top dough, I didn't have a circular cookie cutter so I used the 1/4 cup measuring cup. It works!
Trying to cut down sugar? Substitute sugar with Splenda, apples are the star of this recipe anyway :)
Not enough top dough? You can scratch that and just bake it as is, still turns out great.

Kitchen Gadgets Used:

24-cup mini muffin pan
Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer, flat beater attachment or if you don't have one, a handy dough blender will do
Mini-tart shaper

Lumpiang Shanghai: Filipino Spring Rolls

2010-07-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

Whenever I am having non-Filipino guests, I always make sure I have some fried lumpiang shanghai in my menu, just 'coz it's such a safe dish (they nibble on these like M&M's). I change the meat variety from time to time, add more veggies or even add some chopped shrimp.

I wasn't a good lumpia-maker to start with, but there came a time when my cousins and I would race on who can wrap the most lumpia in a minute. Eventually, my aunt won that challenge but I have learned something from it, which is the most important lesson when wrapping lumpia: Start tight, finish tight.

What you need:

- 1 lb. ground beef

- 1 stalk of celery, chopped

- 1 medium sized carrot, chopped

- 1 medium sized onion, chopped (or 2 stalks of green onions, chopped)

- 1 tbsp. Oyster Sauce

- 1 tsp. Sesame Oil

- Dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder

- 1 pack of Egg Roll Wrapper, cut in half diagonally

- Paste made with 1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup of water, microwaved for 30 seconds

How it's done:

Mix ground beef, chopped veggies, oyster sauce and seasonings together.

Prepare your working station.

When everything is ready, start rolling. I usually place a spoon of the ground beef mixture per lumpia. Remember: start tight, finish tight. Seal with the cornstarch paste.

This recipe yields to around 60-75 pieces of lumpia, depending on how thick you want it to be. Heat up your frier, and deep fry. I cut the fried lumpia in half, just to make it bite-sized. Serve with sweet chili sauce.

Kam's Tips:

What to do with unused lumpia wrapper? Make sure you store them in a sealed container/bag and place them in the freezer, or you can make turon for dessert!
You can save uncooked lumpia in the freezer for next time.
I use Menlo Egg Roll Wrapper. Tried and tested!
The best mixing tool when combining all lumpia ingredients, are your hands :)

Gadgets Used:

Hate chopping? I use a mini-chopper. They are so helpful, I actually have two! One for baking and one for cooking.

The Ultimate Dim sum Guide

2010-07-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Photos by Ronald Alicbusan :)

Top Gun Seafood Restaurant

12450 SE 38th St
(between S 124th Ave & S Factoria Blvd)
Bellevue, WA 98006

Kam Yelps

Piano man and I met up with my college prof who's in town with his wife. Since I wasn't familiar with their food preference, I decided to bring them to the safest place I can think of, Top Gun for some dim sum. I know the name sounds crazy for a Chinese restaurant but it doesn't really matter, this is the best place for dim sum in the East side although there may be a few downsides.

First, the waiting time. The lady in the front of the house ALWAYS says 15-20 minutes, don't be fooled! We waited 35 minutes the first time we went here, and then realized right after that the wait is worth it. People would stand outside carrying their babies in the rain and still don't care.

Second, don't expect little miss sunshines for waitresses. They don't speak a lot of English and they don't smile a lot. It doesn't really bother me, I just want shu mai.

Lastly, parking can be a bit of a hassle, but like I said, it's all worth it, they're renovating a part of the parking lot anyway.

I know every city in the US has a Chinatown and more than likely, there is a dim sum place there waiting to be discovered. So here's a list of my favorite dim sum platters, just to help you decide which ones to get the next time.

6) Deep Fried Salt and Pepper Tofu - Tofu fried with garlic, green onions and red pepper flakes
5) Deep Fried Shrimp Balls - Most places have more than one kind, made with minced shrimp and wonton wrappers cut and fried to goodness, served with sweet white sauce made with mayo, honey and sesame oil.

4) Honey Walnut Shrimp - Deep fried shrimps tossed with the same sweet white sauce, walnuts and sesame seeds

3) Har Gow - steamed minced pork and shrimp wrapped in a translucent film

2) Pork Spareribs with Black Beans - steamed spareribs with flavors of tausi, sesame oil and chinese white wine

1) Shu Mai - need I say more?

And as mentioned in my post here, we love eating dim sum with fried rice!
Best of luck on your next dim sum craving. :)

Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

2010-06-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

Pardon the redundant flavor combinations. I know I have blogged about bananas and Nutella before, but I just had to figure out something to make use of the big jar of Nutella that I bought. I used my mother-in-law's epic banana cake recipe and found a great Nutella frosting online here.

My cousins and I have been dreaming of opening a cupcake shop in San Diego, right after that Sprinkles-lady got so rich opening her Cupcake shop in LA. This is a good start, since it turned out GREAT! My next challenge: adding more Asian flavors in my cupcakes. Stay tuned!

What you need:

1 cup Unsalted Butter

3 cups Sugar

4 eggs

2 cups Mashed bananas

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

4 cups All Purpose Flour

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 cup Milk

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar using paddle attachment or a dough blender.

Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract.

Combine all dry ingredients and then add to batter, alternately with 1 cup of milk, ending with the flour mixture.

Pour batter over muffin cups, around 2/3's full.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until risen or toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool before piping in Nutella Frosting.

Kam's Tips:

When baking, make sure all ingredients are room temperature.
Add extras: You may add around 1/3 cup of walnuts or semi-sweet chocolate chips to this recipe.

Kitchen Gadgets used:

12 cup muffin pan
Piping Bag with Star Tip for frosting. I used Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set that I got on sale at Kitchen Collection.