food couch

Bopiz

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Bopiz is originally a spicy Spanish dish adapted by Filipinos. Its main ingredients include pork lungs and heart sauteed in herbs and spices. Cooking time is around fifteen minutes so it can be categorized as a thirty minute dish, including prep time. Here’s how:

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo ground/minced/cubed pork lungs and heart

1 whole garlic head, crushed and minced

1 whole onion head, minced

(Click here for the rest of the ingredients and procedure)

Hong Ma

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:53:00 +0000

Hong ma, or slow-cooked pork in Chinese, is one of the best Chinese dishes I have tasted so far. The fusion of flavors and textures is superb and I am even more amazed at how simple one could achieve that melt-in-your-mouth meat tenderness.

Today would be my second attempt at this mouth-watering dish. The first one was a flop in a sense that I didn’t really use the right ingredients because I didn’t have a clue what they were. I basically relied on instincts, trying with a degree of desperation, to recall and mimic the taste of that hong ma dish we ordered at Ongpin back in early 2008. I almost got it right, but the lack of enthusiasm on my Chinese husband’s reaction on his first bite was a bit discouraging.
(For complete story and ingredients, please click Shine!)

Hey yah!

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:54:00 +0000

My sincerest apologies for not posting any for such a long time. I still cook but not as much as I used to lately because work sort of got in the way of things. I am temporarily employed at a nursing review center and since the board exams is happening in less than a month's time, things are just super mega hectic.

Anyway, after June 4, which is my last day at work, things in our household will be back to normal, thank heavens! Hubby'll be the very first person to do the happy dance once temp employment's over, lol!

On Sunday, the in-laws will be trooping into town and I promise to let you all in on what I prepared for them. Just to give you a peek at what's on the menu board right now, I am going to make four kilos of bagnet (deep-fried pork cracklings), laing (taro leaves in coco cream) and a veggie and fruit salad with a fruity dressing/vinaigrette.

Well, there goes... Will post photos soon!

Seafood Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:09:00 +0000

We've been having religious rains these last week which called for something hot, spicy and Mediterranean on the dining table.

Seafood Curry

I got a kilo of this large shrimps along the OG Road the previous afternoon and since Hubby's been talking "curry" non-stop for the last three days, I decided to just cook seafood curry for lunch.

It was delicious and really perfect for rainy days. Because of the size of the shrimps, we decided to cook only 1/3 of the whole thing and kept the rest in the freezer which turned out to be good sized ones for grilled shrimps with lemon garlic butter sauce dip. But I digress, going back to the curry, it was perfect and we had no leftovers.

Ingredients:
Shrimps
Squid, de-veined, ink removed and sliced calamari style
cabbage, sliced
potatoes quartered
curry powder
cumin powder
desiccated coconut
garlic, onion
salt to taste

Procedure:
Saute garlic, onion, potatoes, shrimps and squid. Pour in desiccated coconut, curry and cumin powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about three to five minutes minutes or until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and mix in cabbage. Cook for another two minutes or just until cabbage is cooked. Serve hot with plain steamed rice.

2,000 FOOD BLOGGERS FLOCK TO FOODBUZZ

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:48:00 +0000

San Francisco – April 23, 2009: Foodbuzz announced today that is has surpassed 2,000 food bloggers in its online food community. These partner food blog websites, when combined with the foodbuzz.com “hub” website, reached 6.7 million people per month according to third-party traffic measurement service Quantcast. This ranks Foodbuzz as the third largest online food property after less than two years of operation. (See Quantcast Media Planner.)

“Our goal is to be the number one online food community by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz. Of the top three properties, Foodbuzz is the only true community that combines social networking for foodies with food content search for everyone. “Both our monthly users and page views grew over 1000% in 2008, and we are on pace to reach the number one spot within the next 12 months”, said Mr. Dehan.

Foodbuzz digs deep into the “long tail” of food publishing to discover and promote thousands of small, yet high-quality, food bloggers. “We are providing a platform for food bloggers to pursue their passion in a community that nurtures and encourages the sharing of quality food and dining content daily,” said Ryan Stern, Director of Publishing. Foodbuzz offers these bloggers a compelling solution for building their traffic, connecting with like-minded foodies, and making money. Foodbuzz has exclusive advertising relationships with partner bloggers which provide brand advertisers the reach and share-of-voice they need to effectively engage the food community.

About Foodbuzz
Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz is a global online food community of over 2,000 food bloggers connected by the foodbuzz.com “hub” website. In the past month, this community reached 6.7 million people and 33 million impressions according to Quantcast. Foodbuzz.com provides a full suite of social networking features enabling foodies to interact and share their food experiences. With over 900,000 high-quality food blog posts in its searchable database, foodbuzz.com is an essential resource for everyone interested in exploring the world of food. Foodbuzz is a 2009 Webby Awards Honoree!

Chicken with lots of garlic!

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:29:00 +0000

You can never have too much garlic, right? I saw the original recipe for this dish at A Year of Crockpotting and sort of "salivated" over the thought of slowly cooked chicken in a bed of forty cloves of garlic rolling on my tongue. Yum!

Needless to say, I copied her recipe but added a few other ingredients for extra kick. What else did I put aside from the onions, garlic, pepper, paprika and teaspoon of olive oil? Herbs. Basil, Rosemary and Chili powder.

It. Was. Heaven!

I also made some mashed potatoes to go along with the chicken and as expected, the Hubby had a blast!

Spicy Shrimps

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:50:00 +0000

This shrimp dish is a bit like Szechuan shrimp but it is also not quite the famous Chinese food that Szechuan shrimp is... Am I making sense? Anyway, to put it simply, this also has that spicy, tomatoey flavor plus more. It's something I made from scratch yet again and yes, with much success too!

Ingredients:
Shrimps (You can choose to shell, devein and slice them in half if you want. Mine's cooked with shell and head and well, it's just a preference.)
fresh Basil leaves chopped
peppercorns
tomato sauce, about 1/4 cup only
ketchup, dollop
onions, minced
garlic, minced
dried Rosemary leaves
dash of Cumin
dash of Oregano
dash of salt
cooking oil
Tabasco sauce or any preferred spice agent
1 piece chili cut in half

Procedure:
1. Saute garlic, onions then shrimps. Let the shrimps cook until their color changes to light orange.

2. Throw in basil, pepper corns and the rest of the herb ingredients. Stir to blend all the flavors.

3. Pour tomato sauce with a little water, spice agent/ hot sauce and sliced chili.

4. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

5. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables.

Pasta Puttanesca

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Remember those sun-dried tomatoes I had out on the balcony as well as those that I made from the microwave-oven? I finally got a good use for them with my pasta puttanesca.
They raised the dish to a whole new level, they rendered that surprisingly delicious soury taste that made the whole thing a pleasant meal experience.
Plus, this pasta dish is so simple, filling and quick, it's the best alternative meal for those busy weekdays and jampacked weekends. Here's my own recipe, please feel free to experiment and change or add up to what I have, this one works well for me and my family but you could most definitely let those creative juices flow and alter a little to suit your tastes:

Ingredients:
olive oil
Parmesan cheese
fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
a dollop of pesto
sun dried tomatoes, about 6 pieces
fresh and ripe tomatoes, halved
anchovies
black pitted olives, quartered or sliced in half (your choice)
optional: capers (I don't like capers much so I didn't use it on this dish)
pasta
salt to taste
dried basil leaves (optional)
garlic (optional)

Procedure:
Cook pasta according to package directions or al-dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat a pan and pour a little olive oil. Sliced side down, line the tomatoes on the pan and sprinkle a little salt and dried basil leaves on them. Let them cook for about three minutes, or just until they're soft enough. Turn to cook the other side and set aside.

Using the same pan, pour a generous amount of oil, cook the anchovies until they blend well with the oil. You can put a little garlic along with it if you want, but it is not necessary. Put in the fresh basil and dollop of pesto. Stir. Let cook for a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and using your laddle or spoon, press on each tomato until the skin and meat separates and blend together with the oil and anchovies. Mix in the olives and let the whole sauce simmer for three to five minutes.

Reduce heat to low and pour in your cooked pasta, toss together with the sun dried tomatoes until well blended. Replace in a serving dish, top with Parmesan cheese and garnish with basil leaves. Put a slice or two of pesto or garlic bread on the side to complete not just the look, but the meal.

Pesto bread alternative:
1. Get a slice of loaf bread
2. slice in half to make two triangles
3. spread on a coat of butter and pesto
4. Toast

buon appetito!

Cream chicken casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:51:00 +0000

Hubby asked for a chicken casserole dish and I was craving for something creamy and peppery so I searched for a recipe on the net, but couldn't find one that would satisfy both of our taste buds. Not in the mood to be defeated, I decided to just whip up something from scratch.

So for today, I give you last weekend's Food Couch chicken casserole recipe:

Ingredients:

Butter, chicken fillet/deboned, bell pepper, celery, onion, garlic, seasoning, milk, cream of mushroom, (not in picture) quickmelt cheese and bread crumbs

Procedure 1: Pre-cook the chicken in butter

Heat skillet with oil and butter, cook chicken for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or just until the meat's color turns whitish. Set aside.

Procedure 2 : Cook the cream sauce

In the same skillet with the leftover oil and butter, saute garlic and onions for about 3 minutes, then mix in the bell pepper and celery. Allow to cook for another 2 minutes before pouring in the cream of mushroom and 1/2 cup milk. Note that the milk is optional, I just wanted the dish to be very creamy (I was craving) but you can opt it out if you're good enough with the cream of mushroom. Season with pepper and a little salt to taste and let simmer, stirring occasionally.

Procedure 3 : Bake and churn

On a Pyrex, line the pre-cooked chicken fillet and arrange them neatly. Pour cream sauce just until the chicken is covered. You should scoop the bell peppers and celery along with the sauce, make sure every ingredient on the sauce makes its way to the pyrex too. Cover with bread crumbs and quickmelt cheese. Put it in the microwave oven and let cook for another 10 minutes.

As you can see, I did not use quickmelt cheese, hence the emphasis, so the cheese did not quite turn out the way I would have wanted. If I used the right cheese, it would have melted and this would have looked a lot better. But you know what, putting that little mishap aside, I assure you that this dish was just as delectably oh-so-good as I first imagined! Hubby enjoyed it and he even took a second serving! Try it and do let me know how your casserole fared in the taste-test arena. :) Happy cooking!

Quick and easy pasta dish

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:33:00 +0000

Here's something quick and easy, a 30-minute meal that's just as filling and sumptuous. I sort of "invented" this dish and surprisingly, the first try was a major hit so I decided to dress it up a little by adding an ingredient that gave it an Italian twist.

Here's what you need for this:

Pasta of your choice, cooked al dente' or according to package directions
Butter
Spanish sardines, fish flaked a little and with about 3 tablespoons of its oil along
salt to taste
pesto or minced basil
Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat butter in skillet, throw in pesto or basil and Spanish sardines and oil, sprinkle with salt, toss in pasta and blend everything together. Replace in a serving dish, top with Parmesan cheese. Serve. :)

See how easy that is? It's not even a 30 minute meal, it cooks in waaaay less than that! Oh, I really don't have a name for it yet, maybe just "Pasta sardini"? Hmmm... No, how about "Spanish-Italian Pasta"? Yaiks, not that one either... Okay, how about "Sardines and pesto pasta medley?"... No? Hmmm, whatever. It tastes good anyway so that should be good enough. Lol!

Barilla at Santi's

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:54:00 +0000

I first encountered the brand Barilla through a fellow food blogger's blog,who happens to be in Italy, and because, as you all probably have an idea by now, I am such a pasta freak, I salivated with envy thinking that we are so third world and such beauties take a while to reach our soil...

Well, literally, I bonked myself on the head because one trip along Timog Avenue in Quezon City is all it took to find my own private oasis... Santi's!

Santi's Delicatessen offers prime Italian produce, they have a wide selection of fresh meat and dairy products - all kinds of cheeses, meatloaf, cold cuts, different sausages and ham among others. Their shelves are filled to brimming with different Italian ingredients - spices, herbs, fruits, condiments, olive oils, balsamic vinegars and vegetables. They also offer a wide array of jams, chocolates, nuts, preserves and yes, pasta!

Like any other girl who went to the big city, I shrieked at the sight of the blue cartons lined on one of the shelves. Barilla. Oh yes, and even when the Hubby insisted that all pasta tastes the same, I still didn't budge. And thank heavens I didn't because when I cooked my first pasta dish using this brand, he had to throw in the white towel because if truth be told, Barilla makes the best tasting pasta ever!

The healing powers of Si Bot

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:57:00 +0000

I will never know what si bot (or plain sibot) is, or its healing powers are, if I did not marry into a pure Chinese family.

My husband introduced me to si bot even before we tied the knot. He knows I love to cook and I offered to learn to cook Chinese food for him, this is the very first authentic Chinese dish/soup I cooked for him.

Si bot is a mixture of four different types of dried herbs and is known to be good for the health because of its healing properties. It is commonly used in chicken soups and is commonly found in most Chinese kitchens. Cooking si bot is as easy as 1,2, 3. All you need to do is put one whole chicken, cut into portions, on a pot (preferrably a crockpot) along with one package of si bot (can be bought in grocery stores), water and a little salt to taste. Let it boil, simmer for an hour and serve. If you are using a crockpot, just leave it on high for 3 hours.

Don't expect lip-smacking, to-die for tasting soup, si bot is medicinal, so it naturally tastes like medicine. Hubby tells me that it promotes longevity and strength. Some Chinese individuals I've talked to also swear by si bot's ability to ward off certain ailments, others claim it is an aphrodisiac and can be good for infertility, especially for men with relatively low sperm count.

My new food blogging partner

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:13:00 +0000

Is it my birthday yet? Lol!

Hubby got me a new pink Sony Cybershot DSC W120 via eBay and it arrived on our doorstep today, thanks to the quick and easy-to-transact-with seller, Dennis Lim. Finally, I have something to use here on Food Couch and yes, dear Hubby can now put his worries to rest because I will no longer be using his beloved Canon 350D. I have tested my new toy and so far I am loving it. I look forward to having it as a partner in my food blogging. Thanks, Honey! :)

Going back to eBay, it is our first time to purchase and I am so happy that we had a smooth flowing experience. For first time buyers, I would advise you to carefully check on the sellers' profiles first, we chose a power seller with good feedback from clients. Also, when purchasing, see to it that you follow the rules and regulations to avoid being scammed. Our seller was very kind and accomodating, he made sure we followed the guidelines and he was right, it was for our protection more than his. If you wish to buy gadgets on eBay, I would recommend him, click here to view his profile and store.

Alright, I am off to get that much needed memory stick duo and hopefully, whipping up something lip-smacking soon, too!

Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:13:00 +0000

Time to hit the beach!

It's officially summertime here in the tropics, in fact, I have already downloaded summer songs to play on the iPod. I love this particular time of the year, it is that time when people just wear their hair down, kick their shoes and laze around under the scorching heat of the sun (with liberal amount of sunblock though).

The Hubs and I still need to draw up plans for this summer, we're thinking somewhere north (Hundrend Islands, maybe?) or if not, south of Manila (Galera?). Well, wherever, as long as there's some sand to kick and an abundant supply of this:

Creamy Pesto Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:27:00 +0000

Ingredients: shelled and deveined shrimps, butter, pasta (I used spaghetti noodles here), Parmesan cheese, cream, pesto and salt to taste

Procedure:
Heat butter in a pan and cook shrimps until they turn salmon-pink in color. Set aside. On the same pan of melted butter, pour about half cup of all purpose cream and desired amount of pesto (I used about half a cup), season to taste and let simmer stirring continuously.

Pour in cooked shrimps and pasta. Toss everything together until well-mixed.

Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with garlic bread. Enjoy!

Social networking for foodies

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Social networking has become one of the most important factors of keeping yourself, or your blog, afloat. Every now and then, new social networking websites crop up like mushrooms and as a blogger, I sometimes find it too hard to keep up with each of them.

I have signed up with just about every social networking and bookmarking site there is - Facebook, SpicyPage, MySpace, Ning, Friendster, Magnolia, stumbleupon, twitter, plurk and so on- but sadly, I get to maintain only the ones that really help boost traffic to my blogs. Lately though, with Food Couch taking up most of my blogging and photography time, I noticed that while my personal and Christian blogs get a fairly good amount of traffic from these great sites, Food Couch doesn't. It did not take long for me to realize that the reason behind is the fact that I have a niche that not everyone included in my list of followers, friends, buddies or groups are interested in food and dining.

What to do, what to do? I googled "food social networking sites" and happy me! A good number of websites for foodies came up on my screen and started signing up with those that had quality content and great people I can network with.

Here is a list of the food networking sites I joined in recently and which you might also be interested in:

1. BakeSpace - Their "What is BakeSpace corner" sums it all up in pretty simple terms: "On most recipe sites, the journey begins and pretty much ends with finding a recipe. But on BakeSpace, finding a recipe is just the beginning of the journey."

2. ifood.tv - tons of information in rich media form! Watch videos, enjoy images and learn from different cultures all across the globe!

3. Foodbuzz - Of course! Everyone's been buzzing about it! Here's another great social networking site for foodies of all caliber. Make friends, blog, share recipes and enjoy a wide array of give aways by being a member! Cool!

4. FoodCandy - a very social, interactive networking website.

5. Group Recipes - This is an intelligent food site. They have what is called a "Recipe Robot" learning your tastes and dining wants and needs through your profile information and then it feeds you the kind of recipes you will enjoy. It is also another fun way to meet foodies with the same likes or dislikes as you. Share, discover and even create your own tv show if you want!

Tomatoes!

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:51:00 +0000

Some of you are probably wondering whatever happened to my sun-dried tomatoes. Well, I have lost count of the days but I am assuming that today is about day five or six. They're still up on the balcony being dried and by the looks of it, it will take about another week before they'd completely dry up. I managed to steal a photo yesterday and here's how they look so far:

Beautiful, isn't it?

Meanwhile, I did a little experiment using my microwave oven this morning. Look:

Yaiks... Not so beautiful, isn't it? No, these are not the same tomatoes, these are bigger ones bought at the wet market yesterday morning. I saw some left-overs (about 4 pieces) in the fridge and thought about following a microwave oven-dried tomato recipe I saw on the internet. It was supposed to mimic the result of sun-dried tomatoes but hmmm, this looks more like disaster doesn't it? Well, for what it's worth, the taste was the same and I'm thinking there is a chance to get the same result as sun-dried tomatoes if not for the possible mistakes I made:

1. the tomatoes were not ripe enough
2. the tomatoes were too big
3. I drizzled too much oil on them (?)
4. they were cooked longer than they should have been.

No sweat, life is a learning process anyways. I can always try again... ;)
Oh, yes, I have obviously developed a fixation for sun-dried tomatoes, lol!

Perfecting my Hainanese Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:25:00 +0000

I've been trying to perfect this dish for months now since it is the only Chinese recipe that brings my husband back to his roots and gives him that "aaahhhh, I'm finally home..." feeling. I have experimented with it several times and for some reason, there was always something that is wrong with the whole entree' - either the meat's color was too dark, or tasteless, or not cooked to the bones, or the dipping sauce was altogether wrong. Bummer.

Well, after more than five tries, I finally got everything right! Of course, along with my little happy dance comes this moment to share the perfect Hainanese chicken I have ever made!

(*drumroll*)

Ingredients:

One whole chicken
leeks (tied in a knot)
ginger
sesame oil
garlic
salt
pepper
5-8 cups chicken stock
2 chicken cubes

Procedure:

Stuff chicken with the knotted leeks, garlic and ginger and wipe salt all over it. Let sit for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a deep pot for boiling the chicken stock, pepper, salt and chicken cubes. Once the stock has reached boiling point, immerse chicken, reduce heat and let it simmer uncovered for about fifteen minutes or until chicken is well-cooked. If the stock is not enough to immerse the whole chicken, invert and let the other side simmer again for another fifteen minutes (or, again, until chicken is well-cooked).

Prepare a basin with iced water.

Once the chicken is cooked on all sides, take it out of the simmering pot and immerse it in the basin with the iced water. This will seal in the flavor and keep the chicken's skin taut and firm. Drain well and cut into desired portions, discarding all stuffing. With a basting brush, brush chicken pieces with sesame oil, prepare in a serving dish with slices of cucumber, lettuce and carrots used as 'bed'.

Dipping Sauce

about two tablespoons grated ginger
1/4 cup oil
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

Mix everything together. Serve with Hainanese chicken. Can also be served with chili oil and soy sauce as another dipping sauce option.

*Hainanese chicken is also known as pet sam pwe or white soy chicken... Others call it "bon bon chicken". Well, whatever the name. As long as it tastes just a tad perfect! :)

Weekend Treat: Penne Pasta in Italian Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 07:35:00 +0000

What's for weekend lunch, foodies?
As you can see from the photo above, I chose to go simple and uncomplicated today, hmmm, I was actually compelled to more than the "I chose to..." because of two reasons. 1) It feels so Saturday and there's a slight drizzle that makes the bed beckon to me for extra hours of sleep and 2) I have a fellowship scheduled in two hours! (Breathe...) So, that is why weekend lunch is a simple dish of penne pasta in Italian sauce and hefty slices of home-made garlic-basil bread topped with good conversation :).

Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Here is the recipe for the sauce:

Herbs and spices - basil (I used fresh for this one), marjoram, pepper, salt and McCormick's ever-reliable Italian seasoning mix.

For sauteeing - lots of garlic, onions, minced bell pepper and celery

Meat - ground beef

Sauce - tomato puree' or plain ol' tomato sauce straight from the grocery shelf :)

.... I also added melted cheese to the sauce for some creamy taste.

Procedure:

Saute garlic, onions, bell pepper and celery. Mix in ground meat, herbs and spices and let cook until brown. Pour in tomato sauce. Season to taste. Let simmer for a few more minutes until its consistency becomes thicker and heavy.

Once your sauce is ready, pour penne pasta over the simmering sauce, reduce heat to low, and just stir everything together. Serve on plates, top with grated parmesan and place one or two slices of garlic bread on the side.

Bon appetit!

Food Couch's spare rib recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:24:00 +0000

Here's what we had for lunch yesterday. I don't exactly have a name for it because it was just something I cooked from scratch and lucky me because it turned out fine... Anyway, maybe I will just call it microwave oven-baked spare ribs? The thing is, I cooked it on the crock pot first to achieve tenderness before baking it in the microwave so shall I call it crock pot cooked spare ribs too? Argh, forget it. Let's just call it Food Couch's spare rib recipe.

What's in it? Just a bunch of herbs, tomato sauce, soy sauce and seasonings. I didn't have any barbecue flavored sauce in my pantry but I bet it would taste even better if I had that in there, too. I mixed everything together and let it cook in the crock pot for three hours (or until tender). Once done, I transferred the meat to a Pyrex, added a little of the 'soup' from the crock pot (see picture above) and popped it in the microwave to bake for 15 minutes. While that was baking, I chopped carrots and beans to saute' in garlic and butter to complete the meal. And, voila! A tasty, tender spare ribs meal from scratch! :)

Bon appetit! :)

I am sun-drying tomatoes on my balcony

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:52:00 +0000

Yup, you read that right! I've got a handful tomatoes right now getting a good sun-drying on my balcony! I was so inspired by my dear friend Lalaine's own homemade sun-dried tomatoes that I tried my hands on it, too. Hers has this tangy, sweet taste to it that makes my mouth water and though I doubt that I could make the same exact version, I still went ahead and bought myself half a kilo of tomatoes to experiment on. Plus, I wanted to take advantage of the extreme weather condition we are having now here in the Philippines, too.
I am still on Day Two of sun-drying them so I still can't tell how mine fared. Meanwhile, here are photos I took these last two days. I plan to keep on posting pictures as the drying progresses and I hope the end result will be successful.

Day One

Day Two

Trivia: Did you know that tomatoes stored in the refrigerator loses their flavor? They are still edible but not as delicious as they would be if kept at room temperature. This also explains why in some supermarkets, stickers and labels that read "Never Refrigerate" are on tomatoes. (Source: Wikipedia)

Steamed Dory Fish in Creamy Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:51:00 +0000

I was craving for something creamy tonight so I took out the frozen dory fish I had in the fridge, thawed it and threw in some herbs and seasonings and sat for a few minutes to think of what 'magic' I can create with what's in my pantry.

Checking the cupboards, I saw a pack of all purpose cream and that was all I needed to rev up my creative juices!

But first, let me tell you what I exactly did with the dory fish while I sat to wear my thinking cap. I seasoned the fillet with salt, put on a dash of pepper, marjoram, basil, rosemary and Spanish paprika. I then steamed the fish, about ten minutes on each side and set it aside.

Once I made up my mind on what to do with the cream, I took a pan and heated about half a cup of the cream, I mixed in the same herbs I topped the fillet with - basil, marjoram, Spanish paprika, rosemary and then some chili powder for a little kick. Stirring constantly, I waited until the cream was about to reach boiling point, then turned the heat off... By the way, I cooked the cream on slow fire, so make sure you do that too. I finished this creamy recipe by pouring the cream over my steamed dory fish.

As side dish, I sauteed some garlic and onions and threw in a vegetable medley composed of string beans, carrots and potatoes, all sliced into 1 inch strips. I had some stored boiled quail eggs in the refrigerator and thought it would be good to throw in a few as well.

Magic! :) Bon appetit!

Chocolate and Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:18:00 +0000

Dinner a few evenings ago was a simple fare of home made tacos and chocolate shake. :)
I bought the taco shells from the grocery store and for the filling, I cooked 250 grams of ground beef in garlic, onions and bell pepper seasoned with salt, paprika, pepper, marjoram and chili powder. Don't miss out on grated cheese and julienned cabbage. Warren is not a tomato and onion person so I left that out in this dish, but tacos taste much better with minced onions and tomatoes so why not go ahead and include that. Sprinkle with a little Tabasco sauce and, hmmm.... Comfort food!

For the chocolate shake, I bought a good chocolate powder at Chocolate Lover the last time Warren and I went to Quezon City, it's manufactured by Peotraco Industries and it is called St. Royce Breakfast Cocoa. I got the sugar free one and it is really good. Along with three tablespoons (heaps!) of this chocolate powder, I also used fresh full cream milk from Harvey's. I mixed everything in a blender together with ice cubes and transferred it to drinking glasses. Top with grated chocolate and enjoy!

Ilocos' Bagnet

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:50:00 +0000

I wanted to feature a dish that is more native to my hometown (Pampanga) but I could not think of any at the moment except Sisig and that is the one dish I have not had a chance to cook yet, so I had to think of something else.

Sticking to my plan of featuring something native, I thought about Hubby's favorite, BAGNET. For the curious readers who haven't heard nor tasted 'bagnet' yet, I only have two words for you dearies: YOU GOTTA! :)

What is 'bagnet' anyway? Bagnet is deep-fried pork and is native to the northern regions of the country, specifically the Ilocanos. You may be asking what is so special about deep-fried pork when you just fry it in hot oil. Well, it isn't really that simple and in fact, the preparation process, which takes hours, sometimes days, is what will make or break the taste of your bagnet. Not to mention of course the crispiness of the skin.

You can choose to prepare the bagnet ahead of time prior to serving, in fact in the northern parts where it originated, pre-cooked bagnet can normally be seen being sold along sidewalks and markets. Those who buy then would just have to deep-fry the meat again at home.

Ingredients:

Pork - choice cut preferrably the side of the pig, unchopped
Lots of garlic
Pepper
Salt
Cooking oil for deep-frying

Toppings : sliced fresh tomatoes, onions and shrimp paste or
Dip : Vinegar, garlic and pepper

Procedure:

Boil the pork along with the rest of the ingredients except the oil until meat is tender. Take the meat out of the water and let dry for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in deep casserole/deep-frying pan. Make sure that the amount of oil will fully submerge the meat. Deep fry in medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool. Deep fry again in high heat for 30 minutes then chop (see picture above) and serve with plain steamed rice and pinakbet (recipe will follow next Tuesday) or side dish of choice.

Note: according to this website, bagnet can last for a week when stored in the fridge and three days when left in normal room condition.

Fun and Easy Recipes at Food Couch

noreply@blogger.com (Zhey) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Food is any substance, usually composed of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal or human for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although many human cultures sought food items through hunting and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of a local nature included but playing a minor role.

Most traditions have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions, preferences, and practices, the study of which is known as gastronomy. Many cultures have diversified their foods by means of preparation, cooking methods and manufacturing. This also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by-way-of food, not just by consumption. (Wikipedia.Org)

A couch is an upholstered item of furniture for the comfortable seating of more than one person and typically has an armrest on either side. Couches are usually to be found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge. (Wikipedia.Org)

WELCOME TO FOOD COUCH, where it is all about good comfort food and fun, easy homemade recipes!