Just Another Girly Food Blog

Rice Beyond the Grain.

2011-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

First of all: HAPPY NEW YEAR blogville!!!
And please pardon my procrastination....for I am sure it will happen constantly.

Anyway, it's my first post of 2011 (I hear another archive), and in this post, we're having look back on what my family had on New Year's day. My mom had this idea of serving kakanin for the occasion, which are basically rice or starched-based treats. Typically, these goodies can be bought in street corners and market vendors throughout the Philippines, and it is more known for snacks than meals. But since we no longer live in Manila, we had to re-create the feast in our kitchen.

Here's a look at our New Year's feast:

raw ingredients....

dough from a rice-based flour, shaped in pearls.

Plantains

Tapioca jewels

Add coconut milk, sugar, and some taro potatoes, and you have ginataang bilo-bilo--popular dish in the Philippines.

A couple more finish products on the table--which I would describe as Casava (yellow) and purple yam puddings.

My own private bowl.

Start a good year peeps.
More entries--and unique dishes--to come throughout the year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino word of the day: kanin [kah-neen]

English Translation: rice

So...what was for Christmas?

2010-12-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

Me and my sis threw a party on Christmas night, and all the guests occupied my attention before I remembered to bring out the camera for a blog post. By the time I did, the guests were comfortably sitting around the table with food on their plates, so I took one good shot of what was left and made the best of it.

Here's the chaos at the table when I finally got the camera:

Half eaten lasagna, a bowl of fruit salad, Christmas ham, and the famous egg rolls.

However, in my own time, I reassembled the dishes in tiny portions after the party. All I can say is: thank God I made extras. And for that, I can happily showcase every item (well, almost every item) that went on the table that night.

My own bowlful of fruit salad: seedless grapes, cantaloupe slices, apple slices, pineapple tidbits, and nata de coco (coconut jellies). Dress it up with some cream and condense milk, and it makes for the best holiday dessert.

Bowlful of egg rolls....crispy golden brown.

Another batch of our Filipino-style lasagna -- pre-baked. What is in it you ask? No ricotta...that's all the difference it makes.

And of course, no holiday is complete without a decent fruit basket. Fresh!

Look at all the cards we've collected. Now all we need is the fire!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and a Happy New Year ahead!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino word of the day: Pasko [puss-co]

English translation: Christmas

Winter Midnight Munchies.

2010-12-02T16:16:00.000-08:00

First post of December, here we go!

In keeping warm during this winter season, there is nothing better than a slice of cake and a hot beverage at hand. Since I can't afford to go to a coffee house for a midnight snack (mostly because they would be closed at that hour) I decided to make my own java heaven at home.

In my kitchen, I whipped up my famous Coffee Flavored Sponge Cake and some good-old fashioned Hot Choco.
Midnight munchies...no longer an issue.

The gang's all here: eggs, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, instant black coffee granules, the measuring cup, measuring spoon, and my trustee beater!

Oven view!

*DING* said the timer.

The "toothpick test" came out clean.

The finish product.

Now the beverage....

Ok...so it's not coffee-house material, but it's all I've got for now.

So....who needs coffee house again?!

I think, I will be fine without it.

Here's to keeping warm!

Enjoy the winter!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino Word of the day: Init [ee-neat]

English Translation: warmth

T'is the Season to Eat Turkey...

2010-11-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

So.....I've decided to contribute to the poultry world by sharing you one of my own recipes.
My aproach to this is to make a kind-of very simple turkey pot pie minus the pot for easier serving. One great advantage of empanadas is that you can make them ahead of time, freeze them, and toss them in a cookie sheet as they are before you bake them. However, it is important that the filling should be free of any liquids or the prepared shell dough will get mushy as you put them all together (been there, done that!). So when you're preparing this, make sure to drain the liquid out of the filling, or refrain from thickening them as you would on a regular pot pie. Also, DO NOT OVERCOOK THE MEAT. You need to preserve as much moisture in them to make up for the liquids you need to drain.

I won't lie to you: I used chicken for this one.
But who says you can't substitute turkey for it, right?! If you will go for the thanksgiving route, better make the switch. Plus, in any chicken recipes, you can always use turkey for a substitute.
That's the beauty of having both in the poultry family.

So here we go....

Marjie's Turkey Empanadas
(for metric conversions, there's always The Chart)

Ingredients:
1 pound. ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 whole carrot, peeled and diced
1 whole potato, peeled and diced
3-4 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dough:
3 cups All-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar (approx. 1/4 cup)
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil

Prepare the dough:
In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, water, and oil in the mix. Using your hands, carefully work on the mixture until a solid dough forms. Set it asside for about half an hour.
Work on the Filling:
In a pre-heated skillet, add oil and cook the ground turkey thoroughly for about a couple of minutes until all parts are no longer pink. Add in the chopped onion and garlic and sautee it together for a couple more minutes. Add soy sauce. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the diced carrots and potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer the mixture to a strainer to remove the excess liquid. Let it stand to cool.
Put it all together:
Using a rolling pin, roll out the prepared dough for about a quarter of an inch thick, and used a round cookie cutter (about 4 inches in diameter) to cut the circles for the empanada shells. Scoop about a teaspoon of the prepared filling onto to the center of the circle shaped shell, leaving enough room for the edge (to seal). Brush some water to the edge then carefully fold the shells in half. Seal the dough. Use a fork to press on the sealed edge to create a decorated effect.
Cook it up:
Bake the prepared empanadas on a cookie sheet at 400F (200C) oven for 20-25 minutes, or until shells are golden brown. Serve while still hot.

**Makes about 30 empanadas.

There you go. Have a happy Thanksgiving!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino Word of the Day: Pabo [p´abo]

English Translation: Turkey

Pre-thanksgiving Family Lunch: what it's like to eat in my world.

2010-11-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

My family--having had grown up in a different cultural tradition-- isn't very big with the whole Thanksgiving Turkey feast. However, we always find a way to have a great meal together this time of the year. This weekend, which is actually a few days earlier than Thanksgiving, we had come together for a very interesting, but worth spending, lunch time.

Here's what our festive table looked like...

The highlights...

Filipino Spring Rolls (Lumpia)

Broiled whole fish. Inside is a garnish of fresh tomatoes and chopped onions for flavor. (As in fish relleno)

Some shell-on garlic-sauteed shrimp. Obviously, we're a family of big seafoods fan.

My very own version of Mr. Wong's Place's Kai Choy (mustard greens/leaves) with Pork soup--one of the items from their authentic Chinese menu. Somehow, mine never tasted like the original.

View from the individual soup bowl.

Fried Okra

For dessert....

My mom's fresh fruit salad and...

My homemade Tiramisu.

Yeah....I thought it was out of place too...but we've learned to love this Italian dessert, so why not?!

Good food with good company...that's what it's all about.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino Word of the Day: Hapunan [hah-poo-nun]

English Translation: Lunch

Weekend in the City II: There's always Tempe

2010-11-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Walking around Tempe, Arizona on a Saturday afternoon--with a sunny breeze of 78F--couldn't have been more perfect. Of course, when one is too hyped up with the scenery, one couldn't help but go hungry. Luckily, Gordon Bierch Restaurant in Mill Avenue is there to the rescue.

A few shots from last Saturday...

Image Source: http://ivymorris.wordpress.com/
[zoom it with a click]

Gordon Bierch Restaurant on top of Starbucks. Two great places in one building. Need I say more?

What I got from the menu....

Calamari--the appetizer that never fails.

Tuscan Chicken Pasta wtih shrimp. Me and my sis split the order so the portion is a smaller, but enough for my liking.

One satisfied customer. The outside tables were fantastic spots.

Image source: Searchscottsdale.net
[zoom it with a click]

One of Mill Avenue views.

Image source: City of Tempe website
[zoom it with a click]

Top view of downtown Tempe

A couple of miles from Mill Avenue is the famous Arizona Mills. Guess what I found in one of their stores
Remember this from my previous candy post?

Apparently, they're everywhere.

Sweet!!

God Bless Tempe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino word of the day: Gutom [goo-toum]

English translation: hunger

Weekend in the City: the Greeks know food and parties.

2010-11-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

When the Greeks here in Arizona hold their festival each year, the city of Scottsdale readies itself to welcome loads of traffic and visitors in its downtown area. Coming from a family of Filipino heritage (who even has very little time to go to Asian festivals), I rarely make appearances to these events. But since my cousin from San Francisco was in town this past weekend wanting to see what Arizona has to offer, we paid a little visit to the most famous Greek party in town.

I'm no professional photographer, but here are a few captures of what they had to offer.....

Quite the bouncers--the Greek Gods watching the entrance.

Greek Products

Greek fried doughnuts dipped in honey and cinnamon.

The advertisement product, only one ball is missing from the pack.
We should really learn to take a picture of the food before attacking it.

The famous fried calamari. This is what I came for.

Chef Sam at work in one of the booths.

Live music

OPA!

Until next year.....save me some Saganaki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino Word of the day: pagdiriwang [pug-dee-ree-wung (as in "sung")]

English translation: festival

MEMUGV55G2TS

Because It's Candy Season....

2010-10-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

...I went to Arizona's most popular candy store.
The buzz about this place, since it's opening in early July of this year, has grown even further now that trick-or-treat-ing is just around the corner (well, also with all the coupons they print in papers). Unquestionably though, since I occasionally have a sweet tooth, I've made this my place of sanity every now and then. This time, even though the main purpose should be to buy candies for the kids for Halloween, no kid in costume will ever win my heart to buy candies for them. This, is strictly, for my self indulgence.

The pamphlet says...

[size it it with a click]

If you actually give it a click, you can see clear image of what the store looks like and what it has to offer. I did some of my personal shots in the euphoria, so I was able to capture a few angles.

The "Gummy" isle--from sour worms, to the cutest little gummy bears you'll find--about $4.00 per quarter pounds (about 0.2 kg) of candy . If I was 12 years old, I would never leave this spot.

Taffy isle. I'm an avid Wonka lover.

For all the Jelly bean in the world.

Wow....does this really exist?

Apparently so. Indeed they have a whole section of it.

But don't ask me what it tastes like. I haven't tried it myself.

Fellow shoppers.

And I walked away with...

I told you I'm an avid Wonka lover.

Check out the sale value...this with 10% off coupon (yes, one of those they've printed)....

Priceless!
Have a happy Halloween!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino Word of the Day: matamis

English translation: sweet

It was kinda Festive.

2010-10-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

My mom turned 51 yesterday so we did a little bit of a celebration.
Now let me tell you, if you happen to stumble upon Filipino families throwing a party--no matter the occasion or the number of people that shows up--there will always be some kind of buffet style on the table fit to feed the whole neighborhood. Filipino celebration is all about the food, and my family is no exception. When it's someone's birthday, especially, we say: "what are we cooking?".
Always, the answer calls for a busy, busy kitchen.

*Warning: showcased in this entry are authentic Filipino dishes that maybe unfamiliar to some. If you happen to be one of those people, then that only means two things: you're either not a Filipino, or a really really really bad one. Also, if you find yourself unable to pronounce the name of each dish, it's okay. I assure you, you are not the only one.

Here's what went on the table.....

Palabok - an authentic Filipino food with the following ingredients: thick rice noodles, shrimp sauce, toasted garlic, fresh herbs (mostly scallions), crushed pork rinds, and hard boiled eggs.

You can't see it, but there's definitely noodles in that dish. To those who are still confused, think of it as a Filipino pasta: tomato sauce = shrimp sauce; Parmesan cheese = crushed pork rinds; hard boiled eggs = meat balls.

Get the picture?! It's OK. Me neither.

Moving along....

Kare-kare - another authentic Filipino dish with the following ingredients: meat, vegetables, and peanut butter.

It's basically any types of meat with peanut butter sauce, and when I say "any kind of meat" I mean it can range from a regular pork or beef meat, to ox-tail and beef tripe meat depending on the authenticity. Of course, the die-hard Filipino cooks will mix all those into one. But in my family, we pick one kind of meat and make it a star. Can you see that unfamiliar piece of criss-crossed object floating about in the dish at the top of the bowl? Yeah...that's beef tripe.

Our exact star of choice.

Steamed crabs - not necessarily Filipino (or the term would've been italicized) but a common seafood dish in the Philippines with the following ingredients: crabs.

Growing up in Manila means never having to run out of seafood. However, if there is a choice between crabs and shrimp, we always choose crabs. Okay, shrimp, but that doesn't make for a good writing right about now. So crabs it is--which proves that can also happen.

51st was a blast, so I wonder what is in store for 52.
We can always go bigger, but then again, I don't know how well my kitchen can take it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino word of the day: pagkain [pagk´ain]

English translation: food

My (sort of) First Post

2010-10-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

Since the previous four posts from 2009 were actually imports from my old blog, I can honestly say that this entry is officially my first post here.
Where do I start you ask? Well, how about the basics?

I got rice, and…

…good old ramen noodles.
Here’s Dinner:

Look closely as I have artistically added a hard-boiled egg into the classic ramen. Tasty...with a little extra.

And that is just the beginning.
Happy Eating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filipino Word of the day: kanin [kah-neen]
English translation: rice

Current addictions.

2009-03-30T13:25:00.001-07:00

You know you're addicted to something when you even bother to scan its empty wrapper.

Those poor Kroger fruit snacks packages were ripped bad that the least I could do is to pay tribute to them. You can tell by how gluttonous I'd become by the time I got to cherry flavored ones. They stick to my teeth, but man, I couldn't get enough at all.

I bought three boxes of them this weekend.

*****

I don't know how the movie is (I haven't seen it), but I'm currently reading the book and it's turning me into a chocoholic. Joanne Harris' Chocolat sure keeps my mouth watering when she describes Vianne's chocolate shop with sweet chocolate drinks and luscious pralines. Even the villain in the story talks about his cravings towards the treats when he describes the sweet smell he whiffs from the shop every time he walks through it. So how did I help myself--the audience--from the temptation?

I didn't.
The can of chocolate malt in my kitchen is now down to three more scoops before it's completely empty.

*****

Smith and Kerns is called "Chocolate Marjie" at The Doors--a local bar in the city of Tempe, which is about 10 minutes drive away from where I live.

When I asked the bartender if they knew what it is to mix Kahlua, half and half, and coke, they were dumbfounded. No one taught them about this drink until I--a short Filipino girl who seldom drinks a beer--showed up with my friends one Wednesday night for karaoke and asked about it. I scored myself a free drink that night, which name no one remembers unless I write it down for them.
That's how they decided to name the drink after me.

"One more round of Chocolate Marjie please!"
Pretty cool eh?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Filipino word of the day: hinahanap-hanap [hee-nah-hah-nup-hah-nup]
English Translation: keep looking/craving/wanting for someting (as in addiction)

Out for Lunch

2009-03-25T17:33:00.001-07:00

I supposed I should learn to take a picture of my food before I decide to attack it, but when I went to Urban Tea Loft today for lunch--a local downtown restaurant in my city--I forgot out of excitement and hunger that my phone can actually take decent snapshots. By the time I remembered the function of having a camera phone at hand, I was halfway into my meal and was only able to capture half of it after I've already devoured the other half.

I know, so sorry it doesn't look as good as it taste at this angle. But I promise, it's much more appealing to look at when they presented it to me in full plate.

*****

Here's a good shot of the restaurant from where I was sitting inside.

And here's a picture, taken from a website, of the place downtown at night from the outside.

It's not much, but I must say it's a better shot than a half eaten sandwich.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Filipino word of the day: tanghalian [tung-ha-lee-uhn]

English translation: lunch time

It never looks like the freakin' picture.

2009-02-28T13:51:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine gave me The Golden Book of Chocolate for my 25th birthday two months ago, and I've been flipping its pages trying to decide which one of these goodness I should duplicate in my own kitchen. Last night, in the mist of insomnia and boredom, I finally decided on the contender. Half of the ingredients in my cupboard was just sitting there useless and seldom touched, so when page 106 listed most of them, I knew it was the perfect thing to create.

My kitchen and I were bonding for a long night.

Here's how perfect page 106 looks like:

And here's my version while I was making a batch of it:

[zoom it with a click]

Six ziplock bags, three hours, and 8oz. of chocolates after, I finally got the finish product:

[zoom it with a click]

That's as close as I can make it look like the picture in the book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Filipino phrase of the day: litrato sa libro
English translation: picture in the book

What's in a Birthday Cake?

2007-12-13T23:00:00.001-08:00

Here. Now.
The big "TWO-FOUR".

Since the wonderful Graham always have such interesting memes in his blog, I have unreluctantly volunteered myself, two weeks ago, to do this one. As many of you may have read, I hit the 24 years-old mark today, so what better way to be creative for my big day? You guess it, baking my own cake.

Here's what it is and how it's done...

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Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The cake....
1 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Grease the bottom of 9x9 inch baking pan and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy skillet over medium heat, add pecans, and brown them for 10 to 15 minutes stirring frequently. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and cream the remaining butter at a high speed on mixer in a separate bowl while gradually adding sugar until it becomes light and fluffy. At medium speed, blend the eggs in one at a time, beating them well after each. At a low speed, add the dry ingridients alternately with milk and vanilla extract, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and blend them well. Stir in the toasted pecans, and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched in the center (**If overbaked, the cake will come out dry, so make sure you watch your baking time). Cool before frosting.

The frosting....
one 8-oz. package cream cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar (**I normally reduce this to 1 cup for a less sweeter taste)

Using an electric mixer or food processor at low-medium speed, mix cream-cheese and butter together; then add vanilla and slowly mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time (1/2 cup if sugar measurement has been reduced). Do not overbeat or the cream cheese may become grainy. Frost cake, or enjoy the leftover on a bagel :).

For a more fabulous look, add food coloring to the frosting, and sprinkles on the cake.

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I hope you enjoy this recipe. In the mean time, I'm leaving this meme open for anyone to take a chance. Please, let me know if you wish to participate. I would surely love to have a peek of your dish!

Happy Tagging, Happy Eating!

**Recipe sources:
- http://www.allrecipes.com/
- "Eating Heaven" by Jennie Shortridge, 2005