SKIP TO MALOU

Postcards | Ifun Fish Cake with Chili Mango Slaw

2013-05-22T19:29:00.001-05:00

Friends provide comfort.

Old friends serve like postcards from home. And like postcards, they bring forth warmth, joy, laughter and memories. Yes, memories! And at my age I have tons and tons of them. So when I spent the weekend with some of my high school friends, 48 hours was not enough to cover the 20 years of catching up we had to do. And every minute counts.

"Well aren't we going out?" our host Bonni asked us while we were enjoying our coffee. "There are so many places to see here in Chicago..." he suggested. But he still hadn't convinced us - we remained skeptics, unwilling to abandon the time-travelling we did through our stories about years past. Instead, we were content to gather around the dining table, filling the room with our boisterous laughter, reliving stories upon stories that transpired a few decades ago.

"If that's the case, I'll cook some Ifun [ee-foon]" he said again. But this time - he caught our attention.

I don't know what it's called in Tagalog (or even in English) but Ifun, is something we Ibanags eat. Sold in the local markets in small tubs, the small fish with the big beady eyes reminds me of home. Bonni insisted it's called Silver Fish, and yet another food blogger Market Manila says it's dulong in tagalog. I am still not sure of its common name, but what I know is that our hosts Priscilla and Bonni served a delightful brunch and this his how the morning spread was presented:

I was mesmerized... the last time I've seen this dish was more than 20 years ago. So in my head I was trying to create a new dish, and my friend Melo noticed it immediately. And in true high school peer pressure fashion, I succumbed to their suggestion that I should go to the kitchen and create something. My new dish is what I call Ifun Fish Cake with Chili Mango Slaw.

Ifun Fish Cake with Chili Mango Slaw
This recipe comes in two parts. The first part is Bonni's Ifun and the the second part is my take on the dish.

Ingredients
2 cups of Ifun (silverfish; dulong, you could also use any other fish flakes)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 thumb size ginger finely chopped
1 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, slightly beaten

Procedure

Heat the pan for a minute then add the olive oil. Saute onions, ginger and tomatoes. Add the ifun (or flakes). Keep tossing until the liquid is reduced to almost dry. Add the slightly beaten egg. Stir them together and voila... it's ready.

Now for the second part, all you have to do is add one more slightly beaten egg. Mix together with panko bread crumbs. Add parsley flakes. Form a patty and bake the patty for about 10 minutes in 375 degrees oven.

For the mango slaw: Mix together, sliced mangoes, sliced scallions and sliced tomatoes. Set aside. Mix together 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1/3 cup vinegar, sliced onions, 1/2 freshly grated ginger, salt and pepper and sugar to taste. Drizzle a little sesame oil. Toss the mango slaw together.

To Bonni, Priscilla, Ian, AJ and Milena, thank you so much for the warm hospitality. You guys made us feel so at home, we feel that we have a second home in Chicago!

and thank you Melo for taking the time to be with us... Sa uulitin!

Aloha Pork

2013-05-17T07:06:00.001-05:00

I'm in an ALOHA state of mind.

Nope, I'm not going to Hawaii. But Aloha - as it is commonly used - is a greeting to say "hello" and also to mean "goodbye". And that's how it's going to be around here. The next few weeks will be filled with lots of warm hugs and ::::waving:::: alohas: kids coming home from college, family reunions, high-school mini reunion, celebrations and back to back out of town trips. Did I say reunions? Oh yes, those definitely bring forth a magnitude of excitement and joy!

Certainly, it's going to be a different rhythm... fast, fun and yes crazy rhythm...you know the drill. So at times like these I need to turn to my handy dandy chop-drop-cook meals... and you bet this Aloha Pork falls under this category. It's easy and simple yet the dish will certainly bring smiles to the table! Aloha!

Aloha Pork

Ingredients:
2 lbs pork (cut into cubes)
3.4 c ketchup
1/2 c pineapple juice
1/2 c sprite
1 c pineapple chunks (or you could use pineapple slice)
2 tbsp brown sugar (optional: if you want the dish on the sweeter side)
1 whole onion (chopped)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 c water
3 cloves garlic (minced)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
As I've said this falls under my chop-drop-cook. So basically all you have to do is chop everything up, Drop them in a stockpot and cook. The sauce should be reduced until it becomes thick. If the pork is not cooked yet, add 1/2 c water until pork is tender and cooked through.

ENJOY!

Weekend Rhythm

2013-05-14T09:08:00.001-05:00

I love Saturdays! And Sundays as well...

Saturdays start the weekend off with a whiff of java coming from the kitchen as the morning rises. My heart skips upon realizing that my husband is up and is busy in my turf- the kitchen. How my heart dances with the rhythm of the sound of a sizzling pan, running water, the clicking of plates and often times the low tone of my husband's humming.

With the sun peering through the windows I tiptoe to the kitchen and I see the breakfast spread. I just love the idea of him doing the cooking... on weekends, I'm disarmed.

Let me enjoy the moment.

When I see the pile of plates I run away as fast as I can, at least this is what I do in my head... I'm ready to take back the role of chef and get my hubby back to cleaning up my mess. It's at this point where my Saturday rhythm slows down...

But a few weeks ago, I got a letter from Allison, who is promoting Finish Power Gel dish washing detergent and she says:

Hi Malou,

We’d like to challenge you and your readers to wake up to a shinier morning with the Finish Rise and Shine Challenge! Voted Product of the Year, Finish® Quantum® with New Power Gel is Our Best Shine Ever- without having to pre-rinse. Its breakthrough technology activates each cleaning ingredient when it’s needed during the cycle, so all you have to do is sit back and relax.

Although her email was more of a marketing tool, her message stuck with me. I was ready to take the challenge. So remember the tower of plates and pans my husband used this weekend? All I did was put them in the dishwasher without any rinsing. Normally I would pre-rinse, but this time I just loaded them in the dishwasher like so:

I was a skeptic I tell you, but here's the result:

Let's look again...

It seemed magical. NO tricks, NO gimmick. Finish New Power Gel amazingly cleaned the dishes and you are looking at the actual results.

I danced my Weekend Rhythm again soon after.

______________________________________________________

Full Disclosure Statement: I was compensated by Finish for performing the challenge.

Happy Memories... Happy Mother's day!

2013-05-11T19:45:00.000-05:00

How do you profess your love to your mom when she is more than 8,000 miles away?

You see bridging that gap, I have developed a kind of sixth sense that is part memory - remembering my most treasured moments with her, and part imagination - wishing I'm with her and forgetting about the distance between us. Mixing these two parts in my head has allowed me to cope with being so far away from my Mama.

It's mother's day where she is right now, (as the Philippines is 12 hours ahead of St. Louis). So I remembered this photo I took during my last trip. A photo of her reading the newspaper while she relaxes in a hammock at the farm - a candid yet poignant photo. That's her, in all her simplicity...

That afternoon, I cannot forget the plate of deko (or biko in Tagalog, rice cake in English), her favorite afternoon snack... it's so simple yet accurately makes me recall home. We both enjoyed the whole tray of rice cake that I almost didn't have enough for the pictures below... Oh but we enjoyed the moment - of just being there... hanging out... eating bite after bite, story after story. The moment comes to me clear as I stare at the photo... wishing I was there again to enjoy the deko - and to just be with her.

To my Mama, Happy Mother's Day! I know our love transcends time and distance, you are here in my heart forevermore.

Deko Fondue (Biko con Tsokalate;Rice Cake Fondue)

Ingredients:

2 cups sweet rice,

1/2 can coconut milk

3 cups water

1/4 tsp salt

2 cans coconut milk

3/4 c brown sugar (you could add more if you want it sweeter)

Direction:

Cook sweet rice by filling up a stockpot with coconut milk and water. Pour the rice and cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Set aside.

Meanwhile let's make the coconut crumbs that we Filipinos call latik. Latik is the residue formed from the reduction of coconut milk. Just pour the whole can of coconut milk in a thick saucepan. Bring it to boil and continue to stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. The milk will begin to change its color to slight brown and begin to solidify. Set aside half of the latik and leave the other half on the pan. At this point add the brown sugar. Continue to stir until the sugar caramelizes. Once it has caramelized, And stir in the cooked sweet rice until every grain is lathered with caramelized coconut mixture.

Press on a pan. Sprinkle the coconut crumbs. Let it cool. Slice into squares when served.

I have posted a Tsokolate-eh here before. You could add more chocolate balls or tablea to make a thicker chocolate dip. Enjoy!

Happy Mother's day to all the moms out there. Special shout out to my mother in law, Mama Bernie for being there for me and my husband through all these years... We love you Mama B!

Spicy Crispy Fried Chicken

2013-05-08T18:14:00.000-05:00

If there's anything that screams EAT ME it is a plate of crispy fried chicken.

This is exactly what happened to me when I re-posted my Fried Chicken A la Jollibee on my Facebook page. The image of this all-time favorite Filipino-style chicken dish got stuck in my head. And no matter how much I tell myself not to give in (as I am trying to clean up our diet) I crave for it... and continue to crave... and yes I still am CRAVING FOR IT !

"I guess fried chicken is what's for dinner tonight", my husband cajoled me when I told him about my craving.

"But I have one request... can you make it spicy?" he queried.

His suggestion made me want IT even more! Oh yes baby, spicy, crispy fried chicken is in the works.

Spicy, Crispy Fried Chicken
I tweaked my recipe for Fried Chicken Ala Jollibee. I ditched the five spice altogether and replaced it with Italian seasoning... and spiked it with layers of chili-goodness.

Ingredients:
8-10 pcs chicken thighs and legs
lemon
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chili sauce

For the breading:

1/2 c cornstarch

1/2 c flour

salt & pepper

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 piece red chili (bird's eye chili or Thai chili), chopped

Procedure:
Marinate chicken with lemon and salt and pepper overnight or at least 30 minutes. Drizzle chili sauce before frying.

Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about half full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot... or better yet use a deep fry thermometer and fry chicken at 360 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, roll the chicken pieces on to the breading.
Shake off excess flour.
Drop 5-6 pieces into the hot oil.
Make sure there's enough space to stir the chicken.
Deep fry it until golden brown.
Drain the fried chicken.
It should be crispy golden brown like so

Here's my simple recipe for the gravy. You could adjust the consistency according to your own preference... but here's the basic recipe: toast 2 tbsp of the breading mix... when it's slightly brown, add 2 tbsp butter and stir... cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour a cup of soup stock. Stir continuously to avoid lumps. The gravy should start to thicken. Season with salt and pepper... and a dash of chili sauce. You could even season with light soy if you want. Good luck.

Pho-n Class | Griled Lemongrass Beef

2013-05-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you - I am having so much fun lately teaching my Modern Asian Cooking Series.

You see, I have been all over St. Louis and its neighboring towns sharing the love for cooking Asian food. I know a lot of people out there are intimidated cooking cuisines from different cultures... but the feedback I am getting from the cooking school managers and the participants themselves are encouraging, as more students sign up for my Modern Asian cooking classes.

In my recent class in Dierberg's Edwardsville Il, I was so thrilled to see that students from my previous class came back to attend. It's was fun to see them again. There were two ladies that touched me the most, Sharon and Stella. I did not expect them to come back after my initial class but I am in awe that they are already signed up for my next class. It makes me feel blessed.

"It's my first time to taste all these flavors and spices that you introduce in class.", Sharon declares.

"We love attending your class because we learn so much not just on food but your culture as well", Stella proclaims.

It is such a pleasure to share something that for me seems so mundane, but for others it's something new and interesting. Something as simple as mincing lemongrass can be daunting for someone not familiar with this herb (or grass).

Just like what Lisa (one of my Dierberg's Southroads students) said: "I never used lemongrass before because who knew how to use a tall stem like that?"

So today I thought of sharing with you

GRILLED LEMONGRASS BEEF

Ingredients:

1- 1.5 lb beef thinly sliced
2 tbsps fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalk of lemongrass, minced (How to mince lemongrass)
2 tbsp chili oil (optional)

Whisk all of the fish sauce and brown sugar and garlic together.When the brown sugar is dissolved, add the beef and minced lemongrass. Mix thoroughly. Grill the beef. If you don't have a griller you may heat up a skillet, when it's hot enough, place one layer of beef and pan fry each side. You will hear it sizzle.

You should keep an eye on it as it carmelizes easily. You may want the edges to be brown and crunchy but not burnt. Add more minced lemongrass and minced garlic. Give it a quick stir and voila, it's ready.

Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with the dipping sauce by mixing:
1/4 tsp siracha
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
juice from a large lime/lemon
1 clove minced garlic

Special thanks to those who attended my class... Cora, Donna, Lisa, Ann, Excy and Art and Fides and Rommel, Joel and Kathy! See you next month!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Beef

2013-04-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

When the cat's away, the mice will play.

Indeed, that's exactly what I did when he was away.

No silly, wipe off that naughty smile on your face. You see if you follow my blog, you will notice that my new post veers away from my usual flavor profile. And when you cook for yourself, it gives you a chance to be playful. That's the kind of play I'm talking about - being creative in the kitchen without any constraints or limitations. And I especially focus on the flavors - new and old - and experiment with unfamiliar ingredients.

I've always loved stuffed peppers - it is always in my to-cook-list that I carry around. Why is it on the list? Well I'm not sure. So when I saw the vibrant colors of bell peppers at the store the other day, I knew right away that stuffed peppers will be in my menu very soon. Quinoa, on the other hand, is something that I've only discovered recently. And how to spell the word quinoa - much more how to enunciate it - is always a challenge but I love to use this pseudo-cereal as a substitute for rice.

So I must admit, I have been terrible on the occasions when I need to fend for myself. Why bother cooking just for me? But the colorful bell peppers in my fridge seduces me to change my mind... So A-HA!... The moment to make stuffed peppers reveals itself to me. They look so festive, nutritious. And most of all, it makes me happy!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Beef

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/4 c water
1 can beef broth
1/2 lb beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 pcs bell pepper
1/2 c crumbly Gorgonzola, divided
1/4 c Panko bread crumbs
1/2 c pineapple tidbits
1/2 c cubed tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees.

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh. In a stockpot, add the broth and water. Bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the drained quinoa. Lower heat and cook it for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the top of the bell peppers. Remove the seeds and the insides, creating a nice pepper cup. Set aside.

In a pan, saute onions and garlic with olive oil. When onions are translucent, add the beef. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, mix the cooked quinoa and beef. Mix them together. Add pineapple tidbits, grogonzola and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fill the bell peppers and bake it for 15 minutes. (Note: I want to keep my peppers firm and also make sure not to dry up my beef and quinoa)

When the cat is away the mice will play?

Hmm maybe I did. *wink... *wink. Thank you Ann, Viv and Dave, Rene and Majessa for keeping me busy over the weekend Cheers!

Red Snapper with Lemon Coleslaw on a Spinach Cup and Wasabi Mayo

2013-04-15T12:05:00.001-05:00

He called me from work last week and asked "What are you having for lunch?"

"A Spinach Wrap!" was my reply.

And he said "It sounds healthy and refreshing! That's good!"

Then, the next day, he called again and asked the same question and I replied "Spinach Wrap"

"Hmm, Yum Again!" he said.

And for the remainder of the week, he popped the same question. Yes you guessed it right, I answered: "Spinach Wrap!"

"What? SPINACH WRAP Again??? Don't you get tired of it?" he asked in disbelief. "Love, you are usually creative. What happened? Aren't you inspired at all?"

I smiled, little did he know that I've been enjoying my spinach wrap marathon lately. I use my spinach wrap as a blank canvass, and pretty much. everyday I create a colorful new picture. It depends on my mood, really. Sometimes I could easily throw in any left-overs from the previous night to a bed of spring greens. Sounds healthy, right? Or sometimes, I would grill it with cheese (oooh gooey) or add some cream with fresh fruits... oh so divine...

So ok, in case he calls today, and he pops the same question... I will not say Spinach Wrap. This time I would say: Red Snapper with Lemon Coleslaw on a Spinach Cup and Wasabi Mayo.

I can't wait to hear what he has to say this time. How about you... What are you eating for lunch today?

Happy Monday!

Red Snapper with Lemon Coleslaw on a Spinach Cup and Wasabi Mayo

Ingredients

Pan-fried fish strips
I used Pan Fried Red Snapper which I seasoned with salt and pepper and lemon. Pan fried each side, takes about 4-6 minutes)

Lemon Coleslaw
Mix 1 cup coleslaw mix, 2 tbsp mayo, lemon juice from lemon, 1 tsp sugar ,salt and pepper to taste. You may also add a drop of sesame oil a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds.

Wasabi mayo: 2 tbsp mayo, a dot of wasabi (you may add more if you want)

Small Spinach wraps

Assemble them all together and you will enjoy a refreshing lunch in no time. Enjoy

Weeknite Cooking | Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

2013-04-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

If pork chops were characters in a play and I am the writer, they will definitely fall into the main character. Where will Kermit be without Miss Piggy? The pork chop is the star of the play - acting along with the most valuable supporting casts, including veggies shrimps, crabs and steaks. They are always a good fit for a feel good story. Much like a Julia Roberts-Hugh Grant romantic comedy. Oh and the Kermit-Miss Piggy relationship is one of the successful long-term Hollywood relationships.

Pork chops always bring smiles to my dinner table. And there's a delightful feeling of nibbling at the meat on the bones, savoring every flavor it brings... It's one of the characters in my fridge because yep, it's easy to prepare them and it always spells SPECIAL once on the dinner table.

And while I was taking pictures, the pork chop evokes sweet memories of Sunday dinners past. I remember when my brothers came home from the seminary and you know it's a special dinner because pork chops are in my Mama's repertoire. Perhaps you would enjoy having it for your weekday dinner - as a pick-me-upper for the Tuesday Blues - just as it did for me and my husband... Enjoy!

Pork Chop in Balsamic Reduction

4 pcs pork chops (bone in)

2 large onions

1 cup baby bellas

2 tbsp cooking oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup crema di balsamico

2 tbsp steak sauce

salt and pepper

Procedure:

Heat a heavy pan. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Make sure to season both sides. Put oil into the pan. Add the chops. Leave it alone for 4 minutes. The pork should have a nice brown crust. Turn the chops and do the same on the other side. Set aside the chops.

Pour the drippings and leave around a table spoon of oil in to the pan. Add sliced onions. Cook until onions are caramelized. Add mushrooms, give a quick stir. Add crema di balsamico and steak sauce. Let it simmer. Put the chops back into the pan. Let it simmer for about 6-8 minutes or until the chops are cooked. .... voila... ENJOY!

Spring Fling | Lumpiang Hubad (No Wrap Spring Rolls)

2013-04-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

I feel like having a Spring Fling.

OK, calm down now, I was referring to the weather. Spring has remained elusive... well, especially here in St. Louis and in most parts of the East Coast. But this morning, the gentle warmth of the sun touching my skin made me instantly fall in love with the season. It's about time to park those winter layers inside the closet... put away those boots... and yes let the song "Here comes the sun..." get stuck in your head.

Along with getting rid of the layers of clothing, maybe it's also a good time to get our bad habits out the window and say... "I'm ready for a fresh start!"

Lately, I've been challenging myself to eat healthy. And it feels good to be in that zone. Nope I'm not even saying the dreaded words ("I'm on a diet") but keeping a healthy option is what I go with.

So for today, I share a classic Filipino dish called Lumpiang Hubad (or Spring Roll sans the wrapper). Filipinos have different kinds of lumpia (spring rolls), the most popular one is called Lumpiang Shanghai. It is filled with pork rolled in a thin wrapper and deep fried. But the healthier version is what we call Lumpiang Sariwa (or Fresh Lumpia). The word "fresh" means it's not fried. It is made mostly of vegetables and rolled in a thin crepe that is soft and refreshing to the palette. But this recipe calls for no wrap or spring rolls. Sorry I find it hard to directly translate the name of this dish. Hubad in Filipino means Naked in English... so it doesn't sound right to call it Naked Spring Rolls haha.. But before I confuse you any further with my Spring Fling, here's the recipe.

Lumpiang Hubad (No Wrap Veggies)

1 chicken breast julliened
1/4 lb shrimp, deveined and julliened
1/2 medium sized cabbage, sliced into strips
2 medium carrots, sliced into strips
1 medium singkamas, sliced into strips
1 c green beans, julliened
4 pcs garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp annatto powder (optional)

In a cooking pan, saute onions and garlic with olive oil. Mix in annatto powder, give it a quick stir. Add chicken slices. Saute for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp and give it a quick stir. After about 4 minutes add in all sliced vegetables and season with oyster sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until done.

For the peanut sauce
1/2 cup of light soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar (you could adjust it accordingly)
2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 c cornstarch dispersed in water (make sure to have no lumps)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c peanut, crushed

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together : soy sauce, water peanut butter and sugar into a saucepan. When boiling, add the cornstarch mixture, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Remove from heat when the sauce begins to thicken.

Garnish with crushed peanuts and minced garlic.

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

2013-03-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

Around this time last year, I had the privilege of observing Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Tuguegarao (my hometown). After more than fifteen years, it was wonderful to be part of the festivities again. Through my pictures, I hope to share with you my experience.

This is Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao. On a personal note, this Cathedral is where most of my family's sacraments took place: my parents' wedding, my siblings' and my baptism. And when I was young, this is where we would attend mass each week. What's most exciting for me is that the current Parish Priest is my brother, Fr. Gerry :)

The cathedral was built in the 1700's and is considered one of the biggest in the region. During Sundays and holidays, the cathedral is fully packed with devout Catholics.

Just like any other Catholic church, Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral's Holy Week schedule is full. One of the highlights is Good Friday's "Way of the Cross" procession. Here are some images.

Each image is assigned to a family or clan. For almost 50 years now, our clan has been in charge of the statue of Sta. Veronica. With the permission of my cousin Nanny P. - I am sharing pictures from his Facebook wall.

Shown above is my brother Francis, who owns a local flower shop in Tugue called Blooms Central, and is in charge of the flower arrangement.

And my cousin Nanny writes:

This is an annual Holy Week activity that my whole family and relatives look forward to since our childhood. It has been an obligation handed down to me by my maternal uncle about 28 years ago. The holy week of the family is incomplete without honoring SANTA VERONICA during Holy Thursday and Holy Friday processions.

And when the procession ends, all the flowers are gone. The town folks scramble to get flowers throughout the procession, as their panata or belief is that the flowers will bring them luck.

What ever you believe in, I hope the true meaning of Holy Week - which is of love and hope - reaches your heart!. And may the real gift of the risen Lord be yours to keep...Happy Easter!

Seafood Weekend | Crawfish ala Hot and Juicy

2013-03-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

I love it when my husband cooks with me in the kitchen.

Well OK, maybe sometimes! There are times when we disagree, and oh you don't want to hear that part of the story. : ) But I can say that for the recipe I'm about to share, it states that "I'm lucky I fell in love with my best friend". Yep, this is definitely one of the best collaborative cooking experiments that we've done.

For today's recipe, my husband and I prepared a Hot-N-Juicy (H-n-J)-inspired crawfish and shrimp with Louisiana-Style seasoning. We went to the market earlier today and they had live crawfish. So crawfish it is... and we want it spicy... Oooh Baby!

Hot N Juicy is similar to The Boiling Crab in Southern California - which is well known for the long lines and wait - but it is soooo worth it. So H-n-J is a crawfish joint that started in Las Vegas and has several locations in the East coast and So Cal. We've visited the Orlando location - thanks Dick and Marvie for the invite. Expect it to be hot and messy when you dine here, as the seafood can be really spicy and it is served in a plastic bag with all the juices and seasoning.

So taking the cue from Hot N Juicy, we cooked the crawfish with shrimp, potatoes, corn and sausage - all sprinkled liberally with spicy seafood seasoning - or simply known as the crawfish Louisiana Boil recipe. To put a Filipino take on this dish, we added sweet longganisa instead of andouille sausage. And guess whose suggestion that was? Yep I have to give it to my husband. And the result is outstanding! Uhm let's say we were in a food coma after, haha!

Crawfish Ala Hot and Juicy

You could use Louisiana (brand) boil powder - but there is a hint of anise - which may not be to everyone's liking. So we concocted our own seasoning - Louisiana-Style.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb. crawfish

1 lb shrimp

1 pack of sweet longganisa (around 12 bite size pcs,)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced

3 pieces whole corn (sliced in half)

Spices for boiling:

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp chili oil

1 tbsp seafood salt

1 tbsp seafood seasoning

4-6 cups of water (enough to cover the crawfish)

1-2 tbsp of Louisiana hot sauce (adjust to heat preference)

Ingredients for the sauce:

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

3 tbsp butter

1 tbsp chili oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp seafood salt

1 tsp seafood seasonin

2 pc bay leaf

2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce

Procedure:

Wash and clean the crawfish several times with tap water. Click here to see how.

In a pot, boil water. Add salt, chili oil, seafood salt, seafood seasoning and Louisiana hot sauce. Let the water boil for 10 minutes. Then add the crawfish. Let it boil for 6-8 minutes. Turn off the stove and soak the crawfish for an additional 20 minutes, uncovered. Drain and set aside.

In another pot, boil for 10-12 minutes the potatoes, corn and longganisa, with the same ingredients used in boiling the crawfish. Drain and sear the longganisa and potatoes on a separate pan.

In a bowl mix the lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, Louisiana hot sauce, seafood salt, seafood seasoning, and chili oil - set aside. In a big wok, saute garlic with butter. Add bay leaf then add shrimp. Cook for about 4 minutes or until shrimp color changes to orange. Add crawfish and the spices you mixed earlier. Stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the seared longganisa, potatoes and corn. You may add the broth used to boil the corn and longganisa.

It may seem complicated, but trust me, it's worth all the trouble! ENJOY!

Breathe | Squid Adobo Balsamico Pasta

2013-03-06T22:45:00.001-06:00

Mum - breathe... take a break!

This was my daughter's message as I was telling her how intense this Coco Cooking Contest has become. Call it madness but I have been totally obsessed with trying to win this cooking challenge via online voting.

I'm afraid some of my friends would now avoid me when they see me online on FB. : ) They must have been irked with my appeal to please vote... Initially I said "vote - please" (in a soft tone)... But as the competition got more intense, I was now typing in caps: VOTE - or else... $!&@! (insert favorite curse word here). I paraded around Facebook with a loud gong and megaphone announcing to the world that I should win. And it must have been annoying! LOL! I now realize my folly - please forgive me my FB friends.

But through it all, I am most grateful to all of you - and I am glad that I have so many supportive friends. Thank you to my new friends I met through the promotion of my recipe for this contest. Thank you for voting for me from all over the world - my friends from the Southern Philippines, in Manila, and of course those in my hometown of Tuguegarao. Thanks to all those who voted in the US, special shout-out to friends and family in Las Vegas, San Diego, LA, SFO, Oregon, Nebraska, Alaska, Georgia, Florida, New York and New Jersey - some of these places I am more familiar to than others - but you were one in supporting me. I may finish second in the competition but your support made me realize that I have already won.

My daughter is right. I should take a break... and when I take a break, you will find me in my kitchen, trying to express myself through my recipes...

So to my friends, here's a recipe called Squid Adobo Balsamico Pasta. Thank you for your votes. And in case you have not voted (opps I can't help it.) I would like you to take a few seconds to give me your vote.

SQUID ADOBO BALSAMICO PASTA
I was staring at the thawed baby squid when my phone notification beeped. It was a message from my friend Orly. He was busy giving me his statistical analysis of the voting results when I asked him a random question: What is your favorite Filipino food? His reply was: Adobo, because of the myriad variety to cook it.On that note, I took the humble traditional squid adobo and amped it up like what I love to do. Thanks Orly for the inspiration and for all that you do.

Ingredients:
2 lbs baby squid (clean with salt and rinse well)
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp crema de balsmico
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onions, chopped
2 tbsp capers
fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
cooked pasta

Procedure:

First clean the squid and follow instructions here Make sure to reserve the ink sac.

In a pan, saute garlic and onions. Cook until onions are wilted. Add squid and its ink. Cook until squid renders its own liiquid. Add wrocestershire sauce, crema de balsamico and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for just a few minutes as overcooking the squid will make it rubbery. Sprinkle thyme, give it a quick stir. Add in the capers. The dish should be saucy and creamy. Pour over a platter of cooked pasta.

Garnish:
Drizzle with toasted garlic and olive oil.
Sprinkle grated ginger. (freeze a thumb size ginger and grate it over the plate of pasta)
Add more capers (optional but i do love capers so I usually add more)
Add cherry tomatoes.
I also added fried calamare to add more texture

Enjoy!

Coco Loco | Coco Pandan Rice with Mango, Coconut Creme Anglaise and Bourbon Smoked Coconut Crumbs

2013-02-26T19:56:00.000-06:00

Breaking News: My entry below is one of the finalists! There are 10 finalists and only one will win... yep the most number of votes online... so if you could cast your vote for me I would greatly appreciate it. Here's the link Thank you!

___________________________________________________________________

I will always be a small town girl.

There are the good and beautiful memories from our childhood that we all rediscover more intensely as we grow older. This is more so if you are far away from home. For instance, when you mention coconut milk to me, I reminisce about the special merienda (afternoon snack) that my grandma prepared, which served as a reward after my siblings and I took the mandatory siesta (afternoon nap).You see, I grew up in the Northern Philippines in a town called Tuguegarao. Although no longer a small town (as it is now a city of 400,000), it still has the small town feel where everyone knows each other. I grew up without any giant food franchises, no big chain food suppliers. Eating local and buying local was the norm.

"Go to sleep and when you wake up we will have deko (sweet rice desserts with coconut milk)..." said my mother, who cajoled us to take a nap. It sounded like a terrific reward and I reckoned to forcibly close my eyes. When I heard the sound of the coconut being grated in a kudkuran (a wooden grater - a common kitchen tool in the

Philippines

), I was more motivated and even pressured to force myself to sleep. I knew that the sweet coconut-laced snack will be worth the "boring" activity. And I remembered that, as I opened my eyes and awoke, the aroma of toasted coconut crumbs hit me as it was prepared in the kitchen downstairs. And even in the hot summer, the steam of freshly cooked rice cake was pleasurable to a child more than anything else in the world.

“I MUST JOIN!”

I kept chanting this to myself with much excitement when I heard that Cook Taste Eat in partnership with Whole Foods Market NorCal called for all food bloggers to come up with an appetizer or dessert using 365 Everyday Value coconut milk. In my cooking classes, my students most enjoyed my sticky rice and mango recipe. However, for today's recipe I elevated the taste even more by adding the silky coconut creme anglaise and also bourbon-smoked sugar as suggested by two lovely ladies whom I met in one of my classes. Indeed, this dessert has evolved from a simple homemade merienda to a fresh amped-up dessert.

I used 365 Everyday Value coconut milk in every layer of this dessert. It is a delightful trifecta of coconut flavors: the soft and creamy coconut rice is brightened by the coconut creme anglaise, and the surprise crunch of the coconut crumbs tops it all off! Ahhh – this is definitely coco loco heaven!

Coco Pandan Rice with Mango, Coconut Creme Anglaise and Bourbon Smoked Coconut Crumbs

Ingredients:

2 cups rice
2-3 cups water (you may add as you go)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 365 Everyday Value Coconut Milk
4 pandan leaves

Procedure:
Pre-heat oven 350 F.
Soak the rice with water for 20 minutes. In a pan, pour the rice amd water, then add 2 more cups of water and 1 can of coconut milk, sugar and salt. Add the pandan leaves. Bring it to a boil while stirring continuously to make sure that the rice won't get stuck at the bottom of the pan. When the rice is cooked and the texture is almost dry, add 3/4 can of coconut milk. Mix well and let it sit in the oven for 10 minutes. Make sure that the rice is cooked but not mushy. Discard pandan leaves. Let it cool.

Slice mangoes into cubes, set aside.

For the coconut creme anglaise

3 large egg yolks
1/2 c whipping cream
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup 365 Everyday Value Coconut Milk
lemon zest

In a saucepan, pour the condensed milk, whipping cream and coconut milk together. Bring the mixture to simmer. Add lemon zest. Set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks together. Now slowly add the warm milk mixture. Make sure to continuously stir the mixture as you pour. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook under medium heat. Continue to stir as you cook until the custard thickens. This procedure is a critical step in achieving a coco loco heaven point. Make sure that the mixture is creamy not cooked (like when you scramble the eggs). Add more lemon zest when the custard has cooled down. Set aside.

Coconut Crumbs (Latik)
1 can 365 Everyday Value Coconut Milk

3/4 - 1 tbsp bourbon smoked sugar

Meanwhile, let's make the latik.(coconut crumbs). Latik is the residue formed from the reduction of coconut milk. Just pour a whole can of coconut milk in a thick saucepan. Bring it to boil and continue to stir until it has been reduced to almost no liquid at all. The milk will begin to change its color to slight brown and begin to solidify. Continue to cook until a little bit crunchy. Add the bourbon smoke sugar and stir. Set aside for garnish.

To assemble:
Slice the sticky rice into bite size servings. Top with mango, drizzle some custard sauce and sprinkle coconut crumbs....ENJOY!

In exchange for writing this blog and tweeting a link to this blog, I received an entry into the Food Blogger to Media Star Promotion. For the Official Rules, visit http://www.cooktasteeat.com/food-blogger-media-star-official-rules.

Filipino Comfort Food 101 | Kare Kare (Oxtail and Tripe Stew in Peanut Sauce)

2013-02-16T10:51:00.000-06:00

The plethora of food diaries seen in blogs, magazines and even TV shows, has opened the door to a more accepting food culture. It is now fashionable to try something different. What was deemed intimidating is now called fresh, bold and ground-breaking. Anthony Bourdain was way ahead of his time. From dining at a sushi bar to feasting on prime rib steaks, it is now cool to enjoy good food. Food is no longer taken just for nourishment, food is now savored, talked about and even watched by millions on TV. Who would have thunk?

For today's dish, I hope you still keep an open mind. For us Filipinos, kare-kare holds a very special place in our foodscape. It is usually served as part of our "special" dinner spread - always present in parties and in celebrating special occasions. Kare-kare tastes better when shared with family and friends. The classic kare-kare recipe is a stew in peanut sauce with oxtail, beef, vegetables and tripe. As a dish often prepared for fiestas throughout the country, kare-kare is comfort food for Filipinos living abroad.

When done exquisitely, it serves as a time machine that brings you back to your hometown as a kid - remembering the fiestas and special events you celebrated with your family. A bite into the stew brings the peanut sauce front and center followed by the tripe that melts in your mouth What puts you over the edge is the sliver of bagoong (shrimp paste) you add to a spoonful of the stew, as there is no other taste like it. And there is no place like Home...

Kare-Kare (Oxtail and Tripe Stew in Peanut Sauce)

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs of oxtail cut into pieces (they usually come in packs already cut)
2-3 lbs tripe
1/4 c rice, toasted then pulverized (use Kare kare mix as an alternative)
3- 4 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tsp annato powder
2 onions (1 for sauteing, one for tenderizing the meat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
bokchoy
2 pcs eggplant (sliced)
1 bundle string beans (sliced, 3 inch long)

Procedure:
Rub rock salt on the oxtail to clean. Rinse thoroughly. On a stockpot, place the oxtail and submerge it with water. Allow the water to boil. Discard the water. Rinse the oxtail and discard the water. In the same stockpot, submerge the oxtail with water again. Throw in some bay leaf, peppercorn and celery. Boil until tender. You could use the stock later, but make sure to remove the fat that settles on top.

Do the same procedure with the tripe. Usually the tripe sold here in the US is already white and clean. But you can still rub salt to clean. Repeat procedure as you've done with the oxtail. Let it cool and slice the tripe into strips, 2-3 inches long and 0.5 inch wide. Drain the water and set the tripe aside.

Saute garlic and onions until onions get wilted and translucent. Add annato powder, stir to mix well. Add oxtail and tripe (make sure they are tender). Season with salt and pepper. Stir for about 2 minutes then add beef broth.(3-4 cups). Let it simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the broth has been reduced. Add the pulverized rice (or the kare-kare mix). This will thicken the sauce, so make sure to keep on stirring. Add peanut butter. Mix well, taste and season with salt (or shrimp paste) and pepper.

In a separate pot, pour 2 cups of water. Add a teaspoon of baking powder. Season with salt. Drop the veggies and remove after boiling. Drain excess water. Add blanched vegetables on the cooked kare kare. Serve with cooked or bottled shrimp paste on the side. Enjoy!

Baked Pompano in Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

2013-02-12T20:06:00.003-06:00

Pompano is one of my favorite fish species to bake. It does have a high fat content - as more than half of its calorie breakdown is from fat (with the remainder being composed of protein). But no worries, as most of the fat is unsaturated - the "good type" of fat that is linked to having beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. I love the texture of pompano especially if it's fresh. It is almost creamy, as it kinda melts in your mouth.

I'm lucky that I found a good source for seafood here in St. Louis. My weekend usually includes a stop at the seafood markets along Olive Ave.

It may not sound right, but this is my "happy" place. And oh not just me... just look at how happy my husband is "shrimping", haha.

These days, I am lucky that we could get our hands on live blue crabs...

Or on fresh shrimp. They are the juiciest, perfect combination of sweet and salty.

And oh, while you get your seafood cleaned, it's a good way to meet new friends. Would you believe that I met a sweet lady while we were both standing by the cleaning station. We swapped recipes, then our phone numbers. Later that evening, I got a call from her inviting me for dinner.

"It's my birthday and my friends are having a party for me. Why don't you come so you could meet them?"

How can I say no to a party? Much more her birthday party... right.

Ok I digress... and before I get any further, let me share with you my fish recipe. But you're going to forgive me for my awful photography. But oh well, my family devoured it before I could even think about re-taking photos... LOL!

Baked Pompano in Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 whole pompano (around 2 lbs) cleaned, gills removed
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp orange zest
juice of one orange
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
5 pcs sliced tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 pieces ginger, pressed

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees. Wash the fish thoroughly. Pat with paper towel to dry.

To make vinaigrette: Combine the\vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. After mixing together, add the oil. Then add tomatoes, onions, ginger and lemon rind. Set aside.

Rub the orange balsamic vinaigrette inside and outside of the fish. Stuff the onions, tomatoes inside the fish belly and put the rest on top and below the fish. Wrap with foil and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Guilty Pleasure | Porchetta ala Malou

2013-02-09T18:45:00.001-06:00

Once we hit our 40's, eating healthy should become the norm rather than a fad. But let's face it, we still enjoy a slice of decadent chocolate cake or a slab of juicy steak when opportunity knocks. We all have our guilty pleasures when it comes to food. And the holidays seem to make it worse, as the extended family gathers and (maybe for most of us) we put up with each other's company. But that's what family is all about.

Last Christmas, I had the chance to share my guilty pleasure with my family. This is my version of the iconic Italian dish Porchetta. It is the savory, fatty, succulent and ever so tempting pork dish that is always a crowd-pleaser. From your local Italian restaurant to Mario Batali, a Porchetta recipe is easily available.

For my recipe, I used a rolled pork belly stuffed with lemon-grass, thyme, rosemary, bacon and generously sprinkled with garlic, salt and pepper. I gently tied the pork "roll" with cooking twine and baked it in a bain-marie for a couple of hours.

The result is a plate of juicy,well seasoned slice of pork with the crispy skin attached. I am glad this is only shared at parties or featured to celebrate the holidays, as it may be too much of a good thing if I have this more often.

Porchetta ala Malou

3-4 lbs Pork belly
salt and pepper
5 cloves garlic
6 stalks of lemongrass
1 pack bacon (chopped)
2 tbsp Thyme (fresh, chopped; if using dried, use 1/3 less)
2 tbsp Rosemary

Directions:

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the lemongrass. Make sure to get the juices out. Add the garlic and continue to pound. Add thyme, rosemary and generous amount of salt and pepper. Set lemongrass mixture.

Lay the pork belly on a flat surface with skin side up. Using a meat mallet, pound the skin all over. This will make the skin crispy.

Flip the belly and rub the lemongrass mixture generously. Spread a thin layer of the chopped bacon. Roll the pork and secure with cooking twine.

Now, rub the lemongrass mixture all over the skin. Refrigerate roast overnight. (If you have the time, 2 nights would be preferred)

Let the pork belly sit at room temperature. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Use a baine marie and place the pork belly. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes and reduce temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 1 hour. Remove cover. Bake it for another hour or until roast reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

Set the oven on broil until the skin is crispy and mahogany brown. This takes a few minutes so better keep an eye on it. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Enjoy...

Different Strokes | Paella ala Benedict

2013-01-26T09:36:00.000-06:00

If you hear my brother-in-law, Benedict, and I "arguing" in the kitchen, you may think we are often at each other's throat. But the truth is we're not. We enjoy each other's company, we grew up in the same hometown and our parents have been close friends for decades. Our "arguments" stem from our different styles of cooking. He's more of a traditionalist while I have a more modern approach. He sticks to the cookbook while I love to create my own. He is so organized, cleans as he goes... while - uhmmm - let's just say I clean after - way after, hehe.

But I gotta give it to him, because every time I'm in Orlando and I invade his kitchen, he lets me cook my recipes. But we've also learned our lesson: we should not cook at the same time, and much more, the same dish. With that in mind, our latest collaboration last holiday season ran smoothly and the spread was fantaboulous!

I am proud to share what we served for the holidays (remember we can't be in the same kitchen so we can't be in the same post either--- hehe, so I'll share my porchetta recipe in a future post).

This is Benedict in his sanctuary--the kitchen. He stamped his kitchen with his name on it, well literally and figuratively. I mean, each shelf is organized and labeled. His pantry is in a FIFO (first in, first out) arrangement. And his MacGyver-usque gadgets come in handy when you need them.

So today it's my pleasure to share with you Benedict's Paella. Again, we differ in our style of cooking this dish, but his recipe turned out perfectly.

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 lb clams
1 lb mussels
3 pcs chorizos (sliced)
1/2 lb pork (sliced)
2 chicken breast (sliced)
2 bell pepper (sliced)
1 pack green beans
2 cans tomato sauce
1 tsp saffron
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 tbsp oil
3 cups rice (washed and soaked)
6 cups broth
4 boiled eggs

Procedure:
Boil shrimp, mussels and clams. Drain and set aside. (He said, you could use the seafood stock but he says you might find it so strong, so he suggests using chicken broth instead)
Heat olive oil on a large skillet or paella pan. Add chicken and pork. Brown both sides. Add chorizos and let it sweat. Pour tomato sauce. Add rice and give it a quick stir. Add chicken stock (around 4-5 cups) and sprinkle safron. Cook for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Add the seafood, bell pepper and green beans. Cover for a few minutes and you're ready to serve an EPIC rice dish! Enjoy!

And oh I'll see you at Dierbergs this week for the Thai Cravings series. And for more rice recipes, join me at WholeFoods at Town and Country on Feb 20 for SurpRice Party cooking class. See you #STL!

Fiesta Filipino Cooking Class Recap

2013-01-10T18:07:00.003-06:00

It was a huge success. The Fiesta Filipino cooking class that I conducted at the Kitchen Conservatory in Clayton was both well attended and, more importantly, well received. This was a dream come true for me, as I am very passionate about sharing Filipino food recipes to a wider audience.

It was a dellight to have 12 people attend my class. Yep it was a fun hands-on cooking class; they discovered the culinary process of making latik (coconut sprinkles formed from the reduction of coconut milk; the class gave the a first hand experience of using banana leaves for steaming fish and baking sweet rice cake. And they had fun learning how Filipinos celebrate fiestas. Oh and special thanks goes to Anita, who assisted me throughout the night.

True to its title Fiesta Filipino, we prepared dishes normally served during Fiestas. We started off with a sweet and savory braised pork leg called Patatim. And what's not to love with braising pork, especially during these cold winter months?

Then we went on with Fresh Lumpia: a vegetable dish sautéed with meat, shrimp, garlic and onions all rolled in a delicate crepe. The lumpia is topped with a sweet soy sauce-based sauce and sprinkled with fresh garlic and crushed peanuts

Then we preceded to steaming our big red snapper. I will share you the recipe for this Fiesta iconic dish we call Fiesta Holiday Fish below.

We made two desserts. The first one was Majah Blanca, This is a popular Filipino dessert made by simmering together coconut cream, milk and sugar. and letting it cool and set. The creamy coconut cream pudding is punctuated with toasted coconut milk crumbs on top

And the fiesta is not complete without the dessert called biko (Sweet Sticky Rice with Caramelized Coconut Cream). Women gather together to make this special dessert cooked in banana lined pans.

You may want to see the photos posted on Kitchen Conservatory's Facebook page. I'm sure you will agree with me as the photos reveal that they had a wonderful time. And don't we look like we are one big happy family preparing a spread for a real Fiesta? Yes indeed we all warmed up to each other and were soon gathered around the kitchen. It felt like a fiesta.

Fiesta Holiday Fish

(We prepared a whole red snapper during the class but for the purpose of this post, I recreated the dish using a slice of mahi mahi. But traditionally, a whole fish is used).

1 large grouper/ pampano or red snapper

2 pcs lemon

5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushesd

3 pcs. ginger, peeled and crushed

2 cups mayo

4 tbsp cream cheese

3 pcs. shallots

1 pc. red bell pepper

3 pcs. carrots, peeled and blanched

1 cup pickle relish

3 boiled eggs, mashed.

Clean the fish. Score both sides of the fish. Squeeze the lemons over the fish and sprinkle salt and pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes.

Lay the fish flat on a banana leaf. Add onions, ginger, cilantro and garlic.

Wrap the fish with the banana leaf.

Steam the fish for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from steamer and pat the fish dry.

In a bowl, mix mayo and milk together. Add shallots and pickle relish. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the mayo mixture on both sides of the fish. Arrange the sliced pepper, boiled eggs and carrots on top of the fish. Enjoy!

If you want to join me next week, I will be teaching at Whole Foods Town and Country. Check out my cooking class schedule here... And btw, one of the dishes that I will be teaching is Seafood Sinigang. Sinigang was one of the winning dishes on the most recent episode of Top Chef (Seattle Bites) prepared by fellow Filipino Sheldon from Hawaii.

Until next time - See you STL!

Off to a great start

2013-01-05T18:30:00.000-06:00

A New Year brings in new hope, new dreams... and endless possibilities.

I love the "gifts" of the new year. I'm ecstatic, in fact, I am all fired up and ready to face 2013. I hope you are too! Now if it is obvious to you that my smile is showing from ear to ear, let me tell you why.

Remember my Modern Asian Cooking Series I launched late last year? Well it's off to a great start, as I will be cooking in 3 different venues in the St. Louis, MO area: WholeFoods Town and Country (every third Wednesday of the month) Kitchen Conservatory in Clayton and at different Dierbergs locations. It will be a fun food adventure as I take my students to the Far East and introduce them to the flavors of Asia.

So here are the classes I will be teaching and a brief description of the menu and what they share about me... (Warning: this is a shameless plug alert--haha!) But I tell you, this is an opportunity I celebrate as a food blogger. And my foodblogger friends know exactly what I mean.

1. Kitchen Conservatory : January 8, 2013 6:00 PM to 8;30 PM

SKIP TO MALOU - FIESTA FILIPINO
It is a delight to welcome the charming food blogger, Malou Perez-Nievera, who shares her passion for her native Filipino cuisine. This hands-on class will create iconic festival dishes, including fresh vegetable and meat spring rolls with crushed peanuts and sweet sauce, patatim - braised pork shoulder with star anise, and the colorful centerpiece of the fiesta table - steamed fish with creamy sauce and vibrant peppers. Prepare two traditional desserts, starting with majah blanca - coconut cream pudding, plus sweet rice cakes - a special dessert cooked in banana-lined pans.

2. Whole Foods Town and Country : January 16, 2013 6:00 - 8:30 PM

Skip to Malou: Modern Asian Cooking Series

Get ready as Malou Perez-Nievera, an award winning food blogger takes us to an adventure to the Far East featuring the flavors of the Philippines. Filipino Food is finally getting the attention of the US food scene and as Andrew Zimmerin said Filipino Food is the next big thing. Filipino food is an eclectic mix of food with Spanish influences and with the influences of its neighboring Asian countries. So get ready to whet your palate as we prepare a typical daily menu repertoire of go-to Filipino favorites.

Seafood in Tamarind Broth: is considered the dish most representative of Filipino palette: it’s slightly tangy, slightly sour and with a tinge of spice. Barely less than 15 minutes to make, this proves no night is a busy night for home cooking; definitely refreshing and comforting during winter nights.

Stuffed Eggplant: This dish has the eggplant as the center piece. The egg and the ground pork make this eggplant omelet the perfect match for the tamarind broth.

Yema: End the meal with something delightful. A custard candy made of egg yolks and condensed milk. It’s bite size, so you don’t have to worry about overloading calories.

3. Dierbergs presents: Skip to Malou: Thai Cravings
When you’re hungry and only Thai flavors will do,do it yourself! With just a few simple ingredients, Malou will show you how fast and easy it is to bring your favorite Thai specialties to the table in minutes. $37

Pad Thai Noodles • Panang Curry • Sticky Rice with Mango

Venues and Schedule:
Bogey Hills (BH) Jan. 30, Wed., 6:30-8:30 PMClarkson (CL) Jan. 22, Tues., 6:30-8:30 PMEdwardsville (ED) Feb. 25, Mon., 6:30-8:30 PMSouthroads (SR) Feb. 11, Mon., 6:30-8:30 PMWest Oak (WO) Feb. 4, Mon., 6:30-8:30 PMMalou Perez-Nievera, Culinary Professional

Happy New Year. I hope the new year brings you a BLESSful and a BLISSful life!

xoxo,
Malou

a simple song and a simple recipe

2012-12-23T06:01:00.000-06:00

I know everyone is busy at this time of the year...and so I'm offering this simple song and this simple recipe to bring you the holiday spirit.May the magic of Christmas be yours...Merry Christmas!

Ginger Pizookie with Pineapple Custard

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup sugar
1tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup crystalized ginger
1 cup milk

Directions:

Pre-heat oven at 350 F.

Grease a round 9" pan with butter.

In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add in the ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, crystallized ginger.salt and sugar.

In another bowl beat the eggs. Pour in the milk. Add the flour mixture little by little. Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly.

Pour into a baking pan until 1/3 full. (you could opt to have a thicker pizookie by pouring more cake mixture)
Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes or until a toothpick com Let it cool.

For the Pineapple Custard: (you could use the custard on your ice cream, waffle, etc.)

1 can condensed milk
2 eggs
3 tbsp cream cheese (full spoonfuls)
2/3 cup heavy cream (I use a small can of Nestle's cream)
1 tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt
1/2 can pineapple tidbits (you could use fresh pineapples too)

Using a whisk combine eggs and condensed milk and vanilla. Cook in the top of the double boiler, stirring constantly over slowly simmering water until thickened. Remove from heat immediately and let it cool.

On a another bowl, cream the cream cheese until soft. Add heavy cream Pour the custard mixture and mix them together. Add a pinch of salt. Add pineapple tidbits.

Spread the Pineapple Custard over the ginger pizookie and voila you will soon enjoy a delightful holiday treat.

Sweet Memories | Orange Banana Polvoron

2012-12-19T07:40:00.000-06:00

"This is the first year we are celebrating Christmas without Mommy Dory."

The tone in my sister in law's voice reveals that she misses Mommy Dory. I do too. Who wouldn't miss her especially at this time of the year? I know if she were still alive, Mommy Dory (my hubs maternal grandmother) would be busy in the kitchen making traditional Filipino Christmas sweets and savory dishes.

At this time, she would already have wrapped dozens of polvorons, (soft and crumbly Filipino shortbread cookie) with colorful "papel de hapon" (Japanese paper). These irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth polvorons disappear fast on the table. Every time someone walks by, they grab one haha! So she packs a few pieces in small boxes and keeps them in the small fridge in her room. She labels the boxes with our names for us to take home after our yearly Christmas reunions in Las Vegas a few years ago.

Yes, Christmas evokes sweet memories and oh yes, definitely food memories.

We are grateful that Mommy Dory left us with loads of them...

Her anecdotes and nuggets of wisdom never fail to make us laugh... and even make us shed tears as we smile.

Although to tell you honestly, I'm not sure how she will like the nontraditional polvoron flavors I created... All I know is, I thought about her lovingly as I made them.

You could check out Mommy Dory's Polvoron here, but today I'm going to share with you:

Banana Orange Polvoron

Ingredients:
2 c flour
1 c powdered milk
1 c melted butter (allow it to cool)
2/3 c sugar
2 c banana chips (pulverized)
3 tsp orange zest

Directions:

On a pan (Mommy Dory would say, make sure the pan is thick enough!) toast flour in medim heat stirrimg constantly (she could actually tell by the smell of the flour roasting when it's good enough) until light brown.
Transfer the roasted flour in a bowl right away to avoid further cooking.

Add the powdered milk and sugar into the mixing bowl and mix them together. Add the pulverized banana chips and orange zest.

Add the melted butter (she would repeat that the butter should be cold enough)

Mix it thoroughly and make sure there are no lumps.

Using a special moulder shown above, fill it with the polvoron micture and press it hard then release it, Add more butter if the mixture in not firm enough.

Wrap it in cellophane or in my case I used gift wrapping tissue paper. (while waiting for the powdered mixture to cool down, Mommy would cut the paper uniformly... and yes wrap the polvoron one by one). But sometimes, the polvoron won't even get the chance to be wrapped, because kids and adults alike would come around and grab a molded polvoron right away... hmmm ... YUM!

Redemption | Shrimp in Curried Tamarind Broth

2012-12-15T05:58:00.001-06:00

As it turns out, I miss blogging after all!

After two weeks of saying "I am taking a blogging break," here I am sneaking back into the blogosphere. I feel like having an affair (haha!). You see, amidst all the Christmas checklists to tick off, keeping a blog at this time is most challenging. But now that my two kids are home for the holiday break, I have a few moments to spare, so here I am!

I thought I would come back with something fancy or decadent; after all 'tis the season to indulge and be merry. But oh well, with the amount of "mmm good" that this bowl of soup has been getting, I thought maybe this will give me some redemption points for not blogging for a while.

I'll cut to the chase, and start by sharing the most raved and latest recipe development I created (insert music here) ta-dah Shrimp in Curried Tamarind Broth. I married a traditional sour Filipino soup we call sinigang (a soup with pork or seafood soured by using extracts from tamarind and guava) with a Thai inspired curry dish. This dish is sensational. The sweet juices from the shrimp will give you a delightful feeling, then as you sip, it will jolt you with a kick from the heat also punctuated with the sour soup...then you will be caressed back with the refreshing addition of the coconut milk. Clearly this bowl is like having a relaxing massage by the beach... I wouldn't post it as my redemption post if it wasn't any good. ENJOY!

Shrimp in Curried Tamarind Broth

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. Shrimp (head on)
2 stalks bok choy (separated_
2 medium tomatoes
1 pc onions (quartered)
1/2 pack tamarind soup base
1 cup coconut milk
1 block of tofu (cubed)
1-2 tsp of red curry paste (I used the Maesri Thai brand)
fish sauce (optional)
1 pc sili serrano

In a pot, boil rice water (water used for washing rice) onions and tomatoes. Add the shrimp. Cook until tender. Add the vegetables and the souring agent. You may want to add a small amount of the souring agent first then see from there. Add curry paste, again, start with one teaspoon then add according to heat preference. When shrimp is cooked, pour the coconut milk and cook until it slightly boils. Season with fish sauce or, if unavailable, with salt.

Lunch in a Hurry | Pan Fried Thinly Sliced Beef

2012-11-29T07:46:00.001-06:00

We all need a dish on the fly in our repertoire- especially when everyone expects that we are THE wizard of pots and pans. For this reason, I love to stock up on seafood (they are ready in 5 minutes, ok uhh maybe a little exaggeration) and thinly sliced beef (whoah they never fail to deliver a delightful meal).

Like you, there are times when my husband comes home from work earlier than usual. And when he does, he announces that he is so hungry. When I hear the words "I'm so hungry", I wish that I had a magic wand where I could just swirl and point to the table where food magically appears... or I dart to the kitchen, grab my thinly sliced beef and cook lunch in a hurry.

Well I'm sure you know that magic wands don't work. Clearly this is where a pack of thinly sliced beef comes in handy.

Pan Fried Thinly Sliced Beef

Ingredients:

1- 1.5 lb beef thinly sliced
2 tbsps fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk of green oinon, sliced (divided)
2 tbsp chili oil (optional)
1 serrano pepper

Whisk all of the fish sauce and brown sugar and garlic together.When the brown sugar is dissolved, add the beef and half of the green onion slices. Mix thoroughly. Heat up a skillet, when it's hot enough, place one layer of beef and pan fry each side. You will hear it sizzle.

You should keep an eye on it as it carmelizes easily. You may want the edges to be brown and crunchy but not burnt. Add more green onions and minced garlic and serrano pepper. Give it a quick stir and voila, it's ready.

Transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle with chili oil or you may opt to put it on theside.

Take 5 | Arroz Caldo (Rice Porridge Soup)

2012-11-27T09:23:00.003-06:00

"Turkey left-over is now an endangered species" said our beloved local weatherman on KSDK Channel 5, Chester Lampkin.

Maybe that's the case in most households, but not in ours. You see as soon as our Thanksgiving dinner ensemble were washed and tucked back in the upper shelf of our cupboard, I divided my turkey left-overs in small storage containers and kept them in the freezer.

So instead of living out the weekend with endless left-overs and suffer the unequivocal turkey coma syndrome, I just grab a container whenever we feel like it. With the temperature down to the 20's and with some sniffles to cure, I grabbed one container in the freezer and magically transformed it to a wonderful bowl of comforting Arroz Caldo. The steam from the ginger lent some homeopathic remedies to the sniffles.

I hope all's well on your end :)

Arroz Caldo (Rice Porridge)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
½ medium onion
3 slices of ginger (thumb size and pounded)
Tukey lef-over bone in ( Use 8 pcs. Chicken - drumsticks/thigh or if you prefer white meat do so)
1 c rice (soaked in water for about 30 minutes but is optional)
5 cups chicken stock (add if needed)
A dash of safflower
green onions

Directions
Heat pan. Saute garlic until light brown. Add onions and ginger. Add the turkey slices and bones. (Use chicken in lieu of Turkey). Add the rice and give it a quick stir. Add 5 cups of chicken stock and a dash of safflower. Cook for about 30 minutes (if using lefovers and 1 hour if using raw meat). Cook longer if desired. You want the rice to be soft and mushy. Add chicken stock as you go.

For garnishings: Toasted garlic-annato oil and soft boiled egg. (you could use hard boiled egg if desired) Sprinkle some green onion leeks. Enjoy :)