I finally gathered enough courage to make this ensaimada recipe from Marketman.  Ohhh, I was not disappointed.   In fact, this was the best Ensaimada I’ve ever had in my life and I can’t believe I made it!

Of course, I need practise with the shaping of the dough as you can probably tell from the photo.  Just as I was getting good at it, the dough ran out since I only made half the recipe.  But, my goodness….it was perfect!  I used a Virginia ham filling that went beautifully with the dough which was light but rich-tasting.  It was rich even before I topped it with cheese so I decided not to add any at all.  For an ensaimada like this, only queso de bola that’s specially made for the Philippine market will do it justice.

My mother used to describe to us  how an old relative from Betis, Pampanga would make her ensaimada using tons of European butter.  She told us how the dough had to be kneaded on a slab of marble, adding the butter as she went on and on with her kneading. For years, I scoured the internet and Philippine cookbooks for a similar recipe but never found one.

As coincidence would have it, Marketman featured a post on his family’s ensaimada recipe just as I was making plans to feature an ensaimada recipe on this blog.  I’m beyond grateful that someone was so willing to share their family’s recipe.  It’s truly priceless and I cannot emphasize that enough.

I won’t repost the recipe here.  Please click on this link if you want to try it.   Be sure to read the whole post and the one before that. Include the comments in your reading because there are valuable tips from the author and his sister.

For high altitude adjustment, I lessened the yeast  (by a quarter teaspoon) and sugar (by a quarter cup) but didn’t skimp on the butter.  I also added an extra eggyolk and baked the rolls at 400F for the suggested 15 minutes and it came out perfect.

Thank you, Marketman, and thank you to your sister too!

I saw the headline, read it out loud to Spouse, who was in front of his computer next to mine and told him jokingly, “What did they come up with…Omega-3 producing pigs?.”

Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the full report and found that indeed, these super pigs do produce Omega-3 fats that we all know is good for our health and is something we get from fish!

Yes, Omega-3 producing pigs!  Pork, baboy, babi, bacon, pancetta, jamon, longganisa, Virginia ham, Italian sausage, pork chops, Inihaw na Baboy…all that and more suddenly becoming health food! This has got to be a dream…

Happy days….happy days….happy days!!!!!!!

I found more chocolate bars I’ve never tried before at the Commissary of Peterson AFB. Had to try them…just because.

One was the Mozart Piano Bar I expected would have a bar looking somehow like a piano, but did not.  The other was a Schluckwerder Marzipan bar which turned out to look very unappetizingly-shaped.  They are both German-made.

The Mozart bar was by far the more superior of the two.  It had crunch which the marzipan did not have. And it had layers of flavor owing to the different ingredients:  almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and brandy.

The Schluckwerder Marzipan was good too, but for me it was boring with just the almond and chocolater flavor..with no crunch and no surprises.

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Iska of Edible Experiments invited me to join this Filipino food blogger’s event now going on its 8th edition.  I’m honored to be invited.

Before I started this blog, I was a regular lurker at other Filipino food blogs and thought the Lasang Pinoy Events were a great way to bring together virtual strangers with common roots and interests.

This Eighth Edition is called, “Kusinang Bulilit, Lutong Paslit” or “Children’s Kitchen, Children’s Cooking.” The focus is on families and childhood memories – already made and yet to be made.

The Filipino’s life is centered around his family – a cacophony of brothers and sisters, aunts and?uncles, grandparents and grandaunts, plus a myriad of cousins.  Get-togethers and events are always celebrated with lots of food – sometimes as many branches of relatives represented at the get-together.

I do have a lot of memories of the kitchen, my grandmother, my mother and my Eldest Sister.  Aside from my aunts and uncles on my mother’s side, they were my biggest influences who shaped my whole attitude toward food and cooking.

I’ve written a few pieces on this blog about my memories of learning from these women. You’ll find them here, here and here.

But for this particular edition, I’m making a Morcon dish which we prepared on occasion at my mother’s house.  She was the one who told me all about this dish, it’s place in the family history (yes…honestly!) and all the “kwento” related to it.

She was the one who patiently taught me how to prepare the meat and how to roll it up, how to walk away so it will stew properly.  She also allowed me to make my own mistakes when I got nervous rolling it up.  That was the time she probably tried hardest to stop herself breathing down my neck.

Afterwards, when  I noticed what I had done wrong, she’d tell me gently how I could do it another way – next time.  There’s always going to be a next time with my mother.

This is a Filipino dish that’s ideal to serve when you have non-Filipino guests for dinner.  It looks great at the dinner table and does not have exotic ingredients that the uninitiated or the timid may turn away from.

This is a family recipe which I have altered mainly in size and in finishing the sauce.  I started this recipe without exact measurements, please use your individual taste to guide you.

Mini Morcon:

1 lb. beef round rouladen (about 4 pieces)

1/8 c. soy sauce

1 tbsp. lemon or calamansi juice

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 small bay leaf

1/2 c. tomato sauce

ground black pepper

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced

1 whole sweet pickle, quartered lengthwise

1 piece chorizo bilbao, cut in 8 lengthwise

1 thin carrot, quartered lengthwise or 8 baby carrots

strips of red pimientos

4 pieces cheddar or queso de bola cheese sticks, about 3 by .5 inches

2 tbsps. butter

First, let’s talk about the meat.  Round of beef is the best to use.  Supermarkets carry rouladen cuts that you can use as is.  If you can’t find this, a whole round will do.  Using a sharp, long knife make thin strips about 8-10 inches in width and 4-6 inches in length and an eight of an inch thick.  There’s no need to get it paper-thin, it’s harder to roll up when the meat is cut too thin.

Marinate the beef in the next 7 ingredients.  Cover and leave overnight in the refrigerator.

Next, lay out the rest of the ingredients on a plate. On a long chopping board, lay out one piece of the beef and add a slice each of the egg, chorizo, cheese, pimiento, pickle, carrot and bacon on one end. Roll tightly and secure with kitchen twine.  Repeat.

TIP:  Make sure you lay your strips of filling parallel to the grain of the meat.

Heat a wok or stockpot with a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Brown the roulades on all sides. Put in the marinade with the meat.  Add a cup of water.  Bring this to a boil and allow to simmer for an hour.  Check for seasonings.

Remove roulades from the pot and allow to cool.   Meantime, strain and reduce the cooking liquids to about half a cup.  Add a tablespoon or two of butter and take off the heat.

When your morcon rolls are cool, cut off kicthen twine.  Slice thin and arrange on a plate.  Serve with the sauce on the side.

I don’t have a name for this dish.  It’s something my sister and I came up with years ago when we saw something similar on some cooking show.

This started out as simply something to satisfy our cravings for spaghetti on a hot summer afternoon.  We didn’t want to get the kitchen all hot and muggier than it already was so we looked at what we had and made this.

For this particular dish, I had fresh mozarella, a chunk of Romano cheese, some roma tomatoes and a box of whole wheat spaghetti.

You start by chopping the tomatoes.  You can poach, skin and de-seed them before chopping…then again, that’s up to you.  Transfer to a bowl, add some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, some Italian seasoning.  The essential ingredient is the mozarella, which you dice and mix with the tomatoes.  Grate some hard cheese into the mix to give it another layer of flavor. We would  use queso de bola for this purpose.  I used Romano this time…same effect, not as salty as the de bola. Then you can throw in a finely minced garlic clove.

I like this with black olives, but I ran out and made do with green olives.  Sometimes, I’m in the mood for some capers too, but not this time. After the ensemble is all put together,  I let it sit in the refrigerator for half an hour to an hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Then I take it out and prepare the noodles according to package directions.  This spaghetti I used was from Ronzoni’s Healthy Harvest line, it’s Whole Wheat Blend Pasta.  It’s supposed to be healthier..but it’s not the same as regular semolina spaghetti.  This has a gritty texture that I honestly felt did not go with the sauce/dressing.

Soon as the pasta is done, transfer it directly from the pot to the bowl of sauce using some tongs.  Mix and watch how nicely the mozarella melts and melds with the tomatoes, noodles and everything else….mmmm…

Italian Comfort Food: Intensive Eating from Fresco by Scotto Restaurant

That’s what Pass Key Restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado says of its signature sandwich, the Pass Key Special.  It’s an Italian sausage sandwich served on a loaf with lettuce and plenty of mustard, fries and sweet peppers.

You can have it with your choice of cheese:  American, Swiss or Provolone.  I chose provolone to go with mine.  They also have the Super Pass Key Special which is basically the same sandwich with all three cheeses.

I’ve never had an Italian sausage sandwhich before.  Even Spouse who grew up in New Jersey with their big Italian population, had never heard of it before.  It was different. Lovely with the spicy mustard and nicely seasoned homemade sausage patty.

The real surprise of our visit to this restaurant were the Munchers.  You know how servers at all restaurants will try to make you order more, right?

We were asked about appetizers after we placed our order of course.  Since 30-year old Stepson was with us, Spouse ordered his favorite “Tater Tots” and commented how it was always “someone’s” favorite.  The poor Stepson…he just smiled and indulged his daddy….didn’t seem to mind that his dad was acting as if  he was still a 10-year old.  You just have to love him for that!

Ohhhh….but these Tater Tots were not your ordinary Tater Tots.  These Munchers are made for men of sterner stuff.  It’s shredded potato with cheddar cheese and diced jalapeños, breaded and deep-fried.  Luscious, tiny little jewels they were!

Pass Key Restaurant is owned by the Pagano Family who have owned the restaurant since 1952.  According to their menu, the restaurant started as a drive-in.  Eventually, they hired young people to help out, and these employees’ children later worked the same jobs their parents worked.

The Italians in Colorado have an interesting history.  In fact, during the infamous Ludlow Massacre of 1914, when the Colorado National Guardsmen attempted to break a miner’s strike by burning down their tent village, the 2 women and 11 children who died in the massacre were all Italian immigrants.

You see, as the early Italian immigrants came off Ellis Island, they were recruited to work in the mines of Colorado. They came here, with no knowledge of the language and brought with them their food, their culture, and the legacy of hard work.

You will still find a lot of Italian families and restaurants in the different parts of Colorado, most of them operated for generations by the same family.

In Colorado Springs, a local legend is The Pumpkin Man, Nick Venetucci.  He was a simple farmer who opened his pumpkin farm to school kids who would come in and pick pumpkins for their jack o’lanterns – all for free.  This became a local tradition shared by every generation of Colorado school kids since the 1950′s, including the Stepson.

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Spouse and I have been going over the Sopranos DVDs again…for about the 5th time if I’m not mistaken.  When this happens, my craving for Italian food is stronger and it reflects on our meals and now in this blog.  You could probably call me an ideal subject for hypnosis.

I’ve tried several pizza crust recipes and they all turn out to be the thick-crust, poufy doughs.  I prefer my pizza New York-style with the thin-crust.

I searched my most reliable cookbook (the internet) for a thin-crust pizza dough recipe and found one.  The recipe is copyrighted so I can’t reproduce it here.  But here’s the link if you’re interested to try it out:  http://robbiehaf.com/Recipes/T/272.htm

It was good…the best pizza crust recipe I’ve tried so far and the easiest to make. Still not what I was looking for…but the best I’ve tried so far.

As you see from the photo, my pizza is not perfectly round.  It never is.  But isn’t that what’s called a Rustic Pizza?

For the toppings, I used pepperoni slices, portabella mushrooms, olives, roasted red bell peppers, Bertolli spaghetti sauce (best bottled spaghetti sauce I’ve ever had), mozarella and freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Don’t forget the extra virgin olive oil!

My secret is mixing the veggies in extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and some Italian seasoning before putting it on the pizza.  You can top your pizza with anything you want…it’s just a matter of deciding what ingredients you have on hand and what will go well together.

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Chicken…always on everyone’s grocery list and a staple in most households. In fact, chicken is the one thing religions do not single out as unclean and therefore excluded frpm their followers’ diet.

Then came the Bird Flu when chicken and all fowls got a bad rap. While the flu hasn’t reached US shores and the Rocky Mountains, I’ll continue to enjoy my eggs for breakfast and my chicken for dinner and lunch.

This Chicken Marsala is derived from several recipes I’ve tried over the years. This particular one has cream but no rosemary. I don’t exactly like the mix of cream and that particular herb.

For a Chicken Marsala without the cream, I prefer it with garlic and rosemary. It’s delicious and perfect for a warm summer day with a light salad. Whatever version I choose to cook, I always end up serving it with spaghetti.

Recipe:

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/5 tbsps. butter or margarine

1 c. mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c. Marsala winde

1 c. heavy cream

bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

1 lb. spaghetti noodles, cooked as directed

Pound chicken to flatten it. Mix salt, pepper, cornstarch and flour in a dish. Dredge chicken with this mixture.

Melt half the butter in a large skillet over mdium-high heat until it sizzles. Saute the chicken breasts until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes to each side. Add the remaining butter, the mushrooms and the Marsala and cook over high heat for 4 minutes. Stir in cream, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 6 more minutes. Add parsley and turn off heat.

Serve with spaghetti.

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Do you like eating raw vegetables that’s not lettuce or tomatoes?  Just the thought of it used to send shivers up my spine.

But then, I was put to shame by my pseudo-grandkids a few years ago.  Their mom likes serving crudites with dips on occasion and it would’ve been embarrassing if I didn’t at least take a bite or two, while the kids chomped away unperturbed.  This went on, occasion after occasion, until I finally started enjoying raw crudites.

Then last Christmas, I have to admit, I actually prepared a tray for Stepson and his friend.  Yes, that was me who prepared and served it!

This entry is not about crudites though. It’s about another way to get  anyone like me to eat raw vegetables.

I came across this dish at the deli section of our nearby King Soopers when Spouse and I were working late.  We stopped to pick up a ready dinner on our way home from the office.  This particular salad looked very appetizing, so I bought a pint of it to go with the ubiquitous roast chicken every grocery deli carries. It’s a mix of raw broccoli, black grapes and nuts in a Waldorf dressing and is really very good.

I even made it for an office picnic and everyone loved it.  One guy on the Atkin’s Diet at that time even went for seconds. I don’t have a real recipe for this, you just have to go with your own taste.

First, wash and  prep your veggies, about 3 cups of broccoli in bite-size pieces, about a cup and a half of black grapes and 2 celery stalks chopped.  Then mix about 1/2 c. mayonnaise, a tablespoon or two of lemon juice, calamansi is even better,  and a tablespoon of honey in a bowl.  Mix until smooth.

Add the vegetables and a quarter to half a cup of slivered almonds.  Chill in the refriegrator at least 30 minutes and serve with roast chicken, fried chicken or by itself.

If you see this artificially-colored bag of young rice cereal at your local Asian store, don’t even bother to pick it up from the shelves.  Save yourself the trouble.

It’s made by a company in Vietnam called Himing Co. Ltd. and is labeled “Cereal Flakes”.  It doesn’t come with a manufacture or expiry date.

I got it at the Filipino Sari-Sari Store.  It’s what Filipinos call “pinipig”, a young immature rice that’s harvested while still green, pounded and winnowed, then turned into the most delicate of rice cakes and pastries.  I’ve had this hankering for the rice cake we call “Kalamay Pinipig” for some time now.

What a disappointment! I should have known from the bright green it was artificially colored. The rice itself had a peculiar smell – old and musty and not at all appetizing like it should be.

At that point, I should have thrown it all in the trash where it belonged.  Strangely enough, I persisted.  Hey, sometimes your imagination just gets the better of you, right?

When I started this blog I said I was going to post both sucesses and failures.  So, here’s one big blunder I hope to never make again. It’s not pretty…

Ohhh…how my sisters are going to laugh when they see this and I won’t blame them!  It’s not just a failure, it’s a lesson learned.

And the lesson I learned is, when it comes to certain recipes, you just have to start with the best ingredients or nothing at all.  For pinipig, I just have to wait until I can source the best grains…probably in the foothills of Mount Pinatubo in Zambales, and not the foothills of the Rockies in Colorado….

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