My nephew, JL had great tasting strawberry shortcake in Baguio, he said, the real one, shortcake from the Southern part of the United States so guess what I did after three days, I served him the same thing. With sweet strawberries and aerosol Elle et Vire whipped cream, it was heavenly and truly the way he wanted it….I had my share but wasn’t very happy with the biscuit so I have been testing some recipes for the past few days…hope you enjoy….happy v! Visit Yummy magazine website and see my happy V menu…

Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients:
All purpose flour: 1 ½ cups
Salt: ¼ tsp
Sugar: 1 ½ tbsps
Baking powder: ½ tbsp
Unsalted butter: 1/2 cup, cubed and cold.
Heavy cream: 1 cup

Procedure:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, use a whisk to dry mix it. Cut in or rub in butter into the flour mixture and continue until coarse meal, never let the butter melt. Add heavy cream and toss with fork until moisted, shape into a log and cut into triangles.
Slice strawberries, add some sugar, toss until some liquid is seen. Slice your shortcakes and fill with sliced strawberries. Top with whipped cream and cover with shortcake…Eat immediately.

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sa Rhode Island, napakalamig!

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thanksgiving dinner namin sa princeton

Masarap talaga magbakasyon, sobrang sarap….pero para sa akin mas buo ang bakasyon kapag may pag-aaral din, yun ang pahinga sa akin, ang matuto ng ibang kaalaman na makakatulong sa ginagawa ko. Bawat taon lagi kung ginagawa ang pagpunta sa America para makita ko ang aking kapatid na si Edgardo.. di naman siya nakakauwi at ito rin ang oras na makapagdala ako ng mga pagkaing galing sa atin, tuyong danggit, pusit, ensaymada , ang polvoron ni Ate Cynthia at marami pang iba. Nalaman ko di kailangan ng napakadaming damit pagpupunta sa America kasi makakabili ka dun ng sandamukal.

Akala ko mas matatandaan ako ng aking mga guro kasi hinggit lang naman sa isang taon ako wala pero di sila sigurado kung sino ako….pero habang tumatagal ang panahon naiisip nila ako sa dami ba naming tinuturuan nila, pano nila ako makikilala….pag nasa Amerika ako, nalilimutan ko lahat ng mga problema dito sa Pilipinas, sobrang alaga ako duon sa Amerika. Pinagluluto ako ni Ate Myrla ang pinapasaya ni Joel, ang aking pamangkin na napaka talas at talino katulad ko…hahahah. Nakapagbakasyon din kami sa Boston nung Thanksgiving weekend, napaka ganda doon, iba din ang Newport, Rhode Island kung saan ang mga bahay ay sin laki ng mall ditto..makikita ninyo sa mga litrato.

Pero sa tatlong linggo na nanduon ako, ganito ang gawain ko. Napaka swerte ko nga eh, kasi sa tatlong kurso ng kinuha ko, lahat ay may dalawa o isang Pilipino na kasama ko….marami din di kanais nais na hindi naman gumagalaw…ako, para sa akin lahat gusto ko gawin kasi para sa akin din lahat ng ito….so ano nangyayari sa buhay ng isang panadero na kusinero din sa malamig na lugar katulad ng Manhattan New York….ang kapatid ko po ay nakatira mga di kumukulang na dalawang oras papunta sa Manhattan, mga alas singko ng umaga ako ay gising na at naliligo, dapat alas 6 ay nanduon na ako sa ibaba ng bahay ….alam ninyo napaka lamig minsan napapaisip ako kung bakit kailangan ko ito gawin, hehehe….pagkatapos ng isa’t kalahating oras e nasa Path Train Station po kami sa Journal Square, dun po kami nag paparada at kumukuha ng tren……tapos sa Ground Zero na katabi ng Path Train stop ay malalakad ako kasi ito na po ang ehersisyo ko….mga walong bloke po ang nilalakad ko, ang sarap maglakad kapag malamig, lakad lang ako ng lakad, tapos malapit sa FCI ay isang Starbucks at duon ako nag aalmusal at kape….mahal pero wala naman po akong magagawa…..siempre dollar pa rin po..papasok ako bago mag alas 8 kasi magbibihis pa ako at minsan napakadaming tao sa men’s locker, mabait naman po sila, at masaya, ang ganda ng mga kwentong kusina, iba’t ibang lahi, edad pero isa lang ang gusto gawin. Mga apat na oras po ng tuloy tuloy na baking at luto ako….masarap ang tanghalian, kung ano kasya sa plato, sige lang….may dalawang Pinay doon na ng pro class na taga Manila nagkwentuhan din kami… Tatlong linggong wala akong ginawa kundi gumawa ng tinapay para sa restaurant ng eskwela at siempre para din sa ibang klase, wala talagang sayang sa paaralan na ito. Nakakatuwa na pag may Pinoy, ramdam mo talaga agad sa paglakad ko sa Soho, o isang salesman o woman alam mo talaga…pero minsan yung iba ayaw ka tignan parang nahihiya, minsan nga sa paglalakad ko naririnig ko ang sariling wika natin, hehehe, basta may outlet o buffet restaurant maraming Pinoy, isa pa pala, sa simbahan….may Pilipino. Ang pinakamasarap talaga ay pag uwi ko na makita ko ulit ang Ate ko….na sinurpresa ko na bilhin ang bag na matagal na niyang gusto…tama na yun sa akin….Dito sa Amerika, natatandaan ko kung gaano kasaya si Mama at makita si Papa na nagmamadali umuwi pero nalulumbay ako kasi wala na sila…malungkot pero dapat pa rin ituloy ang buhay…di ba? Ang ganda ganda ng mga natatandaan ko sa Amerika kasama ang Mama at Papa ko….

Ang una ko sinulat sa blog na ito ay tungkol sa kung bakit ako naging kusinero…minsan talagang hinahanap ko lang sila….from Mechado to Mama’ s Favorita Tinapa Spread……I hope you enjoy making this as you remember the most important people in your life….

Mama’s Tinapa Spread
Ingredient:
¼ cup chopped onions
1 tsp calamansi juice
250 gms tinapang bangus flakes
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tbsp capers, finely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup all purpose cream
Procedure:
Put all ingredients in a blender. Puree for 3 minutes until of spreadable consistency, if it is too thick, add more cream. Don’t forget to season with salt and black pepper.
Note: this doesn’t last long- a week the most. Best to serve with sunflower crackers or melba toast, if you want to make it as a sandwich, go ahead…sarap…Make sure to use bangus since other fishes are not as tender and fine.

Celebrating New Year in Langham Hotel, Kowloon, Hongkong

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Of no work, why? The schedule for this year was done this way and I am very happy. Last month was very, very hectic and I had hard time catching up on what my life was all about. So, one resolution I wanted to do before I started teaching again was to clean one of my rooms at home. This room has all my magazines, second hand cookbooks I get from BookSale, old gifts that never got to be used and a whole lot of humongous tupperwares housing my old friends, Paul Smith, Ben Sherman, Giorgio Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein. Strange that I still have a lot of old clothes that I cherish because I love them or maybe due to my inheriting one trait Mommy Luring left me…keeping clothes and a lot of junk, mom was a child of World War 2, I know that most of you have mothers, aunts and relatives who are like this. Another reason is I have clothes for increase and decrease of weight, hehe. So I cleaned up the room, realized that I had quite a number of school bags and shoes. So decided to fix and give some away, guess what Apol is wearing now….even my gardener, LukeLuke looks so smart wearing his Camper slippers, love it…..the other reason for this clean up is I really want to make every look clean and organized and also get to turn on the aircon in this room which I don’t get to use as often. Second reason, is an arrival of three big balikbayan boxes this month, filled with books, old clothes and pastry equipments. There has to be space for these things. Mom used to have a stock room built when one of her containers arrive so I want the room to accept all these new items.

Lately, I have been taking the time to see my dear, dear friends….Liane who I am with eating every week, Tricia who even at provincial Alabang I still had merienda with, Jaybee the brother I always wanted who took the time to invite me and have lunch with Ysa, his wife in their new Thai restaurant, Tina, who I always plan to have dinner with and watch a movie but never materialized until Tracey, a barkada from Singapore was here last week….love the food in Angel’s Kitchen in Greenhills. Daming outing……Just thought of this, when people invite you at home, I get the feeling of ultimate connection since it is very personal and an extension of what they are.

I have also been testing a lot of recipes for new courses in the school….some didn’t work as well as I wanted to so repeat, repeat and repeat….I can see all the products coming out of the face of my yayas. They cannot even pronounce what they are eating….wanted to ask you which I heard from my classmates as I was eavesdropping…would you eat something that you can’t pronounce. Let me know.
By the way, here is a great recipe for a simple salad dressing I learned ages ago, you can use it for lettuce, or blanched vegetable sticks, even fish or squid sticks…

PESTO DRESSING
Ingredients:
1 cup basil leaves, leaves only
2 pcs garlic cloves
1 tbsp honey
4-5 tbsps apple cider vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
10 strokes ground pepper
pinch salt

Procedure:
Blanch basil leaves in warm water and ice immediately. Squeeze dry. This will keep your dressing forever green.
Dump everything in blender. Blenderize for 3 minutes. No emulsion needed just shake before pouring into salad. Toss well.

Suggestion: Put some freshly grated parmesan into your salad. It will wow you…eeehwww.

I just get bored with the routine having to do the same thing over and over again. Even my programs in school I change when I get totally bored so at times, some students are lucky to get this new recipe for a Lemon Lime Butter Cake with Pistachio Flavored Whipped Cream and Fresh Strawberry or should I be generous to share, the Javier Tapa…wow, I get so hungry at this time of the night.

Tremendous work, aside from the teaching classes which I truly enjoy, I am back to the one art that I also have fun doing, food styling. Quite a practice for me since I have this method that I cook the exact recipe to the letter and then fix it from there to become more artistic…..dealing with a variety of photographers, art directors, set stylists and friends who just come to become a great source of laughter or the latest gossip moving around town. I am truly happy with the friendships I have due to this craft. Hope you get to see my work soon.

I am also back again teaching at the USDA Culinary Theater for three American produce companies, the US Poultry and Egg Council, US Dry Pea and Lentil Council, US Dry Beans Council. In one of my demos, I had a US Embassy guest, so I had to speak English for three hours straight, wow…my nose just flew away, walang nosebleed…..And an interesting question was thrown by one, “ Why do chefs love to get or pinch their salt with their fingers, when they can always use a small spoon? I guess the main answer is being human and being tactile, we always want to feel salt and through that sense, one can measure better….my pinch is different from yours…Do you have a better answer than mine? Share it with me, leave it in the comments part of my blog.

Then I started teaching last Thursday….A new group of a mixture and blend of old and young, serious and not, courteous or just plain innocent….After almost three or four months of taking culinary, they still don’t get it…and I have another question, Why do more and more people now don’t read simple procedures….I have a group that relies on one girl and the whole group call each other “girl” Another group is still some place in time, they are not organize, no one seems to lead the group. Clueless shell reverse group is slow but sure and comes out with great work, I just don’t know if they have any memory of what they just did.

Anyway, it’s 12:32am, I am about to sleep, affected by Francis M’s death especially when I saw Joey de Leon crying his heart out and lastly, can I share, tonight’s episode of Maalala Mo Kaya had an old couple who loved each other until death….made me shed a few tears…..I miss Mama and Papa…

Buy Yummy Magazine March Issue, I really look good even wearing a polo that is 18 years old.

Best Chocolate Cake as of tonight: Rosanna – in La Vista – 9293872
Recipe of the Week:

Chicken Salpicao
Ingredients must be staples in your pantry while dish must always be part of a great meal.

500 gms. Sliced chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
2 tbsps chopped garlic
3 tbsps canola oil
1 ½ tbsps chilli garlic paste
½ tbsp perrins sauce
½ tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp knorr
½ tbsp chopped garlic
Procedure:
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a very hot skillet, pour oil and add chopped garlic. Immediately, add sliced chicken, then add all the seasonings, toss well. Add chopped garlic, mix well. Adjust flavour to taste. Serve over hot rice.

Chocolate Table Cake with Butter Caramel Frosting

Ingredients:

150 gms chocolate tablea, finely chopped
¾ cup hot water
¾ cup butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 pcs eggs
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 inch round pan.
Mix chocolate tablea and hot water. Stir until melted.
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time.
Sift dry ingredients then add alternately with the chocolate mixture.
Pour into pan and bake for 50 minutes. Cool well.

Butter Caramel Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
¾ cup heavy cream, warm
½ cup butter, cubed
1 tbsp vanilla flavoring

Procedure:

Moisten sugar with lemon juice. Put in a sauce pan and cook until amber in color.
Brush off sugar crystals on the side of the pan. When sugar is in color, pour in heavy cream and continue cooking until thick. Remove from heat, add vanilla and cool well.
Beat butter until creamy and slowly add caramel sauce. Use this to frost cake.

Basque Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 pc orange, zested and juiced ( 1/3 cup )
3 pcs eggs
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
¾ cup butter, melted and cooled

Pastry Cream:

1 cup fresh milk
5 tbsps sugar
3 pcs egg yolks
2 tbsps cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup blueberry jam or any type of preserve or jam

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9 x 3 round pan with baking paper.

For the pastry cream: Heat ¾ of the milk and 2 tbsps of the sugar until bubbles form on the sides of the sauce pan. While waiting, whisk egg yolks and remaining sugar until blended. In another bowl, mix remaining milk with cornstarch then pour this into the yolk mixture. Temper yolk mixture with some of the warm milk, then pour this back to the tempered mixture. Bring to boil until mixture is thick. Pour in vanilla extract. Pour mixture into a bowl, surface covered. Chill well.

For the cake: Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Make sure you have 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice. Beat eggs and sugar until it doubles in volume. Add in orange zest, juice and vanilla/ Add in dry ingredients alternately with the melted butter. Mix until well combined.

Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Spread the chilled pastry cream and spread out to within 1 inch of the sides of the pan. Smoothen well. Add blueberry jam over pastry cream and spread out, the same way as the pastry cream. Pour the remaining batter on top, spread out till the edges of the pan, covering pastry cream and blueberry jam.
Bake until golden brown around 50 minutes. Cool well. Run a steel spatula around the cake pan and invert on a serving platter. Remove baking paper and return to its original position. Serve.

Pine Apple Miracle

Ingredients:

4 pcs red delicious apples, peeled, seeded and quartered
Juice half a lemon
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tbsps cornstarch
1 ½ cups water
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
1 can crushed pineapple – 567 grams
1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup butter
1/3 cup butter, sliced

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a sauce pan, put apples, lemon juice, sugar, brown sugar and water. Boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cinnamon powder. Set aside.
Drain crushed pineapple. Set aside.
Rub butter in yellow cake mix. Set aside.
In a baking glass pan, lay cooked apples, then add crushed pineapple. Spread yellow cake mixture. Lay sliced butter on top and pat. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour. May serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Pistachio Nut Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup cake flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
2 pcs eggs
½ cup corn oil
¼ tsp almond extract
2/3 cup chopped pistachio nuts

For Topping:

1/3 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
90 gms butter

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
For the topping: Mix flour, sugar and cardamom. Cut in butter using fingers or pastry cutter. Rub in butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
Stir together all purpose and cake flours, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another, stir sour cream, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir sour cream mixture into dry ingredients, beat until smooth and creamy. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle half of the topping. Cover with the other half of the batter. Sprinkle nuts, press onto batter then cover with remaining topping. Bake until golden brown around 50 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/3 cups crushed graham crackers
1 ½ tbsps sugar
½ tbsp cinnamon powder
7 tbsps melted butter

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine crushed graham, sugar and cinnamon powder.
Pour in melted butter and mix until well moistened. Press into a 8 inch removable bottom pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool well.

Cranberry Mixture:

1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsps sugar
Water to moisten

Procedure:

Boil cranberries, sugar with water. Let cool and chop finely.

Filling:

Ingredients:

450 gms cream cheese, soft at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
2/3 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 pcs egg yolks
2 pcs eggs

Procedure:

Make sure that beating this mixture is kept to a minimum or else the final product will have lots of air bubbles.
Rub lemon zest to sugar. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese until very soft. Add sugar and stir, pour in sour and heavy cream. Add in egg and egg yolks with vanilla extract. Mix well, if lumpy, strain the mixture. Pour over crust, add in cranberry mixture and swirl. Then bake at bain marie at 350 F for 45 – 60 minutes.

Sticky Mango Pudding

Ingredients:

200 grams dried mangoes, coarsely chopped
2 ½ cups water
3 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tsps vanilla
2 tsps baking soda
2 tsps baking powder
3 pcs eggs
½ tsp molasses
¼ cup mango nectar

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with paper.
Mix chopped mangoes and water in a sauce pan and boil. Turn the heat off and add in baking soda. Set aside.
Stir flour and baking powder together. Set aside.
Cream butter until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar and mix until light. Add eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla and mix. Alternately add dry ingredients with the mango mixture in three additions and mix until of smooth consistency. Pour mixture into a pan and bake until firm about 40 – 45 minutes. Let cool completely in a pan. Turn cake insto cooling rack and remove baking paper. Make sauce.

Sauce:

2 cups brown sugar
¼ cup butter
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup mango nectar
2 tsps brandy
¼ tsp mango flavor

Procedure:

Mix first five ingredients together, let boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add in mango flavoring. Pour over cake. Bake until sauce is bubble and cake is heated through, around five minutes. Cool briefly before serving. Cut into squares.

Dulce de Leche Walnut Pie

Crust:

1 ½ cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup butter, cut into cubes and cooled
¼ cup shortening, cooled
7 tbsps cold water

Filling:

½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dulce de leche
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
3 pcs eggs
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsps vanilla

Procedure:

For the crust: Mix flour and salt together. Rub in butter and shortening into the dry ingredients. When it has formed into a coarse meal, add water just until moistened.
Pat and fold. Cover with plastic film and rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients of the filling together.

Roll out crust then press into pie container, rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Fill with dulce de leche mixture and bake for 40 minutes.
Cool well and serve.

Strawberry Crisp

Ingredients:

8 pcs argellanas
200 gms white chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp strawberry flavor

250 gms fresh strawberries, sliced

1 ½ cups heavy cream, whipped

Procedure:

Melt white chocolate over bain marie. Add heavy cream and butter. Pour in strawberry flavor.

Lay argellanas. Pour in white chocolate mixture. Add in heavy cream and decorate with sliced strawberries.

I was in Davao since last Thursday to do a cooking/baking demonstration for Gaisano Mall of Davao. This was requested two months ago and it has finally materialized. You know it usually is before or after Chrismas am I in Davao…I love it…I really like going there except for…………Getting back to the real reason I was there, Friday was just for preparation of the recipe, ingredients and tasting portions to feed at least 250 people who would go and watch. The grocery has been having a display and promotion of Western American products and part of this was my demonstration. I did Rye Pecan Bread, Fruit and Oatmeal Cookies, Fig and Walnut Bars and Honey Corn Muffins, all with products coming from WUSATA which stands for Western United States Agricultural Trade Associations. Although the stage was quite high, I think I was effective in presenting new ingredients to be made in to popular or common baked goodies, variations were also talked about during the events. Since the mall had a midnight sale, we had quite a number of participants and wonderers ( wondering what was going on ) but still wanted a sample of whatever I was presenting. I was helped by four graduates of our Intensive Cooking and Baking Program in Davao who were very efficient, quick and industrious, super sipag, I didn’t have to detail them with the work they had to do. Also, the witches or should I say girls of CACS Davao were there…Tita Butz, Agnes the Witch, Jovie, Yaya Cita came to advertise and market the school. A fulfilling and tiring event just a few days away from the season of plenty. Enjoy the recipes!

RYE PECAN ROLLS

Ingredients:

1 ½ tbsps instant yeast
2 ½ cups water
¾ cup rye flour
560 – 600 gms bread flour
2 tsps fine salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Procedure:

Sprinkle yeast over water.
Add all the other ingredients. Knead dough for 10 minutes.
Add pecan nuts. Ferment in an oiled bowl until double.
Shape as desired. Proof until double.
Bake in a preheated 350 F oven until brown.
Cool well and slice.

FRUIT AND OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 â…“ cups whole wheat flour
â…” cup old fashioned or rolled oatmeal
1 tsps baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
3 tbsps sugar
1 pc egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cherries, cranberries, dates, apricots,
coarsely chopped

Procedure:

Combine whole wheat flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter with brown and white sugar until well combined.
Add egg and vanilla extract.
Stir in flour mixture and fold in dried fruits.
Shape cookies in baking sheet, leaving enough space in between
each cookie. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes.
Remove cookies from baking sheet and cool completely in a wire
rack.

FIG AND WALNUT BARS

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
â…› tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 pcs eggs
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup dried figs, coarsely chopped

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a 9×13 pan.
Grease, line and grease baking pan.
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add in eggs.
Mix all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Then add this to egg mixture. Fold in walnuts and figs.
Pour batter into container and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, before cooling completely in a
rack. Cut and slice into desired sizes.

HONEY CORN MUFFINS

Ingredients:

â…” cup butter, unsalted
¾ cup + 2 tbsps sugar
2 tbsps honey
2 pcs eggs
1 tsp salt
pinch freshly ground pepper
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsps baking powder
¼ cup fresh milk
â…” cup canned whole corn kernels, drained
â…“ cup cremed corn

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 3-4 mini muffin trays.
Mix flour, cornmeal, salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cream butter, sugar and honey until light.
Add eggs one at a time. Add in dry ingredient mixture
alternately with milk and cream corn.
Fold in whole corn kernels.
Scoop into muffin trays. Bake for 15-20. Cool on rack.

I received a text from ironchef jabes if it would be good for him to give my cell number to a kapuso researcher looking for a chef who makes healthy desserts. Of course, during the season of plenty, I obliged and got myself to confirm a shoot without asking permission from the school about it. This was a Sunday and the filming would be the next day. I only had four hours to research – healthy dessert for a talent who wants to eat less this Christmas season. I decided to use the desserts that I taught in a class two dozen full moons ago and it really did give me an idea to be a bit more creative.

It appeared last night and all I can say is I look just like Santa without the white beard but with no neck too. I was so fat on television….I felt blotted but anyway, I enjoyed making the variation para naman hindi siya corny….the main dessert shown was my Mango Fruit Snow but I actually made two more good tasting desserts with less calories, good for you ingredients and very textural so theirs a play in the mouth as they say.

Mango Fruit Snow is a light dessert with a mango gelatine base where meringues was folded in to make it appealing, its like ice cream for people with no teeth. Decorated with strawberries, kiwis and more mango. I am not using too much sugar but a bit of Splenda.

Tapioca Pudding – a healthy sago like custard that can be done in less than 30 minutes and cooled to perfection before. I had this once when I was in high school in a friend’s house and when I became a working chef tried my best to copy it from memory.

Chocolate Orange Mousse – chocolate can be healthy using cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate, both of which has no sugar and a lot of good. Are you tired of having chocolate mousse all the time so flavoring it with orange zest gives it a different dimension all together, this is not sci-fi…it’s getting out of the box, wow! I feel like a 55 year old chef….hehehe….

The recipes will follow after this post….again, I apologize I had no time to take pictures…I was busy taking my fourth television appearance to heart and soul…just like ta….da………

Chocolate Orange Mousse

Ingredients:

1 tsp unflavoured gelatine powder
2 tbsps water
¾ cup skim milk
1 tbsp orange zest
2 pcs egg yolks
â…” cup sugar substitute
â…“ cup cocoa powder
60 gms bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Procedure:

In a sauce pan, bloom gelatine by adding water.
Set aside for 3 minutes. Add milk and orange zest.
Whisk in egg yolks, sugar substitute and cocoa powder.
Cook on low heat, mixing at all times until thick.
Add in chopped chocolate and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Let cool to room temperature. Fold in whipped cream.
Pour into glass containers. Garnish with orange segments

Mango Fruit Snow

Ingredients:

1 tbsp unflavored gelatine powder
2 tbsps water
1 pc egg yolk
1 cup non fat or skim milk
½ cup sugar substitute
â…“ cup mango puree
¼ cup chopped mango
1 tsp lemon zest

3 pcs egg whites

Procedure:

Bloom gelatine in a small bowl with the water.
Set aside.
In a sauce pan, mix egg yolk, milk and sugar substitute.
Heat until it thickens slightly.
Add in softened gelatine, mango puree, chopped mangoes
and lemon zest.
Remove from heat, pour into another container and cool
mixture. Set aside.
Whip egg whites until soft peaks. Fold in mango mixture.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make very thin slices of mangoes, kiwi and strawberries to
decorate top of dessert.

Tapioca Pudding

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups skim or non fat milk
1 pc egg, separated
¼ cup sugar substitute
3 tbsps tapioca
½ tsp vanilla
Pinch cream of tartar
1 tsp sugar

Procedure:
Mix milk, egg yolk, sugar substitute and tapioca and let sit
for 5 minutes to soften tapioca. Mix well and bring to a
boil while stirring. Remove from heat, add in vanilla.
In another bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until
foamy. Sprinkle sugar substitute and beat to soft peaks.
Gently fold egg white into pudding.
Let cool 20 minutes before serving or pouring into bowl or
serving dishes.
Decorate with toasted nuts and dried fruits.

We ate dinner as a family today….the Gavino and Javier Family – all complete, the 12 of us. Remember the picture in Japan with nephews and nieces plus a set of two couples, that’s Kuya Titong and Ate Cynthia, Kuya Teboy and Ate Althea….we all met in Choi’s Garden, the former Country Waffle in Annapolis. The restaurant looks like a studio right out of the movie, Get Smart with James Bond sidings as well as modern Chinese and super baduy chandelier that sparkles to the max, even the stair railings were glass, what can you say? The food was generally good, my Chinese students told me that the pigeon was good but be careful with the msg which I didn’t feel the effects of after having a 10 course dinner. I enjoyed the shrimp roll which was wrapped in bihon and then fried – hard to eat but great for presentation, the squid and mushroom stir fry was different but excellent in taste and texture, their yang chow had lots of “sahog” and tasty but a bit oily for my tongue and for my face….the second way for the Peking duck, the minced duck meat with lettuce wrap was awesome, never had anything as good as this, had smoky, burnt flavor. Other dishes we had are tried and tested ones that are also offered in some Chinese places like steamed prawns and lapulapu …Food is always the best when you share it with the people you love…I was just happy sharing a Coke with Ate and having my nephew, JL having fun with my Yaya jokes, seeing my eldest niece, Karla who I don’t see as often as I should….This was one of those nights I would not trade for anything other.

Asianong Pastel

I made this dish for a leading condiments company but I have modified it a bit for better flavor and flair….

Ingredients:

3 tbsps minced garlic
½ tbsp chopped ginger
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup sliced onions
½ tbsp patis
3 tbsps soy sauce
1 pc whole chicken, cleaned and cut up
4-5 pcs dried shitake mushrooms
¼ cup hot water
â…” cup sweet chili sauce, thai variety
1 pc chicken cube
8 -10 pcs young corn
½ cup green peas

Procedure:

Saute garlic and ginger in canola oil and cook until aromatic. Season.
Add in slice onions and cook until translucent.
Pour in fish sauce and soy sauce. Add in chicken pieces and continue cooking until skin is lightly browned.
Refresh dried shitake mushrooms in hot water. Slice into four pieces. Add into mixture. Pour in the water coming from the mushrooms.
Add in sweet chili sauce. Let boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in chicken cubes then add in young corn and green peas. Simmer for another 20 -30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve while warm.

Before the brouhaha over the Bourdain arrival, I had to do photo shoots for the Christmas edition of two magazines, one I got to take pictures of, the other I totally forgot since so much of myself was part of the whole event. In other words, I just didn’t find the time to remember to get my camera.
For the other magazine, it was six different cakes and desserts that would be part of any Christmas gathering. I envisioned a repertoire of different sweet things that can be made by professionals as well as housewives. I had some real interesting cakes and a spoon dessert I made from scratch which will throw you off your seats. The desserts were; Pistachio Cream Cake with Mixed Berry Topping, Orange and Currant Bundt Cake with Candied Orange Peel, Dulce Manga, Japanese Cheesecake, Caramel Chocolate Meringue Torte and Praline Potato Torte. Are you getting hungry to eat or you just want a recipe?
I tend to be very straightforward again, at times to an advantage but at most time, not….. I have been scolded by a lot of people due to this. Aside from this, one of my recipes in Yummy Magazine, the Popcorn and Shrimp Salad was reviewed by a fellow blogger. Do check it out. And I would like to thank them for just having me in their blog.
The other shoot was a potluck party scene with nine recipes I made and wow, I was so exhausted with that shoot. I had to ask six of my students to be part of the whole look with matching clothes and entertaining personalities. I loved the recipes I made since they all came from the old files I have which was used for my 1990’s catering gigs.
Here are some for you to enjoy, cook or bake and share with friends and family.

Adobo Pate

Ingredients:

600 gms chicken liver, cleaned and placed in milk
1/3 cup native vinegar
3 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsps minced garlic
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsps white wine
1 cup butter, cut in cubes

½ cup melted butter, to cover pate

Procedure:

Marinate chicken livers in the first five ingredients for 30 minutes.
Heat a non reactive saucepan, add in chicken liver mixture and simmer until liquid is reduced to half. Add in white wine and cook for two minutes.
Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender, mix well until smooth, slowly add cubed butter. Adjust seasoning. Pour into 2-3 ramekins or glass containers. Chill to set then cover with melted butter. Serve with crackers or melba toasts.

DULCE MANGA

Ingredients:

6 pcs whole eggs
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup condensed milk
1 ½ cups mango nectar
1 ½ cups evaporated milk
2 tsps vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract

2 – 3 pcs mangoes, sliced

Procedure:

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 8x 11 baking pan. Set aside.

Beat whole eggs and sugar with a whisk attachment until triple in volume.
Add in salt. Slowly, fold in all purpose flour. Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in a rack.

While cake is baking, make sauce; mix condensed milk, evaporated milk and mango nectar and boil. Simmer until thick. Add in vanilla and almond extract.
Transfer cake into a deep container. Pour sauce over it and decorate with mango slices. Refrigerate before serving.

August 2, 2008

I know you get the pattern…when I am away and busy, I don’t get to post since my mind, soul and body is fully concentrated on what I have to accomplish. This past week, I cooked for a very special family, meals for a healthier and better life. Less fat, sodium and sugar, more of the complex carbohydrates, none of the junk associated with ready made food, so none of those coming from the can or the powdered form. I was very fortunate I was given almost two months to prepare for this endeavor and it came out very well. I was able to interpret usual Filipino dishes into their more healthful form. I was also overwhelmed that I am able to just be myself and create dishes that are delicious for this family. I truly enjoyed that they loved my cooking, sometimes as one gets old and don’t get that much encouragement around him, nor the necessary support from immediate people, events like this make me, look down and feel my feet on the ground, and I realize that life is more meaningful with this simple happiness….Out of pure love this family wanted to take care of a sick person to become better and they called on someone like me to cook for him and in process they shared a wonderful family. This really makes me think and realize what life really means and how food affects everyone.
How food is so emotional, how so many thoughts and feelings are entangled within in…how truly magnificent it can be….food will always be a part of me and for this family, I will always be a part of them because a part of myself I have fully shared….that is the main reason I started all this, in the process I also learned how family can mean so much, how I am blessed and skilled in this job I have taken into heart. My hands are really in pain after working all these days nevertheless what I am feeling is joy that is incomparable to what others have. I will forever cherish these five days…

During the five days of endless of cooking, I never felt tired, I always enjoyed picking up the spoon to taste the sauce or trying to reach for that ingredient to add to the dish I am cooking, in the process when one is fully inspired by the good people around you, I created this special dish…..I hope that you too will cook it for the special family you have….

Chicken in Tomato 7Up Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pc whole chicken, cut up into 12 pcs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps finely chopped garlic
1 ½ cups sliced onions
¾ cups 7 UP
½ tbsp dried basil leaves
1 cup tomato sauce
½ tbsp Lea and Perrins sauce

Procedure:

Season chicken pieces in freshly ground pepper and low sodium salt. Set aside.

Heat olive oil and add in garlic, cook until aromatic.
Put in sliced onions and cook until translucent. Add chicken pieces. Toss well.
Cook for 20 minutes until fat has been rendered. Pour in 7 Up and tomato sauce.
Sprinkle dried basil and Lea & Perrins sauce. Let boil and simmer until some of the fat appears. Taste and season if needed. Cool then chill in the refrigerator. Remove fat that solidifies on top of the stew.

Note: Please remove the skin of the chicken if you must. Season only with low sodium salt and use fresh ground pepper to the fullest.