My Ube Is Broken

it doesn't look pretty but it's yummy

Yes, my ube roll is literally broken in several places. I have been trying to make ube (purple yam) roll cake and failed, twice. The first one was too tall and dense for a jelly roll cake and as expected broke into many pieces. Not to mention it was absolutely inedible! I was a little bit suspicious of the amount of flour in the recipe from the Filipino FOOD magazine but went ahead and baked the roll. I should have listened to my gut instinct and reduced the amount of flour by half. The second ube roll (pictured here) is so soft, has a very tight crumb, and delicious but should be spongier/springier because again the cake cracked in several places as soon as I rolled it. The cake is very good though and will probably make it again as a layer cake or cupcakes. The only problem is I can't remember the measurements, silly me.

I am posting the Ube Roll recipe for the cake from the FOOD magazine but not the frosting because I have read a similar recipe online that is proven by users and readers to be unreliable. I am also not able to provide at this time the recipe for the second cake. I used this Pumpkin Roll recipe as a guide, substituting ube which has a different consistency and behavior than pumpkin and forgot to note the adjustments I made. I eyeballed the consistency of the batter as I mixed it. It will not be helpful either because there is something lacking in the (adjusted for ube) recipe to make it spongier and therefore more resilient, maybe eggs or cake flour. Or maybe I need to take ube cake baking lessons. Or tips from experts. Help!:-)

Ube Roll
recipe from FOOD magazine
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum
½ cup milk
1 cup ube, peeled, mashed, and strained
½ cup light corn syrup
7 egg yolks
½ cup corn oil
1 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon violet food color

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 15 x 11 x 1 inch jelly roll pan. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and ½ cup of the sugar. Set aside.
• In a blender combine vanilla, rum, milk, and ube. Blend until smooth.
• Add corn syrup, egg yolks, and oil into the ube mixture. Blend well. Stir into the flour mixture until smooth.
• In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. While beating, add remaining sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Fold in ube mixture and food color. Pour into pan.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until done. Turn the cake on a piece of cheesecloth or baking paper and roll immediately. Let cool before filling.

half of the broken ube roll, filled with custard and macapuno

I Want Me Some Shots of Yakult

tangy and sweet yogurt and lychee smoothie

Yakult is one of the drinks that we sorely miss. We couldn't find them in any of the Asian groceries in my area. What we have here are the Korean brand that look exactly like Yakult but taste so bland, not tangy, and overly sweet. I just learned that Yakult have been in Los Angeles since 1999 and YakultUSA will make them available in other states in the coming months. Woohoo! I can't wait to have a few 'shots' of this yogurt drink. Well, actually I can, and while waiting I mixed some yogurt with low-fat milk, sugar, and flavorings. I made two kinds: vanilla and lychee. I blended some ice cubes and the lychee yogurt in the blender and had the most refreshing yogurt drink that's sweet and tangy with just a hint of lychee. Yummy!
Other fruit suggestions: strawberry, mango, and peaches.

I am also liking the sparkling yogurt-based drink that is salty and minty which is the perfect beverage while munching on adobo beef brisket shawarma.

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homemade adobo beef brisket shawarma

Zucchini With Truffle Olive Oil

zimply zucchini

I don't consider zucchini a favorite vegetable of mine. To me zucchini is rather bland, watery, and tasteless just like any other summer or winter squash. It's usefulness to me is very limited, usually in minestrone and that's about it. I have seen recipes for zucchini muffins or cakes which don't appeal to me at all. But one recipe that made me take a second look at zucchini is Eric Ripert's Parmesan Zucchini With Balsamic. The simplicity of the dish piqued my interest and bought 2 pieces at the farmer's market. I altered the recipe though because I realized my main dish, caldereta, is already piquant and a bit acidic and thought the balsamic vinegar will not pair well with the slightly sour meat dish. I fried the slices instead of baking them for a little bit of color then drizzled them with black truffle olive oil and shaved some Parmesan on top. The vegetables are soft but with a little bit of crunch, they are sweetish and the truffle oil flavoring is just fantastic, I love it! There I said it.^__^

I will make Chef Ripert's dish another time and maybe will also try the muffins or cake. Better late than never in appreciating this vegetable.:D

Zucchini With Truffle Oil
2 medium zucchini
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
chopped parsley
black truffle olive oil

• With a vegetable peeler, peel the skin lengthwise in an alternate pattern. Cut them into ¼-inch slices.
• Heat 1 tsp olive oil and fry the slices in batches until just soft but still a bit crunchy. Add more oil as you fry when needed.
• Arrange in a circle on a round platter. Sprinkle sea salt to taste and chopped parsley. Drizzle with about half a tsp of truffle oil. A little goes a long way so use sparingly. Shave Parmesan cheese all over. Serve warm or at room temperature.

this dish made me love zucchini

Not Coquilles St.-Jacques

Scallops is one seafood I rarely cook. Besides being pricey, I am apprehensive that I might overcook them. They are notorious for becoming rubbery when not cooked properly. And they have to be eaten right after cooking because, again, they become tough when reheated. I guess they are good eaten raw right out of the shell just like oysters or in seafood sausages mixed with other shellfish and fish.

I cooked scallops similar to a dish called Coquilles St.-Jacques which is either a variety of French scallops or the way they're prepared: in cream sauce served in their shells. The scallops I bought are neither French nor do they come in their shells so I can't call my dish Coquilles St.-Jacques. I adapted a Coquilles St.-Jacques recipe from one of my Spanish cookbooks, adding 2 ingredients, shallots and champagne vinegar. The scallops are sweet and very tender and the sauce is slightly tangy from the champagne vinegar which complements the heavy cream so well. This dish is truly delicious and a special treat, easy to make too.

Not Coquilles St.-Jacques
1½ pounds medium size scallops, patted dry
½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons water (or water from dried mushrooms)
1 cup dried wild mushrooms, rehydrated, and drained
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• Season the scallops, place on a medium skillet. Add the heavy cream, champagne vinegar, and shallots. Poach the scallops for 2 - 3 minutes, turn on the other side and poach for another 2 minutes.
• In another skillet, heat the butter , white wine, and water. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Cook for another minute.
• Arrange the mushrooms with the liquid evenly on a serving dish. Put the scallops on top of the mushrooms and pour the cream sauce all over. Drizzle olive oil on top and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.