The Ambassador of Cute

Tadaa! Meet the new Japan tourism ambassador to Hong Kong and China, the kitten with a ginormous head, Hello Kitty herself, hahaha.

The amusing news made me unearth from the basement my daughter's Hello Kitty stuffed toy but couldn't find the really cute frog kerokerokeroppi.

She also had the weirdest Japanese stuffed toy monchhichi (baby and monkey) which I gave to my sister's daughter when we left Manila in 1988. The toy is a thumb-sucking doll in a monkey suit that when removed becomes a baby, it also came with a feeding bottle and then it wets itself.

I don't know what I was thinking when I bought and gave that to my then 1 year old daughter. I thought it was cute. In Hong Kong my daughter bought pencils and pencil cases, book bags, and all sorts of Sanrio items which she stuffed in a box and stored in the basement when she turned 13 or maybe 14.

say hi to Gitta's 20 year-old Hello Kitty

Lechon Kawali Caesar Salad

a match made in heaven: lechon kawali and Caesar salad

After reading about the much maligned Chicken Caesar Salad in Michael Ruhlman's blog and his improved version with pork belly confit in place of chicken, I was convinced and made Caesar salad topped with Filipino lechon kawali or bagnet which is the same thing as the pork confit, btw, only crispier and yummier, IMHO. The salad dressing I have been using is the recipe I learned from the sous chef of all places, the Asian Development Bank executive dining room. The sous chef, I can't recall her name, gave a half-day lesson to bank employees who were interested on how to prepare a few popular dishes the dining room had in their menu at the time. One of my favorites is Caesar salad and the other that I never wrote down but still remember from memory is Quiche Lorraine. I don't have precise measurements for the salad's dressing and the following is just a guide which can be adjusted to suit your taste. Or you can prepare your own recipe and top the salad with lechon kawali. I never knew this combination is really delicious, unhealthy but indescribably delicious.

Lechon Kawali Caesar Salad
chopped lechon kawali, homemade or store bought
hearts of romaine, torn into largish pieces
garlic flavored croutons, homemade or store bought
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons lemon or calamansi juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets in olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
shaved Parmesan for topping, optional

• In a large bowl, whisk egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, and wooster sauce until well combined and thickened a bit. Slowly pour olive oil while constantly whisking. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese.
• In another bowl, toss some lettuce and dressing. Transfer into a salad plate and top with croutons and chopped lechon kawali.

Marvin of Burnt Lumpia made a yummy, delightful, and very creative version of Caesar salad using some of our beloved Filipino ingredients such as pandesal, bagoong alamang, and chicken adobo. His wonderful recipe is here. Enjoy!

A Beery Peanut Brittle

slightly spicy and beery peanut brittle

Gizelle at Was zum kochen und essen invited me to join the Food For Which My City is Known For. Her city of Vienna is the home of one of my favorite cakes, the world famous Sacher Torte. When I was working at the Asian Development Bank in their old building at Roxas Blvd, my co-workers and I went to The Holiday Inn Hotel regularly to have their Sacher Torte. I believe the hotel's pastry chef at the time was a native of Austria and Sacher Torte was his specialty.

I knew it would be tough to find any food that is associated with my city of Ashburn, Virginia located 30 miles west of Washington D.C. It headquarters some well-known big technology companies such as AOL, Verizon, and MCI and the home base of the Washington Redskins is located here but food or some delicacy, there's nothing. Unless you consider beer a food, then we have the microbrewery Old Dominion Brewing Company which is semi-famous here in the Northeast. Yes, what we have here in Ashburn is the perfect pair of football and beer. Because I don't care much for both football and beer I thought of making something with beer that I will definitely love and maybe will make me start watching the Redskins' games this coming season. My daughter suggested beer peanut brittle, Virginia is a peanut producing state after all. I made beer peanut brittle once and loved it. This time I added chipotle powder for a little bit of spice. The brittle is very very good, slightly spicy and has the subtle taste of the beer. Sooo good for munching while watching football. I chose Dominion's Spring brew, a Belgian-style blonde ale that has honey, orange peels, and chamomile, very unmacho which is just right for a girl like me who does not drink beer. As expected I liked it, it is the very first beer I tasted that did not repulse me, ever. I don't think Ashburn's food renown can compare with Vienna's Sacher Torte but at least I tried to put it on the map and I hope y'all could come down to Ashburn and drink a bottle of Old Dominion beer or snack on beery peanut brittle with me.

Beery Peanut Brittle
1 cup toasted peanuts
½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cold butter, diced
1 cup sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 cup Old Dominion Spring Brew beer
1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder

• Butter a large baking pan or line with silpat, set aside. Mix first 4 ingredients, set aside.
• In a large saucepan, mix the beer, sugar, corn syrup, and chipotle powder. Boil over moderate heat for 12 minutes until golden in color. Stir in the peanut mixture and quickly spread on the prepared pan.
• Let cool and break into small pieces. Store in an airtight jar.

Old Dominion Brewing Company And Pub Photos

pub and brewery looks like a warehouse, an old brewing thingie the pub/restaurant, a small part of brewing machine


the old brewing machine

Chicken Kamameshi

Writing about rice and finding out there are several to choose from American grown got me busy for a while. I inventoried my rice stash and was not really that surprised at the number of rice bags in my pantry: Thai jasmine and black glutinous, US (Koda Farms) short grain, glutinous and brown, and Italian arborio, 6 kinds of rice! We are Filipinos and we eat rice every night, we also love sushi, onigiri, risotto, paella, and various Filipino rice snacks. I opened the newly bought bag of short grain and suddenly I thought of kamameshi. We used to eat this Japanese rice dish at a restaurant in Makati called Kamameshi House or something. They serve very good Japanese food and the most delicious Chicken And Vegetables Kamameshi. This rice dish is unheard of in Japanese restaurants where I live *yes I live in the boondocks*. One or two authentic Japanese restaurants in Washington D.C have kamameshi in their menus but we rarely drive to D.C. The place is teeming with tourists on weekends and the streets are chaotic during weekdays, and I'm a little scared of getting lost and it's very possible that with one wrong turn we will end up in the notorious part of the District. I don't want to be mugged for a bowl of kamameshi.:DAnyways, I am happy with my homecooked kamameshi but will still try to look for Japanese restaurants that make them.

Chicken Kamameshi
2 tablespoonssoy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sliced onion
¼ teaspoon finely minced garlic
¼ cup sliced asparagus or carrots
¼ cup green peas
2 cups Japanese short grain rice
¼ cup sliced shiitake
2 cups bite-size pieces boneless chicken breasts or thighs

• Wash and drain rice on a fine sieve, leave for 30 minutes. Mix first 6 ingredients until sugar and salt are dissolved, taste and adjust seasoning. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and cook in a rice cooker, earthen pot, or non-stick saucepan for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Serve kamameshi with warm sake or cold green tea.

Mother's Day Brunch

Happy Mother's Day!

For Mother's Day brunch we had Roasted Asparagus with slightly sweetened and reduced balsamic vinegar, poached egg, and shaved Parmesan cheese. I got the asparagus and eggs from the farmer's market yesterday morning (I went despite the rain and chilly wind) and yes, they taste better than store bought.

Roasted Asparagus And Poached Eggs
adapted from recipe at Martha Stewart.com
1 bunch asparagus, preferably thin ones
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon raw sugar
eggs
shaved Parmesan cheese

• Wash and trim asparagus. Place in a small roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt evenly. Bake in a 400 degree oven until wilted and beginning to brown. While asparagus is roasting, heat the vinegar and sugar in a small skillet until reduced by half. Poach eggs in a medium pan of simmering water mixed with a tsp of cider vinegar. Divide roasted asparagus into 2 individual plates. Drizzle balsamic vinegar all over. Arrange a poached egg on top. Shave Parmesan cheese over the asparagus and egg. Serve immediately with crusty bread or brioche.

Fiesta Beef Pot Pie

I baked another pie, a savory pie. I'm into pie lately because I looove flaky crusts. We still have a few pieces of beef empanadas I made last week but that did not stop me from making a beef pie for lunch today. This is my favorite beef pie recipe adapted from a 1990 Good Housekeeping magazine issue which I have clipped, saved, and filed in a binder with all the other magazine/newspaper recipes. (I should probably organize and put them in my computer already.) The ingredients that make this pie so delicious are the corn meal, toasted wheat germ, and grated cheese in its crust. I love its flavors and textures paired with the slightly spicy Tex-Mex seasoning of the beef and vegetables filling.

*This pie recipe by Mary King was the Grand-Prize Winner of Crisco's 1990 American Pie Celebration.

Fiesta Beef Pot Pie

beef and vegetable filling
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1½ pounds very lean stew beef, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 fresh jalapeño pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 16-ounce can tomatoes, or 2 C chopped fresh tomatoes
1½ cups sweet corn kernels
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup water
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ cup sliced ripe olives

flaky Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup very cold diced butter
1/3 cup very cold diced butter flavor Crisco
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 - 10 tablespoon ice water
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons water

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil and saute beef until well browned. Add garlic, onions, and pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except olives. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in olives, set aside to cool slightly.
• Prepare the crust: In a bowl combine flour, cornmeal, wheat germ, and salt. With your fingertips cut in butter, Crisco, and cheese until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in ice water 1 T at a time until it forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll one ball into an 11-inch circle. Ease into a pie plate. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spoon filling into pie crust. Roll the other dough into an 11-inch circle. Lift top crust onto filled pie. Cut slits on top crust to allow steam to escape while baking. Fold top edge under bottom crust, flute or pinch. Glaze with egg wash or heavy cream. Bake fro 35 minutes or until meat filling begins to bubble and crust is golden brown. Sprinkle top with more shredded cheese, if desired.

spicy juicy beef filling in crunchy cheese-y flaky crust

Buco (Young Coconut) Custard Pie

There are three baked treats in the Filipino magazine called FOOD that have been in my to-bake list: Buco Custard Pie, Ube Roll Cake, and 7-Layer Toffee Crunch Cake. Up first is Buco Custard Pie, a rather rich version of the buco pie with the addition of a layer of custard. The pie is yummy, the crust is flaky, the filling is very creamy and not overly sweet. I don't know why I added the custard layer because I am not a fan of egg pie, I guess I was just curious. It came out very yummy, we finished the pie in 2 days! For the buco filling I used the meat and water of 2 fresh young coconuts. I was lucky both have thick but still soft meat. Hacking the bucos open was a real chore. This is the first time in my life I ever opened a coconut. I had to use a hammer after draining the water into a bowl, I was so scared of shards flying...I tell you, it is hard work. In the Philippines when we bought them in the markets or by the roadsides going to the provinces the sellers opened them after draining the water into a separate plastic bag. In restaurants they are served very cold with a straw in it and a spoon to scrape the meat. At home, the housemaids did all the hacking, I never bothered watching how it's done. I'm thinking of buying a machete which is the right tool to open a coconut but where will I cut it?*sigh*. Or I'll use frozen young coconut next time.

Buco Custard Pie

crust
2½ cups pastry flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoonp salt
¾ cup very cold diced butter
½ cup ice water
2 egg whites

• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter, I prefer using my fingertips, until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water slowly, toss with a fork until the dough comes together. Divide dough into 2 equal parts, shape into balls, flatten and wrap individually in plastic film, and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out one dough into an 11-inch circle. Ease into a 9-inch pie pan. Smooth the dough into the bottom and sides of pan. Trim off excess to about 1 inch wider than pan. Prick bottom and sides all over with a fork. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Let cool. Brush with egg whites, set aside.

buco layer
4 cups young coconut meat cut into 1-inch strips
2 cups young coconut water, divided
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup cornstarch

• In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut meat, 1 cup coconut water, evaporated milk, sugar, and condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often for 8 minutes. Stir cornstarch into the remaining coconut water. When the coconut meat mixture begins to boil, add cornstarch mixture, stirring quickly until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

custard layer
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten in a small bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt, and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring often until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly stir in half of the mixture into the egg yolks. Beat until smooth and return to the saucepan with the remaining mixture. Cook until thick, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool slightly.

to assemble the pie:
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons water

• Pour the buco meat filling into the crust, smooth top. Add custard on top of buco, smooth top. Roll out the second dough round into an 11-inch circle. Ease on top of the custard. Pinch edges of crust together and crimp or press with a fork. Brush top of pie with egg wash. Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Dale's Ribs

The winner of last week's Top Chef elimination challenge was Dale Talde, a Filipino sous chef in a New York City restaurant. The challenge was to prepare barbecue for the Chicago Bears tailgaters. Dale's winning recipe is a tandoori style pork ribs. He originally wanted chicken wings but another cheftestant bought all the chicken wings so he chose pork ribs but kept his original idea of tandoori. Many party goers including former players and all the judges loved the ribs. I was almost drooling while watching them eat.

I adapted his recipe for 12 racks of pork ribs which is for a huge crowd. I did some calculations for the amount of ribs I have and I was so happy the seasonings came out perfect. I also marinated the ribs overnight and broiled them in the oven because I was too lazy to light the charcoal, which didn't matter because the ribs are yummy to the max. Dale deserves the win. His ribs are superb, we all love it. I like that he poached the ribs in seasoned water before marinating, resulting in very tender and flavorful ribs.

Peanut Panocha (Penuche)

Over the past two weeks I have been acting like a mad scientist trying to make peanut panocha, those peanut studded raw sugar flat discs you can buy anywhere in the Philippines. They are sort of grainy, not chewy, and soft enough not to break your teeth. I searched and searched and searched online for a store that sells them, no such luck. And the more I searched for the candies or the recipe the more I got the munchies like a crazed pregnant woman. I guess the candies won't pass the FDA's approval probably due to germs, packaging, etc . Or maybe there isn't any demand for these treats and nobody but me and my family love them.

Read more »

Ostrich Meatloaf

I have read a few years ago in newpaper articles that raising ostrich is becoming popular in several farms in my area. Ostrich meat is believed to be much healthier than beef or chicken because it contains more protein and has less fat and cholesterol. I went to our local farmer's market yesterday morning and got a pound of ground ostrich. The vendor also sells ostrich byproducts such as feather dusters, soaps, lip balms, and skin lotion. The farmer's market is open year round but only a few vendors are doing business selling locally roasted Honduran arabica coffee, dairy products, cheeses, artisan breads, assorted meats, and sausages. The produce vendors will sell their stuff starting in May. I'll write about our farmer's market another day.

The look and taste of ostrich meatloaf closely resemble beef meatloaf. I altered my usual recipe using TVP (soy textured vegetable protein) as added protein, filler, and binder in place of bread crumbs, milk, and egg. I honestly can't tell any difference flavorwise and the meatloaf is moist. I love ostrich meatloaf and don't mind that it is slightly pricier than beef. We had the meatloaf with Parsleyed Potatoes With Saffron and Sauteed Green Beans With Shallots And Garlic.

Ostrich Meatloaf
1 pound ground ostrich
1 C hydrated TVP
¼ C red wine
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ C chili sauce or ketchup
1 C finely chopped green bell pepper
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp mustard powder
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 T ketchup for topping

• Mix all the ingredients except the ketchup for topping. Transfer into a 9 x 4-inch loaf pan or form into loaf on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, spread ketchup on top of meatloaf and bake for another 15 minutes.

Parsleyed Potatoes With Saffron

1½ pounds small red potatoes, peeled
2 T extra virgin olive oil
small pinch of saffron, crumbled
1 T finely chopped parsley
¼ tsp salt

• Steam potatoes for 20 minutes. In a skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add cooked potatoes, saffron, salt, and parsley. Stir for 1 minute to coat potaoes well.

Sauteed Green Beans

½ pound green beans
2 T water
½ tsp salt
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T fried shallots
1 T crumbled fried sliced garlic

• In a skillet heat water over medium heat and add beans and salt. Cover and cook until half of the water has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Uncover, add the shallots, garlic, and the remaining olive oil and stir fry for 2 minutes or until beans are tender but still crisp.

Puto (Steamed Rice Muffins): White, Purple Yam, And Pandan

Several of my readers emailed me or left comments requesting for puto recipes. The last time I made white puto was either a year ago (or maybe 4 months ago?). I made pandan flavored puto just once two years ago. Nobody including me liked the pandan and never made them again.

Read more »

Kohlslaw

purple kohlrabi, daikon, and carrot slaw

Every year I eagerly await spring not just for the burst of colors everywhere but also for the fresh vegetables that I sorely miss during winter. I recently purchased some purple kohlrabi and orange beets. I have cooked white kohlrabi once before, I added it to boiled corned beef in place of cabbage and I liked its mild slightly sweet flavor. This time I made it into an Asian-style slaw with wasabi dressing. The combination of kohlrabi, daikon, carrots, and wasabi makes this kohlslaw the perfect side to the Korean steak cubes I cooked for lunch today. And with steamed Japanese rice and preserved sliced ginger we had a very satisfying meal.

Kohlrabi Slaw
1 large kohlrabi, unpeeled and cut into matchsticks
half a medium daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 scallion, thinly sliced
¼ C rice vinegar
3 tsp wasabi powder
2 tsp sugar
1 T soy sauce
1 T good sesame seed oil
1 tsp sea salt

• In a medium bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, wasabi powder, sugar, salt, soy sauce, and sesame seed oil. Add the vegetables and mix to coat well with the dressing. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Note: The vegetables may be shredded as in cabbage slaw, if preferred.

Kohlrabi tastes mild and very similar to daikon and the purple ones have a slightly stronger flavor than the whites, although I love them both. I like it even better uncooked for its crunch and sweetish jicama-like texture.

A Personality Test

I got tagged by gizelle for a personality test and here is the result:



ENTP - The "Originator"

ENTPs are logical, innovative, curious and downright inventive. They see possibilities for improvement everywhere and possess the ability to understand complex concepts. ENTPs are introspective and carefree nonconformists. They often neglect the more common areas of life while pursuing new solutions. ENTPs can be good conversationalists and exciting company.

ENTPs are idea people. Their perceptive abilities cause them to see possibilities everywhere. They get excited and enthusiatic about their ideas, and are able to spread their enthusiasm to others. In this way, they get the support they need to fulfill their visions.

The full description: Portrait of an ENTP

I don't know if I agree with the result completely and not sure if it is accurate although I am quite thrilled to be in the company of Nikola Tesla, Julia Child, and Alfred Hitchcock. I answered the questions as close to my preferrences as possible. In a few of the questions I was somewhat conflicted and took a little bit longer to pick my choice because I sort of felt strongly for both answers. I can't describe it clearly but if you get to answer the questions you'll know what I mean.

I'm tagging the following for this test (if they feel like doing it): Raissa, Ruy, Marvin, Christine, and Dhanggit.

Click here to take the test.

Update: April 14, 2008

I took the Multiple Intelligences test after reading Christine's and here is the result:



I'm an average writer and speaker but I love reading (I consider my books my most cherished possessions) and I enjoy doing crossword puzzles which might explain the high verbal/linguistic category, and of course I love listening to my music. I also used to dabble in painting (not very good at it) and while I'm not great in photography it is one of my favorite hobbies which includes gardening.

Longaniza And Sardines Sandwich

pandesal filled with longaniza, brisling sardines, shallot, red chile, and oregano

My lunch today was inspired by the movie and novel by Laura Esquivel, Like Water For Chocolate. It is a quirky strange dramedy that was released in 1992 but I never was interested to watch it until Raissa recommended it a few weeks ago. I watch a ton of foreign language movies but I usually ignore Spanish and Italian movies because I find them too melodramatic. I finally watched the movie and I enjoyed it a lot. I also borrowed the book from the library and will read it this weekend. The first chapter has the recipe for the Christmas buns which has the most unusual combination of chorizo and canned sardines mixed with oregano, canned serrano chiles, and chopped onion. I made my own sandwich version using Filipino Vigan-style longaniza, brisling sardines in olive oil, shallots, and fresh red chiles. I had the sandwiches, yes I ate two, with pickled green mangoes and tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt. The sandwiches are very good, strange but good. BTW, the book also has a recipe for making matches just in case anybody wants to make and eat them.:-)

Longaniza And Sardines Sandwich
½ pound longaniza, Vigan-style
1 can brisling sardines or Spanish sardines, drained, deboned and cut into chunks
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 hot red pepper, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
10 pieces pandesal

• In a medium pan over medium heat, boil longaniza and 3 T water, covered, until all the water has evaporated. Remove casings, lower heat and let sausages fry in its own fat. Do not let longaniza get brown.
• While longaniza is frying combine sardines, chopped chiles, onion, and oregano. Coarsely chop the cooked longaniza and add to the sardine mixture, mixing gently. Leave for 30 minutes.
• Slice pandesal and fill with longaniza and sardine mixture. Heat in a 300 degree oven for 12 minutes or until top of pandesal is golden brown. Serve with pickled green mangoes and tomatoes, or salad greens.

Next food inspired by a movie: Adam's Apple Pie from the Danish film Adam's Apples.

Coconut Cupcakes

I'm into coconut these days. Last week I made buco pie layered with custard, it is so rich and yummy it was gone in a matter of days. I have also been curious as to why coconut cake and cupcakes are becoming very popular. I decided to bake some to see what the fuss is about.

I didn't like the recipe in my cupcake cookbook and found Martha Stewart's recipe which really appealed to me. I adapted the recipe using less sugar and very little butter because the recipe also has shredded coconut as well as coconut milk and I thought using all butter would make the cupcakes too rich. I also toasted dried coconut chips instead of fresh. The cupcakes are very very good, they're soft and the taste of coconut is perfect, not too strong nor too weak, and I love the toasted coconut garnish which adds crunch and more flavor to the yummy cupcakes. It's almost like baked puto, IMHO, I really like them. The following recipe for the cupcake is Martha's in its entirety but the White Mountain Frosting which in my opinion is easier to make is from another cookbook. Click on Martha's name for her frosting recipe.

Coconut Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks butter, room temperature
2¼ cups sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
8 large egg whites
1¼ cups shredded fresh coconut
roasted coconut chips, for garnish

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans wit paper liners; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour, beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
• In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar, beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg white mixture; stir in shredded coconut. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping ¼ cup batter.
• Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Invert cupcakes onto a rack, flip and let cool completely, top sides up. Frost cupcakes, swirling to cover. Cupcakes may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Garnish with toasted coconut just before serving.

White Mountain Frosting
½ cup sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Mix sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and heat to rolling boil over medium heat. Uncover and boil rapidly to 242° on candy thermometer. As the mixture boils, beat egg whites in a large bowl just until stiff peaks form. Pour hot syrup very slowly in thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed. Add vanilla, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

dried coconut chips

love those toasted coconuts

Pancit Palabok

Pancit palabok is my favorite pancit (noodle dish). Palabok is the Filipino word for garnish or embellishment. But the garnishings in palabok are more than decorations, they make the noodle dish very special and incredibly delicious. I have eaten palabok on a regular basis (almost once a week) in Manila in restaurants and during get-togethers. The pancit can be purchased from stores that sell them made to order, plated on different sizes of banana leaf-lined woven bamboo platters called bilao. Most Filipinos I know including my mother never cook palabok at home because it is tedious to prepare and because there are so many choices of stores in Manila that specialize in the yummiest pancit palabok. Unfortunately for us Filipinos living outside the Philippines and most specially if you are in an area like mine where there are very few Filipinos there is no chance of finding a place that sells or serves very good pancit palabok. We have no choice but to prepare it at home when the craving hits us. I prepared the garnish and shrimp sauce yesterday and assembled the pancit palabok today. It was worth all the time making it, the pancit is utterly delicious!

Read more »

Jalapeño And Cheese Sausage

When I'm chatting on the telephone with my friends we somehow always end up talking about food. A friend mentioned that she and her husband visited Austin, TX and brought home 10 pounds of jalapeño sausages from a German sausage shop. She was raving about them that I looked at my Charcuterie book for a similar recipe but couldn't find any using fresh jalapeños. So I adapted the fresh bratwurst recipe from Charcuterie and added sliced fresh jalapeños and cubed aged cheddar cheese. The sausages are so soft, juicy, slightly spicy, and cheeseliciously fantastic! These sausages will also be great on the grill and they're absolutely perfect with truffle oil flavored baked/sauteed red potatoes.

Oggi's Jalapeño and Cheese Bratwurst
3½ pounds pork shoulder, cubed, leave in freezer for half an hour
½ pound pork fat, cubed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
½ cup soy protein powder, optional
2 small eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup very cold heavy cream
ice water, if needed
1 cup thinly sliced fresh jalapeño peppers with seeds
2 cups aged white cheddar cheese, diced into ¼ inch cubes
hog casings, softened in warm water for half an hour

• Mix first 7 ingredients. Grind using a small die into the bowl of a stand mixer atop another bowl of ice water.
• With paddle attached, add the eggs and mix on low speed. Slowly add heavy cream and increase speed to medium until mixture is sticky. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time if mixture appears too dry and difficult to mix. Add jalapeños and cheese and mix on low until evenly distributed.Heat a small skillet and fry a tsp of the sausage. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stuff casings and twist into 6-inch links.

• To cook: put 2 T water on a skillet, add 6 links, cover and let simmer on low-medium heat until all the water has evaporated. Uncover, add 1 T light olive oil and fry until golden brown. Freeze uncooked links. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.

Sauteed or Baked Red Potatoes
1 pound small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ sliced shallots
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tsp salt
dash ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
black truffle flavored extra virgin olive oil

1. In a deep roasting pan, mix potatoes, shallots, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Bake in a 350 degree oven until potatoes are golden brown. Add parsley and sprinkle with truffle olive oil. Serve immediately.
3. Or, saute potatoes in olive oil for 4 minutes, add onions, salt, and pepper and continue to stir fry another 5 minutes or until potatoes are soft and golden brown. Add parsley and truffle oil.

Coffee

top left to right: sagada, Figaro blend (barako and arabica), benguet

bottom left to right: LAVAZZA pure arabica, pure barako

Italian stovetop moka pot

My husband and I did a sort-of taste test of the Philippine coffee beans we recently acquired: sagada, benguet, and barako from Baguio and Figaro barako/arabica blend he brought home from his trip to the Philippines. All of them were brewed using the Italian stovetop moka pot. I wanted to use other coffee makers but I thought it was too much trouble. I don't know if the result would have been different if I had used all 4 coffee makers: moka pot, drip, espresso machine, and Melitta manual coffee basket.

We compared the taste of the sagada, benguet, and the Figaro blend with Italian LAVAZZA espresso beans which is what we have been drinking for the last 18 years or so, with a 2-year break when we couldn't find them in the grocery stores and bought Starbucks espresso/French roast blend whole beans. When LAVAZZA became available again in some grocery stores and online I have not bought nor taken any other beans but lavAzza. Barako has a very unique Filipino taste and should not be compared with anything else. Filipinos who are familiar with barako will know with one sip if it is genuine barako beans which the H says is somewhat "grassy".

If you have relatives coming to visit or if you are visiting the Philippines, I recommend buying whole coffee beans, vacuum seal them immediately, and do not refrigerate but store them in an opaque container and keep them in your luggage to prolong its freshness. Two years ago my father-in-law sent us ground barako beans that he stored in his freezer which is the last place you want to store your coffee, and when they got here the coffee grounds were stale and undrinkable.

pure barako: medium roast which is the norm for barako, medium aroma, very good strong barako taste

ME: I love it!
H: likes it, authentic barako taste

sagada: dark roast arabica, very little aroma, okay taste, slightly acidic

ME: not my favorite, won't recommend them
H: just okay, nothing special

benguet: dark roast arabica, very sweet aroma and flavor

ME: sweet aroma, slightly over-roasted and more bitter than LAVAZZA but I love it, comparable in taste to LAVAZZA arabica/robusta espresso blend, highly recommended
H: detects a cigar-like aroma, likes the flavor

Figaro blend: blend of medium roast barako and dark roast arabica, sweet aroma, strong barako taste and hint of arabica

ME: I do not like barako mixed with other beans
H: likes it because he prefers bitter French roast type beans and doesn't mind barako mixed with other beans

LAVAZZA 100% arabica: espresso roast, strong aroma and sweet strong but smooth taste

I will not replace LAVAZZA with other coffee beans anytime soon but will have benguet and barako beans if they are available.

We are not coffee experts and this is just our honest opinion on the different Philippine coffee beans and taste is always subjective. My only advice is do not purchase coffee from McD[s and any other fast food joints, they sell the most awful coffee. The first time I had them I thought I had the flu or getting sick. What I mean is when your tongue is coated and can't taste anything, something like that and realized I was not getting sick, it's the tasteless coffee from McD's and the hotel we were staying in at the time!:D