Golden Syrup

the recipe for the dark thick syrup in the middle is provided below

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is 35 days from today, on September 27, 2015, which means plenty of time to make delicious mooncakes. I use Lyle's Golden Syrup which is too expensive, about $7.00 for an 11-ounce jar, so I looked online for homemade golden syrup so I can make lots of mooncakes. Golden syrup is an invert sugar syrup that needs acid to prevent crystallization.

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Sourdough Barley Bread

I borrowed from our library a German cookbook titled NEW GERMAN COOKING by Jeremy and Jessica Nolen, published in January 2015. I was not planning to cook German food; I was just curious and because I love reading cookbooks. Two recipes caught my eye: Crispy Sauerkraut Fritters and Sourdough Barley Bread. My sauerkraut still needs a week to ferment, so bread it is. I'll make the fritters next week. The store-bought sauerkraut won't do.

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Lacto Fermented Vegetables

Supercrispilicious!

Fermenting with sea salt brine called buro in Tagalog language has been a Philippine method of preserving vegetables for as long as I can remember. I specially like the spicy mustard greens bought from the wet market. My mother added them to sour soups. I really love burong mustasa with the Chinese-Filipino steamed bun sandwich, cua pao. Another favorite of mine is green mango. I have made both several times but with a shorter period of fermentation and never used the airlock system.

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Dinuguan (Blood) Sausage

Pork blood stew (dinuguan), is a Filipino dish I rarely eat. I cooked it once and I actually liked it. It's made with pork blood and meat, and stewed in vinegar and spices. It's usually eaten in the Philippines together with steamed white rice cakes. Recently, I've read about dinuguan made into sausages and smoked, kinda like the Spanish morcilla. What a brilliant idea!

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Limoncello Lemonade

I don't know why I make Limoncello and other fruit flavored liqueur. I hardly drink alcohol and forget I have them to enjoy once in a while. This batch is almost 3 years old and it's time to check if it has aged enough. I ended up diluting it with mint-infused sugar syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I like it. Sweet, tart, and refreshing with a hint of mint.  

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Rice Krispies Ice Cream Bars

It's ice cream season! Actually I make all year round but I make more frequently during late Spring and all Summer long. 

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Salt Cod Croquettes

For those who still have fish for Fridays during Lent season, here is a recipe for salt cod croquettes. Although I've had croquettes before in restaurants, I've never tried making them at home. If you can't find salt cod in grocery stores you can salt and dry your own. They are good specially with Tartar sauce mixed with sriracha or Frank's hot sauce for a little kick.

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Strawberry Ice Scramble

1 more day and it's officially Spring. Everyday, temperature has been rising and the last patches of snow have finally melted over the weekend. I'll miss the white stuff...not really, but it's time to try the Filipino icy street snack or drink. It's called Ice Scramble which is shaved ice mixed with evaporated milk, sugar, and flavoring, usually banana, and red food color, then topped with milk solids and chocolate syrup.

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