80 Breakfasts

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Cumin Yogurt

2012-01-26T22:53:00.000+08:00

When I was working in Amsterdam, many, many years ago,one of my favorite things to do was visit museums. One of the perks of working in a mediacompany, you see, was a press pass that gained me free entrance to most museums. And I love museums. Now, I want to say at this point, that in nostretch of the imagination do I know anything about art, or history, oranything else that goes into museums. I can’ttell a million-dollar masterpiece from a back-alley watercolor. Nor am I an expert in world artifacts. This has its disadvantages, that much iscertain, but it also has a brilliant silver lining: I walk into every museumwith no expectations, no fore-knowledge, no technical framework with which tomeasure anything against…and as such every painting, every sculpture, is filledwith new-born, dewy-eyed potentiality. Scoff if you wish, but walking into a museum and just letting your gut,and not a signature, tell you when to be blown away is, put simply, reallyquite nice.

Since I could come a go as I pleased (thank you dearpress pass), and I was based in Amsterdam for a couple of months, I took mysweet time with the museums. Even thebig old Rijks was savored in slow, steady, and delicious bites. I would come for a few rooms at a time, orjust wander, letting my heart take me where it wished. I had my favorites, seemingly random picks,to which I would return to time and again, allowing them to awe me and inspireme. I didn’t favor a painter or a period…aswith food, men, and books, it was all about chemistry. How can you have chemistry with apicture? Well, I think, more thanmeasurement and color wheels and divine ratio, the answer to that is the secret that all true artistsknow.

Me? Like I said, I’mjust a simple girl who knows nothing about art…except what it’s like to beenraptured by a picture.

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Cumin Yogurt

(Inspired by Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce from Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi)

2 medium-sized eggplants (the fat oblong types, not thethin Asian eggplants, about 200 grams each)
Olive oil for brushing
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
A couple of dashes ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

- Slice the eggplants lengthways. Score the cut side of the eggplants in adiagonal crisscross pattern, being careful not to cut the skin.

- Place the eggplants on a baking tray and brush the cutand scored sides with olive oil. Begenerous! Sprinkle with sea salt and afew good grinding of black pepper.

- Place the eggplants in a pre-heated 350F oven and roastfor 30-45 minutes or until completely soft and nicely browned.

- While the eggplants are in the oven, put together youryogurt. In a bowl mix together theyogurt, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep this in the fridge until ready to use.

- Once the eggplants are ready, remove to a plate. You can dress them with the yogurt sauce orserve this on the side.

The inspiration for this dish came not so much from arecipe but from a picture. The pictureon the cover of this book. Just look atthat. Wouldn't you be moved to rush outand buy some eggplant based solely on that photo? Me being me, I went and I did.

You can find the recipe for that here. If I had stopped to think a bit, beforedashing off to make this, I would have topped it with some lightly toasted pinenuts. I’ll have to remember that fornext time. The original recipe has theeggplants brilliantly crowned with pomegranate seeds but pomegranates are notvery easily available here. We had thisas a side for some baked chicken but I was thinking you could scrape theeggplant and yogurt into pita bread with some chickpeas and have yourself anice lunch. If there are leftovers, youcould whiz them in a food processor and make a very delicious spread.

I haven’t visited any museums recently and I definitelythink that should be rectified soon. Weshould always give ourselves the opportunity to be moved, to be enthralled, bysomething that our hearts tell us is beautiful. Until my next museum trip, cookbook photos will have to do.

Asian Mushroom Stir-fry

2012-01-20T01:08:00.001+08:00

I’m always excited to come across new local purveyor andartisans, those brave souls who forge steadfastly ahead on paths seldom taken. Farmers who faithfully bring their organic vegetablesto city markets so lazy-bones like me can enjoy them. Those who valiantly grow new and interestingthings and do their best to educate the rest of us about them. People making local cheeses and jams using antibiotic-free dairy and native fruits in season. And let's not forget the altruistic and enthusiastic entrepreneurs who help far-flungfarmers and other such producers, who would otherwise have no means to transporttheir produce, bring their goods to us.

I’m also excited when I see the wonderfully positiveresponse these people get. The eagerwaiting for locally grown heirloom tomatoes. The vibrant chats about how to use this vegetable or that piece ofpasture-raised pork. The energetic, anddeliriously blissful, hunt for the best local hot chocolate. I say, let us feed off each other’sexcitement ad infinitum! Until themarkets flood with all this local and purposely made gorgeousness (and happy sellers and buyers)!

These mushrooms are from a charming group of fellows whojauntily call themselves the Ministry of Mushrooms. I love mushrooms and though,admittedly, I do pine after mushrooms that are anything but local (hello,chaterelles), my heart likewise beats for our awesome Asian varieties. Especially when there are dedicated peoplelike these behind them.

Asian Mushroom Stir-fry

Canola oil
150-200 grams oyster mushrooms
4 leeks (I use the smaller local ones…if you use the fatWestern ones, use less), white and light green parts, sliced on the diagonal
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red onion, sliced in wedges
Small piece of ginger, about 5 grams or so, peeled andsliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sesame seeds

- Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar, andsesame oil. Set aside.

- Heat a couple of swirls of oil in a skillet orwok. When the oil is hot add the garlic,onions, and ginger. Sautee until theonion is soft and the smell of the aromatics waft up and make your mouth water.

- Add the mushrooms and toss, cooking for a couple ofminutes, until the mushrooms start to soften. Add the leeks and cook some more, stirring a few times.

- Once the mushrooms are soft, add the sauce and sesameseeds and quickly toss until all the mushrooms are coated. Cook for a bit more until the mushrooms arecompletely cooked and have absorbed the sauce.

- Serve warm.

This is an easy, simple way to prepare Asian mushroomsand, in truth, any Asian-type vegetable. It's great piled on a steaming mound of brown rice or tossed through some noodles(egg noodles, rice noodles, or even soba). It will also make a great side dish for grilled meats or fish. Feel free to use a mix of different types of mushrooms here -- I'm sure some shitake mushrooms would not go unwelcome in this dish!

I think the spirit of all artisan provedores is capturedquite nicely in the mission of the people at the Ministry: “We aim to be a driving force in thedevelopment of the mushroom industry in the Philippines and beyond. We hope tobe a source of happiness to all who share our love for mushrooms.” Development of the industry and happiness for all who share the love. Oh yes please! :)

*One of my goals for 2012 is to use more localingredients on this blog, so, if all goes as planned, you should be seeing moreof this here :)

Sambal Chicken Sandwich Spread

2012-01-14T11:49:00.002+08:00

Hot on the enthusiastic heels of my last post, I havealready decided to make short work of those goals I mentioned. When it comes to that blessed event called“starting” there is no time like right now right? So that’s what we are doing for 2012 folks, weare starting. Starting, doing,moving. Starting what exactly? Oh, many things I’m sure: Starting on that list of resolutions. Starting to live a healthier life (ok, forme, that would be semi-healthier – sorry, but pork, butter, sugar, and caffeine are here tostay). Starting to attack that pile ofbills on top of the printer. Startingthat book you got over the holidays. Itcould be anything really, and I am sure as the year goes on, it will be a lotof things, but right now it doesn’t matter. What matters is holding on to that wonderful feeling of bursting possibility,that clean-slate of endless potential, and just running with it. What matters is pulling your foot up and movingit forward.

Just starting! Bold, glorious, kinetic starting!

But before moving mountains, or finally getting my filesin order (which is actually very much the same thing), let’s start withleftovers. Finding ways to use leftoverto be more exact…and avoiding food waste in the process (one of my goals forthis year). This is one of the things Ilike to do with leftover roast or baked chicken.

Sambal Chicken Sandwich Spread

2 cups very roughly shredded or chopped chicken meat(leftover from a roast or baked chicken)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
4-5 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 teaspoons sambal asli
Freshly cracked black pepper
Sea salt, if needed

- Place the chicken, dill, cilantro, onion, mayonnaise,and sambal in a bowl. Top with agenerous cracking of pepper. Mix thoroughly.

- Taste and see if it needs additional salt. If your roast chicken was heavily seasonedyou may not need to add any more.

- Store in a clean jar in the fridge.

As this makes use of leftover chicken it is prettyflexible in terms of quantities, so adjust based on what you have to workwith. Here are some of my notes:

The chicken – It’s best to shred the meat off the boneswith your hands to get every last bit out. You can also tear it out in big chunks and then chopped them up with aknife. The beauty here is thatyou can shred or chop as finely or as chunkily as you like, giving the sandwichspread your preferred texture. You canuse leftovers off any roast or baked chicken. The chicken I used here came from leftover rotisserie chicken that mymom had brought over one night for dinner. Cost to me = zero! Oh, and makesure to save the bones for stock – just place them in a ziplock bag in yourfreezer until you have enough to make a batch.
The herbs – I like to add fresh herbs as this livens upthe spread and gives the leftovers new life. I've used dill and cilantro here but feel free to experiment with yourown favorites, or whatever you have on hand. And please nix the cilantro if you or a family member is averse to it –I know, and totally accept, that not everyone is a cilantro-lover as I am. This is also a good way to use up the oddbits of leftover herbs that you have hanging out in your crisper. Double leftover action!
The mayonnaise – There are mayo-people and non-mayo-people. I am a mayo-person. Please adjust the amount to suit yourposition.
The sambal – I used this sambal asli, but dependingon your sambal, and your tastes, go ahead and adjust the amount until you findthe right level of heat for you.
The sandwich – for the sandwich pictured here I used multi-grainbread, thinly sliced apple, and micro arugula. I love the bite of arugula, and I really prefer sprouts over leaflettuce in sandwiches, so I have been a happy camper since I found microarugula in my weekend market (from these lovely folks). And the apple provides both sweetness andcrunch that gets on splendidly with the spicy, creamy chicken.

I hope to do more posts on saving leftovers, as well asodd bits from the kitchen (like stems from vegetables and skin from pork – yes,it has uses aside from crackling!), this year. I’ll also try to suggest uses for the leftovers of the other dishes I dopost about. All towards the end ofavoiding food waste. You can click on leftovers under Categories on my sidebar for other ways in which I've used leftovers. If there isanything in particular you’d like to see here just let me know.

Now let’s get started! Wishing you all a beautiful weekend!

Breakfast #53: Choco Coco Oatmeal

2012-01-07T15:22:00.001+08:00

There is no better way for me to start a new year thanwith that which I start each and every day – a good breakfast. That is how I started last year, and,fingers-crossed, how I hope to start the years to come as well. What better way to start anything than withsomething delicious to fortify you for whatever is to come right?

But first, before we get to what’s to come, allow me totake a look back at what was. I made alist of humble (blog and food related) goals last year and, I am happy to report, was able to achieve,or at least make decent headway, on most:

Post more often – Keeping it steady at once a week…whichis more than my average in the past years, and, between my day job and life ingeneral, a comfortable pace for me. So,check!
Make more breakfasts – At least one breakfast post per monthon the average! More than before…so,check!
Use more leftovers – I did this a lot…although majoritynot shared on this blog. So,semi-check! And I’ll try to share moreof this in 2012. Avoiding food waste isstill one of my missions.
Explore new ways to share my love for food with more ofyou – Last year was my first year as a columnist in Yummy magazine, anothervenue where I share my cooking adventures with you. I am delighted that they have not only keptme on for another year, but have given me a new two-page layout to boot! And I am thrilled to bits with how itlooks! If you’re curious, this month’s issue is already out :) Let me know whatyou think! The Yummy team is an absolutepleasure to work with and I am chuffed to be working with them again this year.
Use my cookbooks and magazines more often – Hmmm, if I amtotally honest this is another semi-check. I have certainly used them…but not as much as I've wanted to. Something to look forward to this year then:)
Give my blog a new/updated look – This, I am so veryhappy to report, is a major check! Outof complete serendipity I stumbled upon Fancy Girl Designs thanks to DaintyMom. Patricia knew exactly what I wantedand I love my new look up, down, and sideways!

So, without further ado, it’s onwards to 2012! But first, breakfast…

Choco Coco Oatmeal

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 tableas cacao (this is unsweetened chocolate, a little over 5 grams per tablea)
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2-3 teaspoons dark muscovado sugar, or to taste
Chopped cashews to top

- Heat the coconut milk and water in a saucepan until yousee small bubbles form on the sides. Add the tableas and stir until most of it is melted.

- When the cacao is almost all dissolved, add the oats to the coconut milk/water and stir. Cover and cook for 10-15minutes, stirring occasionally.

- Uncover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, untilthickened and cooked to your liking. Maybe another 10 minutes. Sweeten to taste with the muscovado.

- Serve warm topped with chopped cashews.

I am not sure if it has anything to do with anything, butit looks like putting my goals up here actually helped me achieve them. Or maybe throwing them out in the face of theuniverse shamed me into doing them. Whatever the case, I’ve decided to share a few goals for new year with you once more. Again, these aren’t so much “resolutions” as “directions”that I want to take this year food-wise and blog-wise (we can leave out my goals of using more make-up and moisturizer I think):

Using more local ingredients – Although I will never beable to refuse a fresh fig, chanterelle mushrooms, or olive oil, I will try toweave more local ingredients into our meals, and highlight them here on myblog. We are lucky to live in a countryrich in all sorts of vegetables, fruits, and seafood! In this oatmeal the chocolate I used was alocal tablea (like a big chocolate tablet) called subasta. We have a lot of different tablea availablebut subasta is my favorite. Both thesubasta and the muscovado I used for this oatmeal are locally sourced and sold in one of my favorite shops.
Recording of the more Filipino dishes I cook here – Despite my lovefor cooking, I am late in the game when it comes to Filipino food, a fact Ihave lamented before. That does not meanI am not having a wickedly exhilarating time experimenting with Filipino foodin my little kitchen. This year I planto share this all with you!
Avoiding food waste – The fight against food waste continues!

And in more general themes, as mentioned in my last post…Enjoythe show! Stop and smell the coffee. Live more in the here and now. Be conscious of the beauty that is everpresent. Be grateful. Be nice (a sadly underrated quality in mybook), in fact, rock niceness! Connect. Kiss and hug and give. Happinessis free and totally in your power to achieve!

Onwards and upwards my friends!

Just in case you were wondering, the oatmeal turned out lovely -- super creamy and deeply chocolate-y, thanks to the earthy quality of the cacao. The coconut milk provided a robust, yet not too assertive, base. Very luxurious, yet homey too. If you don't have access to Filipino tablea you can use a similar amount of unsweetened chocolate.

Sambal Roasted Chicken

2011-12-31T13:18:00.000+08:00

It’s the last day for 2011! What are you doing? How are you spending it? Over here it is much of the same, nothingfancy in the works, although lots of little and big joys are realized andenjoyed. C is out biking up somemountain, as he has so happily been doing these holiday mornings. I have gloriously slept in, as I haven’t in avery long time. I am breakfasting on a simplecheddar cheese toastie slathered with my favorite guava jam, coffee everpresent of course. Little C is playingwith her stuffed carabao (water buffalo) – a sighting of a live carabaoyesterday has her suddenly in love with the animal.

It will be a relatively simple eve as well. We are spending the evening with my mum,although C’s mum will be at a party nearby and may pop in for a drink afterdinner. Mum will be roasting a chicken,steaming some green beans, and putting together her prawns and feta pasta. She also bought a few noise makers for little C(and us as well!). I’ll be makinganother one of these cakes (yes, it is truly a favorite in my family) andbringing over some nibbles: chorizo, C’s cheese and spicy sardine dip, dulong(tiny local fish) in olive oil and chili…and I’m thinking of walking over to myneighborhood delicatessen to see what interesting cheeses I might still be ableto pick up. Bottles of wines and cavawill soon be a-chilling. And aftermidnight it will be time for a bowl of my mum’s potent sopa seca (with bread,not rice or noodles).

I was going to spend this morning, and this blog post,reflecting on the year that was, the humble list of ambitions I set out inJanuary, and how I’ve been able to, more or less, plow through them. This would have also been the time to puttogether a new list of, I won’t say resolutions, but directions, for the coming2012. But the sun is shining through mywindow, little C is smelling extra yummy, and there is food to be cooked andenjoyed!

So let me leave you instead, for now, with another roastchicken we enjoyed.

Sambal Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken
1/3 cup sambal asli
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon honey
1 lemon
1small bunch lemongrass
Canola oil (or any other vegetable oil)
Sea salt

- Mix sambal asli, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, parsley,honey, and the juice from the lemon (keep the lemon halves) in a small bowluntil thoroughly blended. Set a coupleof tablespoons of this aside for basting.

- Put a few spoonfuls of the sambal mix into the cavityof the chicken and rub throughout the cavity. Stuff the cavity with thelemongrass and the leftover lemon halves. Rub the whole outside of the chicken with the sambal mix generously,getting some in between the skin. Tiethe drumsticks together with kitchen string.

- Place the chicken on a rack in a baking pan. Pour some water onto the base of the pan,making sure it doesn’t touch the chicken. Cover the whole thing with foil and place in a pre-heated 400Foven.

- Roast the chicken for 40 minutes covered. Remove the foil and baste the chicken withyour reserved sambal mix and a little canola oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour more, or untilchicken is cooked (when the juices run clear when pierced in the meatiest part),basting with the sambal mix a few more times in between.

- When the chicken is done, let it rest about 10 minutesbefore carving.

This is another dish born of the lovely sambal asligifted to us by my brother-in-law. I amquite certain there will be a few more dishes in this same theme down the road so I hope you don’tmind. We love all things spicy ingeneral, and this sambal asli in particular. Keep basting the chicken to develop a fierce red-golden crust onit. I like to sprinkle salt at thispoint as well because intensely flavored, salty chicken skin is really a bigpart of the whole point of roast chicken in the first place, in my opinion atleast.

I will leave the reflections and resolutions for January. I will share one with you now though: Enjoythe show. Whether it be a bone-meltinghot shower, a devilishly rich cake, or the sweetest smelling bundle of energy in my life…I will enjoyevery moment! Hard times come, that isfor sure, but there is beauty and joy all around for those who take the time toenjoy them. So I will sign off now to dojust that!

Wishing you all the best for the New Year! See you in 2012!

Brown Butter Pineapple Upside-down Cake

2011-12-24T16:20:00.001+08:00

This Christmas I decided to forgo homemade gifts andleave that to artisans more experienced than I. Although I love turning out a homemade present, this December was just toofraught with work (and by work I mean my day job, not food or writing relatedat all) to do that. It was frustratingat first, having to relinquish what you so want to do, for something you haveto do, but I soon enjoyed the extra time this gave me.

Time to get all the work I had done without losing toomuch sleep. More time to get togetherwith friends and family. More time withlittle C doing anything and nothing and just being. Time for movie dates with C. More time toconnect with people. Time to dream aboutwhat I will be making next for next Christmas :)

Sometimes, when you consciously let go, instead ofthinking that something is being taken away from you, it can make all thedifference.

I did manage one homemade gift this year. Made today, right before Christmas Eve, so it’sfreshly baked. Pineapple upside downcake for my dad. It’s quite a throwbackI know, always skirting the line between retro and all out kitsch, but it’s my dad’sfavorite so I’ll keep making it for him for as long as he wants.

Brown Butter Pineapple Upside-down Cake

1/3 cup butter, softened not melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
6 pineapple rings
115 grams butter
150 grams sugar
2 eggs
70 grams flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

- Spread the softened butter on the base of an 8-inch cakepan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenlyover the butter. Arrange the 6 rings ofpineapple on top of the sugar. I usuallydo 5 around and one in the middle, cutting the middle one a bit if it doesn’tfit. Set aside and get on with yourbatter.

- Melt the butter in a skillet until browned (notburned!), with a warm nutty aroma. You can find a fantastic tutorial onbrowning butter over at Simply Recipes. Strain and set aside to cool. I do this by placing the bowl of brownedbutter over another bowl with ice. I letit cool until the butter gets a little bit thick again, like a goldensyrup. In this state it smells sogood you may forget about the rest of your baking – fair warning.

- Whisk the sugar with the egg. In another bowl, whisk your flour andbaking powder together, then add to the egg mixture. Add the (cooled) brown butterand whisk until just combined. Pour the batter over the prepared pineapples inthe pan. Place the cake pan on acookie sheet to catch any over enthusiastic butter sputters.

- Bake in a 180C (350F) oven for 40-50 minutes or until apick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

- Remove the pan from the oven and loosen the sidesof the cake with a small sharp knife. Place a plate over the cake pan and, using oven mitts or a kitchen town (hotsugar beware!), quickly and confidently flipped the pan over so you cake is nowon the plate. Keep the pan on the cakefor a few minutes so all the buttery, sugary juices drip down onto yourcake. Remove pan and enjoy!

This isn’t the pineapple upside down cake of my childhood. Instead of using the mild,slightly stodgy cake I usually use, I decided to try this brown butter cake recipe (adjusted slightly). The resulting cake is wildly rich…almostlike candy. I wanted to depart from myold “caramelly top layer + plain jane white cake” combination that I had beenmaking and this version does just that. This is not for the sugar and butter shy, let me just forewarn! It does not make for the prettiest cakeeither. But if achingly sweet caramelizedcrusts and buttery moist cakes are up your alley, then you may just be up forthis.

The cake is cooling on the dining room table as Itype. C and little C are napping. The city, for now, is quiet andpeaceful. Our Christmas tree is smallbut sassy and presents are strewn all over. The mess can wait until after New Year. I’ll be presenting my dad with his cake at Christmas dinnertonight. Life may not be perfect, itnever is, but I am so very happy where I am. I wish the same for all of you! Avery Merry Christmas to you and yours…may you be doing what you love with thoseyou love this Christmas weekend!!

Faux Bulgogi

2011-12-17T00:01:00.001+08:00

Fate. Do youbelieve? Chance occurrences that tug usthis way and that, seemingly random and without objective, but ultimately witha purpose we could not have even guessed. A tricky subject, fate. Do we relinquishall control to it? Or dowe take our free will firmly in hand, never let go, and leave no room for fatein our life?

I think life is a little bit of both. Happiness lies in finding the balance betweengoing for what you want with determined intent and purpose, and allowing lifeto take you in its current with wonder still in your heart. It’s believing in your own power and a higherpower all at once, and seeing that it is not at all contradictory.

Choice and fate – they don’t have to be at opposite endsof the dance floor. I choose to trust infate the same way I can choose to change my fate. I choose to pick myself up and look on thebright side. These are things that Ichoose to do.

And fate can help, if you let it. It can lead you to happy accidents likemeeting your husband, or a tiny seaside restaurant that serves the best cazuelade mariscos, or a recipe not followed that turns out even better that youexpected.

Faux Bulgogi

(adapted from the Bulgogi Recipe of Hyosun of Eating and Living as featured on Rasa Malaysia)

3 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper paste (gochujang)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon garlic, very finely minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
400-500 grams “bacon-cut” pork belly (if you don’t seethis cut, just ask the butcher to slice the pork belly thinly)
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
3-4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
A drizzle of canola oil
Optional: Korean red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru) orany dried chili flakes – the original recipe called for it but I didn’t haveany so I went without. You can go aheadand add chili flakes if you’d like it spicier.

- Place the gochujang, soy sauce, rice wine/mirin, sugar,sesame oil, garlic, ginger, pepper in a bowl and mix well.

- Cut the pork belly into pieces about 2 inches long.

- Mix the pork with the onions, spring onions, and marinade. Mix well and marinate for at least an hour.

- Heat a skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add a touch of oil just so the meat won’tstick. Add the pork belly and marinadeinto the pan, scrape everything in there. Cook, tossing frequently,until pork is cooked and the marinade has bubbled and reduced. There won’t be much marinade left, it will becoating the meat thickly.

- Serve garnished with more spring onions atop a steamingpile of rice!

Alright. Firstthings first. Why “faux bulgogi”? Because in the original recipe you aresupposed to grill the pork strips, or at the very least lay them on a skillet nicelyand cook them one side at a time. I’lladmit, I was not trying to achieve a better result by dumping the whole lot(pork, marinade, and all) in my skillet – I was, in fact, just lazy. But what a fortuitous delight (happy accident!) that turned outto be. The marinade turned thick and sticky and amazing, clinging and coating the pork while the onionssoftened and turned just a touch caramelized.

This recipe also led me to the discovery of gochujang andI am smitten! I need to go out and buy (much)more because I am most definitely making this again, and I am very excited to findother ways to use it.

Happy accidents – really, where would we be without them? Let them happen!

Shrimps with Sambal

2011-12-12T14:28:00.001+08:00

Our little C turns 2 today! How these last two year managed to speed pastme with such impetuous haste I will never know. I have tried my best to hold on to every moment with hands and teeth,inhaling the sweet scent of it until I could no longer hold my breath, nuzzlingmy head deep into her curls, laughing and crying and trying not to worry aboutthings like growth charts and future school selection.

So many times in these past two years I’ve found myselfthinking, “I can’t wait until…”, and I always consciously stop myself. Walking and talking and shopping dates couldwait. Every stage, every day, has its ownspecial magic, that once passed, can’t be rewound. The peaceful cooing before they startspeaking their mind. The blissful illusionof control when they still can’t run away from you. And the priceless luxury of that brief period when theycan’t tell the difference between piece of cardboard and a toy.

There are things I am looking forward to thisyear though. Shellfish is one of them. Yes, despite my seemingly fancy-free façade Iam, in fact, a paranoid (regular) mum (!) and did not give little C anyshellfish for her first two tender years. Don’t laugh please! I believe a mum isallowed a few paranoias once in a while (with a stiff drink on the side please).

So this year will be the year of shrimp and prawns andcrabs, perhaps clams and mussels and scallops as well. I’m still on the fence on oysters, even if Ilove oysters and would love to have her love them too. Mums, please feel free to give me advice!

For now, we can start with shrimp…although notnecessarily with sambal ;)

Shrimps with Sambal

500 grams shrimp, unpeeled
1/4 cup butter
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 long green chilies (sili pangsigang)
4 young leeks/pencil leeks (not the fat westernhemisphere leeks!)
3 – 4 tablespoons full of sambal asli
Sea salt

- Heat a wok or pan over high heat. When the wok is hot, bring heat down tomedium and add the butter to the pan. Let this melt and sizzle until most of the foam has subsided.

- Add the ginger, garlic, and chilies and fry until the garlic is just a touch toasty in parts, under a minute. Add the leeks and mix in.

- Immediately add the sambal and shrimps to the pan and toss well. Cover your wok and wait a couple of minutes, uncover, and toss again. Try to flip the shrimp so the uncooked parts are underneath and the bright orange cooked parts are on top. Cover again for a minute or less and repeat until all the shrimps are just cooked. You don't want to overcook them so be vigilant!

- Taste and season with salt as you like. Remove from the hot pan and serve immediately.

This was a quick lunch I threw together for C and I. I have to give credit where it’s due and letyou know that the idea for this dish came totally from C…I was merely theexecutor. It turned out so well thoughthat I knew I had to share it with you. Howmuch or how little sambal you put will depend on your taste and the brand ofsambal you use (some may be spicier than others). We use our absolute favorite sambal asli thatC’s bother, who lives in Jakarta, hand carries here for us every time hevisits. We have tried it, and loved it,on many things, but as part of the sauce for these shrimps it is amazing.

We are so looking forward to sharing our favoriteshellfish dishes with little C. We willcertainly create a version of this for her that is a little less spicy. As always, the adventure of food is one of myfavorites within this grander adventure of parenthood. I’m eager to see what this third year has tobring…but I’m also going to enjoy it a bite and a morsel at a time.

Happy 2nd birthday little cherry bomb! :)

Breakfast #52: Christmas Oatmeal

2011-12-03T23:33:00.001+08:00

It’s December! Formany of you, that means that Christmas is in the air. In the Philippines however, Christmas seasonofficially start when the months end in “-ber”. That means, for us, Christmas starts in September, when the shoppingmalls and their ilk let the first decorations out and the first strains ofcarols can be heard over their PA systems. By December, the season is in full-throttle, steam-rollering its wayover us, both guns blazing.

Before you throw eggnog and Scrooge McDuck at me, hear meout. In truth, I DO like Christmas! It’s the hyper-consumerist roller-coaster rideit has become over here that I am not too fond of. And all the over-bright wrapping and trappingsthat, more often now, overshadow everything else. Plus the growing number of people that seemto be more stressed then celebratory. Issomething stressing you about Christmas? Take a good and honest look at what that thing is and perhaps (I’ll bet)you can skip it this year. Or at leastpart of it. Really. Do what you want! It’s Christmas! ;)

December is, in actuality, my absolute most stressful month atwork with year-end reports, transitions, and trying to keep business going whileeveryone else is rushing off to holidays. Scurrying to buy Christmas presents? Choosing between holiday parties? Cooking up a storm? Christmascocktail hangovers? Oh, how I would muchrather be doing all that! Christmas ismy respite, my reward.

It is also the season when you can buy freshly roastedcastañas (chestnuts)…so it can’t be all that bad ;)

Christmas Oatmeal

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 apple, chopped into small dice
1/2 cup peeled roasted castañas/chestnuts, roughlychopped
3 tablespoons raisins
A couple of dashes cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of ground cloves

- Heat the milk and water in a pan until tiny bubbleappear on the side and the milk is hot but does not come to a boil. Add the oats and stir. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirringoccasionally.

- After 10-15 minutes add the apple, castañas/chestnuts,raisins, and spices. Stir andcover. Cook for another 10-15 minutes,stirring occasionally, until oatmeal is to your preferred consistency. Add more water if it becomes to dry.

- Serve warm.

One of the things I love about this time of year is whenthe castañas vendors come out, stirring their huge vats of nuts. A warm, freshly roasted chestnut is truebliss – and, at this time of year, bliss that is easily had. I’ve infused this oatmeal with what I thinkof as Christmas flavors***. This isperfect to have on a cool December morning, although the weather does not seemto be cooperating these days.

Christmas does not have to mean a trillion lights andover-organized parties, and spending until your wallet whines (unless, ofcourse, you want to…that’s fine too). Itcan be about your own traditions, your own ways of celebrating, with the peopleyou want to celebrate. It can be thetime of year when you give everyone an extra hug, or tip the waiters more than usual, or enforce pajama weekends and airguitar competitions, or just add a little spice in your morning oatmeal. It’s really up to you. Just do it with joy in your heart andeveryone around you will be better for being in the presence of a joyfulperson. Happy December everyone!

***I've used some of the same Christmas flavors, like thecastañas and the apples, in my column in the December issue of Yummy magazinewhich is out in newsstands now. If you are hereabouts, you can pick up a copy!

Breakfast #51: Fried Egg in Aligue (crab fat)

2011-11-27T22:07:00.001+08:00

I am a relic. In aworld where fitness has swept the universe on its endorphin-powered chariot,leaving in its wake legions of runners, bikers, triathletes,and plana formadisciples, I remain resolutely languid. Feel the burn? Runner’s high? Ilisten to a multitude of people wax delirious about their physical activity ofchoice, still as puzzled and as dubious as I’ve always been.

It’s not that I question fitness or physicalactivity. Not at all! Exercise, it all its many forms, is good foryou – and that’s the inescapable truth. But I just can’t get on the fist-pumping, limit-pushing,sweat-dripping bandwagon, try as Imight. And I have tried. Really and truly. But where other feel a sense of glorious exhilaration,I only feel nauseous and ornery.

Sports are definitely out. Not only do I possess zero coordination orathletic prowess, anything to do with competition makes me miserable. Solo activities like running or biking do not attract me in the least. And don't even mention the gym to me.

So as far as physical activities are concerned, thatleaves power-shopping, power-erranding, and my once a week walk to theneighborhood market. Not much. Although a step more active thanreading…which is my preferred activity, truth be told.

I love decadence, indulging, napping with pajamas, long scalding-hot showers, burrowing under soft cool sheets, stretching, dancing , sleepingoutdoors, sleeping in, 3-hour lunches with wine, hammocking, floating on myback, sniffing my baby pillow, brunch cocktails, stirring hot chocolate,lip-synching, and kneading dough.

The world is leaving me behind. But it’s ok. Because I have this to keep me company.

Fried Egg in Aligue (crab fat)

1 egg, the best you can find or afford
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small clove of garlic, very finely minced or passedthrough a garlic press
1 tablespoon aligue (crab fat)
Sea salt

- Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. After a few seconds, when you can smell the garlic frying, add thealigue (crab fat). With yourspatula/turner, quickly mix the aligue with the oil and garlic. Blend well until you have a deliciouslydangerous looking mass of bubbling orange sin.

- Onto this bed of foamy orange, gently lay your egg. As the whites set, gently flip the aligueonto the egg whites and yolk. Keep doingthis patiently until the whites are set but the yolk remains runny. Sprinkle a little sea salt on the yolk.

- Slide the egg and all the aligue onto your plate…orbetter yet onto a steaming mound of rice. Consume immediately. This dishdoes not like waiting around.

Aligue is crab fat and, over here, in a country of truly fearless people, it can be easily acquired sold in bottles. If you are not comfortable having 2 tablespoons of fat(one animal and one vegetable…I’m nothing if not fair) in one serving thenplease feel free to reduce either to the quantity you are comfortablewith. If you are, however, comfortablehaving more, by all means indulge! Iwould compensate though with some extra strenuous reading after ;)

Please don’t get me wrong. I would love to one day be bitten my some hyper-energeticbug that will miraculously turn my potential into kinetic and my soft curves (Ihave lots to spare) into hard angles (I sure could use those). Until then I suppose I’ll just have to be contentwith the passions I’ve been dealt. I’mcertainly not complaining. Pass the cozyand wake me when the coffee’s on please :)

Breakfast #50: Multigrain Pancakes

2011-11-21T09:05:00.001+08:00

Who doesn’t love weekends? Long stretches of time (well, in truth, neverlong enough!) to fill up as we please – spending time with friends and family, stayingout late, sleeping in, morning cuddles with no time limit, 3-hour lunches withwine, impromptu jaunts, dressing up, dressing down, naps! You time and your rules.

If you are a Monday to Friday worker bee like I am, youenjoy it even more.

One of my favorite things about the weekend (although Iwould really be hard pressed to pick only one favorite) are long lazybreakfasts that don’t need to be on the table in 10 minutes or less –breakfasts during which the whole family can sit together and enjoy eachother’s company without having to rush off to work. During the week, we are hardly able to have breakfaststogether – C is usually rushing out the door to work, little C has breakfast earlier,and I put together something quick that I can eat in front of my computer(shock! I know…I’m a real person, I eatin front of my computer!) as I get started on my workday. Not the ideal situation, but that’s life, andwe’re working on it :)

So anyway…thank goodness for the weekends! And there is nothing that says weekendbreakfasts quite like pancakes.

Multigrain Pancakes

(slightly adapted from Multigrain Pancakes in SuperNatural Every Day by Heidi Swanson)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit (plus more forthe pan)

- Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, andsalt in a large bowl. I always use awhisk when mixing dry ingredients because I feel like I am mixing and siftingat the same time.

- In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk andeggs, add the melted butter and whisk again until everything is evenlycombined.

- Heat a skillet (or griddle if you have one…I don’t, butmaybe someday!), add a sliver of butter and brush across the surface. Make sure the pan is hot – Heidi says if adrop of water dances across the skillet then you are good to go!

- While the skillet is heating, pour the wet ingredientsinto the dry while gently stirring until just combined. Do not over-stir.

- When the pan is hot pour some batter on the pan. You can make small pancakes or largeones...your choice. Cook until thebottoms are golden and the edges as toasty then flip the pancakes and cookuntil the other side is golden as well and the pancakes are cooked through.

- Repeat with the remaining batter, or cook just theamount you want and store the rest in the fridge. Serve with butter and maple syrup, or anysyrup you like, or fruits, or compote, or vanilla bean ice cream!

Heidi’s original recipe calls from whole wheat, oat, andrye flours. I only had whole wheat pastry flouron hand so that is what I used, combined with regular all-purpose. I also used dark muscovado sugar for the simplereason that I love it. Another bonuswith our local muscovado, especially when you get it sourced directly from theproducers with little refinement, is that it is shot through with lumps of clumpedup sugar. Hard nuggets of dusky sweetnessthat can vex a cake batter (I need to whiz the muscovado if I’m to use it for acake) but are nice surprises when dotting your pancake.

These pancakes are a far cry from those you get from apackaged mix. It is much less sweet witha slight tang from the buttermilk and an earthy taste from the whole wheat. The pancakes themselves are assurprisingly light as Heidi promises and are perfect with any and all manner ofsweet toppings, never reaching a too-cloying state the packaged-mix pancakescan sometimes get when drenched in syrup.

Heidi shares that the batter keeps for days in thefridge, and you know what that means – your weekend breakfast can easily turninto a weekday treat. Hope your weekend wasfilled with only good things – great people, fun times, and pancakes! Have a great week ahead! :)

Pink Cake and Growing Up

2011-11-15T11:44:00.001+08:00

Growing up. Ithappens to the best of us. Often I feelthat there is too much “leaving behind” and “getting older” associated withgrowing up, and not enough “ripening” and “getting plain ole awesomer!”. It is, undoubtedly, a struggle sometimes, butit can also be one amazing ride. I liketo lean towards the awesomer side and do my best to ignore the little creaksand crankiness of the former.

Besides, growing up doesn’t mean letting go ofeverything. On the contrary, I believewe shouldn’t let go. There are precioustreasures in childhood that will never come again – wonder, curiosity,unbiased-ness, simplicity, the ability to be happy with only a shovel and amound of sand. I say take them with you– you’ll be happy for their company on this journey. If you’d also like to keep a ratty old pillowthat has been smoothed down to an impossible silkiness and whose smellcan heal almost any hurt…well, I promise I won’t tell ;)

And sugar spun confections too…let’s definitely not outgrowthose. Layer cakes in whimsical colors, made and sampled right before dinnertime. Weall need a bit of whimsy and irrationality in our lives, perhaps even more sowhen we are all grown.

As time passes, it is not our own growing up thatsurprises us so and catches us totally unawares, but that of our children. Little C changes so fast that I’m wont topress the slow motion button and just hold on to moments as tight as Ican. And my little godchild Z is growingas well. That little girl we made bakieswith now has more make-up than her mother and I combined (and she is quite theexpert with it too…I am definitely taking her up on her free makeoveroffer)! She is an artist up, down andsideways, with music running through her veins. It’s nice to see that she hasn't outgrown sugar spun confections either.

We (godchild Z, her mom - best friend K, and I) bakedthis cake late Sunday afternoon, dividing the batter into three and tryingvainly to get three different shades of pink while breathing in the scent ofbutter and sugar. It was delicious, likeour bakies, but different too, like us. We used the recipe I used for little C’s first birthday cake – wedivided the batter into three and tinted each batch with a different amount ofpink food coloring. The batter wasenough for 3 8-inch cake layers. Theicing was a simple vanilla frosting we got here. I have to say again what a fantastic partycake this makes – yummy and easy to adapt in terms of theme andappearance. The greatest testamenthowever is the raves it got from K’s husband – when a man raves about a pinkcake you know that it’s more than just cute.

Now, speaking of children, and super spun dreams, mybeloved blog grows too. Aftermore than 6 years, I’ve finally updated its look and feel! I am still in the process of cleaning up (odd links, a more detailed About Me page, and so forth) but so far I love it! I hope you do too :) It wouldn't have been possible without the awesome talents of Patricia of Fancy Girl Designs. Thank you Patricia! And thanks as well to Dainty Mom, who led meto her.

So here’s to growing up while still keeping those partsthat never grow up! To pink cakes andfriends! To old things that keep uscomforted and new things that make us giddy! Cheers!

HHDD: Cucumber Dayap (Lime) Cooler

2011-11-10T23:21:00.001+08:00

Once upon a time, when I was single, with no dependents, fancyfree and super-messy, I had more time to join blog events. I loved blog events! They were a chance to connect with other like-mindedindividuals, discover new food blogs, and find inspiration and encouragement. To this day I’d be hard-pressed to find afriendlier or more positive online atmosphere.

Now I am happily married, the blissful parent of onehungry dependent, just-slightly-messy, and fancy free only part of thetime. And blog events, sadly, haveslipped to the back burner. I stillexplore, when I can, the posts and round ups of my old favorites. One such favorite, if not the favorite,was/is Hay Hay It’s Donna Day…HHDD for short.

Started by the lovely Barbara of Winoes and Foodies, I was immediately drawn to it. Howcould I not be? My ardent love for DonnaHay is evident in my table, my bookshelves, and the frankly embarrassing way Ican go on and on about her to people I just met. So when Barbara called for an HHDD round tocelebrate the 10^th year anniversary of Donna Hay Magazine (of whichI am a loyal subscriber) with a round of festive drinks I was definitelyjoining in!

Cucumber Dayap (Lime) Cooler

(inspired by the drinks in the 10th year anniversary edition of Donna Hay magazine)

3/4 cup dayap juice (or lime juice)
3/4 cup sugar
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, split in twolengthways
3 slices of ginger, each about the size of a 5-peso coin
1 cucumber per person
ice cubes

- First make the syrup: heat the dayap or lime juice,sugar, lemongrass, and ginger in a saucepan, stirring until all the sugar ismelted. Bring to a boil and let this bubble forabout 2 minutes until the syrup is slightly thickened. Strain and set aside.

- Peel the cucumber and remove all the seeds. Place in a blender with a generous scoop ofice cubes. Blend until the ice iscrushed. Add a tablespoon or two of thesyrup and blend again. Taste and adjustto your liking – more syrup if you’d like it sweeter more ice if you’d like itmilder.

- Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Dayap is our local version of a lime, not to be confusedwith calamansi, which, although delicious in its own, is not the samething. For me, dayap leans more towardsthe lime end of the spectrum while calamansi vacillates betweenlemon-lime. I love dayap, which Ifeel is more bracingly flavored than calamansi (though I love calamansi too...our local citrus rocks!). It is also less available, so when I see it in the markets I snatch itup. Feel free to use calamansi here aswell, or limes if your outside my shores.

This works miracles on a hot, humid day when you are stuckat home working and too cheap to turn on the A/C. I’m not saying that’s what happened, but younever know, I’m not spilling any beans. In any case, this is cool, zesty, and refreshing whether you live in themiddle of a hot city with skyrocketing electricity costs or not.

Since I just made one glass for myself, I had a lot ofthe syrup leftover. That is by no meansa bad thing! You can store the extra syrupin your fridge for 2-3 days and use it to make all sorts of libations. Here are just a few suggestions: You can puta few spoonfuls in a glass of ice-cold water, add to soda water to make yourown lime soda with a twist, or add it to some vodka on ice…I’m sure it would alsobe good brushed atop a hot-out-of-the-oven pound cake. So don’t you worry if you’ve got extra.

Happy HHDD to all of us Donna-heads out there! And a special hug to Barbara who may havepassed on the HHDD torch but still does her part to keep the fires burning! :) To all those interested in joining futureHHDD events the current facilitator is Chez Us :)

Breakfast #49: French Toasted Egg-In-A-Hole

2011-11-05T17:01:00.000+08:00

This blog has always been something personal for me. Not personal in such that it was a secret inany way. I mean, it is out here for thewhole universe to see, right? Butpersonal in that it has always been very much just (or is it really just a “just”?)a journal of my culinary exploits. Andnot fancy exploits by any means. My homecooking, what I like to eat, what I like to make for my family, what I like toprepare just for me. And with that,little bits of my (and our) life as well. What we cook and eat and live every day.

For over six years blogging has been my belovedhobby, my baby, my solace, my me-time, “my place”. Yet, when I think about, over these past sixyears, it has grown to be more than just mine. It’s yours too. You, who leavewonderful comments, words of encouragement and great suggestions. You, who email to say that “you’ve neverreally cooked before” but you read something here that gave you a push and oh how wonderful it felt (howI love these!!!). You who never commentat all but keep coming back. You mustknow that to me, you are all the bee’s knees. You are a big part of what inspires me to keep blogging, to keepreaching out. So in a way, YOU are apart of this blog as well.

And for that I’d like to say THANK YOU!!!

And, although I never have before, I’d like to take thismoment to ask: What would YOU like tosee more of on 80 Breakfasts? I’d loveto hear your suggestions, your whims and fancies, simple or fantastical. I would truly be so happy to hear them all! Leave a comment or send me an email ateighty_breakfasts(AT)yahoo(DOT)com. Youcan also send a message via Twitter @80breakfasts. The year’s end is almost upon us and it will soon be time for another set of resolutions…maybe you can help me with my list.

Meanwhile, let’s enjoy some breakfast shall we? :)

French Toasted Egg-In-A-Hole

1 + 2 eggs
1/4 cup milk (full fat or low fat are fine, not skim)
2 slices of your favorite bread
A couple of generous pats of butter

- Whisk 1 egg and the milk until fully incorporated. Place the mixture in a shallow bowl.

- Cut out a circle in the middle of a slice of bread witha 2.5 inch cookie cutter. Repeat withthe other slice of bread.

- Place the bread (slices and the small circle cut-outs)in the milk egg mixture. Soak one sideand then the other, for about half a minute on each side (not too long or itwill get soggy!).

- While your bread is soaking, melt a pat of butter in anon-stick skillet. When the foam hassubsided add the bread. Cook untiltoasted and bronze on one side – flip to cook the other side. Right after flipping the bread over; pour oneegg into the hole. Let this cook untilthe bread is golden brown and the underside of the egg whites are set enough toflip. Flip carefully to cook the top ofthe egg to your liking – I like the white to be just set and the yolk to stillbe runny. This happens in a matter ofseconds so be confident and quick – flip, pause, and remove from pan. Repeat with the other slice. Cook the bread circles as you would regularFrench toast.

- Serve immediately!

I like to use a hearty brown bread for this. Try to get an unsliced loaf so you cancontrol the thickness of your slice. This is quite an important part of the whole procedure I think. Here’s what I do: I crack an egg into a smallbowl or cup that is more or less the diameter of my cookie cutter, then I slicethe bread as thick as the depth of the egg in the bowl. Pretty clever, huh?

This is already a delicious and nourishing breakfast as is,but if it’s the weekend, and you’re with the people you like best in theworld, you may want to serve this with some breakfast sausage and maplesyrup. I’ve sprinkled a bit of arugulaflowers on top as I had just come from the market and my favorite organicfarmer waved a bouquet of wild arugula at me, knowing how much I love it.

Thank you once again for being a part of this blog, andto that extent, a part of my life. Sending you all warm thoughts andvirtual hugs this weekend! :)

Breakfast #48: Eggs in Anchovy-Butter

2011-10-29T08:09:00.000+08:00

I have a cousin who needs to travel a lot for work. Many times all around Europe. He will try to make you think that it is tiring and oh-what-a-drudgery flying hither and thither is, but I knowbetter. The fantastic meals of which hepartakes and the gastro-bounty he brings back tell another tale. Since he is a grumbler by nature hisbah-humbugs are a common refrain that is easy for me to ignore…especially when hedrops little treasures my way (lardo, pancetta, and guanciale…oh my!).

One such wondrous dish he had (in Milan if you were wondering), whose photo is still emblazonedin my memory, was a small silver pot cradling eggs cooked in butter andbottarga. Just three ingredients but theidea of it, especially for someone like me who already thinks eggs are sublime on their own,was making me lose sleep.

Bottarga here comes at quite a pretty price tag though, and I amnever sure just how fresh those vacuum sealed packs are. So, what is a girl to do?

This.

Eggs in Anchovy-Butter

1 ½ -2 tablespoons butter (this depends on how decadentyou are feeling – I would err on the side of generous)
1 – 1 ½ fillets of anchovy, chopped
2 eggs, the best you can find and afford

- Melt the butter in a small non-stick skillet (ideallyone that a good snug fit for the eggs). Wait until the butter froths and the froth then subsides.

- Add the anchovy. It will spit and sputter like mad so be ready and stand back! Lift the pan off the fire for a bit if thingsget too wild. Using a non-slotted, flatturner smash the anchovy up, smashing and swirling until the butter turns arusty bronze.

- Add the egg to the anchovy butter. As soon as the whites set a bit swirl the panaround and with the turner swish and flick the anchovy butter onto the top ofthe egg.

- As soon as the egg is done to your liking (I recommenda runny yolk…always) slide the egg and anchovy butter onto a shallow bowl. Enjoy immediately!

Ok. Bottarga-butter-eggs purist: don’t get your knickers in a knot. I am not claiming that this has anywhere nearthe soul-transforming powers that the original dish has. And it certainly isn't as pretty. I'm proud of my little ghetto version nevertheless. Though it may not be near the realm of theoriginal bottarga + silver pot version, it has a gritty decadence all itsown. Everything you need can be bought in anysupermarket…even the small cheapy non-stick skillet!

I like to eat this in a shallow bowl, immediatelypuncturing the egg yolks and eating the mess half-spooned, half-sopped up, witha good slice of bread. If you live inthe Philippines I have to add that this is amazing with a piece (or two) of hotpan de sal. Use as much butter as youfeel is decent to have in one meal…if that meal is breakfast then you aretotally justified using as much as you want (you are starting your day afterall). I have indicated 1 – 1 ½ filletsof anchovy here but this really depends on your anchovies and your owntaste…you can always add more if you’d like it to be saltier.

I must go pack now as we are off this weekend, leavingin an hour. Not any place fancy,no silver pots or fancy meals, but good food nonetheless and even bettercompany. And the beach, and a boat –those are nice too :) Wishing you agreat weekend, a happy Halloween, and fabulous breakfasts - ghetto or otherwise!

Incredible Baked Lamb Shanks

2011-10-22T13:05:00.000+08:00

Although I fell in love with cooking all by myself, faraway from home, where I had no choice but to learn how to feed myself orstarve, I draw inspiration from many people. Some I have never met, some I have known all my life. My great-aunt R falls into the lattercategory. She’s my grandmother’s younger sister and has a long and colorful history of greatcooking.

As a child, she taught me how to make pineapple upsidedown cake and apple pie. When I wasolder, she demystified the workings of callos and bacalao ala Vizcaina. Like most cooks of the generation before myparents, she uses no exact measurements or hard-and-fast recipes (except when baking of course…she was a well-accomplished baker in her heyday!). To learn anything, I had to sit patientlyand listen carefully, asking the right questions lest I end up with a wholepig’s leg in my tiny kitchen (“make sure you see the hoof!”).

These days, she is happy letting others do the cookingfor her most of the time, despite her souped-up kitchen (which C and I lookupon with admiration and envy). We dineout (she loves swanky French food) or in (she also loves C’s sinigang), andalways have a grand time (if you get her, my grandmother, and their othersister together the stories will floor you, as will the good-natured, though attimes high-octane, teasing).

Another thing she enjoys nowadays is gifting C and I withfood. The lamb shanks I used here werefrom her.

Incredible Baked Lamb Shanks

(adapted from Incredible Baked Lamb Shanks in Jamie Oliver's Cook With Jamie)

2 lamb shanks
75-80 grams butter, cold but malleable
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
10 fresh sage leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 large carrot, peeled and finely sliced
1 white onion, peeled and sliced into half moons
2 leeks, sliced (note that I am using the local leekswhich are much smaller that the huge Western hemisphere varieties)
About a wineglass of red wine

- Set aside 2 sprigs of rosemary and 4 sage leaves. Pick the leaves of the rest of the rosemaryand thyme and chop. Chop the remainingsage leaves as well. Mix the choppedherbs with the butter. You canalternately whiz everything together in the food processor. Season with salt and pepper. I like to season this until it is just aboveyour usual level of saltiness as you will be spreading this all over the lamband it will get diluted by the wine and vegetables.

- Using a small knife, take one of the lamb shanks andcut between the meat and the bone from the base of the shank upwards. You want to make a hole big enough to putyour finger in. Repeat with the othershank.

- Divide the herb butter between the “pockets” you havecut at the base of your shanks, pushing it all the way in. Rub the remaining butter all over the shanksthemselves.

- Tear off 2 arm-length pieces of foil and fold each inhalf to give you 2 large pieces of double-layer foil. Divide the garlic and vegetables between the2 pieces of foil. Lay each shank on eachpile of veg, crack some black pepper over that and another light sprinkling ofsea salt, then top with the extra rosemary and sage. This is how it will look.

- Carefully pull up the sides of the foil and then pour aswig of wine in each parcel. Gather foilaround each shank and seal shut making sure they are closed tightly.

- Arrange the parcels in a baking pan and place in apre-heated 375F oven for 3-3.5 hours or until lamb is very tender.

- You can serve the parcels directly so each person canopen their own serving, or transfer everything into a serving dish making surenot to lose any of the buttery juices!

Yet another recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Cook WithJamie. If you were to say that I amtotally enamored by this book you would be absolutely right. Honest, delicious, earthy cooking…and theselamb shanks are a perfect example. I’vechanged the quantities, as well as the cooking temperature and time, butessentially the method remains the same. And what a method it is! Thesewere some of the softest shanks that ever came out of my oven. Wrapping the meat and all the aromatics infoil (and see to it that it’s tightly sealed please!) creates a little steambath that keeps the meat moist and flavorful, and renders it sinuouslypliant. The lamb ends up soft andsticky, drenched in intensely flavored buttery juices. I plan to try this using other flavorcombinations as well.

Aside from the gifts of lamb shanks, we have also received slabsof steak, Campbell’s soup, fresh apples and pears, olives, duck confit, littlecans of mandarin oranges packed in syrup, beef ribs cut for kalbi, and rotisseriechicken. Once she appeared on ourdoorstep with a whole leg of lamb! Ithink it’s sufficient to say that we love my great-aunt R’s generous, ifsometimes random, care packages. Almost as much as we love her.

Family, and those you choose to be your family, are pretty special in my book. Give someone in your family a hug this weekend! :)

Oxtail Stew

2011-10-15T15:01:00.004+08:00

What a wringer of a week it’s been! And not a wringer in a super-busy-but-achieving-a-lot kind of way, but wringer in the putting-out-forest-fires way. It was the type of week where you feel you need a bazooka to trouble-“shoot” and a stiff drink at the end of each day. The type when you feel like it’s been a dozen days already, but realize “it’s only Tuesday??”. That very type. Unless you were born under a frightfully lucky star (in which case, pat-pat, good for you), you know this type too.

But this is not about what I had to muck through this week.

This is about a night I stood on my balcony, in the dark wee hours, feeling as I described above. I looked up at the almost starless sky, and around at the dark windows of my neighbors, compass-askew and bereft, and…just…let go. This is, by and large, a non-denominational blog, and I don’t usually talk about religion (or politics) here. But I do believe in something greater than myself, greater than us all. I believe that This Greatness is beyond anything we could ever imagine, and yet is so familiar in a very primal way. I don’t, however, think about this every day, nor do I talk about it overly much. That night though, I reached out across that dark night and called for Him.

This is also about the very next morning, when I got a phone call from someone sharing incredible news. Unconnected incidents…yet so connected. How I sat dumbstruck, almost disbelieving. And I could hear a voice in my head saying, “You’re dealing with A Professional, kid, and don’t you forget it.”

This doesn’t quite have anything to do with oxtail stew except that it’s an incredibly comforting dish and slow cooking, in and of itself, helps me to de-stress. So I’d like to share it with you…a small offering in gratitude for life’s Greatness.

Oxtail Stew
(adapted from Gnocchi with braised oxtail in Jaime Oliver's Cook With Jamie)

Olive oil
1 – 1.5 kilo oxtail, cut in chunks
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 large white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, trimmed and finely chopped
About 1/3 of a 750ml bottle of red wine
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons juniper berries, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 400-gram can chopped tomato
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
A handful of fresh sage leaves
A knob of butter

- Heat a heavy-bottomed oven-proof sauce pan or pot and add a couple of glugs of olive oil. When the oil is hot add your oxtail and brown on all sides. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and leek. Cook this gently until everything is soft and the onions are a touch golden.
- When the vegetables are soft, add the wine. Let this bubble for a bit, scraping up any stuck bits. Add the crushed spices, cinnamon, tomato paste, and chopped tomatoes. Top up with a little water until oxtail are just covered. Stir everything together, make sure the oxtail is in one layer, cover the pot, and place in a 300F pre-heated oven. Cook for 4 – 4 1/2 hours or until meat is soft and falling off the bones, checking on it occasionally to stir things around and make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom or getting too dry.
- When the meat has reached your desired degree of softness, add the oregano and simmer on the stovetop for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan. When bubbles have subsided, fry the sage leaves in the butter until they are dark green and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve the oxtail stew topped with the fried sage leaves.

I love Jamie Oliver, and think him a genius, plus adorable to boot. This dish is a perfect example of what he is good at. Homey, hearty, real-life, grandmother-y sort of sustenance. It nourishes as well as comforts. In the original version the oxtail meat is taken off the bone and shredded, and used as a chunky sauce for gnocchi (I know, brilliant and must be tried someday!). It also uses a whole oxtail, of which I had no access, so I adjusted the quantities to suit a lesser amount. I suggest whizzing the fennel and juniper in a coffee grinder – I used my mortar and pestle and still came across some bumps in my stew. The overall flavor is awesome, what with the fennel and juniper and cinnamon and oregano and sage, and the oxtail just melts into soft and sticky chunks. Be sure to cook it gently for as long as it takes to get really tender. Be patient, it is worth it. C and I loved it, and I am happy to report that little C loved it as well. I did shred the leftovers and had it with linguine and a generous grating of pecorino --- I think I may just make another batch solely for this purpose.

The weekend is finally (finally!) here. It’s an incredibly sunny day, after weeks of typhoons and grey skies. The skies today are bright blue and my little tadpole has graduated to one less floater in swim class. We are going Halloween costume and pajama shopping and, hopefully, on a hunt for some cookware. I’ve got a new pair of fabulous 5-inch wedges from my favorite boy in the world (that’s C in case you're wondering ;)). Relaxing plans with family and, right after posting this, a glorious nap. That’s not to say that storms won't come again. They will I know…and sometimes with such fervor you will get the wind knocked out of you. But Greatness is always there to hang on to when things get rough. It’s all around actually. And sometimes, it also knocks the wind out of you…in a good way :)

Breakfast #47: Baked Oatmeal

2011-10-06T23:20:00.007+08:00

We have just come from two back to back typhoons. One being worse than the other, although both very bad for those in their ferocious paths. Here in my corner the city, rains pounded the pavement outside my window and obscured my view of the buildings further away. The water was coming down at a crazy slant and the wind was a thing unleashed, whipping what little trees we have in a wild frenzy.

But I was just side-swiped by these typhoons’ tails and trains, sitting dry in my flat and watching the world get soaked from outside my window. The worst of it are those who are hit head on…that means floods, landslides, and all manner of misfortune related to these. And when one storm follows another, even a weaker storm, it means that the floods don’t have time to abate before being stirred up again. Not good.

What is good though is how quickly everyone comes together for drives to help those affected by these natural calamities. It is heartening to know, despite what cynics may say, that people still help each other out, that simple kindness is not going out of style, and that we humans really do care something for each other.

On rainy mornings I take comfort in that. And in this.

Baked Oatmeal
(slightly adapted from Baked Oatmeal in Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson)

2 cups oats
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/3 cup dark muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon cinnamon
Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, sliced into about 1 cm pieces
1 1/2 cup blueberries

- Mix together oats, half the walnuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the milk, egg, half the butter, and vanilla.
- Arrange the banana slices on the bottom of a well-buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle 2/3 for the blueberries on top. Pour the oat mixture evenly over the fruit and pour the milk carefully over that. Make sure the oats are evenly coated in and around by the milk. Shake the dish a bit and gently tap on the counter to make sure the milk has reached through all the oats. Top with the remaining blueberries and walnuts.
- Bake in a pre-heated 375F oven for 35-45 minutes or until set and golden brown. When done, remove from the oven and let this cool for a bit. Brush with the remaining melted butter and serve. If you want it a bit sweeter you can add a bit more sugar, maple syrup, or honey to your serving.

This is another wonderful recipe from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day. Let me tell you, I am simply enamored of this book. It is just bursting at the seams with good things. This particular good thing is heaven warm out of the oven on a gloomy rain-drenched morning, especially if you have mountain of work to get through. It is filling and fortifying and delicious to boot. Also, it will easily keep you full until lunch. I have to add that while this is lovely served fresh and warm, I also love it straight from the fridge the next day. Cold and stodgy (in a good way!), and creamy in a way it can only get when chilled. And for a morning when I need extra fortification I’ll top a slice with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a sprinkling of homemade granola, and a drizzle of honey. The granola may seem redundant but it actually provides a fantastic contrast of textures.

The weather is better now, albeit a bit moody – you have sunny mornings that are washed away by rainy afternoons or vice versa. No matter what the weather though, I am grateful for life’s silver linings. Whether it be lending a hand (and doing some spring cleaning while at it) or burying my spoon into this :)

Bacon & Peas with Orzo

2011-09-30T23:03:00.004+08:00

You know how I value me-time. In fact, I stand firm that it is the most unselfish act you can perform. When you take care of yourself and treat yourself to a special time that is just for you, to relax, recharge, or just buy a pair of pointy-toed fuchsia shoes without comments, you are actually doing the world a favor.

Yes you are!

You are making sure that you cultivate the most good-natured, thoughtful, and sane version of yourself to interact with other humans. Really now, who can fault you for that?

And any me-time, should also have me-food. French toast, Nutella, pancakes, cream sauces, chocolate, bone marrow, fancy-pants food in tiny but painfully pretty portions, a bowl of truffle mac n cheese as big as my head, bacon/egg/mayo sandwiches.

And peas.

Yes, peas! For the most part, at least among those I see often, I am alone in my pea-love. But I don’t let that hamper my passion. I simply enjoy them on my own.

Bacon & Peas with Orzo

1/3 cup orzo (about 70 grams)
1 cup frozen peas
Olive oil
2 strips of bacon (about 50-60 grams), chopped
A pinch of fresh mint leaves
A generous grating of pecorino

- Cook the orzo in salted boiling water as per package directions. About 5-7 minutes before the orzo is done, chuck the peas into the pot. When orzo is done and peas are soft drain in a colander.
- While the orzo and peas are cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a scant amount of olive oil to the hot pan, swirl, and lay your bacon in. Cook bacon until almost crisp. Drain excess oil from pan (save those bacon drippings!) but leave some (about a teaspoon full…maybe a bit more, I won’t tell) in the pan.
- Add the orzo and peas to the hot pan with the bacon. Toss a few time and transfer to a bowl. Add the mint leaves to the warm orzo/peas/bacon and toss again. Top with a generous grating of pecorino. Enjoy!
- Serves 1 happy camper :)

Peas and bacon are a match made in the heaven I believe exists (along with hot showers + cold sheets, okra + shrimp paste, and good books + pajama naps). For me there is really something special about the pairing of smoky/fatty pork and green veggies. They complement each other perfectly in taste and balance each others’ intentions. And orzo, oh orzo, a pasta that looks like rice…I’m sold! Make sure to keep some extra pecorino on the side because you may just need an extra dusting when you’re at the middle of your bowl.

When C saw the photo of this dish he sat up with surprise saying, “Where did that come from?”. “I made it for my lunch while you were at work.” “Is that special food?”, he says. “No, it’s just something I made for myself…it isn’t really your type right?”. Not one for false flattery, he looked at me and said, “Not really” with a sheepish smile.

Afterwards though, I realized, it is special food…it’s mine. And if you’re a pea lover, it can be yours too :) Happy weekend!

Breakfast #46: Steel Cut Oats with Muscovado Glazed Bacon

2011-09-24T22:49:00.004+08:00

I haven’t shared any breakfast here in a while…shame on me. After all, this blog is named after breakfast, and I did make a resolution to post more of them. So far, relatively speaking (and that is relative to my own historic posting frequency), I have been able to post more breakfasts that I did in the previous year – and average of at least once a month, compared to a dismal four breakfast posts for the whole of last year! And, as of today, I already have more posts in total than in 2010. I know I am far from a prolific blogger, with only one post a week, but I feel good that I’ve reached some of the goals I have set in January (that new look for my blog still remains a hopeful dream). Slow and steady wins the race they say, and I’m hoping they weren’t lying!

And where all this quantification came from I have no clue. Could it be as the end of this year comes undeniably closer? Ssshhh...Let's not rush it!

Anyway, onto breakfast. I posted about savory oatmeal before. I love oatmeal in all its incarnations so having another way to enjoy it is always welcome. One of my readers commented saying that she might like a sweet and savory type oatmeal and I thought, “Why not?” I whipped up a bowl of oats topped with crispy bacon and drizzled with honey…simple and delicious. And that's where this version comes from.

Steel Cut Oats with Muscovado Glazed Bacon

1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 1/2 – 2 cups water
4 strips of bacon
1-2 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar
Freshly cracked black pepper

- Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan.
- Once it boils add the steel cut oats, give it a stir, and then cover. Cook stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick until cooked to your liking. Some like it chewier than others. Add more water if it starts looking too dry.
- While the oatmeal is cooking lay the bacon strips flat on a plate. Sprinkle muscovado sugar on one side. You can be very flexible here, adding as much or as little sugar as you want. My bacon isn’t totally coated, but I wouldn’t say the sugar is sparse either. I like a good, even, generous sprinkling. Now, crack some black pepper over the sugar. Repeat with the other side.
- Rub or spray a non-stick skillet with a scant amount of oil and heat over high heat. When the pan is hot lay bacon strips on it and bring heat a touch down to medium. Cook until sugar is nice and caramelized and coating the bacon in a totally alluring way -- but not too crisp! The sugar will harden as the bacon cools so you don’t want to overdo it.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and transfer to a wooden chopping board. Let it cool for a bit (just a minute or two). It will stiffen and transform into a heavenly sort of bacon candy – you could eat it as is now and your life would never be the same again…but wait, there’s oatmeal!
- Chop the bacon into bite-size pieces. Divide your hot oatmeal in two bowls. Top with bacon. Enjoy!

Unlike my bowl of bacon honey oatmeal, the it's the bacon itself here that is sweet, almost candied. I would be a liar if I told you that I didn’t want to just grab all that caramelized bacon in my hands and eat it even before the oatmeal was done. But I resisted (for now!) and was left with a bowl of breakfast awesomeness that is both sinful and saintly. Here’s some optional advice: If you like your oats sweet with a touch of salty, add some honey to your oatmeal before topping with bacon. If you like it savory with a touch of sweet, add a pinch of salt to your oats as they cook.

Speaking of goals I set in January I am happy to report that, aside from the elusive blog look makeover, I have made decent headway on each. Aside from posting more often, and more breakfasts, I have also explored new ways to share my love for food more of you. I now have a regular column in my favorite local food magazine, and I have (despite my extreme nervousness) managed to go on about my pet cause of using leftovers (another resolution) on TV!

This may not seem like a packed year so far but between a regular day job (which is, by the by, not food-related or writing-related at all and has nothing to do with this blog), time with family and friends, and time for myself, it is a lot for me. And to all of you who know the drill, who go to bed tired from a stressful day of work, wondering if you did everything right between your job and your family, and if you even have the energy to, this is for you. For you, from me. You can.

And if you don’t believe me? Just sprinkle some sugar on your bacon tomorrow and tell me if you can’t move mountains afterwards ;)

Magic Sauce

2011-09-17T23:28:00.004+08:00

We all need a little magic in our lives. Despite the noblest of intentions, and the staunchest assurances to traverse only on the sunny side of the street, even the best are sometimes felled by gloomy thoughts and crummy circumstance. And although I will very soon tell you, as I often tell myself when the proverbial poop hits the fan, to focus on all the wonderful things one must be grateful for, and the beauty to be found everywhere, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the truth…

Sh*t happens. (and with that, the first time I’ve cussed on this blog…my oh my)

Truth acknowledged...now, let’s go have some fun kicking the sh*t out of sh*t :) (second and third cuss, but who’s counting)

How? With magic. The magic of true friends. The magic of dancing as if no one were watching. The magic of butter on warm toast. The magic of a simple movie date with your best mate. The magic of giving yourself a break. The magic of a child’s laughter. Of hot showers. Of cool sheets. Of chocolate croissants. Of fantasy novels and reveling in the fact that you can still lose yourself in them even after 20-odd years. Of dreams...and the magic that makes you believe that they can indeed come true.

Yes, it’s everywhere. Some of it in plain sight. Some you’ve got to look a little harder for. And some very powerful types are hidden away in that secret cave from your childhood…you know, the same one where you left the strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff?

Oh, and there’s also this.

Magic Sauce
(adapted from Heidi’s recipe on 101 Cookbooks – I love her to bits)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley
2 teaspoons pimenton de la vera, dulce (Spanish smoked sweet paprika)
1 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste or pressed
1 bay leaf
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Around 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

- Warm the olive oil in a pan until hot. Remove from heat and set aside.
- While the oil is heating pound the rosemary, thyme, and parsley with a mortar and pestle.
- Once the oil is off the heat for a minute or two, stir in the pimenton, garlic, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and salt.
- Add the bruised herbs and lemon to the oil and stir.
- Transfer everything to a clean jar and let cool. You can use this immediately or store in the fridge for about a week.

Heidi’s original recipe uses oregano but I didn’t have any so I substituted parsley. It also calls for a well-crumbled bay leaf but our bay leaves here are so dry that I feared even well-crumbled the bits would be too sharp and edgy, so I opted to keep it whole. This is an extremely flexible sauce and I see it working well with so many things. I have drizzled it over sautéed garlic mushrooms, sausage fried rice, mozzarellini…and even a solitary piece of bread. Next in line would be: to dress a just-off-the-fire steak, over roasted potatoes, and on a fried egg.

We all need magic…great magic and small, simple magic and complex, and yes, even the types you can whip up in five minutes and store in your fridge. Sometimes, especially those types. Don’t stop believing! :)

Smoky Curacha Cakes

2011-09-09T21:48:00.004+08:00

So. I’ve gone on and on about curacha. I am quite certain that you do not want to hear more of the same ardent ramblings on the subject. If you missed it though, please check here and here. This is truly an awesome crustacean and worth getting to know.

All that being said, allow me to tell you about another way that I used my precious curacha bounty. Crab cakes! Crab cakes are something I have had (shameful I know) only in restaurants. I have never tasted any homemade, and I have never hazarded an attempt at making them myself. Well, a surfeit of sweet curacha meat has finally presented me with the golden opportunity, so I put my hands together, got on the trusty internet, and started looking for recipes.

When I found these Traditional Maryland Crabcakes on Jen’s Use Real Butter I was sold. It seemed simple enough for a beginner like me, and (and that’s a very emphatic “and”) it includes Old Bay seasoning. Old Bay is traditionally used in seafood boils/bakes all over America (or in the places that they have seafood boils/bakes, I'm not the expert) and, as such, not a part of my growing up at all. Hence, exotic and wildly attractive to my Eastern taste buds. I wasted no time in having some bought (when my mother was in New York) and I have been admiring the very dignified looking tin sitting stodgily in my pantry ever since.

Until now. Traditional Maryland Crabcakes. Old Bay. Zamboanga curacha. A touch of smokiness. A bit of heat. Yes, yes, and yes :)

Smoky Curacha Cakes
(adapted from this awesome crab cake recipe)

1 egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
About 2/3 of a teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Optional: Dash of cayenne pepper (if you want it spicy…we did)
300 grams curacha meat (or any crab meat)
1/3 cup bread crumbs
3-4 tablespoons cheese cracker crumbs for coating
A couple of tablespoons canola oil or any vegetable oil that you use for frying

- In a bowl, mix the egg, mayonnaise, Old Bay, Worcestershire, paprika, and cayenne if using. Stir together until everything is incorporated.
- Add the curacha/crab meat and mix well.
- Stir in the bread crumbs. If the mixture looks too wet, you can add a little more crumbs just so that it holds together. It will be a fairly moist, but workable.
- Form into patties. Coat the patties in the cracker crumbs (I use Sunflower crackers, cheese flavor).
- Heat oil in a skillet. You want the oil to evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. When the oil is hot place the patties in the pan and fry until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and brown the other side until cooked through. All in all about 8-10 minutes work. Makes 4-5 patties.

I served them here with and absolute favorite of mine, peas and pancetta, or, if my wallet protests, peas and bacon. My love for this dish is tremendous, and I will be sure to share some version of it, someday, on this blog. Today, however, is for curacha, crabcakes, and Old Bay.

I know if I say, at this point, that Old Bay and crabs go together like chocolate and hazelnut I would be 70 years late in the game. But better late than never right? I believe so! I’m starting to feel a clam bake or shrimp boil coming on! Unchartered territory, but I am bolstered by the success of these crabcakes. It is never too late to try something new, and don’t let being a newbie (or the fear of sounding like one) stop you from being as brightly enthusiastic as you wish. Cynics may sneer, but there are people (like me!) who will love you for it and invite you to all their parties! Happy weekend!

Chili Curacha Pasta

2011-09-02T22:17:00.003+08:00

I have mentioned before that my husband’s family hails from down south our little archipelago. From a lovely city called Zamboanga to be exact. I’ve been there twice before, the first time carrying with it the particularly happy memory of getting engaged. It is a place not often visited by the average local tourist, who you will most often find in one of the idyllic beaches in the Visayas region (the middle portion of our islands). But Zamboaga City holds many charms for those who venture onto her doorstep.

Zamboanga City is sassy jewel cozily ensconced between sea and mountain, which in my book is the most enviable position for a city to be in. It has a pristine island off its coast whose shore is the palest pink. Remnants of Spanish rule cling sultrily at every corner. More than any place that I have visited in the Philippines, it is really Zamboanga that has the atmosphere of an old colonial stronghold. You can feel it in the air, taste it in the cuisine, and hear it in the language – a Spanish-Filipino patios called Chavacano.

And it is home to curacha, a deep water crab particular to the region. Its bright red-orange shell (which remains the same whether live or cooked) and large, slightly hairy body may look a tad monstrous to some, but all I see is the moist, sweet meat within.

This curacha was a much-appreciated gift from my father-in-law, flown in to us from Zamboanga. C picked up the cooler from the airport and rushed home where little C and I made quick work of its bindings. I couldn’t imagine how little C would react to these creatures but the hyper-exaggerated combination of excitement and terror made me kick myself for not taking out my video cam.

When we are gifted with these prime specimens we usually have some simply steamed and work at them tirelessly with our hands until every last bit of meat is in our tummies. There were so much of them though, and a couple were just huge, so I decided to pick the meat off a few and freeze it for later use. This pasta dish was the result of some of that meat…a splendid result!

Chili Curacha Pasta

250-300 grams linguine
Olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 400-gram can chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
250 grams curacha meat (or any crab meat)
100 ml heavy cream
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: greens for garnish – I used wild rocket but I think basil would work well too.

- Cook the linguine as per package instructions (don't forget to salt the pasta water!). Save some of the pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a couple of generous glugs of olive oil in a pan.
- When the oil is hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and chili flakes, and stir. Let this cook for about 10-15 minutes, until some of the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes are thick and pulpy. Add a couple of swirls of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and let this cook a couple minutes more.
- Add the crab meat and stir. Cook this for another 5 minutes or so until the meat heats through and the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning. If that sauce looks like it’s drying out add some pasta water.
- Add the cream and stir. Cook for a minute or so and adjust seasoning on final time.
- Toss with the cooked pasta noodles, adding the sauce a little at a time. You may have some sauce leftover. Alternately you can serve the noodles and sauce separately.

Unlike most crabs, whose best meat is in its claws, the curacha’s meat is concentrated in its body. I still remember the first time I tried one and it seemed like every time I hungrily poked my fingers into its body more and more meat came out. The meat itself is sweet and soft and absolutely delicious.

This is a simple crab pasta with chili, tomato, and cream…made just a little more special by using our beloved curacha. I threw in some wild rocket at the last minute to add a touch of green. Adjust the chili to suit your taste and feel free to experiment with the greens/herbs you use. I am thinking of making a version with fennel…what do you think?

I still have some of the picked curacha meat in the freezer and I am just itching to use it. Any suggestions? :)

Breakfast #45: Soft Boiled Eggs with Truffle Oil and Mushroom Salt

2011-08-26T21:33:00.004+08:00

It’s been a while since I have been on my breakfast soapbox here, so allow me to once again wax evangelical about my favorite meal. You all know how breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, I am sure. It’s been a constant refrain of a million cereal commercials and mothers all around the world. So, I won’t bother repeating it…although it seems I just did.

Anyway.

I’m here to tell you that breakfast can be your best friend. It is exactly what you need at the beginning of your day, when the carnival of “the whole world” and all its demands/wonders/foibles has not yet made its way to you. It can be that rah-rah-rah that gets you going. It can be that comforting hug that tells you that this too shall pass. It can be the buttressing you need to get through an especially trying workday. It can be the elixir that lets you move mountains/change the world/answer 100 emails/do the laundry.

When I say breakfast, I don’t just mean what you eat, but also the time you take to eat it. Giving yourself a dedicated moment (no matter how long or short – I prefer long and luxurious, but I am aware that we do live in the real world majority of the time) to start your engine can be just as important as what you use to start it.

What’s that you say? You’re not a morning person? Well, let me tell you, with much resolution, neither am I. I hold a PhD in sleep and have, in the past, spent a good part of my life waking up at noon. But I can promise you, in all sincerity, that it is worth it. It really sets the tone for my day, gets me started confident and raring to go, instead of rushing forth blindly, blouse untucked, without plan or compass. It also keeps me from getting to lunch time starving, devouring the closest thing at hand, whether that be a week-old serving of Spam or 3 stale Krispy Kreme donuts.

Believe you me, breakfast is in all our best interests. Take the time to enjoy it. Here’s another way how.

Soft Boiled Eggs with Truffle Oil and Mushroom Salt (and toast soldiers)

2 eggs (the best you can find/afford)
A drizzle of truffle oil, to taste
A sprinkling of mushroom salt, to taste
Toast soldiers, to serve

- Cook your eggs soft boiled using your preferred soft-boiling method. I won’t claim to have the best or sure-fire way of doing this. It’s a much-debated topic that I won’t get into here. If you’d like to know though, this is how we do it: I place the 2 eggs in room temperature water in a small pan, then place on high heat for about 5-7 minutes. I like my soft boiled very soft…just-set whites and gloriously runny yolks-gone-wild!
- While your eggs are cooking, make your toast soldiers. Toast a slice of bread, and then cut lengthways into 4 strips. You can butter these if you wish, but I forwent the butter since I used truffle oil in the eggs. A moment of uncharacteristic restraint….who knew?
- When your eggs are done, peel the tops off gently and scoop the eggs into a small bowl or cup.
- Drizzle truffle oil over the eggs and sprinkle with mushroom salt. Mix and taste…adjust seasoning. Consume immediately!

You can dunk the soldiers in the eggs or, as I love to do, just toss the soldiers into the eggs and press them down until all the egg is absorbed and the bread is a soggy mess of truffle-mushroom egginess!

Although we would all benefit, both health-wise and in taste, from buying free range eggs, their rich flavorful yolks are most especially enjoyed in preparations like these. So do spring for them if you can! The mushroom salt I chanced upon at one of my favorite stores, owned and operated by friends who are passionate about all things local and sustainable. You can check it out here. If you are in Manila I highly recommend a visit…it’s a charming general store type gem offering all sorts of locally sourced goodies. Bring your own containers if you want to stock up on salt and rice. I love the subasta cacao, any of the sea salts, and the lemongrass hand wash.

I hope this has inspired you somewhat, even just a little bit, to go and set your alarm clock a smidgen earlier, and celebrate breakfast! Rise and shine everyone! :)

Simple Wonton Noodle Soup

2011-08-20T15:34:00.003+08:00

For the most part, Saturday market time is Me Time. C is out mountain biking in, oh, some mountain somewhere. Little C is asleep or playing with the nanny. Weekend activities have yet to start, or even be planned. It’s a quiet pocket of morning that is all mine. Going over the fresh produce, seeing the new offerings from our local farms, chatting with the purveyors, (tasting all the free samples!), finding something to take home for breakfast.

I walk to my neighborhood weekend market with my bags in tow. If it looks like rain I take my battered umbrella (a fake-y Barca one we had to procure on our honeymoon during a rainy jaunt to Cadaques). The walk in itself is a time for reflection (and probably the only exercise I get every week…I know, don’t even say it). A gentle reminder to be grateful for the blessings in my life, both big and small – my family, a market that is a short walk away, coffee, hot showers & cold sheets, warm soup on a rainy night.

And all the artisans and experts, the zealous and new, along with the experienced though still as fervent, that cross my path. One of my favorites is a pair of Chinese ladies who make and sell homemade dim sum and noodles. They man a small table brimming with siomai, wontons, kikiam, fresh noodles, lobster balls, XO sauce, and all sorts of things I want to make off with. The dim sum is frozen so you can keep some stored away in the freezer for emergency wonton noodle soup.

Simple Wonton Noodle Soup

120 grams egg noodles
4 cups chicken stock
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 red onion sliced
10-12 pcs wonton
1-2 bunches bok choy, trimmed and leaves separated
1 bunch enoki mushrooms, bottom trimmed and separated
A splash or 2 of soy sauce
6 stalks green onion, sliced on the diagonal

- Cook the egg noodles as per package directions and set aside.
- Place stock, ginger, and onion in a pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the onion is soft.
- Add the wontons into the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add bok choy and mushrooms and simmer a further 5-10 minutes or until everything is cooked.
- Add a splash or two of soy sauce to taste. Take the pot of the heat.
- Pile noodles in individual bowls. Pour soup over the noodles making sure each serving gets some vegetables and wontons. Garnish each serving with sliced green onions.

This soup hits the spot on a rainy night after a tough day of work when you both want something homespun and nourishing, but at the same time don’t have the energy to prepare anything too involved. It’s all a matter of getting your noodles done, and, at the same time, putting everything in another pot to cook. We like it with some chili oil or chili-garlic oil (the type you have with siomai) drizzled on top. The volumes are far from specific as you can add as little or as much as you want (or you have). Switch the enoki with shitake or add more fresh herbs to garnish -- you can get as fancy or as bare-bones as you want with this. This version, as the title implies, is very basic...great as is but also good to build on. Until I finally attempt making my own wontons, my two ladies have got me covered. Recipe suggestions are very welcome though!

I am a big believer of Me Time for all people (young, old, male, female, married, single). Whether it’s solo market meandering, an afternoon at the spa, holing up in a museum or a bookstore, or hunting down the perfect stiletto, I think it’s important that every person finds time just for themselves. Humans need to nurture themselves to be better to other humans...my humble opinion :)

Creamy Avocado Soba

2011-08-14T22:11:00.003+08:00

I had been talking about living in the city so much that I completely forgot that my mum has a plot not too far out that yields a bit of fresh fruit now and then (not a grand farm or anything…excitement be reigned!). That is until she sent over a bunch of avocados. Now, understand that I had been on an avocado idea hunt since these eggs so the arrival of these impossibly dark burgundy globes was met with much delight.

A big part of the harvest was, at C’s request, prepared simply with milk and sugar. This is actually a very common way of preparing avocado here, although perhaps a bit strange to those who’ve only had its savory incarnations. But really, I swear it, almost all children here remember this from their childhood…creamy avocado mashed with milk and sugar, and kept chilled in the fridge, or frozen in the freezer (a criminally simple “cheat’s” ice cream).

But this isn’t about the buttery-sweet avocado pseudo-sorbet that is lounging in my freezer, though that would deserve more than some acclaim. This is about a fantastic avocado idea I found here. So simple, and so unequivocally good. If you are looking for a way to use your avocados this could be your new best friend.

Creamy Avocado Soba
(adapted from Oh She Glows’ 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta)

1 medium avocado, pitted
Juice from half a lemon
Zest from half a lemon
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
About 100 grams (or whatever would be 2 servings for you) cha soba (Japanese green tea buckwheat noodles)
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
3 stalks green onions, sliced (white and light green parts)

- Cook your cha soba as per package instructions. If the instructions are in Japanese, and you don’t read Japanese, then cook as you would regular pasta but only for about 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. Swish the noodles around a bit with your hand, and then drain again.
- Place garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor (I used my immersion blender) and process until smooth. Add the avocado and salt and process again until smooth and creamy.
- Place your cooked and drained noodles in a bowl with the avocado sauce and toss until combined. Add lemon zest and pepper and toss again. Garnish with green onions.

The minute I took a swipe of this sauce from the side of my stick blender with my finger I was hooked, lined, and totally sinker’d. Rich, silken, and garlicky. Like some divine avocado aioli. The original recipe includes an optional addition of basil which, as I didn’t have any on hand, I left out. I paired it instead with cha soba noodles and garnished it with green onions…changes that I think worked well. Although I know I will eventually try it with basil because doesn’t that sound just too delicious?

It should be noted, as mentioned in the original, that the pasta does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. I am happy to report though that I found a way to have this the next day. What I did was I only mixed enough pasta and sauce together for one serving. I stored the rest of the noodles and sauce in separate containers in the fridge. The next day I re-heated the noodles only. When the noodles are warm, toss with the sauce. Voila! I also tossed in some leftover salmon and it did splendidly.

I am just back from a very full weekend at the beach with the lovely folks I work with. Lots of fun to say the least, but my weary limbs are calling for my blankies. Hope you had an equally gratifying weekend! And I hope you have spot of time, and an avocado, to try this dish soon!

Red-cooked Pork Belly Banh Mi

2011-08-05T22:48:00.002+08:00

At (almost) all hours, I can hear the sound of cars honking their horns, occasional sirens, traffic…the sounds that remind you that you live in the middle of a busy city. This is the symphony that I have slept to for the past five years…the same symphony that little C has learned to sleep to as well. No birds chirping, no fresh breeze, no vegetable garden to tend or wide green spaces where little C can roam.

Am I complaining? Not at all! I love living in the city. I love the hustle and bustle. I love being near everything that I want to be near. I love having a 24-hour pharmacy nearby. I love looking over my teeny-tiny balcony seeing the windows of the flats nearby, wondering at all the stories unfolding in each. I love seeing all the people, rushing here or there, always with purpose. I love knowing, even during those times when I am lazy and just dig myself deeper into the duvet, that it all goes on around me – that quick, unending, untiring heartbeat…the life under the concrete, fed by sweat and aspirations.

I love the energy of cities.

Nevertheless, even the most ardent devotees of the concrete jungle need to escape, even for just a weekend. A change of scenery, even if you are just a short hop away can do wonders for recharging the body, mind, and soul. And if that escape involves good friends, great food, and a lovely setting, well, even better!

So I’ll be off for the weekend, we are packing the little one and all her accouterments into our tiny red car and heading for cooler breezes.

Meanwhile, I leave you with this, a wonderful revival of our left-over red-cooked pork belly. I can’t take credit for the idea though. I came from my friend M who, when I posted this up, mentioned that it would make a great banh mi. Now, don’t get me started on all I ate in Hanoi, or how I hopped on the back of our hotel’s staff’s scooter to get to his banh mi place. I thought it was a genius idea to say the very least. And it was...and how!

A banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich of their local baguette (which has a softer crust than a French baguette) and is traditionally made with pickled vegetables (carrots and daikon), cucumber, chili, cilantro, pate, mayonnaise, and some sort of meat. You can also add a fried egg. Yes, yum.

For this version: I spread one side of the baguette with mayo, piled on some wild rocket, then some homemade pickled cucumber slices I had in the fridge, put the slices of red cooked pork belly over that, topped with some pickled carrot and a generous sprinkling of my latest herb-discovery-turned-obsession…micro cilantro. The result? An absolutely stellar sandwich. I owe M a great debt. Melty sweet/sticky/spicy pork belly, peppery arugula, sharp-tangy pickles, and the distinct flavor of the micro cilantro (it’s like a combination of cilantro the leaf and coriander the seed…amazing I tell you). I would have given this sandwich a standing ovation if I hadn’t been too busy devouring it.

I got the micro cilantro from some lovely purveyors at my neighborhood market (the wild arugula too for that matter). If I can’t grow my own herbs and vegetables at least I know there are some great people putting passion into bringing them to us.

Perhaps someday, I will want that plot of land enough to pack up and look for our little bit of “peace and quiet and open air”, but until then my heart belongs here. And a weekend escape is all I need. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Red-cooked Pork Belly

2011-07-31T22:06:00.003+08:00

I must say, hopefully without sounding too smug, that I love living in Asia. I love living in a region others refer to as exciting, exotic, and mysterious. I guess, if I am completely and totally honest, I always wished I was a bit more exciting, exotic, and mysterious myself. Years and years of self-tanning, real-tanning (I’ve tried it all, from beer to baby oil), hair-straightening, starving, and quit a lot of tears are a testament to this quest. Thankfully, I've come a long way since then and have learned to accept that outside appearance (no matter how pale or round) does not have anything to do with inside fervor. So I’ve claimed my Asian-ness as something that is rightfully mine…down to the very bones and blood, by birth and by God-given right (as it should be seeing that I was bred, born, and raised here!).

I try to live it to the fullest measure – the beaches, the flip flops, the amazing fresh seafood that I can pick so to the bones with my hands that even a wily cat would have nothing left. The flavors that are brazen, brilliant, and not for the faint of heart. Piquant native onions. Sili labuyo – our tiny, native bird’s eye chili that can bring a grown man to his knees. More garlic than deemed decent. Knobs of ginger always (always!) present in our aromatics bowl. Wansuy (cilantro) – that bright, green, unmistakable herb whose smell can send me into a happy trance. Gata (coconut milk) – that lends a special creaminess to both savory dishes and desserts. Tanglad (lemongrass) – a hardy stalk that grows wild, with a unique lemony flavor all its own. Bagoong (shrimp paste) – Famous/infamous for its pungent bouquet. Patis (fish sauce) – Adds a savoriness that is much more robust than salt alone.

And that’s not even taking into account all the dazzling, colorful, and can’t-be-ignored flavors that hail from my other Asian neighbors – Kaffir lime, Thai basil, Vietnamese mint, Curry, star anise, sriracha, sambal, soy sauce. So many ways to be delicious.

Red-cooked Pork Belly
(Based on recipes here and here)

700 grams pork belly, bone in and skin on
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 star anise
Ginger, 2 inches sliced
1-2 cilantro roots or about 6-8 culantro leaves tied in a bundle
6-8 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup shallots (small native onions), peeled but left whole
Whole dried chili (depending how spicy you want it)
2 long strips of orange peel
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
Water
Green onions, about 6 stalks, sliced
A small bunch of cilantro, torn

- Par-boil pork belly: Put the pork belly in a wok containing enough boiling water to cover the meat completely. Continuously skim off the scum as it forms on top of the boiling water. Boil for about 20 minutes then drain the pork belly and set aside to cool. The boiling liquid can be reused for the braising after straining through a fine sieve. When the pork belly is cool to touch cut it into pieces of about 1.5 inches cubes.
- Melt the sugar and the vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat. Continue heating until the sugar is slightly brown, about 3 minutes. Add the cubed pork belly and brown it with the caramelized sugar, about 8 minutes. Be careful as it may spit and sputter and you don’t want any hot-fat-and-molten-sugar napalm to get on you.
- Add the star anise, ginger, garlic, cilantro root/culantro, shallots, chili, orange peel, and the green parts of the green onions to the pan. Brown a bit and let them pick up all the caramelized bits.
- Add soy sauce, shaoxing, and enough water (or par-boiling liquid) to almost cover the meat. Cover and stick in a pre-heated 350F oven until meat is tender, checking occasionally to make sure it is not drying out (and adding some of the par-boiling liquid if it seems too dry). This could take 2-3 hours. You want it meltingly soft with the fat relaxed and jiggly.
- When meat is tender, remove from oven and simmer rapidly, uncovered, on the hob until sauce has reduced a bit.
- Garnish with white and light green parts of the green onions as well as cilantro.

I love pork belly. It is an awesome cut of pork and so agreeable to a long, slow cook. It becomes unctuous and soft and oh so decadent. And it is the perfect canvas for Asian flavors. I especially like it when prepared in a way that renders it sticky, sweet, and spicy – all of which this dish does. I like to use it with the bone in and the skin on because this really adds body to the sauce. This recipe is based on the ones I found here and here. Caramelizing the pork belly in melted brown sugar is something I have never done but is so worth it. I like to finish it in the oven as I like using its gentle heat in dishes like this. We have this on a pile of steaming rice, but I think it would also do well atop a mound of egg noodles.

All this rhapsodizing is not to say I don’t get equally passionate about cuisines on the Western hemisphere…or the ingredients and produce you find there. I do! But there is something about the personality of Asian cuisines that is so disarmingly audacious, at the same time preciously familiar (to me), that it will always own a part of me. And I it.

Note: My column in the Yummy magazine August issue (already out in newsstands) also reflects my love for Asian flavors. I share my own version of Asian-style meatballs with noodles. The whole issue celebrates Asian food. If you are a fan of any Asian cuisine check it out! Lots to try :)

Breakfast #44: BLT with Slow Roasted Tomatoes & Egg

2011-07-24T00:12:00.004+08:00

Have you been on Pinterest? It’s a virtual pinboard where you can “pin” any image that catches your eye. It’s a great place to tuck, or should I say tack, all those visual bits of inspiration we come across online. Awesome photos, luscious looking food, fabulous style pegs, anything, anything at all that appeals to your sense of gorgeousness.

Suffice to say, I am quite enamored. It’s an effortless way to quickly save any image that inspires me…and because of the endless amount of talent out there in the world, that’s a lot! On the site itself, there are other “pinboards” from all sorts of lovely people, brimming with brilliance. So as far as inspiration is concerned, there is a whole lot to go around. All of it, quite literally, at the tips of your fingers.

And it’s with thanks to Pinterest, and its wonderful members, that I’ve come to this BLT. Not just any BLT, but a BLT with slow roasted tomatoes and a fried egg. A BLT for champions.

Being a lover of porcine delights, it’s no wonder that the mighty BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato if your being formal) is one of my favorite sandwiches. I also happen to love slow-roasting tomatoes. And I love eggs. So when I came across these alluring photos on Pinterest the wheels were set in motion for my next breakfast BLT (because what better time to have bacon that at breakfast?).

This is not so much a recipe as a framework. You choose the quantities. Here is what I did: I slow roasted some tomatoes – this is the way I like to do that. You can do this in advance, in fact, it’s better if you do. Waiting a couple of hours for a sandwich can seem a bit surreal. When you are ready, fry your bacon in a dry, hot pan (I like to use a thickish honey-cured variety from a local deli) – let the fat render and cook exactly the way you like it (for a BLT I like mine just bordering on crisp). While the bacon is cooking toast the bread (I use my favorite whole-grain, sold at my neighborhood market, baked by a former French Foreign Legionnaire…or so they say). Slather on side of the bread quite generously with mayonnaise (or not, if that’s your preference). Arrange the lettuce leaves over the mayonnaise (I like to use arugula) and the slow-roasted tomatoes over that. When the bacon is done set aside on paper towels and fry the egg in the sizzling hot bacon fat, sprinkle the yolk with salt. The egg will sputter and may look quite frayed but that’s ok – take it out while the yolk’s still runny. Place the bacon over the tomatoes and the egg on that. Top with another slice of toast. Press down on the sandwich just enough so the yolk gently ruptures and wiggle the bread a bit so it spreads. Enjoy with abandon.

Inspiration is, truly, everywhere. It can come from a “pinboard” of someone half a world away, or right outside your window. It can come from your neighborhood market or a meal you are about to have. It can come from an ingredient you’ve never come across before. It can come from leftovers. It can come from something you just learned from someone you’ve known your whole life. The key is to always keep your eyes, your mind and your heart wide open to its possibility. It could change your life. Or at the very least give you a fantastic BLT.

I hope we all let inspiration find us this weekend! :)

Note: If you’re curious about what inspires me, you can visit my pinboards here. Aside from the obvious food, I also have pretty things for myself, my little one, and my home.

Beluga Lentils with Bacon & Balsamic Roasted Shallots

2011-07-17T17:39:00.002+08:00

Beluga lentils. Where have you been my whole life? Really. Not around my parts as far as I know. I’ve lived without you for some 30-odd years, but I’m now determined to carve a niche for you in my heart. You’ve charmed me with you diminutive size, dusky color, and, certainly not the least of it, the way you remain perky when other lentils would have gone to mush – making you perfect for all sorts of salad-type preparations. Or just to have in the chiller, cooked and at the ready, for tossing into any impromptu lunch.

I found and procured these beluga lentils on a recent trip to Barcelona. I had seen them in cookbooks and other blogs but, as they are not readily available here, have never tried them before now. We have other lentils, mostly the brown types. You can also find puy lentils in some specialty stores. But beluga lentils I have yet to come across. When I saw a jar of them at the spice stall in La Boqueria I was torn. My suitcase was getting dangerously heavy and I didn’t have any kilos to spare. I looked at the lady imploringly and asked, in my broken Spanish, what was the smallest portion she would sell me. I explained about my living on an island (ok, group of islands) in Asia with no beluga lentils, about my suitcase bursting at the seams, about my wanting to just have a taste of these famous lentils for once in my life. Moved by my story (or desperate to stop the barrage of my horrific Spanish) she packed a 250-gram bag for me.

The most common use for lentils here is the Spanish dish lentejas, which is much like a soup or stew. For these little black pearls though I wanted a more delicate preparation that would highlight the beans more (as opposed to melting them away in a soup – albeit a delicious one!) and maintain their sprightly personality. I decided a more bean-salad type treatment would be ideal (as is really more popular with this type of lentils). And if bacon and balsamic roasted shallots are not quite so delicate, I think the deliciousness of this dish totally justifies the addition.

Beluga Lentils with Bacon & Balsamic Roasted Shallots

¾ - 1 cup shallots, peeled but left whole
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
1 cup beluga lentils, cleaned and picked over
2 1/2 water
150 grams slab bacon, cut into lardons or strips
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (through a garlic press)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Optional: sun-dried or oven-roasted tomatoes, goat’s cheese or cottage cheese

- Place shallots in a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don’t have exact amounts but enough to get the shallots good and coated. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a 350F oven and roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing the shallots every so often so they brown evenly. You want them soft on the inside with sticky burnished outsides.
- While your shallots are roasting, place lentils and water in a pan, cover, and cook for about 25-30 minutes. Cook them just until soft, no further. Drain and set aside.
- While the shallots are roasting and the lentils are cooking, heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the bacon and fry until some of the fat has rendered and the edges are toasty.
- In a bowl whisk together the garlic, extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk again. Pour dressing, parsley, and lemon rind over cooked and drained lentils and toss gently, taking care not to smoosh the lentils. Add cooked bacon (and some of the bacon drippings too!) and roasted shallots. Toss gently again. Top with sun-dried tomatoes and cheese if using.

I absolutely love the way beluga lentils hold their shape when cooked. They are ideal in a salad, although what you add is completely up to you and your imagination. I think beans and bacon are a magic combination (although I could be rightly accused of thinking that anything with bacon is a magic combination) and the balsamic roasted shallots, all soft and sweet and sticky, do well with the lentils' earthiness. You can pile a bit on a sundried tomato and top with some fresh white cheese for a tasty appetizer, or you can just toss the tomato and cheese with the beans as part of the salad. Goats cheese would be excellent, but my organic farmer gifted me with a circle of fresh cottage cheese that they have just started making so I used that instead***. I imagine this would also be good atop some brown rice with a splodge of garlic-herb yogurt.

Now, if only it was easy to find them here. If only I didn’t have to cross an ocean to obtain some! I remain optimistic however. I will search every specialty food store and delicatessen until I find these lentils. We will meet again my friend.

P.S. If anyone has seen beluga lentils in Manila please let me know! :)

***SO excited that my organic farmer has started offering cheese! This batch was firm and creamy and perfect in thick slices atop warm toast with a drizzling of honey.

Breakfast #43: Scrambled Eggs with Avocado

2011-07-10T21:26:00.003+08:00

What a lovely weekend. Yes, it was a drizzly mess. Yes, I had to work a bit, and still do (which is why this post is going to be short but, hopefully, sweet). Yes, mum has flown off for my brother’s graduation down under and I’m staying behind.

But it’s also been full of smiles, love, and special times. A rainy market morning with less people and more time to meander and chat with purveyors. More micro arugula! A pause in the rains just enough to have swim class…and some vigorous kicking finally (notwithstanding the absence of, up till now, blowing bubbles). A nap (oh yesss)! A rollicking family dinner with fantastic food (the men in my family are awesome cooks) and catching up. An impromptu hubs-and-me Sunday breakfast. A christening of dear friends’ long-awaited little one, with C standing as one of the godparents. A new word for little C (“pata” for pasta).

And, although I am far away, my baby brother is graduating film school. My heart is bursting with the joy and pride of it.

And, of course, there is always, always, breakfast :)

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado

A pat of butter
A scant teaspoon olive oil
2 eggs
1 quarter of an avocado, peeled and cubed
Sea salt flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 slice of toast (preferably whole wheat or a nice grainy type)

- Beat the eggs lightly with a fork just until homogenously yellow.
- Heat the butter and oil in a non-stick skillet. When the butter has melted and the bubbles subside, pour in the egg.
- As the bottom of the egg sets, push gently with a wooden spatula towards the middle, letting the uncooked egg run underneath. Keep doing this slowly and methodically until you have very softly set curds of egg. I usually take my pan off the heat in the middle of all this to avoid overcooking the eggs. I like my eggs runny.
- When the eggs are partially set but still wet in places, add the avocado and fold gently.
- Take the pan off the heat (if you haven’t already) and pile the eggs onto the toast. Sprinkle generously with sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper.

When I saw this dish in the kitchn I knew I had to try it. It is luscious, creamy on creamy, cozy made edible…perfect on a rainy morning. Perfect on any morning truth be told. So easy to whip up that I’m a touch embarrassed I went and made a recipe out if it. Really, just make the scrambled eggs the way you do best and fold the avocado in. You won’t be sorry. Unless you don’t like avocado. Then try this instead.

I hope your weekend was full of special moments! Even if there’s rain, and sometimes especially when there is, the world can be full of silver linings. And good breakfasts :)

Breakfast #42: Carabao’s Milk Oatmeal with Dates & Nuts

2011-07-02T18:36:00.004+08:00

I have been asked more than once what my favorite local ingredient is. And more than once I have found myself at a loss for words, my mind a complete and shameful blank. It’s not that I don’t have favorite local ingredients. On the contrary, I love my local ingredients! It could very well be that I have too many favorites, so that when asked to name one, or only a few, my mind just closes itself to the (impossible) task of choosing.

It could also be that I am, simply put, not very good at interviews.

Whatever the case, I have decided that this blog is the perfect place to celebrate and share all my favorite local ingredients --- as many as I want, at my own pace. They are an integral part of my cooking after all and deserve a little spotlight as recompense for the deplorable way I fail to give them their due when asked.

One such favorite ingredient is carabao’s (buffalo) milk. Carabao’s milk has a much higher fat content than regular cow’s milk making it one of the richest and creamiest milks you can find. As such, when you substitute it for regular cow’s milk, it makes whatever you use it for that much more decadent. Even something as innocent as oatmeal.

Carabao’s Milk Oatmeal with Dates & Nuts

1 1/2 cup carabao’s (buffalo) milk
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup dates, chopped
1/4 nuts of your choice (I used cashews but I’m sure they would be splendid with pecans), roughly chopped
Optional: 2 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons dark muscovado sugar

- Set aside some of the chopped dates and nuts.
- Heat the carabao’s milk in a saucepan over a medium flame just until it almost starts to simmer. Add the oats, dates, and nuts, stir, and lower the heat.
- Cook over a gentle flame, with your pot semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until oatmeal is done, about 10-15 minutes. Make sure to keep checking, especially towards the end, to prevent it from sticking. Served topped with extra chopped dates and nuts.
- If you want to make this even more decadent: Melt the optional butter in a pan. When the bubbles have subsided, add the muscovado and swirl the pan until the muscovado is dissolved. Add the extra chopped dates and nuts and toss. Top each serving of oatmeal with some of the caramelized dates and nuts and whatever butter remains.
- Serves 2-3

Never had I tasted oatmeal that was this luxurious. It is so creamy that with each soft spoonful you forget about oatmeal’s healthy and fibrous reputation. The nuts add an earthy crunch and the dates a mild smoky sweetness. If you are going to go all the way with the butter caramelized date & nut topping, as I did, you may actually feel, for the very first time, guilt over oatmeal. This isn’t for lightweights. I would go as far as to say that this could very well pass for a dessert – pressed into a dainty cup and served in smaller portions, sort of the oat version of a rice pudding.

Carabao’s milk is a wonderful ingredient to use. It is also fantastic for rice pudding and cuajada. I am sure it would be equally stellar in custards and flans.

Here are some other favorite local ingredients I have talked about before:
- Filipino mangoes
- Lato (seaweed)
- Talbos ng kamote (sweet potato greens)
- Bagoong (shrimp paste)
- Tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish)
- Muscovado sugar
- Aligue (crab fat)
- Patani
- Monggo (mung beans)
- Kesong Puti (fresh white cheese)
I have also mentioned carabao’s milk here and here.

Breakfast #41: Montadito de Pan con Tomate, Chorizo, y Huevo

2011-06-26T09:50:00.006+08:00

I think I may have mentioned this before, but just to underline the absolute truth of it, I love bringing home food stuff from my travels. It is, in book at least, the best souvenir**. Each little morsel that I take with me represents a mouthful of where I have been, encapsulating a perfect, “bite-sized”, snapshot of a place that I can re-experience back home.

Spain is a haven for food shopping, what with their wizardry in curing and preserving meats. Anyone who has tasted a gossamer-thin, glistening slice of jamon iberico de bellota can attest to that. In Barcelona in particular you also have the famous La Borqueria, the city’s famous market that can trace its history back to almost 800 years. In and around you have places that have been there for centuries, offering up specialties perfected a hundred times over, sitting shoulder to shoulder with establishments captained by brazen new chefs pushing their envelopes in the most delicious ways.

I know food is not the most permanent of souvenirs (I have another favorite as well not to worry**) but really, when you are back home with the phone ringing and the emails pouring in and the weather going to pot, and you are dreaming of one more day in Barcelona, wouldn’t you rather be biting into this than scrambling to find space for yet another mug?

Montadito de Pan con Tomate, Chorizo, y Huevo

2 eggs, beaten
2 slices of baguette or pain de campagne
1 tomato, bordering on overripe, cut in half
1 clove garlic, cut in half
Extra virgin olive oil, the best you have
Sea salt (the flakey type)
4-5 slices Spanish chorizo (one that is meant to be eaten cured, not cooking chorizo)
A small handful of micro arugula

- Toast or grill the bread. Rub the toasted bread with the garlic, cut side down. Rub the bread with tomato halves, crushing slightly so the bread is smeared with the tomato juices and pulp.
- Meanwhile, heat a couple of swirls of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. When hot, add the eggs and, as the bottom sets, push the set parts around gently with a wooden spatula. Continue pushing gently until you have softly set curds of egg (you can cook it more if you like your scramble firmer). Remove the egg from the pan immediately so it does not continue to cook.
- Drizzle the garlic/tomato-rubbed toasts with the best olive oil you’ve got. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Congratulations, you’ve made pan con tomate!
- Divide your chorizo between the pan con tomate. Top with egg and micro arugula.

This is really a tapas type dish, but if we can eat dessert for breakfast I don’t see why we can’t have a bit of Spanish bar chow for breakfast either. It’s got cured and seasoned pork (and not just from any pig but from some of the best in the world!), egg, bread, and even greens. A breakfast for champions certainly. And if you decide to make many mini versions for an appetizer spread, well that’s allowed too and I can guarantee it will go over famously with your guests.

This was my first encounter with micro arugula and it will surely not be my last. I chanced upon them in my weekend market from a newish purveyor who sells a variety of micro greens (along with grass-fed beef and pork!) and had to try them, seeing how much I love their “macro” versions and sprouts in general. They have a milder version of regular arugula’s peppery kick. They are wonderful in this montadito, and are just as perfect in a homemade chicken salad sandwich.

I used chorizo iberico de bellota here but feel free to experiment with other Spanish cured meats such as salchichon iberico or fuet. If you are feeling particularly luxurious you can try this with jamon iberico de bellota instead. You can also replace the micro arugula with other micro greens or sprouts. I procured this chorizo from my godmother’s friendly neighborhood xarcuteria (charcuterie). It’s a fantastic, treasure trove, kind of place with jamon ibericos hanging from the ceiling, a platter of handpicked cheeses set out on a table for the customers to try, and one of the owners behind the counter to help you along in your selection.

My kind of souvenir shopping ;)

**My other best kind of souvenir is jewelry. Preferably a small pendant I can place on my necklace :)

Tomato Sauce

2011-06-20T22:44:00.003+08:00

Who doesn't love long weekends? Especially at the end of one of those weeks where you seem to be shot at from all sides as you pull your helmet of fortitude firmly down your head, dodging bullets and avoiding potholes, hoping that you reach your bunker in one piece. Yes, especially then. But even when everything is fine and dandy, a long weekend is still something welcomed with your biggest grin and hugged tightly to your chest as you enjoy every single moment.

Many times we like to plan a trip out of town when such a blessing comes our way. Nothing fancy necessarily. Perhaps a nearby beach or a place higher up with a great view and a slightly cooler climate. This time though, maybe because I just came back from a trip out of the country, maybe because the weather was rainy and gloomy and just so conducive to staying put, we decided to forgo any trips and just…burrow.

Of course, we didn’t just burrow for three days (although I’m sure I could be found capable of doing just that). With a nice long patch of time before me, a taxing week behind me, and rain pitter-pattering on the windows, I did what seemed but natural to me. Therapy. Tomato sauce therapy to be exact.

Tomato Sauce

Extra virgin olive oil
1 big white onion or 2 small ones, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 800-gram can chopped tomatoes
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: fresh basil and oregano

- Heat a couple of generous glugs of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan.
- When the oil is hot add the onions, garlic, and bay leaf and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and stir. Let this simmer, uncovered, until some of the water has evaporated and it is thick and pulpy, about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It may take longer…be patient and you will be rewarded.
- At this point taste and season with salt and pepper, and sugar if using. Add a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil and stir. Let this simmer for a further 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- If you are using fresh herbs add them now, toss in the sauce, then take off the heat.
- You can use this immediately, store it in the fridge for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 3-6 months.

You can use this sauce as is; tossed with some pasta and a dusting of freshly grated parmesan, and you will have a completely satisfying bowl of pasta in red sauce. It can also be used as a base for many other pasta sauces. Add sautéed shrimp, bacon and chilies, minced beef, anchovies & olives, clams, eggplant & white cheese…the possibilities are limitless. And by no means is this just for pasta. You can use this as a pizza sauce, a base for cooking fish or chicken, for baked veggies topped with a crumb and cheese crust, even as a bed for an egg cooked “en cocotte”. You can experiment with different spices as well…I love this with a good amount of (my favorite) pimenton de La Vera (which I’ve just restocked…yay!), which makes the sauce nice and smoky. The long and short of it is that this is a great to have stashed in your fridge.

I used herbs here as I had some fresh oregano from my organic farmer and I happened upon some sprightly basil in the market. You can leave them out for a plainer sauce and that’s why I’ve listed them as optional. Some people like to add a bit of sugar to a tomato sauce and I add about half a teaspoon here (it doesn’t so much make it sweet as rounds out the acid of the tomato), but you certainly don’t need to if this is against your tomato sauce principles. You also don’t need to use as much garlic as I’ve specified – I like my sauce quite garlicky but you can use less if that would be more to your taste. I don’t use fresh tomatoes because the tomatoes available locally aren’t always the best for a nice rich sauce. If you haven’t got the perfect tomatoes you are better off using quality canned ones rather than the wrong fresh ones. So buy the best you can manage – I’ll usually gravitate towards an Italian or a Spanish brand.

A gently gurgling pan of red pulpy tomato goodness on the hob, stirring and nudging occasionally with a wooden spoon, and finally scooping it all contentedly into a jar – it’s not much, perhaps not a day in the spa, or a trip to get away from it all, but ah, what it does for the soul!

Back From Barcelona

2011-06-15T13:16:00.003+08:00

This is just to say that I haven’t gotten lost in the wonders of Barcelona (though that is extremely possible and thoroughly tempting) and I have, indeed, made my way back to my little tropical isle and into the arms of my small but much-loved-and-missed family unit. The heat and my family weren’t the only ones waiting to welcome me though. As anyone who takes a holiday from work knows, you return to a Goliath of tasks and an email inbox bursting at the seams (thank goodness I upgraded to terabytes!). So a proper post will have to wait a bit…I do hope you will all be patient!

Meanwhile, as I have done in the past, I hope to bribe your patience with holiday photos. This was a short trip but any amount of time in Barcelona, no matter the length, is magical.

Half of the trip was for work…and really, that’s all you have to know about my very normal day job.

After official business was dispensed, I visited with a beloved godmother and we chatted and caught up and laughed and ate.

She took me to one of the oldest restaurants in Barcelona that is still owned by the same family – tucked away off La Rambla; a place beyond cozy where we enjoyed a plate of glistening jamon iberico and pan con tomate and such a platter of grilled seafood so good it made my heart (and tummy) swell.

She also introduced me to her neighborhood xarcuteria (charcuterie) where I stocked up on all manners of jamon and chorizo. It’s the kind of place where one of the owners tends the counter and they always remember your name and offer you bits of free things for tasting or for taking home. Although this is not unusual in a city full of such gems.

I finally bought my Nespresso machine, and an aeroccino, and as much coffee pods as my already straining suitcase could carry. Suffice to say that C and I have been enjoying it much too much as we begin the wonderful journey of figuring out which of the “grand crus” are our favorites.

I pay a visit to my favorite church of all time, the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi’s staggering masterpiece. I have gone every single time I’ve been in Barcelona. What I love most about it, aside from its general awesomeness, is the very fact that it is unfinished. As such, it is different every time I visit. This quality which I know frustrates some people is what I find most exciting. The first time I had been it had practically no roof, aside from the towers you walked through the grand façade to scaffolding and sunlight. Now it has a ceiling fashioned to look like a canopy of trees with well placed holes to let in the sunlight still. A magnificent work in progress, started by a master and carried on through the ages…much like man ourselves?

Of course I make time for the market, La Boqueria, another favorite. Although I cannot take any of the gorgeous fresh fruit and vegetables, I buy my share of dried peppers (pimientos choriceros in particular) and ground spice mixes to compensate. At this point my suitcase is about to have triplets. But I do manage to sneak in some ventresca de bonito del norte in extra virgin olive oil. And beluga lentils!

And I have fresh figs for breakfast and dessert. Yes oh yes.

The trip was short, but it was a full as my straining suitcase…which barely made it through check in.

And now I must return to that mountain of work that demands my attention. I hope this tides you over until I can get back to proper cooking and blogging. Meanwhile, if you have any specific questions about the places I visited or the goodies I bought feel free to email me!

White Beans & Cabbage

2011-05-31T12:05:00.001+08:00

It’s official. Summer is leaving...being shooed away by gloomy skies and rainy days. Just as with all transitions, it’s a happy-sad time.

Sad because I say goodbye to my blindingly gorgeous summer mangoes that can slay a girl with their sweetness. Sad because summer sunshine and beach trips are coming to an end (not that we can’t go to the beach out of the summer season…advantages of living on a tropical archipelago and all). Sad because I already feel the celebratory spirit that only summer can bring (even if you’re all grown up and summer vacation seem to have gone the way of Santa and the tooth fairy) slowly slipping away.

Happy because the weather will finally be getting cooler! Happy because there is nothing quite like sipping hot coffee beside a rainy window. Happy in the hope that the electricity bill will return to more respectable levels. Happy because it’s soup and stew season (hello monggo, nilaga, and callos) and I can once again cook long and slow without too much pain.

Summer isn’t the only one leaving. I’m off to Spain (!!!), Barcelona to be exact…one of my very favorite cities in the universe. I won’t be long, just nine days, too short really. But it’s the longest I will have been away from little C since she joined our fledgling family. So this too is happy-sad. Happy because, well, it’s Barcelona (what more needs to be said right?)! Sad because I’ll miss my little cherry bomb’s wild antics and solemn kisses.

But I’ll be back before we all know it! Hopefully with a stash of pimenton de la Vera and a Nespresso machine :) And who knows what other goodies!

Meanwhile here’s another delicious dish from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day (I am just loving this book much too much!). It is what she describes as “the sort of simple dish I find myself enjoying on the most blustery of San Francisco afternoons”. Let me tell you, it does equally well in the Manila rainy season.

White Beans & Cabbage
(Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or clarified butter, or unsalted butter)
4 ounces/115 grams potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into tiny cubes
Fine grain sea salt
1 large shallot thinly sliced
2 cups/12 ounces/340 grams cooked and cooled white beans or 1 425-gram can white beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups/8 ounces/225 grams very finely shredded green cabbage
A bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese

- Pour olive oil into a large skillet over medium high heat. Add potatoes and a big pinch of salt. Toss, cover, and cook until the potatoes are cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Be sure to scrape the pan and toss the potatoes once or twice along the way so all sides get color.
- Stir in the shallot and the beans. Let the beans cook in a single layer for a couple of minutes, until they brown a bit, then scrape and toss again. Cook until the beans are nicely browned and a bit crispy on all sides.
- Stir in the cabbage and cook for another minute, or until the cabbage loses a bit of its structure. Serve dusted with parmesan.
- Serves 4.

I used canned beans for this but I will try making my own next time. The canned ones didn’t seem to brown as enticingly as Heidi’s did in her photo. On the whole though, I loved this dish. It’s a combination of 3 things I like -- cabbage, beans, and potatoes -- each of these registering very high on the comfort scale. All together, and generously dusted with finely grated parmesan, this is like a slow, warm hug on a rainy night.

For now I leave our summer’s end (and the start of our own rainy nights) to head to another summer’s beginning. Although it is still warmer here then over there! See you all when I get back!

While I’m away, and if you have absolutely nothing to do, which I am sure is the furthest thing from the truth, but you know, just in case, you can visit me on Pinterest. It’s a “virtual pinboard” of images that I love, or are inspiring to me, for one reason or another. Maybe you’ll find something that inspires you too? :) You can click on the Pinterest link on my right sidebar or HERE.

Breakfast #40: Pimenton Fried Egg

2011-05-24T13:00:00.006+08:00

I’m confused. Do I want a light summer breakfast that involves no cooking? Or do I want something more savory and substantial? We are still technically in summer's embrace/clutches but June (and our "wet" season) is already around the bend and a typhoon supposedly ready to drop the ax on our shores. Outside my window the weather seems likewise confused. Sun peeking through the clouds, alternately becoming overcast then back again. What’s it to be?

When it comes to breakfast, when in doubt, the answer is always eggs (in my book at least)! They are a fantastic source of protein, have the ability to be a meal unto themselves, and, most importantly, are absolutely delicious. Golden, runny yolk, sprinkled with salt, and mopped up with buttered toast is one of life’s most sublime offerings.

And now that I’ve found a new favorite way of having them, all the more reason to have eggs on this wishy-washy-weather morning.

I “discovered” pimenton fried eggs one day while making these Chickpeas & Sweet Potato Greens. I was going to have it for lunch and needed something to round it out into a meal. A fried egg is my usual standby in cases like this, but I turned a saw my little tin of Pimenton de la Vera and the wheels in my head would not be stopped.

Pimenton Fried Egg

1 egg
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Pimenton de la Vera, dulce
Sea salt

- Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot add the pimenton, leaving some for sprinkling later.
- Swirl the pan so the pimenton spreads and the oil takes on a red-orange hue. The smell will be amazing, be ready for weak knees.
- Add the egg and let this fry. When the whites are set swirl pan around carefully so the orange oil gets on the whites. Sprinkle remaining pimenton on the yolk. Sprinkle sea salt all over the egg, being more generous with the yolk. I like to take mine out when the yolk is still quite runny but by all means cook it to your preference.

Pimenton de la Vera is a Spanish smoked paprika. It is made in La Vera, Spain, from local peppers that are smoke-dried and then ground. It comes in dulce (sweet), agridulce (medium spicy), and picante (spicy). I use the dulce variety here as, honestly, it’s my favorite. You can use a mixture as well of dulce and picante if you want more heat. Authentic pimenton de la Vera comes with a D.O. (denominación de origen) and it is well worth it to seek a proper one out. Pimenton is one of my favorite spices and definitely a pantry essential in my home. Its smokiness is deeper and more pronounced than regular paprika and it adds a very distinct Spanish flavor to any dish you add it to. It is essential in my fabada and callos, and works very well with any dish involving a tomato-based sauce.

This very simple preparation highlights all that is good in its three main ingredients, so don’t skimp! The earthy smokiness of the pimenton, the richness of the egg, and the flavor of the olive oil. Don’t forget to salt the egg as it fries. I ate this atop some spinach and rösti potato**, but really this would be great with many things, not the least being a piece of toast.

As I look out my window, the sky still seems a bit unsure of itself (although I did hear a peal of thunder just now and the scent of rain is in the air). I on the other hand, glancing at my breakfast plate that is all but licked clean, am no longer confused. This is, for certain, one of my favorite ways to prepare egg in any weather.

**Just in case you were wondering: For the rösti, peel and grate a small potato. You should have a scant cup of grated potato. Fry half a white onion, sliced. When the onion is soft add to the grated potato. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and when hot add the potato and onion mixture. Press down with a spatula and fry until the underside is golden, pressing the rösti every now and again. Flip the rösti and fry the other side until golden as well, continuing to press on it once in a while. For the spinach just blanch a handful of it in boiling water for a minute then drain.

P.S. It just started to rain!

P.P.S. It stopped raining.

Stir Fried Chicken with Dried Chillies

2011-05-18T09:59:00.008+08:00

What is life if not a juggling act, a dance, a frenetic shimmy here, and languorous glide there? We try to keep pace, keep as much balls in the air as we can. We’re not happy unless our agendas are filled to the brim, including margins and side notes….only to moan and cry as we struggle to check each task off. When did “busy” and “stressed” become status symbols?

Not everyone is like this. Oh no. There are brilliant people who know the real score and smile gently in the background as we do our frantic dance, racing to somewhere nameless with only the stubborn knowledge that we must race there, ideally with a hundred balls in the air and oh the chiding if we let one slip. These people have got it all figured out.

I don’t.

I still throw myself onto the hamster-wheel, running pell-mell into nowhere. I still grab much too many balls and then sigh about having to keep them all sailing smoothly.

But I’m learning.

I’m learning that I can set the pace at which I dance. I can choose the music and the steps too. I can choose how many balls I want to juggle, and which I can leave behind for others. I’m learning that all dancers have breaks and so should I. That doing nothing sometimes has its own purpose (my strong predisposition for “me-time” helps me along). That sometimes it is not life that is complicated, but we that make it so.

Cooking is one of those “balls” that I gladly keep in the air. It nourishes me and my family, but I’ll have to admit that I also cook for purely selfish reasons. I love it. It makes me happy. In truth, it is the therapy that keeps my stress at bay. As does scribbling it all down here. I suppose I wouldn't be doing it for almost 6 years if it wasn't :)

Stir Fried Chicken with Dried Chillies

(adapted from Xi Yan Cuisine by Jacky Yu)

400 grams chicken thigh fillets
1 egg white
A big pinch of sea salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
10 pieces dried chillies (adjust based on your preferred level of heat)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 - 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns, ground
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
Canola or other vegetable oil for frying
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil

- Cut the chicken fillets into 1-2 inch chunks. Mix with egg white, salt, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch and let this marinate for 1 hour.

- Mix Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, black vinegar, water, sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and sesame oil together and set aside.

- Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Fry chicken until about 60% done (you will finish cooking it later). Drain and set aside.

- Drain pan leaving only about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the dried chillies and garlic and stir fry until chillies are toasted (slightly burnt is the original directive). Return chicken to the wok and fry. Add the sauce and cook further. Add peanuts and ground Sichuan pepper and toss until everything is well coated and the sauce is sticky.

I have taken liberties with the original recipe and have adjusted some things to suit what is easily available for me. The original called for caltrop starch which I have not the foggiest clue where to find, so I substituted it with cornstarch. The original also indicated Zhenjiang vinegar, which is likewise unavailable (if anyone has a supplier in Manila let me know!) so I used regular Chinese black vinegar instead.

I found this recipe in a old cookbook my godfather and his wife gave me. They live in Hong Kong and had attended a function of the chef/author (who has a restaurant in Singapore). His name is Jacky Yu and I know nothing about him except that he looks young and happy, his cookbook is half in Chinese, and that I love his stir fried chicken with chillies. And that's enough for me. In my kitchen I dictate how complicated or simple I want things to be.

Chickpeas & Sweet Potato Greens

2011-05-11T22:52:00.004+08:00

It stands to reason that during the summer, when the heat keeps you from the stove and the beach keeps you less clothed than normal, everyone’s thoughts would turn to eating light. That is not always the case though. Especially not when trips out of town, and the celebratory air that accompanies them, involve meal after bountiful meal, tables groaning with food, and everyone serving up their best or ushering you to favorite restaurants. I am, of course, very much up for this blissful challenge. The vegetables and fruit are going crazy with goodness right now, and if you’re vacationing on a tropical island (which, by the way, every one of our 7,107 are – so technically we all live on one) you’d be foolish to pass up on all the fresh seafood.

My trip to Iloilo was definitely one of those aforementioned high-octane eating trips. We were surrounded by family, good food, and good wine. Every meal had us vowing that we would go light for the next one. And every next meal had us breaking that vow. This weekend I am off on another beach trip, this time closer to home and only a car ride away. But I know that again we will be spoilt with good food (and lots of it), good wine (lots of that too), and fantastic company (which makes eating all the more enjoyable don’t you think?).

A little preparation is in order methinks. Just in time comes Heidi Swanson’s new cookbook Super Natural Every Day. I have long been a fan of 101 Cookbooks, Heidi’s gorgeous blog that has been feeding my inner vegetarian (yes, some of us carnivores do have inner vegetarians…it’s actually quite common so please don’t scoff). I was so happy to finally get my hands on her new book and it has been sitting on my bedside table since I got it...giving me little bits of inspiration before I nod off, thinking of ways to eat a little lighter and healthier to compensate of weekend feasting!

Chickpeas & Sweet Potato Greens
(adapted from Chickpeas & Dandelion Greens in Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson)

1 400-gram can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Piment d'Espelette
Fine grain sea salt, to taste
100 grams kamote tops (sweet potato greens), leaves picked
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

- Place the chickpeas in a bowl.
- Place a skillet, and, while it is still cold, add the olive oil, garlic, Piment d'Espelette, and two big pinches of salt. Place over medium heat and stir until the garlic starts to sizzle but does not brown.
- Add the kamote tops and toss until they start to wilt. This will be very fast, just seconds. Stir in the lemon zest.
- Pour the whole lot of greens and flavorful oil over the chickpeas and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Serves 2 (as a main) or 4 (as a side).

Heidi uses dandelion greens in her original recipe but, even if they sound quite charming to me (like something out of Aesop’s Fables), they cannot be found over here. I substituted kamote tops (sweet potato greens) of which I think Heidi would approve as she is a staunch supporter of locally sourced produce. For the red pepper flakes she calls for I used Piment d'Espelette (recently gifted to me by a beloved chef aunt who hails from the Basque region of Spain). To make this more a main meal Heidi recommends topping it with a crumbled hardboiled egg. I decided to go the runny route and topped mine with a Pimenton fried egg (my latest breakfast obsession that I will soon be posting about!).

I have pretty much bookmarked Super Natural Everyday to an inch of its life but this simple preparation of garlicky-lemony chickpeas pushed itself to the forefront one lunchtime when I needed something fast and light, but still tasty and filling. This dish hits it on all counts. Especially on the tasty count.

So a big thank you to the lovely Heidi, who provided me with this delicious respite between summer trips. I am looking forward to trying more! Just as I am looking forward to once again trading city for beach this weekend!

Back From Neverland

2011-05-03T22:39:00.007+08:00

My goodness. I have been remiss here haven’t I? But you know how it is…fresh from the arms of a wonderful vacation you land smack in a mammoth mountain of work. How I wish I had the luxury of “recovering” from the blissful days of sun, sand, and sea by lying on my bed, reflecting on the joy of being with family and the perfection of Guimaras mangoes.

But, as you and I both know, that is not the way the cookie crumbles, and hitting the ground running (sprinting!) is more the reality of the day.

So…I am currently between all-week meetings, and as such, can only offer you some photos from my little summer getaway in lieu of a proper post and recipe.

I had been brimming with excitement about our Iloilo trip for over a month already. That is where my mother’s side of the family comes from and I used to spend summers there as a child. I hadn’t been back since then so I was beside myself. I couldn’t wait to return…now with a little one of my own.

The trip was a whirlwind of fantastic food and even more fantastic company. Sadly, I will have to disappoint and say that I don’t have much photos of the food…I guess the summer air, coupled with pre-meal wines and afternoon San Miguels, made me a tad lax when it came to serious food photography. I did manage to snap some shots with my phone to give you a peek at the amazing seafood to be had in Iloilo.

From there we were off to Guimaras, famed for their pristine beaches, untouched coves, and out of this world mangoes. One such cove was our destination. Our "neverland" as my aunt refers to it. And what a "neverland" it was!

We camped out under the stars. We had fresh grilled fish, lobster, roast pig, and of course, the mangoes (which Little C enjoyed immensely). Good wine, tinto de verano, and mojitos (which Little C is not yet allowed to sample).

We had a fantastic time. There is really nothing like taking some time to sink your toes in the sand and be with the people you love. And Little C loved it just as much! Even more if that is at all possible. We could scarcely tear her away from the beach. She is truly an island girl!

I hope this tides you over until next week! I promise I have some dishes to share…one that comes from my latest cookbook purchase with which I am so very pleased! Till then wish me good luck and much energy!

Breakfast #39: Summer Fruit Salad

2011-04-20T07:13:00.004+08:00

I’ll be off to our summer trip in a bit…our first trip (well, first requiring a plane ride) as a family. We’ll be going to Iloilo, a province to the south of us where I have some family. From there we’ll be taking a small boat to the island of Guimaras where we will do our best efforts to “get back to nature” with the help of a private cove, tents for sleeping, and nights-only electricity. These tired city folk are very excited at the prospect of sitting amongst the famed triumvirate of tropical life – sun, sea, and sand. But that’s not the only thing we are looking forward to...Guimaras is famed for having the best mangoes in the country, in a country that defiantly claims to have the best mangoes in the world. Paradise here we come!

We will be there for about a week so I thought I’d leave you another summer breakfast before I go. And because they are just so in their prime now, and because I will soon be in the (is)land of the best of them, it’s a breakfast that (once again) includes mangoes. I hope you don’t mind.

Summer Fruit Salad

1 ripe mango
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (this is from about 3 spears, torn into chunks, juices saved)
1 banana
A scant 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped (this will yield a scant tablespoon)

- Slice the banana in a bowl.
- Cut as much of the meaty cheeks off the mango. Score the flesh in a crisscross pattern. Scoop the flesh out directly over the bowl so all the juice drips into it.
- Toss in the pineapple with any juice that gathered while tearing.
- Add the mint and toss gently so as not to mush the fruit.
- Chill for about 30 minutes.
- Serves 2.

This is perfect to have during summer mornings, when you really want something cool, light, and brightly flavored to start your day. I used my own summer fruits here so feel free to substitute with your own. I love mint in a fruit salad and feel that it adds a lovely refreshing note. I don’t add any sweeteners to this because the fruit in itself is sweet enough. You can serve this as is or with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

I’d better go now and make sure our first aid kit is in order and mosquito repellants packed. Travelling with a little one is a whole different circus. Little C’s bag is bigger than any of ours!

See you when I get back and Happy Easter! :)

Chinese Goose Liver Sausage Steamed Over Rice

2011-04-14T22:17:00.006+08:00

I love my rice cooker. But I didn’t really know this consciously until the day I found out that outside of my little sphere of existence it is considered a single-use appliance, a uni-tasker, a *gasp* non-necessity. Truth be told, I never even thought that much about it. It was always there, parked in a corner of our kitchen counter (it always had priority of space) in every single house I’ve lived in. When I got married it was one of the first things we chose for our registry. Not with much fanfare, just a sort of preliminary requirement before moving to more exciting things like the Rabbit and choosing the china pattern.

It went beyond necessity. It was a given. A never-thought-twice-about non-negotiable. People in favor of the rice cooker have cited that it can be used for other things as well. And I am all in favor of that. But that’s just icing on the cake for me. I need a rice cooker to cook rice…over and over and over again.

I am well aware that you can prepare rice on the stove top in any old pot that you can also use for a million and one other things, and quite easily at that. But not easier than throwing it all in the rice cooker, pushing a lever, and forgetting all about it until the “ting” that signals perfectly cooked rice…each and every time. And when you cook rice every single day, sometimes for every single meal, you need the easiest easy you can find.

My rice cooker comes with all sorts of attachments and add-ons. I have a steamer basket, a sort of four compartment pan for poaching eggs, and a basket for cooking noodles. These accoutrements are usually on the shelf, untouched, as the cooker focuses on its main task. A wonderful surprise gift though made me rethink that steamer basket. A good friend of mine from all the way back in university sent me a message that his sister had a stock of Chinese goose liver sausages and could spare a couple…would I like some? Would I?? Oh yes please and thank you with a cherry on top!

Chinese Goose Liver Sausage Steamed Over Rice

300 grams white rice (I used a variety called Angelica that is grown by my organic farmer...yes, he grows organic rice too!)
400 ml water
2 Chinese goose liver sausages (about 60 grams total weight)
100 grams shitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced
50 grams pechay or bok choy

- Rinse and drain the rice a couple of times. Place it in the rice cooker and make sure that rice is evenly spread across the bottom.
- Arrange the sausages, mushrooms, and pechay in the steamer basket and place on top of the rice.
- Cover and turn the cooker on.
- Midway through cooking turn the sausages and move the vegetables around a bit so they take on some of the oil from the sausages.
- When done, remove steamer basket. Fluff the rice with a fork and return steamer basket on top. Cover and keep on the “Keep Warm” setting for an additional 10 minutes.
- Slice the sausages thinly on the diagonal. Place rice in individual bowls and top with sausage and vegetables.
- Serves 2 (although you will have leftover rice). You can also use a regular pot with a steamer basket on top to make this if you really don’t think a rice cooker should be part of your life.

My searches through the internet for a recipe to prepare the sausages came up sadly lacking. My friend, and a few others on Twitter, suggested steaming it with rice. Hence my rice cooker’s steamer basket was pulled into active duty. Cooking it this way is perfect as the flavorful oils from the sausages drip onto the rice while it steams. As the flavor of the goose liver sausage is quite strong I added some vegetables to the steamer alongside the sausages – some pechay to counter the sausages’ richness and shitake mushrooms to complement it. This worked so well that I am putting the steamer basket into regular rotation and finally elevating my rice cooker into something more than just the one-trick pony it is accused of being.

So to all those “non-negotiable fixtures” in our life that are so essential, yet so often under-appreciated…I salute you! You keep on truckin’ so we can keep on truckin’. May your constancy never make us complacent.

(And to all those generous food gifting friends a big fat thank you!!! I received another gift recently as well – a set of the cutest tiny cookie cutters from a reader. She had read my post on cheese crackers for little C and had chanced upon these in a store. She emailed saying that she thought of me when she saw them and, if I didn’t mind, could she mail them over? After some semi-bashful foot-shuffling on my part I accepted as graciously as I could. Thank you so much N! I love them! I am so wanting to make cute cookies right now!)

Breakfast #38: Apple and Mango Muesli

2011-04-09T11:39:00.004+08:00

I love oatmeal. There is no doubting that. I will make it for breakfast even if it’s sweltering outside and in, and I have to stand at the stove-top with sweat trickling down my back (I’ll have it for dinner too if I’m lazy). But not everyone would, and as luck would have it, we don’t have to. There is a hot-weather, no-cook alternative to oatmeal…its raw, Swiss, cousin, muesli.

Muesli (or Müesli) was invented by a Swiss doctor called Maximilian Bircher-Benner in the 1900’s. He was quite a rebel, our Maximilian. At a time when meat and bread (a diet high in protein and calories) ruled the table he espoused a diet raw vegetables, fruits, and nuts. He believed that food shouldn’t just be about making us full but, more importantly, about making us healthy. He developed muesli based on a dish that was served to him by shepherds while he was hiking in the Swiss Alps. Maximilian made a similar mixture of raw oats, soaked overnight to soften, with fresh fruit and nuts, and served this to his patients as part of their healing. In Switzerland, muesli is still referred to as Bircher Müesli.

I think Max and I (can I call him Max? Is that too familiar of me?) would have gotten along famously. I love oats, and more specifically, I love muesli. I love Switzerland (and it was in Switzerland where I fell in love with muesli for the very first time). I also believe that food heals as well as satiates. And, I love the name Maximilian. The only thing we would have been at odds with as far as I can see would be the hiking.

Since I don’t have Max with me, I have pretty much had to hunt down a good muesli recipe on my own. I have gone to bed many a times with soaking oats tucked away in my fridge, visions of delicious muesli breakfasts dancing in my head, only to wake up to half-soft oats swimming in a flavorless pool of liquid. Not anymore! I am happy to report that I have found the recipe that works for me…and it’s all thanks to Shelby at Bone, Mugs, & Harmony and her Apple Muesli (which I stumbled upon at the kitchn). This is my adaptation – I’ve reduced the recipe to suit our consumption and I have added that most glorious of summer fruit from our shores…mango.

Apple & Mango Muesli
(adapted from Bone, Mugs, & Harmony)

1 apple, shredded
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 dates, chopped
1/2 cup cubed mango
1/2 cup nuts (I used a combination of walnuts and almonds)
Yogurt or milk to serve
Extra fruit and nuts to top

- Shred the apple in a food processor. Remove and set aside.
- Place the oats, dates, and nuts in the food processor and pulse until lightly chopped.
- Return the shredded apple to the food processor along with the mango and pulse until everything is roughly chopped.
- Place your preferred serving size of yogurt in a bowl and top generously with the muesli mixture. Add extra chopped nuts and fresh fruits on top (I added more mango and banana).

This is the muesli of my dreams – soft and moist yet still feels raw and chewy. The fruits do their job of adding sweetness though you can add the sweetener of your choice if needed. Leela of the kitchn describes the feeling of this as a “deconstructed, fruity oatmeal cookie”, and this is indeed what it tastes like. Another thing I love about this recipe, as opposed to the others I’ve tried, is that no soaking is required. It does acquire a pleasant mellowness after having rested in the fridge overnight but really, I could eat this straight out of the food processor with a spoon. Feel free to try this with fruits other than mango (blueberries were used in the original recipe). Whatever is in season on your side of the world would be ideal. Change the nuts around too, use your favorites or what you've got in your pantry.

The irony of it all is that it actually rained this morning giving everything a much needed cool-down. So a warm bowl of oatmeal would have been perfect. But this muesli is a winner rain or shine!

Breakfast #37: Summer Mango Straight Up

2011-04-01T09:17:00.004+08:00

I can’t talk about summer breakfasts without talking about mangoes. And, if you’ve been reading for a while, I can’t talk about our mangoes without getting a little too hyperbolic. So I will try to restrain myself as much possible.

I can only speak from my own personal experience that our mangoes are the sweetest fruit I have ever tasted. Not just the sweetest mangoes. The sweetest fruit. To my fellow countrymen, I know sometimes you may feel like we might not have much too brag about** but people, I tell you this, this is chest-puffing, feet-strutting, head-bobbing braggable. Something we can all click our heels over my friends. I know that I often bemoan our lack our fresh figs and berries and wild forest mushrooms, but really, I would never trade. Never ever***.

You can get mangoes almost year round here, as some farmers and fruit producers do their sorcery to get more harvests in a year. But the best mangoes are still the ones that come in the summer. Impossible sweet and juicy. And if you can find a farm that harvests only once a year, when the fruit is truly in season, that is gold. These mangoes are the pinnacle of everything a mango should be and are proof positive that produce is truly best when they are in season.

You can imagine my excitement when our supplier alerted her buyers that that those very mangoes, those that we have patiently (or impatiently) waited a year for, were now being harvested! We placed our order and the three of us went to pick up our 5-kilo box.

Yes, 5 kilos of mangoes. It’s summer after all and we will be having it from breakfast (and dessert) quite often. I top my yogurt with generous chunks and C has some smoothies planned. Little C will also be partaking of this most brilliant of tropical fruits -- already one of her favorite snacks.

But before all that, my best summer breakfast ever. I’d like to present you with a grand meal in which mangoes have been deliciously and skillfully incorporated. If I am honest though, I have to say that, for me, the absolute best way to enjoy our mangoes is straight up. And there is no better way to greet a sunny summer morning than with one of these.

Now, don’t be fooled. This is simple but by no means haphazard. First you need to wait until the mango is at its prime moment of ripeness – the skin will be uniformly deep yellow bordering on orange, the fruit will still be firm with just a bit of yield, losing its unripe rigidity, and above all else the smell…the smell of it will waft through the room and will be at its most concentrated in its stem portion. Once optimum ripeness is determined I like to place the mango in the refrigerator. I know, I know, for some it is a sacrilege to place fruit in the fridge, but believe me, once you have tried a well chilled mango on a hot summer morning you will be changing you tune. Slice as much of the cheeks from the seed as you can and scoop out the flesh with a spoon (as in the photo). After you are done you can peel the skin off the sides of the seed and bite off the flesh from there as well. Every bit is worth it!

Happy summer everyone! :)

**That’s aside from the lovely beaches, lechon (best pig ever according to Anthony Bourdain!), and our charm ;)
***Permanently that is. The occasional barter is definitely accepted!

Breakfast #36: Savory Oatmeal

2011-03-27T10:28:00.006+08:00

I have been thinking about summer breakfasts lately. How could I not with the sun blazing and the mercury rising as it is nowadays? Despite the heat (and my sunburn…when will I ever learn??) and my love/hate relationship with the mornings, the season’s buoyant personality seems to be cheering me on. And I’m determined to have breakfasts that are just as bright and sunny.

But that will have to wait until I’m done with this.

This is not the most summery of breakfasts but I have been seeing this all over and, as a lover of both breakfast and oatmeal, I had to try it and couldn’t wait. A good friend I met though blogging alerted me to this intriguing version and it’s been on my mind ever since. So despite the sun streaming its rays of Pollyanna through my window and the optimistic patch of blue sky I see from my window, I set about creating my first ever bowl of savory oatmeal.

The idea isn’t as novel as one would think. In some cultures oatmeal is savory, enjoyed with a pat of butter and some salt. We, of all people, shouldn’t raise an eyebrow. Over here, we have chocolate rice pudding (champorado) with dried salted fish – now that’s a combination you don’t see every day. On the whole though, oatmeal has always leaned more decidedly towards sweet preparations. So for me the idea of it was new and luscious and very enticing.

For this my first foray, I wanted to stick to the basics: good olive oil, flaky sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and shavings of parmesan cheese. I was sorely (sorely!) tempted to add a fried egg but I held myself back. (Time enough for that later.)

This is hardly a recipe, and really, I suggest you go with your favorite basic recipe for oatmeal (I usually go with 1/2 cup of oats and 1 1/2 cup of water -- this will make me two servings). I used steel cut oats here because I felt the texture would lend itself well to savory preparation (although I am sure rolled oats would be good as well). What is key here is that you use the best possible ingredients you can find. I know, when is that ever not key right? Well, in this case more than others as there are so few ingredients so each is a major player. Now place one serving of hot oatmeal in your favorite cuddle bowl. Top with a couple of swirls of olive oil, a sprinkling of sea salt flakes, a grinding of black pepper, and generous shavings of parmesan cheese. Now tuck in and prepare to be converted. I suggest keeping the condiments near because you may want to adjust as you work through you bowl. I definitely like adding more parmesan at some point.

This is really all that they say it is. It is silky in a way regular oatmeal hardly is. It feels decadent when it is in fact so simple. And the sudden bits of saltiness cutting through the creamy oatmeal feels at once pleasantly confusing and, as Golidilock said, just right. I’ll be making this again. Yes, even if it’s summer. I’m still thinking of that fried egg…and maybe some browned butter.

Don’t worry. I won't be spending the whole summer churning out oatmeal on the stovetop. We just got a box of our favorite mangoes so those summer breakfasts will be making their appearance here soon!

UPDATE: If you can't decide between sweet or savory why not try both? Honey bacon steel cut oats :)

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

2011-03-18T10:17:00.006+08:00

Summer is here! With it comes its usual promise of soaring temperatures that will have one cranking up the a/c. I won't be complaining though. Our summer also brings sunshine, blue skies, and a thousand excuses to pack your bags and head out on a seaside jaunt - where the promise of white sand and crystal water beckons. And the beaches aren't the only draw of summer on our islands. There are the mountains too for those who wish to escape a bit of the heat. And anywhere in between. The arrival of summer just sets everyone's (no matter the age) thoughts to vacation, no matter what the destination.

We will be leaving a today for our first summer trip of the season. Nowhere far or fancy, just a drive out of the city to a friend's place near the sea. This is one of little C's first trips and I am quite excited. Although traveling with a child is a whole different ballgame (gone are the days when all I needed was a backpack!), it carries a whole new set of pleasures and surprises. Not the least being the feeling that you are experiencing even the little things for the first time through the eyes of a child.

I bookmarked this recipe from the awesome Smitten Kitchen as soon as I saw it. I am always on the look out for homemade (and healthier) versions of snacks for the little one. This fit the bill to a T...and it makes a great travel snack as well -- easy to pack and cart around and great to have on the go!

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

(Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers from the Smitten Kitchen -- if you've got the fish mold!)

6 ounces cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated -- I used half cheddar and half mimolette)

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon salt (you can use up to 1/4 teaspoon but I thought 1/8 was salty enough for me)

- Process all the ingredients in a food processor for about 2 minutes until the dough forms into a ball or until you can form the pieces into a ball (mine never really formed into a ball until I "assisted" it with my hands).

- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30-45 minutes --- a must in our summer heat!

- Take one of the dough discs out and roll to a thickness of 1/8 inch (I like to roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment). Cut the crackers out with your cookie cutter (you can dip the cookie cutter in some flour to ensure a clean cut) and transfer gently to a parchment lined cookie sheet with 1/2 inch of space in between them.

- Bake in a pre-heated 350F oven for about 12-15 minutes. Remove and cool the crackers on a wire rack. Repeat with the second dough disc.

Sadly, I do not have, now could I find locally (yet!), the adorably tiny fish cookie cutter Deb has. Instead I used the smallest of my round cutters and this work fine for now (I will definitely be on the hunt for cuter cutters soon!). I also used a mix of cheddar and mimolette cheese as I couldn't find orange cheddar and the mimolette's bright orange color, and delicious taste and texture (it was a relatively young one), seemed perfectly acceptable to me as a replacement.

The crackers are lovely -- cheesy and crisp. Despite most of the flour being whole wheat, the crackers do not have a very overtly wheaty taste, just a slight earthiness that I think is perfect with the cheese. They got the thumbs up from both little and big C's, the former munching on two in a row and the latter declaring that it would go well with a glass of wine (I agree!).

I must leave you now to start preparing for our trip (so many things not to forget!), but I didn't want to go without sharing this with you just in case you were also looking for something tasty and healthful (and lovingly homemade) to take on your road trips this summer :)

Carbonara For One

2011-03-12T11:24:00.004+08:00

My mother had a peculiar habit when she cooked for us when I was a child. She would fixate on a dish and this is what she would cook for us for days on end. I have no clue to this day why she did this. Perhaps her pleasure at her successes led her to try and prolong it for as much as she could. Maybe she figured that practice makes perfect. Maybe my voracious appetite for anything she placed in front of me made her believe that she couldn’t stop making whatever it was, for the love of her dear daughter.

It was this very appetite that kept me from tiring of mom’s meal-repeating. That, and the fact that all of those meals were, in truth, delicious. There were the huge hearty lasagnas groaning with meat sauce and cheese. There was that oh so delicate pasta with scallops in cream sauce, the luscious lobe of orange roe still attached (which quickly became my favorite part). There was what she referred to as “dragon fish” because it was cut and scored in a certain way that it looked like a dragon’s knobby/scaly back when fried – this was served with a sticky lemon ginger glaze. And a baked fish auspiciously named “Royal Apahap” which I still love to bits. Then there was the carbonara…oh the carbonara! When she discovered it (or, more to the point, when she discovered making it) it was like (re)inventing the wheel – while the whole world had already been there and done that, we were in awe. Silky, smoky, creamy, rich, and light all at once…for the bargain price of some eggs, bacon, and cheese. I never tired of it, never.

Carbonara For One
(inspired by this recipe)

One serving’s worth of uncooked pasta (anywhere from 60-100 grams, depending on the person…I usually take 80 grams)
1-2 strips bacon, chopped coarsely
1 egg
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
A generous grating of parmesan cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 teaspoons chopped parsley

- Start cooking your pasta in salted, boiling water as per package instructions.
- Cook bacon in a non-stick or cast iron pan until a lot of the fat has rendered and the edges are just crisping up and golden but the bacon itself is not totally crispy. Add the garlic to the pan and toss and sauté until the aroma of the garlic wafts up to your nose.
- While your pasta and bacon are cooking, crack the egg into a bowl and whisk with the parmesan and black pepper until well combined.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain (saving some of the pasta cooking water) and toss in the pan with the bacon (still on the heat). Toss well so the pasta is covered in bacon drippings and everything is hothothot.
- Dump the pasta, bacon, garlic, and every last beautiful drop of bacon fat into the egg mixture and immediately start tossing briskly so the uncooked egg coats every single noodle and “cooks” from the heat but does not scramble. Add dribbles of the pasta water if you need to thin tha sauce out. Toss in parsley.
- Serve immediately to your one lucky self!

I hadn’t had this well-loved childhood favorite in a long while, so when I found this recipe from Eat, Live, Run I was elated. I love recipes for one as I am a big believer that, although cooking for those you love is undoubtedly special, cooking for oneself is just as precious. Also, my husband is a tomato-based pasta sauce person so this would be perfect as a quick workday lunch for (just) me. It's a very loose recipe because I do it mostly by feel. I whisk the cheese into the egg until it reaches a consistency that looks to me like a thin Caeser salad dressing. Some say to place the eggs and pasta back into the pan, off the heat, but I find that even off the heat the pan is just too hot and my eggs scramble. So I just place the very hot noodles and bacon into the eggs and this works perfectly for me.

Here’s a little cheater’s trick: You can make this with leftover pasta! Perhaps you’ll be tempting the ire of carbonara purists, but when you’ve got just enough pasta noodles for one serving languishing in your fridge, and you need lunch in a hurry, who’s going to tell? What I do is heat my leftover pasta noodles in the microwave while I am cooking my bacon. I add a couple of drops of water to my noodles and cover the container with a paper towel so they “steam”. When they are piping hot and smoking, and the bacon/garlic is ready, I toss the noodles in the pan and proceed with the recipe above. You won’t have any pasta water to loosen your sauce if needed, and it may not achieve the perfect silky texture of a truly excellent carbonara, but it will still be delicious!

My mother has moved on to other dishes now (never one to shy away from new tricks), although a few old staples remain (osso buco, fabada, and cocido…may you always continue to repeat yourselves!). Thinking about it today, perhaps it was because of her children and their insatiable appetites that she churned out these dishes end to end. Whatever the reason, I am glad for it…and infinitely and forever grateful. I hope to nourish little C as she nourished me, and, as I sigh over a bowl of carbonara, I realize she nourishes me still.

Tinapang Bangus (Smoked Milkfish)

2011-03-05T15:53:00.004+08:00

There are many things in life we can neither control nor change. The only thing we can control, and change, is our own actions, and our reactions to these uncontrollable things.

Almost a decade ago, when I was young and fancy free (and dinosaurs roamed the earth) I had a job that allowed (required) me to travel extensively around Europe. I would be based in a country for around 3 months, after which I would move on to my next “assignment” in a different country. It was all terribly exciting. I was, after all, pretty much without ties or responsibilities, and I was totally and unequivocally enthralled with Europe as only Europe can totally and unequivocally enthrall.

This job also came with its own set of challenges. Nothing was constant. You had to learn to quickly adapt to and function in your new “home” – each with its own culture and ways and language and public transportation system. In all this, it was only too easy to sometimes become overwhelmed by things out of my control. It was also, in all this, that I learned to let go of that which I could neither control nor change --- and focus on myself, and my reactions. I learned two important things: 1. To be able to be infinitely adaptable while, 2. Maintaining a central core which is constant no matter where I am…my inner compass.

When I travel out of the country, this is one of the dishes I look for when I return. It is a taste of home, familiar and comforting. At the same time open to many adaptations.

Tinapang Bangus (Smoked Milkfish)

1 tinapang bangus
1-2 white onions (depends on size – I like a lot of onions), sliced into thin half-moons
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper

- Place the onions, olive oil, and vinegar in a bowl. Generously crack the black pepper over and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss to combine.
- Lightly grease a baking tray and lay your tinapang bangus on it, open and belly-side up. Pile the onions on the bangus.
- Bake in a pre-heated 350C oven until properly heated through (the tinapa is technically already cooked) and the onions slightly softened.

Bangus (milkfish) is one of my favorite fish. Over here, bangus is eaten in households far and wide, in many different preparations. You can have it marinated and fried (daing na bangus), stuffed (rellenong bangus), in sinigang (our famous sour soup), even bottled like Spanish-style sardines. You can buy them whole, but I like to get them already deboned (unlike most of the time when I prefer my fish whole) as their bones are like a network of feathers and quite difficult and tedious to remove. This fish’s smooth, black belly is rich and fatty and my absolute favorite part of the fish.

Tinapa is fish that has been smoked, and this preparation of bangus it the one I like the best. It is similar to any hot smoked fish, not just in its dusky flavor, but also in that it is already cooked. So preparing it is simply a matter of heating it up. This is my preferred way of preparing it, although not at all traditionally Filipino (what with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar). But like I said, this fish is open to many adaptations, and I think the soft, sweet onions complement the tinapa perfectly.

I am far from having reached a perfect state of balance. Life is one continuous learning process after all. Sometimes things happen…plans fall through, things just don't go your way, it rains and you wreck your ballet flats. And as much as I want to be that woman who goes through troubles with effortless grace and positivity, sometimes I am still that frustrated girl who needs to remind herself of lessons past.

And sometimes I just escape into my kitchen, where I make the rules.

Ensaladang Lato (Seaweed Salad)

2011-02-26T15:26:00.004+08:00

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence…at least that is what everyone says. I must admit, I have been guilty of this too, more often than I am willing to say. You only have to peek into my Twitter feed* to see me trying to make deals with the Western world to “send me some snow” in exchange for the sunshine I am so blessed with, but which can also be unrelentingly scorching.

So I have decided to stop and appreciate what is naturally mine on this little group of islands: brilliant beaches, gorgeous sunny days, fabulous produce, the luxury of tank tops and flip-flops all year round. As if reading my good-intentioned thoughts, today arrived charmingly sunny yet breezy – all sun-kissed blue sky and the gentle caress of the wind. The weather dreams are made of.

To celebrate the advent of sunny days (chasing the clouds away) I am posting another local salad. I’ve mentioned before, I love my native Filipino salads and I hope to share some here. They are uncomplicated and fresh, with piquant personalities…and they go perfectly with our weather!

Ensaladang Lato (Seaweed Salad)

250 grams lato (seaweed)
2 native tomatoes, seeds removed and sliced into thin wedges
5 small/young native onions (like shallots), peeled and sliced thinly

- Clean your lato very gently so as not to pop the bulbs.
- Arrange on a plate with tomatoes and onions.
- Serve with dressing (see below) on the side.

A note on the dressing: The choices for dressing this salad are relatively simple. You can choose to have it with just some vinegar or soy sauce or a combination of both. Some Filipino cookbooks prescribe a vinaigrette of olive oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt. We like a mix of vinegar with just a smidgen of soy sauce and freshly cracked black pepper. Easy on the salt because the lato is already naturally salty. What’s important is to have the dressing on the side as the vinegar will make the lato mushy. You can either dress your salad right before you eat it, or even better, dip the lato directly into the dressing as you eat.

Lato is a bright green seaweed, consisting of little bulbs, that I was introduced to by C’s family in Zamboanga. According to his godmother, it cannot grow in water that is not clean, so you know that where lato grows, the sea is clean. When I visited, I ate it straight out of the sea! What makes it delicious is the combination of the feel of the bulbs popping in your mouth, and the salty liquid they release when they do.

This is another great example of a Filipino salad – simple elements combined with minimal fuss, letting the delicious flavors shine through. Not only is it fitting for this weather, it gets on famously with summer food like grilled fish.

So now I sit at my desk with the windows open, relishing the breeze and the good food that I plan to make with the coming summer’s bounty, happy in the belief that, at this moment at least, the grass in greener right here.

*Speaking of Twitter: I’ve been on it for some time now but I realize I haven’t formally shared this fact over here (although I do have my Twitter feed on my right sidebar…yup, right over there). Aside from whiny weather complaints (which I’m trying to balance now with being thankful I never have to freeze my tush off), I also share a lot of my meals, ingredients, and ideas there. Let’s face it, what makes it on the blog are, more often than not, dishes that already have some semblance of a recipe. This leaves a lot out – throw-together meals, experimental dishes, new ingredients I want to try out, market trips, random ideas. All that, and more, I try to capture in the charming immediacy that is Twitter. And it’s not just words (of 140 characters only please!). I use this nifty thing to share images from my everydays as well. Not that either the words or the images are ground-breaking exciting. But they’re there…just in case you want to take a peek :)

Refrigerator Pickles

2011-02-19T17:03:00.012+08:00

It’s been another sweltering day in my city and I could barely crank up the energy to go to the little art exhibit in the park down the street, much as I wanted to. And although I’d really really like to cook something fabulous, that is proving to be a bit of a challenge in this heat.

I admit, this may not be the best time to make a slow-cooked bolognese from scratch (though I did try that last week because I sometimes fancy myself a rebel), but it is a good time to do any or all of the following:

Reconnect with your organic farmer – the produce is looking lovely these days and if you have a chance to get them direct from the source I highly recommend it. I find that the flavor of organic vegetables is always so much more vibrant than their dull supermarket cousins. Of course, it goes without saying that avoiding icky chemicals in our food is my main motivation, especially for the little one. It’s better for our planet too. And I like supporting small farmers…they rock and I want them to stick around! This salad was made with my organic farmer's talbos kamote (sweet potato leaves), tomatoes, and young native onions.

Make refrigerator pickles – I have posted about my love for pickling before. This isn't the type of pickling that requires cooking, boiling, sterilizing, or any method that involves heat. This isn't about staying in the kitchen for hours going through a mountain of raw materials...just as small (or medium-ish) a ration of veggies as you'd like. Make a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and any sort of spice, herb, or aromatic (go with whatever strikes your fancy!) and place in a clean jar with your vegetables (make sure the veggies are all covered in your pickling liquid). Keep the jar in the fridge and you will always have something cool, crunchy, and tangy to have with your meals when the days turn sweltering. The one pictured here was made with cucumbers, green finger chilis, and native onions also from our organic farmer :)

Don’t sweat the small stuff – When even the tiniest movements seem to make beads of sweat form, you don’t need any extra provocation. Heat saps your energy – now is not the time to be worrying about the fluctuation in your internet or your housekeeper leaving. Save that blog post on Word and cozy up with an amazing Sci-fi novel. Call out for pizza. Press pause and be thankful for the things that really count.

I never did make it to the art fair, but I did get to sit and laugh in my scruffies with a very good friend and a very special little girl :) Not a bad showing for an otherwise lazy day. Plus I’ve got some cucumber pickles chilling in the fridge…what more could a girl want? :)

Update: More about refrigerator pickles over at The Kitchen!

Ensaladang Talbos ng Kamote (Sweet Potato Leaves Salad)

2011-02-12T15:18:00.004+08:00

No sooner had I been reveling in the cool chill of January (if that’s really what you can call the "none-heat" that we enjoy during the Christmas and New Year holidays) than February came in, putting an end to my blissful respite from the heat. Make no mistake, February is not summer…oh no. Summer will start its engines next month and grow steadily stronger and more merciless in April and May. What this is, well, I don’t really know what this is, save for the fact that the temperature is rising and unfailingly turning even the simplest tasks into ordeals of sweaty effort.

And I’ve just started my journey to a planet almost completely covered in sand with hardly any water…perfect timing right? I can simultaneously be literally, and literarily, engulfed in hot climate!

Thankfully, water here is not as costly as it is over there (although we do still have to buy it! If you are Finnish, my envy for the water that comes out from your taps for FREE knows no bounds). So I can enjoy my books with an icy glass of water and be grateful that it is a luxury I can well afford. Along with gorgeous produce...and the wonderful salads that they can become when I am just too seeped-dry to attempt anything else.

Although I am not one to stop cooking my much loved stews and braises “just because it’s hot out” (otherwise I would hardly ever have then), I am not immune to how crippling our heat can become. Many days, especially ones like these when the sun seems to come out with both guns blazing, I am more inclined to put together a salad.

Ensaladang Talbos ng Kamote (Sweet Potato Leaves Salad)

100 grams talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaves), leaves picked
1 piece kamatis (native tomato) sliced into thin wedges
3 shallots (young native onions/sibuyas), peeled and sliced thinly
1/2-inch piece ginger, sliced thinly
2-3 teaspoons bagoong alamang (shrimp paste), to taste, depends on how salty/strong your bagoong is
1-2 teaspoons vinegar, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper

- Steam the talbos ng kamote (leaves and soft stems only) for 3 minutes. Immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water then set aside to drain in a colander.
- Top the drained leaves with the tomato, shallots, ginger, bagoong, vinegar, and pepper. Toss lightly to just combine. Taste and adjust seasoning (you can add more bagoong or vinegar if you’d like it more salty or sour).
- Serves 2 as a side dish.

This is a very simple salad widely made in lots of Filipino homes throughout the country. Talbos ng kamote or kamote tops are the leaves of our native sweet potato plant. You can use them in soups or stews (like munggo guisado), but I love them this way. Steamed lightly and tossed with bagoong alamang (shrimp paste), young native sibuyas (like shallots), kamatis (native tomatoes, not the huge salad ones you get at the supermarket), ginger, and a little drizzling of vinegar, it is a delicious reminder of why I love my native Filipino salads – salty, sour, a little tang from the tomatoes (which never become as sweet as their Western cousins), and the assertive pungency of raw onions. The combination of the steamed greens and the other, uncooked, vegetables results in something that is both crisp and yielding, a quality that a lot of our local salads have – more of which I hope to share with you as this blinding heat continues to descend.

This is heaven on a hot, not-yet-summer, day. It is excellent eaten alongside some fresh fish, which is just what we did. To my neighbors over here…stay cool folks! To those of you still in the midst of winter…please send some ice!

Self Frosting Nutella Banana Cupcakes

2011-02-06T21:00:00.007+08:00

Belated Happy Nutella Day! I know I am a day late but I had to do my bit to spread a little Nutella love. Nutella is, after all, one of my very favorite things. I have been eating it since I was a child (in those one-serving packets…do they still have those?) and almost always have a jar (or more) in my pantry. I couldn’t tell you my favorite way of eating it because I just have too many, and really, it is fantastic any way you eat it. It serves you equally well if you are in need of some get-up-and-go on a dreary morning or if unexpected guests suddenly land on your doorstep (just dollop some over vanilla ice cream and you've got dessert). It is simple, delicious, available, accommodating, well-loved, sublime. It’s been embraced by everyone from the little girl that lives next door to Pierre Hermé.

Any way you look at it…Nutella rocks.

So here is my small part in the worldwide homage that is Nutella day...Self Frosting Nutella Banana Cupcakes. Not to be confused with the Nutella Banana Muffins which I have made before. For these, I used Elise's Banana Bread recipe (which I also have made before) and baked them as cupcakes instead of a single loaf. Before baking, I topped each cupcake with a splodge of Nutella, then used a toothpick to fold and swirl a bit of batter over it as I did once upon a time when these cupcakes were all the rage. You can use your own favorite banana bread recipe if you'd like instead. The marriage of Nutella and banana is meant to be, inevitable, written in the stars really, and these cupcakes are proof positive of that. I think I prefer when Nutella is not totally mixed into baked goods, but left like these cupcakes' solid streaks, as the flavor is more pronounced.

I honor of Nutella Day I decided to do a mini round up of my Nutella posts...just in case you need another reason to stock this treasure in your pantry:

Nutella Self Frosting Cupcakes

Nutella Cake

Nutella Mousse

Nutella Banana Muffins

Nutella Croissant French Toast

It's going to be a busy week so I'll be counting on these cupcakes as part of my provisions to keep me trucking along. Happy new week everyone...and once again lots of warm Nutella wishes! :)

***Nutella Day is brought to you by Ms. Adventures in Italy and Bleeding Espresso.

Food for the Gods

2011-02-01T22:13:00.004+08:00

I have a confession to make. I have a huge bag of dates hidden in my refrigerator. And my refrigerator is far from huge. It is taking up a lot of premium real estate in there, although, since I have shoved them to the back, C hasn’t noticed yet. It all started with a trip to a baking supplies store that lies off the beaten path. The type you have to make a special trip to visit. As you wander the small aisles, cramped with all manners of confectionary ingredients and tools, you realize you must buy something, more than something, because if not, wouldn’t your trip be a waste? After all, you made this trip especially for this store…were you going to leave empty-handed?

Of course not. So in your basket goes a bag of confectioners’ sugar, an oversized wire whisk, bottles of vanilla, cupcake papers, and a big bag of soft, dark, and very promising looking dates. I love baked goods that have dates in them. Actually, I also love savory dishes that include dates. I am no proof for their sticky sweetness, whether it be in a cookie or cake, or a dish of braised duck. So yes, buying this big bag is indeed totally and unequivocally justified. And besides, I already knew exactly what I wanted to make first.

Food for the Gods
(from Aileen Anastacio’s column, Yummy Magazine November 2008 issue, with my observations and comments)

1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup dates, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

- Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8”x12” pan.
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Add the sugars and mix until combined. Remove from heat.
- Stir the butter-sugar mixture a few time to bring the temperature down slightly, just so that it won’t scramble the eggs (it will still be hot). Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition with a wire whisk to make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next.
- Add the dates and walnuts and mix with a wooden spoon (all the pieces will just gunk up the whisk so it’s best to switch).
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a whisk (I always like to do this to get rid of lumps and make sure my dry ingredients are fully combined). Add this to the date-nut mixture and mix until just incorporated. Do not over-beat.
- Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean but not dry.
- Cool completely in the pan before slicing. If you’d like to be traditional, wrap individual slices in foil and cellophane. Not only does this make them present-perfect but it keeps them moist for a good while!

This was, without a doubt, an excellent vessel for my dates. This can be compared to, I suppose, a Blondie or a butterscotch bar…chewy and caramel-y in flavor. Take that, and then stuff it with dates and walnuts, and you’ve got (quite literally in my book) Food for the Gods. It is moist, dense, chewy, sticky, molasses-y goodness…shot through with musky bits of dates and crunchy nuts. These make for lovely gifts…or you can simply cozy up with a plate of them and a hot cup of coffee (and maybe even a real live date!).

The bag of dates still claims its spot in the refrigerator. I have used them in these luscious bars, as well as in a sultry dish of lamb shank adobo (recipe still being tweaked!), but there hardly seems to be a dent. I am definitely open to making both this and the lamb adobo again, but I’m likely to still have dates leftover. Any suggestions for my dates? :)

Breakfast #35: Raisin Bread French Toast with Maple Butter Apples

2011-01-25T11:58:00.003+08:00

In my foresight, I wisely did not promise to avoid posting recipes similar to each other this year. After all, having resolved to make more breakfasts and use more leftovers, I knew I would be spending many a morning with French toast. Not that I am complaining. Buttery-crisp on the outside, pillowy-soft on the inside, bathed in the syrup/compote/coulis/et al of your choice, topped with cream and/or fruits, smeared with nut butter or Nutella…It’s just the thing to have in the morning to set you right and make you believe in the intrinsic goodness of mankind. And it is the best way ever to breathe new and vibrant life into old, stale, depressed bread.

I never throw bread away. Aside from being loathe to throw any food away (even writing “throw food away” makes me cringe), there are so many uses for those retiring loaves that there is really no need to. You can cube them and turn them into croutons for soups or salads. You can toast the bread, break it apart, and stick them in your food processor to make bread crumbs. You can make bread soup (sopa seca to my mum). You can make bread pudding (still have to try my abuelita’s delicious recipe…soon!). And if it’s a dreary little morning that has you in need of a little cheering, and not much time or energy, you can make French toast.

Raisin Bread French Toast with Maple Butter Apples

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2-8 slices old raisin bread*
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
A generous pat of butter for the pan

- Make the maple butter apples. In a skillet that will fit all the apples in one layer, melt the butter. Add the maple syrup and stir. Add the apples and simmer until the apples are soft and the sauce is sticky, stirring occasionally. This will take about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk the egg and milk together until they are fully combined.
- Soak your bread slices in the milk/egg mixture for a half a minute on each side (I did mine in two batches).
- While your bread is soaking, melt a pat of butter in a non-stick skillet. When the bubbles subside, place your bread on the hot butter. Cook until golden brown and toasty then flip and repeat with the other side. Remove from pan.
- If your maple butter has separated just stir it vigorously until it becomes homogenous. Pour on top of your French toast with joy and abandon.

Not much time? Yes! French toast is ridiculously easy to make, and provided you keep the accoutrements simple, can even be whipped up on a workday morning. Here’s what you do: the night before, have your bread sliced and ready in a flattish bowl in the fridge. Measure the milk out in a jar. The next morning, crack the egg into the jar, twist the lid on, and shake until incorporated (like making a salad dressing). Pour egg mixture into the bowl with the bread, heat a pat of butter in a pan, and you will be ready to get down with some French toast in minutes!

Now, this recipe is not a work-week recipe. This is a Sunday morning recipe. A Sunday morning when you can take the time to enjoy the slow simmering of apples in butter and maple. When you can watch the glossy golden bubbles and smell the irresistible fragrance of melted butter, without worrying about unanswered emails and eye-numbing statistics. When you can nudge the apples into soft submission while reflecting on what is right in the world. The intrinsic goodness of mankind? Oh it does exist…especially over breakfasts like these. I think we could all benefit from a quiet morning with bread, butter and maple syrup don’t you?

*I love using raisin bread for French toast! With no extra effort on my part, I have a ready-flavored French toast infused with raisins and cinnamon. The amount of slices will depend on the size/diameter of your loaf. Mine was small, a jelly roll shaped loaf of about 3 inches in diameter and 2 inches in height and I could make 8 slices with this recipe. If your using a big loaf with extra thick slices (as my aunt likes to do) this will probably be good for 2 slices. Anything in between would make, well, anything in between.

Breakfast #34: Banana Muscovado Oatmeal

2011-01-19T00:26:00.005+08:00

I love January. Clean slate, resolutions, and new beginnings aside, what I love most about this month is the weather. I know this isn’t exactly a well-loved month for the majority, nor well-loved weather, but over in my little corner of the world January is a blessed respite from the tropical heat. During our (non-existent) “winter” the air is a touch cooler, the breeze a little less steamy, and you can sometimes pass a whole A/C-less day without a single bead of sweat forming. Even in the cramped city I inhabit, where the hot, humid air is usually trapped between the buildings and the smog, I blissfully open my windows (a risky operation at best for fear of the dust and pollution) to let in the much welcome morning chill.

Another thing I love about this weather is that I can actually justify making all the “cold-weather” food I enjoy. Long-simmering braises, hearty soups and stews, and warm bowls of oatmeal. I love these foods, and will cook and eat them any time of the year, do not doubt it. Even in the heat of summer, if my cravings so dictate, you will find me nursing a pot of slow-cooked something or the other. But in January, ah blessed January, it has the extra pleasure of feeling so undeniably right.

Banana Muscovado Oatmeal

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup water
2-3 teaspoons dark muscovado sugar
1 banana, peeled and sliced thinly
1-2 tablespoons milk

- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Once boiling, add oats and cook until they have softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the banana slices, saving some for topping, as well as 2 teaspoons of muscovado. Depending on the size of your bananas you may not use all of it. Stir the banana in – don’t worry about keeping the slices whole, some will break up and that’s what you want.
- Taste the oatmeal and add the remaining teaspoon of muscovado if you’d like more sweetness. If the oatmeal is too dry for your taste add the milk gradually until you reach your desired consistency.
- Remove from the heat, top with the reserved banana slices, and enjoy! Serves 1 (hungry breakfaster) or 2.

Despite relishing the cool weather, you can’t take the island out of the island girl, so this bowl of oatmeal is shot through with slices of sweet banana and the deepest darkest muscovado I could find. The muscovado gives this an awesome molasses-y flavor and the bananas add a tropical perfume. It's part homestead mornings under the duvet, and part lazy sarong-wrapped days. This is also something I’d love to have ready, warm and waiting, for little C…to fortify her for a day of exploration and discovery, her favorite activities.

I buy my muscovado at ritual, a charming little general store run by friends. They sell locally sourced, eco-friendly goods without plastic packaging. I love what they stand for and the positive vibe of the shop. Bringing your own containers is encouraged, along with slowing down for a coffee and a nice chat with the friendly proprietors. I like to buy black rice (from Nueva Ecija), sea salt (from Ilocos and Pangasinan), and of course the dark-as-sin muscovado (from Sultan Kudarat). They have a lighter muscovado as well but I love the deep flavor of the darker one. Especially in something as innocent as oatmeal, to which it adds a caramel-y complexity. Among the dusky grains are rough-hewn, solid chunks of hardened sugar. I like to sprinkle some of these gems on top of my oatmeal and let them melt into pockets of syrupy sweetness. The perfect breakfast for a not-quite-winter morning, to be enjoyed by both big and little people alike :)

Creamed Cabbage with Ham

2011-01-11T13:36:00.002+08:00

Ok. So I am not exactly on the ball with my resolve to “post more often”. But let’s give a girl a little room to warm up shall we? I promise (oh fate-tempting word that…promise!) to do my utmost to gain momentum this month! Meanwhile, let me go ahead and progress on the “using more leftovers” front.

One of the most common holiday leftovers is ham. Even a dyed-in-the-wool pork lover like me finds herself on the other side of the holiday season with just little too much ham for comfort, and a spouse that is flatly refusing to have anything to do with it. Well, well, well, I wasn’t going to let a perfectly good last bit of smoked and cured pork go to waste, even in the face of of doubting husbands and laments of no-please-not-another-ham-sandwich! And I think I may just have found the perfect way to revivify it.

This is, without a doubt, up down and sideways, my kind of dish. I love cabbage. LOVE. Seriously. I can eat cabbage til the cows come home. I haven’t a clue why it has earned a bad reputation in certain circles. I will eat it in all manners of preparation and then some. But gently simmered in cream? With tender-toasty bits of ham infusing everything in a robust porky smokiness? Punctuated with sweet apple chucks all throughout? And a sly undercurrent of mustard giving the whole dish a saucy tang? Now that’s a whole different world of cabbage pleasures altogether (and believe you me, I am very familiar with the cabbage pleasure world, as exotic as it may sound to some). In fact, I liked it so much that, despite this dish being what I first thought to be a clever vessel for some leftovers, I would go so far as to actually buy ham to make it! And that’s not all…if you don’t have any leftover ham, or any ham in general for that matter, you can make this with (wait for it) bacon! Oh yes.

Creamed Cabbage with Ham

Olive oil
1 white onion, sliced into half-moons
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 an apple, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 head of cabbage (about 500 grams), shredded or thinly sliced
1/4 – 1/3 cup cream
2 teaspoons mustard
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Nutmeg (optional)

- Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a pan large enough to accommodate all the cabbage.
- When the oil is hot add onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the ham and sauté until the edges are a bit toasty, then add the apple and toss.
- Add the cabbage and cook until cabbage softens, tossing to make sure everything is cooking evenly.
- When cabbage is soft add the cream and mustard and stir to coat everything. Let this simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the cream can pick up all the flavors in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If you’d like (and I do recommend it!) add a few good gratings of nutmeg.
- Serves 4.

We had this as a side dish with some steak (oof…steak and creamed cabbage…not exactly New Year detox I know!), but I could have this on its own or with some hot white rice, or tossed with some freshly cooked penne, or even piled atop a thick slice of toasted country bread. Yes, I’d have this any which way and twice on Sundays thank you very much. The quantity for the ham is very flexible – I used what leftovers I had and so can you. Like I mentioned, you can substitute the ham with bacon, but I would suggest using less bacon than the amount of ham I indicated…maybe around 3-4 strips chopped.

If you are a cabbage-hater, firstly, why? Secondly, please try this. It’s a New Year and time to try new things. Give old foes a chance to make amends. And it will give you something to do with the leftover ham that stares balefully at you every time you open the fridge.

Some News!!! I mentioned earlier that, in line with my resolution to explore new ways to share food with all of you this New Year, I have a special surprise in Yummy Magazine’s January/February 2011 issue (in news stands now!)…My own column! Yummy Magazine has always been one of my favorite local food publications and I have written for them a number of times before, so when they asked me to write a regular column I was thrilled…not to mention giddily flattered! I’ll be sharing simple everyday dishes from my Family Kitchen every month :) Hope you like them!

Breakfast #33: Nutella Croissant French Toast

2011-01-02T13:41:00.004+08:00

I am disinclined to start a new year with a list of resolutions. I lean more towards a general “all-year ideas and directions” than specific “New Year resolutions”. I know, I know, it’s simply a difference in timing. This may be just my silly self, but I feeling like I can never take the pressure of putting a definite list of goals (aspirations) out there. Like I am just setting myself up for the inevitable late-year scrambling to “lose-weight-get-organized-invest-wisely”. So I choose to quietly follow certain themes instead (for example – Simplify!) and I do this any time during the year, allowing for changes and adjustments along the way.

So why am I even contemplating a New Years to-do list on this sunny-but-cool, gloriously-slept-in, pajama-wearing January morning? A list that I am foolishly going to share here, online, for all the universe (including aliens bored enough to check out out internet) to see? Why indeed? I have no answer but this – It’s 2011 folks and anything can happen!

I still plan on my all-year-round ideas development. These are the directions that I hope will guide my actions after all. But here are a few humble ambitions*** that I hope to achieve this year:

It goes without saying but I will go right out and say it – post more often!
Make more breakfasts! I should be taking my blog’s name more seriously methinks…
Use more leftovers – I think I have been pretty good about this last year and, to carry on avoiding waste and saving resources, I will take this even further this year…sharing a few more tips and tricks on this blog :)
Explore new ways to share my love for food with more of you – I believe there are lots of people like me out there – regular yet fabulous people who strive everyday to strike a balance between home, work, and “me-time”. This year I hope to convince more of you that one doesn't need to be a knife-juggling/pastry-making credentialed expert to create deliciousness in the kitchen…and that you can have fun doing it too!
Use my cookbooks and magazines more often – I don’t own a whole lot of either. But I do think I should still justify their expense by using them more!
Give my blog a new/updated look – I changed my blog’s design last year…from one blogger template to another. This year I aim to give it a more non-template-ish look. At the very least a new header! I am not a techie person by a long shot so this will take some doing and most likely outside help (who will work for cookies and Britney Spears impersonations).

There you have it! Now on to the serious business of getting them done…

Nutella Croissant French Toast

2 croissants or 4 mini-croissants (day old, dried, or otherwise not fit for fresh consumption)
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter

- Slice each croissant lengthwise.
- Best egg and milk together in a flattish bowl.
- Melt butter in a skillet. Place croissant slices in milk-egg mixture while butter melts, turning so all sides are coated in the mixture.
- Once the bubbles subside lay each croissant on the hot butter, cut side down. Fry until golden brown and crisp on the edges. Flip and fry until the other side is likewise golden and toasted. Remove to a paper towel-line plate.
- While the croissant is still hot spread a good dollop of Nutella on each croissant bottom. Top with the top-half of the croissant. Serves two.

Hooray! Good headway here on posting more breakfasts and using more leftovers I’d say. Aside from the obvious fact that January 2nd started on a very crisp-buttery-croissant-warm-oozy-Nutella note – one of the best ways to start any day of the year in my book.

As for exploring new ways to share food with all of you…check out Yummy Magazine’s 1st issue for 2011! I hope you like what you see :) It’s something I am very excited about!

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a 2011 full of unlimited possibilities for awesomeness!!! And if we miss a few? Let’s just try to have a wonderful time trying shall we? ;)

***These are all food or blog related, if you haven’t noticed. Other personal ambitions (become more financially savvy, learn how to use my medical insurance, wear more make up) will remain personal for now :)

Birthday Cake

2010-12-25T21:11:00.003+08:00

I can’t believe it’s already been a year. Whew. How did time just sneak past me so quickly? Around this time last year (December 12 to be exact) C and I welcomed the 3rd member into our family, the very best Christmas gift we could have gotten. Looking back, I can’t even begin to count all the milestones, the exciting “firsts” (and equally wonderful seconds and thirds) that brought us so much joy. The year past seems to be bursting at the seams with our happiness…even in the midst of many (many!!!) sleepless nights, tired-to-the-bone days, and instances of parental insecurity and uncertainty (we’ve had our share of those too!).

At this one year mark, I can’t help but look back and examine how I did as a mum so far. I’ve tried to give the best of myself, filled her bottles and bowls with what I feel are good things, protect her but also give her many opportunities for discovery and exploration. I’ve put the things I love, that I hope she learns to love, in her path – books, good food, snuggles (and more than the occasional kitchen demonstration). There are definitely things I might have done differently, in retrospect. An adjustment here and there, a little more diligent here, and little less stringent there. But on the whole, none too shabby I think…I hope.

And on her first year birthday, I baked a cake. Nothing earth-shattering, but something that I believe the mum I want to be would do.

In my search for this first birthday cake I looked through all my cookbooks, magazines, and bookmarked cake files. I wanted something special but simple. Nothing over the top (no 3-tier princess cakes please) but something worthy of holding that momentous single candle. As fate would have it I found that very cake on another food blog – a cake baked as a birthday cake (or future birthday cake) by a girl who was expecting her first baby (who at this writing has already celebrated that all-important 1st birthday). It was the classic of all classic birthday cakes – a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. You don’t get any more simple-but-well-loved than that. You can find the recipe HERE. If you find yourself in need of a birthday cake I implore you to give this one a try – it is perfect…moist, light and vanilla-buttery. In my pre-party test-bakes I made it both in layer cake and cupcake forms and both turned out wonderful. The recipe makes two 9-inch round, 2-inch tall cake layers, but I made two 8-inch cake layers and a dozen cupcakes instead.

I used a different frosting from the one paired with the cake originally as it was not holding up too well in my warm-humid native climate. I finally settled on the recipe below which is adapted from the Cupcake Bakeshop. I love that it uses 3 kinds of chocolate that you adjust based on your taste. The recipe below uses my preferred quantities for the different chocolates, but you can find the original recipe here.

Fudge Frosting
(Adapted from the Cupcake Bakeshop)

9 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 oz semi sweet chocolate
2 sticks (one cup) unsalted butter
5 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup whole milk

- Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Sift the powdered sugar and salt into a bowl.
- Combine the milk and vanilla.
- Add the milk/vanilla mixture to the sugar/salt and whisk until incorporated.
- Add the melted chocolate to the milk/sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Chill the mixture in the fridge. When chilled whisk again until fluffy.

I am so happy with the way the cake turned out, but more importantly I am so happy I actually made it. I’m sure all mothers have different (and many!) moments they mark that define themselves as mums. Baking little C’s birthday cake was definitely one of mine.

Happy birthday once again my little cherry bomb! You spin me right round baby and mama wouldn’t have it any other way :)

To everyone else…I hope you are having a fantastic holiday season!

Maple Roasted Pork Cutlet with Apples and Onions

2010-12-11T22:53:00.010+08:00

Pork. To me, one of God’s most delicious gifts, brimming with good things from the tip of its pert nose to the end of its squiggly tail. Despite the tides all turning to healthier and more sensible eating, I still stubbornly throw myself with wild abandon at all things pork.

That being said, there was one cut of pork that I didn’t quite enjoy as much as the others…pork chop. Strange, as I live in a country where almost everyone loves a good pork chop (including my best friend who doesn’t even like pork anywhere near as much as I do!). I, though, find chops, dare I say it, too lean. I prefer getting my pork in the form of a slow cooked belly or hock, a whole roasted lechon, smoky barbecue ribs, or a pata tim in its sweet-sticky sauce. With a pork chop, you’ve got a whole lot of loin and a thinnish strip of fat at the end. It just doesn’t do it for me.

Until I met King Henry…

Maple Roasted Pork Cutlet with Apples and Onions

1 x 400 gram bone-in pork cutlet, preferably a King Henry cutlet
2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 apple, cored, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 big white onion, peeled and sliced into wedges
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

- Score the fat side of the cutlet in a cross-hatch pattern.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce with 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Pour over the pork cutlet and sprinkle with some freshly cracked black pepper. Leave to marinate, turning every so often, for at least 30 minutes. Make sure to get the marinade into the scored fat side as well.
- Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce with 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Set this aside – this will be the basting sauce.
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F.
- In a roasting pan or tray toss the onions and apple slices with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place the pan in the oven.
- Heat a non-stick skillet on the hob over medium high heat. Add a good glug or two of oil. When the oil is hot add the cutlet. Let this sear in the hot oil for about 3-5 minutes on both sides until golden brown. Hold the cutlet with a pair of tongs and sear its fat side, giving it a nice burnished hue and crisping up the edges.
- When your pork culet has achieved a nice sear all around (don’t forget the fat side!), take the roasting pan out of the oven and lay the cutlet on the onions and apples. Return to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, basting with your saved soy-maple mixture every 10 minutes or so, or until done to your liking.
- This serves one but is easily scalable to serve more.

A King Henry cutlet is cut from the mid-loin to about 1-inch thick. The bone is French trimmed (fancy!) and the skin removed. Although, for all intents and purposes, this is still technically a pork chop, its hefty size and correspondingly largish swipe of glistening fat help me to be forgiving. In fact, we (yes, I drag my husband along my wicked ways) have become big fans of this cut of pork! It always feels luxurious and celebratory at a fraction of the price of a good (beef) steak. Indulgent yet thrifty...I can definitely get behind that :)

And speaking of easily attainable, this is a snap to make. The marinade/basting sauce consists of only two ingredients…ok, three counting the pepper. It may seem a bit fiddly to score the fat but believe me it is worth the miniscule bit of effort it will take for you to do it…you will be rewarded with crunchy edges of fat caramelized in a sweet and savory glaze. If you’re really feeling lazy you can forgo the roasted apples but I urge you to give it a try. It goes amazingly with the pork (as apples are wont to do) and just think of it as doing your main dish and sides in one pan! As the pork roasts atop the apples, the maple-soy marinade, along with the juices from the pork, mingle with the softening apples and the slowly caramelizing onions. I know, yum!

King Henry is now on our regular grocery rotation, gracing our table once in a while, another cut of pork I have grown to love. Worry not, I do also actually love many healthy things, but pork still remains a steadfast friend, never abandoning me in times of heartache or stress. And I too vow to never abandon my loyal, delicious, and oft misunderstood pig.

Croquetas/Croquettes (in patty form)

2010-12-02T00:04:00.004+08:00

As I’ve mentioned before, I wage a continuous battle against food waste. Now more than ever, with my new goal to Simplify, and with it endeavor for more meaning and less cost, this battle becomes even more important. Waste not, want not, as has often been said. And so true that. Less waste means more savings, extra cash to spend on a much loved pleasure, less junk clogging our landfills and waterways…and it can also mean a delicious treat if you know your way around leftovers!

One of my mom’s favorite ways to give new life to leftovers was to turn them into croquetas (also known as croquettes). Everything from leftover mince to smoked milkfish (yes, that’s tinapang bangus!) would find their way into my mom’s croquetas. As children, we loved these little breaded logs of soft potatoes and tasty bits of meat. We couldn’t care less if they were leftovers. They were delicious and that’s all our young minds needed to know.

Just as you can’t predict what and how much leftovers you will find yourself with on any given day, I don’t have an exact recipe for these croquetas (just as I don’t have one for this cottage pie). Simply put, this is what I do: I take whatever leftovers I have, whether it’s fish, mince, pork chops, longanisa (a local sausage) leftover from breakfast, or even vegetables (roasted vegetables would be awesome in this), and I shred/chop it to smallish bits. Then, depending on how much meat/veggies I have I take a couple, or more, potatoes and boil until soft, then mash. For these croquetas pictured I actually used leftover mashed potatoes (extra points for more leftovers used!). I then season the mixture with salt and pepper. You can add any other seasoning you’d like -- have you got some extra herbs lying around that need using? Chop them up and add them in! Add cumin and chili for a Mexican flavor, or soy sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro for something more oriental. Some cheese would also be delicious if this fits the combination of flavors you’ve got going so far (think chorizo, smoked paprika, and cheese…MMM!). Then add an egg and mix well. I just eyeball the mixture to see whether I add one or two eggs…but mostly one egg is good enough, leftovers usually not being all that much to begin with. I add all the seasoning before the egg so I can taste it before I add the raw egg. Now, shape your croquetas into logs or patties or balls (or anything your heart desires) and coat each in breadcrumbs. I personally prefer patties as I feel they cook better (and quicker) that way. Shallow fry in hot oil until golden on all sides.

You can serve this with a salad and it makes a wonderful meal. It’s also great tucked into a bun for a picnic or a packed lunch. You can serve them with a dipping sauce of your choice – some garlic yogurt, sriracha, or even that old staple…ketchup!

Now that I have a child of my own, I often think of what food traditions and values I’d like to pass on to her. Definitely my love for real, home cooked meals. My respect for food and where it comes from and who brings it to us. My wariness of junk food. An appreciation for true quality…which does not necessarily equate to what is more expensive. My love for vegetables. The belief that something lovingly crafted in your own kitchen will always be better than something bought in a store. Dark chocolate over candy bars. Eating with your hands…ok, this she is already loving :)

Part of these things that I’d like to impart on little C is the avoidance of food waste. And that means no fussing about eating leftovers! For my part, I’ll promise to make them as tempting as possible :)

Sugpo sa Aligue at Gata (Prawns in Crab Fat and Coconut Milk)

2010-11-09T02:25:00.006+08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about the cost of things vis a vis their actual value. That’s what happens I suppose when you become a grown-up with a mortgage...suddenly all expenditures are brought into sharp focus, to be examined and audited conscientiously. Do we really need this? Can this wait? Will my soul suffer irreparable damage if I do not purchase this immediately?

This is especially relevant with the fast approaching holidays. I don’t know how it is where you are, but over here as soon as the –ber (SeptemBER…) months hit the carols start playing at the malls and every store has something bright and shiny to lure you away from your hard earned money. The gift giving here can get a bit over the top, with Christmas lists a kilometer long and gifts to be gotten for every single person you know and some you don’t...forcing many into purchases of mass "generic gifts".

In addition to this, little C’s 1st birthday is coming up (how time flies!), and although I am beyond excited to celebrate my cherry bomb’s first year on Earth, local tradition dictates a big-splash first birthday party. I’m talking party planners, mascots, caterers, shows. And, of course, a professionally designed birthday cake.

Now, I know it sounds like I’m turning all bah-humbug on you but hear me out. As far as Christmas goes, I sometimes feel like it’s turned into a merry-go-round of generic gifts and consumer gimmicks – where’s the meaning? It’s supposed to be the happiest time of the year and I’m stressed because of things that technically should not matter in the grander scheme of things – is that not more than a little ridiculous? I certainly don’t want to be cynical about Christmas (or cynical in general)…particularly when I have a little one with whom I want to share the magic.

And don’t even get me started on the 1st birthday celebrations. I have already decided to eschew tradition and have a small gathering. At one year old little C will not remember all the hoopla and, I am pretty sure, will enjoy a small gathering of doting family all bent on entertaining her, as much as, or even more than, a gaggle of mascots (which if she is anything like her mother will only serve to freak her out).

So, although it is not the New Years yet, I have decided to make a few resolutions. Simplify. Lessen the expense and increase the meaning. That is going to be my motto for 2011…heck, this is going to be my motto starting right now. A Christmas with less worry about parties and gifts, and more meaningful moments instead. A first birthday with just close family and homemade decorations and lots of love. Finally cleaning out our home of all the “stuff” that we’ve accumulated that is no longer useful. Oh, and two credit cards on the chopping block. And that’s just for starters ;)

Anyway, what does all this have to do with prawns in crab fat? Nothing really, except for the fact that the prawns were a gift from my father-in-law which I stretched over three meals, managing a little savings in our market shopping :)

Sugpo sa Aligue at Gata (Prawns in Crab Fat and Coconut Milk)

500-600 grams prawns or shrimp, whiskers trimmed but otherwise unpeeled
A couple of glugs canola oil (or any vegetable oil)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass, white parts only (save the green parts for stuffing a roast chicken)
1 white onion, chopped
2-3 siling mahaba (green finger chilis), sliced
3/4 - 1 cup aligue (crab fat)
250 ml or 1 cup coconut milk
1-2 tablespoon fish sauce (to taste)
The juice of half a lemon or 2-3 kalamansi

- Heat oil in a wok or skillet or pot that is big enough to accommodate all your prawns (in either 1 or 2 layers, no more than that). When the oil is hot add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and onion. Sautee until onion is soft and translucent.
- When onion is soft add the chilis and aligue. Cook, stirring often, until the aligue softens and oil separates.
- Add the coconut milk and continue to cook until it all melds together. Add fish sauce and lemon/kalamansi juice to taste.
- Lay the prawns in the pan; give it a shake to coat with sauce, cover, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Check your prawns and remove from the heat as soon as they are all bright orange.
- Serves 3. Or 2 plus 1 serving for lunch the next day :)

You want a good balance of saltiness from the fish sauce, and just the right touch of acid from the kalamansi/lemon to cut through the richness of the crab fat and coconut milk, so make sure to taste and adjust. This is not the type of dish you want to eat every day as crab fat is not exactly the healthiest of food. It is fabulously rich and savory though and, in my book, absolutely fine for every once in a while :)

It may look like this dish is at odds with my new resolutions…and that may well be the case. But it’s also a reminder that despite my goals to simplify my life (saving money, reducing stress, and adding meaning in the process) there will still be times to indulge. I am not wagging a finger at big spenders – by all means, if you’ve earned it; you have certainly earned the right to spend it. These goals, and the reasons behind them, are solely mine and apply to my life and where I am at this point. I am not going the whole hog here either, forsaking all material things for an ultimately Spartan lifestyle. Only just pared down enough to be mindful of excess that could very well be avoided. But mindful as well of moments when a little well-thought-out indulgence is in order :)

My, my. I sure have tripped the light philosophical today. I won’t bore you with my ponderings for much longer. If you too would like to simplify this coming year (or have been doing it already) I would love to hear your suggestions!

Peach Nectarine and Blueberry Pie

2010-10-23T08:24:00.006+08:00

One of the grand epiphanies I had when I started cooking and baking was that I never needed to be a slave to my cravings anymore. That is not to say I never had to give in to them, oh no. On the contrary, it meant I never had to be worried that my cravings would go unfulfilled (unless we are talking about a craving for chanterelle mushrooms, fresh figs, or Le Pain Quotidien's hazelnut praline spread, then I may just be out of luck). It's actually quite liberating, for someone who had never felt the joy of creating one's own sustenance before, to feel that all of a sudden so much gustatory satiation was within your grasp. The possibilities were, and still are, endless.

To this day, it never fails to thrill me when I feel like having something, say Dutch oliebollen or a particular salad I had at a restaurant, and I think -- "maybe I can try making it...". And then I do. And then I realize that nothing (well, almost nothing) will ever be a restaurant or a plane ticket away. That my friends, in my book at least, is a very compelling reason to get into the kitchen and start cooking!

So when the weather turned gloomy over here, and I had a sudden yearning for some nice, warm, bursting with fruits pie, satisfaction was not long in coming.

Peach Nectarine and Blueberry Pie

1 1/2 quantity of this pie dough
2 peaches, pitted and sliced into eighths
4 nectarines, pitted and sliced into eights
100 grams blueberries
2 tablespoons + 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
juice from half a lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons demerara sugar

- Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. When rolling, turn dough over frequently and lift the parchment so it doesn’t form creases. When about 1/8 inch thick place in the fridge to chill for about 20-30 minutes.

- Mix all the fruit in a bowl with the 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, and the lemon juice. Set aside.

- Mix the 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with the 2 tablespoons sugar and set aside.

- After the pie dough has chilled, place in a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges. Return to the fridge.

- Gather the rest of the dough and roll our once more. Using a 2-inch diameter round cookie cutter cut the rest of the dough into circles**.

- Take the pie pan out of the fridge. Sprinkle the cornstarch/sugar mixture on the base of the crust and arrange the fruit on top of this. Dot fruit with the butter. Line the border of the pie with the dough circles, overlapping them as you go. Press edges to seal.

- Brush the pastry with the egg and sprinkle demerara sugar evenly over both the dough and fruit.

- Place the pie pan on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 400F over for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Blueberries are not something commonly grown in these parts but I had found these local blueberries (grown in our mountain region) in the market before. They are not as sweet as the bigger blueberries grown in the Western world and I sometimes suspect that they are a strain of wild berries and not actual blueberries as we know them. In any case, they added a nice tartness to the pie that I liked.

There is something about fruit pie -- the fragrance it gives your home while it's baking, the warm fruit, the buttery-flaky crust, the whole domestic goddess feeling you get while taking it to the table -- that just sets you in a circle of comfort and home-and-hearth good spirits. Most welcome at any time of the year, but most especially when the weather is glum.

So if you, like me not too long ago, are a bit apprehensive in the kitchen, why don't you give it a go? I promise it's not too hard, and can actually be loads of fun. And one day soon fulfilling you cravings will be as easy as, pardon the horrible pun, pie!

**You may have extra pastry circles. You can use them to make jam tarts -- just place a but of jam in the center of the circle, fold over, and press edges together with the tines of a fork to seal. Bake until the crust is golden. If you won't use them immediately, just stack them with parchment in between the circles, seal in a ziplock bag, and freeze. Then you can have fresh jam tarts anytime you have a craving ;)

Ginger Chili Fish Fillets

2010-10-11T17:29:00.018+08:00

I have the worst technology/computer luck. Ever. My computers have gone through more crashes that all the world's stock markets combined. And it's not just hardware...the simplest of programs have mysteriously refused to work under my incapable hands. I have committed that horrible act of spilling coffee (with milk and sugar) on my laptop (no, it doesn't only happen in movies). My technician is on the top of my Christmas list. I have endured too many computer meltdowns to count. To think I spend all of my working and a big chunk of my "playing" time on a computer! To think I'm a blogger from whose fingertips computer skills are expected to spew magically forth like fairy dust. Not so.

Just because I live and work on a computer online most of the time does not mean technology has taken kindly to me. It's a bit on a tainted love we have -- me and technology. Case in point, I am fresh (although that would be the last word I would use to describe how I feel) from my work computer's major crash (hello 500++ emails queued up in 2 days) and now stare helplessly at my laptop that has decided to join in the fun. Black screen with a little white cursor glowing menacingly at me. Fie on you.

These days, I am beyond the hair-pulling, head-spinning dramatics these breakdowns would once trigger. I've long learned that shaking fists and sobbing buckets do not sway cold-hearted hard drives. Instead I brew some tea and remind myself that as far as calamities go my little technological hiccups are just small fry in the grander scheme of things. I think of the many other areas at which I am much luckier, and hunker down with some of life's more tangible pleasures --- like food magazines :)

Ginger Chili Fish Fillets

(adapted from Yummy Magazine, July 2010 issue)

300 grams white fish fillet, cut into 2-inch portions
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
1 green finger chili, sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass
2 tablespoons soy sauce, separated
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
400 grams bokchoy, leaves separated
1-2 tablespoons sliced spring onion/green onion, to garnish

- Mix cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Add fish and toss to coat. Shake of the excess.

- Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, black vinegar, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

- Heat half the oil in a wok on high. When hot, stir-fry ginger and chili for 1-2 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.

- In the same wok heat the rest of the oil. Fry fish for about 2 minutes on each side. Add ginger/chili mixture and the soy sauce mixture. Let this bubble for a few seconds then toss until the fish is coated on all sides. Remove from the wok and set aside.

- In the same wok add the bokchoy with the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Cover and let cook for about 30 seconds. Uncover, toss, cover and cook for another 30 seconds, then take off the heat. You want the bokchoy to be just cooked.

- Arrange the bokchoy on a serving plate. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables. Top with a sprinkling of green onion.

- Serves two.

Although I love trawling the net for food inspiration, especially among other food blogs, nothing can quite replace the satisfaction of pages in your hand, something you can hold and scribble notes on and take with you to bed on a rainy night. This recipe was taken from Yummy magazine -- one of my favorite local food magazines for its unfussy and upbeat appeal, simple yet flavorful recipes, and interesting features. I've amended the recipe to add more greens (as we do love our greens over here!) and a touch of sesame and black vinegar to the sauce as I feel these flavors complement the soy perfectly. A bowl of steaming white rice is not required but highly recommended.

It's amazing how computers, and the internet, and technology in general, have gone and, in what seems to be the blink of an eye, made themselves indispensable to our lives -- or at least that's what they like us to believe. Despite my bad luck though, I am still a fan, after all here I am right? Plugging away in my little corner of this cyber-world :)

That being said, I think these little disasters are opportunities for us to also defrag and reboot and perhaps even reformat. To stop and take stock...even if it is only to take stock of a to-cook list from one of your favorite food magazines :)

Brown Butter Pear Crumble Cake

2010-10-09T15:41:00.004+08:00

Oh boy, that's a mouthful. I've mentioned before that I am not the best recipe namer on the block, and if you didn't believe me then, I suppose you do now. Instead of cleverly coming up with that all-descriptive yet succinct title that will perfectly describe a certain dish, I more often than not let myself ramble on with a name that reads like a list of ingredients. I know, there goes my career in editing.

Thankfully, I don't aspire to be an editor, and truth be told, don't know if I even aspire to be a writer either. Or am I already a writer just because I, um, write? It seems to me that one needs to reach some sort of pinnacle of writer-hood, some summit of eloquence, to be called a WRITER. Right? right?

I may check in here every so often (not as often as I'd like though...sigh). I may even string a few words together over here. But in reality I am a pencil pushing, keyboard clicking, cog in the machine. Maybe, maybe, in some alternate universe all this, this blog, this writing, this obsession with all things gastronomic, is actually my life. In this universe though, it is just my hobby. A hobby I LOVE yes, but a hobby nonetheless. And perhaps because it is just a hobby, food and writing and I will forever be on honeymoon, never to fall into the grittiness of reality. Or perhaps our relationship, never having the chance to plunge in to that very grit of the everyday, will never have anything more deep than a surface sparkle.

Or maybe I'm just a girl who thinks too much.

Or maybe I'm just a girl who loves cake...even if I can't quite get the knack of naming them :)

Brown Butter Pear Crumble Cake

(cake adapted from here and the crumble from here)

For the cake:

125 grams butter
150 grams sugar
2 eggs
70 grams flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups chopped pears

For the crumble:

50 grams flour
30 grams butter, chilled and cubed
50 grams dark brown sugar
60 grams walnuts, chopped

- Melt the butter in a skillet until browned (not burned!), with a warm nutty aroma. You can find a fantastic tutorial on browning butter over at Simply Recipes. Strain and set aside to cool.

- Make your crumble: Rub flour and butter together with your fingers, or with a pastry cutter, until it forms coarse crumbs. Mix in the sugar and nuts. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

- Butter a 8-inch cake pan and lay your pear cubes at the bottom of the pan.

- Mix the sugar with the egg. Whisk your flour and baking powder together, then add to the egg mixture. Add the (cooled) brown butter. Pour the batter over the pears.

- Get your crumble mixture and sprinkle over the top of the batter until fully covered. You may not use it all**.

- Bake in a 180C (350F) oven for 40-50 minutes or until a pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

- Let the cake rest in its pan for about 5-10 minutes. Turn out into a plate, and then turn over onto another plate so the pears are on the bottom and the crumble on top.

C's mom gifted us with a bunch of pears that sat prettily on our dining room table until I finally came around to using them. I was thinking more in the lines of pie until this recipe, and my desire to make something with brown butter, serendipitously collided. I'm so happy they did. This cake is all Clotilde promised it to be -- golden, moist, light -- and the additional step of browning the butter lends it a deep nuttiness that I think works marvelously with the pears' sandy sweetness. The crisp crumble topping is the perfect contrast to the cake's yielding softness. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or straight out of the fridge for breakfast, this cake can do no wrong...and I hope I haven't done it a sore disservice with the long-winded name.

Hobby or not, I love food -- its making and its consumption. I love this blog. And I especially love all of you who have kept on reading through low times and high.

And to my fellow cogs (in a machine) out there -- find a hobby you love! Until alternate universes become a reality, it will make all the difference :)

**If you don't use all your crumble mixture, keep it in the fridge. The next morning cube some fruit into a oven-safe dish, top with the crumble, and pop in the oven until the crumble is crisp and the fruit is soft and juices bubbling. Top with yogurt. Breakfast!

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

2010-10-03T09:13:00.006+08:00

I have never been very good at blog events. That is not to say that I don't enjoy them...I do! Let's just say that I can be less than expert when it comes to deadlines. A line that, unfortunately, am just at the wrong side of as I hurriedly type. But I just can't miss this event, even if I am a little bit tardy...

A Taste Of Yellow is a blog event started by the brave and beautiful Barbara of Winos And Foodies. It's an event she created to support LiveSTRONG Day and raise cancer awareness. Barbara has been hosting this event since 2007 and it gets such wonderful and encouraging response every year. Almost all lives today have been touch by cancer one way or the other and a Taste Of Yellow gives us a chance to lend a hand in a way that we, as food bloggers, love...through food. Yellow food to be exact. Sunny, bright, hopeful, yellow food!

This year she adds a new theme. She asks us to incorporate a heart into entry, which I think is a fantastic idea! After all, the warm comforting blanket of love can sometimes be the best medicine of all.

For this round I decided to try a recipe that had been sitting in my to-bake files for ages. The Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes. I love the sunshiney personality of vanilla cupcakes, despite being a chocolate person, and can never have enough of them.

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups self raising flour
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line two 12 cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
- Cream butter at medium speed in large bowl.
- Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Then add eggs.
- Combine flours. Add to butter mixture in four parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla extract.
- Spoon the batter into cups so they are ¾ full.
- Bake until the tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

2 sticks unsalted butter
8 cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

- Place butter, milk, vanilla extract and 4 cups of sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the remaining sugar, once cup at a time until thick.
- Add a few drops of food coloring if desired and mix thoroughly.
- Spread icing on cooled cupcakes.

I have never actually been to the Magnolia Bakery so I can't compare how these measure up to the originals. That being said, they were, as I'd hoped, cheery and delicious, with a light crumb and a warming vanilla scent. The icing I found to be a little bit runny but that could just be our hot weather taking it's toll on my poor buttercream! I found the heart sprinkles in a terrific baking supplies store I had recently visited for the first time. And yes, I did pick out all the yellow ones for the first two cupcakes...it's the least I could do for being late, don't you think?

Thank you Barbara for hosting another round of A Taste Of Yellow and for being such an inspiration and a great blogger friend to boot! I hope you like my heart as much as I admire yours :)

Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Leeks

2010-09-26T21:52:00.008+08:00

Wasn't it just a moment ago that I extolled the virtues of whole fish? Hadn’t I declared my love for whole fish over fillets? I am no inconstant lover to be sure, but every girl needs variety don’t you think? :) Especially when buying a whole salmon on these shores would cost one very pretty penny! We also can’t discount the fact that fillets are definitely more convenient. And let’s face it; most of us do need a little convenience once in a while – especially when juggling baby, work, and a household…plus a life outside of that (some quality alone time with the hubby, time with friends, ME time…blogging!)!

Having a few fish fillets in your freezer (ooh, say that 10 times, fast!) means a quick supper is never far away, even on days when you don’t have the time or the energy to think past finishing that last report. They are especially handy when the only time you can make it to the market (because really, some of the “fresh fish” that is in the supermarket these days are a tad worrying) is on the weekends.

So, anyway, this is all to say that, yes, there is a space for fish fillets in my heart and on my table.

Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Leeks

2 x 160-180 gram fillets of salmon
Olive oil
6-5 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced diagonally (about 2 cups sliced)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup cream
Squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

- Heat a swirl of olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot add the leeks and sauté until they start to soften. Add the cream and let it bubble a bit until the leeks are tender, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the dill, toss, and take off the heat. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
- In another skillet heat a couple of glugs of oil. Sprinkle salmon fillets with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot add salmon to the pan skin side down (my fillets here were already skinned but I still cook the side where the skin was first). Cook for a couple of minutes and flip to cook the other side. Cook for a couple of minutes more until done to your liking.
- Place each fillet on a plate and divide the creamy leeks between the two.
- Serves two.

Salmon is nice when it’s a little rare in the middle, but cook it all the way through if that’s how you like it. The great thing about fillets, as opposed to steak cuts, is that you can actually see the fish cooking on the sides (as the fish grows opaque from the bottom up). This makes is easier to predict when the fish is done.

Since neither salmon nor creamy sauces make it to C’s list of favorites this is something I often enjoy when he is not around. I actually love these little meals made solely for my enjoyment. Brings me back to the early days of my cooking --- when I cooked only for myself, and ultimately fell in love with it. Which brings me to another nice attribute of the fillet…it lends itself perfectly to the single serving!

Note: I am trying to groom little C to be a creamy-salmon-dish-eater just like her mama. To make a baby friendly version just steam the salmon and leeks, cut up/mash when cooked (leeks should be soft and salmon cooked through), and mix with a dollop of yogurt (instead of cream). I’ve also done a version with the salmon steamed with cilantro and onions, then mashed with yogurt when cool. Definitely thing I would eat myself!

Tuhod y Batoc Ragu (Knee and Neck Ragu)

2010-09-18T20:37:00.005+08:00

I am a pack rat. I save everything from old credit card receipts to sappy poems written by boys of summers long gone. I hardly ever throw anything away. I have my paid and validated phone bills from years back tucked away in dark corners of my office. Random scraps of paper, scrawled with hurried to-do lists, litter the nether regions of my purses. Proof of this “endearing” habit currently lay in boxes that block our front door and most of our new foyer.

It’s also evident in our fridge and freezer – much to C’s frustration (as if the unpacked boxes of stuff isn’t frustrating enough right?). I keep every drop of bacon dripping, the end slices of sliced bread, every last bit of leftover food. I can’t abide by food waste so all this gets stashed for future use. To my credit, they do, in fact, get used, and for the most part quite successfully.

This dish came together one slow day when I was in the middle of the contemplative work of stock-making. Beef stock making to be specific. I had scored a gorgeous shin bone which I had cut down to kneecaps and marrow pieces (did that sound too serial killer-ish?). To add more meatiness to the stock I threw in a hunk of beef neck. There was quite a bit of neck meat there, which slowly cooked down to a melting softness, and I thought it would shame it to let it go to waste. So I took it, along with the now tender kneecap tendon, and did this.

Tuhod y Batoc Ragu (Knee and Neck Ragu)

Olive oil
2 small white onions, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Italian mix seasoning
1 chorizo, chopped
1/4 cup red wine
1 800-gram can chopped tomatoes
1 clove
Dash cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 1/2 – 3 cups cooked, deboned beef neck (shredded) and kneecap (the soft, gelatinous tendon part, chopped)
1/2 to 2/3 cup beef stock
Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

- Heat a couple of generous glugs of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. When the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaf and sauté until onions are soft and translucent. Add Italian mix seasoning and stir well, letting the dried herbs release their scent.
- Add the chorizo and cook until it releases its oils. Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping all the brown bits stuck to the pan as you go. Cook until you can’t smell the alcohol anymore.
- Add the tomatoes, clove, cinnamon, and paprika. Let this simmer until the water has evaporated a bit.
- Add the beef and beef stock and simmer again until it all melds together into a thick and pulpy sauce.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.

You would think that something that had been cooked for hours would have lost a lot of its flavor but the neck meat, which has a lot of flavor to begin with, held up pretty well. The aromatics and spices (and the chorizo) then added whatever was missing. All in all, pretty savory and not at all a dish you would think came from the leavings of something else. It is rich and hearty and stick-to-your bones comforting. You could of course make this with neck and kneecap directly simmered in the tomato sauce until tender, without waiting for a beef stock making session. We had it with a scalloped, shell-like pasta touted as gnocchi on that package. In any case, it worked a charm, catching the hearty sauce in its crevices. It would also go wonderfully with a good thick pasta noodle like a papardelle.

I feel unashamedly smug when I put every last bit of something to good use. Especially when something great comes of it. I only wish it was that easy for those boxes.

Note: It's a bit late to announce but I have some dishes in this month's (September) issue of Yummy magazine :) All made with local cheeses! This isssue is a great one -- chock-full of Filipino recipes, or dishes with local ingredients. There is a spread of different adobo recipes that I know I am going to be trying soon!

Yogurt with Stewed Plums

2010-09-11T11:33:00.005+08:00

I told myself I would not feed little C something I would not also eat myself. So far I have been able to, for the most part, stick to that (just adding a little seasoning for me until she is old enough to have more for herself). Her vegetable soup gets some sea salt and a slick of olive oil and it is ready for mama. Her spinach and leek risotto get a shower of grated Manchego cheese for me. Her malunggay and rice ends up in my bowl with just a dash of fish sauce. I am hoping that this path will lead to her enjoy the same things we do --- ultimately to healthier eating habits and (also very important) me never having to make special “kid-friendly” dishes in addition to what is already on the table.

That term, “kid-friendly dishes”, confuses me. Most of the things I see touted as “kid-friendly” are not in fact very friendly, especially not if that is all they get served. Chicken nuggets, mini hotdogs (!!), and all kinds of sweetened and flavored snacks. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will eat all the aforementioned foods, but I am over 30 and have already grown to appreciate the world’s many wonderful (and healthier) flavors. I’m not in danger of being spoilt for the more delicate flavors like those of vegetables and fruits. I can eat a hotdog today and know that it’s not that good for me and I won’t be eating another one in a while. But for a child whose palate is just being formed, whose tastes are just beginning to take shape, wouldn’t it better, and truly more “kid-friendly”, to give them foods for which we hope they will develop an undying affection? Like broccoli? And yogurt?

Yogurt with Stewed Plums
(feeds baby and mum!)

1 plum
1 tablespoon water (approximate)
1/3 cup natural unflavored Greek yogurt

- Peel, de-seed, and slice the plum into eight wedges.
- Place plum wedges in a pan where they all fit snugly in one layer. Add about a tablespoon of water. You want the water to just barely cover the bottom of the pan, no more (there is liquid enough in the fruit).
- Place pan over low heat, cover, and cook until plums soften and start to collapse. Set aside to cool.
- Place yogurt in a bowl. Take about 1-2 tablespoons of yogurt out of that and into a smaller bowl for baby. Top baby’s portion with about a teaspoon and a half of stewed plums and place the rest on mum’s yogurt.
- Enjoy!

Fruits are a fantastic way to add a bit of sweetness to your baby's yogurt or cereal (I only did this though after she had tasted yogurt without any embellishment -- so she could first appreciate its natural flavor). I think if you start off this way you can try this for as long you can to avoid extra sugar. We will see :)

As a person at the beginning of her gastronomic journey, little C is like a blank slate, ready to be filled with every taste and flavor and aroma she can get in her toothy grin. As much as I am capable, I’d like those first tastes to be ones that are good for her, and ones that C and I enjoy as well.