Sweets and Savory Savvy

Chef of the Day- Part 3

2011-07-11T08:19:00.024-04:00

First up is Yvette from Puerto Rico...She prepared dishes from her country such as Mofonggo and Deep fried Pork...I was very impressed with her Flan (Custard) because of its smooth texture...It was very rich and creamy, yum!

Her table setting by Jose

Slaw Salad

Arroz con Guandules with Fried Pork

Mofonggo cups con Camarones and Virgin Pina Colada

Individual servings of Flan and Family Style Flan

Next is Yin from Shang Hai, like most students did, she also prepared dishes from her country, a traditional Shang Hai cuisine...Well, what can you expect from a Chinese restaurant? They always have dumplings, steamed or fried, which I really love...Yin prepared Pork dumplings with broth. I didn't get to try it because of the filling. But I tried her dessert which is the Glutinous Rice balls rolled in Coconut flakes. I also had her Beef Curry which was really delicious.

Pork dumplings in broth

Lap Cheong stuffed Potato

Beef Curry with Steamed Rice

Glutinous Rice Balls

Next is Jose from Peru...He works as an on call server and he did most of the table settings for his classmates...For his appetizers, he prepared Mussels with Corn and Tomato relish...He also had Peruvian Ceviche with Posole...

Rice with Veggies; Ceviche

Papas A La Huancaina

Bacon wrapped Pork Tenderloin

And last but not the least is Jaime, who is a native of Bolivia...He prepared Bolivian cuisine...He is a restaurant owner in the neighborhood...

Shrimp with Potatoes for appetizer

Beef Tongue with Sweet Potato and Posole

For dessert, it's like a Pear Upside Down Cake

The students' presentations went really well...They presented cuisines from their country which, I guess, is very comfortable and easy for them...Some were mediocre in the palette, some were pretty to look at, some were quite "weird" looking, some were really well executed and some were professionally presented...Overall, they all really did a great job...I wonder how many of them will consider this as their career...That's a lot to think about because working in a real kitchen is no joke...It involves a lot of physical labor, as well as, mental stability...Goodluck!!!

Congratulations Culinary Arts students 2010-2011!!!

Chef of the Day-Part 2

2011-07-07T21:50:00.034-04:00

This is the continuation for the "Chef of the Day" presentation. This time, i'm featuring the next four students and the last four on my next post.

First is Ana from El Salvador. She's currently working as a Kitchen Manager in a restaurant. In my opinion, she is the most talented and experienced of all. I say this because i've seen her creations and she possesses the right attitude towards work. She made most of her classmates' desserts because she is quite artistic. Her presentation is one of my favorites.

Top: Ana's menu and table setting; Below: Ana's presentation

Appetizers: Mini Crabcakes with Guacamole; Grilled Radicchio with Grapefruit salad

Main course: Surf and Turf with Bok Choy

For dessert, she made and frosted her own cake.

Next student is Gigi who is from West Africa. She prepared dishes from her country.

Gigi's menu.

Tomato Salad and Coleslaw for First course.

She also made Fufu with Shrimp and a type of Greens only available at specialty stores.

If i'm not mistaken, these are Lamb Kebobs with salsa.

Seared Bass with Cabbage.

For dessert, she had classic Strawberry Tart.

Next is Qian who is from Beijing, China. She presented traditional dishes from her city. She was not able to attend the graduation because she had to move back to her country. But she was able to complete all the requirements needed to graduate. So, she's considered a graduate, too.

Tofu dishes with pickled veggies on top.

Sauteed Snow Peas and Rice Salad on Cucumbers

Braised Pork.

For desserts, she prepared these gelatin hearts, puff pastry napoleons and a Roll (not pictures)

Last but not the least is Jennifer. She's from DC and presently working for an Assisted Living establishment in Chevy Chase. She presented Southern cuisine.

Her table setting aranged by none other than Jose.

For her first course, she prepared Corn bread and Braised Greens on the right for salad.

Main course, Prosciutto wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragout & Cheese Grits

Lemon stacked Cake with Blueberry coulis for sweets.

Chef of the Day Dishes

2011-07-07T19:56:00.030-04:00

I'm baaaaack!!! Yup, it's been a while, like everyone's excuse, "I've been terribly busy", yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. But i'm not gonna promise that i'll be blogging regularly, it all depends on my mood. I'm currently on my summer break from school and been house sitting for almost 2 weeks now because of the renovation going on. So why not start blogging again? And i've got sooo much, trying to make up for the time I was dormant.

This time, i'll be featuring our 12 Culinary Arts students in the morning class who just finished their "Chef of the Day" stuff. It's part of their finals to present their own dishes where they create their own menu, delegate their classmates and present the dishes to guests and enjoy the food in the end. Each student becomes "The Chef of the Day" and they come up with 4-5 or more courses. There were some who really "wowed" me, really made an impression. But overall, they all did well. My boss asked me to take pictures of their presentation, which I really enjoyed because I was able to practice my Food Photography. So here they are. Enjoy!

First is Hector's presentation. Hector is originally from Colombia. So, for his first course, he served Red and Golden Beets Napoleon.

Grilled Salmon with Pico de Gallo and Couscous for main entree.

For dessert, he served Rice Pudding.

Next is Jenri's presentation which is an Italian cuisine. Jenri is currently working at an Italian restaurant in Old Town, Alexandria in VA as a Sous Chef. He is one with the most experience in the kitchen. So this thing was pretty easy for him. He really nailed it.

First course: Tomato-Basil Bruschetta; Pesto Gnocchi.

Main entrees: Roasted Quail served with Risotto and Truffled Mushroom sauce.

Pan seared Halibut with Swiss Chard and Coulis.

Dessert: Rich and Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse frosting.

The third presentation is by Elena which is an Australian cuisine. She's currently working at the Australian embassy and probably found inspiration from her colleagues. She had asked her boss to come for her presentation.

First course: Butternut Squash soup; Coconut Shrimp.

Entree: Grilled Australian Lamb Chops.

For desserts, she didn't really stick to the Aussie theme because she served Pavlova with fruits while the other one is like custard.

Next is Adriana. Adriana is a native of Mexico. She works as a personal chef right now. Her menu didn't really have a theme.

First course: Chile Relleno; Italian Arancini with Tomato sauce

Poached Fish with Lemon Butter sauce

Mini Cakes with White Chocolate Glaze

Table setting courtesy of Jose

Adriana during her presentation.

I'll be featuring the next four students on my next post. Stay tuned! :)

Valentine Cupcakes

2011-02-20T11:49:00.020-05:00

Valentine's Day happened to be on a Monday this year, so I decided to bake a Chocolate Cake from scratch that morning at work...I used the Williams-Sonoma recipe and made almost four dozen cupcakes...I frosted some of them with sweetened whipped cream just in time for the afternoon break at 2pm...I sold a dozen pretty fast for $1.50 each...

I had bought these Valentine themed sprinkles the week before from Target...I thought these were so cute and would make a great decoration for cupcakes...I've been planning for this for quite a while...I didn't even think twice as soon as I saw it at the store...I also bought a Valentine themed pink hand towel and a vase...I had already pictured it in mind on how it would look in the photos...And yes, I was very pleased with the result of the pictures :) Just how I wanted!

The pictures above were taken outside the house under the shade...I wasn't quite satisfied with the pictures below that were taken indoors...It could be the bright sun shining through the windows that was a challenge for me to tone down...It's all because the windows in the living room is facing west...I didn't get the chance to do it in the sun room because of our house guest occupying the space that same day...The shadows are very noticeable :(

These pictures below were taken at the school kitchen right before I sold them...Boy, don't they look cute? Of course, they also taste great, Hey! that's a Williams-Sonoma recipe...It's very chocolatey since i've used Dutch processed cocoa...Then the buttermilk added moisture to the cake...They're good by themselves without the frosting...My hubby really liked the cake, he didn't care for the whipped cream...I don't mind...Who needs to gain weight anyway?

The lighting from the school kitchen is just the white fluorescent daylight that's why the cupcakes look more natural in my opinion...At first, I never really liked it but now, I like it even more...I think I should bring my props to work next time, atleast, the lighting is always the same...I don't have to worry about the sun being too bright or setting...

Assorted Cakes

2011-02-19T11:42:00.002-05:00

I've made these three cakes within a week...It's very unusual for me because I get so busy at work that I can't always find time to bake...It just happened that we were on our short 2 days semestral break and we didn't have to prepare snacks for the cafeteria...So, I used my spare time to bake some goodies since I had these over-ripe Bananas sitting on the counter...

I made the Carrot Cake and Banana Cake using one type of batter (refer to my Carrot Cake recipe)...That really made it easier for me beacuse all I did was make a big batch, divide them and folded in the grated Carrots into the first batter and mashed Bananas into the other...I made a big sheet pan of the Carrot Cake and also this small one for my photography that I frosted with Cream Cheese-Butter mixture...I took it home to take photos of it and returned it to work the next day to turn it to cash :) My hubby doesn't really like Carrot Cake so I couldn't keep it at home...

I took different angles of this cake...I couldn't seem to find the perfect angle because it was almost sunset and I really had a hard time focusing...I sprinkled some orange colored sugar on the Carrot design to give it a little sparkle and life...

I also made a small pan of Banana-Walnut Bread for my photography...I just left it in the pan so it will look like it just came out of the oven...What else can I do with it? Again, my hubby doesn't like this one either...I had to take it back to work the next day together with the Carrot Cake...He doesn't know what he's missing :) Banana bread is very popular in our cafeteria...They sell better than hot cakes! I don't make this often, it all depends on how much ripe Bananas we have...And when i'm too lazy to make this, I would just make Banana bread pudding which is also a favorite at school...This way, I don't have to deal with all the measuring...

I've used 2 table covers for my background...I thought, the multi-colored one which I had bought recently looks better against the brown bread...While the Paris printed cover looks too brown on brown...Still, isn't bad but I settled for the other one instead...

As for this Oreo-Marshmallow Cake, I baked the cake at home out of a cake-mix box...I had this Oreo and Mini Marshmallows sitting in the pantry that are about to expire...I gotta do something about it! So I decided to decorate the cake with it...I saw this kind of decoration before, an Oreo-Lemon Cheesecake in Tony Wong's Patisserie Book, so why not copy it? The marshmallows are just an added personal touch :)

Thought the Strawberry added contrast to the cake...Who knew that these Oreos would be useful in decorating a boring white cake? It's also my way of covering the flaws of the cake sides :)

I'm glad that I could finally use the shawls i've collected over the years...They've been sitting in my drawer and I had never used them ever...Now, I use them as my props, who would've thought? But i'm still gonna keep collecting shawls and scarves for my photography use...Atleast, they have a better purpose now :)

In the meantime, let me enjoy a bite of this cake...Until then...

Manila Trip Spring '10

2011-02-03T19:24:00.036-05:00

As always, my brothers and sister-in-law would pick me up from the Centennial Airport in Manila...They took me to the Mall of Asia aka MOA, said to be the biggest in Asia, where we stopped by for a snack...Couldn't remember the name of the restaurant...I was quite overwhelmed and excited since it's been 3 years being away from home...This part of Manila has really changed a lot, now, it's a destination for Filipinos because you'll find everything here under one roof...Wish I had taken a picture of this humongous establishment...

Below is the famous Pancit Palabok that most restaurants serve...It's a very typical Filipino noodles topped with crushed Chicharon (Crispy Pork Rind), Tinapa (Smoked Fish), Hard boiled Eggs and Calamansi (Lime)...

Of course, we had this refreshing Halo-Halo (Mix-Mix literally) It's named Halo-Halo because of the different ingredients used that's served in this Parfait glass...Some restaurants serve it on big bowls so that it would be easier to mix the stuff together...The traditional ingredients are Red Mung beans, Tapioca Pearls (sago), Nata de Coco, Jackfruit, Jelly, Macapuno, Pinipig or Rice Crispies, Sugar, Ube, topped with crushed ice, Leche Flan and finished with Evaporated Milk...Some would even top it with a scoop of ice cream...This is actually a summer treat and since Philippines is a tropical country, we have it all year round...

On our way home, we swung by this place for Bibingka...It's a type of cake made of Rice flour and baked using charcoals placed on top and bottom of it...It's normally wrapped in banana leaves, so no worries, the charcoals aren't touching the batter...Then it's served with grated Coconut on top, mmm...Some would put salted eggs over the batter which is equally good...

Everytime I go home, I always end up pigging out...We eat out a lot, my brothers would take me to places i've never been, places they thought I would like...I always get this Chicken Feet aka Adidas from Hen Lin at SM Shoemart food court...They're pretty consistent, it tastes the same as far as I can remember...I love the cartilage and the meat between bones, Yum! My mom used to cook this often when we were kids :D

They thought I would love this one, Turk's Shawarma, and I did!!! Love the sauce oozing down the Pita bread...It's so good that even my mom loved it when they took her there...

Vacation won't be complete without having my favorite home-cooked dishes, Banana Hearts in Coconut Milk and blanched Sweet Potato leaves seasoned with Soy sauce, Sugar and Calamansi juice...I don't get to eat this kind of food til I go back home...Although, these ingredients are available nowadays where I live...I just don't have the time to search or go to specialty stores...Too busy for that :(

We took a day trip to see my Aunt Gloria in Cavite...Then drove up to Tagaytay City for dinner overlooking the Taal Lake...It was after sunset so we could hardly see the view but we still enjoyed being there...Afterall, we always visit this place everytime i'm home...

I spent my birthday back home, so we went to this restaurant at Eastwood in Libis, Quezon City...If i'm not mistaken, the restaurant's name is Seafood Island...You can opt for a Family style menu where they serve the dishes on Banana leaves placed at the center of the table and dig in just like in the Ethiopian restaurant...But we chose a la carte so we would have more variety since some of us have dietary restrictions...I get to order my favorites such as Adobong Baka (Beef), Kare-kare, Grilled Tilapia, Pumpkin in Coconut and so on...

Max's Fried Chicken restaurant has been in business for ages and they're still growing...One thing's for sure, their chicken is superb, crispy and savory...The fresh Lumpia, it's a thin crepe-like wrap stuffed with vegetables and drizzled with a Garlic sauce and sprinkled with chopped Peanuts is also hands-down...We ordered Sizzling Tokwa (Tofu) and to my surprise, it was out of this world...Who would've thought that this underrated Tofu would taste this good, mmmm...Out West, you only find Tofu in the vegetarian section of most groceries...Not many restaurants offer Tofu on their menu but most Asian restaurants do...Well, it's an Asian thing...

Before I came home, my brother and his wife were bragging about this new Chinese restaurant, Hap Chan that had just opened in Antipolo City...They rated this place so high that made me wanna give it a try and so I did...It didn't let me down...The Beef and Broccoli was close to the one I had in Hong Kong...The Young Chow Fried Rice was also good but my favorite was this Crispy Butter Chicken...It was sooo yummy! I wonder what's in it...You just couldn't stop eating...

My vacation was too short (a week), wish I could've stayed another week and visit more restaurants and hang out with my family and friends...But it was time well spent, I accomplished a lot...I organized my stuff in the house, did some home improvement, I was able to see my high school friends and my long lost friends who were also visiting from Canada...I also attended a family reunion and our company, ICONICS excursion where I was the guest Chef :D What a hectic schedule...That's what usually happens when I go home...Instead of relaxing, i'm even busier...Well, until my next homecoming and hopefully it won't be long and not just for a week...

Hong Kong Trip Spring '10

2011-01-27T14:46:00.062-05:00

HONG KONG, MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

So happy to be back in Hong Kong again...I missed Hong Kong so much after being away for almost 3 years...I first came to Hong Kong from the Philippines in 1993, I was in my early twenties then and never left HK...I've lived here for more than 10 years, that's why I consider Hong Kong as my second home...Now that i've settled out West, I still try to go back to Hong Kong every 3 years to visit my friends and of course, to eat the best Chinese food i've ever known...

Everytime I visit Hong Kong, I would always stay with my best friend, Wendy...I used to live with them before I moved away...She's been so gracious to offer her place once again and i'm so happy to able to spend some time with her and her family...

Top: Hong Kong view from The Peak; Below: Hong Kong skyline

Top: Admiralty boundary; Below: Wan Chai district

Wendy knew how much i've missed Asian food especially homecooked meal and she didn't disappoint me at all...She prepared a five course meal on my second night...I was so delighted because every dish was very well executed...And to think how much time and effort she spent on preparing these...I must have eaten 3 times more than what I would normally eat...Yes, they're that good!

Top Left & Right: Fried chicken pieces; Sauteed Bittermelon with cracked eggs

Top Left & Right: Sauteed Mixed Vegetables with Shrimp paste; Chinese vegetable

Top Left & Right: Steamed Fish; Fish market

Fresh Vegetable market in Oi man Estate, Kowloon

Top Left & Right: Chinese barbecue restaurant; My favorite-Ngau lam Mein

Top Left & Right: Wendy ordered Veggie stuffed dumplings; Choi Sum with Oyster sauce

I remember we used to eat this Fried rice with Chicken and dried salted Fish and Con Chau Ngau Ho at the Ka Ka Lok...So, I had to have them again to satisfy my craving...Even my siblings love these flat noodles with beef...So simple yet very delicious...One plate is not enough, we had to order more!

Top Left & Right: Hum Yue Kai Lap Chow Fun: Con Chau Ngau Ho

Right before I left Hong Kong, I met up with my other friends, Annie and Mr. On...He's our very loyal chinese friend and Annie's fan :) He took us for Yum Cha in Mongkok...He knows how much we love Yum Cha because this wasn't the first time we went out together...Most restaurants that offer Yum Cha are packed and it pays to know the staff to get a table right away...As usual, we ordered our favorites: Steamed Dumplings, Fung Chao (Chicken Feet), Beef Tripes, Fried Stuff and hot Tea

Top Left & Right: Assorted steamed dumplings; Steamed Pork meatballs

Top Left & Right: Steamed Siu Mai; Steamed Har Gao

Top Left & Right: Glutinous rice stuffed with bean paste; Fried Taro

Top: Coconut Tapioca Pudding in a Coconut

Hong Kong vacation won't be complete without visiting Prince Edward...There's this open market on Fa Yuen Street which is 2 blocks long, where you'll find all sorts of goods mainly from China...They have a lot of garment shops where you can buy overrun Signature items which are slightly damaged but not obvious at all...It's so cheap that you'll end up buying a lot...It's a shopper's paradise and the best place for your dollar...Make sure to bargain, too :) And watch out for pick pockets! Wendy and I used to come here to look for our costumes or just window shop...Aside from the shops, there are also a bunch of restaurants and food stalls (pictured below)

Top Left & Right: Lap Cheung (Chinese sausages); Dried Duck

Fruit stalls on Fa Yuen Street Market in Prince Edward

Wendy prepared another favorite of mine, Hot Pot aka Shabu-shabu...My brothers and I tore it up...Can't remember the last time I had Hot Pot...It is such a fun thing to do, you cook your own food for a few seconds to a minute in the boiling flavorful stock...We used to have this after work around 2am with friends, back then 2am was still early to be eating because we didn't go to bed til 7am...

For a change, we headed to Korean Bar-b-q place in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon on Cameron Road...Again, my brothers love this place...Yes, my brothers are also foodies like me...We thought, Hong Kong is the best place to pig out, and that's what this trip was all about...We ate til we dropped :D So, for $10 a person, you get to eat all you can...You cook the raw meat on a hot plate in the center of the table...Then it's served with small plates of side dishes called Ban chan...Just like Hot Pot except this is not in a boiling liquid...Another fun thing to do with family and friends...I remember leaving the place stuffed up...It's worth it though...

Top Left & Right: Baby Cuttlefish; Side dishes

Top Left & Right: Bean sprouts & Gai Lan; Choi Sum and Chicken Feet

You will also find a lot of Bakeries and Cake shops in Hong Kong...The most famous ones are Maxim's and St. Honore Bake shops...They offer the best looking and best tasting cakes and pastries in my opinion...I think they are classically trained because they look just like the ones i've seen in Paris...Hong Kong breads are also great and most of them are stuffed or flavored...My favorite so far is Kai Mei Bao which is a Coconut Stuffed Buns with Sesame seeds on top...I would always have that with coffee, yum!

I had this Roasted Duck with Noodles soup at the Chek Lap Kok airport on my way back to the Philippines...For $4, it came with a side veggie and a drink, Thong Yuen Yueng(Coffee-Tea-Milk blend)...Not bad for the price, it held me until dinner when I arrived in Manila...

Last but not the least, I met up with my ex-agent Ate Medy and Annie...I always have to see Ate Medy whenever i'm in town...I've worked with her for many years as my agent...She's also a good cook herself...One of the dishes she does well is the Coconut Crab and Chicken Adobo (pictured below) A Filipino dish that has many versions...Every region in the Philippines has their own interpretation of Adobo, so not all Adobos taste the same...

Below is the Impossible Cake baked by Annie...In Mexico, they call it Impossible Cake because they combine the cake batter and custard in a pan, then bake it...the result is somethhing like this (pictured) It must be the chemical reaction to heat that separates the batter from the custard...As for Annie's technique, I think she bakes the cake separately then add the custard the last...Up until now, she still hasn't sent me her recipe for this...Must be a top secret :) Anyway, the cake was great, the texture of the cake was so fluffy...Can't wait for Annie to share her secret with me...

That wraps up my Hong Kong adventure...So many great memories for me to cherish...I know I will always be back, no matter what...So until my next visit, hopefully soon...

As they say in Hong Kong, Choi Kin!

Heirloom Tomatoes

2011-01-27T11:44:00.017-05:00

CAPRESE SALAD, ANYONE?

It's summertime!!! And you know what that means, YES, it's Tomatoes season...It's that time of the year when Tomatoes taste at its best! We love Tomatoes and we always get the Vine-ripe kind even when it's not in season...I use it mostly on salads but the Plum kind, I only use it for cooking...I consider Heirloom Tomatoes the best of the best of all Tomatoes, why? Simply because they taste different, it's earthy and juicy...It's a Hybrid (I guess) that's why they're costly...They may be pricey but I don't mind indulging on this beautiful produce in the summer...

I took several shots of these gorgeous Tomatoes and these are just a few of them...Wish I can post them all but I don't wanna bore you...I know this won't be the last time i'm gonna blog about Tomatoes...

I love Caprese Salad...It's an Italian Tomato Salad from the island of Capri...In Italy, they normally make this salad using Vine-ripe or Roma Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella and fresh Basil leaves...The color symbolizes the flag of Italy...Just add salt, freshly cracked pepper, olive oil and Balsamic vinegar (optional) and you have a very refreshing summer salad...

So, for this salad, I used different varieties of organic Heirloom Tomatoes...Bought a tub of Bocconcini Mozzarella cheese and picked fresh Basil from my herb garden...Sliced them in wedges since they are not all the same size...Placed them on a white plate, as always, drizzled EVOO and Balsamic Vinegar from Napa Valley Harvest...I really like this Napa Valley brand because it has a thicker consistency compared to other Balsamic vinegar, that's why it's not all over the plate...It's slighly sweet and really great on salads just the way it is...There is no need to make a vinaigrette...

Can't wait for summer to have the best Tomatoes again...There are still Heirloom Tomatoes at the store in the winter but they just don't taste the same...Meanwhile, i'll stick to my regular leafy salad which is a staple in our house...It won't be long and it's summer again just before you know it...

Chinese Noodles

2011-01-26T22:06:00.008-05:00

MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK NOODLES

Believe it or not, these noodles came from a dollar instant bowl...I simply jazzed it up by adding some Japanese flakes which I got from Japan in April '10 on my way back here...The brand of these noodles is Nissin Chicken Teriyaki flavor and this is what I would normally eat on weekends when i'm too lazy to prepare for lunch...It's something very quick and easy to prepare and for some reason, it's very satisfying and comforting...

It was in the summer of '10 when I took these pictures...I was off from school the whole summer and I had just bought the camera...Still exploring the settings, so I tried Macro mode for these shots...I was really pleased with the outcome, my dollar noodles looked more than Ten dollars...What a difference garnishing makes, plus, it tastes as good as it looks...Could you imagine how fast I had to eat this right after the shooting? In just a minute or two...C'mon, I was hungry from taking photos and I had to eat it while it's still warm...I could've reheated it but I didn't, it's summer and who wants to eat hot meal on a hot summer day?

I'm glad I have these curved bowls which I got from Marshall's for four dollars each, not bad huh? And I got the mug with Chinese characters from Hong Kong in April '10, while the red sauce jar is from Crate and Barrel which I filled with soy sauce...The red tray? Guess my husband got it in Thailand or somewhere in Asia...We love Asian art and decor especially antiques, too bad, my husband had sold most of them when he moved back here from Asia...He had nowhere to store them...I even saw some of the pieces when we visited one of his friends...

Anyway, noodles and rice are my kind of food...I remember eating instant noodles for lunch almost everyday when I was in Asia and my boss told me that it's not good for the health...I know it's not but it's so addictive...I also remember stopping by any convenience store for cup noodles...Something very easy & fast to grab when you're on the go...In Asia, you can get more flavors and much better quality...It just tastes so different back home...

But these noodles come really close to the ones I used to eat in Asia...I love to doctor it up by adding some kecap manis, sesame and chili oil to make it more authentic...And I always make sure that I have them in my pantry all the time...

Sweets and Savory Savvy: Mariano's Buttered Chicken

2011-01-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

Sweets and Savory Savvy: Mariano's Buttered Chicken

Sweets and Savory Savvy: Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-01-26T21:25:00.000-05:00

Sweets and Savory Savvy: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-01-26T19:33:00.021-05:00

AUTUMN STILL LINGERS

I made Blintzes on Friday at school for our vegetarian dish and I filled it with Cream Cheese-Pumpkin mixture...I made the Crepe batter 2 days ahead (Wednesday) then made the Crepe the next day (Thursday) with my assistant Will...We don't have a Crepe pan so we used 3 none stick pans and in 30 minutes, we made atleast 70 Crepes...I used the Williams-Sonoma recipe for the Crepe batter...I had some left over mixture and so I decided to make a Pumpkin Cheesecake...I really didn't follow any recipe for the Cheesecake...I just mixed cream cheese, eggs, sugar, Pumpkin puree (I used Libby's) some grated Nutmeg, some lemon juice and Vanilla together...No precise measurement, just eyeballed everything...Tasted it, filled the Crepes and baked them...

For the Cheesecake, we didn't have Graham crackers in the pantry...Then I saw these broken pieces of Spiced Apple Muffins in a container that were baked by the Culinary Students on Thursday night, so I thought, why not use them for the crust? I ground them up and added some melted butter so they will keep together in the bottom of the pan...I baked it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so...Not even on a bain-marie which most bakers would do...

I thought the Cheesecake turned out the way I liked...The top looks golden, just a slight crack to the side...My colleague Elvia asked if we could try it, but I never let her because I had planned to take it home and take pictures of it...It was close to sunset, so I hurriedly set the table in the sun room while still light out, gathered all my props-my Autumn napkins for the table cover, polished the silver (been in the box for years) and cut some flowers, Mums, perfect for my tiny vase...Well, it's winter and the sun is not as bright but no frets, anything 's possible now with editing...

The flash fired in this shot (below)...I didn't have a choice, it was getting dark...I tried with the room's light on, it didn't turn out well, a little yellowish...

Of course, I had to try it after the session and it tasted really good, although, the flavor of the crumbs dominated with all the spices mixed in...Once again, it felt like Autumn in the middle of Winter...I wish!

Kiawah Island and Charleston, SC Summer Trip '10

2011-01-24T21:02:00.037-05:00

The first time we visited Charleston, SC was in summer 2007 but for just a couple of days...We stayed outside the city by the airport...My mother-in-law is a native of Charleston, so we went to check out the house she grew up in...It's still in good shape but owned by somebody else now...
We went back to South Carolina last summer 2010 and this time with my husband's entire family...We stayed for a week in Kiawah Island which is about 40 miles south east of Charleston...We rented a huge house by the golf course...It was a very beautiful place with 5 bedrooms enough to accomodate us all...The view from the house is stunning (picture below)...It felt like we're in the middle of the jungle...And since it's summer and by the water, it was very hot and humid...I could hardly take pictures outdoors because my lens would fog up easily...But then, I was able to take great pictures despite the air condition...I just had to wait til my camera came down to room temperature...

One day, we went to the Farmer's market and saw these beautiful pots made of clay...Yes, they're for sale and if only I could take them home with me, I would especially the carved wooden door...

I also snapped pictures of the clubhouse...The interior is so rustic and inviting, while the golf course by the ocean is just picturesque...The best place to unwind and watch the golfers tee off...What a great property as you could see below!

Charleston is such a very charming city, infact, it's voted as the "Friendliest city in the entire country"...The city has got a lot of character, I love the homes, the architecture, especially on Battery Park...The city also has a lot of good restaurants such as Magnolias where we had lunch and Anson Restaurant for dinner...My husband's niece and nephew really loved their creamy grits while I adored my Fish with Couscous and Artichokes...

We stopped by the Magnolia Plantation on our way to Charleston...It's like you're in the forest with marshes everywhere...I'm just glad we brought our bug spray so we're fine...

Overall, everybody had a wonderful time...There is nothing like spending quality time with your love ones and that's what matters most...

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2011-01-22T23:17:00.009-05:00

Pasta Mia!!!

Who doesn't love Spaghetti and Meatballs? We love Italian cuisine especially Pasta and we always prepare it atleast once a week...The first time we went to Rome, we had lunch at a restaurant recommended by my in-laws called Il Cantuccio right outside Piazza Navona...I can't forget their Anchovy-Ricotta stuffed Zucchini blossoms and Pasta with Botarga, mmmm...We went back for dinner because we wanted to try other dishes on the menu and it lived up to our expectations...

So, for my Italian inspired Spaghetti and Meatballs, I decided to make the balls as big as a golf ball, or it could even be bigger now that I remember...I didn't follow any recipe, just made it the way anybody would do...I used store bought Marinara sauce called RAO which we love because it comes really close to the one we had in Italy...Besides, why make the sauce from scratch when you can get it from the store these days? Anyway, these Meatballs taste just as good as they look, I guarantee! These were shot almost close to sunset so the lighting is not as bright as I would want...Just a little tweaking here and there...

Oh, and don't forget your Vino...It goes really well with the meat and tomato sauce :)

Bon Apetito!!!

My Cheri Amour

2011-01-20T20:19:00.015-05:00

It was summer and it's Cherry season...We must have bought so much that we got tired of eating them...So, I started pulling out some props, things I don't even realize I have...I cut this Carnation flower from my yard before it gets eaten by squirrels...Yes, they destroyed all of my Carnations :( But i'm glad they didn't mess with my Lilies or else, #$#@$%@...

I played with colors by adjusting the saturation slider...I turned off all but the red slider to achieve this effect...

I bought this mini vase from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico...Actually, I think it's a shooter glass but I thought it could be used as a mini vase and it worked!

There's my baby, Ruby, staring at the Cherries...I just told her to stay away and she did :D Isn't she lovely? I'll post some of her pictures later

There's nothing like having white as background...It's just like a blank canvass and put colors on it...The Red color pops out and for a little distraction, I snipped some mint blossoms from my yard and used my native place mat for additional color...

This time, I place the Cherries on my black stone cheese board...Still acceptable, just a little bit dark...Plus, I added some vignette for a slight effect...

I've edited these pictures on LR3 which I downloaded for a free trial for 2 months...Then when it expired, I downloaded it again but this time, just for a month...Guess, they remembered my computer that's why it's shorter period...But I can't complain, that kept me busy over the summer...I wonder what i'll be doing next summer...

Cupcakes

2011-01-19T20:55:00.010-05:00

Finally, i'm back!!! It's been almost a year since I last posted...Got so busy and couldn't find time to stop by or let's just say, got really lazy :( For whatever reason, i'm just happy to be back and hopefully for good? Hmmm, let's just say, if time and my energy permit, why not?

I missed blogging about my creativity with food, guess, it's not the same kind of feeling anymore because I have just found a new hobby over the summer and it's Photography...So, I began taking pictures of food, flowers, sights, people and of course, my dog Ruby, my favorite subject...My brother introduced me to this new toy I have, a Canon DSLR T1i...I went back to Hong Kong and Manila last spring '10 and my brother showed me how to use my point and shoot camera properly...I didn't even realize that those buttons on my camera have specific use...I was always on "Auto" setting and it could've been better...He also mentioned that DSLR cameras take better quality pictures...I've always been a Canon user, so it wasn't hard for me to decide to buy and learn how to use it...

I used store bought cake mix for these cupcakes, afterall, it's just for pictures...It's just a plain ganache and some sprinkles i've never used in months...Again, it's just for pictures :) When I was into baking several months ago, I bought some decorative ribbons from Target and I was able to use them at last!

These pictures were taken just after a week I bought the camera...I was still exploring the settings and the lighting...I found this perfect spot in the house which is the Sun room that has big windows on 3 sides of the room...That made it even easier using natural lighting...

These are just some of the many pictures i've taken...Now that I finally got my groove back, I can't wait to post them all...So, watch out!!!

Italy Trip Summer '09

2010-02-14T13:39:00.089-05:00

FLORENCE, ITALY (FIRENZE)

Our tour in Italy started in Florence where we stayed for a couple of nights at Hotel de Ville...We strolled around on that same day, why wait, right? Took pictures of the Duomo (pictured above left)...The next day, we checked out this elegantly renovated Palazzo di Tornabuoni where you can buy a vacation property...It's so beautiful, you would wanna have it but for a PRICE :D Never mind, for that price, I can always come back and stay anywhere in Italy...

We ate at this restaurant called Obika, a mozzarella bar...I didn't know it's a chain because I just read a blog recently about Rome and mentioned that there are 2 branches in Rome and I saw it in Chicago, too...Anyway, we had a very good lunch, as you can see below...We also had great meals at other restaurants such as Osteria Del Cinghiale Bianco, Four Seasons Resort, Antinori and Trattoria Dei Quattro Leoni where I had this Pasta stuffed with Pear and Cheese (Pictured below)...We also visited some museums like the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, Pitti Palace, Uffizi and Boboli garden...

On our way to Tuscany, we saw a lot of Sunflower farms, it's so beautiful...I've never seen anything like this before...Of course, we got off for photo ops :) Then we stopped by for lunch in San Gimigniano, where I had this Agnolotti with Truffle shavings and my hubby's was Chicken with Mushrooms in Cream sauce, YUM! San Gimigniano is a walled town...You enter through a gate and inside, you find many shops and restaurants...Streets are so narrow and packed with tourists...

Below left is another restaurant where we had nice Paninis and salad and of course, the beautiful Siena on the right...

We went on a day trip to Banfi, Montalcino and Montepulciano...We joined the wine tour and bought this Brunello that my hubby loves...We ate at their restaurant La Taverna that night and had a very memorable evening...The setting is so rustic and the food is, what else, Buenissimo!!! You could taste the freshness of their produce...The juicy Roma tomatoes, the crunchy carrots and cucumber, mmmm...

We stayed at this beautifully restored farmhouse in Gaiole in Chianti, the Capannelle...We really lucked out during our stay because it was just the three of us in the entire place...We had the whole farmhouse to ourselves...It's such a perfect place at a perfect time...A little piece of heaven...The farmhouse is a property of Villa San Michele in Florence...The place is run by the one and only, Vincenzo...He would prepare breakfast everyday at 7:30am...The breakfast is set out on the patio overlooking the village of Gaiole...What a perfect setting! Vincenzo also prepared lunch and dinner for us...This guy can really cook and you can tell that he loves what he does...Very well trained and proper...He can be serious, too...But once you get to know him, he's a very cool guy :)

Top from left to right: The view from Capannelle; Crostini prepared by Vincenzo; The Farmhouse Capannelle; Braised Rabbit from a restaurant in Gaiole

Top from left to right: Vincenzo preparing our last night's dinner, as well as assorted hors d'oeuvres and Capannelle wines; The sitting room on the 2nd floor

Top from left to right: It's like a Profiteroles kind of dessert; Tiramisu and Capannelle wine that kept us wondering how much our bill is gonna be because we had no clue how much it costs; Tomato slices with Anchovies

Top from left to right: Braised Prawns; Shrimp Risotto and Veal Scallopini with Capers by Vincenzo

Below are different Salads and Veggie Pasta that Vincenzo prepared for us

Gaiole in Chianti is a very quaint and sleepy town...You see more people early in the day than in the afternoon, guess, they're having their sieta, too...There are a few restaurants and small shops...I love the fact that it's very clean, peaceful and traditional...You would feel safe to walk around...

Below are images of Capannelle property; Overlooking Gaiole; The Pool area; The Patio; The steep road to Gaiole

Our week long vacation was so much fun, it's a complete rest and relaxation because we stayed at the farmhouse most of the time...More guests checked in right before our stay wrapped up...Do we wanna go back to this place again? Definitely but not for a week, maybe just a couple of days and then move on...Next time, we will rent a car so we can be more flexible...

Ciao!!!

Paris Trip Summer '09

2010-02-14T13:38:00.022-05:00

The Eiffel Tower (Top)...View from the apartment (Below)...

This has been my second time in Paris, first was back in March 2006 when I was still in Culinary school. We went back in the summer of '09 and this time with my in-laws. We stayed in an apartment in the 7th arrondisement, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. We thought it's more practical and comfortable to rent an apartment than to stay in a hotel. The apartment was big enough to accommodate 4 to 6 people. The location is very convenient to everything, bus stops, supermarket, butcher shop, patisseries, boulangeries, bistros and Rue Cler-wet and dry market. Every morning, we would just go down to the bakery for freshly baked croissants, quiche and baguette. The bakery gets really busy during lunch time, the line is long but service is prompt and their pastries sell out fast. Rue Cler is just 3 blocks away, the apartment provides a shopping trolley that we would roll to the market almost everyday. It's just quite a struggle whenever I ask for the price coz my French isn't that good. I had my dictionary with me all the time, just in case I encounter a non English speaker.

Bakeries and Pastry shops are omnipresent and everytime I see one, I would stop and try to take pictures discreetly. That's why most of my pictures are taken from the sides or zoom the cam in just to get the front view. Below is a mille feuilles of Tomatoes, Avocado and Crab meat from Le Violin d'Ingres. It was poorly taken coz I had to turn off the flash. The place was too chic and quite fancy and I didn't want he flash to catch the customer's attention. But we had such a wonderful meal that night.

I truly believe that France is the pastry capital of the world. They produce the best looking pastries. I didn't mention best tasting coz I didn't get the chance to try them all. Although, I promised myself before the trip that I would atleast try most of them. Guess, just by looking at them made me feel satiated. But I made sure that I would take pictures of these beautiful creations, so that I have great pastry memories to take with me.

Seeing pastries like these are hard to ignore. I had to stop, take a look, see if the store clerks are watching me taking photos. I was once stopped from doing it, I just didn't want it to happen again. There's something about the details and the creativity involved in making these that make me fascinated and excited whenever I see them. It's a work of art. I wonder how much time they spend on each item.

I really had to try these desserts, so I just bought a slice of each. I like the Opera cake the most, next was the one in the middle and the least was the Strawberry tart.

We dined at a Souffle place on our first night in Paris...My hubby's niece, Kara, who was doing her internship in Paris took us to this place...We all had different types of Souffle but it's the Chocolate one we liked the most...We also tried other dishes which are outstanding...Below is a Seafood Souffle served with Shrimp on the side...

The following photos were taken during our last night in Paris...My mother-in-law took us out to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, Clos du Gourmet...The restaurant is not big at all, a little tight but the ambience is great and most of all, the food is awesome! We sat right next to the open window which really made it more French :) For sweet endings, we all had these refreshing and delicious desserts...My favorite is the Meringue with Pistachio Cream and Strawberries...I wish I can replicate it :) I will definitely go back to this restaurant on our next trip back to Paris, hopefully soon :)

A Bientot Paris!

Banana Bread

2010-02-07T22:30:00.001-05:00

Here's our famous Banana Bread. We've been making this quite more often now than before. Guess, people are tired and bored of eating bananas, so we always end up with a basketful of over riped ones, which is not bad at all. For a whole sheet pan, we would triple the recipe plus extra batter for small loaf pans to take home. Usually, Elvia (an aspiring Baker, depending on her mood) prepares the Mise En Place and whenever she can't finish, I would continue, as soon as, i'm done with my task. Just like a relay race, so if anything goes wrong, we're both to be blamed. So far, we haven't failed making this bread. It's very consistent, but even better if using very ripe or almost bad bananas coz the texture is more moist and sweeter. I don't normally mix the chopped walnuts into the batter, I would just sprinkle them on top right before baking. The walnuts add an extra crunch to the bread which is essential especially if the bread comes out very moist and soft or a little mushy. Besides, it really compliments the flavor of the bananas.

BANANA BREAD

1 1/4 Cup Vegetable oil
1 Cup Brown sugar
1 Cup Granulated sugar
4 Eggs, room temperature
2 Cups All Purpose flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
3 Cups Bananas, mashed
1/2 Cup Raisins (optional)
1 Cup Walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. Cream together the oil and sugars on high speed with a paddle attachment until it has a creamy consistency.
2. Turn to low speed, add eggs one at a time, allowing to fully incorporate before each addition.
3. Add bananas into the batter, mix at a low speed.
4. Mix dry ingredients together and sift them.
5. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, allowing each addition to incorporate but do not over mix.
6. Fold in raisins, if using. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
7. Grease a 13 X 9 pan. Pour batter and tap the pan against the counter to remove bubbles trapped underneath.
8. Bake at 350 deg. for the first 10 -15 mins. then turned heat down to 325 deg. and continue baking for another 25 mins. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chilean Sea Bass with Sake-Shiitake Broth

2010-02-04T20:17:00.005-05:00

I didn't know what to do with this fish that night. I was by myself and was soo lazy to cook but I had this fish thawing on my countertop. It's not a good idea to re-freeze it so I decided to go ahead but I didn't have any clue on what to season it with and whether to steam or pan-fry it. It was cold and I thought I needed something warm like a piping hot broth or soup. I've never done this dish before but it really turned out to be very satisfactory. I've always wanted to have a dish like this but often end up baking or pan-frying the fish. Since I always have Sake in the pantry, why not do some experiment with it. And it was a success, I had an enjoyable and comforting meal on a cold winter night. Couldn't be better.

Chilean Sea Bass with Sake-Shiitake Broth

5 oz Chilean Sea Bass

2 Tbsp Vegetable oil

1 tsp Ginger, thin slices

1 tsp Garlic, minced

2/3 Cup Sake, dry

1-1/2 Cup Fish stock

4 oz Shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 Scallions, Sliced

8 oz Soba noodles, cooked like regular pasta

1. Season fish with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a pan and fry fish atleast 4 mins. per side.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in another pan, sweat mushrooms, lightly season with salt and pepper. Set aside. In the same pan, heat remaining oil. Saute ginger and garlic for 2 mins. Deglaze with sake and reduce until the liquid is halfway, add fish stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 mins. Strain the liquid to get rid of the ginger and garlic pieces. Return liquid to pan and add the cooked mushrooms. Simmer for another 5 mins. Adjust seasoning with a little soy sauce or salt.

3. Place cooked soba in a bowl. Put the fish over the noodles and ladle the hot broth. Garnish with scallions.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting & Walnuts

2010-02-03T20:11:00.009-05:00

I made this Carrot cake when I was working part time at Heller's Bakery during the summer of 2009. The recipe I used, courtesy of Mariano, is very versatile coz I also use it for Banana or Zucchini bread. We also use the same recipe at school where I work and I can assure, it's a foolproof. Hope he doesn't or won't mind that i'm publishing this recipe but I give full credit to him. Banana bread sells really well at our school, just make sure to use very ripe bananas for extra sweetness and moist texture. Whenever we have some very ripe or bruised bananas, it's automatically turned into a Banana bread pudding or Banana bread. I don't like to just throw them away (which some people do) when I can turn them into cash, same thing goes for our stale bread but molds-free. I guess, it's all about creativity or being innovative in the kitchen, that way you help reduce food wastes, as well as, expenses.

I rarely make Carrot cake, although, it's one of my favorite cakes to devour, "only" if it's iced with a cream cheese frosting. The first time I had Carrot cake was in Hong Kong. I liked it so much that everytime I see it on a buffet dessert station, I would get a slice asap. I was working at the Regal Airport Hotel back then and I would always have buffet for dinner. They make a really delicious Carrot cake and I would get atleast 2 big slices. I also like their Blueberry Cheesecake, so if there's no Carrot cake, I would get this one. Therefore, I would always hit the gym the next day to burn all those calories and hoping I would have them again for dessert. Those were the good old days, now, I make them for people to enjoy. I still have it every once in a while but in moderation :)

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting & Toasted Walnuts

1 1/4 Cup Vegetable oil
1 Cup Brown sugar
1 Cup Granulated sugar
4 Eggs, room temperature
2 Cups All Purpose flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
3 Cups Carrot, grated
1 Cup Pineapple, crushed
1/2 Cup Raisins

Frosting:

8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
4 oz Butter, room temperature
4 oz Confectioner sugar
2 tsp Vanilla extract
8 oz Walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. Cream together the oil and sugars on high speed with a paddle attachment until it has a creamy consistency.
2. Turn to low speed, add eggs one at a time, allowing to fully incorporate before each addition.
3. Add carrots into the batter, mix at a low speed.
4. Mix dry ingredients together and sift them.
5. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, allowing each addition to incorporate but do not over mix.
6. Fold in crushed pineapple and raisins.
7. Grease a 13 X 9 pan. Pour batter and tap the pan against the counter to remove bubbles trapped underneath.
8. Bake at 350 deg. for the first 10 -15 mins. then turned heat down to 325 deg. and continue baking for another 25 mins. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Cool down or refrigerate before frosting.
10. Whip Cream cheese and butter until fluffy, add sugar and a little vanilla.
11. For Carrot design, I used red and yellow food coloring with some frosting and green color for the leaves.

Summer in Vermont '09

2010-01-30T21:06:00.014-05:00

Vermont is so beautiful in the summer. The weather is perfect for outdoor activities such as kayaking, biking, fishing, jogging, tennis, swimming or just go on a picnic. Stowe offers most of them, there are trails for biking or hiking, ponds and lakes for kayaking, a recreational area for indoor activities and places for picnics. We just went up to Spruce Peak (above) overlooking the Stowe Mountain for a late afternoon picnic. Just brought a sheet, bottle of wine, cheese and crackers and found a great spot on an empty lot. It was a lovely day and the mountain is green and lush.

You see so many colorful flowers on the roadside such as Poppies, Peonies and many more. Cattles and horses are out grazing. What a wonderful sight. You're closer to nature and it's more laid back. Farmer's markets are also in operation where local farmers bring their produce such as organic vegetables, sweet corn and grass-fed meats, delicious home-cooked meals and home-baked goods, artisan breads, cheeses, plants and herbs, artworks and the like.

We drove to Boyden Valley winery where we sampled their locally produced wine. They also have their Cranberry orchard on site. Boyden Farm is right across the street.

We drove down to Warren/Sugarbush and also to Middlebury and Bristol. These are smaller towns than Stowe and each town has it's own character.

Our friends wonder why we always visit Vermont, it's plain and simple, we love Vermont coz of it's beauty aside from the fact that it's a year-round destination. People here are friendly, food is great and we feel safe. After a while, you get tired of living in the city, so we come here to unwind, destress and enjoy the nature. Air is fresher, water tastes better and best of all, Life is simpler. Can't argue about that. Above is one of the farms we visited with a red barn (of all colors) and yellow wild flowers blooming that add color to the scenery.

Autumn in Vermont '09

2010-01-29T23:03:00.010-05:00

We've always wanted to visit Vermont in the fall coz we heard it's beautiful. We stayed in Stowe about 35 miles northeast of Burlington, for the 3rd time. Yeah, we love Stowe so much that we came back in the fall, first was in the winter for skiing and second in the summer. We stayed at the Mountainside Resort which we found online. The place is pretty decent and has a nice view from the balcony just like the one above. It's just a little dated but well-kempt. Afterall, we were out most of the time. When you're in a beautiful place like this, you would just wanna stay out most of the day like we did. There are so many things to see and visit like farms, events and festivals. Pumpkins are everywhere that's why I bought some decorative ones to take back home and they're still on my table up until now (February). I know it's time to toss it away but they still look nice, just as long as they're not rotting.

Below is the visitor's center in Jeffersonville where you can get maps and information or recommendations.

These gorgeous loaves of bread were from 158 Main Restaurant and Bakery in Jeffersonville where we had lunch twice. The restaurant was featured on Edible Green Mountains Magazine. I had their French Onion Soup and it was very satisfying, while my hubby had a Turkey sandwich on their homemade bread. Not many restaurants especially small ones make their own bread coz it's really time and space consuming. I was really surprised by how packed and busy they were despite their location, a small and sleepy town. It's not fancy at all but the food is awesome. Saw the chef and he looked like just got out of bed, or probably he forgot to comb and look in the mirror. There are so many great restaurants in Vermont that serve Traditional New England cuisine. In Stowe, our favorites are Harrison's Restaurant and Bar located in the historic village on Main Street right down the basement of a bank and The Blue Moon Cafe, a fine dining with a bistro feel. For breakfast, we always go to McCarthy's on Mountain Road, cash or check only. For people on a budget, Gracie's Restaurant isn't bad at all. We also like The Bee's Knees in Morrisville, a short drive north about 10 miles. I love their Steamed Mussels and Black Beans Burger. We've also stayed in Warren/Sugarbush or Mad River Valley area in the past and we love The Warren House, too bad they closed and I was really disappointed coz it's where I had the best Lamb Shanks. We also like The Common Man located in a 19th Century barn that serves New England cuisine using local produce. For lunch, Easy Street Cafe is the place to be. I had a half sandwich with a mug of Tomato Soup that was sooo good especially right after skiing. I've also tried their Asian Chicken soup which is very flavorful. Their Asian Seafood Noodle soup was also hands down. For a real fine dining, we headed to Pitcher Inn. It's a Relais and Chateaux approved inn, so elegant and fancy. We had a memorable dinner here. We were disappointed at Chez Henri coz the service was kinda slow and food is just okay. Not what I had expected from a French Bistro. Tucker Hill Inn used to run their own restaurant but closed down 4 years ago. I remember having great dinners there,too.

We visited the Applecheek Farm by the Clarks in Hyde Park for the second time. We had been here in the summer and bought some meat to take back home. They raise organic and free range chicken, Turkey, Emu, Muscovy Duck and grass-fed cattles. They taste really good that we went back to purchase more. They were having their Open Farm Tour day, just right timing or else we would have paid for a private one. So glad it turned out to be a sunny day.

We stopped by a roadside fresh produce stall called the Garden of Eden. The owner is a nice and friendly old man that he didn't want to stop chatting. We bought some fresh corn and Cherry Pie. He even showed us his little nursery where Tomatoes are growing.

You'll see a lot of picturesque sights along the way. We drove down to the border of New Hampshire and checked out small towns such as Norwich, Quechee and Woodstock. We tried to navigate the back roads on our way back but almost got lost, can't rely much on GPS, so always bring a state or road map with you.

I got this Pear Frangipane when we visited King Arthur Flour Co. in Norwich, Vt. Their store is expansive and it's every baker's paradise. I didn't leave empty handed, I had to buy what I needed for my goodies. I had to try this tart and it was up to par. I have their Baker's Companion Book and I haven't tried their recipe for this. Now I know how it's gonna taste.

This is one of the beautiful sights we came across. We had to stop for direction and eat my tart.

Woke up early at 7am and saw this hot air balloon from Stoweflake taking off. That must be fun!

Once again, the view from our balcony. Can't wait to go back, it really feels like home each time we're here. That's why Vermont is one of my favorite places to visit and hopefully retire in the near future. I'll just have to deal with the cold weather.

Barcelona Trip Summer '09

2010-01-28T20:24:00.030-05:00

Arrived in Barcelona, Spain on July 30, 2009 afternoon. We stayed at the Hotel 1898, a Philippine themed hotel right on La Ramblas, heart of Barcelona, I suppose. It's a great location next to the Boqueria Market, Carre Four Supermarket, Starbucks conveniently located at the hotel lobby, McDonald's, Burger King, Tapas Bar, Museums and so on. You find beautiful, fresh produce at the Boqueria. It's nice to take a walk in the morning when they start putting out their produce which are being handled carefully and displayed nicely. Perfectly sliced fruits and smoothies are ready to go.

There are lot of stalls that sell cured meats such as ham, chorizo, salami, deli meats and etc.

Below must be the Hotel Monte Carlo. The light effects make it look eerie at night.

Since we love to walk coz you get to see more places on foot, we decided to head to Sagrada Familia which is about 2.5 miles from the hotel. We didn't go in coz of the long lines and it's under renovation as you see in the picture.

I stumbled upon this pastry shop. They look soo good and had to take pictures from the side of the shop. I just didn't want them to stop me from taking.

Below was taken inside Picasso Museum. We went there on a Sunday and line was really long. Found out that admission is free on Sundays, 10 Euros on regular days.

Below is the Casa de L'ardiaca Catedral. It's a nice place to hang out, so many souvenir shops surrounding this Cathedral.

A Cookie store. I wonder how long they've been on display. They all look old.

Parc de Carles where I almost got robbed. Yeah, be careful when you go to places or parks esp. if you're alone. Never entertain people that look locals on their bikes asking for direction. They're just trying to scale or size you up, see what you got and don't be surprised if they come back. Thankfully, I was aware and suspicious of them esp. when the guy came back with another person also on a bike and stood behind me. I had to grab my belongings immediately. I maybe wrong, although, I knew they're up to something. They knew I was a tourist, so why would they ask me? They could've gotten away with a digital cam and an HD Camcorder. Guess, they realized that I sensed it so they fled. Believe me, I was frightened and weakened my knees. Made me paranoid the whole time. So, never let your guards down whenever you're in public.

Below is the Mirador de Colom right at the end of La Ramblas towards the water. Walk along the boardwalk in La Barceloneta and make sure you bring a mat or beach towel with you to lie on the beach.

If i'm not mistaken, that's the Maritime Museum (below) near Mirador de Colom.

Crema Catalan served on their traditional plate.

Be sure to visit Placa Reial where you find restaurants with the best deal such as Le Quinze Nits, the line is so long that you have to be there early. Ambience is great and to my surprise, most of the staff are Filipinos. Food is amazing and very reasonable, just 7 Euros for a pitcher of Sangria, can't beat that, huh? Their sister restaurant few feet away is La Fonda, also good food and nice decor. Below is a Duck with Strawberry sauce over Sweet Potato puree from La Crema, right across from Les Quinze Nits. This restaurant is a lot smaller, so be sure to get there early.

Overall, Barcelona is a vibrant city. There are so many young people on the streets especially on La Ramblas, just hanging out until the break of dawn. My hubby and I thought it was "okay", will I go back? Sure, but I would consider going outside the city next time.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico '09

2010-01-28T17:50:00.007-05:00

This is my second time spending Christmas and New Year's in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The weather is perfect during this time of the year. We stayed at the Mayan Palace in Nuevo Vallarta, about 10 miles north of the airport. It's such a nice place to stay coz we got a really huge accomodation with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchenette, dining and living rooms plus a killer ocean view like the one above. We would watch the sunset, the luxury cruises coming and leaving and all the action going on the beach such as the parasailers and nice sail boats and yachts go by.

Every morning, we would walk along the beach for a little exercise. But there's one thing we noticed, it seemed like the water level had risen. On our last visit 3 years ago, the beach front was deep but this time, the water destroyed some of their properties such as the Palm trees, retaining walls and even the preparation for the New Year's eve gala. They were supposed to hold it on the beach but then the big waves spoiled everything. So, they had to transfer right on the golf course. They didn't want to take a chance which i'm glad they did.

Then one day, we saw these little eggs on the beach and found this baby turtle. It's the cutest thing ever. They were all in a bucket trying to get away while the rest of the eggs were buried. The waves must have eroded the sand and exposed all the eggs and these little creatures.

This picture was taken when we went to El Centro, downtown Puerto Vallarta. It's where the action is, more touristy and crowded. You find countless bars and restaurants right on the beach, as well as, hotels. Although it lacks privacy coz the hawkers would just pop up right in front of you. Unlike where we are staying, it's very serene and private. We don't have to worry about leaving our stuff on our lounge seats while we're having lunch at the bar or go back to the room. It's very secluded. The downside is that it's very limited in restaurant options. We always have to take the bus to get to El Centro and when we go, we would stay for hours.

This is Grilled Chicken with Lettuce and Tomatoes on Tortilla which I had for lunch almost daily on the pool. While below is Chicken Tacos smothered with Tomato sauce and Sour Cream with Guacamole. They're equally delicious.

Below are hand-painted plates made of clay (I guess) which you find everywhere. I bought some bowls with chilis and a plate for our plate rack in the dining room. I got them for a reasonable price in the town of San Francisco when we went on a day trip up north.

Next is a Mexican feast. Yes, we had Mexican buffet one night and it was fantastic. We both enjoyed the food, my hubby had the Cochinita Pibil (a Pork dish) for the first time and he loved it. I tried almost everything but a little bit of each dish. I love the Chicken Posole and their Salpicon de Res. They're all familiar to me since we prepare most of them at school. I also like the Bunuelos and watched the cook made them. He uses this flower shaped mold, dip it in batter and fry. It's so light and addictive. You can top it with Cajeta or melted Chocolate or Cinnamon sugar and so on.

We went back to El Arrayan (below) for our Christmas eve dinner. It's always nice to be back to your favorite restaurant where you know you'll have great authentic Mexican food. My hubby had this Grilled Mahi-mahi with Tomatillo sauce while I had Steak with Mole sauce. It was divine. I've always wanted to have Mole and this didn't disappoint me at all.

For appetizers, we ordered Duck Tostadas, didn't look appetizing coz of the color but the flavor was there. Then the Chicken Taquitos with Cream and crumbled Queso Fresco are also to die for. I'm not exaggerating it nor got paid to rave about it. When I like it, I really do. And I would tell the whole world. No desserts, we don't normally get it from the restaurant as we always end up stuffed.

Below is a table side Fresh Guacamole salsa. We went to Pipi's restaurant in El Centro. This was recommended to us by the resort concierge, very touristy ,yet, the ambience is great. They had the Mariachi serenading every table and people are in their festive mood. As soon as we sat down, they served us a basket of Nacho chips with Pico de Gallo and Fresh Guacamole salsa. That's what i'm talking about. Atleast, I know it's freshly made right before my eyes. We ordered Beef and Chicken Fajitas served with Rice and refried beans. The frozen Margarita was served in this humongous glass as big as my face. The food is mediocre but we still had a wonderful time. It's not as authentic as what I had expected. We originally planned to go to El Arrayan but they were closed, so we ended up here. Will I go back? I doubt it.

Fish Tacos

2010-01-24T21:16:00.005-05:00

This dish was inspired by our recent trip to Mexico. I had this fish tacos at Maria's Restaurant located in a small town of San Francisco, about 40 miles north of Puerto Vallarta. It was so simple but the freshness of the fish made it even better. Factor in the location, c'mon, this is where it was invented, they better do it right. Anyway, when we got back to the mainland, I was so into Mexican Cuisine that I had to suggest this for our school menu. But we made it a little fancier by using Flounder which is a flatfish. Then we served it with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce, shredded Iceberg Lettuce and some Pico de Gallo, a tomato with lime juice relish.

I had this Mexican bug for a week which never happened before. I must have prepared Mexican dishes three times within that week for dinner. Even my hubby was taken aback coz of my craving for tacos which I used to take for granted. My hubby had to twist my arm just to prepare Tex-Mex, the Old Paso kind. My travel to Mexico helped me appreciate their food even more.

Fish Tacos

Flounder, sliced into thin strips
Salt and Pepper
Crackermeal for breading

4-inch Flour or Corn Tortilla

Served with Roasted Tomatillo sauce, Pico de Gallo, Shredded Iceberg Lettuce

Heat oil in a deep pan, enough to submerge the fish. Season fish with salt & pepper then coat with crackermeal. Deep fry for atleast 2 minutes or less. Line plate with paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Meanwhile, heat up a non stick pan, lightly toast tortillas or until heated through. Place fried fish strips on the tortilla and top with lettuce, relish and sauce. Buen Provecho!

Roasted Tomatillo Sauce (optional: Substitute Tomatoes if Tomatillos aren't available)

1 lb Tomatillos
2 Tbsp Oil

Soak in warm water and remove husks. Place on a sheet pan and roast at 425 degF for atleast 20 mins. or until charred. Puree in a blender. Heat oil in a sauce pot, pour the puree and let it simmer until thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: If using Tomatoes, roast them with 3 garlic cloves and 1 small onion (chopped)

Pico de Gallo/ Tomato Relish

5 Tomatoes, small dices
3 Tbsp Onion, small dices
1/2 Jalapeno or Serrano pepper, seeded and small dices
3 Tbsp Cilantro, chiffonade
Juice of one lime (or more if needed)
Salt

Combine all the ingredients. Also good on grilled Steak with salad, so it's okay to make extra.

Vail Ski Trip '10

2010-01-24T21:13:00.016-05:00

------------------------Vail Village in Vail, Colorado-----------------------

This has been my second visit to Vail Mountain in Colorado. The first time we came here, I didn't know how to ski yet. I remember when our friends took me on a blue run on our first day and took me an hour to get to the bottom. I kept falling and rolling and even cried coz it's not easy and it hurts. The next day, I took a group lesson and the instructor taught us how to maneuver and control our speed. It was fun coz I was skiing with people of the same level as I am, eventhough, I felt ahead of the game coz I've been on a blue run the day before.

-----------------------One of the bowls we skied--------------------------

This time, I could really ski on bowls just like the image above. Yes, we skied on several bowls and couldn't believe I'm capable. Well, I've been skiing for 6 years now (has it been that long?). Never missed a season. But every mountain is different, in Snowmass Colorado, it seems like their Black runs are much easier than the ones in Vail. We stayed in Beavercreek this time about 9 miles west of Vail. We never liked the BC mountain so we drove to Vail everyday. The condition was quite icy coz they had shortage of snow so the covering was getting thinner and thinner. Where's the snow? We flew all the way here hoping to see some powder but totally disappointed. That's the problem of planning in advance, you can never predict the weather. Had we known, we would have cancelled. We still had a great time though. We took a day trip to Breckenridge, a smaller ski resort and it's got more character similar to Main Street in Park City,Utah. I don't mind coming back here next time. I thought Vail is over-developed and pricey. High-end boutiques and gourmet restaurants are prevalent. But we loved walking around, taking pictures, afterall, it doesn't happen everyday. Just go with the flow.

That's Breckenridge mountain in the background, Green runs, the easiest of all. We didn't ski here, just scouted the place to see if we would wanna come back on our next ski trip. One thing's for sure, off-street parking is a lot easier to find. Accomodations and rentals could be a lot more affordable, too. One thing I noticed while window shopping, they have a lot of shirt shops. I was just looking for some magnets coz I collect them from every place I visit. I stumbled upon a spice store named Spice Merchants. They have vast selections of spices and tea (oh yes, they ship everywhere), but the only thing that caught my eyes was the "Matcha Green Tea" which you don't normally find in supermarkets. Now that I got it, I don't know how long it's going to sit in my cupboard. So far, I don't have the energy to do some baking. Guess, I still have the vacation hang over. Okay, I must admit, I feel lazy. But i'll be back, given time. Below is an Asian style Spicy Wings we had at the Restaurant Avondale for Apres-ski. For just five bucks, they gave us a generous serving and it's really scrumptious. This is a great idea to include on our school menu for the Asian Spring Festival month in May. It was tossed in Thai Sweet Chili sauce. I'm sure it's going to be a palate pleaser.

Bistrot Lepic Inspired Chicken Curry

2010-01-24T00:18:00.005-05:00

We've been to Bistrot Lepic twice. The first time I had this dish, I thought it was totally amazing. I've never had this kind of Asian Chicken curry before and to think that we were in a French restaurant, who would have thought they'd make a great curry? Whoever prepared it back in the kitchen really did an awesome job. My husband ordered it on our second visit and it's very consistent. I was going to order it again but I ordered the short ribs instead which was also exceptional. Aside from the great food, the ambience is great. Feels like you're really in France, from the servers to the decors, as well as, some French guests coz of it's close proximity to the French Embassy. The second floor is where the bar and a private room are. It was also packed when we got up there. The murals are very French, although, it's a little tight. Well, what matters most is that the food is worth going back for and I would go back again in a heartbeat.
So, one night, my husband challenged me to replicate this dish, see how I can execute just by recalling the flavors. Honestly, I had to cheat a little by checking out some recipes online. Like I always do, I would consolidate the ingredients in all the recipes I find. The rest is up to my judgment while cooking the dish.

Chicken Curry

2 Chicken breasts preferably organic

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Half inch Ginger, crushed

1 Lemongrass (stalk), cut in 4 pieces and bruised

1 Medium White Onion, small dices

2 tsp Madras Curry Powder

1 Generous pinch Saffron

1 C Chicken stock, warmed (add more if liquid has reduced a lot)

1 -15 oz Coconut milk (I used coconut powder so that I don't have to add more liquid)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lime juice, some

Slurry to thicken the sauce (Cornstarch and stock)

Clean chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and dust with just a little curry powder. Heat 2 tbsps. olive oil in a pot. Sear chicken until golden brown on skin side. Set aside on a plate. In the same pot, saute garlic, ginger, lemongrass, onion, saffron and curry powder until fragrant. Add chicken back and pour chicken stock. Bring to boil and simmer (covered) for about 20 mins. or until chicken is tender or cooked through. Remove the chicken and strain the sauce. Bring the sauce to medium boil, add the coconut milk or powder diluted with stock, if using. Simmer for atleast 10 minutes. Turn up the heat and slowly add the slurry while stirring to avoid clumps. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Splash some lime juice. Garnish with chiffonade of cilantro and some red pepper flakes. Bon Appetit!

Chicken with Tortellini and Pesto

2010-01-23T21:23:00.008-05:00

Another favorite in our house, Pesto and Pasta. I usually use a store-bought Pesto from WholeFoods Market. Why go through all the fuss in making fresh Pesto when you can get a good one for 6 bucks? Fresh pastas and pre-made Pesto are ubiquitous nowadays. People just love their pasta or carbs. What the heck, we love it too. We have pasta atleast once a week. My hubby never used to like Pesto but on our recent trip to Italy, our host Vincenzo prepared a pasta dish with Pesto for lunch and it was "Delicioso!" I've always tried to convince my hubby to eat Pesto and thanks to Vincenzo for converting my hubby. Now, it's a staple in our house. That's the importance of travelling, you expose yourself to different cuisines and ingredients that you don't normally have back home. But he'll never ever eat anchovies. He still puts them on my plate.

This dish is so easy to prepare especially when i'm too lazy to cook and do all the prep. All I have to do is boil water, cook the pasta, drain and add pesto, salt & pepper. While the chicken is just seared in butter. I also saute sliced baby Portabella mushrooms after searing the chicken, less clean up. For the boiled Broccoli, I blanch it first before cooking the pasta in the same water, that way I only use 1 pot. Then reheat the Broccoli in the microwave before serving.

Chicken with Tortellini and Pesto

2 Chicken breasts

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper

Flour for dredging

1 Package Buitoni Cheese-stuffed Tortellini pasta

4 oz Store bought Pesto

Olive oil, some

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

8 oz Sliced Mushrooms

3 tbsp Unsalted Butter

Boil water in a pot. Add salt and a little oil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain in a colander and return to the pot. Add 4 oz. Pesto, add olive oil if too dry. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.

Clean chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder. Dredge in flour. Heat 2 tbsp butter. Sear chicken breast atleast 7 minutes on each side or depending on the thickness. Set aside on a plate. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp butter, saute the mushrooms, season with salt & pepper.

Sake Marinated Flank Steak

2010-01-23T20:37:00.007-05:00

This is one of my favorite marinades for flank steak. I had served this many times and they all love it. You could really taste the sake plus the sweetness from the brown sugar. I found the recipe online and made some changes like I always do. Not all recipes you get online are accurate and to make it really mine, I have to alter some of the ingredients or the measurements. Oftentimes, I would just get an idea from several recipes, compare them and maybe combine the ingredients. If they turn out good, then it's a keeper. Guess, that's how some cookbook authors develop recipes by doing tests or experiments.
Anyway, I like to serve this with any stir fry Asian vegetables and steamed rice. I don't have to make a separate sauce coz the juice from the meat is more than enough to moisten and flavor the rice. I love the grill flavor and char on the outer part. It's just one of my favorite comfort foods.

Sake Marinated Flank Steak

5 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp Ginger, minced
1/2 C Soy sauce
1 C Sake, dry
1/4 C Brown sugar
2 T Balsamic Vinegar
Some Salt and Pepper
3.5 lbs. Flank steak, 1.5 inch thick

Blend all together and marinate meat preferably overnight. Take out of the marinade and pat it dry. Grill for 7-8 mins. on each side for medium.

TenPenh Inspired Dish

2010-01-09T22:38:00.012-05:00

It was my mom's birthday, so we decided to dine at TenPenh restaurant at the Penn Quarter. We had heard about this place before and was highly recommended. I've also read about it on papers and found out that their Chef was a Filipino-American. I went to their website to check on their menu and of course, I was more curious about the chef himself. I've passed by this restaurant many times when we would go to Central Michel Richard which is next door or right on the same block. Thought it looks interesting coz I could see the interior from the sidewalk. It was my sister-in-law Jeanne who told us to go there and order their Sea Bass. So, as soon as we sat down, the waitress informed us that there were only two orders of Sea bass left according to the Chef, meaning, it's their most popular dish. We didn't even get a chance to look at the menu and didn't think twice to get the last two orders. My mom had to settle for Tuna dish which she didn't like as much as my Sea Bass. We also ordered a side of Stir Fry Veggies which was really delicious. For appetizer, we had Filipino Lumpia Spring Rolls and Dumplings. For dessert, they served us a complimentary Deep-fried Donuts and they're just as soft as a Cotton candy. There's nothing like a warm donut. The night ended on a good note, my mom was so happy and so am I. I don't see her often, atleast once a year for 2 weeks. So, for her 60th birthday, I plan to take her on a trip. Where? She wants to go on a cruise to Alaska but I'm still debating whether to go on a cruise or just fly to British Columbia in Canada. We'll see...

SEA BASS WITH THAI CHILI SAUCE

2 Sea Bass fillets
2 Tbsp Canola oil, divided
Sweet Chili sauce (Mae Ploy brand)
1/2 Tbsp Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Sesame oil

Pat the fillets with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a non stick pan, when the oil is really hot, place the fillet skin side down. Sear for atleast 3 to 4 minutes for a crispier skin. Cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes or less depending on the thickness of the fish. On a separate pan, sweat chopped garlic in oil for about 2 minutes. Add Chili sauce, Soy sauce and sugar. Adjust the consistency if too thick with some water. Give it a quick boil and finish with sesame oil. Serve with boiled or sauteed Baby Bok Choy and steamed rice.

Pumpkin Cake for Thanksgiving...

2010-01-07T20:53:00.016-05:00

This cake was first introduced to me by our neighbor Polly Ann. She left me a bag right outside my door and in it was a cake mixture in a box which she got from Whole Foods Market and a can of Libby's Pumpkin puree. So my job was to simply follow the direction on the box and bake it. At first, I was not really sure if I would like it coz I never had a Pumpkin cake in my life. But hey, why not give it shot? Afterall, it was free and i've nothing to lose. And yes, we love it! I served it with whipped cream which tasted even better. I never thought it would taste this good. Back home in Asia, we would normally cook pumpkin as a savory dish but not as a dessert. I'm pretty sure it would taste even better if I had substituted a fresh roasted one. But all the box calls for was just a cup so why go through all that process? Imagine roasting, peeling and pureeing? Besides, what am I gonna do with the rest of the squash? Guess, I have to find another type of dessert that requires the same ingredient. Hitting two birds with one stone as they say.

I've served this cake a couple of times to our guests and they all like it. But all of a sudden, Wholefoods stopped selling this. I scrolled their baking aisle many times but to no avail. I had planned to serve this for Thanksgiving as one of the desserts coz my hubby had requested it. Luckily, I found them at Marshall's and immediately, I grabbed two boxes. The brand is Canterbury Naturals. I was so happy to have finally found it. I know I can make it from scratch but i'm pressed for time. There were a few days til Thanksgiving and I don't wanna deal with trying out new recipes. I had a last minute order for a Cheesecake and delivered it on Thanksgiving day. So, this cake mixture saved me a lot of time. I baked it a day early and frosted it a few hours before our dinner. Again, I got my Autumn sprinkles from Marshall's. I didn't have to worry about cooking coz we ordered them all from Whole Foods Market. And by the way, it was a very disappointing one except for the Turkey. I'll never do it again. Infact, that was the first time we didn't cook for Thanksgiving. Thought, I needed a break from kitchen work. Although, I still did the clean up at the end of the meal, who else? They're our guests, I'm just glad that everything went well, nobody complained of upset stomach and it's all over. Learned a lesson, I'd rather cook than to settle for catered dishes. Can't just rely on them, homecooked meal is still the best. Until next Thanksgiving...

Mini Pink Cheesecakes

2009-12-20T13:53:00.008-05:00

I usually make these Mini Cheesecakes for Heller's Bakery. Since I have lots of fresh strawberries, I decided to puree and cook them instead of decorating my cakes with fresh ones. They tend to dry quickly which is not attractive on the shelf. I would normally brush them with Apricot glaze for shine but it's not enough to keep for a few days. Plus, converting them into a sauce helps keep longer in the fridge or freezer. To give it a bright pink shade, I used a drop of red food coloring. I used some of the sauce mixed with a little gelatin in the center of the cake for flavor and contrast. I found these colorful sprinkles at Marshall's in their food aisle.

I used the same "Basic Cheesecake" recipe. For the pink whipped cream, I folded in some of the strawberry sauce and red food coloring.

Pumpkin Cheesecakes

2009-12-20T13:49:00.004-05:00

I've made these Pumpkin Cheesecakes for Halloween for the first time. I just used some autumn and Halloween sprinkles over whipped cream for the decoration.

"BASIC CHEESECAKE"

Crust
Graham Crackers, ground
Melted butter, some
Granulated sugar, some

Blend all together and spread on bottom and sides of a spring form pan. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Cheesecake filling

2-8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Granulated sugar
2 Tbsp All purpose flour or cornstarch
2 Large eggs
3 Tbsp Lemon juice or 2 tsp Lemon zest
1/2 cup Sour cream
Variation: I omitted the sour cream when I added 1 cup of Libby's Pumpkin filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whip cream cheese with sugar until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour on the prepared crust and bake in a hot water bath for about 50 to 1 hour or until set. Let it cool and refrigerate.

Mariano's Buttered Chicken

2009-12-19T23:42:00.009-05:00

(With Chefs Benjie & Mariano to my left)
My colleague Mariano is the other Instructor Chef at Carlos Rosario. I've been working with him for the past 3 years. He's originally from Mexico (Chiapas) but grew up in Maryland. During those years working with him, i've learned some authentic Mexican dishes. We would use fresh tomatoes for Roasted Tomato Sauce instead of using the ones in the jar. I learned how to make Tomatillo Sauce, Chilaquiles and so on. These are the dishes that I never heard of back in Asia. He doesn't like the idea of using chicken or beef base in making sauces or soups. I know that most kitchens use instant ingredients to expedite the process but Mariano believes in developing flavors naturally. I'm so glad to be working with him coz it really expanded my repertoire in the kitchen. He's very aggressive and got great ideas. He also recognizes mine which I really appreciate. Although at times, he can be overbearing but it doesn't bother me anymore. I think we really make a great team.

Here's one of the dishes I learned from him, so simple yet delicious. Everybody at the holiday party loved them.

MARIANO'S BUTTERED CHICKEN

1 lb Butter, melted and cool a little bit
2 Cups Distilled Vinegar
5 Garlic cloves
3 Tbsp Salt
3 Tbsp Whole Peppercorn

5 lbs Chicken

In a blender, pour in vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. With the motor running, pour melted vinegar slowly until well blended or emulsified.

Pour emulsion on chicken and marinate overnight.

Birthday Cake

2009-12-18T22:44:00.017-05:00

I made this cake using the Williams-Sonoma Dessert recipe...We had gallons of buttermilk and I had to find a way to get rid of them...The first time I made this, the cake turned out to be very sweet...So, for this birthday cake, I reduced the amount of sugar to one and a half cup and it came out just right...I just used sweetened whipped cream for frosting and some sprinkles for color coz it's what the celebrant wanted...

BIRTHDAY CAKE

2 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour plus extra for dusting, sifted
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Unsalted butter, room temp. plus extra for greasing
1 1/2 Cups Granulated sugar
3 Large Eggs, room temp.
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 deg.F. lightly grease pans and line with parchment paper. Grease paper and dust with flour. In a bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk together until well blended. In a mixer on medium speed, beat butter until smooth. Slowly add sugar and continue beating until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time just until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Turn mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with buttermilk in 2 batches.

Pour batter on pans and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, 25-3o mins. Let it cool completely before frosting.

SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

2 Cups Cold Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Good Vanilla Extract

Just whip the cream until soft peak stage, add sugar and vanilla. Don't over beat or else it'll turn to butter and would be harder to frost the cake coz of the coarse texture.

After the Party Success

2009-12-13T18:36:00.005-05:00

As what I had predicted, everybody loved my Chili...T'was a huge success at the party, got a lot of compliments esp. from people who really know about Chili...I'm glad we served it on a crockpot, so it was the only hot item on the buffet table...The Grilled wings were also a big hit, people just tore 'em up...Most of them brought store-bought dishes, bagged chips were ubiquitous, as well as, pizzas...It was a fun evening, all the drinks were gone and people are still having a great time...I've never met most of them but they're cool...We had to roll out coz it's getting late...Had a long day and our neighbors were also having a shindig...My poor little Ruby was a bit scared of the noises they make...That's alright, we're home now...

Off to a Holiday Party!!!

2009-12-13T14:27:00.005-05:00

What a busy Saturday! Got up early at 7:30am coz I have to deliver my goods to the bakery, yeah, the only bakery (so far) who gave me the opportunity to supply them my cheesecakes, samosa and some pastries...Had to go home asap coz I have to start cooking for my husband's office holiday party tonight...Yes, we're bringing Chili with sides, Grilled Buttery Wings and Nachos with Pico de Gallo...I used 2 kinds of Chili mixes (Ortega and ShotGun Willie's) on 6 lbs of ground Chuck, 80/20...Thanks to Mariano, my colleague, for marinating my wings the other night which I had pre-grilled yesterday at work and pop it in the oven later...There's nothing like freshly fried corn tortillas, quite addictive and tastes far better than any bagged chips...I've already made the fresh salsa...I wonder how they will like the food, to think that none of these food I grew up eating and cooking...I never used to like Chili when I first had it in Hong Kong, thought it tasted weird...But later on, I began to love it esp. when we go skiing, Chili keeps me warm and satisfied after a long day out in the snow...So far, the Chili is coming along well...It needed to be doctored up, that's where I step in...Not all prepackaged mixes are perfectly seasoned, I always have to add some personal touches of this and that...And Voila! My Chili is ready to go...I'm pretty sure they'll love this...We'll see how it goes...

Here's my own version or my own recipe for Chili. It's not that complicated to make but it needs to cook ahead of time in order to develop the flavors. To me, the longer it's simmering, the better. I guess, that applies to anything that's been braised or stewed. You have to cook it atleast 3 hours for a better taste or the day before. I finished this Chili with a dark chocolate coz it needed that deep flavor. I like my Chili a little bit watery, unless, i'm serving it on a bread bowl. Then I like to garnish it with sour cream, shredded cheddar, chopped cilantro and dices of Avocado. The result was slightly rich and creamy which was perfect on a snowy day. It's actually a winter dish. I don't really have the exact measurement for the spices, I just trust my judgment like I always do. That's the beauty of cooking, unlike baking, you can estimate or eyeball the ingredients to your liking. I only use recipes as my guide, otherwise, I would doctor it up, if needed. Some recipes are quite accurate, oftentimes, they're not. But not all palates are the same. I always stay in between and I don't mind if people add salt to my dish, it's better than being salty and there's nothing you can do about it. I haven't gone to that point yet, I must admit. Hopefully, someday I can cook just like the French.

BASIC CHILI

1 lb Ground Beef chuck
1 med. Onion, small dices
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Red Bell peppers, small dices
3 Tbsp Dark chili powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 can (14oz) Tomatoes, dices
Some Been stock
Some Brown sugar
Some Masa harina for thickener
Some Dark chocolate at the end
1 can Dark red Kidney beans, drained

Garnish:

Sour cream
Shredded Cheese
Chopped Cilantro or Scallions/Onion dices
Avocado

Some Saltine crackers or Tortilla chips

Heat pan until smoking hot. Brown the meat and drain the excess fat in a strainer. Wipe off the fat from the pan, add a little oil and saute onion, garlic and peppers just until the onion turns translucent. Put the ground meat back to the pan and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add all the spices, dried oregano and sugar, stir together. Add the tomatoes and some stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat. Adjust seasoning by adding more spices and salt. Adjust consistency depending on your preference. Add beans 10 mins. before serving.

Cookie Cook-off

2009-12-12T15:32:00.008-05:00

The other night, my husband came home asking me if i'm ready, "Ready for what?" I asked. Ready for a Cookie Cook-off, he replied...Hmmm, he handed me this piece of paper about the cook-off at his workplace this coming Thursday, Dec. 17...I seldom bake cookies although I have a couple of Cookie books...I'm planning to bake 3 types of cookie for his entry, probably The Ultimate Chocolate Chips Cookie, Lemon Poppy Seeds Cookie and a Short Bread Cookie...It would be a shame if none of them makes it...Well, better than nothing...He can claim that he baked them all and I just helped him...If he wins, he gets the credit and I get the prize, ha-ha-hah! That would be my deal with him, see what he says...I'm excited about this coz i've never joined any cook-offs before...This will be the ultimate test if I can make good cookies or not...Whether the entries win or not, atleast we've tried...Wish me luck...

December 19,2009, Saturday

I actually ended up with Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I started making the cookie dough on monday Dec. 14 coz I wanted to frost 2 doz. cookies and be finished by wednesday night. I only have 5 christmas cookie cutters which I had bought in Stowe,Vermont in October. I never thought I would ever use them coz I had never baked a cutout cookie in my life. So when my husband told me about this cook-off, I didn't think twice. I could finally use my cookie cutters! I even urged my colleague at work to bake some sugar cookies to give away to the kitchen staff's kids. So back to the cookie cook-off, they all turned out nice. It's time consuming though and labor intensive but the result was worth it coz they look so pretty. I didn't expect them to win coz I know that with the sugar frosting, it will taste really sweet. They're just nice to look at. Atleast, I stick to the theme or holiday season. My husband was really proud eventhough we did not win but we got a lot of compliments and some thought they were store bought. He took some photos of me while frosting them just to prove they're homemade. We're just happy to be a part of it. My first ever cookie cook off. What an experience and i'll do it again. why not? Happy Holidays to all!!!

ULTIMATE SUGAR COOKIES (Adapted from The Cookie Bible)

1 1/4 Cups Granulated sugar
1 Butter -Flavor crisco Stick or 1 Cup Crisco Veg. shortening
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Light corn syrup
1 Tbsp Vanilla
3 Cups plus 4 Tbsp All-purpose flour
3/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt

1. Beat on medium speed the sugar and shortening until well blended. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla. Beat until weel blended and fluffy.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed until well blended. Divide dough into four parts and keep in refrigerator for 30 mins. to an hour.

3. Heat oven to 375 deg.F. Place wax paper on counter top. Dust with flour and place dough. Dust dough with flour and top with a sheet of wax paper. Flatted slightly with hands. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove top sheet.

4. Cut out cookies with floured cutter. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet. Place 2 inches apart. Roll out remaining dough. Re-roll the trimmings. Sprinkle with granulated sugar or decorate when cooled.

5.Bake for 5 to 9 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown. Don't overbake. Cool completely before frosting.

SUGAR FROSTING

2 Cups Powdered or Confectioner Sugar
3 Tbsp Milk (Lemon Juice for flavor)
Food coloring (Few drops at a time)

Combine all and adjust consistency by adding liquid if it's too thick to spread.

I used disposable piping bags coz I needed to make 7 shades and it's easier to make the borders first to prevent the frosting from running to the sides. I've also used the pointed offset palette knife (Ateco) for spreading the frosting to corners.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

2009-12-09T21:36:00.000-05:00

I always wanted to experiment on some recipes but I don't get enough motivation...The only time I get motivated is when I read blogs and see their creations...I love looking at their photos especially the ones that look professionally taken...They inspire me so much that make me want to replicate them all...But I don't just have the time...I wonder how much time they spend in their kitchen...Do they have full time jobs during the day? I know that some of them are doing it for fun but still, it requires a lot of time in the kitchen...How do they do that? I really admire the works of Tartelette, Joe Pastry, Gattina, Happy Home Baking & etc...They really do a great job...I always go to their sites and still look at the same photos...I've tried the Elephant ears and they really look cool...There are so many I want to try...Guess, I have to keep trying and probably take photos and post it here...Til next ish...