Pork Sinigang

Continuing with my comfort foods postings, here is another favorite of mine--Pork Sinigang.
Needed:
3 lbs pork (I used pork belly and pork ribs for this recipe) sliced into 2 inch cubes
3 medium tomatoes, sliced coarsely
1 1/2 medium onions, sliced coarsely
salt and pepper, to taste
patis, to taste
4 cups water (enough to cover the pork while cooking)
Sinigang (Tamarind) soup flavoring (I usually use Mama Sita brand.)
2 ~ 3 pcs jalapeno peppers
baby bok choy (as much as you would like to eat)
eggplant (as much as you would like to eat), sliced into 2 inch sizes

1. Place pork, tomatoes, onions in a pot. Season with salt and pepper. Place over heat to let the meat "sweat" and until the meat loses its pink color. The pork will turn slightly brown while the tomatoes and onions will wither and turn transluscent.
2. Add the water (enough to cover all the meat) and about 1/2 of the sinigang flavoring. Let boil for about 10 minutes on high, then reduce heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes or until pork is tender.
3. Add the vegetables.
4. Season with more sinigang flavoring, depending on how sour you would like. Add some patis for flavor, too.
5. Enjoy while still warm.

Optional vegetables to add: taro root, daikon, long beans.

Tip: The jalapenos will cook up nicely and even wither--you can use this as additional dipping sauce when squeezed with some patis and used for individual flavoring.

Nilagang Baka - Comfort Food

It has been cold and rainy here in the Bay Area as of late and what better way to enjoy home-cooking than to make some comfort food. One of my favorite Filipino comfort foods is Nilagang Baka (or "Nilaga" for short; Nilaga is Tagalog meaning "boiled"). "Nilagang Baka" is also called Beef Nilaga, loosely translated as Beef Boiled.

Here, I have made a big pot of nilagang baka using my favorite beef cut: beef short ribs. I love using beef short ribs in this recipe because of the fattines of the ribs that gives the broth that extra flavor.

I added cabbages, pototatoes, and carrots until they are well done. The flavorful broth served with rice just warms up my soul.

Here's how I made my Nilagang Beef Short Ribs.

Needed:
3 lbs beef short ribs cut into 2 1/2 inch square cubes (do not use the ribs for grilling)
4 c water (approximately, but the amount of water you will use to boil and cook the ribs in should be enough to cover the ribs and about a cup more)
1/2 medium onion, sliced coarsely
2 T peppercorns
salt and pepper to taste
3 T patis
1/2 head cabbage, sliced 2 inches thick
carrots, sliced (use as much as you would like to eat)
potatoes, sliced into 2 1/2 inch sizes (use as much as you would like to eat)

1. Start off by washing the ribs under cold water.
2. Place the ribs in a large pot (you will only use one pot, so make sure this is big enough). Add the sliced onions, peppercorns, salt and pepper to taste. Place over heat, covered, to allow the meat to brown slightly.
3. When the meat has lost its pink color, add the water. Again, use enough water to cover all the meat, plus one cup more. Add the patis.
4. Boil on high for about 10 minutes and remove the beef scum that surfaces to the top of boiling water. Allow the meat to cook for an additional 35 minutes on medium heat. Do not keep opening the lid as this will slow the cooking process.
5. Check for meat tenderness. Cook more if not tender. When almost as tender as you would like, add the potatoes and carrots.
6. When the potatoes and carrots are tender (easily breakable), add the cabbages.
7. Check for seasoning and add salt or patis to your liking.
8. Enjoy over rice!

Tip: My mom always made mashed potatoes out of these potatoes used here. The potatoes come out very tasty because they were cooked in beef broth. To make mashed potatotes, simply fish out the potatoes, mash with a fork (they should be very tender to do) and moisten with some of the broth and some butter. Yum!

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

This is another of those recipes you can just prep and forget about it until it's time to eat. There are many versions of it on the web, but it's so simple, you really don't need a recipe for it.

Needed:
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken meat (dark meat is juiciest, while white meat is healthier)
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c milk (or 1/2 the can of the soup)
2 T oil for frying
2 T butter
salt & pepper to taste
2 c sliced mushrooms (store bought, pre-cut mushrooms in 1 package works best)
splash of white wine

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pre-fry the chicken. Season first with salt and pepper, then heat up the oil in a shallow pan. You do not to deep fry the chicken--you will only cook them halfway through. When the oil is almost medium heat, add the butter for flavor while you pre-fry. As soon as you remove the chicken from the frying pan, lay them in your baking dish.
3. When all chicken is half-cooked, check the amount of oil in the pan. Remove excess and leave only about 2 T oil/butter in the frying pan. Saute the sliced mushrooms.
4. Add the soup and the milk and let simmer for a few minutes until all the chicken bits left from frying come off the pan. Add the wine for flavor.
5. Pour this soup mixture over the chicken.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes uncovered.
Enjoy over white rice or egg noodles. Delicious!

Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce

Steamed spareribs with black bean sauce is my favorite dimsum dish. I always have to have it when we go for dimsum. Of course, I love the other dimsum offerings, too, but this one takes the cake.

This is usually made with ribtips--makes it easier to eat, but that day at the Asian market, they did not have ribtips, so I used regular pork ribs, cubed and cut by the butcher (ala sinigang style). This dish is so simple to make. Just marinade for 30 minutes and after placing it in the steamer for about 1 hour, you practically can forget about it and do other things (like chores). You will have no trouble remembering to eat it, because it's so fragrant and oh-so-mouth watering while cooking.

Here's how I made it. I got a basic recipe online and I added some "kick":

2 lbs rib tips or ribs, cubed with bone, cut crosswise into 1 inch sections
2 T garlic black bean sauce
1 T wine (red, white, Chinese, cooking sake--whatever you have on hand)
2 t cornstarch
1 T chopped up ginger (or grated on a microplane, if you have one)
1 t garlic (you can use the store-bought chopped kind, but careful not to use too much as you're already using garlic black bean sauce)
1/4 t black pepper
1 t sesame oil
1 T sugar
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like heat)
scallions for garnish

1. Combine all ingredients (except scallions) and marinade for about 30 minutes. Transfer to a heat proof dish that will fit in the steamer.
2. Steam for about 1 hour or until ribs are tender. Always ensure there is enough water in the steamer.
3. When ready to serve, garnish with scallions. The ribs will extract some water during the cooking process and you don't have to use this. I "fished out" the ribs from the sauce to serve it.

Tip: The Chinese bamboo steamer works just as great as an electric steamer. I tried this dish in both and both came out tender after about 1 hour in either.

Enjoy!

Jolly Breakfasts

Jollibee has always been known for it's crispy fried chicken and just recently they have come out with their breakfast selections. Breakfast is, undoubtedly, my favorite meal of the day and breakfast has been somewhat of a popular "new" item in many places these days, so I had to try Jollibee's offerings:

Jollibee Longganisa

I had this above for lunch actually and it was satisfying. It tasted very "fast food" though. The longganisa was cooked through (which is actually good), but the eggs were scrambled and I'm not sure if they used egg beaters or not.

Jollibee Crispy Bangus

This bangus I had for breakfast. The bangus is not crispy at all. (Take note: I did NOT have both on the same day.) It seems like it sat in the styrofoam container under the heat lamp for a while. Needless to say, like the longganisa above, it was satisfying.

These days, if food does not give me stomach trouble, then it passes my test. Lately, some foods have not agreed with me and I have gotten into some gastric trouble. Both of these Jollibee items satisfied my hunger and the price for each was around $5, so not bad at all!

Sticky Adobo

Unlike most adobo, I have been lucky enough to have been able to make "my own" kind of adobo and that's what I call the "sticky adobo." Bet you can already tell--it barely has any sauce or "sabaw" and the chicken and pork becomes sticky, you will just have to gnaw on the bone pieces. :)

Here's how to make my sticky adobo. Again, no exact measurements. These are approximates. You're cooking it, taste it!

Needed:
Approx. 1 1/2 lb chicken wings (wing tips included)
Approx. 1 1/2 lb cubed pork (meaty, but also some fatty country style pork is what I know this as, but I don't know the "cut" of pork)
Oil for frying
1/2 clove pounded garlic cloves (do not use the ready-made store-bought chopped kind)
1 c soy sauce (light or regular)
3/4 c white vinegar
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 T peppercorns
dash ground pepper
1 pc bay leaf

1. Pre-cook wings and pork in oil. Careful not to use too much oil. The pork and chicken will render its own oil and you can still use this for frying.
2. When all pork and chicken is pre-fried, in the same oil saute the pounded garlic cloves. (Tip: pound fresh garlic for this and don't use the store bought chopped kind. The ready-made kind just won't do. Trust me.) As you saute, scrape the bits of pork and chicken that stuck to the bottom of the pan. This makes for great flavoring.
3. Pour the soy sauce and vinegar. Do not stir, but let simmer/boil for most of the pan bits to come off. Add th Worcestershire sauce. Let the sauce blend on its own.
4. Add the chicken and pork to the pan and cover. Put the heat to medium and allow the chicken and pork to cook (about 20 minutes unopened cover). The pork and chicken will "sweat" so you don't need to add any other liquid to let it cook.
5. Cook for an additional 20 minutes (or until done) without the cover to allow any sauce to evaporate. This will make the sauce nice and sticky, with some oil in the bottom of the pan as left over "sauce" that would be great to put on some hot, steamed white rice.
6. Eat with your fingers and enjoy!

Note: my sticky adobo is just chicken and pork or either one. I don't put vegetables, because adobo is not meant to have vegetables in them. For me, if you add vegetables, it's another dish!

Brickhouse Cafe's Wagyu Burger

I always pass by Brickhouse Cafe and Bar on my way to work that today, Drew and I decided to check it out for a quick lunch. It's a different atmosphere by many accounts--one would order food and drinks at the bar and find a table quickly if eating in.

What attracted me to the menu right away is that they had Wagyu burgers. I had to order that. Drew and I love Wagyu meat and while it's a bit pricey, if cooked properly, the meat literally just melts like butter in your mouth.

The Wagyu burgers here at Brickhouse Cafe and Bar were just okay. I actually could not tell they were Wagyu by tasting it, but sure enough, I paid Wagyu prices for it! The beef was slightly dense. I ordered medium well, because I was afraid the meat would be too pink. The burger was decent enough. They did not have American cheese, so I settled for Swiss. The fries were just the right amount.

The ambiance felt very homey, cozy, and I can see this place being packed in the evening hours for beer and ball. The service was good--we found seats right away and did not have to wait long for our food to arrive. The same folks behind the register brought us our food, found us with no problem.

Next time, I will order the "regular beef" burgers and maybe order them "rare." Overall, a good hangout. The weather was super nice, so that added to the nice feel of the place.

Got to go back to try some of their breakfast items!

Papaya Milk Slushee

This is Day Two of my papaya milk slushee pictured above. I had one yesterday; saw that Ming's had it on their menu. I could not resist and had another today. At $3.50, it is a bit pricey, but it's oh-so-good!

I had taken 2 Imodium tabs just last Saturday, so needless to say, I have been a bit bloated, gassy, and constipated (TMI, sorry), but after having had this shake yesterday, I can say that it went "smooth sailing." Go figure. Whenever the kids are a bit constipated, my mom gives them fresh papaya and it always works like magic. Now, papaya's done its trick for me!

Papaya is known for its health benefits. I'm sure the fresher the foods are, the more the health benefits. Read about all of it here: Papaya Health Benefits. And this was just a quick Google search!

I have to find a way to make this shake because I probably won't be able to afford $3.50 a pop.... but just the process of taking out the blender is such a task that the cost of this may just be well worth it! Plus, the time to think about proportions and what-nots... then, factor in getting good papayas... Excuses, excuses!

So, remember, if you're feeling bloated and constipated, have some papaya or papaya shake for that matter!

Banana Muffins

I was a tad bit disppointed in the other day in that my son did not want any of the blueberry muffins (from mix) that I made. This is a boy who eats anything and yet, he did not want any! :'(

I therefore vowed to make another batch of muffins (from mix, of course) and have him try some. He loved the banana muffins from Pillsbury! Thank heavens for cake mixes!

You should know that I am not a baking person and am one of them who can screw up even a cake mix recipe, so for two batches to come out great is something worth writing about!

This batch of muffins was made from the blue Pillsbury box. One thing I noticed differently from the blueberry muffin "recipe" was that this one needed milk (instead of water). I specifically chose the mix that did not come with nuts, because I knew I can not give nuts to my son yet (he's only 14 months old).

These banana muffins came out very moist and it was so easy to make. I guess that's the purpose of the mixes, right? D-uh!!! The whole prepping and baking process took less than 1/2 an hour to make. I used up so few dishes, one would be silly not to go for cake mixes. I don't even care to make things such as these from scratch, because the mixes tend to come out better tasting, cost-effective, and it's a breeze!

So, the next time you crave baking? Reach for the cake mixes for convenience, cost, and no-frills, almost perfect home-made goodness.

The Secret to Barbecued Ribs

Only recently did I realize that the secret to perfectly cooked ribs is to slow cook on low for a loooonnnngg time! My mom did it and I had to try it for myself, since I "heart" pork ribs.

Today, being a holiday, I put a rack of baby back ribs, seasoned generously with salt and pepper in a foil wrapped pan in the oven for 6 hours on 300 degrees. Mid-way, I brushed the ribs with store-bought barbecue sauce. I turned and basted every hour and the result? Tender, juicy, moist, scrumptuous ribs! Even was great-tasting after letting it sit on the counter the rest of the afternoon and microwaved in the evening for dinner! The wait was well-worth it! Besides, the prep was minimal and no sense rushing into this one! Enjoy!

P.S.: I don't have the picture to show you because the ribs were gone in a flash! I enjoy this porky chef clipart, though. Hope you do, too.

My Lemon Pepper Wings

I was introduced to Wing Stop by Drew a few years back and boy, since then, I have been in love with their lemon pepper wings! It's probably the saltiness of it that makes me wanna have more, and more, and more!! Well, for the longest time, I only knew about the Wing Stop locations in the East Bay. Until about a month ago, one branch opened near the house at Daly City!

Because of Wing Stop's popularity, the place has been packed and orders are impossible to make. The waits are long and well, I just don't have the patience for that. Not for wings!

So, I decided to make my very own lemon pepper wings and I have to tell you, they're dead on the same as Wing Stop's! Here's my secret to share with you all:

Needed:
A good deep fryer like Fry Daddy. Fill it up with good oil and heat up well.

Wash chicken wings and pat dry. Season with some salt and pepper.

Fry wings in batches, making sure not to overload the fryer or the wings won't come out crispy. Fry only until browned (but not crisped up yet). Let wings cool while frying other batches. Then, re-fry the wings, coolest batches first. Fry until the skin is nicely browned.

After taking the wings out of the oil, immediately sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning. Coat the wings liberally to ensure the seasonings stick.

Enjoy immediately. The wings are best piping hot!

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Would you believe this has no lobster in it whatsoever?

This is my to-go lunch, consumed at my cube at work. I absolutely love Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and early this morning, having known that I did not have any packed lunch, I knew that I had to have my indulgence.

The first time I had this was at a Chinese restaurant close to work at another location. It was delicious. Now that our office moved to a different site, I am blessed with another close location for these darn things. Today's treat, I got from New Ming's Restaurant on Mission and 2nd Streets here in San Francisco.

The sauce was overflowing over my rice. Packed soy sauce was poured all over my rice for extra saltiness. I ended up eating all of the rice, oh about two white rice at that! The shrimp--I saved for last.

I don't know if I can make this as good as New Ming's. I can try. I looked up recipes as I devoured my plate--believe me, it was a challenge! LOL! That's when I found out, the recipe's fairly simple--and no trace of lobster at all! Wonder how it got it's name...

Westlake Coffee Shop's Eggs Benedict

I always pass by this place and from the outside, Westlake Coffee Shop seems so retro that I never bothered to go inside and try their faire. Today was a breakfast day and I was pleasantly surprised!

The place was clean--although it had dated pink patterned carpets and even older booths and counter seats. It was like walking into a 1940's diner! The menu and prices were reasonable. They had the usual American breakfast items as well as staple burgers and sandwiches. I believe they are open only for breakfast and lunch.

I ordered their eggs benedict. It's been a while since I had this and always want to try it out on a regular weekday. Most breakfast places only serve benedicts as their weekend specials. The hollandaise sauce was just right. It seemed like it was freshly made. It was runny and didn't taste like it was pre-heated at all. The eggs were poached well, but the muffin seemed like it could have been toasted a bit more and the Canadian bacon was thinner than what I would have liked. But for a mere $10, it was an okay deal.

What I liked about this place was it's homey feel. Each table had beautiful orchid plants on them and the flowers were a-plenty. I was tempted to ask the owner how she made them bloom like that!

Overall, Westlake Coffee Shop is an okay neighborhood place. I really should be patronizing the local business owners more often because most of the time, I'm pleasantly surprised and walk away with a good full stomach.

Twice Cooked Pork

I literally cooked this pork twice! I always thought that the name of the dish was a give away, but when I looked at the recipe--you do to cook it twice! This recipe is a winner, especially for left-overs for lunch the following day. Details below without clear measurements:

Bonless pork: I just love pork belly and its fatty lining, so I used some pork belly with some pork shoulder and pork butt for some more tenderness and fat in the meat. Boil pork with water enough to cover the pork, some sherry (1 Tbsp), green onions (about two stalks), and a ginger (about 1 inch) until the pork is tender (about 30~45 minutes). It's best to do this the day before, because once boiled and tender, place in the fridge until the pork is cold. When ready to cook, slice into thin 1/4 inch slices.

When ready to cook, prepare the sauce. Mix 4 tsps Hoisin sause, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp white sugar. Add some crushed red pepper flakes for heat. Add sparingly according to your taste and preferred heat level. Set aside.

Slice green and red peppers (one each). Slice in 1/1/2-inch thickness some green onions as well. Pre-fry both peppers and onions in a wok with hot cooking oil. Remove peppers and onions from oil. Grate 2 tsps ginger and toss in the same oil. Add some minced garlic. Stir both ginger and garlic in wok. Add pork slices in the wok. Stir fry until pork is coated with oil, ginger, and garlic. Add the sauce and continue stirring until the pork is well coated with sauce. Add the peppers and green onions in last when ready to serve.

Serve hot over rice. Enjoy!

Affogato!

The first time I had affogato was at Il Fornaio restaurant in Burlingame. I remember it was a stormy, winter day and I had met one of my oldest friends, Vanessa, for lunch.

I love ice cream and here was this dessert: ice cream dunked in espresso! Wow! The taste remained with me and a long, long time ago, I would make it with my mom at home for a nice, out-of-the-ordinary treat. Well tonight, I made some again. Here's how to make some on your own:

Place a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream or gelato in a dish. Pour warm (not hot because it will melt the ice cream) espresso over the ice cream, just enough to cover it. Top with whipped cream and enjoy! Easy!

Remember to use plain ice cream; vanilla works best. This is nice to make when you're bored with your vanilla ice cream stash in the freezer. You really don't want to use rocky road and have pieces floating in this dessert. It's not meant to be like that! Also, I don't have espresso at home, so I just made half a cup of instant decaf coffee. The coffee turned out too warm, so I placed a couple of ice cubes in it to cool it down. I barely used half of my half cup of instant coffee for this serving.

Affogato is an Italian dessert. What better way to enjoy plain vanilla? Plain, no more!

Grand Slam Breakfast...at Home!

Now that my sister is on winter break from teaching, she has found some time once again to whip up breakfasts that surely make a great start to our days... When she was pregnant and with even more time on her hands a couple of years ago, we looked forward to different concoctions daily. Now that her free time is a rarity, we enjoy these breakfasts once again!

Today, she cooked us some french toasts and made some cinnamon/sugar mixture to sprinkle on top. I took the french toasts a bit further and heated up sausage patties and had an egg over easy....

Not quite the heart attack special, but it sure is a grand slam breakfast, home-made! Why go anywhere else? Take that, Dennys!

Spanish-style Ambiance at Patio Filipino - a restaurant review

It's Valentine's Day and with another family reason to go out and celebrate, the family was at Patio Filipino in San Bruno for lunch. I remember when the place was just half its size not too long ago. It was cramped! The restaurant has expanded a year ago and the place remains clean, now well-decorated with artificial (not cheap-looking) plants and even spruced up with updated wall decor of a Spanish flamenco dancer. They also have outside seating, but in foggy Northern California, I have barely seen anyone out there for their meals!

While their menu boasts of some Spanish-inspired Filipino dishes, we always go for the more traditional, hard-to-make-at-home dishes like the lechon kawali pictured below. Yes, it's not at all good for the cholesterol, but an indulgence once in a while won't hurt (I think, hope). To get pork belly fat like this, the restaurant must have a butcher who can send them these "choice" cuts. This lechon was crispy, almost grease-less, and dipped in the sauce...delish!

My sister really wanted the kangkong with crispy tofu as it was on the menu, but alas, kangkong was once again "out of season," so this version is made from spinach. What impressed us all is that the tofu was nice, light, and crisp--a nice contrast to the sauteed spinach in soy sauce. The tiny pork bits are sliced up chorizos, so the dish was sweet and tangy at the same time.

This tilapia fish is actually tilapia filets and you can't see it well from this picture, because the fish has been pieced together. Clever presentation! The fish was just seasoned with salt and pepper--lots of pepper and deep fried until crispy, then pieced together like a puzzle before garnishing with tomatoes and green onions. It's a simple dish, really, but the piecing together of it makes it unique.

Of course, we also ordered crispy calamari for starters and the sauce was unique to locals here, but not-so-unique if you've had "sandwich spread" from back home, because that's just what it was! I believe the dipping sauce is Kraft Sandwich Spread--you know, the one that's slightly pink mayonnaise-looking spread with pickle relish? I didn't have the opportunity for a picture because it was eaten up so quickly! The calamari was great--again, light, crispy, and well, maybe not enough... LOL! Did you notice we ordered a lot of "crispy" items? :)

For dessert, we ordered one (yes, one, for six of us) leche flan and it was your usual leche flan. Nothing fancy about it. It was a bit thick in its consistency, but this is usually the case when we order flan from restaurants anyway, so no surprises there. There are other dessert items like ice cream served in a buko shell and banana/langka turon with ice cream, but we were all full to our throats that we found no space to shove any more food!

In summary, we love Patio Filipino, the prices are reasonable, the place is clean, food is good--what else can you ask for?

My Leche Flan Recipe

Making Filipino-style leche flan (custard) has always been a challenge for me. I have never found the "right" recipe that's smooth, light, and with just the right sweetness. A spur of the moment decision today led me to make my improvised leche flan pictured above. It actually turned out pretty good--and I'm quite proud of myself. I didn't use condensed milk because I feel that makes the custard too sweet and "thick." At last, I have found that recipe which is smooth, light, and tastes delightful. Here's the recipe for you to try for yourself:

To make the caramel syrup that will line the bottom of your pan:

1/4 c brown sugar

1/3 c water

Over low heat, allow the brown sugar to caramelize and reduce. Let it boil for a while, but making sure the syrup does not boil over the pan you're cooking it in. When the syrup becomes thick and slightly sticky, pour into a round or square pan that you will use to bake your flan in. Let the caramel settle before pouring the flan mixture below (about 30 minutes in the fridge). If you don't let the caramel syrup cool and settle, you will end up with a bad mixture of syrup and flan that will have to start all over again.

To make the custard (flan):

8 egg yolks (save the 3 egg whites in a separate dish)

1 c white sugar (I didn't use all because I didn't want the flan to be too sweet)

1 can evaporated milk

First, beat the egg yolks in a bowl by stirring counter-clockwise. Make sure to stir only this one direction for the entire recipe. I don't know if it matters, but I did it anyway. Add the milk. Continue stirring counter-clockwise. Then, add the sugar. Set aside.

Next, with the egg whites in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until fluffy, but not stiff. When plenty of bubbles have formed, add this mixture in with the egg yolk mixture--again making sure to stir counter-clockwise only.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

You are now ready to ladle this mixture on to the hardened caramel syrup. Check to make sure the caramel is set. Ladle the mixture over the caramel. To bake, place this pan filled with your flan mixture into another pan that is half-filled with water. Bake for about 45 minutes. Poke a knife through the custard to make sure that the flan is cooked through.

Finally, let cool and then serve by turning the flan upside down (so the caramel ends up on top) onto a serving dish. Enjoy!

(I was too excited to try this out that I didn't even let it cool through and placed it on a serving dish about 10 minutes from taking it out of the oven. The form still kept its shape--amazing!)

Chocolate Cake Goodness - in a Cup!

Day two of this chocolate cupcake in my lunch bag today. It's all courtesy of a trip to Valerio's Bakery by my big sis, Binky two days ago. Valerio's actually calls themselves a "tropical" bakeshop. Not quite sure why it's "tropical" but maybe because they sell baked goodies from the homeland? In any case, I have never been to the store recently (last, some 17 years ago) and my sister frequents the place a lot and always comes home with a bag full of goodies. They have two locations here in Daly City--one at St. Francis Place by Southgate Avenue and the other on King Plaza drive by Skyline Blvd.

First time I tried this cupcake yesterday and I was in chocolate heaven. Mind you, I have never really been into sweets before having my baby (excuses, excuses) except for ice cream (I heart ice cream), but this cupcake, well, takes the cake! It's soft, moist, and just the right size. I ate the one yesterday in less than two minutes. Today's--I'm saving for after I publish this entry. My sis also tells me that this cake is also sold loaf-style, but you'd have to slice up your own servings--too much of a hassle, if you ask me.

In an attempt to have more of these "bad cakes," I jokingly told my family members that it was awful, bland, crumbly, and a waste of time. Of course, I had my fingers crossed during all those things.

I can't classify this chocolate cupcake as "tropical" and maybe that's the secret--in this tropical bakeshop, their chocolate cupcake is divine!

Bottled Baby Bangus in Oil

I was actually looking for ice cream cones at the local Walgreens when I ended up with this bottle, with the ice cream cones, at the checkstand. One would not normally find such "ethnic" foods at Walgreens. Walgreens is, in-fact, a pharmacy! But only in Little Manila, they would have this in their aisles!

There are three little bangus (milkfish) packed in this tiny bottle. This brand is pretty tasty in that the oil is not too spicy. I ate it room temperature over steaming hot rice. I also had an egg over easy on the side. Yum!!! It's like a throwback to breakfast in Manila from my childhood. The cashier at Walgreens, who happens to be a Pinay (no doubt), also suggested it eaten with warmed up pan de sal. I'm salivating already. Lingayen happens to be my dad's hometown in Pangasinan, Philippines!

Bangus generally has plenty of bones, but with these baby versions, you will eat everything--the bones, the spine, the fins, everything! Good calcium resource! Plus, you will find plenty of omega 3 fatty acids in here, it's different, but it's a good break from a typical bacon and eggs breakfast.

Baked Spaghetti - Tribute to Ate Carol

Thinking as far back as I can remember, I can't really say that I have had the pleasure of actually tasting my cousin, Ate Carol's much talked about baked spaghetti. One thing I do know is that spaghetti is an easy family-style dinner that because it is so easy to make, it is also easy to put one's own twist to it. In my family, there are a few versions floating around--all of which are delicious in their own right!

Ate Carol's baked spaghetti recipe was handed to my family by Ate Carol herself, then passed on to my mom who has been making it that way. I don't have the actual measurements, but I'm listing the ingredients below. Everything is pretty much done "to taste" and what better way to learn how to cook, than to continue tasting your creation.

1. Boil half a box of thin spaghetti and cook al dente.

2. Prepare meat sauce by sauteeing in oil and chopped onions approximately 1 lb of ground beef. Let the beef cook through. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Once the beef has excreted some of its oils and juices, add in one can of tomato paste (for a less dry outcome, use one small can of tomato sauce instead). Cook until beef is well done.

3. Mix the cooked spaghetti with the meat sauce. Set aside.

4. Prepare the bechamel (white) sauce by melting half a cup (one stick) of butter (not margarine). Add about 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour to make a small ball of butter and flour. The mixture will "ball up" as the flour is mixed in with the butter. Add one cup of milk slowly, mixing to ensure that the white sauce is thickening. Add more milk if the consistency is too thick. Remove from heat while sauce is thick, but not too runny. If sauce gets thick, you may use chicken stock instead to thin out, to avoid having to use too much milk.

5. Assemble the spaghetti in a pyrex dish. Ladle out the spaghetti and red sauce mixture onto dish. Pour the white sauce on top. Sprinkle cheese (mozarella or similar) on top of the white sauce and bake in the oven at 375 degrees until cheese melts.

6. Enjoy with garlic bread.

This baked spaghetti version pictured here is my other cousin, Paul's version of baked spaghetti. White sauce was not used, but instead, after the spaghetti and red sauce was placed in the pyrex dish, cheesy-cheese (Velveeta or Kraft American or cheddar cheese) was generously placed on top. Bake until all cheese has melted.

Perfect for potlucks, parties, gatherings. Leftovers are easy lunchable items and warmed up in the microwave, it still tastes like new! Very economical!

Carbonara & Pizza Margherita, Binky Style

Our first long weekend for the year and my "Ate" (big sister) Binky makes her trademark carbonara. After a mad rush into the pouring rain, she makes it home with ingredients for home-made pizza margherita as well! Her carbonara was made simply by toasting small strips of bacon, then tossing the al dente thin spaghetti in the bacon oil (not all of it), then mixing in the cream, egg, and cheese mixture. It's mixed in just right, and left on the stove just enough to cook the eggs through, but not to end up with scrambled eggs! Click on the following for a formal recipe of: Spaghetti Carbonara

Ate's pizza margherita was made with store bought thin crust pizza dough, which apparently, is quite a challenge to find. Today, the grocery had it, so it was a sign that pizza was to be made! The pizza dough was placed on a cookie sheet, baked halfway through, brushed with olive oil and then rubbed with cloves of garlic for flavor. Next, mozarella cheese was generously layered on the crust, then topped with tomato slices and basil leaves. Baked in the oven until the cheese melts and then, some parmesan cheese sprinkling on top!

Here's what my plate looked like before consumption. I had just enough time to take a picture. It was wiped clean in a matter of minutes. :)

Great lunch, Ate! Thanks!

My Successful Snickerdoodles

Semi-Homemade - Nestle Tollhouse Cookies!

Drew has made batches of these the past few days and boy, I'm hooked! For those craving newly-baked cookies and don't want to bother with actually putting them together from scratch, your answer is Nestle's Tollhouse ready-to-bake cookie dough! Just place them on the cookie sheet by the spoonfulls and within minutes, you're savoring the gooey, chocolatey goodness of these cookies.

Eating them the next day? No problem! Zap them in the microwave for no more than 15 seconds and you can enjoy them as if they were fresh out of the oven.

Bistro Luneta - brunch review

Bistro Luneta in San Mateo, CA has been known to be the Filipino-French fusion cuisine mecca of the Bay Area. I had the chance of trying out Bistro Luneta a few years back and while the food is tasty, unique, and served as single servings (not family-style), the items are a bit pricier. The restaurant is simple with high-ceilings and blown-up replicas of photographs of Manila from times past that line the walls. The open kitchen is very modern and there's even seating at a small bar where you can literally watch the chefs at work. Most patrons of Bistro Luneta are Caucasians. I have witnessed this a few times already, so it can only mean that whatever they're doing is catering to more than just Filipinos.

I met up with an old friend for brunch here and the weekend brunch menu was typical, and again, with a twist. I had the tapsilog or tapa (thinly sliced seasoned beef quickly fried) plate pictured here. The tapa was made with ribeye steak and it was oh-so-tender. To the right is a jelly version of the "suka sawsawan" or vinegar dipping sauce. The garlic rice just nice and running in the middle was some chopped up red egg with tomatoes and cucumbers. I had two (smaller-sized) eggs done over easy to complete my plate. It was delicious! My only complaint? Not enough beef!

To finish off my brunch, I ordered Bistro Luneta's barako creme brulee. I had to order this because it's at Bistro Luneta that I first saw this on the menu and other restaurants who try to have this on their menu never seem to ever have it when I order it (Intramuros). This dessert is different than I have ever had. It's creme brulee based, but flavored with "barako" which is comparable to espresso! The strong coffee was just right and kept me on my toes for the rest of the day. I let my friend have a couple of spoons, but if you were to ask me, I probably could have finished off another order.

The weekend brunch menu also had Filipino versions of brunch staples such as eggs benedict and mimosas, but I stayed away. On the menu, it stated that the eggs benedict were made with pan de sal (so probably, two inches across is generous?) and the mimosas were made with calamansi juice and bubbly. Maybe next time when I'm not so hungry. :)

All in all, Bistro Luneta is "just fine" for a brief brunch meal. My friend would probably not agree so quickly. She found nothing she liked off the weekend brunch menu (because we were accidentally given the weekly brunch menu where she already had picked out her order but the chef said we could not have) and for coffee, well, they didn't have any cream choices but half and half. My friend ended up ordering bachoy (soup with pork and noodles) and she actually shared some with me. Within minutes though, I found the soup and noodles cold. Maybe the high ceilings had something to do with it or maybe the cool winter weather. Whatever the reason was for that, I don't know, but I tend to like my soup on the hotter side.

There's just one thing to do: try Bistro Luneta for yourself and you can make your own judgment...