Sukiyaki Beef Sinigang

Sinigang has always been considered comfort food especially when the rainy season sets in. It's a favorite in many Filipino homes, and there's probably more versions of this dish than you can count with both fingers. I was really psyched when Kulinarya Cooking Club announced its July theme, it's been so long since we had this dish, for which I blame the hot and humid weather we have been

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CRAN-RASPBERRY JAM (FOOL PROOF !!)

I LOVE this (super easy) jam recipe. Not only is the ruby red color gorgeous enough for gift giving, but this jam makes the ultimate peanut butter and jelly sandwich and it is going to be perfect for thumb print cookies this Christmas!!

You can't goof this recipe up!!!

THIS RECIPE MAKES 8 CUPS OF JAM

(2) 10 ounce bags of frozen sweetened raspberries (thawed and drained)

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (I used a 12 ounce bag)
5 cups granulated sugar
(1) 1¾ ounce box powdered pectin

Thaw and drain the raspberries, saving the juice (after thawing the berries, I ended up with about ¾ cup of juice). Add enough water to the juice to make 1½ cups of liquid.

Put the juice+water in a large heavy bottomed pot and add the raspberries and cranberries and the box of pectin, stir well. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

After boiling one minute, add all of the sugar and bring back to a full rolling boil. Boil for one more minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim off the pink foam with a spoon (throw foam away).  Pour the jam into clean  hot jars, leaving ¼" head space. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean-wet towel and put on the lids.  Process the jars for 15 minutes in boiling water bath .

NOTE: If you are lucky enough to have fresh raspberries, by all means, use them!!

NOTE: The recipe does not suggest it, but I chopped the cranberries up in the food processor (while they were still frozen) because we don't care for big chunks in our jam...but that is up to you. No need to thaw.

NOTE: Have the 5 cups of sugar already measured and waiting before you start the jam so it will be ready to dump in at the right time.

NOTE: A "full rolling boil" is a boil that continues to boil while you stir.

NOTE:  If you have never done a hot water bath, check out this link: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/waterbath-canning-highacid-foods.html

NOTE: Before I start my jams, I run my jars through the dishwasher and just leave them in there so they stay hot until it is time to put the hot jam in them.

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SM Master Chefs 2011: Lowell Cauilan

Won't you have a good start if you had this for breakfast? SM Hypermarket sets off its 10th anniversary, and to celebrate, well-known chefs are giving their Cooking Marathons and Demos live in many Hypermarket branches nationwide. From July to September, every week there will be cooking demos in different branches. To catch their wonderful events in your area, see the Cooking Marathon

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BLUEBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

This cake brings rave reviews and is a nice change from the predictable pineapple upside-down cake. The cake is sweet, very light and tender and the berries keep it deliciously moist. We ate it warm, with ice cream after dinner tonight and our neighbor took home several pieces (guarding the dish on his lap as he left on his tractor...ha ha ha).

Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a round 9" x 2" cake pan with vegetable spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and then spray it again.

BOILED SYRUP TOPPING
1 cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup cold water
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3 cups blueberries (thaw and drain if frozen)

Arrange the blueberries in the bottom of the parchment lined cake pan, set aside. In a heavy bottomed 2 quart sauce pan, stir the sugar, lemon juice and cold water together. Bring to a boil over medium high heat (occasionally brush the walls of the pan with a wet pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals). Boil on medium heat, stirring once in a while, until it starts to turn amber. Watch carefully, because once it starts to turn color, because it will darken quickly. Pour evenly over the blueberries and set aside.

CAKE
1½ cups all purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
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In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon together, set aside. In another small bowl, mix milk and vanilla extract, set aside.
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With electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter for one minute, or until it is light and fluffy; add brown sugar and beat on high for 3 minutes. Reduce speed and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl once in a while.
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Now you need to mix in the milk mixture and the flour mixture, but make sure you alternate (dry...milk...dry...milk etc.). Scrape down the bowl and give it one final mix but don't mix too long. Pour the batter over the blueberries.

Bake at 350F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean (it takes 45 minutes in my oven). Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge to loosen, then invert on a serving plate and peel off the parchment paper. Cool, this is excellent with ice cream.

NOTE: Do not make this in a springform pan because the sauce might leak out.

NOTE: The berries appear quite wet when you first invert the cake, but as it cools off, the sauce thickens considerably.

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Bizu Macarons: Food Review + 1st Weekday Potluck

For the past few weeks, my sis has been spoiling us with everything sweet and yummy that she could find at S&R, most of which are what you would call incredibly irresistible belly busters. They make you fat, they tempt you even in the wee hours of the night, and I have established a love/hate relationship with them. But there are also times when she brings home a real treat such as this box of

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Homemade Salt and Pepper Potato Chips

What do you do when you have a lot of potatoes and you're craving for a light snack? Make homemade potato chips! It's just an experiment though, since I miss eating the potato chips sold at our school. I used to watch the lady slice up big potato pieces with her mandolin slicer on the spot, then dropping them all on the deep frier. After a few minutes, out come crisp potato slices with the

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BARBECUE SAUCE

We love this barbecue sauce; I can't remember exactly where I found it, but it is a keeper. I usually double this recipe then store it in mason jars in the fridge. It lasts for weeks. It is a thinner sauce than some of the ultra-thick commercial sauces, but we like that. It is light, smokey, sweet and delicious. It is awesome for pulled pork too.

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons white sugar
5 tablespoons brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar)
1½ teaspoons black pepper
1½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
1½ teaspoons dry onion powder (not onion salt)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Mix well and simmer (uncovered) for 1½ hours, cool before using. This sauce smells a little vinegar-y while cooking, but the final product is on the sweet side. I like making it a day ahead and storing it in the fridge to let the flavors blend, but that isn't totally necessary.

NOTE: If you like "heat" in your barbecue sauce, just add a little red pepper flakes to the recipe.

NOTE: I often cook this in the crockpot, on high for about 3 hours with the lid propped open a little, with a spoon.

This recipe makes 3 cups of sauce.

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Chatpata Mushroom Tikka

Mushrooms are a hot favorite for my hubby always , he always prefers to have mushroom soup but recently I wanted to surprise him with mushroom tikka. Mushrooms are highly nutritious too and make a excellent appetizer.

Ingredients

• 200 gms button mushroom
• 1 large capsicum ( bell pepper)
• 1 onion
• 1 tomato

To marinade

• 1 cup curd
• 1 tbsp cream
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1/2 tsp amchur powder (dry mango)
• 1/2 tsp black salt
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp tandoori masala
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• salt to taste

( Click all images for enlarged view )

Cooking Procedure

Wash the mushroom in luke warm water nicely, pat it with dry cloth and cut them in big chunks in 2-4 pieces accordingly

Cut the bell pepper 1 inch size , onion and tomato in similar size

Mix all the ingredients to marinade in a bowl and mushroom nicely with other above vegetables. Let it sit for 20 min

Grease the grill rack or tawa with oil, prick through all the vegetables with mushroom with a wooden grill stick and place it on the grill rack. Spray some oil over the stick.If you are using a grill you can cover it.

Turn it every two minutes until it begins to have a light golden brown color on all sides.

Serve hot with a little tangy lemon juice.

I am sending this recipe to a wonderful event "Dish it out" by Vardhini and guest hosted by Kalyani

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Ukoy Kalabasa (Squash Fritters)

I grew up eating two kinds of ukoy (also known as okoy in some places). The more popular one which I so totally love eating in trips to the provinces is the ukoy hipon, made from small shrimps with their heads and shells still on, and battered with a crisp mixture that I often enjoy piping hot with a spicy vinegar dip.






There's also the ukoy kalabasa, a much less crisp than their shrimp

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EASY CHOCOLATE PUDDING

I have been trying chocolate pudding recipes for several months now. While the "task" of taste tasting a variety of pudding recipes has been entertaining, I am happy to say my search is over. Today's chocolate pudding post is deliciously smooth and creamy, it is perfect. Even picky-picky husband gave it a thumbs up!!

½ cup brown sugar (I used dark)
3 rounded tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup cornstarch
pinch salt
(2) 12 ounce cans evaporated milk  (not low fat) (see note below)
1 tablespoons strong coffee
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together until there are no lumps (this will also help incorporate it into the liquids).  Whisk in the evaporated milk and coffee, until smooth.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula. When the mixture starts to thicken, turn the heat down to medium low. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking, stirring constantly (in figure 8 motion), for one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into dessert dishes and place plastic wrap or waxed paper directly on the surface of the hot pudding so it doesn't form a "pudding skin" while it is cooling.  Chill completely and serve with whipped cream.


NOTE: This recipe can be made using whole milk, but the evaporated milk gives it a much creamier taste and texture, I was very surprised at the difference it makes.

NOTE: As a child, my mother used evaporated milk a lot (even in our cereal!!), so I don't have many fond memories of that taste. However, there is NO evaporated milk "taste" in this final pudding, instead, the creaminess really comes through (so much more so than with regular milk).

NOTE: The chocolate intensity of this pudding is what I would call  "medium". If you like a pronounced chocolate flavor, I suggest you use HEAPING tablespoons of cocoa powder instead of rounded tablespoons.

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Homemade Puto - Cheese, Blueberry, Honey Almond

Yes, it's my first time to make homemade puto, also known as rice cakes. We've made them before in cooking class back in high school, but of course back then we just let the active groupmates do the work. :) Now I really appreciate puto - to be honest I am not fond of these unless they are made with milk in them, as many stores fail to do. I want my rice cakes to be fluffy yet creamy, unlike

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Max's Chicken All You Can 2011!

After a few days of burning my eyebrows trying to comprehend and manipulate html, I finally have a new layout and a new post! Alex and I have dined over at Max's two weeks ago to avail their Chicken All You Can, a promo where you can stuff your face with all the nice, freshly cooked chicken parts in their glory. I wondered why I wasn't able to post this immediately, but it's better late than

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INDIVIDUAL POTATOES AU GRATIN

Whether you are "empty nesters", newly weds or single, this scaled down recipe is easy, tasty and reheats well too!! The ingredients listed below make six individual au gratins. We found that two of these were perfect for each adult, but the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

2 large russet potatoes
1/2 cup grated Colby Jack cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream (per portion)
1/2 cup finely chopped ham or crisp bacon

Peel the potatoes and put them in the food processor along with the ham (or bacon). Pulse the potatoes and ham just until you get pieces about the same size as medium hashbrown chunks. Remove from the food processor and stir in the cheese and salt and pepper.



Spray your cupcake pan with cooking spray and fill each section to the top (patting down VERY lightly). Pour 2 full tablespoons heavy cream over each portion. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes (take the foil off the last two or three minutes and put under the broiler to give them some color).

Remove from oven and let them sit for about 5 minutes before lifting them out of the pan with a large spoon.


These are deliciously creamy, cheesy and "ham-y"; they will go with almost anything. Recipe makes six portions. One portion is perfect for children, but adults can easily eat two portions.

IMPORTANT: If you are using a standard cupcake tin, put a baking sheet under the pan because the cream tends to bubble up a little during cooking.

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SUPER QUICK BBQ SAUCE

I have an admission to make and, in a round about way, it has something to do with today's recipe. The last few years I have suffered from agoraphobia. I panic at the thought of going out in public. I used to love shopping for groceries every two or three days, now I have to force myself out of the house every 7 to 10 days (and then it ends up being a speed trip out and back). There is no reason for this (late in life) development; it is what it is, I guess; I try not to worry about it.

Because of this "disorder", I find myself running out of key recipe ingredients more than I care to. That's where today's recipe comes in.  We planned on cooking outdoors yesterday and I was out of BBQ sauce, so I  tried this recipe. It is made out of common, everyday ingredients,(a good thing for ME) and it is delicious!! I highly recommend it.

1 cup ketchup
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I used dark brown)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon DRY mustard powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Simmer all of the ingredients for a couple of minutes, then cool.  It couldn't be easier!!!

NOTE: Recipe calls for 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Hubby likes a sweeter BBQ sauce, so I used 3 tablespoons.

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Pata Tim (Pork Knuckles in Sweet Anise Sauce)

When you're watching your weight, and your health, you are told to stay away from anything fatty which of course puts the nice little slabs of pork in the hotseat. While we always keep that in mind, and we seldom have anything with visible fat in them, we do indulge ourselves every once in a while (around three months or so..) in those nice, juicy, and oh so tender pork parts called pata,

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THE EASIEST JAM FILLING IN THE WORLD

I enjoy using good quality jam between cake layers or in jelly roll cakes. It is sweet, fruity, holds up well in the heat and always goes over well with guests. It DOES have two minor problems though. The first one is that jam sometimes "bleeds" into the cake and the second one is that the layers tend to slip-slide on each other a little. This recipe eliminates both of those problems!!

TWO SIMPLE INGREDIENTS!!

(1) jar of Polaner all fruit jam
(1) small box of same flavor jello

The recipe called for Polaner all fruit jam, which I couldn't find. I used a 12 ounce jar of strawberry jam and a small box of strawberry jello (any flavor jam with complimentary jello flavor will work).

Heat the jam in the microwave for about a minute, or until it is warm and soft. Stir in the DRY JELLO and mix well. Cool to room temperature then spread between cake layers.

As unlikely as it sounds, the jello gives the jam a brighter flavor. It isn't overly sweet (as you would suspect) but it has a pronounced fruit flavor. 

There are tons of possibilities with all of the new Jello flavors that are available now. I can see using  blueberry, grape, raspberry, peach and pineapple, etc. Why not peanut butter cake with a jam filling?

I found this great idea on a wonderful recipe site called What's America Cooking

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Lechon, Grilled Chicken, and Roast Beef Sushi

While leaving the hypermarket after buying groceries, I was browsing their freshly baked bread section when I found the most interesting things. Small sushi rolls, about four inches in length, with fillings of lechon, grilled chicken, and roast beef. I thought they looked pretty tasty, and even as I try so hard to never be fooled by their bread and pastry's lovely looks, I took home a roll of

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Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts

I love it when my dad brings home food. It's either from Emerald Garden, Aristocrat or from some well off restaurant that he and his business buddies dine in whenever they have their reunions ever since he retired from work last year. But he just went off to fetch a friend from the airport, and he bought two boxes of Original Glazed doughnuts from Krispy Kreme for me and my brothers to devour.

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SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Everyone is familiar with commercial bakery "buttercream" which is commonly made with shortening and it leaves a greasy or waxy film in your mouth, yuck!!  Todays recipe is for a light and fluffy frosting (almost the consistency of whipped cream) called Swiss meringue buttercream. It is the creme de la creme of all frostings and it is slightly sweet and extremely stable.

The recipe has a few steps, but it is well worth the effort and as long as you follow a few tips, it is NOT hard to make.

5 egg whites (from large eggs)
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 pound of UNSALTED sweet cream butter (room temperature)
Small pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Place the egg whites and sugar in a glass or metal bowl (whisk together until well mixed) and place the bowl over a gently simmering pan of water (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water).

Now here is a tip; right after you mix the sugar into the egg whites, press some of the mixture between your fingers and you will feel a grainy texture (remember that feeling). Heat the egg white-sugar mixture (whisking every 30 seconds or so) for about 3 to 5 minutes or until it reaches 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer.  NOTE: If you do not have an instant read thermometer, just heat the mixture until it feels nice and warm (not hot) and you can no longer feel that grainy texture when you press some of it between your fingers. Remove from heat.

Pour the warmed egg white - sugar mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer and attach the wire whisk. Beat the mixture on medium high for 5 to 7 minutes or until the mixture forms a thick and fluffy meringue that is cool to the touch. It is VERY IMPORTANT that the mixture AND the outside of the bowl have cooled down to room temperature.

Stop the mixer and change to the paddle attachment. With your stand mixer at medium speed, start adding the ROOM TEMPERATURE butter, two tablespoons at a time, beating 20 to 30 seconds after each addition. Stop the mixer occasionally and scrape down the sides to make sure everything is mixing well.

After you have added all of the butter, add the extracts and beat on medium high until light and fluffy (another minute or two). Use immediately.

TIP: You want the butter to be at room temperature but not super soft/melty(very important). I cubed the butter when it was COLD and then let it sit on the counter for an hour to insure it would be at room temperature (of course that depends on how warm your house is). Do NOT warm up your butter in the microwave.

This frosting is a dream to work with!!! It is EXCELLENT for borders and trim work (it is VERY stable) and it is very forgiving when doing flat work (smooths easily with a knife).

NOTE:  If you start adding your butter too early (while the meringue is still too warm), the frosting will separate or look curdled.  Don't panic, just keep beating on medium high and it will eventually come back together and whip up correctly, I promise!!

NOTE: Do not use SALTED butter, I tried that once and I was amazed how salty the frosting tasted!!!

Happy Birthday Hubby !!

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Kumato: The Golden Brown Tomato

I have heard about these nice tomatoes before, about three years back, but it was so long since I saw an advertisement for this one again. What strikes me is its rather unusual golden brown color. Back then, I remember advertisements mentioning how much sweeter and juicier they are from the usual plump, sweet red tomatoes available locally in the US and nearby countries.

The local tomatoes here

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McDonald's Quirky Coke Glasses

I hardly go to McDonald's for a meal, except when I have little time left to eat, or when it's the only nearest place to eat in bad weather. We used to go there frequently back then, way before I started cooking. But at some point I wondered how I managed to eat those greasy, processed meats and salty meals without knowing how exactly they are prepared or what's in them. As a kid my parents used

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Stir-Fried Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is a Chinese dish that showcases different flavors in such lovely harmony. Originally, Kung Pao Chicken has a thick and sticky sauce that clings to the chicken meat, but I doubled the sauce to make it more saucy. I modified this recipe to suit my taste, including pureed black beans (some have escaped the blender's blades), used chili flakes instead of whole chilies, and

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OLD FASHIONED BANANA SPLIT

Summer is in full swing with weekend barbecues and family reunions.  So what could be better, after a hot afternoon of grilling, than good old fashioned banana splits for dessert? These FAST and EASY home made toppings will take your ice cream desserts to a whole new level of yummy-ness !!

FUDGE TOPPING

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 and 2/3 cups white sugar
1 and ¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, combine the cocoa, sugar and milk. Bring it to a boil (stirring) and let it boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Tastes good warm or cold.


FRESH STRAWBERRY TOPPING
1 pound ripe strawberries (washed and hulled)
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chop the strawberries into medium size pieces (I use the food processor) and cook them in a heavy bottomed sauce pan with the water and sugar until it gets nice and thick. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and chill.


PRALINE TOPPING (this is sinfully delicious!!)
¼ cup butter
1¼ cups brown sugar (packed)
16 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
dash of salt
1 cup of evaporated (canned) milk
½ cup toasted pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar, marshmallows, syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for one minute. Remove from heat and cool for five minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, nuts and vanilla, mix well. This is good warm or cold.

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Meaty Roast Eggplant Fritata

It's been so long since I last posted here. I was busy with an exam that would be the start of my future career, and I didn't want to compromise it. But here I am again, and I started everything off by cooking a simple breakfast this morning. It's herby, meaty, and has a lot less salt and oil than the usual fritata.




A fritata is a way of cooking scrambled eggs with additional ingredients

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