I’ve first tasted this dessert a couple of weeks ago during a family friend’s graduation picnic and I can’t seem to get enough of this simple, easy and oh! so heavenly, Mango Float! The twist in this version is that I’ve used Original Flavoured SkyFlakes Crackers, most recipes use Graham Crackers. I prefer SkyFlakes as it tends to hold its shape well and doesn’t have that “too soggy” feel to it while you’re eating it.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !!!!
Finally, I got the time now to sit down after 5 hours of hovering around the kitchen, it took that long for this simple Christmas dinner menu that I’ve planned for today as it included a never ending photo session while prepping and cooking. My stovetop at the moment is busted, freaky really….when you turn “on” one, the top right turns “on” too even though its knob is off. I have to endure cooking in a portable electric stove that takes ages to heat up. I’ve also triggered the smoke alarms in our house several times while roasting the chickens, Mr. Adventurous and Miss M took turns waving tea towels to get rid of the smoke….hehehehehe!
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of December 2010 is CHRISTMAS HOMEMADE FOODIE GIFTS.
Lenguas de Gato (Cat’s Tongue Cookies) are a favourite Christmas cookie treats in the Philippines. It is also a favourite “pasalubong” (foodie gift/treat) that are sold in bus terminals and roadside pasalubong stalls. Usually presented in a clear plastic jars with yellow lid and uniformly arranged. The Lenguas de Gato that I know in my childhood have a very fragile crispy texture with that rich buttery taste. This recipe comes very close to what I remember it suppose to be.
Finally!!!! Here’s my revised Leche Flan Chiffon Cake Recipe. The first version I’ve posted needed some tweaking and thanks to Betty Q, I have resolved the problem with regards to the chiffon cake layer. I have used a different Leche Flan recipe this time that doesn’t include the egg whites…I totally much prefer the pure egg yolk version. I hope you truly enjoy trying out this recipe as this is definitely a “keeper”.
Betty Q is a “bloggerista commenter” legend if you haven’t known yet. Cusinera is one of her avid fans=) I saw Betty Q’s comments in Market Manila and I can’t help but be drawn into her as she leaves tips, recipes and foodie ideas that sprung into her mind (may it be while relaxing in her bath or searching through her Tupperware containers for recipes). She has graces Busog! Sarap! a few times and have been leaving valuable tips in different food blogs here and there. What makes me a fan of her is that, she unselfishly shares her recipes, tips and cooking knowledge whenever she can. I think she’s a foodie angel and I dedicate this post to you (Betty Q)…my way of saying A BIG BIG THANKYOU!!!! *HUGS*
Leche Flan is the Filipino equivalent to Crème Caramel but because of the higher content of egg yolks, it’s more richer and heavier. Most Filipinos have a sweet tooth and Leche Flan is one of the favourites when it comes to dessert. It is serve during special occasions (eg. fiestas, birthdays and family gatherings) and eaten in small portions….
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of November 2010 is RELLENO FILIPINO DISHES.
I’ve chosen to make Rellenong Bangus (Filipino Stuffed Milkfish) as it holds the greatest challenge for me and I needed to improve the recipe I’ve used previously which was 2 years ago. That is what’s good about Kulinarya Cooking Club, it gives me a reason to pick up a neglected recipe that I swear I would never do again because it is so damn hard to prepare. The stuffing is much tastier this time and the process of extracting the fish meat out of the Bangus is a lot quicker. I’ve done a post separately for the Prepping of the Bangus before the stuffing and cooking process as I want to show how it is done. Preparing Rellenong Bangus for the first time was really scary for me 2 years ago….just relying on just text instructions (I am more of a visual person, that’s the reason why Busog! Sarap! is full of pictures=P). So, I do hope that by giving as much details more people would try out this beautiful dish….
Bangus (Milkfish) is a common fish variety in the Philippines. One famous Filipino dish that can be created with this bony fish is Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milkfish). This dish is usually served during special occasions as preparing for this dish is very time consuming. One shortcut you can make (if you’re residing in the Philippines) is to find a fishmonger that specialises on extracting the flesh and guts of the Bangus (Milkfish), leaving the skin and head intact. But for me, here in “Down Under”….there’s no such luck on finding a fishmonger that will make my prepping of Rellenong Bangus any easier. This is actually my second attempt on prepping Bangus for this dish (1st attempt was about 2 years ago=P). It was a bit easier this second time around as I know now what to do (kind of ;P). I hope this stage by stage pictures will help anyone who wants to attempt to tackle this messy job.
Finally my KitchenAid Saga has finally ended…..after 3rd replacement…..4th replacement, I’ve finally found a mixer that I can call my own. As you can see I’ve chosen Boysenberry, I love the colour…different, but not over the top. After Appliance Surplus, I opted for E & S Trading in desperation…but the first one they’ve sent (my 3rd mixer) got scratches around the base, they have to send a replacement for me, mind you they did a good job searching their stock for a 98% flawless one. I concluded now that there’s no such thing as a flawless KitchenAid mixer and I should know=P My advice for KitchenAid is to bubble wrap their mixers so that during shipping, anything that is loose inside the box won’t have the space to jiggle around the box. E & S Trading even went to overdrive on finding me my 4th mixer (their 2nd mixer) so that it will arrive by my birthday last month. I swear….my early birthday present that I bought initially last June….finally arrived (a mixer that I can be happy with) on the afternoon of my birthday. After this KitchenAid nightmare, the glitz and glamour of acquiring a KitchenAid Mixer has long gone lost its lustre, but there’s hope….as I use BBlicious now, am growing fond of her and I know in the future she’ll (yes, a girl) be one of my major kitchen pal.
I have a very soft spot in regards to Chefs….good chefs, I mean=) I like German and French Chefs in particular. Inside a commercial kitchen most people are not aware of, people that works there mostly possess great humour to alleviate the long hours of tiring work. I greatly missed the jokes peppered with foul language and the camaraderie that is so strongly felt inside the kitchen. Earning respect inside the kitchen is like a rite of passage….once the Head Chefs (the good ones) finds you got potential, they will nurture you to be the best on your field and its up to you to make it a success. It’s like a parent seeing his/her offspring’s potential and offering the best chances to be successful in life….that’s how I felt when I had the chance working in a commercial kitchen. If you are weak and only do this kind of work because there’s nothing else on offer…they will easily detect you and chew you up and spit you out and leave you on the kerbside. You have to have the passion, the calling…..dedication and commitment in order to be a successful Chef.
Last night was the Tribe’s First Halloween Bash and it went really ghoulishly good! We invited a small group of Witches, Draculas and other night freaks with multi coloured hairs. Mr. H set up our projector to screen “Hocus Pocus” for our little scary guests viewing pleasure. It was a fun night at the Tribe’s spooky garage, when the movie finished, the little critters got their buckets filled to the brim with lollies/candies before they went home.
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of October 2010 is SUMAN (Steamed Sticky Rice Wrapped In Banana Leaf).
Suman (Steamed Sweet Sticky Rice Rolls) are totally different from the sticky rice kakanin (native dessert/snack) that are baked or steamed in pans lined up with banana leaves and have a sweet glaze topping. You can tell Suman from it’s casing of banana leaves or young coconut leaves. They can be in cylindrical, square or triangular forms. Different regions in the Philippines offers their own take on Suman. Some even use grated cassava and millet seeds to make their Suman.
Mr. Adventurous celebrated his 4th Birthday a couple of weeks ago, and time flies so fast… my once chubby baby with rosy plump cheeks is now a little man, bursting with energy and eager to do things in his own little way. He tries to wiggle his way out whenever I gather him in my arms and shower him with kisses but still sleeps in his little bed next to ours holding my hand. From the moment he’s wide awake in the morning till he fall asleep at night, he won’t sit still even for a minute except of course if he finds the DVD movie currently playing engrossing! He’s the self appointed noisy maker in the TRIBE….full of imagination and mischief and Mr. H have to admit, Mr. Adventurous got it from me but 2x up the notch.
Lately, the TRIBE’s choice of dessert is Almond Jelly with Fruit Salad (Canned). I’m always left with the syrup/juice from the Fruit Salad and can’t bear to throw it away, so I freeze them in takeaway containers for future use. As I browse on the internet, I happen to find recipes of Pata Hamonado using different kinds of syrups/juice from canned fruits. I usually use Pineapple Juice for Hamonado but feeling adventurous last week, I’ve defrosted my spare big pork hock and Fruit Salad syrup/juice for this recipe.
It’s been almost been almost 2 months now since my update on my Kitchen Aid misfortune…KitchenAid Saga Part 1 and now, you might either laugh or cry at/with me! I don’t know why it has to happen to me twice but it did….I think pictures can say a thousand words than me typing negative “underwear falling” descriptive words how unlucky I am, so see for yourself...
The TRIBE went to Fortitude Valley a couple of Saturdays ago, to visit Best Friends Supermarket (Filipino Groceries) for much needed Filipino ingredients. We only go to Fortitude Valley when I really need to replenish my pantry cupboard, as the parking on weekdays or weekend can be so expensive. That’s the main reason why I love Sunnybank and Inala, you can forget the time while browsing, as you don’t have to worry about how much they’ll $ slap you in parking when you go home because it’s free.
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of September 2010 is SPANISH INSPIRED FILIPINO DISHES.
Camaron Rebosado (Filipino Battered Prawns) are prawns that’s unshelled with tails on and are marinated with calamansi juice and salt. They are then coated in batter and deep fried till crispy. It is served with Sweet and Sour Sauce, thanks to the Chinese influence in Filipino Cuisine. In Spanish they call their Battered Prawns as Gambas Rebozadas and the batter includes saffron powder or dye. As you can see, Filipinos made this dish unique by adding the twist of the citrus/salt marinade before coating the prawns with the batter mixture.
Sweet and Sour Sauce is highly recommended for Camaron Rebosado (Filipino Battered Prawns) and other fried dishes.
Every time the TRIBE goes to Sunnybank for our usual Asian food fix lately, I often notice this newly opened Japanese Eatery, with it’s TV monitors featured wall on the side. So intrigue that I dragged the TRIBE one weekday night, to check it out instead of going straight to Little Hongkong. The food that they served were displayed in front of the shop, mind you it was not those plastic models…they were plated real food with name tags and prices. You have to select your dishes and drinks, right there and then..and pay for it before you can get to sit on your assigned table. Cusinera felt a bit pressured and just pointed out left and right on the menu displayed on the counter without thinking. Before I know it, the bill came to around AUD$80+, a bit pricey on a small eatery. I was so rushed and disoriented that I even forgot to ask for my receipt, they didn’t offer to give me one anyway. It was not a busy night, I felt that they were just eager for us to pay and sit down for the meals.
Last Thursday night (26 August), I had the pleasure of joining a wonderful group of people for their monthly Taste Wine & Cooking Club get together at the popular Fortitude Valley cookware and homeware retailer Taste.
I was graciously invited by Jill Morrison as a guest for their Asian theme that night and how could I resist? Of course I jumped for the chance of meeting like-minded people. Cusinera was there at 7pm on the dot (I don’t want to be late!) with Adobo Chicken Wings and Baked Cassava (Cassava Bibingka) in tow. Of course the Filipino in me can’t resist introducing Filipino dishes in any opportunity (excuse?) I can get=)
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of August 2010 is SPRING ROLLS (Lumpia).
Spring Rolls in Philippine’s cuisine are served mainly as snack and appetizers. In Cusinera’s world, I call the savoury kind as Lumpia and the sweet versions as Turon. In the savoury Lumpia, there are two kinds…the fried ones and the fresh version. The fresh version is called Lumpiang Sariwa, made up of sautéed vegetables with some mince pork or chopped prawns thrown in. Wrapped in a freshly made thin crepe with some frilly lettuce leaf and topped with a sweet sauce infused with minced garlic and sprinkled with coarsely chopped peanuts. But if it is served on top of a lettuce leaf minus the crepe wrapper, it is called Lumpiang Hubad (Naked Fresh Spring roll). In the fried version, we got the Lumpiang Shanghai which is made up of ground beef or pork, beaten egg, seasonings, minced onion and carrots, rolled into mini spring rolls. Then we move on to the bigger fried version….Lumpiang Togue (Beansprout) or Lumpiang Gulay (Vegetables) which in Malabon are called Sumpia, with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce and can be paired with Lugaw (Filipino Congee).
Chili & Garlic Vinegar Dipping Sauce is highly recommended for Beansprout Springrolls (Lumpiang Togue or Sumpia), Chicharon (Pork Crackling) and Fish or Squid Balls.
I always go to Inala Civic Centre almost every weekend and last week, to my delight, I found some freshly boiled BALUT!
Balut is a boiled fertilized duck egg with an early stage developed embryo. In the Philippines, Balut are sold around late afternoon till early morning as street food. They are kept warm in large cane basket with heavy cloth insulation alongside Penoy (an infertile incubated duck egg). Rumoured to be an aphrodisiac, giving “strong knees” for the male species as old people use to say in the Philippines. You can spot Balut vendors around bus terminals, jeepney stops and outside the cinemas. Other vendors choose to walk the streets with a familiar sing song chant of “BAAaaaluuuut, PEeeenoOY! Bili na kayo nang BAAaaluuuut, PEeeenoOY!” (Balut, Penoy! Buy some Balut, Penoy!).
Puto (Filipino Steamed Cakes) is one of the most missed Kakanin (Filipino native treats) by Filipinos around the world. The authentic Puto is basically made with ground rice (galapong bigas). The rice is soaked overnight to allow natural fermentation before grinding into a fine textured slurry. This mixture is then combined with sugar for sweetness and then steamed. Once people add or replace different ingredients in this Basic Puto, then the end products are then called differently. To name a few…Puto Pandan (pandan flavour), Puto Ube (purple yam flavour), Puto Bumbong (purple rice steamed in bamboo tubes) and Puto Lanson (grated cassava and coconut).
About a month ago, I finally got one of my foodie dreams fulfilled….. I got myself a KitchenAid Mixer!!! I’ve been to David Jones, Myer and Hospitality Stores here in Brisbane but their prices were a bit on the expensive side. I’ve browsed through the internet and found Appliance Surplus. I bought mine for less than AUD$600 with free shipping. They have their own warranty and have a great customer service through email.
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of July is GUINATAAN/GINATAAN (Coconut Milk/Cream based dishes).
The Coconut Tree plays a very important role in Philippine cuisine, there are many uses from its roots to the leaves, that’s why it is rightly called the “Tree of Life”. Coconut Trees are very abundant in the Philippines and because it’s readily available, different regions boasts Guinataan/Ginataan specialties, from sweet to savoury…you have to be amazed on the variety on offer.
First week of June was when we celebrated Mr. H’s Birthday. Two weeks before as I was starting to prep for the Barrio Fiesta Adventure, he made quite a few “lambing” hints that he wants a small party for his birthday as his age got a “0” in the end now. Cusinera and Mr. H hardly held parties for our special days as we tend to celebrate Miss M and Mr. Adventurous birthdays in massive cook fest every year. On our two special days plus our anniversary most of the time every year we either go out or just buy a cake and cook pancit for that night. As for presents, we do that the whole year round, things we really, “Really” (that’s with capital R) like! I’m not a flower person… it dies, give me a spatula, a chef’s knife or even cupcake liners and I will really adore them. Mr. H on the other hand have a different taste….bit expensive, mind you! Michael Jordan shoes… you will see twinkle in his eyes!!!! I bet if he was offered the entire collection of Jordan shoes, he’ll trade me for the set, LOL!
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of June 2010 is INIHAW (Pinoy Bbq/Grill).
Pinoy BBQ/GRILL is an everyday affair in the Philippines. During parties, Pork Bbq Sticks is a must on the table, like Pancit (Noodles) and if we move outdoors in the Philippines…..now we are talking serious Pinoy BBQ/GRILL on offer as street foods. You will see the IUD (Marinated Chicken Intestine), ISAW NANG BABOY (Marinated Pork Intestine), HELMET (Marinated Chicken Head), BALAT (Pork Skin), ADIDAS (Marinated Chicken Feet), BETAMAX (Steamed Cubes of Pork Blood), WALKMAN (Pig’s Ears), PORK BBQ STICKS and DRIED SQUID….. and yes! I confess that I eat most of them, yum! yum! yum!
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of May 2010 is PANCIT (Noodles).
Filipinos have this forever love affair with “Pancit” (Noodles) since the Chinese introduced it to the Philippines Cuisine. Different regions of the country have Pancit specialties that they proudly call their own. Filipino Pancit dishes ranges from soupy, sticky to dry. My two favourites from all of them are the Pancit Bihon and Pancit Malabon. Pancit can be served as a snack or a main meal, always present during Filipino birthday celebrations as it symbolizes long life.
One of my all time favourite seafood dish is Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo). I happen to spot some baby squids in Inala and can’t resist on making Squid Adobo. The baby squids were just a bit bigger than my thumb and it was a killer cleaning them out, removing the mouth and guts, taking out carefully the ink sacs (very important for the broth). Took me awhile just cleaning a small bowl of baby squids but it reminds me of the small fresh squids that my “Lola C” (grandmother) cooks in Navotas were I spent most of my elementary school vacations. I remember fondly, seafood vendors that drop by in my Lola C’s Sari-sari Store, offering freshly caught assorted seafood stored in their plastic buckets, sometimes I get lucky and get the chance to observe live fish swimming in a bucket before it becomes our lunch for that day.
Baked Tahong (Baked Mussels) is a regular dish every time we celebrate someone’s birthday in the TRIBE. I usually buy those New Zealand frozen cleaned half shelled mussels for this recipe but during the Easter Holidays I ventured out to the Australian uncleaned variety, which I explained how I cleaned these yummy morsels in my Deep Fried Battered Mussels post.
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of April 2010 is POLVORON.
Polvoron (Pulvoron/Pulboron/Pulburon), is a sweet moulded treat that consist of toasted flour, margarine or butter, sugar and powdered milk. The flavours that are on offer nowadays are extensive, to name a few add on ingredients……pinipig (toasted pounded young rice), different nuts, cookies, cereals and Milo. I’ve seen some pictures of Polvorons that are coated in white or dark chocolate, personally I haven’t tasted those kinds yet but they look delicious!
During the long Easter Holiday period, we had the chance to go to our two favourite seafood places, Fish Factory and Raptis. Because they are only a few blocks away from each other we had the time to compare prices before buying our items. We bought some octopus, uncleaned mussels, banana prawns, cooked Moreton bay bugs, a dozen Sydney oysters, marinara mix and salmon pieces. The Moreton bay bugs and oysters, Mr. H and Miss M ate that evening with some vinegar dip, they love those stuff (I don’t particularly like eating raw oysters, I get goose bumps on the back of my neck every time I eat them!). The rest of the seafood I have cooked one by one during that Easter weekend. I’ll be posting the recipes I’ve used during this coming 2 weeks (I’m giving myself a deadline…LOL!).
Ensaladang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Salsa) is always good as a side dish for grilled or fried fish/meat dishes. This Filipino side dish recipe varies, as you know Philippines is made up of different regions, all this regions have different take on ingredients. In Laguna, my relatives make this with soy sauce or vinegar with a squeeze of calamansi and the eggplants are grilled over charcoal. In Navotas, this side dish is mixed with fish sauce and eggplants can be either boiled or grilled. What ever the sauce, the main components must be there, shredded eggplant flesh, tomatoes and onions to be called Ensaladang Talong.
Eggplants are my favourite in the vegetable kingdom, give me fried slices of eggplant and a fish sauce/calamansi or lemon juice dipping sauce, with steamed rice and I’m in 7th heaven. I had this crazy craving for fried eggplants with fish sauce during my first pregnancy (Miss M). I was so addicted to it that my Mom told me if I eat too much my baby will have purple spots all over its body. But of course, Miss M didn’t have any purple spots….it’s just an old Filipino wives' tale that if you eat certain things when you’re pregnant, in the end your baby will resemble it in some ways.
Last night, the TRIBE decided to eat at the Railway Asian (Filipino) Take Away in Zillmere. As we live on the other side of Brisbane River, we called up ahead of time…first to find out if there’s any seats available as it is a small shop and because we’ve been there a couple of times we ordered our dishes ahead of time, so we don’t have to wait that long. Sadly, Brisbane only have a handful of Filipino Eating Places and most of them disappears over time. The TRIBE haven’t yet tried the Gold Coast ones, but hopefully soon.
Here’s another Philippines homemade ice block flavour that is quite popular, mango ice candy. What is so good about making ice candy is you can use any fruits that is in season and very economical if you have a large family. Making this mango ice candy is like just making a large batch of smoothie without the ice. You can add more sugar if you want a more sweeter version and adding more mango make the flavour more intense.
Kulinarya’s theme for the month of March 2010 is EMPANADA.
This Spanish influenced dish is always a favourite in parties and as a snack. Filipino Empanada can be sweet or savoury and usually fried as most Filipinos doesn’t have an oven at home. I tried to be daring during the week and attempted the Ilocano Empanada, twice…. both were miserable failures and went straight to the bin. One thing I’ve learned, no recipes in the web works and if you don’t have the right ingredients for the filling, forget about it. Wait till you can go back to the Philippines and eat all the Ilocano Empanadas you want. For those who are not aware of Ilocano Empanadas, they are deep fried big crispy orange empanadas, filled with mung (monggo) beansprout, shredded unripe papaya/pawpaw, Ilocano longganisa and whole egg, served with Ilocano native vinegar…..just thinking about it makes me drool!
My plan B was this Pork Empanada Recipe, with buttery pastry and savoury/sweet filling, what more could you want….so sinful, I tell you!
I have been sad for the past couple of days as my old faithful Kambrook handheld mixer died, as I was beating my pancake batter. Stupid of me really, as it was entirely my fault! I was scraping the sides of the bowl with a soup spoon and it accidentally caught up between the beaters and one of them fell off. The plastic tube where you insert the beater broke into pieces. I took it apart, as I’m like a MacGyver in some lucky occasions but this time it can’t be fixed with dabs of super glue. Writing my “wants” in my Momofuku’s Fried Chicken Wings post, I think have totally jinxed me…… Now I’m like a cowboy without a gun.
That little second-hand peach colour handheld mixer (late 70’s~early 80’s model) was only bought for AUD$5.00 in a garage sale, 6 years ago. It was suppose to be a temporary mixer, but it ended up my favourite kitchen tool. A couple of times Mr. H told me to buy a newer one but I keep on knocking back buying a new one as I like my treasured bargain helper very much. Now I’m lost……missing my little kitchen friend a lot =(.
Melon Ice Candy (Rockmelon Ice Candy) is one of the examples of Philippines homemade “ice blocks” (as we call it in Australia). This is the domestic ones, poured in long clear plastics and tied snugly so that the overall cylindrical shape is plump and not limp, as it affects its appearance once frozen. When I was young, I use to hanged a piece of cardboard in our gate with “Ice Candy For Sale 50c” when I have that entrepreneur bug that shows up every once in a while. Usual flavour I sell was rockmelon as it is the easiest Ice Candy to make. Little kids use to knock on our door to buy some of this icy treats and I usually skipped myself afterwards to the “Sari-sari Store” (mini shop that sells everything) to buy me some “lollies” (candies).
Shredded Rockmelon Drink (Melon Drink) is always present in our household, chilling in the fridge ready to save us from the heat of Summer every year. It is already Autumn by the way, here in Brisbane and been raining on and off for 2 weeks now. Not complaining about the rain as Queensland needs the rain, specially our dams which is by the way, almost reaching the 100% mark (this event haven’t been seen for years now). But it is still hot because of the high humidity and making ice cold treats makes my days bearable. Okay, let’s go back to what I’m talking about, the Melon Drink…. in the Philippines the term “melon” is used for the rockmelon and “pakwan” term is used for watermelon but in western countries, “melon” is used to describe both of them as a general name. Have I confuse you now? Hehehehehe…….What I like about this drink is the sugar hit you get and the yummy chilled strands of the rockmelon. This is also sold as a street refreshment in the Philippines, displayed in clear barrel like jug alongside buko pandan, buko, pineapple, red gulaman and other colourful flavours. Usually ladled in a clear rectangular plastic bag with a straw, with one hand you hold the plastic bag halfway and sip this chilled drink through the straw to your heart’s content while you walk.
Since I’ve started food blogging late last year, I have been reading a lot of rave reviews about Momofuku’s Fried Chicken and its Octo Vinaigrette sauce. Mind you, I’ve also search how much that Momofuku Cookbook is, and at the moment I don’t have the ‘moolah’ ($) for it, wish I did. I’m still trying to save for my ultimate two wants…..a Kitchen Aid mixer and a Canon DSLR (I got a looooong way to go, btw!). But the stars were smiling at me and I found a site that provide extracts of the Momofuku Cookbook….original recipes of Momofuku’s Fried Chicken and Octo-vinaigrette links can be found here.
Since I can remember, my favourite Japanese takeaway is Pork Katsu Curry. It consist of steamed round grain rice, crumbed pork (sliced lengthwise), a curry sauce with bits ‘n’ pieces of potatoes and carrots and a very small garnish of red pickled vegetables on top. Usually served in a big plastic bowl with lid, every time I eat this yummy meal outside and I can’t seem to finish it all, my habit is to place the lid back and take it home. Mr. H thinks I’m funny in the head, every time I do this routine but I like this meal that much that am too happy to reheat it later and eat the leftovers in front of the TV.
I was very intrigue in making a Ilocano Pinakbet (vegetables/pork or fish/fish bagoong, boiled in its own juices) for a long time. Every time I cook “Tagalog Pinakbet”, Mr. H always tell me that’s not how you cook Pinakbet in Ilocos. Unfortunately during my holidays in the Philippines, I never have the chance on trying a Ilocano Pinakbet version. The “Tagalog Pinakbet” version that I grew up with was sautéed and cooked with shrimp paste (bagoong) and adding cubes of pumpkin was normal. In “Ilocano Pinakbet” version they use a special fish bagoong and they don’t stir the ingredients while it’s cooking, they toss the contents inside the pot while cooking and they add “Bagnet” (Ilocano fried chunks of pork) and pumpkin is not included.
Kulinarya’s theme for the of February 2010 is LECHE FLAN.
Almost in any Filipino occasion/party, Leche Flan is always served as a dessert. It resembles closely to Crème Caramel but more richer in taste. Main ingredients are sugar, eggs yolks, evaporated milk and condensed milk. I remember my mother use to cook this with duck eggs as it produce a more silkier texture and deeper rich taste compare to chicken eggs. Traditionally Leche flan are cook in “llaneras” (oblong shaped aluminium tins), caramel syrup first then the custard layer on top and then covered with a sheet of aluminium foil and secured with rubber band and then steamed. Nowadays, you can use any baking pans or ramekins and cook them in water baths in the oven, like cooking crème caramel.
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