Saturday, December 17, 2011

Tsokolate (Filipino Hot Chocolate) 101

Filipinos look forward to Noche Buena, the night-before-Christmas dinner feast when families get together, take pictures (for Facebook, haha) and eat, eat and eat again. Little kids run back and forth to their moms pleading, "Now? Can we open our gifts now?!" while the adults arrange toasts and eat some more. It's pretty much like thanksgiving dinner; the only difference is that Noche Buena is  a dinner after dinner that's held usually close to midnight or after the 9 p.m. Christmas mass.

When our Kulinarya group decided that this month's theme is to share a Noche Buena recipe, a plethora of traditional recipes came parading in my mind. Ham? Well, my father-in-law usually prepares that, and I haven't even made my own homemade recipe yet. Chicken barbeque? I've shared my recipe for chicken barbeque already. The same goes for Sotanghon. I wanted to share something very special to me, like my late father's stuffed chicken but then I remembered that's what I shared on last year's Kulinarya post...  then I thought of sharing with you a holiday drink associated with Christmas which is tsokolate (rich and thick hot chocolate).

Tsokolate eh (cho-koh- lah-teh - eh) or tsokolate-ah (cho-koh-lah-teh-ah) sound like tongue twisters but they are actually two types of a hot chocolate drink in the Philippines.  The former is thicker and richer in texture, while the latter is watered down.  It's usually served in a cupita like the ones shown below. 


This hot chocolate drink is made of cacao balls, which are readily available in local markets in the Philippines.  Imagine my delight when I found a jar filled with cacao balls from my hometown in my  brother in law's pantry in Orlando. Benedict also had different sets of cupitas and batidor (wooden stirrer) to boot. It brought me back to my hot chocolate sipping days with these tiny cups!  But until now I don't know why these cups are so small .  You bet, a cupita is not enough for me haha.


To get an authentic texture, we need a batidor, which is used to make foam and froth.


For this holiday drink, we need 3 cups of milk. Then add cacao balls (normally 5-6 balls depending on whether  you want to make tsokolate-eh or tsokolate-ah). add sugar to taste.  Use the batidor by twirling  it between your hands like so...




Since it's Christmas (who would be thinking of calories and diet at this time of the year, right?) I will be serving my rich chocolate drink not in cupitas but in my Christmas cups... and to add a holiday twist, add whipped cream and cinnamon.  Stir and indulge!


 Maligayang Pasko (Merry Christmas!)


Thursday, December 15, 2011

Pan De Sal (Filipino Bun)

I'm glad you enjoyed the first baking lesson I posted, which I also enjoyed learning from my aunt, Nana Ming.  Now if you missed the first lesson I suggest you scroll down to the previous post and check out Nana Ming's Classic Custard Cake.  It is definitely worth checking out.

For our next lesson, Nana Ming shows us how to make pan de sal (Filipino Bun).  Pan de sal is very much a part of a Filipino breakfast meal or merienda (mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal).  You could have it plain, to dip it in your coffee or tsokolate (hot chocolate) or as a sandwich, the sweet roll filled with your favorite sandwich filling. 


I'm sure most Filipinos have their own pan de sal favorite:  Some spicy Spanish sardines on pan de sal during a rainy day maybe?  Or condensed milk (which is finger-licking good) between the pandesal on a lazy Sunday afternoon... oh how about the soft pan de sal with creamy luscious macapuno ice cream, especially good on a hot summer day.


This versatile bun is sold in every corner bakery in the Philippines. The fresh rolls are packaged in a brown bag, and the scent of freshly baked bread that sneaks out from the bag is delightful. What makes our Filipino bun different is the crusty and powdery top, while at the same time having it soft and fluffy on the inside. And when it's warm and freshly baked... ahh it's definitely like a hug from home.

Before I share with you the recipe, let me thank Nana Ming for sharing it and thanks to my cousin Gigi too.  Gigi actually sent me the video taken during the actual lesson, a portion of it I'm sharing below.  Thank you Gigi for painstakingly recording  and sending me the clips part by part.


Nana Ming's Pan De Sal
Let's get ready with our ingredients.  I grouped and labeled the ingredients together to avoid confusion.  But no worries you'll have hot pan de sal in no time.
    For the yeast mixture:
            1 tbsp of dry yeast
            1 1/3 c (316 ml) luke warm water
            1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) sugar
   Then for the milk mixture
             2 eggs
      1/2 cup ( 118 ml) warm milk

Flour mixture 
     3 1/2 cups (480 grams) all purpose flour (unsifted)
     1/4 cup (32 grams) sugar
      1/3 (43 grams) cup melted butter

 Additional Flour Mixture
1/4 (32 grams) cup bread flour
 1 tablespoon(10 ml) melted butter

Bread Crumbs
1/4 (32 grams) cup bread crumbs

Mix all the ingredients of the yeast mixture and leave it for 5-8 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the eggs and milk.  Check the yeast mixture, if the yeast mixture has bubbles
then the yeast is active.  If there are no bubbles, repeat procedure number 1.

Add the yeast mixture and the second and third group together.  Mix well.
Gradually add the addition flour mixture to the well kneaded dough.
Cover the bowl and place it inside a pre heated oven 180 deg. for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 balls.  Roll each piece into a log.
Slice it diagonally into 8-10 slices for each log.  Slice a little dent on top.  Slightly drench it
with bread crumbs. I suggest you watch the video below:


Arrange the bread in a  pan.  

Leave the pan for another 30 minutes inside the warm oven (180 degrees F).

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees F.



Re-create the pan de sal moment at home... it will surely define a happy breakfast meal.


For my next post, I will share with you what's on that tiny cup beside the basket of pan de sal... til my next post!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

happy thanksgiving

I wanted a fancy spread for my Thanksgiving post.  Perhaps a round up of my previous posts just like what you see in other blogs...


But oh well, I've been busy in the kitchen, and my kids are all here now, so all I want to do is spend every minute I can to be with them.


But then again, Thanksgiving is not all about a fancy spread, it's all about being grateful for all the blessings...


and so I am grateful for the wonderful gifts of family and friends... and to all of you who visit my site regularly I'd like to extend my heartfelt appreciation.


I am grateful for simple joys like the scent of freshly baked almond mini tarts wafting from the kitchen... while enjoying the warmth of being with my family.


Happy Thanksgiving to all. May you find joy and happiness this holiday season...


Thursday, November 17, 2011

Crispy Dinuguan

Friends and family who visit the Philippines, rave about their dining experience at a popular restaurant in Manila called Kanin Club.  The restaurant is known for their modern take on Filipino dishes.  One of the dishes that's wildly talked about is the Crispy Dinuguan. Dinuguan is a savory dish of pork belly mixed with pork blood simmered with vinegar which I posted here  before.  But it seems as though pork belly wasn't enough cholesterol booster so they had to put it a notch higher by deep frying it!    


When I heard about the dish,  I just knew that I had to try it... but yes with my cholesterol pill on the side LOL!  They say that it's basically like a lechon kawali (crispy pork belly) with dinuguan so what I basically did was to marry them both and voila! Crispy Dinuguan indeed!


For the dinuguan recipe click here .
For the lechon kawali click here.

When the dinuguan is cooked, I mixed some lechon kawali bits, let it simmer for a few minutes just enough for the flavor from the fried pork to fuse with the dinuguan.  Set aside some lechon kawali pieces for toppping, so that it would remain it's crispy-ness when eaten.

I haven't been to Kanin Club (it's in my bucket list when I go home to the Philippines)  but this bowl of dinuguan goodness was the star of the dining table when we had it.  YUM!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Squash Bloghop: Squash Curry

Inspired by the numerous posts on the Squash Bloghop event (#squashlove), I was compelled to cook kalabasa (squash) again.  Well it's actually my first time to cook kalabasa as a veggie dish. I've used this in previous posts to make sweets.  Having grown up in the Northern Philippines, I've always associated kalabasa as part of a veggie dish, i.e. pinakbet.  I don't usually cook this popular veggie dish.  First, I don't really care for it (or for most veggies for that matter) and second, it's quite challenging to slice the veggie/fruit.  But upon reading everyone's post for this month's bloghop, off to the lab, aka kitchen, I went and started my own kalabasa experiment.


First, I microwaved the whole kalabasa.  That  instantly solved the problem of slicing the veggie/fruit, as slicing it into halves was made a lot easier. The knife ran through it without much effort. I removed the hairy strings and seeds and microwaved it further to make sure it was cooked. Then I blanched some string beans.  Traditionally in the Philippines kalabasa is paired with string beans.  It's  either sauted or cooked with coconut milk.


Then I poured over some curry sauce (actually it was from chicken curry left over)  But for the curry recipe you may click here.  And the result was a beautiful trio of flavors!


The squash curry was ready in less than 20 minutes. ..
We enjoyed a veggie dish that went well with our fried fish for dinner.  YUM! 


November is #squashlove month! (thank you Junia of Mis Pensiamentos for this fun event, the love is infectious and you could tell by the trail of all the squash links here!)

Please join the #squashove fun by linking up any squash recipe from the month of November 2011. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #squashlove event! The twitter hashtag is #squashlove. :)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

simple homecooked chicken: estofadong manok (chicken stew)


"How come when I cook, it doesn't taste as good as this?" my husband asked me over dinner.

"Uh, I have a secret ingredient" I said.

"What?"

"I  add tons of LOVE"  I said in jest.

Shaking his head he said: "Never mind, I just want to tell you that you have a knack for turning a simple home cooked meal such as this look so special" 

So let me share with you what  my husband calls: simple homecooked meal that look so special... but where  I come from this dish is what we call Estufadong Manok:

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken or leg quarters
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
3-4 tbsp white wine (cane vinegar is used traditionally)
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 stalk celery
2 medium sized carrots
2 medium potatoes, sliced
3 bay leaves
black pepper and salt to taste


Procedure:

Marinate chicken overnight with soy sauce, lemon and pepper.  (You could also shorten this part by marinating  it for 30 minutes  and it should be fine. (Left over Rotisserie Chicken works perfectly for this dish too)


In a pan, brown the potatoes and carrots.  Set aside.  In the same pan, brown  chicken quarters, set aside.  Saute garlic and onions, put back the chicken quarters.  Add a dash of pepper and 2-3 bay leaves.  Give it a quick stir. Add the soy sauce, white wine or vinegar, and chicken stock,Make sure to deglaze the pan.  Those brown bits add flavor.  You may add the celery at this time and throw in some carrots (leave some for later).  Now all you have to do is simmer  it for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.  Bring back the potatoes and carrots until they are cooked. To thicken the sauce, add bread crumbs until you've achieved a slightly thick gravy like sauce.  Enjoy!









Friday, November 4, 2011

Squash Bloghop: Sticky Rice with Pumpkin Coconut Compote

November is studded with family celebrations.  Of course there's Thanksgiving, when all of my kids will be going home, and it's our first in St. Louis.  Also, we will celebrate the birthdays of my two girls.  And one event I am really looking forward to is that I'm off to Orlando to see my Mama who will be flying in from the Philippines.  Along with my brother and aunt, they will be spending the Holidays here in the US.  They are  also here to attend my sister's and brother-in-law's 20th wedding anniversary party, which is turning out to be a huge affair.  My Mama's sisters from Canada are also flying in. I haven't seen my Mama for more than a year.  This is the first time too that all of my mom's sisters will be all together after so many years. Having said that, the excitement is killing me.  My thoughts run faster than my words, or better yet, they run faster than my fingers could strike the right key.

Like most family gatherings, I'm certain the center of activities will be around the dining table and the busiest part of the house will be the kitchen.  One of my aunts is a seasoned caterer in Manila, the other one is a fabulous baker who could compete of the title of being Canada's Cake Boss.  Not to be outdone is my brother in law who has already planned his menu and having my sister taste test his cooking. All of them plus me in the kitchen, I bet we will have our own version of Iron Chef battling in the kitchen stadium.    

And oh btw, we finally "moved"(after 7 weeks in STL) to our new place over the weekend and with the 4000th box (ok, I'm exaggerating, lol!) unpacked, I still managed to have the time to play around with my pumpkin recipe to share with you for this month's Squash Bloghop.  With my mom's pending arrival as my inspiration (and knowing how my mom and her sisters love deko or sticky rice) I tweaked one of my Mama's easy afternoon favorite snack Puto Maya.  Puto Maya is basically sticky rice boiled with coconut milk and topped with freshly grated coconut and sugar.  To make it extra special, and to go with Bloghop's theme this month, I added pumpkin coconut compote.  I bet once I introduce this dessert/snack to my mom and my aunts they will never look at puto maya the same way again, haha.


Sticky Rice with Pumpkin Coconut Compote
for the sticky rice we need:
 Ingredients:
3 cups rice
5 cups water
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cans coconut milk

Procedure:
Soak the rice with water for 20 minutes.  In a pan, pour the rice with water.  Add 2 more cups of water and 1 can of coconut milk, sugar and salt.  Bring it to a boil while stirring continuously to make sure that the rice won't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Continue to cook until the water is absorbed.  Add the other can of coconut milk. Let it simmer and cook until rice is tender but not mushy.  Set aside.

Now for the Pumpkin Coconut Compote, I adapted a Brazilian recipe from Weirdcombinations' blog. Click here for the recipe

Layer the sticky rice and the pumpkin compote and you get this:




Now remember pumkin yema balls  I posted last week?



When it's not rolled the mixture looks like so:
You could definitely use it as an alternative... and it is as good! All you  need are:
3 eggs
1 can condensed milk
1/2 can pumpkin puree
1 tbsp plain flour
a pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Cook in a double boiler.  Continue stirring until it thickens.  
Now, layer it with sticky rice and you have a warm dessert or snack to soothe you in this cold November rain.



November is #squashlove month!

Please join the #squashove fun by linking up any squash recipe from the month of November 2011. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #squashlove event! The twitter hashtag is #squashlove. :)



This month is co hosted by

Baker Street | Anuradha : @bakerstreet29
Bloc De Recetas | Salomé : @blocderecetas
Bon à croquer | Valerie : @valouth
Cafe Terra Blog | Terra : @cafeterrablog
Cake Duchess | Lora : @cakeduchess
Elephant Eats | Amy
Food Wanderings | Shulie : @foodwanderings
Hobby and More | Richa : @betit19
Mike's Baking | Mike : @mikesbaking
Mis Pensamientos | Junia : @juniakk
My Twisted Recipes | Dudut : @mytwistedrecipe
No One Like Crumbley Cookies | T.R : @TRCrumbley
Queens Notebook | Elizabeth : @mango_queen
Simply Reem | Reem : @simplyreem
Skip To Malou | Malou : @malou_nievera
Teaspoon Of Spice | Serena : @tspcurry
The Daily Palette | Annapet : @thedailypalette
The Professional Palette | Regan : @profpalate
The Spicy RD | EA : @thespicyrd
Vegan Miam | Rika : @veganmiam

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Guest Post Wednesdays: My First IM Macarons by Annapet

If you've been following my blog, I'm sure you already know my Ninang Annapet of The Daily Palette, as she's been mentioned here and here and a lot more.  She's aptly called Ninang (godmother) because she paves the way for me to meet people on twitter and on the blogosphere.  I've joined blog events because of her too which makes me cherish our friendship.  

"I just love making macs" she told me today. "It's my first time to make Italian Meringue and I clinched it right away" she said. I could tell by the tone of her voice and by the pictures that she took that  indeed she's so inspired! Making macarons  definitely makes her heart skip and her face light up! (and of course her love for gardening too!)


 I call her the Queen of Macarons, and why not.  She makes these French pastries like a pro. Her  being a scientist is very evident with the precision and mastery she puts into making them.  And mind you, she even made  a macaron template (which I could share with you; just send me your email address so I can email them to you!) I promised her that I will  make some macs soon but for now, l am so thrilled to give you Annapet, our guest for STM's Guest Post Wednesday.  Aren't we lucky, as she is sharing not one but two recipes.  Take it away Annapet...


You have no idea how excited I am for Malou to have me over.  These Coffee Macarons are my FIRST Italian Meringue [IM] Macarons, and I am so happy to share these macarons with the readers of Skip To Malou!  Thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity!

Making these macarons would not have been possible without the help of Lady Macaron herself!  She makes the most exquisite IM Macarons I have ever laid my eyes on.  This recipe I am sharing is adapted from her Basic Macaron RecipeFor the Basic Macaron Recipe and Instructions, please click here 

Coffee Macarons



      TPT

    •       150g almond meal (Trader Joe's)
    •     144g icing sugar 
    •        5g ground coffee
    •        1g kosher salt
    •       55g egg whites
    • Italian Meringue

    • 150g granulated sugar
    • 37g water
    • 55 egg whites


    and now for an UBE-licious macaron:

    TPT
    • 150g almond meal
    • 124g icing sugar
    • 1g kosher salt
    • 25g ube powder
    • 55g egg whites
    Italian Meringue
    • 150g granulated sugar
    • 37g water
    • 55g egg whites


    Thank you so much for these dreamy macarons Annapet... You don't know how much long I gazed at your beautiful creations.  I wish I had that brown box right now haha.  But seriously, I truly appreciate the time you put in to grace my blog.  Have a great macaron filled day!


    here

    Friday, October 28, 2011

    care package

    You might think that having three kids in college makes me a pro in sending care packages, right?


    But if you ask my kids they would say no, I'm not an expert.  Care packages come far and few between.  


    Although when I took my son to NY at the start of the semester, things changed a bit.  The idea of him on the East Coast while we were on the West Coast (this was before we moved to STL) made me realize that I should bridge the long distance.  And sending care packages was the way to go. 


    Ok, maybe I over did it because as soon as I deplaned that day, (coming from NY)  I went straight to the post office and sent him a box full of stuff from home. Oh my you should have seen how my girls reacted... haha! 


    No, I'm not playing favorites (hmmm do I see eyebrows raising?) But in my defense both of my girls live within driving distance... so seeing them or being with them is easy.  And the thought of them being near made me neglect the "mom-sending-care-packages" part.


    Now that we live in the Midwest, I have to make sure that I send to all three of them, no more excuses haha!


    I'm progressing quite well.  And the best part of it is hearing my son say:  " Mom I was surprised to see the box with my name on it. It felt like Christmas opening the box!"


     Oh well, if you would please excuse me, I have to run to the Post Office...



    Pumpkin Yema Balls (adapted from AsiaRecipe.com)
    Yema is a sweet treat popular in the Philippines. I found this recipe from Asia Recipe online which added mashed potatoes in their recipe.  That gave me the idea that it will work with pumpkin too.  Verdict?  I'm afraid I have nothing  left to mail anymore as the yema balls disappeared faster than I could make them. LOL!


    Ingredients:
    3 eggs
    1 can condensed milk
    1/2 can pumpkin puree
    1 tbsp plain flour
    a pinch of salt

    Procedure:
    Combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Cook in a double boiler.  Continue stirring until it thickens. It took me about 25 minutes.  Let it cool.  I actually put it in the fridge overnight.  Roll into balls.  Sprinkle sugar to lightly coat the yema balls.

    Wednesday, October 26, 2011

    you know you're getting old when...

    I found this list online you know you're old when... and was laughing hysterically.  What made me laugh harder was that some of the things listed here apply to me.  Oh my, am I that old? haha!

    I could add more to the list, like for instance you know you're getting old when you go out on a Friday night with your husband to go grocery shopping.  What's even worse is  that your idea of a date is breakfast on a Saturday morning and you line up (with other people--- well older people) waiting for the cafe to open... LOL!

    It's great to have a sense of humor especially when you've been with someone for a long time. I think it helps that sometimes we should not take ourselves too seriously.  Amidst all the stresses, the arguments and the disagreements, laughing it off until your belly aches makes a difference in a marriage.

    Oh well, you know you're getting old when while shopping you find it charming when your husband says:

    "Love, buy the chicken quarters it's on sale, make some chicken afritada."

    And you make the chicken afritada... and  cook  it as best as you could... as rustic as it could get, for him to know that you look forward to growing old with him...TWOgether!


    Afritadang Manok (Braised Chicken in Tomato Sauce)



    Ingredients:
    4 pcs. chicken leg quarters chopped in serving pieces
    1 large potatoes, wedged
    1 large carrots, sliced
    green peas
    1 green bell pepper
    1 can tomato sauce
    2 cups chicken broth
    salt and pepper to taste
    3 bay leaves



    Procedure:
    Marinate the chicken overnight with soy sauce, lemon and pepper.  (You could also shorten this part... marinate it for 30 minutes instead and it should be fine.)

    In a pan, brown the potatoes and carrots.  Set aside.  In the same pan, brown the chicken cutlets, set aside.  Sautee garlic and onions, put back the chicken cutlets.  Stir the chicken, add a dash of pepper and 2-3 bay leaves.  Pour the tomato sauce into the pan.  Make sure to deglaze the pan and get those brown bits add the soy and lemon marination.  Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Add chicken stock and cook some more. Add the potatoes and carrots. Let it simmer then add the remaining ingredients such as green peas and green bell peppers.  Simmer until the veggies and potatoes are cooked.  Serve with steaming hot rice... and enjoy!



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