well hello summer | creamy potato salad

Summer is here.

It has been hitting the 90's here in STL for the past few days.  And it will get even warmer over this long Memorial Day weekend.  Summer excitedly showed up... the hot temp, the humidity, and of course cooling down by having Ted Drew's frozen custard, all reminders of the change in season here in the Midwest.

Maybe I am still in denial that summer is here... but there's no stopping it... So to help you cool down and enjoy your Memorial Day party, I am sharing my Creamy Potato Salad.  This is the perfect side dish with your grilled faves.  And if you are looking for a barbecue inspiration my Barbecue Ribs ala St. Louis  is featured on DailyBuzz Moms Top 9 Yummy BBQ Inspiration. Thank you for the feature Daily Buzz Moms!

Creamy Potato Salad with Orange Zest

Ingredients:
3 large potatoes (boiled and cubed)
3 pcs eggs (boiled, peeled and sliced)
3 tbsp rounded mayo
3/4 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 stalk celery (minced)
1/2 onion (chopped)

Direction

Mix mayo and sugar thoroughly in a mixing bowl.  Add celery and onions.  Mix them well together.  Add potatoes and eggs.  Mix until the potatoes are well coated.  Sprinkle orange rinds.  Mix well and refrigerate.  Serve cold.  It's that simple, yet it's definitely summer in your mouth!  Enjoy!

This post is on Top 9 (May 28) on Foodbuzz.  Thank you Foodbuzz!

C'est Si Bon: Salon Beauvior

C'est Ci Bon by Eartha Kitt filtered through my speakers, as my thoughts brought me back to Manila. It was as if I was back, waiting for my turn at the salon, sitting on a giant French provincial sofa as I revered at the sparkling chandelier above me. Upholstered in rich deep magenta, the French inspired sofa lends a vintage elegance to the place. Although I was nowhere near Paris, I felt this was a refreshing escape from the heat and traffic of Manila. The place: Salon Beauvior.

The salon is staged with opulence and style that would definitely spell out the whole salon experience as L-U-X-U-R-I-O-U-S!  Posh, tres chic -- these stylish words came to mind, but without the intimidation. I felt welcome as I was greeted with warm smiles from the staff.  You can't blame me for trooping back to the salon 5 times during my short visit in Manila. 

"Iced tea, water or coffee?" asked the young lady while I was leafing through a magazine.

"Iced tea please," I answered. And the young receptionist's warm, youthful smile and loose, shiny black hair made me wish that after leaving the salon, I would magically transform like her, haha!

During my first experience at this salon, Pam was assigned to me to evaluate what I needed to do with my hair. "Salon evaluation" usually scares me but with Pam's expertise, who wouldn't feel comforted? She was trained as a stylist in the U.K. and was a hair stylist and make-up artist for the royal family in Brunei. Her gentle approach and generous beauty tips made me feel as if I was visiting a friend for afternoon tea.

So on my last day in Manila, guess where I went to spend the afternoon? At the salon, of course. I was actually torn whether to go to the salon or meet up with my friends for the last time. Solution? I did both. The salon has VIP rooms that you could use to meet up with girlfriends. To go along with the French motif, my friend Tina brought some crepes and macaroons. I had my hair relaxed by one of the salon's senior stylist, Sam, with Girlie assisting him. The process took about two hours, but I had the best of both worlds. I was with my friend Tina, and Sam was transforming my frizzy hair into smooth and silky straight hair. On top of that, he was very entertaining with his funny anecdotes about his travels around the world. Boy, was I impressed by him, as he speaks 6 languages and also carries 26 years of experience as a stylist.

A guest celebrating her birthday at the salon with her friends.

Check out their FB page for promos and next time you want to meet your girlfriends, the salon is a perfect place to host a cocktail SPArty, or to celebrate special occassions, or to just hang out. Their friendly coordinators would love to work with you for your next event. It's definitely C'est si Bon!

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The recipe I'd like to share with you today follows the theme... LUXURIOUS well calorie speaking that is.. haha.  Well let's indulge, so here's my  Crispy Bacon Nutella Crepes ...

Crispy Bacon Nutella  Crepe
We need:
Crepe

Ingredients:
Crepe batter (This is my basic crepe recipe.  Make it ahead of time.  I usually make them before dinner and refrigerate it.  While everyone is still at the dinner table, make the crepes so it's hot and fresh.)

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 c milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp butter, melted

Mix flour and eggs together.  Add the milk and stir it together.  Gradually add the water and stir well, removing lumps until you get a smooth batter.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter into a hot pan.  Make a circular motion to spread the batter thinly and evenly.  When the sides turn light brown, flip it on the other side and cook it for another minute. Don't get intimidated.  It's easy, all it takes is practice to come up with a perfect crepe.


Nutella
Crispy Bacon

To assemble:
Spread crepe on a flat surface.  Spread a generous amount of nutella.  Fold crepes and top with crispy bacon slice.  Bon Apetit!

Wordless Wednesday: a day at the farm

finding your oasis

Oh how peaceful.

We all need our little oasis where we could sit, relax and be still until we hear our  heart murmur. Until we can feel our breathe under our nostrils and the stillness around us whisper into our ear like soothing music.  It's calming, almost magical... we feel renewed, and the best thing is that it's free.

I used to have my own little oasis in San Diego.  This place is where I go to when I feel like I'm carrying the burden of the world.  I sit and marvel at nature's beauty... The mystic sound of the ocean resonate like music from the frets of a guitar ... while the sun's gentle rays and the subtle breeze caress me until I have calmed down and feel warm and fuzzy inside. The bonus is this seaside spot was only 5 minutes away from where I lived.

So I am euphoric when here in STL I found my new "home". There's a secret garden that revealed itself to me slowly.  It is a serene garden hideaway.  Slowly I realize that beneath the lush green leaves, there is a small pond and down the steps, it reveals itself.  Oh how serendipitous indeed! I heard my heart sing!

While it's true that the terrain in California is a lot different from St. Louis, I believe that I have to embrace my neighborhood and most importantly make it my own.  Although I miss the spring flowers and the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, I also found a beautiful place in St. Louis. I see GREEN: green lush trees, green ponds, green grass...everything glowing GREEN!

So for my glowing green season inspired dish,  pandan leaves came in handy for me to whip up a dessert called Buko Pandan, a refreshing sweet dessert made of pandan jello and buko (young coconut) laced with the creamy goodness of cream cheese and condensed milk. The trifecta of the jello, buko and cream will reveal a beautiful symphony of goodness in your mouth.  Trust me, your feel good hormones will kick in, haha!

 Buko Pandan 

Ingredients:
5 pieces pandan leaves
1 pack unflavored gelatin
2 packs frozen buko (young coconut)
1 bottle nata de coco
1/2 can condensed milk
1/2 c heavy cream
2 tbsps cream cheese

Directions:
Thaw out packs of frozen buko.  Drain and set aside.

Prepare the jello as per package instructions.  When boiling water, put the pandan leaves, then add the jello.  Remove pandan leaves and pour the jello in a flat pan.  Let it cool.  When the jello solidifies, slice the pandan jello into small cubes.

Mix the condensed milk, cream cheese and heavy cream together.  Add buko pandan jello and nata de coco .  Gently mix the salad altogether.  Refrigerate before serving.

Enjoy!

Here are some snapshots around my "green" city of St. Louis:

I hope you have enjoyed touring around my piece of heaven... may  you find yours!

xo,
Malou

Celebrating Motherhood

I miss my mama.

It doesn't matter how old I am, having my mom beside me (or just thinking about her when I seem like a million miles away) never fails to bring warmth and joy to me... her embrace is like a solace, a haven for me to always feel safe and for me to return to when I seek comfort.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mama... whose love transcends time and distance.  She has taught me lessons of love and faith, keeping me grounded, serving as a guiding voice throughout my journey of motherhood. Her daily trips to the market to get the best and the freshest food nourished me.  Memories of going with her to the market I sort through my mind like love letters from home, touching my heart. Even as I call her today from half a world away, I try to convey my love for her and my wish to be closer to her.

To Mama Bernie, my fabulous mother-in-law, her penchant for life and beauty inspires me.  Her meticulous and organized approach to family's parties and events have served as templates when I host my own. Her elaborate spread during family get togethers is something we all look forward to.  It is from her where  I learned how to celebrate life's happy occasions.   Every time I do my plating and styling, I hear her in my head saying: "this is half the battle in wining the hearts of people to love the food you serve".

  

Thank you to Mommy Dory, who played an enormous influence in our marriage, and who continues to serve as a source of wisdom and inspiration.  She was my Wikipedia of  cooking traditional Filipino recipes.  Her memory lives on in every dish that comes from my kitchen and the joy we partake in sharing God's blessings.

Thank you to my wonderful kids who have made me a proud mom.  Their achievements are highly commendable.  Although I can't take credit for it, it makes me cherish the sweet fruits of the sacrifices planted throughout these years.  Preparing home cooked meals is a passion for me because of their constant appreciation... the hugs and kisses they freely gave with every meal is uplifting and truly fulfilling.  I admit that I miss them so much, especially today, as I miss how they pamper me and do all the work in the kitchen (albeit in their own chaotic manner).... I cherish those moments and it never fails to touch my heart.

To all the moms... please stand up, as I gently place my hand behind you... as you deserve a pat on the back... For the home cook- moms, may  you continue to find the inspiration and the joys of cooking at home.  Now if you don't cook,  I hope you find the encouragement to do so and allow yourself to make mistakes in the kitchen but hopefully along the way you will enjoy the fruits of your labor at home. 

A VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.... Cheers!

For mother's day, I am sharing with you a beef stew that is one of my family's "special" dish.  I hope your family will enjoy too.  

BEEF KALDARETA (BEEF STEW)

2-3 lbs beef (cubed)

2 cans of tomato sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

2 tbsps liver pate
green olives
pineapple chunks
green bell pepper
Olive oil or butter
Bay leaf
black pepper

2 pcs. potatoes (wedged)

2 pcs carrots, sliced

2 cups beef stock

1 large lemon

3 tbsp soy sauce

Procedure:

Marinate the beef 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.   You could use the same saucepan to saute the beef with garlic, onions.  Add black pepper and bay leaf.  Cook beef to almost dry.  Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and soup stock Cook it on low fire until tender.  Add soup stock or water if the meat is not tender yet.

Add green olives, pineapple and green bell peppers.  Thicken the sauce using liver pate.  Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil to enhance the taste.  You could also use butter if you prefer so. 


This will surely give your family a reason to squeeze you tight... and I'm pretty sure, nothing beats that feeling in the world.. Enjoy!

Midnight Mercato

It was almost midnight when O, our host, took us to a food enclave called Mercato Centrale located in Bonifacio Global City, Philippines.  Visiting the weekend market for the first time, it looks like an ordinary big white tent from the outside but once inside you are transported to an enchanting world of food magicians.

And so the food trip begins.

The market place gives a glimpse of the whole gamut of Filipino food: street food, home cooked food, chef-created dishes and culinary delights. And for balikbayans like us, the food stalls were calling our name.  I was in a daze... seriously, as I felt like a kid in a candy store.  It seemed that all four of us felt the same.  We scattered in different directions and would meet in the middle to check out our food finds.  It was comical to see my brother in law carrying several dishes from different stalls, urging us to try each one.  But we all enjoyed it.

I was surprised to see the multitude of food hawkers, even as it was nearly midnight.  Well it is called a night market but I guess I've never been to a crowded tent like this with people's faces lighting up as bright as the sun and I'm sure our faces showed the same aura too... haha!

Chicken and Pig's offals skewered in bamboo sticks took me back to the streets of Divisoria sans the heat and the smog.  This is a very impressive selection of authentic Filipino street food.

Now who could miss all the street food - as they were brightly displayed, it intrigued my palette.  To be honest, I've never tried anything like this before...

So I took a closer look and I thought "should I even try?" But sometimes there's a voice inside you that you cannot drown out and I thought "tonight is the time to let go."

So I followed my instinct and indeed did let go.  My favorite among the skewered barbeque "thrill" was the pig's ear.  I thought that the sweet barbeque glaze made it  palatable ... haha!

The sizzling sisig was one of my favorites too. At least I was familiar with the taste and it didn't "shock" my taste buds.  

Except for the egg tray used as a serving tray(?), these little cuties were delightful.  They are called taclings, made of fried wanton pastry in a cup, shaped like a tiny taco shell.  The yellow ones had beef on it while the  green shells had tuna + mushrooms.  I just loved them.

I must have been away from the Filipino food scene for awhile, as I didn't know which drink to choose.  The flavors are mostly new to me and healthy options are widely available.  

I guess when you see foodies (I don't like to use the term but I can't help it) you know that there's a connection right away.  And rightly so - meet my new foodie friends.  They are pastry chefs from Texas who are temporarily based in the Philippines.  Too bad, their shelves were empty when I got there.  Their most raved about cheesecakes sell like hotcakes (well what can I say?) I was told that their lager beer cheesecakes is the bomb.

There was so much food to try. One stall caught my attention - it's called Off Beat and they sell burgers... Well not on a bun but between two donuts - oh how delightful.

One of the best finds I had was this dessert table by the wall.  They sell pastries by the slice and it reminded me of my favorite pastries from a neighborhood bakeshop in Makati.  But alas, I was hypnotized by the thick creamy sauce the owner (sorry but I forget her name) was slowly pouring over the slice of Brazo de Mercedes.  Let's just say this dessert didn't find its way home... haha! 

Next time you're in Manila and you want to go on a Pinoy food trip visit Mercato Centrale and you will have great start to your journey.

Thanks for taking us there O!

Chicken Inasal (Grilled Chicken): the next Filpino food truck phenomenon?

I step closer to the carousel of the airport baggage section - I feel like I am sleep walking.  After spending the last 26 hours in airports and airplanes (and sleeping most of the time during the flights), I can't wait to get home.  I am feeling quite sluggish, but then a sudden gush of excitement kicks in, as I see my husband standing by the baggage claim. I tiptoe hurriedly to hug him and with a full smile I ask him:

"You told me I'll see you at the curbside"...

"I wanted to surprise you - Surprise!" he mumbled.

My heart fluttered.  It was one of those moments that make your heart smile.

"Are you happy to be home?", he asked.

"Of course" I whispered.

Then a loooong pause.

I realize how much fun I had the last 6 weeks, and I begin to realize that the words "of course" were only partly true haha.

And for the next few days, I (over)used the word "jet lag" for those days that I slept in all day.  Until a month has now passed... A month? Really?

That's how I've been the past few weeks here.  I'm just happy that my hubs didn't eject me like an old 80's mixed tape.  Nor did he ship me back to the Philippines for not being my usual self.  My kitchen has been quietly waiting for me to switch on the stove top. Take outs were the norm for most of those days.

That being said,  I would like to apologize to my Kulinarya buddies, as my April post is a tad late. But I didn't want to miss out on this one.  The challenge posed by Louie Yan of East and West is to take a Filipino standard and make it into a street food dish easily peddled through food trucks.  I know that  Filipino food is slowly getting out there, because Filipino food trucks across America are doing its work plying the streets, spreading Filipino food around.  With that in mind, I would like to introduce Chicken Inasal (grilled chicken) as a future food truck phenomenon.

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Chicken Inasal, is special blend of grilled barbeque chicken, popularized by the Ilongos.  The secret of these irresistable chicken pieces skewered in bamboo sticks is not only in the marinade but also the spicy sauce on the side.  The marinade is simple but the details such as the basting of atchuette oil (annato oil) while the chicken pieces are being cooked over glowing crimson coals make the difference.  

Chicken Inasal

10-12 pcs. chicken (around 4-5 lbs.)

1/3 c soy sauce

1/3 c coconut vinegar

2 stalks lemongrass (chopped)

2 inch ginger (pounded)

1 tsp pepper

1/3 c sugar

Mix all the ingredients except the chicken in a pan.  Simmer for about ten minutes.  Let it cool. Separate a portion for basting.  Marinate the chicken overnight or for at least an hour.  Grill chicken pieces until it's thoroughly cooked.

For Basting:

Annatto oil

Marinade

Mix the two ingredients together. Baste the chicken as needed.

For sauce or dipping:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/3 c broth

2 tsp sugar

3 tbsp vinegar

chiles if desired

onions and onion leeks chopped

Mix all the ingredients together.  Stir and serve it together with the freshly grilled chicken. 

Oh by the way, grilling this chicken will definitely make a food truck rock... people will be raring to buy because the aroma will lead them where the food truck is parked. Cheers!