Lasang Pinoy 4: Traditional Concoction-Tapiocca Cooler

I am so proud to have found square jar which I used as a punch bowl for this drink. Filipinos love this usually eaten with fish balls and other street foods back home. Hmmmm, yummy!It is dark syrup using brown sugar or muscovado for a healthier version. plus banana essence or vanilla flavoring and pandan. Thats 2 parts sugar and 1 part water

Ex.: 1 part ingredient =1 cup


so: 1 part= 1c water
2 parts= 2 cups sugar

For the tapiocca: Yes I soaked that overnight to soften the pearls and to make cooking faster. Then the next day, I boiled a 1 cup amount of pearls to 3 cups water for 8 minutes until just soft not soggy.Drain and add syrup.

Concoction: 8 or 10 oz glass: Mix 1 cup pearl -syrup mix and 1 1/2 cup cold water and a lot of ice.

Rating: Sweet, Exotic, Refreshing,"filipinish"(term for filipino taste)

FYI(for your info only)

This is the real Pandan plant. Thai and Filipino cooking uses a lot of this .

http://qoogle.com

lasangpinoy4

Lasang Pinoy 4: Filipino Fetuccine in Tomato Sauce Ala Pad Thai

Herbs: Oregano, Pepper
Garnish: Chopped Salted Peanuts
Tip:In a Hurry to cook pasta?Microwave :15 minutes in water and salt.Drain. Toss in olive oil or butter.


Using pasta is just amazing because you canmy make variable dishes out of it. Well the famous spaghettii (used fetuccini)with red sauce is yummy but I think we should give that a little twist. For the components or "sahog"(in Tagalog-mother toungue), 1 medium sweet Italian sausage, 1 piece hotdog, sliced, left-over meat from yesterday's soul food blog-"barbecue pork cubes. I sauteed them in garlic and red onions. I just let it cook for 4 minutes more to brown a little and extract the flavors of the meat and I added in my dried oregano, pepper and salt. Then I added in my speedy microwaved pasta (and its al dente!:) An authentic Filipino Spaghetti is very sweet and tangy also, so I added tomato ketchup and added a little sugar to make it sweet, if I would be in the Philippines , I would simply use banana ketchup and a little tomato sauce. A la "Pad Thai" beacuse instead of Parmessan Cheese I used chopped Peanuts. You can add bellpeppers for better taste and color. To go with that, I just quartered a lemon-poppy seed bagel with Philadelphia Cream Cheese-regular and thats my version of filipino pad thai. Try it.

Rating: simple, easy to make(20 minutes), "filipinish"(ha,ha my term for filipino taste), with texture also, also good for kid's "lunch box" or "baon".Cheap cost coz you can use some leftover meats from your fridge and frankly its tastier:)

lasangpinoy4

Lasang Pinoy 4 :(Pumpkin with Baked Pork Strips in Coconut)

Pumpkin with Baked Pork Strips in Coconut )
(Herbs:Old Bay Lemon Pepper, Pepper,Edna Noronha's Curry Powder)

Garnish: Chopped Chives

I finally have my entry for "comfort food". I simply sauteed chopped garlic, onions, ground pork, pumpkin cubes, herbs and salt and let it brown a little. After that I added 2 cups of water and let it simmer to further cook the pumpkin. After simmering add in 4 oz or 1/2 cup of coconut milk or coconut cream is better for a richier taste.

Utilizing the whole Pumpkin!

The true test for me is to be able to use all of what I bought.hehe. I am a very stingy person so I feel I have to make use of both the skin and seeds. You can use these as garnish or appetizer. It is better sun-dried but what I did since I have no backyard to do that I dried it up in the oven. Then I flavored with salt and pepper and tossed in olive oil. Baked it for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F. Creating your own food is something.Try it.

Honey's Request for toningt:Pork in Hoisen Sauce

The left shot shows how I did it. Well I live in a decent apartment and I didn't want to be the cause of fire here.Kidding!

I skewered the pre-baked pork pieces and sauteed them in garlic, roasted yellow bellpepper carrots. Little bit of salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp. of Hoisen Sauce. I let it cook for 4 minutes and its that easy. Sweet and savory. The components of the plating are: Steamed rice, Steamed and shacked Chinese Broccolli sauteed in Garlic and Shrimp paste(Bagoong) and 3 skewers Pork .

Tips :

If you don't have mortar and pestle to chop your garlic or any thai condiments. Simply wrap your garlic segments in plastic wrap and moderately tap it with any wood piece. Or a rolling pin will do. Do not attempt to use glass built because it will definitely get chipped which may harm your dish.

Shacking is blanching first your sliced vegetables in boiloing water for less than 4 or 5 minutes and immersing it ice water for better texture. So the next time you guys make any vegetable dish, please do this first so people will even appreciate the tenderness of your veggies.

IF YOU ARE GRILLING ANY MEAT

Soak the barbecue sticks in water for at least 5 to 10 minutes so it will not burn will grilling and for better pressentation.

Rating: Detailed, fun, Something homestyle and more of a Filipino Comfort Food Version.

Happy Cooking!

Ways with Wraps (Continued)

Rating:Variable Texture, detailed but wise and easy. Impressive for get-togethers!

Sauteed Bean Sprout Napoleon

Ways with Wraps

This is basically what we call in the Philippines "lumpia" or more known as vegetable wrap. Above are my versions of crepe and deep fried wonton wrapper. Rather than having the usua; rolled style , stacking them in layers would have a more sophisticated style and you can even upgrade the price of your Lumpia dish because of the Napoleon-style. Isn't that true?People sometimes pay for the name or how it was done, but ofcourse quality is still important. I know somewhat so vegan , because I am, a trying hard vegan,yes! Since I have the pix of the crepes I made which is just :1 cup of flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup milk and 3 1/2 Tbsp. of buerre rouge "browned butter" for flavor. Just put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until very thin smooth. Over a hot Teflon(plugging?) pan or non-stick pan, pour a 8oz or ladleful of crepe batter. Crepes can be made in advance for any upcoming party so you will not have to cram and do them on the day itself. Have them stacked onto each piece and put foil or cut-rite paper in between. Easy and you can have your own "crepe celebration" :Crepe Suzette (Orange flavor), Pear Williams (pear), Banana-based which I have made tonight.

For the Filling:

3 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp. Langka(Jackfruit) Extract

3 pcs. Ripe Bananas, Sliced

4 Crepes

2 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream (my favorite!)

VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN CHICKEN FILLET WITH MY "E-DUMPLINGS"

Well my usual agenda after work starts from 4 o'clock which is first:going to Concorde Mall then reading cookbooks I dream to buy all by the way at Barnes & Nobles. A little window shopping and often I end up buying some things that I don't usually need like a bottle of cologne from Bath & Body Works with plugging ofcourse, any cooking magazine and a bubblegum or candy. All for a total of 3 hours-so by 7 pm, I would catch the No. 2 or 35 bus going back home. Then at 7.20pm, this is the time I become the real me. I for no reason, just go drop the non-sense things I bought from the mall and ride No. 10 bus to go to my favorite,accessible grocery-Acme store. Haha. I just buy ,any 1 lb meat and this dish I just got chicken breast and ground pork for the E-Dumpling.What is E-Dumpling,simply my "emergency dumpling" mixture. I always have a handful mix of ground meat,whole eggs, breadcrumbs,s&p(salt & pepper) or to make it more of a chef in me "sal en poivre",a lot of chopped onions rolled and wrapped in seran or plastic wrap. I feel that every cook shouldhave it. The meat is wrapped in large wonton wrappers, deep fried and I always cook it further in a 250 degrees Farenheit oven to make it crispier. The Chow Mein which is common take out or delivery item in any chinese resto, I just sauteed chopped garlic in hot oil, added in green and red bell peppers, cubed chicken fillets, and I use beef buillion to enhance the flavor, and add my sliced cabbage. I porch the vegetable in a good hot oil to bring out the flavor. Underneath is a simple fried rice cooked in oil, little garlic. I can make this dish in around 20 minutes because it is easy and cheap to make. I have La Choy Sweet & Sour Sauce and the famous Mang Tomas Lechon sauce (mga pinoy dyan-my language sorry!). There you are good and healthy dish you can have because all the ingredients you would probably have in your fridge and pantry.

Rating: YUMMY and EASY!

Platings-Series 1

Very simple creation from Alicia and some of us at work. "Petit Fours" or little cakes :

Peanut Butter Tarts is made from mixing chocolate ganace with creamy penaut butter. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Opera Cakes:Layers of genoise (french sponge), coffee buttercream, chcocolate glace and ganache. This by the way should be sliced with hot knife by heating it with a torch or simple as having a bucket of hot water to dip the knife so you will have fine and clean cuts or slice of the prestigeous cake in Vienna, Austria made originally for the Opera House.One of the real test of making this cake is how well you have spread the thin layers of all the components of the dessert. My Favorite. I am still on the stage of perfecting this pastry.

The fruit tart is made with pastry cream filling which is mixture of yolks, sugar, vanilla, whole milk, heavy cream. Should be lump-free and velvety when you taste it. This my design, I just put assorted berries:strawberry,blackberry and bluberries. Thanks to God's natural creations, berries just makes any dessert more appetizing and beautiful.

The next plate up:

Coverture(Dark) Chocolate Truffle with nuts and Walnut Tarts topped with sugar flowers.

Always remember when plating or designing: "Less is more";It is the food that should be given focus on . Just a tip:)

These are usually served in some banquets of the hotel.