tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33085799665138011562024-03-05T21:13:47.053-08:00The One Who Went to the MarketPiglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-36204018493407013752020-07-12T06:22:00.001-07:002020-07-12T06:22:34.596-07:00Maja Blanca Mais using Rice Flour<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div><br></div>Most Maja Blanca we know are made with cornstarch, springy to the touch and not creamy. Old school maja though is made with galapong, stone ground rice grain that's been soaked overnight in water. The texture of this maja is creamier than what you'll be used to and not the silicon like maja you know. <div><br></div><div>This version is made mostly made from canned stuff (because, quarantine), but the real thing will be much better.</div><div><br></div><div>Latik:</div><div>2 cups coconut cream (we used canned but it wasn't like the real thing the latik was finer but tasted fine).</div><div><br></div><div>Maja Blanca:</div><div>3 cans coconut cream (1200 ml or 5 cups)</div><div>1 can condensed milk</div><div>1 cup fresh milk</div><div>1 can whole corn</div><div>1 can cream of corn</div><div>2 cups or 250g rice flour (plain rice not malagkit)</div><div>1/2 cup cheese for topping</div><div>2 pandan leaves</div><div><br></div><div>To cook the latik, just pour it in a pan and boil it until the oil is rendered. Once brown remove the latik and set aside. </div><div><br></div><div>Dump all of the ingredients together in a wok and use a whisk to mix the rice flour well. Once mixed, put on medium heat and stir until thick. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div><br></div><div>Brush some of the reserved coconut oil in your pan and add the maja. Top with cheese and latik.</div><div><br></div><div>Lovely to eat, warm or cold.</div><div><br></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-78282368815318671822020-04-05T18:03:00.000-07:002020-06-06T08:18:45.737-07:00Ube Cheesy Pandesal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>So, I've never had this before but Di asked me to make one. I said I don't have any ube on hand but Marielle said "I have some that I'm not going to use!" I thought she said she had jam so I said yes, but umm... she gave me a root veg π so here I go!<div><br></div><div>I looked through recipes online and most were using jam or powder which I don't have, so I adapted my pan de coco recipe to suit this better. Had to mix my flour because I'm running out of bread flour! </div><div><br></div><div><b>Ingredients</b></div><div><br></div><div><i>Dough:</i></div><div>200g (1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp) bread flour</div><div>220g (1 3/4 cups) all purpose flour</div><div>10g (2 tbsp) milk powder (optional)</div><div>4g (1 tsp) bread improver (optional)</div><div>50g (1/4 cup) sugar</div><div>5g (1 tsp) salt</div><div>9g yeast</div><div>1 egg</div><div>180ml or 180g of water</div><div>5g (1 tsp) sugar</div><div>60g (4tbsp) softened butter</div><div>100g of fine ube mash (I used plain mashed ube, feel free to substitute with pureed jam)</div><div><br></div><div><i>Ube mash / jam:</i></div><div>1/2 kilo ube root</div><div>Water for boiling</div><div>1/3 cup condensed milk</div><div>1 cup fresh milk</div><div>Pinch of salt</div><div>4 tbsp unsalted softened butter</div><div><br></div><div>Instructions</div><div><br></div><div>Start with the ube mash. </div><div>Remove the skin, cut into cubes, wash and boil in water until fork tender. (Younger roots tend to be creamier, so try to find those)</div><div>Mash with a fork or use your food mill if it's too tough. Do add some of the water used for boiling if it's too dry.</div><div>Pass the mash through a sieve to remove big chunks. You don't need a lot, just 100g or 1/2 cup. Once you have enough, stop. You're only refining the mash because it's for the dough.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpxCCJBVxFPKO-1hivcrg4AUAQHYK-Lhbe6ba5z8fO_6uDG30o8UTuRWfpu_bWcIY2euSrnKk9vs-dk603pmdMlNfKt8WmgN5QzKQKlXv1jtJoygygnQOxFTSi6u8zHIL7UOgFWJffX0/s1600/1586102852741512-0.png" width="400"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>No food coloring needed</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div></div><div>Put the rest back in the pot with the fresh milk and condensed milk (I like chunky ube jam). Add a pinch of salt and let it boil on med heat, mixing constantly. Probably mix for 30 mins or even less as it's just a small amount after all. Once it gets to the consistency of thick peanut butter (if you pick some up on your wooden spoon it doesn't fall easily), remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir until combined. </div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div> <i> I'm so pretty</i></div><div><br>Let this cool, chill in the ref for at least 1 hour.</div><div><br></div><div>Now to start with the dough.</div><div>Mix your warm water with 5g of sugar, then add yeast. Make sure your water isn't too warm or your yeast will die. Dump all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Once your yeast is activated (nearly double the size) dump into bowl with dry ingredients. Add your ube mash and start kneading. Once the dough comes together slowly add your butter a tablespoon at a time. It'll look like a mess but be patient and just continue kneading until the dough stops sticking everywhere.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>That's what I mean by active, you couch potato</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once done, take the dough out of the bowl, and lightly oil the bowl surface (all the way to the top).<br></div></div><div>Lightly oil your dough as well and let rise for about an hour and 30 mins (my super active yeast quadrupled my volume)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div><br></div><div>Turn out your dough and portion into 40g each. If you don't have a digital scale, roll the dough into an even log 2 inches in diameter and cut into 1 inch slices. Take each portion and roll into a ball. This will create tension in the dough and allows for a tight but airy crumb. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel at all times to avoid drying out the top.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Flatten, add your ube jam and cheese in the middle and close it. Dredge in breadcrumbs and let rise again for 1 hour.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Bake for 10 - 12 mins at 350F. Don't forget to rotate the baking sheets halfway and exchanging the top and bottom sheets for even browning.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div><br></div><div>And you're done! Ta-da!</div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Then tell your friends to pick it up while hot</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>PSA: Don't ube cheesy pandesal and drive!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>PSA: Don't sleep in on bake day and get it while hot</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Yum.</i></div><br></div><div>Note to self. Must even out jam to cheese ratio. Can probably add more than 1 tsp of jam next time.</div><div><br></div><div>Baking weekend is done!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-4211040944193682322020-03-29T05:56:00.001-07:002020-03-29T05:56:27.960-07:00What the future holdsI don't really know what the future holds, this is such a cruel and lonely disease. <div><br></div><div>I've been cooking like crazy to remember Tita N by. She loves my stories of food and cooking and we spend hours just doing that.</div><div><br></div><div>Tita N, you are so loved β€ angels are lucky to have you. We miss you.</div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-835186867466352972020-03-28T06:26:00.000-07:002020-03-28T20:27:09.641-07:00Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Treats<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div><br></div>As part of our #covidcookingclub series, our dear Coco-belle has run out of her favorite treats so I'm making her some today.<div><br></div><div>I googled around for banana treats and saw that banana, peanut butter and oatmeal treats are a popular pairing.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Ingredients</b></div><div>3 cups rolled oats (not instant)</div><div>6 small bananas or 2 large ones (the riper the better)</div><div>1 cup peanut butter (pick one with simple ingredients, no Xylitol please)</div><div>1 egg </div><div>AP Flour for the board</div><div><br></div><div>Yields 120 small cookies</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div><br></div><div>Using your (clean!) Coffee grinder or blender, grind the oats into flour. If you don't have either, whole oats is fine. Just knead the.dough more to break the oats apart.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div><br></div><div>Peel and mash 6 bananas, then add peanut butter and egg. Mix thoroughly then add to oat flour.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Mix well and turnout onto the board, using all purpose flour as necessary to stop it from sticking. Roll out to the desired thickness and use cookie cutters to make the cookies. I chose a cute flower for my small dog.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div> </div><div>Bake for 7 to 9 minutes at 350F or 180C.</div><div><br></div><div>Taste test with your pup!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>See her reaction on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-RsAR_A0Tc/?igshid=10nbzqe5gp4mg">video</a> </div><div><br></div><div>Enjoy π</div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-7092309781026934572020-03-22T08:12:00.001-07:002020-03-22T08:12:01.941-07:00Pan de Coco<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div>My favorite merienda (snack) as a kid. Took me a few tries, but finally settled on this recipe.<div><br></div><div>Dry mixture</div><div><div>400g (3 3/4 cup)bread flour</div><div>24g (3 tbsp) milk powder (optional)<br></div><div><div>4g (1/2 tsp) bread improver (optional)</div></div><div>4g (1 tsp) salt</div><div>45g (3 1/2 tbsp) sugar<br></div><div><br></div><div>Wet mixture</div><div>150ml warm water, plus 30ml reserved water<br></div><div>8g (2 1/2 tsp) instant yeast</div><div>5g (1/2 tbsp) sugar</div><div><div>1 tbsp vanilla<br></div><div>1 whole egg</div></div><div><div>60g (4 tbsp) softened butter</div></div><div>Egg wash</div><div><br></div><div>Filling</div><div>1 cup dessicated coconut</div><div>1/2 cup softened butter</div><div>1/2 cup softened cream cheese</div><div>1/2 cup breadcrumbs (not the japanese kind, just regular and unflavored)</div><div>1/2 cup sugar</div></div><div><br></div><div>Dissolve 5g of sugar in warm water</div><div>Add yeast and mix. Let bloom for 5 to 10mins.</div><div>Mix dry mixture together, once ready add yeast mixture. Add egg, and vanilla. </div><div>Using dough hook, mix on low until incorporated. Mix on medium speed for 2 mins, adding reserved water 1/2tbsp at a time IF needed (humidity, your flour and size of egg will vary so only do this if it doesn't come together the first time) you're looking for a tacky dough. Once it comes together, add butter 1 tbsp at a time(make sure it's softened butter). Knead for 8 mins on high. You're looking for a smooth but sticky dough. Wet your hands and dough scraper with the reserved water and turn out the dough to your board. Knead using the slap and fold technique for 2 mins making sure its fluffy and smooth. Shape into a ball. Add some oil in a bowl and add dough, cover with a thin film of oil, covering the bowl with a damp cloth. Let rise for 45 mins to an hour until double (place in a warm area).</div><div><br></div><div>Use the break to mix your filling. Just mush everything up with your fork. I honestly don't remember the proportions I used originally so taste as you go. Cream cheese is not tradional so just replace with butter if you like. The resulting texture should be dry enough to hold its shape if you pinch it.</div><div><br></div><div>Once the dough doubles in size, cut into 50g sizes. Shape each dough piece into a ball by folding it into itself, then placing into the board. Cup your hands and do a rolling motion with your hand, letting the sticky dough create tension by sticking lightly to the board (If your dough sticks too much it means it wasn't kneaded enough the 1st time so do slap and fold for a few mins and let it rise again). </div><div><br></div><div>Starting with the 1st dough ball you formed flatten with your rolling pin, taking care to flatten the edge more than the middle. Add 1 tsp of filling and close it up by pinching the edge together. By not making the middle too thin you'll make sure the filling would end up in the middle of the dough. Roll as a ball again, then flatten slightly into a puck shape. Do this for all, cover with an oiled platic wrap and let rise for 30 - 45mins or until double. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Once it rises, take a fork and punch twice in the middle. Get your egg wash (1 egg with some water) and brush on each one.</div><div><br></div><div>Bake at 180C or 350F for 10 to 12 mins or until deep golden brown.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div><br></div><div>P.s. yes, invest in a digital scale please.</div><div>P.p.s if you knead by hand, you are my hero.</div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-40028301313468601002020-03-22T06:24:00.001-07:002020-03-22T06:24:55.473-07:00Hello again.I stopped blogging 8 years ago, after Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda. It felt a little weird writing about non sensical things when I knew people were hurting. I think I had survivors guilt, which didn't really make sense. <div><br></div><div>8 years later, holed up at home, the entire world is hurting and I'm thinking it might be a good idea to start again. </div><div><br></div><div>Possibly to make sure I remember to be grateful, for the small things.</div><div><br></div><div>- R</div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-41449600413831704212013-11-20T22:13:00.001-08:002013-12-23T22:59:35.372-08:00YolandaThis is a long post, but here are interesting things I heard from the survivors (I have no way of verifying the following, just know that these are straight from the families I took home from #OplanHatid<br />
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1. From the Pacheco family, Sta. Fe, Leyte: They said that people were planning to evacuate, but were told that the storm will hit in the afternoon. However, strong winds started at 6:00 AM, I guess the eye was going to hit by the afternoon but the wind hours before that were too strong already. No one knew.<br />
2. Also from the same family: They stayed at home because they were further from the coast than other people and they thought they had a strong firewall. Others went to the church for shelter. Their entire house got decimated, even the wall, but it was just enough to save their young family of 5. Some of the people who evacuated to the church died under the rubble :(<br />
3. They can't build their own temporary shelters because all the wood AND corrugated steel were shattered. DUROG was the word they used. I couldn't believe it, they said even the really thick corrugated steel were crumpled like paper, and that people are trying to shelter under pilapils (I think these are the stalks left after rice has been gathered, dried and will no longer be used). Completely insufficient (TARPS PLEASE!)<br />
4. Three quarters of the cement road to the airport were washed away by the waves. Slabs of cement, taken by water.<br />
5. There are no coconut trees or even kamoteng kahoy left anywhere (a tuber similar to sweet potato). They were all washed away (even food underground). There was no way for them to feed themselves at all.<br />
6. There is deep well water (poso negro) from one barangay, 2 KM away. People were getting sick because the water needed purifying. They don't have money for gas burners, and no available wood to kindle properly so they couldn't boil the water. (The wood were too soaked and useless, remember there was another storm after Yolanda)<br />
7. I told my next passengers about the anger in Manila regarding the politicians repacking goods with their names BEFORE giving it away. All of them said, THERE WAS NO SUCH THING. They are from different areas: Tolosa and Alang Alang Leyte, so at least in those areas it didn't happen. They were hanging out in Tacloban for a couple days as well before getting into the plane. In fact, the initial goods (for immediate relief) delivered by government to the barangays for distribution were not repacked by the LGUs, and 7 people died in Alang Alang, fighting over the sacks of rice (again, I can't verify this, these are all stories from survivors).<br />
8. I asked them when help started coming, folks from Tolosa said 2 days, In Alang Alang 1 week. They were the ones who told me that the relief goods were stuck in Matnog(?) for 3 days. Kuya Cyril said he passed by it. They said, there was no helping it, the roads were impassable - and they are much more understanding of the government's efforts than we are.<br />
9. They said the the gunfights in Tacloban are NPA related. So instead of saving people like our army wanted, they are having to fight these rebels instead, as the NPA were trying to seize the relief goods :( The lawlessness were due to the convicts who escaped.<br />
10. 2 liters of water diluted gasoline costs PHP 300. People who were able to loot from the malls were selling the goods at a high price. Tsk, tsk.<br />
11. They said that it wasn't desperation from hunger that led people to looting - it was simply that they are evil. Why will you loot air conditioning units, and cellphones? On day one? And they trashed ATM machines and killed each other over the cash (they suspect the escaped convicts again). People were helping other people escape these madmen, that is why there is such a stampede to get to the planes. That is why, literally rain or shine, no one moves from their place in line.<br />
12. There is now a curfew in Tacloban, so far they think the peace is holding.<br />
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The common thing I noticed, from every family I took home, is that they kept talking about how to help people back in the Visayas. Even if they just went through all that trauma themselves - these people still want to help others. It is really humbling. It's no wonder volunteer drivers kept going back and looking for other families to take home. If you need a pick me upper - go and volunteer. The organizers may have changed, and it may have changed because of a selfish few, but that doesn't really matter. We are not doing it for the government or ourselves. We are doing it for the people who thought they've lost all hope - until they were welcomed, fed, given clothing, medicine, groceries and fussed over by complete strangers who are willing to search with them for their families in Manila. For them, people in Manila helping them this way is a complete shock. Let's keep on shocking them. #OplanHatid<br />
<br />Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-48290869414370247512013-08-27T03:04:00.003-07:002013-08-27T03:15:18.131-07:00Kare-kare (Ox Tail in Peanut Stew)I daresay, this is one of the most requested Filipino dishes by balikbayans and a favorite during family gatherings.<br />
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I am writing the recipe today for my brother in-law, as a much belated thank you for treating us to a mean, low and slow cooked pork adobo when we last visited.<br />
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Cooking Kare-kare isn't rocket science, but our version is a little bit more tedious because we prefer our vegetables to be flavorful on their own and retain most of their crispness (mushed veggies are not good eats). I've also tried to move away from pre-packaged mixes to avoid MSG. You are of course welcome to substitute the recipe here and use the mix :)<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1 kilo Ox Tail (my family prefers a combination of beef face, tendon and ox tail)<br />
2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and sliced<br />
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns<br />
2 medium onions, sliced<br />
2 heads garlic, minced<br />
4 medium sized bay leaves<br />
2 <a href="http://www.delmonte.ph/kitchenomics/ingredients/vegetables/native-pechay" target="_blank">Pechay </a>or Chinese bokchoy bundles (cut an inch of the core to separate leaves)<br />
1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges. (remove most of the thick root in the middle but not all)<br />
10 strands <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigna_unguiculata_subsp._sesquipedalis" target="_blank">long beans</a>, cut into 2 inches (remove ends)<br />
2 medium Chinese eggplants, cut on the bias (3/4 inch thick ovals)<br />
2 cups raw peeled peanuts OR 1 cup peanut butter<br />
1 Tbsp canola or peanut oil (for the peanut paste if using raw)<br />
1/4 cup <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annatto" target="_blank">annatto </a>or achioete seeds (For color. This is optional but it doesn't look as appetizing without this)<br />
4 tbsp canola oil (for the Annatto seeds)<br />
2 Tbsp rice flour (No need to buy, just dry toast the rice grains, and grind in the blender)<br />
Salt, Ground Pepper and Fish sauce to taste<br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
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<b>Preparing the beef - </b><br />
Wash the ox tail and other beef parts. If using beef face and tendon, no need to cut into pieces before boiling (it's nearly impossible anyway). Ox tails are usually sold in 1 1/2 inch disks already.<br />
In a deep pot, add beef parts and cold water to cover. Bring up to a boil and let it go for 20 minutes.<br />
Beef face and oxtails are quite fatty, so at this point discard the initial broth (yes! all of it, don't worry you'll still get loads of flavor later). Replace the water and add the ginger, whole black peppercorns, 1 sliced onion, bay leaf, 1 tbsp of salt and 1/4 of your garlic. The ginger will counter the 'lansa' or any unflattering smell of the beef so don't skip it.<br />
Let this boil on medium low heat (around 3 hours), until fork tender but still retains it's shape. If using different parts you'll need to remove the tendon and face earlier than the ox tail. The beef will be cooked again later so don't let it soften too much. Once cool, take the large pieces of tendon and beef face, then break it down to 2 x 2 inch chunks (thereabouts). Strain and save the broth for later (you'll need around 2 qts). Try to remove as much oil from the broth as you can. You don't need the boiled onion, peppercorns or ginger anymore, just discard those. <br />
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<b>Preparing the Veggies - </b><br />
Clean, slice and let dry all vegetables. In a separate pan, saute each set of vegetables (pechay, cabbage and long beans) on high heat with a little oil, minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for a minute or two only, make sure they don't wilt too much. <br />
For the eggplant, use medium low heat and fry on both sides. Eggplants usually absorbs oil quickly, so don't be tempted to drown it. Just put a little oil then lay your eggplants and cover the saute pan. This'll help cook the eggplants faster. Flip it once the eggplant is tender to brown the other side. No need to add more oil.<br />
Some folks skip this step and cook their eggplants and the other vegetables directly in the broth. That is fine too, however I've never been a fan of boiled eggplant (yuck), but I love 'em fried.<br />
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p.s. Don't be afraid to brown the garlic. IMHO, the western belief that brown garlic is no good doesn't apply to Filipino cooking. The nutty, slightly singed flavor cuts through our rich stews very well. There is a fine line between brown and burnt though - you'll just have to learn this by practice.<br />
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<b>Preparing the peanut paste - </b><br />
For the peanuts, we dry toast them in a saute pan on the stove top, then grind them in a regular blender. Sometimes the ground nuts turn into powder and not paste. If that happens, add 1 tbsp of peanut oil if you have it, or canola if you don't. Olive oil and other strong flavored oils will skew the peanut paste, so go for something neutral. Of course, peanut butter is an option - but this is sometimes too sweet (especially the American ones). If in the US, you can buy ground peanut at wholefoods where they let you grind your own.<br />
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<b>Preparing the Annatto / Achiote oil - </b><br />
This is completely optional, but somehow without this natural coloring, the food isn't as appetizing. I highly recommend this additional 5 minute step. Just drop your annatto seeds and oil in a small sauce pan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. After this, let it steep in the oil until needed. Strain and remove the annatto seeds before use. You can reuse the annatto if the color isn't strong enough for you. Usually the color of the final product is somewhere between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Crayola_crayon_colors#Standard_colors" target="_blank">Burnt Orange and Burnt Sienna</a>. <br />
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<b>Putting it all together - </b><br />
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Using your annatto oil, saute the minced garlic and sliced onions in a pot (you can use the same pot where you boiled the beef). Add the peanut paste. Saute for a few minutes, then slowly add the broth. Adding the broth a cup or two at a time will help you avoid peanut paste clumps. It's hard to mix those in if you just dump the entire broth in. At this point, add pepper, salt and/or fish sauce to taste. Don't salt it too much as the dish will be served with bagoong (fermented shrimp). <br />
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Add the cooked meat and let simmer for 10 minutes. At times the peanut paste can thicken the broth on its own. If it's not enough, dissolve 2 Tbsp of rice flour in 3 Tbsp of water. Slowly add until you get your preferred texture. Ideally the sauce is still light but will coat the back of the spoon. Test it by drawing your finger across the back of the spoon and if the line stays you're good to go (be careful, it's hot!).<br />
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If you're ready to serve add the vegetables and gently toss together. I typically don't include the water that the veggies sweat out, so as not to dilute the sauce. Your choice.<br />
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Serve with lots of fragrant rice and a side of bagoong. <br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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p.s. For a healthier (albeit, non-traditional) alternative, you can substitute chicken thighs for beef or turn this into a vegetarian dish. Just use veggie broth or water instead of beef stock (and obviously, don't include the beef!).Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-87180834534818052132013-07-21T20:44:00.001-07:002013-07-21T20:45:32.739-07:00Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DzKdH0uV0f6DAMtnL0_PJeAwFZjKe1u_yqyjju-IQWlJ4B8kEDIhyphenhyphenWMpgPqu75ICIwZzds2CrGM5MGsFjrdxXzgcdzX6X7zbMgP_y2wBJ8JfYptL4Nc8-SL9x2P441DIEuW2WTu7L94/s1600/20130717_180006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DzKdH0uV0f6DAMtnL0_PJeAwFZjKe1u_yqyjju-IQWlJ4B8kEDIhyphenhyphenWMpgPqu75ICIwZzds2CrGM5MGsFjrdxXzgcdzX6X7zbMgP_y2wBJ8JfYptL4Nc8-SL9x2P441DIEuW2WTu7L94/s320/20130717_180006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Easy-peasy is what I should call this.<br />
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I got the idea for the recipe from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jalapeno-cheddar-cornbread-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Ina Garten</a>, but tweaked it to my taste.<br />
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This recipe makes a mildly sweet, mildly hot, but extravagantly moist and corny bread.<br />
You can opt to remove the Jalapeno if you don't like it hot :-)<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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2 cups all purpose flour<br />
2 cups fine ground cornmeal (I got mine from Healthy Options)<br />
2 tbsp baking powder<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
2 tsp rock salt (try not to use fine iodized salt, if you have no choice then just use less)<br />
1 can cream corn<br />
1 can sweet corn kernels (drained)<br />
2 cups fresh milk<br />
1 stick unsalted butter, melted<br />
3 extra large eggs<br />
250 gram cheddar cheese, grated (I just used Eden cheese)<br />
2 tbsp jalapeno, chopped coarsely (de-seed for less heat)<br />
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Basically, mix all the dry ingredients together, then mix all wet ingredients separately.<br />
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture.<br />
Just mix till combined then dump the cheese and corn in.<br />
Don't be tempted to overmix, just mix till combined or it'll make your bread hard and not moist and crumbly.<br />
Use some cheese as topping if you'd like to brown the top nicely<br />
Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan and let this sit for 20 minutes before baking.<br />
Pre-heat your oven to reach 350 F or 180 C.<br />
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck to the middle of the pan comes out clean.<br />
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Serve with fried chicken and soup! (the one in the picture is a tomato-potato puree)<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-52960021659992675632013-07-10T08:28:00.003-07:002014-07-18T22:21:25.260-07:00Arabic Sugar WaxEvery wonder what type of wax Lay Bare uses? It's an age old recipe for Arabic wax.<br />
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IMHO it removes hair better than any wax I've tried before, and it will not burn you, so I tried making my own.<br />
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WARNING: Boiling sugar is hotter than boiling water - DO NOT TOUCH OR TASTE this mixture while in liquid form. IT WILL BURN YOU. For kids, only do this with the supervision of an adult. Try at your own risk.<br />
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I found this video on YouTube and followed it, however as the measurements are not precise and it took me 3 tries before I got it. The recipe I ended up with and some of my tips are below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WoS1uuddqcM" width="560"></iframe>
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Ingredients:<br />
1 cup white sugar (must be white so you can watch it caramelize)<br />
1 tsp salt (rock salt)<br />
2 tbsp water<br />
2 tbsp lemon juice<br />
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Directions:<br />
1. On medium-low heat, add all the ingredients in a clean saute pan. I used a wooden spoon instead of the metal spoon in the video since I hate the steel on steel grating sound.<br />
2. Stir continuously until all the sugar melts, bubbles up and turns into a dark amber color. If done right, it will take you around 5-8 minutes (not the 2 minutes indicated in the video title!). It is important to cook the sugar long enough because you're converting the sugar crystals to something more pliable later on. I wasn't able to watch the temp, so just go by color.<br />
3. Once the sugar is dark amber (not burnt!), take it off the heat and follow Maha's instructions in the video. You basically need to pour the liquid on a surface that can take the heat and cool the sugar down. I think tiles will work, but make sure you sterilize the surface prior to using (just use boiling water, not any fancy chemical. It might transfer to your wax - no fun!). Alternatively, it's best to use a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silpat" target="_blank">silpat</a> or something similar instead of a tile or marble surface for easy cleaning.<br />
4. Once the sugar is on the flat surface, start cooling it down by pushing the sugar to the center and mixing over and over. Continue doing this until the sugar becomes hard, but still pliable.<br />
5. To get the consistency needed for wax, you need to slowly add moisture to the candy ball and knead it. Rather than wetting both hands as indicated in the video, I wet my right hand only and started pulling the candy, then folding it unto itself. After folding 5 - 8 times, I wet my right hand again, and did the entire process 3 times (only!). After the 3rd time, stop adding water to your hands, but continue pulling and folding the candy ball. Initially you'll see a glossy sheen on the candy, but after a while it should start getting tacky. If after pulling and folding 15 times, it's still hard, wet your right hand again and continue pulling. Don't add too much water quickly as it will turn your wax into mush! You should be able to get a dough like consistency at this point. Try pressing the candy ball to the palm of your left hand, and it should take and retain the shape of your right fingers easily. <br />
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You now have sugar wax!<br />
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To store:<br />
1. Divide into approximately 2 tablespoon amounts and individually wrap in cling wrap and keep in the refrigerator. <br />
2. If you need to use, thaw in the microwave for 10 secs. <br />
3. Once it thaws, it wouldn't be pliable immediately, make sure to play with it again to slowly bring it to temp with the warmth of your hands.<br />
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To use:<br />
1. Prepare the following: damp and dry towel, baby powder, mirror, wax.<br />
2. Clean the area to be waxed, making sure not to use overly moisturizing soaps. The area needs to be devoid of moisturizers.<br />
3. Dry the area thoroughly and apply baby powder generously.<br />
4. Apply the wax against the hair growth (example for the legs, apply from the bottom up), making sure to press the wax against your skin for maximum pulling power. The better the grip, the less painful this will be. Only apply 1 inch width by 1 to 2 inch length wax at a time only. Once applied, rip the wax off, following the direction of the hair growth (in the same example for the legs, pull from top to bottom). Following the hair growth on removal is less stressful to the pore, and should lead to less ingrown hairs. It's less painful too!<br />
Make sure you check the hair growth direction, it isn't always vertical. <br />
5. If not all the hairs are removed on the first try, leave it and don't wax the same area again. You'll just hurt your skin as you've lost the protection of the baby powder on the first try. Come back to it later using tweezers, after everything else is removed.<br />
6. Reuse the same wax (even with the pulled hairs) on other areas, but you can only re-use for a short period of time, as it will get too mushy because of the heat of your body. Change waxes once it's harder to pull.<br />
7. After you're done, remove the excess sugar by lightly cleaning sugary areas with the damp towel, and drying off again with the dry towel.<br />
8. Massage treated area with oil (I heard Argan oil works well, I use anti ingrown hair serum from European Wax Center that I got from the US)<br />
9. Don't wet the area (showers, sauna, steam baths, or even just sweating) for 8 hours to avoid infections.<br />
10. Exfoliate the area after two days to avoid ingrown hair.<br />
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Tips:<br />
1. If the sugar wax is too hard, continue pulling and wetting your right hand - just don't be impatient and pour water on it, otherwise you'll end up with mushy syrup (happened to me the first try, so frustrating!).<br />
2. If it gets too mushy, just try to cook it off again to remove excess water.<br />
3. My sugar wax is darker than what was shown in the video, so don't fret if yours is not the same color as Maha's.<br />
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Comment here if you have any questions, or if it worked for you!<br />
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<br />Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-27517932291215200472013-07-09T21:13:00.003-07:002013-07-09T21:22:30.349-07:00Beef CalderetaA request by my friend, Mommy Chyi who is facing her inevitable destiny to be a domestic goddess :)<br />
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Disclaimer: This Caldereta is more Spanish than the super cheesy versions being cooked nowadays in other Filipino households. I can't call it traditional because I am not using goat, and I am using a non-traditional stock base: Beer. I got it from our childhood nanny who, in the few years she was away from us, became a cook for a catering group in her province.</div>
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Beef Caldereta:</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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Beef Marinade:</div>
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2 Tbsp Soy Sauce</div>
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1/2 Tbsp Pepper</div>
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2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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1 Kilo Beef (Shortribs are a favorite, if not available try kalitiran or chuck. Do not use tenderloin or other expensive cuts of beef)</div>
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1 large onion, diced</div>
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5 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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2 large bay leaves</div>
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2 Tbsp Canola Oil</div>
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1 Tbsp liverspread (preferably Reno)</div>
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2 Tbsp tomato paste</div>
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1 large can of diced or crushed tomatoes, use 1 kilo fresh if you have ripe tomatoes (Just remove the skin)</div>
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1 Tbsp white sugar (optional, use only if your tomatoes are too sour)</div>
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4 cups water</div>
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1 Cup Beer (optional, drink the rest while cooking)</div>
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2 Large Potatoes, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes</div>
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2 Large Carrots, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces</div>
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2 pieces whole pickles, cut in 1 inch rounds (optional, but this makes it a little bit sweeter)</div>
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1 cup green olives (optional, or add less if you're not a fan)</div>
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1/4 cup grated Edam cheese (optional, bust those Queso de Bola's out)</div>
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2 Tbsp Brandy (optional)</div>
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2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)</div>
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Directions:</div>
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1. Trim the beef and remove any excess fat (especially on the shortribs). Wash and then pat dry.</div>
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2. Mix the marinade and coat all beef pieces. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes (don't do it overnight). In the mean time, prep the veggies.</div>
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3. In a saute pan, add 1 Tbsp of canola oil and pan fry the potatoes and carrots until opaque. Make sure to not over crowd the pan to avoid steaming the veggies. You can use vegetable oil if canola isn't available, just don't use olive oil, the smoke point is too low and it'll burn easily. Lightly add salt and pepper after frying. </div>
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4. In a deep pot (preferably heavy bottomed) over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp of canola oil and sear the beef pieces on all sides until deeply brown in color. As with the veggies, do not overcrowd to ensure you get a good sear. Remove from the pot and set aside.</div>
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5. In the same pot (yes, with the burned bits at the bottom), check if you have around 1 Tbsp oil. Remove excess or add a little more canola for sauteing. Lower the temperature to medium and add the diced onion and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to release the flavors (don't add too much!). I like sauteing bay leaves as well, so feel free to drop 'em on at this point.</div>
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6. When the house smells like onion and garlic, and the veggies are translucent, add the tomato paste. Saute briefly (until the color darkens a little bit), then add the liver spread. You can add more liver spread if you like the liver flavor to be more pronounced (I don't).</div>
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7. Once the paste is sauteed, add back the beef with all the juices in the plate. Make sure to coat all sides of the beef with the paste and leave to saute for a few minutes.</div>
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8. Add a cup of beer and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all brown bits. Let it come to a boil and allow the alcohol to evaporate. If you're serving to kids however, just use water. When you can no longer smell alcohol, add the tomatoes and water.</div>
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9. On high heat, let it come to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 3 hours or until the beef is tender.</div>
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10. 2 hours into cooking, check the beef for tenderness and skim any frothy bits and oil out of the pot. I try to remove all the oil rendered to avoid a greasy caldereta. Add more water if the beef is still not tender and you're nearly dried out (this is an indication your heat maybe too high). </div>
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11. Once the beef is tender, taste the sauce and check for the saltiness and sourness of the dish. Add salt and sugar (and pepper!) as needed. The sugar will help counteract the sourness of the tomatoes if the batch you got was not ripe enough. Just don't add too much, you just want to adjust the tomato flavor to imitate peak ripeness, not to make pinoy kids spaghetti.</div>
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12. Once you're happy with the taste, add the cooked potatoes, carrots, sliced pickles and olives.</div>
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13. You're nearly done! Once the dish comes back to a boil after adding all the veggies, add the brandy and stir. Again, not for kids, so just omit if needed. There is no need to bring back to a boil.</div>
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14. Turn of the heat and stir in the cheese. Make sure the dish is no longer actively boiling or the cheese will become stringy as opposed to melted. I don't prefer a strong cheese flavor to my caldereta (in fact, I usually omit this). Remove the bay leaves.</div>
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15. Remember all the beef oil we removed from the dish? I like replacing it with olive oil, just added on top.</div>
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Make sure to cook up tons of rice and serve while hot!</div>
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Makes 6 generous servings.</div>
Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-52006643054101383862013-04-17T01:01:00.004-07:002013-07-09T21:24:59.013-07:00Ginisang Munggo<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A request from a friend :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup munggo beans (or Mung beans)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cups water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 cloves garlic, chopped finely</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium onion, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium roma tomato or local tomato, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tinapang galunggong (smoked fish), deboned and chopped to1/2 inch chunks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Optional: 1/8 kilo pork or shrimp</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Optional: Thinly sliced amplaya or </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 small blocks of fried tofu (chopped into cubes or sliced)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and Fish sauce to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wash and soak the munggo overnight or minimum 30 minutes before cooking. Boil the munggo with 3 cups of water (depends on the bean, just add more as needed) on medium heat, don't add any flavorings yet. Once tender, the skin of the beans will separate from the pod and float to the top of the water. Remove the skins and set the boiled beans aside (the skin sticks to the teeth and is not good eats).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a separate pan, saute the garlic, onion and tomato until fragrant and tomato wilts. Add the pork or shrimp or tofu and saute until cooked, then add the tinapa. The tinapa flavors the munggo so don't skip this ingredient. You can't use non-smoked fish as it will not hold it's shape while cooking. Saute the ampalaya after the tinapa if desired. Use salt and fish sauce to taste, taking into consideration that the tinapa is already salty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the saute is done, take it off the heat and add to the boiled munggo. Put the munggo pot on medium heat and boil ingredients together. Adjust the taste of the dish by adding salt, fish sauce or water (if too salty or too dry).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To serve, top with ampalaya leaves (the heat will wilt the leaves) and crushed chicharon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notes:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On choosing ampalaya: I dislike the bitterness of this produce, but has since figured out how to choose wisely. When choosing ampalaya, go for the firm ampalaya but with large curls. This yields a less bitter ampalaya than tightly curled ones. Others also salt their ampalaya to draw out the liquid (and bitterness) before rinsing and using as usual.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we were kids, we used to eat boiled munggo with milk and sugar as an afternoon snack (It is porridge like).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another favorite is ginataang munggo which is a loose rice pudding with coconut milk and pan roasted (and crushed) munggo beans - yum!!</span></li>
</ul>
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Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-15304568049126045272013-03-21T07:55:00.000-07:002013-06-26T00:48:09.849-07:00Red Velvet Cake Pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwjK63Ce9dYjBZkKJlwiWr1JwdclvHf9Jiehq0-SSqZyKIef0NbqqRQdU7xr_Nqik3MWWTnejBkk_EFK_n0Na5sfok7CWWqfh3IivDbuyXf05Pvz3rGRegwrH0BadljmHiViKvho5wXQ/s1600/PhotoGrid_1363874492201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwjK63Ce9dYjBZkKJlwiWr1JwdclvHf9Jiehq0-SSqZyKIef0NbqqRQdU7xr_Nqik3MWWTnejBkk_EFK_n0Na5sfok7CWWqfh3IivDbuyXf05Pvz3rGRegwrH0BadljmHiViKvho5wXQ/s320/PhotoGrid_1363874492201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am on a diet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A really strict one that forbids me to eat a lot of things including dairy and starch. So I've been avoiding baking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But... If you have a needy, spoiled little sister who smiles up to you like a lost kitty cat and asks for Red Velvet cupcakes, well, you turn around and say "Cake pops na lang?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first heard/saw cake pops from my talented friend A. I've always thought the cake pops I kept seeing are just round balls of cake dipped in chocolate, but boy was I wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's actually regular cake that's crumbled, and MIXED with the frosting, rolled in balls, THEN coated in chocolate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My eyes just got wider and wider when A educated me (also, my arteries were constricting).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I used my 3 year old altered Cakeman Raven recipe as a base: </span><a href="http://pigletta.blogspot.com/2010/02/southern-red-velvet-cake-with-cream.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Southern Red Velvet Cake</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and altered it further to account for the sweetness of the frosting (I'm not a fan of desserts that are too sweet).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients for the cake:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vegetable Oil for the Pans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 1/2 cups cake flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup white sugar (original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of sugar)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon sea salt (original recipe calls for fine salt but I don't have that - don't use iodized salt!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup cocoa powder (original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups canola oil (regular vegetable oil will do)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (substitute recipe below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large eggs, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons red food coloring (The 1 ounce McCormick food coloring will do)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon white vinegar (important to counteract bitterness in food coloring)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract (in my case I used 1/4 vanilla bean because I didn't have any extract)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cream Cheese Frosting:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 packs 225 grams cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 250 grams unsalted butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups sifted confectioners sugar (original recipe called for 4 cups!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract (in my case I used 1/4 vanilla bean)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coating: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White chocolate block (500 g)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil and flour a 9 inch round cake pan. I used a springform pan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. If you're using fine salt you can sift it with the dry ingredients, otherwise include in the liquid to melt properly. If you don't, someone will get a nasty-salty surprise later on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you don't have buttermilk: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tablespoon white vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~1 Cup of full cream milk (no low-fat, no skim-milk, no excuses)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a measuring cup, add the vinegar and top off with the milk. Leave around 10 minutes to slightly curdle and you have buttermilk substitute!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using a standing mixer or your wonderful hands + whisk, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed. Don't over beat or you'll get a tough cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place the pan in the middle part of the oven. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out dry (about 30 minutes).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen it from the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and then re-invert onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely. And I mean COMPLETELY. This needs to be cool so as not to melt the frosting later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the cake is baking, start on the frosting:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or your wonderful hands + whisk (prepare your muscles!!) mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 - 7 minutes. Make sure you mix all and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reduce the speed of the mixer to low when adding the vanilla. After it's incorporated you can increase the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy. You can store in refrigerator until slightly stiff before using (so it won't melt during the next steps!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This maybe too much frosting for you so adjust as necessary but.... :D it's just enough for me! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnE3EMKlg4uh3SujsAGLsagtRzTkdr74cjLFbvHPZfPg-pHWeD0zdi4MiQEP0AqkWuy2aMRQpQPXeTFXL-bRyBEJjA6UVs-zz6wmzgpidkEcJQvDtzzSj1Qjur7dLDIevIdMBVZsI_30/s1600/20130321_201721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnE3EMKlg4uh3SujsAGLsagtRzTkdr74cjLFbvHPZfPg-pHWeD0zdi4MiQEP0AqkWuy2aMRQpQPXeTFXL-bRyBEJjA6UVs-zz6wmzgpidkEcJQvDtzzSj1Qjur7dLDIevIdMBVZsI_30/s200/20130321_201721.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once both the cake and frosting are cool, crumble a portion of the cake and mix with some frosting. Taste it at this point to make sure you're happy with the amount of sugar. If you'd like it sweeter, you can bring the frosting to room temp again and add confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. *Note - the chocolate will make it much sweeter later on so be careful!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you're happy with the sweetness, mix it all together and roll into 1- 1 and 1/2 inch diameter balls. If it's too sticky, try to stick it into the refrigerator for a bit (around 30 minutes) to firm up. After completing all the balls, pop them in the fridge.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCii4zQfwRhudm5FkY5GFhkfCBLkeRJEmFOy-bUiYJyvWeEz-wWGUXNOMTypc5HZyzXVzYlLM1fJ7EzVHHez1McfOLXQoelQYLUe63epy3K0qgkqqvlwzzw3QvZwdOdSR3IkaETPat1I/s1600/20130321_210634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCii4zQfwRhudm5FkY5GFhkfCBLkeRJEmFOy-bUiYJyvWeEz-wWGUXNOMTypc5HZyzXVzYlLM1fJ7EzVHHez1McfOLXQoelQYLUe63epy3K0qgkqqvlwzzw3QvZwdOdSR3IkaETPat1I/s200/20130321_210634.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it's cooling in the refrigerator, melt your chocolate dip.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this instance, I'm using a white chocolate block (500 g) from Bakers depot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Give the chocolate a rough chop (it looks like tofu!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoQZS7H2zEeUOox7MDtlNTmp9b_pbMimee8XXeH-3NlXg4bS-Vw6jNKDJcfWrycvgCUJ5jmpVnIuMipfeRvmZz_4VmdhxrgpjKUIuSSNruy1l4OBj_gmAfpmBFl5FD_6apAmrfNIDWiQ/s1600/20130321_211729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoQZS7H2zEeUOox7MDtlNTmp9b_pbMimee8XXeH-3NlXg4bS-Vw6jNKDJcfWrycvgCUJ5jmpVnIuMipfeRvmZz_4VmdhxrgpjKUIuSSNruy1l4OBj_gmAfpmBFl5FD_6apAmrfNIDWiQ/s200/20130321_211729.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once chopped up small, put half of the chocolate into a bowl and stick it into the microwave for 10 seconds at a time. After the 10 second buzz, stir it to help even out the melting. Do this 3x - 5x more, adding the remaining chocolate 1/4 cup at a time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would look like nothings happening at first, but don't fret and don't be tempted to do the full 50 seconds in one go. It'll ruin the chocolate if it gets too hot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. If your chocolate is too thick, try to add 1 tsp of vegetable oil at a time to make it smoother.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take the cakes out of the refrigerator to start dipping. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28OlmXxL8ElAEnAVrP9UveJurkxnSjs412kTtgZCskzKbgDHT-Vj0_sUN0nw0akudpAH1EoPDIVYGP0f6pECBsc-Apuq7ejzZk2rxUpDnoNWu2SJBR-Fby-Jk_JLDvSrokyC8GaX4MRA/s1600/20130321_211813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28OlmXxL8ElAEnAVrP9UveJurkxnSjs412kTtgZCskzKbgDHT-Vj0_sUN0nw0akudpAH1EoPDIVYGP0f6pECBsc-Apuq7ejzZk2rxUpDnoNWu2SJBR-Fby-Jk_JLDvSrokyC8GaX4MRA/s200/20130321_211813.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get your sticks (in my case I'm using paper straws since I couldn't find lollipop sticks on short notice) and dip them in the chocolate. After this, stick in the cake balls and let it set while you do the others. Gently dip into the melted chocolate. (If your chocolate gets too thick, buzz it in the microwave again for 10 secs).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the entire ball isn't covered, don't swish it around or you risk breaking them. Just use a spoon/spatula to gently spoon more chocolate to cover the top.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To get perfectly round ones, stand the finished cake pop vertically in any styro (I was lazy, I just placed mine on a plate - if you do this make sure you put wax paper underneath!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Verdict:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the initial taste test, the sweetness was on the spot, however the white chocolate I bought was too sweet and overpowered the cake after dipping. I'll need to re-adjust this for next time and make the balls smaller to really look like the regular cake pops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'd like to learn more about Cake Pops, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">visit "</span><a href="http://www.bakerella.com/cake-pops-an-adventure/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bakerella</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" (the creator's) blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yields ~ 30 giant pops.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">p.s. I like cooking savory food than baking. </span>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-33127039481942278932013-01-21T01:55:00.001-08:002013-06-26T00:49:12.015-07:00Of Diets and New Years<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As far as crazy diets go, I follow my Hepatologist's badly photocopied list of do's and don'ts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No sodas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No alcohol.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No pork or lamb.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No processed food.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No starch. All of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No cookies, cakes, corn, potatoes, pizza, bread, pasta or rice. None. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a known abuser of bland and tasteless carbs, I stared at the doctor (who, by the way, looked a lot like Doc Brown, wild white hair and all) and said:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"No rice?! But, I'm Asian!" *insert look of horror here*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To which he responds with a smirk:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "I don't care!" *insert imagined evil laugh here*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me: "What about brown rice?!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doc: "No!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me: "Sweet potato?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doc: "No! None!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me: *wide-eyed and sits in stunned in silence*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I read through the rest of the list, my horror grew:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No grapes or melons (of any kind)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No nuts (goodbye Kare-kare)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No dairy (goodbye Ice cream)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No egg yolks (here I think I just died, and had all sorts of food craving all at that instance)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It left me wondering if I can eat anything at all (cardboard and chalk weren't on the list, I thought)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are the best things to eat? My eyes travel to the shorter side of the list:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish, Skinless chicken, Lean beef</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tofu, Broccoli and much colored veggies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Banana's, Apples</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All berries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorbet and Dark Chocolate (only a little!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a nutshell: The Usual Suspects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last time I did this diet was 2010, and broke it for two years because of various reasons (I went home to Manila, my sister got married, I went and lived in Chicago - known foodie town), but mostly because my liver function had returned to normal. I mean, went down to the accepted levels (I'm sure my normal, was not normal).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've just picked it up again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll post recipe's that follow the diet (but are still mucho tasty!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As of this writing, I survived 7 days already! Amazing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">R</span>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-23849041981791490702012-09-25T19:37:00.001-07:002012-09-25T19:37:13.443-07:00First DayFirst day in my new home. <br />
<br />
As with anything, I'm unpacking boxes and looking at things with a critical eye.<br />
<br />
Hopefully, blogger doesn't get shut down and I won't have to do this again.<br />
<br />
New life, new blog. <br />
<br />
Let's see.Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-70065210219837815362012-06-21T10:14:00.000-07:002012-09-25T19:17:50.872-07:00Kinugoshi (Silken Tofu) <div>I'm still struggling to make the perfect silken tofu. Here's what I'll try next:</div><div><br></div><div>How to make the milk:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.dailycandy.com/new-york/video/100687/">http://www.dailycandy.com/new-york/video/100687/</a></div><div><br></div><div>How to make the silken tofu:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.dailycandy.com/everywhere/video/food-drink/100701/How-to-Make-Tofu-En-Japanese-Brasserie">http://www.dailycandy.com/everywhere/video/food-drink/100701/How-to-Make-Tofu-En-Japanese-Brasserie</a> </div><div></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-63827590538941509202012-05-05T17:40:00.000-07:002013-07-19T08:42:40.009-07:00Spring Couscous Salad<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilk7BlUq0dfDEj66fxIFGYA0nNEn4GKvkhkkN3VijTvsbnLCiySJOaVF0HEOPUo-R_2d0dD7QlAI2IuOuL0ZgzG7Fdr_qJQVoRmEMht5gMebb0gEaaMGzH0gaFID_Sx8w1zV9dmuSYbFs/s1600/_1040934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilk7BlUq0dfDEj66fxIFGYA0nNEn4GKvkhkkN3VijTvsbnLCiySJOaVF0HEOPUo-R_2d0dD7QlAI2IuOuL0ZgzG7Fdr_qJQVoRmEMht5gMebb0gEaaMGzH0gaFID_Sx8w1zV9dmuSYbFs/s320/_1040934.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Spring Couscous Salad</div>
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Ingredients: </div>
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4 cups chicken broth (Home made is better)</div>
<div>
2 cups Moroccan Couscous (I used Dari - I found it in World Market along 75th)</div>
<div>
1 Medium Orange Bell Pepper</div>
<div>
3 Vine Ripe Tomatoes</div>
<div>
2 large ripe oranges, zested, segmented</div>
<div>
10 pieces asparagus (or as much as you'd like)</div>
<div>
2 Tbsp butter</div>
<div>
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined</div>
<div>
<br />
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<div>
Shrimp Marinade:</div>
<div>
Zest of one orange</div>
<div>
1/4 cup fresh orange juice</div>
<div>
1 tsp fish sauce for flavor</div>
<div>
Pepper</div>
<div>
2 Tbsp olive oil</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Dressing:</div>
<div>
1/4 cup fresh orange juice</div>
<div>
3 Tbsp Olive Oil</div>
<div>
Pinch of salt</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Instructions:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Follow instructions for your couscous, just substitute chicken broth for salted water. Add salt as needed. Once cooked, fluff with your fork and set aside.</div>
<div>
2. Zest your oranges, segment them then set aside</div>
<div>
3. After getting the segments out, squeeze the remains of one orange to use as marinade for your shrimp, squeeze the other orange and set aside as dressing.</div>
<div>
4. Wash and dry your shrimp then drop it in the marinade (no more than 30 minutes before cooking).</div>
<div>
5. To prepare the asparagus, boil some water then add some salt (boil first before salting). While waiting for it to boil, cut the asparagus into half inch pieces. </div>
<div>
6. Prepare a bowl with ice water to shock the asparagus (will keep the pretty color). </div>
<div>
7. Cook the asparagus in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, depending on the size. </div>
<div>
8. Scoop them out and drop in the ice water.</div>
<div>
9. To prepare the tomatoes, cut horizontally and remove the seeds. Put a little bit of salt inside the tomatoes and keep cut side down on a platter to allow excess juices to drip. This will prevent the salad from being soggy. Cut into cubes and set aside.</div>
<div>
10. To prepare the bell pepper, cut all four sides off, and cut into cubes, set aside.</div>
<div>
11. Heat up a pan, add some butter and quick fry your shrimp</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Put couscous in a bowl and add all ingredients. Mix the orange dressing in and enjoy!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Can feed 6 as main course.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-23364074071288910142011-12-24T13:34:00.000-08:002012-09-25T19:17:50.829-07:00Merry Christmas!!<center><a href='http://pigletta.multiply.com/photos/album/101/Merry-Christmas'><img src=http://multiply.com/mu/pigletta/image/8/photos/101/600x600/1/1030302.JPG?et=D%2CO8aeM3N8mTfTdk8oJoOw&nmid=507755690 border='0' width='100%'></a></center><br><br><br>My 2011 Christmas Tree :) Well, my 2011 balls.<br>I'm playing with my cheap Macro lens too. It's not bad, not bad at all.Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-71157853019851107662011-12-17T20:31:00.000-08:002012-09-25T19:17:50.874-07:00Fate is building a bridge for the one you love<p>An old college favorite :)</p><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wJDmoQ03xoI" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><div></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-50129604781076846272011-12-17T18:40:00.000-08:002012-09-25T19:17:50.851-07:00Possibly, maybe....<iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/erywPdFfORE" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><div></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-2298220725297923992011-11-26T16:17:00.000-08:002012-09-25T19:17:50.826-07:00Lumpia (Pork and Shrimp Rolls)<p>Here is my simple version of lumpia. </p> <div style="mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left" vspace="0" hspace="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0;BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0;PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in;BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent;PADDING-LEFT: 9pt;PADDING-RIGHT: 9pt;BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0;BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0;PADDING-TOP: 0in;" valign="top" align="left"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Ingredients:</font></b></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">2 lbs ground pork</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">1 lbs raw shrimp coarsely chopped</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">1 Large Onion minced</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">1 Medium Carrot minced</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">2 Tbsp Mirin</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">2 Tbsp Salt (to taste) </font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">4 Tbsp cornstarch or flour (I used oatmeal flour)</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">2 Eggs</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Pepper (to taste)</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Eggroll Wrapper </font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Mix all ingredients, taking care not to handle the meat too much (as it toughens the pork).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrap a couple and fry that first to make sure the seasoning is sufficient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri">After the taste test, adjust the seasoning and wrap the rest.</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt;mso-element: frame;mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt;mso-element-wrap: around;mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column;mso-element-left: -30.6pt;mso-element-top: -30.0pt;mso-height-rule: exactly;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Yields 30.</font></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-66677552796401127602011-11-26T15:10:00.000-08:002013-06-25T02:41:02.813-07:00Otap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEQjKyavedlvzB4b3wZuoTDgwLmCxAijjleMeP3_EZFpWxvbPKjb2hIHcztXs6_LM5sLf0PTKit3kw4LVsTchhotHr9i259A2rsTaIkZCf6NFEyb9BIq009pfEVvmI7W-4KWXvMto09M/s1600/1020817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEQjKyavedlvzB4b3wZuoTDgwLmCxAijjleMeP3_EZFpWxvbPKjb2hIHcztXs6_LM5sLf0PTKit3kw4LVsTchhotHr9i259A2rsTaIkZCf6NFEyb9BIq009pfEVvmI7W-4KWXvMto09M/s320/1020817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">For the first meetup of my Ethnic Cooking Club, the theme was Holiday Cookie Swap. I thought, hmmm what should I make? There are not much cookies / biscuits from the Philippines. I therefore decided on Otap. Now the problem is, there aren't many Otap recipe's out there in the net. Most of what I found are actually questions. There was one site that had a recipe, but it was mostly promotion of a product I don't particularly like. So I adopted the ratio of flour to yeast and decided to wing it :) Not quite like the Otap from home, but it's good enough. I hope someone will write the actual recipe somewhere.</span><br />
<br />
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<tr> <td align="left" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 9pt; padding-right: 9pt; padding-top: 0in;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-left: -30.6pt; mso-element-top: -30.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Bread Flour β 500 grams</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Iodized salt β 7.5 grams</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Light Brown Sugar β 50 grams for dough, 3 tbps extra for the yeast and butter mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can substitute regular refined sugar but not Turbinado.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Turbinado Brown Sugar β for topping 1 - 2 cups</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Dry Instant Yeast β 3 grams</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Water β 10-12 ounces</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">1 stick unsalted butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Cinnamon to taste</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Dough:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Proof the yeast in a small bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix 4 tbsp water and yeast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add 1 tsp of the sugar to feed the yeast. Set aside for 3-5 minutes. If the yeast does not froth, throw it away as it means that the yeast is not active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a new batch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">While the yeast is proofing, mix the bread flour, salt and 50 grams brown sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">When your yeast is ready, add the flour mixture to your mixer and make a well in the middle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the water and yeast mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix with the dough hook on #2 for 10 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Let rise for 1 hour. To test, poke the dough and if your finger print remains indented itβs ready.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Butter Mixture:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Make sure butter is at room temperature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix with 2 tbps light brown sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Topping:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Mix Turbinado Sugar and Cinnamon in a flat plate or flat bowl. Set aside.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPb-QQ6t084NTIxzyMisaqeImeQHitCJd8dZVLLz5MjckMRSNixiy2nJ-hNn1FVSLl_7Be6a2Hkb8-bvmtja7tLHKJu6bWzxnxdq7lCwj3OLzM9SpPSOsjXqvLQtzxW9Do28EZ1hQkSk/s1600/1020803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPb-QQ6t084NTIxzyMisaqeImeQHitCJd8dZVLLz5MjckMRSNixiy2nJ-hNn1FVSLl_7Be6a2Hkb8-bvmtja7tLHKJu6bWzxnxdq7lCwj3OLzM9SpPSOsjXqvLQtzxW9Do28EZ1hQkSk/s320/1020803.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">To assemble:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;">To make it manageable, cut the dough in two before assembling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roll out dough until ΒΌ inch thick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spread top with butter and sugar mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fold 1/3 of the dough, and top with the remaining 3<sup>rd</sup>. Brush top with more butter mixture then roll up the dough into a cane form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slice into 1/2 inch rolls. Take one of the rolls and wrap the end of the roll under the dough to avoid getting an errant ear. Flatten into an oval with your hands and roll dough out into a bigger oval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spread butter mixture lightly on top of the oval, then drop face down into the bowl filled with Turbinado sugar and cinnamon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake in the oven at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Yields 4 Dozen </span></span></div>
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Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-20713526581638826612011-10-11T20:39:00.000-07:002012-09-25T19:17:50.822-07:00Homemade Pork and Shrimp Dumplings<div style="text-align: center;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#cc0000"><u><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="/photos/hi-res/100/11"><img border="0" class="alignmiddleb" src="http://multiply.com/mu/pigletta/image/1/photos/100/300x300/11/Cooked-Dumplings.jpg?et=KKIJQ+qXF2bFYl+tUc+CJg&nmid=491741176"></a></span></u></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#cc0000"><u><br></u></font></div> <span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://pigletta.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/7944"></a></span><div>I had a craving for Xiao Long Bao and decided to try to make one at home.</div><div><br></div><div>But before that I needed to practice the technique for wrapping dumplings.</div><div><br></div><div>I used store bought dumpling wrappers - BIG MISTAKE!</div><div><br></div><div>So much for short cuts. The filling was all hand made though (I ground the pork myself).</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5">Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (version 1)</font></b></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://pigletta.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/7944" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" class="alignmiddleb" src="http://multiply.com/mu/pigletta/image/lnw0nNcOO001hMXV6ez-PA/photos/1M/300x300/7944/Dumplings.jpg?et=Aref7sTsmWm7OHkv1%2B1IQA&nmid=0"></a></div><div><br></div><div>1 lb Pork Butt</div><div>1 lb Peeled Shrimp</div><div>1 Large Onion</div><div>3 Cloves Garlic</div><div>3 tbsp Chives</div><div>1 tsp Cumin (I have no special reason for adding this, just that it was in my cupboard)</div><div>2 tbsp Kosher Salt (not table salt!!)</div><div>Pepper flakes</div><div>pepper to taste</div><div>1 Egg</div><div>1 Cup flour</div><div>1 packet fresh dumpling wrappers</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Sauce (just mix this all together):</div><div><br></div><div>1/4 cup soy sauce</div><div>1/4 cup rice vinegar</div><div>1 tbsp sesame oil</div><div>1 tbsp Pepper flakes</div><div>1 tbsp Sugar (optional)</div><div>Pepper to taste (I think fresh grated ginger might be nice too)</div><div><br></div><div>Dumpling Instructions:</div><div><br></div><div>Chop the onion into 1 inch cubes or any size that can fit into the food grinder chute.</div><div>Mince the garlic and chives and combine with onion.</div><div>Slice the Pork Butt into 1 x 2 inch strips and season with S&P.</div><div>Season the peeled and de-veined shrimp with S&P and Cumin.</div><div>Freeze both the pork and shrimp until they're halfway to completely frozen to prep them for grinding. If you don't freeze them partway, it'll clog your food grinder. Kung wala kang grinder, pwede mo dalhin yung mix sa palengke hanap ka nang mag grind. They do that for my aunts when they make large amounts of lumpia. Any pork vendor can do that for you.</div><div><br></div><div>After grinding, add the egg and flour, S&P and the pepper flakes. I would add a little brown sugar here too if I were you. But then again my teeth are sugar whores, so don't take my word for it.</div><div><br></div><div>I like adding flour (in my case, oatmeal flour) to ground meat because I find it keeps the meat moist. I once made a pure meat, meatloaf, and it was miserably dry because all the juice ran to the pan.</div><div><br></div><div>Anyway, once all done, mix with your hands (don't over mix!) and start stuffing the dumpling wrappers.</div><div><br></div><div>I did mine empanada style because I couldn't get the hang of proper dumpling wrapping. I suspect it's also because my dumpling wrappers were store bought and the edges were a bit dry.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOXWSMlSq98&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOXWSMlSq98&feature=related</a></div><div><br></div><div>I'm not quite satisfied with this one and I give it just 6/10 :-/</div><div><br></div><div>Will try again and next time I'll make the wrappers too.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div> <div></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-49301862085898484282011-10-11T19:19:00.000-07:002012-09-25T19:17:50.848-07:00Homemade Dumplings<center><a href='http://pigletta.multiply.com/photos/album/100/Homemade-Dumplings'><img src=http://multiply.com/mu/pigletta/image/7/photos/100/600x600/1/P1010721.JPG?et=stKN%2CnNg0eH91qljS%2C9wkQ&nmid=491741176 border='0' width='100%'></a></center><br><br><br>My first foray into the land of dumplings.<br>I'm prepping for Xiao Long Bao :)Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308579966513801156.post-52028361270678101272011-10-08T14:05:00.000-07:002012-09-25T19:17:50.859-07:00Home Made Taho<p><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://multiply.com/photos/hi-res/99/1"></a></span><img class="alignmiddleb" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/pigletta/image/1/photos/99/300x300/5/P1010679.JPG?et=z4U20gMB4+z0nzXFQZY+JQ&nmid=491106444"></p> <p> </p> <p>I'm a taho freak. I run with water dripping off my newly washed hair as soon as I hear the Manong Taho yelling that all too familiar mantra in the morning. I've desperately wanted to make taho here, but all the how-to's I've read involves calcium sulfate, and I don't know where to get that (nor do I trust it).</p> <p>A couple of weeks back I was eating Korean and after complimenting this Korean Lady on their tofu, she told me that they make it from scratch everyday. Apparently, I don't need anything else but lime :) LIME!!... LIME!!</p> <p><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://multiply.com/photos/hi-res/99/2"><img class="alignmiddleb" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/pigletta/image/1/photos/99/300x300/2/P1010675.JPG?et=SDwpFgpgKZpQfCXs3moT9w&nmid=491106444"></a></span></p> <p>I tried to buy soy beans (saw them on sale a month back) but they were all out this week, so I had to make do with unsweetened Soy Milk. I think my Tofu was not as silken because the milk had Soy Lecithin (it's an emulsifier that would prevent soy curds from separating with the water) but it did taste the same as regular taho. I didn't even notice the lime at all :)</p> <p>I'll continue to try and see how I can make the texture better. But I'm already HAPPY!! HAPPY I TELL'S YA!</p> <p><img class="alignmiddleb" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/pigletta/image/2/photos/99/300x300/1/P1010674.JPG?et=+FCSGMAaeXX5VgmEjBtrmw&nmid=491106444"></p> <p>It was simple really. Here's what you need:</p> <p>240 ML Soy Milk. Make sure that your Soy milk has "Non-GMO" in the ingredients list. It means the soy wasn't genetically modified.</p> <p>2-3 limes</p> <p>Dash of salt</p> <p>Cheesecloth</p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Step 1: Boil the soy milk.</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Step 2: Juice the limes, and put them your container.</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Step 3: Pour the hot soy milk into the container with the lime juice.</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Step 4: Stir twice, yes JUST TWO TIMES! To mix the lime juice.</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Step 5: The tofu curdles almost immediately. I'm not sure how long i'm supposed to wait, but after 2 minutes I poured it over the cheesecloth.</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Step 6: Scoop the soy curds up to your glass :) There will still be lots of water, but I didn't really mind (I was desperate).</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Step 7: Top with brown sugar syrup :) Tapioca optional.</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">NOTE: If there is too much lime juice, the milk will separate TOO much, and it won't be like Taho. If your lime is really juicy, err on the side of less lime juice. I need to re-do the recipe and experiment on the ratio, but I say start with 1 tbsp of lime juice to cup of soy milk.</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Brown Sugar Syrup</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">2 cups sugar</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">2 tbsp water</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Dash of salt</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">2 tbsp corn syrup</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Instructions: </span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">Heat the sugar and water together. Once the sugar liquefies, drop in the dash of salt and the corn syrup. </span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto">The corn syrup should prevent it from becoming the brittle in peanut brittle (read: prevents sugar from crystallizing again.)</span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto"></span> </p><div></div>Piglettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13337433981540200402noreply@blogger.com4