Food!

Kai Lan with Tofu and Chilli Sauce

2008-09-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Having a chinese grocery at bayswater is just tops! I got my fill of oriental goods and went to work.

1 bunch Kai Lan
Tofu (Firm)
Mushrooms
Pork Belly cut into cubes
Shrimp paste
Fish Sauce
Soy Sauce
Chilli Sauce
Shaoshing wine
Black Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Fry the pork belly until half cooked.
2. Add the shaoshing wine and reduce until almost dry.
3. Add the tofu and fry until covered in the cooking liquid.
3. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli sauce. Stir gently until tofu is coated with the sauce.
4. Add the black vinegar.
5. Add the kai lan and 2 tbsps water.
6. After the kai lan is cooked, add the mushrooms. Stir until mushrooms and kai lan is coated in the sauce.

Serve with steamed rice.

Making the most of summer

2008-07-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've appreciated the sun much more after I moved to the UK. Sunlight here is very sparse, most days it's dull and cloudy. There's light, but there's just no sunlight. I've noticed how much grumpier I get when there is no sun. This summer, we've been blessed with a lot of it (ok maybe blessed is not a good word considering all the reports about how the world is going to end because of global warming). Hmm...so anyhooo...

Cindy's been inviting us over for barbeques whenever it's nice and sunny. I looove her place, it's always so tidy. I always have this vision of her coming to my house and running her finger along the tops of desks sighing with disappointment (tsk tsk...dust...) It's a good thing then that I don't have space for a barbeque. Hehehehehehe.

Lamb, Chicken, Pork (what?...we were hungry!)

The grill was smurf size, so it was a long wait for the food. Definitely worth it.

And after all that, dessert!

I'm back!

2008-06-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't been gone really... Work has taken over the better part of the last year. I'll leave it at that. So now...I've found the motivation to start blogging again. My fingers are stuck at the keyboard. I'm thinking of what to say about my great comeback. I can't think of any...so without further ado...

Okra with chillies, marinated pork mince and shrimp

250g okra (lady fingers)
Shrimp
Pork marinade
Korean chilli sauce
My mother in law's chilli sauce
Japanese chilli oil
Black vinegar
Chinese rice wine
Soy Sauce

For the pork marinade:

Pork mince
Diced carrots
Chinese rice wine
Salt
Pepper
1 Egg
Soy Sauce

I miss cooking

2007-05-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to cook...eat...sleep and do anything else apart from work. Haaaaaaaaaaay.

I've perfected my tempura batter!

2007-01-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

I was happy with tonight's dinner. As is customary in our house when my husband is off from work we get to have dinner together. One of the few times these past few weeks actually. So I made tempura, beef and mushrooms and for dessert, strawberry crumble.

I have been trying out different tempura batter recipes eversince I got started in the greenhouse and tonight I think I've got it. My tempura turned out white, crispy and light. Hooray!!! It was so simple. No sparkling water, ice cubes, yeast, beer or whatnot. Just an egg, some flour and water.

Tempura Batter

1 egg (chilled)

1 cup flour

1 cup ice water

Mix the egg and water. Add the flour and mix until the flour is just incorporated. No need to take out the lumps. Keep the batter chilled.

A meal fit for...Part 3

2007-01-04T05:57:00.000-08:00

This was my favorite part of the meal. My mother in law's famous Stewed pork belly with ginger and soysauce. It reminds me of my grandmother's stewed pork.

Cut the pork belly into large cubes.

Fry in oil until brown. Add the peeled ginger.

Add the soysauce and cover with water.

Simmer until the water evaporates and the pork is cooked.

Eat with steamed rice. Yum...

We also had soup made from the broth left from the steamed chicken.

Wash then soak the dried chinese mushrooms in water for at least 2 hours. My mom leaves it overnight.

Soak the dried fungus (it sounds yucky but tastes great as with all chinese food) for 2 hours.

Add the mushrooms and fungus in the broth and simmer until cooked.

A meal fit for...Part 2

2006-12-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

The steamed chicken we had for lunch is my hubby's favorite. Hmmm...actually everything on the menu was his favorite, but this one is his best favorite (yes I know, there isn't a best favorite...)

To make the steamed chicken you simply boil it until it is cooked. (You can steam it, but it takes longer, and you lose the chicken broth that you can make into soup!) Let cool and chop.

For the sauce:

Chop the spring onions and ginger and pour hot oil to cook it.

A meal fit for a birthday girl

2006-12-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

I spent Christmas at my mother-in-law's. We talked about what she would be making and I couldn't wait to see her in the kitchen. My mother-in-law makes great food. As my husband puts it..."no one else can cook like her".

She made a feast. It was a great Christmas dinner sans the turkey and potatoes. We opted for a more chinese meal. She made our favorite, pork belly with ginger and soy sauce. She also made fish, prawns and peh tsam kweh (Steamed chicken with ginger and spring onions). I stayed to watch as she was preparing lunch. It is always a treat to watch other people cook.

We had a great christmas lunch on my birthday. It was perfect.

Request for pasta recipe

2006-11-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

First off...it's been a while. I lost my job recently and it's been a bit crazy. However, no matter how bad life gets there is still time for food. Hmm...that statement right there probably holds the key to solving my ever constant battle of the bulge.

So weeks after chatting to my good friend in SF and him asking for a pasta recipe. He loves olives (basta maraming olives) chaka seafood and vegetables. Hmm...fine. He is a good friend so I'll indulge (hehehe pis sir yoday)

Pasta sauce
1 can tomatoes
Tomato paste
1 cup sour cream
oregano
basil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium sized white onion
salt
pepper

Pasta ingredients
1 medium sized Squid
10 Prawns
100 g Mussels, cooked and de-shelled
1 Chorizo
1/2 Carrot, diced
1/2 Courgette (zucchini), diced
1/2 Eggplant, diced
1/2 Red bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
1/2 Yellow bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
Olives
Capers
Garlic

Spaghetti

For the pasta sauce:
1. Cut the onion into small cubes. A trick I learned while working in the greenhouse: Peel the layers of the onion, slice into strips then dice into small cubes. It's easier to make your cuts uniform this way.
2. Mince the garlic. Peel the garlic then smash with the flat side of the knife. An even better trick is to smash it with the underside of a clean pan. Chop into small pieces.
3. Chop the herbs.
4. Saute the onions in a deep pan. When transparent add the garlic and herbs.
5. Add the tomato paste and mix well with the onions. Saute until the tomato paste starts to release oil. (Around 1 minute)
6. Add the tomatoes and simmer. Reduce one third of the juices. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the ingredients:
1. Cut the onions into small cubes as above.
2. Mince the garlic.
3. Cut the squid into rings.
4. Remove the mussel meat and reserve.
5. Dice the chorizo.
6. Saute the chorizo. When the oil is released add the onions until transparent. Add the garlic.
7. Saute the prawns, when almost cooked add the squid. Add the cooked mussels. Reserve.
8. Saute the carrots, courgette, eggplant and bellpepper according to cooking time. When the vegetables are cooked add the capers (1 tablespoon) and olives. Add the reserved seafood.
9. Pour the tomato sauce over the seafood and vegetables. Add the sour cream until desired thickness and taste is achieved.
10. Season to taste.

Follow the cooking instructions for the pasta. When cooked, drain and add to the sauce. Mix well until the sauce coats the pasta. You can also toss the pasta with olive oil and pour the sauce over the pasta before serving.

Craving my husband's food

2006-10-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a tiring day at work, and all I wanted when I got home was some of my husband's yummy cooking. He indulged me and viola!

Porkchop with sauteed lettuce, mushrooms and gravy

Talking about cravings...Ed and I were chatting about food we miss from home. It's a downside to living in another country, the food that you normally take for granted gets magnified a gazillion times when you can't get your hands on any of them. So without much ado:

1. Inihaw na tenga ng baboy, isaw, balunbalunan (with the obligatory suka with onion and sili) Waw! I am salivating as I type

2. Dinuguan (granted there is a goldilocks dinuguan in foil pack, but it doesn't really feel right when you see dinuguan in a foil pack)...hey I'm not complaining, I'm planning to bring some with me when I go home next year.

3. Kare kare (of course! with bagoong!)

4. Century tuna in oil (yes, we do have canned tuna here but it just doesn't compare)

5. Paksiw na bangus or inihaw na bangus

6. Chicken joy (as in my last post...) with gravy...with burger steak...with extra rice (specifically with burger steak according to ED)

7. Tapaking

8. Tokyo tokyo potato balls

9. Laing

10. Crispy pata

11. Sisig (op cors!)

and the reason for our sudden urge for homegrown food...

12. Taba ng talangka (with calamansi and patis)

*Slarp* Wiping drool....

Chickenjoy!

2006-10-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

I was craving for chickenjoy last night. Oh yeah...I'm baaaaaaack! Finger is getting better much to my relief. So Ed and I were scouring the web for chickenjoy recipe and couldn't find anything. That recipe is a well kept secret...Ed only managed to pull up escort services. Hmm... chickenjoy = escort service. I don't even want to know.

I was mulling it over whether to make fried chicken or not since I am officially on a diet. The lure of chickenjoy won. I tried to make it as close as possible to the original thing, close...but no cigar.

Flour, paprika and salt
Egg
Polenta flour, paprika, salt
Oil
Chicken

Pane the chicken and fry in oil until cooked. Mmmmm.

Michael's been on a chinese spree lately. Dinner has been marvelous. I don't know what inspired him to whip up such yummy chinese meals but I'm not complaining.

Deep fried glass noodles with veggies

Sweet pork with cabbage and courgettes

Spicy prawns with mushrooms

and finally...Fried chicken breast, lettuce and mushrooms with steamed rice...

I'll be looking at these pictures a lot more now. None of these for a while. Darn.

Out of commission

2006-10-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

Accident while cooking. Second degree burn on my finger. Doctor says if I'm not careful it'll heal improperly and I won't be able to bend said finger anymore. If I were younger or older I probably would've had an accident in my pants when she said that. No cooking until this is better.

Adola, tinobo and yummy porkchops

2006-09-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Anne was telling me today about her adventure in making adobo. I'm not used to calling her Anne. Dayang...the adventures of dayang.

Anne: Pwede palang maglasang tinola ang adobo.

Me: Anu raw?

Anne: Kase kase I followed the recipe and it said to put ginger.

Me: Anong nangyari?

Anne: Ayon, pagkagat mo lasang adobo tas pag matatapos mo nang kainin naglalasang tinola.

She's invented a new dish, calling it adola, or tinobo whichever you want it to be. Read about it at: http://demensya.blogspot.com/2006/09/adolatinobo-lesson-learned-for-today.html

So promising her my adobo recipe here it goes:

250g chicken, chopped
250g pork, cut into cubes
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
1 bayleaf
Black peppercorn
1 cup vinegar
1 1/2 cups dark soy sauce
chicken stock
salt
oil

1. Heat oil in a deep pan. Fry the chicken until golden brown. (Anne...golden ha hindi brown)

2. Add the garlic, bayleaf and peppercorn.

3. Cover the chicken with stock halfway. Simmer until chicken is cooked. (Anne
ulit...blup...blup...blup as opposed to blupblupblupblupblup)

4. At this stage the stock should almost be evaporated. Add in the vinegar and soy sauce to taste. It's better to add the vinegar and let it evaporate a little bit to take out the sharp taste. Afterwards add in the soysauce a little bit at a time. You might not need the full 1 1/2 cups of soy sauce.

5. Let the sauce simmer. You can let it evaporate until sticky or take off from the heat if you want a bit more sauce.

Pictures to follow.

I had a good dinner last night. After a crummy day at work, I was glad to be home. Mike didn't have work so as I got home he was preparing dinner. The thing with my husband is food prepared for me always has to be special. I'm not ashamed to say that...life is good. Last night we had Dutch inspired mash, Baked porkchops, brocolli and gravy. The mash was mixed with apples and spring onions. Different but it works really well with the porkchop.

Koeksisters...

2006-09-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sitting beside Sean at work has given me new insight about South Africa. What I know about it could fit in the palm of my hands but that's a lot better than before. When I first came here I didn't know anything about South Africa...that's embarassing. Now I have moved up a bit in my geography lessons. I have made my first South African dessert...or maybe it's a snack.

When I'm stressed out at work I start browsing through food websites and that invariably makes someone hungry. I think maybe Sean was just tired of getting hungry seeing the food so he introduced me to a traditional South African dessert...or snack. Hmmm...note to self...must ask if it's a dessert or a snack. Palm of my hand remember?

Koeksisters...cook what? Captain cook? (I didn't say that out loud...I thought it was spelled cooksisters...duh) Aparently in SA it's a mix of Dutch, something I don't remember (I am getting quite forgetful lately) and British immigrants. Hence the dutch sounding name. Not bad eh? You learn something new everyday.

It's really easy to make (ok so Mike helped out a little bit, hey I was making dinner). The dough rests for an hour and puffs up quite a bit. After resting you roll them into strips or braid them. I opted for the braiding. It's then deep fried and coated with syrup flavored with cinnamon.

The finished product... mmmmmmmmm

It kinda reminded me of cinnamon buns and I mean it as a compliment. I think it turned out pretty good for my first foray into making it. Although Steve (another brilliant South African coworker) says it could do with a bit more syrup as they tend to overload the real thing with the syrup coating. If he says it then it must be true.

It got the thumbs up from Sean, I think Steve liked it as well. I may not be the real thing but I'm proud of my koeksisters... Yummm

Lazy english fares...

2006-09-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

At the start of the week, Mike and I planned to have full english breakfast on our weekend off together. Last weekend, we planned to have dinner and movie afterwards. After scouring countless of restaurants and deciding on the so so movies on show at the O2 center it was a bust. First, we couldn't find a decent restaurant that had any seats available and a movie that we both wanted to watch. So we decided to stay in, make dinner and watch a marathon of CSI. We had some leftovers and Mike made yummy steak and chips for dinner. Perfect.

On Sunday, we had dimsum with Winnie and Ray. Afterwards a spot of shopping then home. Mike ordered takeaway pizza but I didn't really feel like it. So I made my no fail chorizo pasta. He couldn't resist.

This weekend we were better prepared. Full english breakfast at home. No need to rush to get out of bed. Sunday paper, tall glass of oj... I got the ingredients together from my local sainsburys on Thursday. Even more perfect.

Seriously though, I'm glad we only have english breakfasts once in a while. I'm still full...

Dumplings

2006-09-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

Winnie gave me Ray's mother's (yeah it's a bit long winded I know) dumpling wrapper recipe and this weeked I decided to try it for myself. After much laughter (some turned out like pasties...courtesy of my very artistic husband), we had a couple of plates full of dumplings. Yum!

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
salt

Add the salt to the flour. Boil the water and pour in the flour and mix well. Knead until the dough is formed.

You will have sore hands afterwards because of the hot water, but it is worth it. It beats using the store bought wrappers anytime.

Dinner?

2006-09-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Whenever Michael has a day off on a weekday, he spends his whole day sleeping or on the computer, but come dinner time, he always has something special prepared for me. Aww, it's mushy to gush about it, but he always makes a wonderful meal everytime I come home from work. This time, dessert was a bit late in coming, because it didn't come out the way he wanted. So out we whipped out our Martha Stewart dessert book and viola!

Starters: Prawns and roast peppers with chilli, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts

Main: Grilled tuna with sesame seeds, sauteed green beans, tomato and mango salad

Dessert: Millefeuille of mango with strawberry and mango coulis

Ostrich anyone?

2006-07-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

Michael has been making amazing meals for me nonstop. I am not partial to parsnips, only because I'm not really sure how else to cook them apart from roasting or in a stew. I didn't grow up eating parnips, so I usually stay clear of them during my weekly market trips. Last week, I got some nice piece (according to the butcher) of ostrich. Hmm...now THIS I've never cooked before. I've tried ostrich once, in a chinese restaurant in all places, but it was overshadowed with loads of sauce (pretty good sauce....) not much ostrich taste. Not like I know what ostrich tastes like anyway. Fast forward years later...why not try it I said? (I'm neurotic that way talking about myself as if I weren't here).

For the maximum taste of the ostrich, Mike decided to sear it very quickly on a really hot pan. Best way really...it turned out perfect. Unless you consider the fact that we thought we had kangaroo meat. Tsk tsk...ignoramus. Ignoramus with a content belly.

Ostrich with roast potatoes, pickled onions, wild mushrooms and parsnip chips ( I loved them!)

Roast pork belly

2006-07-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Trips to borough market on the weekends is my way of relaxing after a mind busting week of work. Good quality food sold in such a nice atmosphere inspires me to make lovely meals for my husband and I to share. I bought a nice piece of pork belly. When Mike saw it, he decided to make me something special (awww). Of course when he prepares the meal it's always going to be perfect, and true to form...

Roast belly from my friendly butcher
Pickles from my pickle man in borough market
Chorizo (from brindisa)

and there you have it...

Roast pork belly stuffed with pickles, chorizo and red onions

Breakfast...after an all nighter

2006-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

When Michael is lucky enough to get weekends off, we usually spend Friday nights awake until Saturday morning comes. One of us (whoever gets persuaded by the other) goes out to buy the morning paper (one for each of us) and ingredients for breakfast. This time around it was my turn. I cheated this time, bargained my way out of getting the morning paper if I make breakfast. Leftover beef from the fridge and some lonely potatoes...perfect. A little bit of japanese mayo, sesame seeds and seaweed. Alright, it's not a common breakfast menu I admit, but it turned out pretty well.

Good morning!!!

Happy Birthday Michael

2006-07-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

A long long hiatus. I have been inundated with work. I am not complaining. It is such a joy to have work, not cooped up in the house, and most importantly, being a contributing member of society! Yipee! Our home cooked meals have been mostly stir fry but for Mike's birthday, I prepared something special. (Well, something he likes...that makes it special no?) My cornbread was really heavy, I must've used too much oil, but it didn't stop Mike from enjoying it. I'm going to try the cornbread recipe one more time. Let's see how it goes.

Southern Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread and Vegetables glazed with orange juice

Happy birthday baby.

Chickenpox

2006-05-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have chickenpox...at 30. I'm sure I'll see the funny side to this in a few years, but right now I'm just not. Having this...erm...disease...prevents me from touching anything in the house. I'm so scared of contaminating anything that I'm relegated to my bed (Mike is sleeping on an inflatable bed on the floor...aww) not being able to make food for my husband when he comes home. And as I've started a new job recently (hence few posts from me) and then having to take time off is just bad timing.

Mike has been great...he's been making food (when I feel like eating which isn't a lot). I've taken photos of the food that he has lovingly made for his wife who looks like a bubble wrap (thank you Lex for this very graphic description).

Lamb with couscous, caramelized onions and mange tout

Fish with sauteed vegetables with tomato sauce and mash

Vegetarian Pasta

Rehearsal Dinner

2006-04-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

My mom wanted me to make dinner for her friends in Manila so while I was here I asked some of my friends to be my test subjects. I knew my mom wanted to impress so I had to make sure I didn't disappoint. I agonized over the menu...I had it all planned out (after a week of deciding what to make, changing my mind, asking my husband, making my mind up, changing my mind...oh you know...being a gurl according to my husband) and I'm not much of a pastry chef... So finally, the menu...

Canape: Parma ham and watercress
Starter: Tigerprawn salad
First Course: Saffron and wild mushroom risotto
Second Course: Foie Gras, balsamic and port reduction with toasted brioche
Main Course: Lamb cutlets with herb crust, ratatouille and french beans
Dessert: Fruit Crumble with vanilla ice cream

Wine pairing and pictures were fabulously done by the magnificent Ray.

I even made a market and mise en place list to make sure I had everything covered.

Here's to dinner!

Mise en Place

Making prawn oil and lamb jus

Preparing the fruits...thank you to my bestfriend Winnie (muwah muwah) for lending her skills while I watched and learned how to make a perfect (hers) and decent (mine) fruit crumble

And dinner is served...

Parma ham and watercress

Tigerprawn salad with grapefruit and avocado; basil dressing and prawn oil

Saffron and Wild Mushroom Risotto

Foie Gras with balsamic port reduction and toasted brioche

Lamb cutlets with herb crust, ratatouille and french beans

And finally...

I had a blast. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life...cooking for friends...enjoying the food...and most especially...the company.

Thank you Ray for letting me use your kitchen, and for your unending hospitality.

The dinner in Manila turned out great...Michael did most of the work (thank you babe), and I took all the credit. My mom and her friends loved it.

Korean food at its finest

2006-04-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

I'm back and, as promised, took loads of pictures of food. These ones are from the lovely restaurant of my very much loved friend Tinah. It's a korean restaurant, for singles, couples, and the whole family. The place is clean (very important), relaxed (no stuffiness required to enjoy your meal), and the amenities are so clean (the toilets were so clean...another very very important thing to check). It's a good time to check it out since I have been introduced to the mania sweeping the nation...korean soap operas. They have been a long time secret passion of my friend and now that everyone is going nuts over it, she can finally come out in the open (just kidding Tinah!)

Enough about the place, now to talk about the important part...the food. I've been eating korean food since I was 6 (courtesy of my mom who loves the cuisine) so my palate is quite accustomed to the food. I've had the priviledge of eating Tinah's mom's cooking, and you can't beat eating home cooked korean food. The restaurant's dishes did not dissapoint. It was an explosion of flavors. The staple things to order for me are the things that I've tried in other places; if they're good that's how I know that the restaurant is good (I'm not korean so I have to do it this way)

Korean Appetizers - kimchi, beansprouts, eggplant, sayote, upo or marrow, and the restaurant's special kimchi (so good my mom ordered half a kilo to give away to friends)

Chap chae - The korean noodle dish, which is usually vegetarian. Meat eaters do not be put off by this fact. The glass noodles are silky smooth, coated with oil but not at all greasy. The vegetables are cooked perfectly, with a tiny bit of crunch (none of that al dente fad going around) I wasn't quick enough to take a picture of it, it disappeared as soon as it was put on the table. Slurp.

Yuk hoe - Raw beef...yummmm. Not to everyone's liking, but if you like steak tartare then you'll definitely love this. The beef is minced into spaghetti-like strips, mixed with egg yolk and pears (most restaurants use singkamas or sweet radish and it works equally well)

Korean bbq - Only good if the meat used is fresh, that's all I can say. Partnered with spicy leeks ("Do not eat them as is!!!" scolded Tinah) the meat is dipped in salted sesame oil, topped with the leeks, a bit of raw chilli without the seeds and dipped in chilli sauce (heheh) then wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves. I'm salivating....

Kimchi soup with sesame paste and tofu - Again a vegetarian dish. It is usually an accompaniment to the meal and not intented to be eaten alone. This is another thing to try if you love kimchi, it's another way that it's served and gives it a whole new look and taste.

The food was amazing, one of the highlights of my trip back home.

Bi Won Restaurant
Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines
look for Cristina Hong or if she's not there one of their courteous staff members will gladly assist

Squid and Chorizo Pasta

2006-03-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

It's a couple of days before we leave for home and I'm trying to use up everything in the house. I had to go to borough market to get stuff for my mom, and I couldn't resist getting stuff for dinner. I bought some Alejandro chorizo hoop picante from brindisa, and then some squid from the fishmonger. I guess I'll just have to freeze the stuff from the fridge. Oh well...

Ingredients

1 1/2 chorizo
squid, cut into bite size pieces and scored
rocket leaves
tagliatelle pasta

Season the squid with salt and pepper. Heat a pan and coat with oil. Fry the squid scored side first, then turn over when golden brown. Reserve.
Cook pasta according to instructions. Drain.
Cut the chorizo into bite size pieces and place in hot pan. Leave to cook until oil comes out.
Toss in the squid with the chorizo. Add in the pasta and coat with the chorizo oil.
Take the pan off the heat and add the rocket leaves. Mix until the leaves are wilted.
Season with salt and pepper.

Going home!

2006-03-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

I can feel the excitement...I can hardly sleep...I'm going home! I won't be posting until I get back on april, but I promise to take lots of pictures!

An amazing dinner from my wonderchef husband

2006-03-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

It is not everyday that Michael prepares me dinner, but when he does I know it is something special. The meal is centered around my trip to borough market, with the rabbit that I've bought, Michael saved the saddle and designed the whole evening meal around it. I didn't know how much effort he put into the dinner, but I found out that he did some parts of the meal while he was at work. Good thing too, we don't have an industrial slicer at home... Winnie was here (yes we managed to squeeze in a guest at our tiny house) and we had loads of fun tonight. As my husband is very protective of his recipes, he specifically told me to *describe the meal without giving away too much ok?* Alright then...hmp...

Our starter was a millefeuille of salmon and avocado with parmesan crisps. The parmesan crips he made beforehand at work to let them dry out overnight. I might be biased, but I was bowled over by how it was presented. Afterall, I was just expecting dinner, and he did not disappoint. The moment we saw the plate, we knew it was going to be special. Winnie whispered "Is this what you guys have for dinner everyday?" with gooey eyed wonder.

The main course, which was what our whole dinner centered on was almost overcooked because it was a *you girls should stop staring at your magazines and sit at the table so I can bring your food because it's going to be overcooked!* moment. The chef speaks, so we sit.

The saddle was stuffed with herb butter and rabbit liver then wrapped in pancetta. We could hear the sizzling of the pan as he was crisping the pancetta, and the whoosh of the oven as he finished cooking off the rabbit. The vegetables were braised in orange juice (freshly squeezed my my), olive oil, butter and sugar (let's hope this isn't giving away too much). Rabbit juz and basil oil.

Our wine, courtesy of Winnie and Ray, was Beaujolais-Villages 2004 Domaine Des Nugues. It was a good wine (I'm on an alcohol break, we had too much wine at last Saturday's practice dinner for my mom...more on that next time) according to Michael. Thank you guys.

Dinner was amazing.

Leftover noodles

2006-03-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

My recent food shopping has left me with many leftovers in the fridge. Not wanting to waste food, I'm constantly coming up with ideas on how to recycle them. I'm not one to make casseroles (a distant memory of a tuna casserole has put me off trying to make them for good). This is what I came up with a tuna steak, some edamame beans, and leftover udon...

Nippon Center

2006-03-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Following my trip to picadilly circus, Winnie and I popped in the nippon center to buy some authentic japanese food. I got some udon noodles, bean sprouts, miso (1kg worth! that's what I get for not reading the label) and thinly sliced organic beef (albeit coming from scotland, it still fresher than what I get from my local grocery store). Together with the wild mushrooms from borough market, I was able to whip up a hearty soup for Michael later that evening.

Ingredients:

Thinly sliced beef
Bean sprouts
Green beans
Wild mushrooms
1L Stock
Miso
Udon noodles

Blanche the bean sprouts and green beans in salted boiling water. Refresh with cold water to stop them from overcooking.
Heat the stock until just boiling, mix in 1 tablespoon of miso paste and simmer gently. Do not boil. Skim off the impurities.
Soften the udon noodles in the miso soup.
Saute the mushrooms in a hot pan. Mix in the bean sprouts and green beans.
Sear the beef in a hot pan until just cooked.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and ladle the miso soup on top.

Rabbit with mustard sauce and winter baby vegetables

2006-03-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

Following my trip to borough market last saturday, I make a rabbit stew for my husband. I bought some winter baby vegetables to pair with the dish. The rabbit turned out great, except I would have wanted to caramelize the sauce. It still tasted great, the rabbit was gamey, and paired really well with the mustard sauce.

I also found some wild mushrooms and decided to make a wild mushroom risotto to go with the dish. Mike really loved it, but he had to have a few extra shavings of parmesan cheese.

Mapo Tofu

2006-02-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

Tofu was (and still is) a staple in our house as I was growing up, even before it joined the ranks of the hip and happening vegan superstar diets currently in vogue. It was my grandmother's main ingredient in a lot of the food that she so lovingly prepared, it is food that my mom regulary eats, and it has been my favorite food eversince I can remember. Now that I have started my own family, it is food that I enjoy preparing, in so many ways, as my grandmother and mother have taught me. I don't have any preference on how it's prepared. I can eat it deepfried covered with sesame seeds and breadcrumbs, steamed with vegetables with oyster sauce, or in the form of fried stinky tofu (rotted tofu hence the name) with lots of chilli. One of the ways I remember it being served in our house is mapo tofu. With steamed rice, this is the chinese comfort food. On days when there are too many ingredients but too little to make any one dish out of each of them, they are all cooked together with tofu and chilli to make this amazing meal. If you haven't had it yet, don't let the fact that leftovers are used for this dish dissuade you. I can't describe the taste in one word, as the taste comes from the blend of different flavors from the ingredients, the sweetness from the tofu, and finally the spice from the chilli. It is something that cheered me up as I got home from school, my bag packed with tons of homework, now it is something that welcomes my husband as he comes home from a tiring day at work. A meal to warm you up during the cold winter night, paired with steamed rice, it is comfort food at its best.

Ratatouille, my way

2006-02-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

The first things I ever learned to make in culinary school was ratatouille. My first impression was...is this it? Gradually, as I had to make it countless of times at work, it became second nature to me that I didn't even think while I was preparing it. I began to ask my sous chef for different things to prepare as I was getting so bored of cutting up the vegetables all the time. Surely I was ready to move on to bigger and greater dishes? Well, I had to spend at least a couple of more months doing that same old dish. His theory was, if you can make a dish without having to think about what you're doing, then you've perfected the dish. Having being told this did not stop me from hating the monotonous nature of my job, but he was so right. I can make ratatouille without even thinking about it, and that leads to greater things in my ratatouille world. I have memorized the dish so much that I can make it my own way, adding my own ingredients without having to worry if it will come out alright. Now when I start prepping my vegetables I feel this wave of calm over me. So much love for one simple dish.

Healthy Living

2006-02-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to make healthier meals for my husband lately. Often, he comes home from work in the wee hours, and not surprisingly for someone working in the kitchen, is usually tired and HUNGRY. Yes, people may assume that chefs are well fed for obvious reasons, but contrary to this we are not. For the past months I've been making regular food, and everyone knows eating regular food in the wee hours of the morning contributes to massive love handles. We are in handlebar city currently and are going on the healthy living track.

I am fond of salads, although the picture that I am posting does not reflect it (I still need to learn how to take amazing pictures). I am not pertaining to raw vegetables tossed together and eaten as is...like a rabbit. The salad for me is a work of art. The process of picking the leaves, making sure each and everyone of them are perfect, refreshing them in ice water, and drying them so that they come alive, crisp with every bite. I am passionate about salad dressings, from the oil, seasoning, down to the aromatic herbs crushed to release their flavors and oils, not overpowering, but merely lending a sutle taste to the leaves. Everything else must come from fresh ingredients, completing the perfect salad. I got this from working in the cold larder, being fortunate enough to have a chef de partie that inspected every salad leaf bordering on obsession. Here's to healthy eating.

Roast Pork with Paprika and Couscous

2006-02-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

I like preparing this meal...it's easy with minimal mise en place. Plus the pork always comes out perfect.

First, the roast pork. Season liberally with salt, pepper and paprika. Sear and cook in the oven.
Next, dice up some vegetables for the couscous. For this I used courgettes, carrots, green and red capsicums, tomatoes. Take 3 sausages and use the filling only, and some diced bacon. Fry the sausage filling and bacon in some olive oil, add the capsicums, and then the carrots and courgettes. When the vegetables are cooked, take off from the heat and add the diced tomatoes and raisins. Fold in the couscous. Finally, for the salad, quickly saute oyster mushrooms seasoned with salt and pepper in olive oil. When the mushrooms are almost done squeeze in some lime juice. Add the mushrooms to the salad leaves and toss together. The salad leaves will wilt from the heat of the mushrooms. Season with sea salt.

Eat up!

Breakfast!

2006-01-31T13:57:00.000-08:00

I couldn't sleep (as usual), and I read somewhere that instead of lying still and desperately hopinng that you'd finally fall asleep, you should, instead, get up and find something relaxing to do. So I made breakfast (it was 6am by then anyway).

Breakfast like home. Aaaaah. I miss home. I miss the comforts of home.

Garlic rice, bacon and fried egg. Kain na!!!

Baked ribs with steamed rice

2006-01-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

Dinner for my hubby turned out great. This is my default menu when I'm running out of things to cook for a meal. It's easy, only an hour to prepare and cook.

Marinade pork ribs for 15 minutes.

Marinade
2 Tbsps Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tbsps Honey
2 Tbsps Orange Juice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Drain the ribs and place in the oven. Brush with marinade every 10 minutes. Remove after an hour.

Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

Baked potato wedges

2006-01-31T13:42:00.000-08:00

I wasn't too happy with my potato wedges the last time. They were ok, but not great. Let's try it once more shall we...

Baked potato wedges with bacon and ham, topped with 3 kinds of cheese...tadaaah

Stuffed tomatoes and potato wedges

2006-01-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

Stuffed tomatoes:

Tomatoes
Couscous
Mushrooms
Bacon
Sausage filling
Red and Green Bellpeppers
Garlic
Shallots
Basil
Cheese

I used instant couscous (you know, add hot water, cover for 5 minutes lalalalah). I diced the vegetables into tiny cubes, then minced the bacon and sausage filling (just take it out of the casing). Saute everything together. For the tomatoes, I cut the tops of then took the seeds out, placed the stuffing in the tomatoes, then topped with cheese (goat's cheese, mature cheddar and parmesan). Baked them in the oven for 20 minutes.

For the potato wedges, cut them into wedges (duh), and place in the oven until cooked and golden brown.

Verdict: The tomatoes could have used a cruchy topping like breadcrumbs, apart from that they were excellent (hubby said that).

Sweets!

2006-01-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

Lovely Taiwanese sweets from my mom courtesy of Cindy.

Chocolates from my wonderful hubby. Awww.

Chistmas Dinner

2005-12-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to me! My husband made me christmas dinner for my birthday.

Roast lamb with parsnips, potato and brussel sprouts with bacon

Asparagus wrapped in parma ham, with pinenut dressing

Strawberries on waffle, topped with vanilla ice cream

Cook ramen noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water 3-4 minutes or until al dente. Drain thoroughly. Toss with flavor packet.

2005-12-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

Homemade noodle soup...for my hubby (awww...) I always make him a nice supper for when he gets home (while I have loaaaads of time on my hands).

2 Chicken Cubes (I don't have a pot large enough to make my own stock...excuses excuses...)
2 Packs Noodles (no not the ones that come with flavored packets)
Porkloin
Greenbeans
1 Egg
Homemade chili (courtesy of my mother in law who makes the best chili)

Cut porkloin into strips, season with salt and pepper.
Cut greenbeans into bite size pieces.
Boil water and dissolve chicken cubes for soup base, reduce for more flavor.
Fry the porkloin until golden. Add chili to taste.
Cook the noodles in the soup base, drain the noodles and reserve the soup.
Add one egg to the soupbase and stir.

Put noodles in soupbowl, top with the porkloin. Finish with soup.

Yey! Dinner!

Chinese Takeaway?

2005-12-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

On days when I don't feel like cooking (rarely, for wanting to save money) the option that my husband and I choose is the local chinese takeaway. I am lured by the notion that chinese takeaways everywhere have the same quality as chinese takeaways in Manila. WRONG. Chinese takeaways here are indecent. They make you feel bloated, they taste horrible, are ridiculously expensive, and they give you headaches afterwards. So why do I always opt for the inevitable? I should learn my lesson. You've tasted one, you've tasted them all.

Mayflower chinese takeaway
Mapo Tofu

Mike wouldn't even touch it.

Crispy Pork Belly

It was chewy. Very chewy. My jaw hurts.

Special Fried Rice

This was special alright. Specially disgusting.
The rice was dry, the onions were raw. There's nothing I hate more than putting raw onions in the notion that they will heat up together with the cooked rice. NOT!

Pad Thai Noodles

Greasy, bland, disgusting.

Crispy Springrolls

These were a bit ok to my surprise. Edible at least.

Haggis

2005-12-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

Potato topped with award winning haggis and barley

Yum yum yum! This is amazing. Comfort food, especially in the cold weather of Scotland.
It's a family owned pub, meals are prepared by the owner.

Number One Restaurant in Ediburgh

2005-12-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

Seared Keltic Scallops with Pea Mousse, Oysters in Pancetta, Saffron Sauce

everything was perfectly cooked but it was too salty...even for me

Red Mullet in Tomato and Mussel Nage with Saffron Rouille

Mike said it was amazing...

Poached Scottish Lobster, Baby Artichokes, Saffron Cocotte, Shellfish Sauce

S.A.L.T.Y

Fillet of Halibut, Peas a la Francaise & Pancetta, Champagne & Lobster Veloute

Mike said it was amazing...well...he looked like he really enjoyed his meal...

Mille Feuille of Mango with Coconut Panacotta, Lime and Rum Sorbet

Now this is amazing...the mille feuille was just one sheet of pastry per layer *how can you make it that perfect?!*, coconut panacotta was creamy...melt in your mouth yum yum yum, lime and rum sorbet was tart but not too sour and really smooth, it really makes up for the 2 salty meals I've had

Gateau Opera with Orange Salad and Vanilla Ice Cream

Mike was too stuffed to finish his dessert but as usual he said it was *amazing*

Petit Fours

It's mike's pinky with the picture. We wanted to show how SMALL they were.

Overall experience...my food was just so salty it was hard to eat. Shame cause the seafood was really nice, if only I could rinse off the sauce a bit. Mike did say his meal was really good. Foodtripboi is right...don't ask the server for suggestions... I ordered my own dessert, and it was fantastic.