To date, I have already more than 90 cookbooks and I told myself not to buy anymore. But over the weekend, I cannot resist the temptation not to grab several since the $4.99 sale price of Daniel Boulud’s Daniel’s Dish was just screaming for me to take it home. With it, I also added four more since the prices ranges only from $2.00 to $3.50 except for the Everyday Food (Fresh Flavor Fast) by Martha Stewart that I paid $14.99, still a steal since the original price is $24.99.

We may be in the digital age, but when it comes to cookbook, nothing can beat skimming through the real pages and admiring the beautiful food photography. As inspired from the Everyday Food by Martha Stewart I cooked the Beef and Scallion Stir-Fry for our dinner. Since I do not have hoisin sauce, I used oyster sauce instead. I also added 2 teaspoons of sugar for sweetness as contrast to the pepper flakes.

Beef and Scallion Stir-Fry

Ingredients

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds flank steak, cut diagonally across the grain into 1/2-by-3-inch strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, sliced crosswise 1 1/2 inch thick, white and green parts kept separate
White rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup water, hoisin sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. In two batches, cook steak until lightly browned, turning once, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining teaspoon oil to pan along with garlic and whites of scallions. Cook, tossing often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk hoisin mixture to combine; add to pan along with scallion greens.

Return meat to pan; cook, tossing to coat steak with sauce, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Serve immediately, over rice and sprinkled with red-pepper flakes, if desired.

January 23,2012 is Chinese New Year and in Chinese astrology it is the year of the water dragon. It is believed that the year of the dragon brings growth and change in career, love and life. A great feasting is also celebrated to bring abundance, happiness, prosperity, good health and long life. The food to be prepared always symbolizes something.

I only prepared two types of food among the long list in the Chinese culture. Sauted Rice Stick (Pancit Bihon) and Sweet and Sour Fish. Noodles symbolize longevity. It stands for long life and is said to be unlucky to cut up a strand when cooking. Fish, served whole is a symbol of prosperity and eating fish is believed that it will help your wishes come true in the year to come.

But I still believe that the ingredients of a meaningful life are strong faith, love, hard work and good health. Kung Hei Fat Choi everyone!

Sauted Rice Stick (Pancit Bihon)

Ingredients:

8 oz rice stick noodles
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb shelled shrimp or 1 cup pork or chicken meat
1/2 cup carrots, cut in strips
1 cup shredded cabbage
6 pieces button mushroom, cut
1 cup of sweet peas
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
5 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
calamansi or lemon wedges (optional)

Direction:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, then add garlic and cook until golden brown.

2. Add meat (if using) and season with oyster sauce,soy sauce, salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the vegetable, cover, and steam until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove meat and vegetable mixture. Add the shrimp in the boiling stock and remove shrimp when it becomes orange-pink in color (usually less than a minute).

3. Cook noodles in the remaining stock until most of the liquid is absorbed by the noodles. Keep tossing the noodles to keep them from sticking.

4. Transfer cooked noodles in a platter and topped with the meat/shrimp and vegetables mixture and serve with lemon wedges or calamansi if desired.

Sweet and Sour Fish

Ingredients:

1 lb fish fillets (such as tilapia, sea bass, cod, I used Allaskan Pollock)
1/2 cup snow peas
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut in strips/cube
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
1 stalk spring onion, chopped diagonally
2 cups vegetable oil for frying

For the Marinade:
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Rinse the fish fillets and pat dry. Cut into 2 inch square. Add the fish to the marinade ingredients and mix. Then add the cornstarch last. Let it marinade for 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the sauce and vegetables. In a bowl, mix together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, tomato paste, vinegar and sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in the water.

3. Microwave on high the snow peas for 30 seconds. Cut the red bell pepper into cubes, seeds not included.

4. Heat the vegetable oil in wok or cast iron pan. Fry the marinated fish until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

5. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the pan. Add the ginger and spring onion and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the snow peas and red bell peppers.

6. Remove the vegetables from the pan, add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring to thicken. Turn off the heat and add the vegetables in the sauce.

7. Serve the fish on a platter and pour the sauce and vegetable mixture. You may add all the sauce or reserve some on the side so the fish will not get soggy.

I don’t know with you, but it gives me a heavy heart to throw away food especially when it has reached it’s expiration date. My buttermilk, which is a leftover from baking banana breads over the holidays will be expiring soon and I need to use it before January 20, 2012 so that it will not go to waste.

So for breakfast, I made Best Buttermilk Pancakes from Martha Stewart. In this recipe, I added blueberries. The buttermilk really made the pancakes tender.

For the remaining buttermilk, I finished it off by making it as marinate for my Crunchy Breaded Chicken Fingers. Again, the buttermilk made the chicken breast moist and flavorful. Click here to read more »

During weekdays, I try to cook quick and easy dinner that do not sacrifice taste and nutritional value. Open faced sandwiches are one of them. This refers to a slice of bread topped with warm roasted or fried slice of meats, cold cuts, different spreads like butter, jam, pate or cheese, and vegetables such as lettuce, onions, bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

My version of an open faced sandwich is a slice of wheat Italian bread, drizzled with olive oil and grilled in a panini pan. Top it then with lettuce, a store bought Philly-gourmet steak, which I heated up in my cast iron pan, and onions, which I cooked from the juices of the steak. Finish it with a slice of light cheddar cheese. Broil it for a minute until the cheese melts. To make it more flavorful, drizzle it with a honey mustard sauce.

This type of dinner will not make you a slave in the kitchen and bother you to dial for home delivery.

(I had to make one without cheese. My daughter is not a fan of cheese)

The luxury of weekend is when I can cook “real” breakfast for the family. A fluffy pancake, uncured turkey bacon and eggs make everyone satisfied and happy. This goes especially for my daughter who feels her day is complete having pancakes for breakfast.

I am sharing this Basic Pancakes Recipe from The New York Times Cook Book (Copyright 1961 by Craig Claiborne) which I’ve been using now for more than a decade. We’ve not been relying on pancake mix on a box for a long time now.

The ingredients I’m sure are in your pantry. Try this recipe and you will not be disappointed. I promise it will be fluffy and good.

Basic Pancakes

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/4 cups milk, approximately
3 tablespoons shortening, melted and slightly cooled or vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Mix egg, milk, and shortening or oil. Three-quarters cup milk will make thick pancakes; one and one-quarter cups of milk will make them thin enough for rolling.
3. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not beat or the pancakes will be tough. (For thinner pancakes, add more milk and mix lightly).
4. Bake on a hot griddle, lightly greased if necessary. Turn pancakes only once.

Blogging Mama’s tip:

1. You may use a non stick pan or a well seasoned cast iron pan. I made sure to lightly butter (vegetable oil) the pan or griddle. Wipe off with a paper towel until no butter or oil is visible. Repeat this step every time you pour the pancake batter.

2. Use a 1/4 cup to measure the pancake batter and gently pour in the hot pan or griddle.

3. Do not over mix pancake batter. No need to worry about lumps since it will just dissolve during cooking. Too much mixing results in a tough pancake.

4. Flip the pancakes if bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake.

5. Fruits like blueberry, banana and even chocolate chips may be added to the pancake batter for variation.

Here’s a bonus rap video for you. I said, for you. Not for your kids…

Click here to read more »

The weather was perfect last Saturday morning. It was not cold, allowing me to open the windows without getting chilly inside the house. While thinking what I should be preparing for breakfast, I heard our neighbor left their house. They should be out the entire day. They usually are.

With my neighbors gone and still confused what to prepare for breakfast, it dawned on me that I can cook Danggit!

Danggit is the local Philippine name for a fish also known the rabbitfish or spinefoot (part of the Siganus family). Other local names include samaral, taragbago, kitang, or tabago. –WikiPilipinas

Popularly known as a product from Cebu City, the fish is split open and dried under the sun with salt. This tedious process is what makes Danggit a little expensive.

I still have Danggit in my fridge. It was brought by my sister from the Philippines. I’ve been keeping it, waiting for the right time to come. When you cook Danggit, all possible ventilation in the house should be wide open. Fans should be turned on. Scented candles should be lighted. Neighbors should be away. You see, when you cook Danggit, it emits a certain smell that can draw everyone’s attention. Okay, it smells bad, at least for those who haven’t encountered Danggit in their lives. It sticks and lingers for awhile. I’m used to it.

Danggit turns crispy when fried. Serve it with rice, scrambled eggs, and tomatoes. Make sure you have vinegar on the side to dip it. You would totally forget about the smell after your first bite. I did.

As promised, I will be sharing some of the recipes we had in our Thanksgiving dinner.

Crown Roast of Pork was my alternative to Roast Turkey after I stumble upon it while doing my food shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. My initial plan was to roast a big chicken since I will be preparing dinner only for the four of us. I was just lucky that the meat section of the store had a prepared pork loin rack of pork (Frenched). I seldom see this kind of cut of meat. In fact, this is only the second time, after 8 years, for me to make this impressive dish. Usually you need to ask the butcher in advance to prepare this for you.

You may also want to check this out with Martha Stewart on How to Make Crown Roast.

I went with the Herb Stuffing and was happy to try the recipe from Real Simple magazine. My only regret was adding the celery. I thought I could sneak it in without anyone noticing it. Too bad, it seems that celery will never become a part of the vegetable list for my husband and kids. At any rate, I recommend this Herb Stuffing recipe. It is a nice pair for the Crown Roast of Pork.

Crown Roast of Pork

Ingredients for the roast:

1 7 to 8 lb of crown of pork or pork loin rack of pork (Frenched)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 head of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients for the gravy:

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken or beef broth
Pan drippings
salt and pepper to taste

Directions for the roast:

1. Mix together the ingredients. Rub all over the roast. Let roast sit at room temperature for an hour before roasting.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the crown roast in a shallow roasting pan.

3. Roast pork on middle rack of oven. Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours total or cook until meat thermometer inserted deep into center of meat registers 150 degrees.

4. Remove pork from pan and reserve drippings.

5. Arrange crown roast on a serving platter and let rest for 20 minutes.

Directions for the gravy:

1. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and mix well until flour is cooked.

2. Gradually add broth while stirring constantly.

3. Pour in the pan drippings.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Continue stirring and cook until mixture is smooth and thick.

Blogging Mama’s Tip:

1. This recipe serves 8 to 10 servings. Leftover is still good the following day.

2. Let the crown roast rest for 20 minutes so it will retain its juices and will not make the meat dry.

3. To check if meat is cooked, meat thermometer should not touch the bones. If you don’t have meat thermometer, bake about 1 hour for every 2 lbs of pork.

4. Arrange crown roast on a serving platter with desired vegetables.

5. You can also fill the crown roast with stuffing, but I prefer to separate the stuffing for even cooking.

6. Use a wire whisk in making the gravy. Whisk constantly to avoid lumps.

Herb Stuffing (adapted from Real Simple)

Ingredients:

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup (1 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms, roughly chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 stalks celery, diced
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 baguettes, left on the counter overnight to dry and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring the broth and mushrooms (if using) to a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium-low heat, heat the oil or butter. Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the celery and cook for 7 minutes. Add the parsley and dill.

3. Heat oven to 375° F. Place the bread in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture and the broth and mushrooms (if using) and combine. Transfer to a 9-inch square or 11-by-7-inch baking dish.

4. Bake the stuffing for 25 minutes. If you prefer a soft stuffing, cover the dish with foil while baking. If you prefer a crusty stuffing, bake uncovered. (You can cover and refrigerate the uncooked stuffing for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding 10 minutes to the baking time.)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I cannot stress enough that there are millions of reasons to be thankful. Thanksgiving Day is also for families to gather and partake of the food to feast on just like how the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast in 1621.

Just like what I planned (and mentioned in my previous post), I prepared the following Thanksgiving menu:

Fresh Vegetable Lumpia
Crown Roast of Pork with Herb Stuffing
Puree of Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Creamy Mashed Potato
Sweet Potato Pie
Apple Pie (as requested by my daughter)
Corn on the cob (as requested also by my daughter)

I was able to accomplished all these with early menu planning, little helping hands from my daughter, and the dish washing expertise of my husband. My son? He provided the pushing in order for us to finish the cooking and baking in time for dinner.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

Please take note that I will be sharing all the recipes in the coming days. I am just too ‘stuffed’ for now. You will noticed that we did not have any turkey this year. We pardoned the turkey for now.

For a quick dinner before Thanksgiving, I decided to make pork adobo, the classic Philippine dish.

Adobo involves meat or seafood marinated in a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, spices (bay leaf and peppercorn), onion and garlic, browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade.

Actually, there are several versions on how to cook adobo. Basic ingredients are vinegar, garlic, peppercorn, bay leaves, and salt. To some, adding soy sauce, brown sugar, onions, and pepper flakes will bring more flavor and color to the adobo dish. The good thing about adobo is that it has relatively long shelf life that it does not even need refrigeration due to the vinegar that kills the bacteria.

Since adobo is almost a staple food in our family, I don’t usually measure the ingredients. I just eyeball the ingredients and dump them in an enameled cast iron pot. Let it boil and simmer until the meat is tender. How easy is that.

This recipe pairs well with white steaming rice, but we had to settle with pita over bed of lettuce and carrots. My husband had rice. He promised to burn it.

For the purpose of this blog, I measured my ingredients so I can also share this savory dish.

Pork Adobo

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork loin country style, cut in cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed/minced
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon peppercorn
3 pcs bay leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except vegetable oil and salt and pepper in an enameled cast iron pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Stir only when the vinegar aroma begins to mellow.

2. Remove the pork from the pot and keep the sauce.

3. On a fry pan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and brown the pork for a few minutes.

4. Pour the remaining sauce to the browned pork. Add salt and pepper if needed.

5. Simmer until the sauce is reduced.

Blogging Mama’s Tip:

1. I prefer to use enameled cast iron pot because I do not want the vinegar to react on stainless or aluminum pans. A clay pot is also recommended to be used in cooking adobo.

2. Do not stir the ingredients while you can still smell the vinegar. If you stir, it is believe that the adobo gods will make your dish sour. You will know that the vinegar is cooked if there is no more sharp and vinegary aroma.

3. I added brown sugar because we want a hint of sweetness to our adobo. You can always omit the sugar.

4. Frying the meat after simmering is also optional.

5. Meat can also be flaked especially if used with pita bread. I was just in a hurry that I did not bother to do it.

Thanksgiving Day should not be stressful. For us it is the time to gather as family and build happy memories. It is also during this celebration that we emphasize on how grateful we are for all the blessings as well as to reflect on the not so good things that come our way.

Okay, let’s admit it, food plays a large part of Thanksgiving Day. For some, it is stressful to prepare. For me the secret for an easy Thanksgiving dinner is advance planning. Make a list of the menu and ingredients. Prepare the dishes to use, including the cooking schedule and timetable. Prepare recipes that you are comfortable to make without sacrificing its taste. Needless to say, it has to be delicious. Above all, consider the favorites of your guests or family members.

For this Thanksgiving, I will be preparing dinner for just the four of us. This will be a non traditional Thanksgiving as turkey will not be the star of our dining table (turkeys can have a sigh of relief at least this year).

Thanksgiving Menu:

Fresh Vegetable Lumpia
Crown Roast of Pork with Herb Stuffing
Puree of Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Creamy Mashed Potato
Sweet Potato Pie
Apple Pie (as requested by my daughter)

There is always an advantage if some dishes can be made in a day or two before Thanksgiving. This can give you some free time and concentrate more on dishes that need to be cooked on the day itself. Thus, I already prepared my Sweet Potato Pie. What I like about this pie is that it can be made up to 2 days in advance. If it comes out not so perfect, don’t fret because it can be topped with heavy cream (I guess you can sense now that I am giving an excuse to the crack on my pie).

Sweet Potato Pie With Candied Nut Cream (adapted from Real Simple)

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potatoes (2 medium)
12 graham crackers
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped candied nuts or peanut brittle

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until very tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool, then halve and scoop out the flesh (discard the skins).

2. Reduce oven to 350° F. In a food processor, process the graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add the butter, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes (if the crust puffs while baking, press it down gently). Let cool.

3. Wipe out the food processor and add the sweet potato flesh, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and process until smooth (do not overprocess). Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until set in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely.

4. Before serving, using an electric mixer, beat the cream on medium-high until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the nuts and serve with the pie.

Bloggging Mama’s Tip:

1. Instead of baking the sweet potato, I used the cut up sweet potato in can. This will cut the baking time by 50 to 60 minutes.

2. You can adjust the spices called for in the recipe. You may use only spices you like or whatever is available in the pantry.

3. Try to cover with plastic wrap or cling wrap the measuring cup used in pressing the crust to the pie plate for easy clean up.

4. The candied nuts or peanut brittle is optional. After topping the pie with cream, you may dust it instead with any of the spices you used in this recipe.