…because we love to eat
Do fish have fingers? No, they don’t! But for some reason, this is what my sister calls this dish. When I stayed with her in Melbourne, she listed off the dishes she wants me to cook — dishes she personally loves and dishes the kids would want to eat. She asked me to try to make fish fingers — fish fillet seasoned and deep fried.
I first tried this salad in Thailand, when I took a Thai cooking class. Admittedly, it’s not something I’d probably order if I saw it in the menu. However, from the first bite, I was hooked! I have the recipe in the booklet they gave us, but I was too lazy to look for fennel locally. Luckily, a Thai friend thought to cook some for dinner last weekend. And instead of using fennel, he used cilantro and mint, and added in some ground roasted rice for added texture. It was even better than the one we made in Bangkok!
Continue reading “Thai Mince Pork Salad”
Lumpiang ubod is one Filipino food I definitely love to eat. Be it sariwa or fried, this delicious food is readily available at most Filipino restaurants, eateries, canteens, and even from peddlers on the street.
Here’s a very simple recipe if you’d like to make some yourself.
Fried Lumpiang Ubod (Fried Palm Heart Spring Rolls)
Ingredients:
2 cups ubod (palm heart), cut into thin strips
1 chicken breast, boiled and flaked
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
Dash of chicken powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Lumpia (spring roll) wrappers
Cooking oil for stir frying
Cooking oil for deep frying
cornstarch diluted in water
Heat oil in pan. Saute’ onion and garlic until onion is translucent and garlic is golden brown. Add in the ubod. Next, add in the chicken. Season with chicken powder, salt and pepper. Stir fry until ubod is cooked. It should be tender but still has a bit of crunch. Allow to cool.
Lay out one lumpia wrapper on a plate. Place two tablespoons of the filling mixture on one end of the wrapper. Fold flap over the filling and fold the left and right sides in. roll until you reach the end of the wrapper. Seal the end with cornstarch diluted in water.
Deep fry in cooking oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with vinegar and crushed garlic.
My mother loves watching cooking shows, and one of her current favorites is Q TV’s Quickfire: 10-minute kitchen wonders with Chef Rosebud Benitez. That’s probably where she got the idea of this simple chicken dish.
When my mother first asked me to try this, I was skeptical because it didn’t really look good. Plus, it’s chicken breast, and I’m wary that it’d be dry. However, I was in for a surprise — it tasted good and it was moist! I was an instant convert, and I’ve been cooking this dish every week.
Continue reading “Grilled Oregano Chicken”
The other thing I cooked for my birthday was pork adobo. I know it’s a simple ordinary Filipino dish, but just weeks ago, I was able cook great adobo in Batanes, and I wanted to replicate it for my family. Besides, it’s not everyday we eat adobo in the house.
My sister taught me this recipe years ago, and I’m so glad she did.
Continue reading “Pork Adobo Recipe”
One of my favorite things to eat while in Australia was roast chicken. Every time my sister and I go to the supermarket, we always pick up a tray of seasoned chicken that’s ready to roast. The roast is always a huge hit in the house, and the kids that are normally hard to feed have chicken bones piled up their plates. I wanted to replicate the chicken, so I tried my hand at making them from scratch, using the roast chicken seasoning she sent us in one of the balikbayan boxes.
Continue reading “Easy Roast Chicken”
For my birthday this year, I decided to stay at home and cook for my family. Noodles are a staple for birthdays, since it signifies long life. Instead of the usual spaghetti or pancit, I decided to cook Pad Thai, another noodle favorite in the house.
When I went to Thailand two years ago, one of the things I made sure to do was to attend a Thai cooking class. So while in Bangkok, I signed up to join a half-day cooking class at the Thai Kitchen. We learned how to cook Thai Red Curry, Sticky Rice and Mango among other things, and of course, Pad Thai.
The ingredients we used in the Thai Kitchen are of course ingredients that are easily available in Thailand. In Manila, however, you need to search for these items. Since I am lazy, I opted to use ingredients that is readily available to substitute for the ingredients in my Thai recipe book. Not as authentic as the Pad Thai I tried in Bangkok, but it’s a great and cheap substitute!
A note before I continue: I hardly measure my ingredients when I cook. The measurements in this recipe is an approximation of the ingredients I use, and is made to suit the taste buds of my family.
A month ago, members of the new and traditional media were invited to be a Chef for a Day at the Culinary Institute of Aristocrat. There, we met sibling chefs Joey and Gabby Prats. Chef Gabby taught us how to cook some French dishes, while Chef Joey shared a simple, yet rich dessert: Chocolate Mousse that he swears is to die for.
Chef Joey gave his consent to post the recipe in our blogs, to share with our readers.
Chef Joey’s Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
For the Mousse:
500 grams bittersweet chocolate couverture
300 grams heavy whipping cream
5 grams instant coffee powder dissolved in 10 grams hot water
800 grams heavy whipping cream, chilled
For the Assembly:
500 grams whipping cream, chilled
50 grams confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Bittersweet chocolate couverture shavings
Procedure:
For the Mousse:
1. Chop the bittersweet chocolate couverture and place in a large bowl.
2. Combine heavy whipping cream and coffee solution in a heavy saucepan and bring to boiling point over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour hot cream mixture over chopped chocolate in a bowl. Allow to stand for a minute or two, then stir mixture until smooth and glossy. Cool to room temperature.
4. Place chilled heavy whipping cream in a mixer bowl. Using the wire whip attachment, whip cream to medium peak stage.
5. Gentle fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture
6. Spoon approximately 100 grams of mousse into each of sixteen dessert goblets. Chill for at least 4 hours to set the mousse.
For the Assembly:
1. Combine chilled heavy whipping cream and sifted confectioner’s sugar in mixer bowl. Using the wire whip attachment, whip mixture to stiff peak stage. Do not overwhip.
2. Transfer sweetened whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe a large rosette on each goblet of mousse and decorate with bittersweet chocolate couverture shavings.
Yield: Serves sixteen
“The perfect dessert is a sensual experience that catapults you to a state of sheer pleasure, where mind, body and soul merge into paralyzing ectasy” — Chef Joey Prats
This recipe is copyrighted to the Culinary Institute of Aristocrat, and is intended for personal use. For more information about CIA, inquire at any branch of Aristocrat Restaurant or email culinaryinstituteofaristocrat@yahoo.com. The CIA is located at MH del Pilar cor. San Andres sts, in front of Remedios Church, Malate, Manila (right behind the huge Aristocrat restaurant along Roxas Boulevard).