Celebrating With Callos

I had blood work done last February, and my lipid profile results were within reference range, albeit my blood sugar was a bit high. Haaaayyy, aging sucks big time. Madami nang aches and pains. When you're middle-aged na, each relatively good lab result should be celebrated.

How did I celebrate? I cooked a huge pot of very rich callos.

Ingredients:

2 kg beef tripe
1 small bottle of green olives, pitted
1 small can chickpeas
1 can chorizo de Bilbao
2 medium sized red bell peppers
1 regular-sized can of chopped tomatoes
1 bulb of garlic, minced
2 onions, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
red wine

1. Slice and boil the tripe for around 2 hours until tender. Save about 3 cups of broth. (Would be easier to use pressure cooker, but I'm terrified of using one. Long story.)
2. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add the chorizos and tenderized tripe.
3. Add tomato sauce, bell peppers, chick peas, and olives. Stir. Add the broth. Add a splash of red wine. Simmer.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Super sarap. Feeling ko next blood work ko eh NOT within reference range anymore. Oh well. We cannot constantly eat bland food naman. Everything in moderation. Next year na uli ako magluluto ng callos.

Cooking and Sewing With TPS: Filipiniana

Last Friday, Sharkteeth's school held the culmination activity for the Buwan ng Wika. From what I remember, it was only Linggo ng Wika before, but now, it's apparently a month-long affair that is combined with other Filipiniana activities.

Ang tagal ko nang tinatanong si S if she needs a Filipiniana costume, and wala naman daw sinasabi. Come Wednesday, "Mymy, I have bad news. We need a Filipiniana costume." Arrrggghh. "And Pinoy-themed food," she added. Arrrggghh. Arrrggghh. Kasalanan ko rin naman. Ever since she started school, lagi namang kailangan ng costume. Di ko na dapat hinintay pang i-announce. I initially thought of just buying a costume from the mall, but aside from the flimsy material and very common designs available, it's a bit expensive as well. An expense that is not only out of the budget but is also going to waste after the activity. Mag-re-rent sana ako sa Noelle West (a gown rental  boutique here in Visayas), but the remaining dresses are in black (di feel ni S ang color), green (same reason), or black and yellow (di ko feel ang color -- bubuyog ang peg?!). Idagdag pa ang Pinoy-themed food. I suggested we just purchase from Red Ribbon or Goldilocks, but S insisted I make pastillas. "But my classmates LOOOOOVVVEEED the pastillas you made last year." So I made pastillas. *Uto-uto* Hay, puro gastos. So I did what I'm good at -- improvise. I have a two-meter-long bolt of eyelet lace over sheer fabric that I was supposed to make into Roman blinds plus another cream fabric lying in my stash and turned them into this:

Not too shabby, right? I'd even dare and say that I did a good job sewing her Filipiniana dress. And I'm glad I did because nobody had a similar dress -- especially since S doesn't like having an outfit similar with others'.

Well done, me! *Hehehe, purihin na ang sarili. False humility what?!* 

Fountain Of Youth

Fair warning to vegetarians: Close the browser and visit another time. Maybe then we can be friends again. For the meantime, this post is for meatatarians.

Sorry, hindi maganda pagka-picture ko. Gutom na eh.

Ginaya ko lang kay Neri Naig yan. Madali lang lutuin. Oooopps. Wait. Madali as in easy, not quick. Mabuti nang klaruhin. Baka mamaya eh may uuwi na gutom na gutom and think na mabilis lang eto maluto. No.

Soooo...I modified Neri's recipe a bit. Instead of marinating the baby-back ribs for an hour in olive oil, salt, pepper, I prepared it in the morning and kept it in the ref for ~7 hours. I also added paprika and chili flakes. I baked it in low heat for ~2 hours then in high heat for ~15 minutes to properly crisp the skin.

It was very TENDER and JUICY and so FLAVORFUL. *Yes, kailangang all-caps.*

Isang bandehadong rice pa nga!

Easy And Filling Ham, Egg, And Cheese Bun

I'm a fan of the One-Pot Chef, and he inspired me to make these ham, egg, and cheese buns. I swear they're very easy to make.

1. You'll need some buns (something big and preferably crusty/flakey on the outside), ham slices, eggs, cheese (I used orange cheddar), pepper, and onion stalks (for garnish). I added a couple of pepperoni slices per bun (not in the picture, it was an afterthought).

Gourmet(?!) Tuyo In Oil

Madear and Fadear sent us so many packs of tuyo and tinapa, but the former was so salty, medyo naawa ako sa kidneys namin. Ayoko namang itapon. Waste not, want not. And you know me, Ms. Make Do, Ms. Improvise, Ms. I-have-a-solution-for-that. My (delicious) solution? Gourmet tuyo in oil.

1. Lightly fry the tuyo in corn oil. (You can use canola or sunflower or any other oil that doesn't taste nutty). After frying, let the tuyo soak in oil. I did that to get as much salt off as possible. Then I drained the oil.

2. Remove the scales by firmly holding it by the tail and running a knife just underneath the scales from above the tail going up toward the head. If properly fried and soaked, it should be easy to remove. After removing the scales, fillet and remove the bones. Arrange the fillets in a bottle.

 

3. In a saucepan, add a bit of oil and sauté minced garlic. When the garlic is transluscent, add sun-dried tomatoes, chili flakes, ground pepper, whole black pepper, and olives. You can add capers as well. Be sure to wash the olives to remove the saltiness. Turn down the heat to avoid burning the garlic.  Add half a cup of corn oil, half a cup of olive oil, and one-third cup of vinegar. Let this simmer for a few minutes. Turn off the fire and let the mixture cool.

4. Pour over the tuyo fillets. Let it rest a bit to let the flavor of the oil seep through the fillets.

Et voila!

I was supposed to give away the other jar, pero sorry, masarap eh, and naubos agad namin yung isang bottle and wanted more. :) Soweeee... Di bale, pag-uwi ko sa Bulacan sa April, I'll buy lots of tuyo and make one na pang-giveaway.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Why, hello there, gorgeous!

I got the recipe from Recipegirl , and I really didn't think I'd be able to pull off such a complicated-looking pancake. So it was a pleasant, and delicious, surprise when I managed to. Easily, I might add.

Alam ko naman most of us are busy. Busy with work. Present! With kids. Present! [Albeit only one.] With housework. Present! With spouse. Present! With pets. Present! Busy with life. Present na present! So hindi ko na kayo papahirapan na gagawa pa ng pancake from scratch. Bumili na lang kayo ng Maya or White King ready pancake mix. Huwag Magnolia – sobrang tamis ng kakalabasan ng pancake. Then just follow Recipegirl 's instructions and you should be off eating some glorious cinnamon roll pancakes in no time. It's very easy to do and the pancakes look gorgeous and like made by a pro.

Tips:
1. One pancake is enough for one person. Nakaka-umay pag marami.
2. Do not add any other syrup.
3. If you have diabetes and you cannot not eat this, have your medication ready, 'cause I tell you, your blood sugar will shoot up.

Everything in moderation. 

Enjoy!!!

"Faux" Pastillas De Leche

I call this "faux" pastillas de leche because it's not the traditional way of making pastillas de leche. That doesn't mean it's actually fake and inedible. Masarap naman, but it's way too sweet for my taste. And for the remaining pastillas de leche purists out there, I have the recipe for the traditional one as well.

Faux Pastillas de Leche

Ingredients
1 medium pack of unsweetened powdered milk (~2.5 cups)
1 small condensed milk
0.5 c sugar for rolling


1. Mix the powdered milk with the condensed milk until it looks like a dough.
2. Form into half-inch balls, then roll into little logs.
3. Roll the logs on the sugar.
4. Cover the logs with parchment paper or even bond paper cut into 2x3-inch rectangles.
5. Wrap the paper-covered pastillas with papel de japon.

You don't have to decorate it -- it's just a wrapper after all. However, I'm a sucker for good packaging, and because it was Sharkteeth's Linggo ng Wika food contribution, I thought making it look nice wouldn't hurt. Instead of the traditional way of cutting the paper into lace-like patterns, I just used my old puncher to decorate the scalloped edges. Ganyan talaga ang mga harassed na nanays, kung ano-anong shortcuts ang natututunang gawin. Hahahaha! I was able to finish this in less than an hour, from the mixing to the arranging in a wicker basket. *Triumph for the harassed nanays!*

For the traditional way of making pastillas de leche, you need 1.5-2 liters of fresh milk and sugar for rolling. Just simmer the milk, stirring continuously until it is reduced to about a quarter or a third of the original quantity of milk. You'd know when it's done when it is starting to look like a ball of soft dough. Remove from the pan and let it cool, then follow steps 2 to 4.

My mother used to make pastillas the traditional way, which entails using the freshest milk from our mama cow. (The fresh milk makes all the difference. It tastes so much better than the "faux" kind.) It's a labor of love -- it takes hours to simmer and reduce the milk, while stirring the whole time. It starts off easy, but when the milk is starting to reduce and ball up, it can be a drag, literally!

I might try doing this one of these days if I'm able to get fresh milk from the local dairy.

♥♥♥

Sharkteeth in her Muslim princess costume for Linggo ng Wika

Blake Lively Love

This is a relatively old video, but goodness, Blake, why are you like that? Beautiful, has a gorgeous smile, cooks (and appears to be good at it) -- I hate you already! [Summer kasi, mura ang ampalaya, hehehe]

Do watch Blake Lively bake Brie in puff pastry. Seems so delicious. And the way she generously uses alcohol in cooking? A girl after my own heart!!! Blake, let's be best friends. Please. *stalker*

Sharkteeth's First Pasta

Garlic Pasta with Hungarian Sausage

Sharkteeth doesn't like tomato-based pasta sauces, so I almost always use garlic+olive oil as base for my pasta sauce. Anyhoo, last weekend, I was inspired (read: gaya-gaya) by Leah's post and decided to cook some pasta for snacks, but I was so busy DIY-ing and asked S to mince the garlic for me (I didn't have the patience to roast the garlic anymore). She really likes peeling garlic and mincing them because, in her words, "the smell is heavenly." When she finished mincing the garlic, she asked if she can cook the garlic sauce, and since it's quite easy, I just let her. With minimum effort and instructions, she was able to cook her very first pasta sauce. It was delicious! And I'm not just saying that 'cause she's my [beloved]  daughter. Masarap talaga!

♥♥♥

Ingredients:
1 small packet of pasta (serves three)
6 tbsp olive oil (2 tbsp for the pasta and 2 tbsp for the sauce)
1 whole garlic (minced)
1 sausage (sliced)
feta cheese (the one we have at home has herbs and spices mixed in)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
chili flakes (optional)


1. Boil some water, salt, and olive oil. Add the pasta once the water is boiling. Stir. Once done, drain the hot water and "shock" it with cold water to arrest the heat. Add the feta cheese. Mix.
2. Heat the remaining olive oil (not too hot, okay?). Sauté the garlic. Add the sliced sausage. Add salt and pepper. If you like a bit of hotness, add some chili flakes. You can also add a bit of white wine -- it rounds off the flavor.
3. Add the pasta to the garlic sauce. Mix well. Add Parmesan if you like. As S says, "the cheesier, the better."

Try nyo eto. It's very easy to prepare, and the longest part is boiling the pasta.

Enjoy!

Easy Rosemary Chicken

We watched Iron Man last night. Didn't realize na mahaba yun movie, hayun, sarado na grocery, and I wasn't able to shop for any food. Opening the ref this morning was a bit depressing -- two chicken breasts and an assortment of veggies. What to do? What to do? Ano pa, syempre mag-imbento ng ulam. Hihihihi! So, here's my latest, uhm, "invention."



Rosemary Chicken

2 chicken breasts
juice of 5 small calamansi
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
sliced potatoes
olive oil
1 tbsp butter
pepper, salt, and vetsin

1. Heat a bit olive oil on the pan.
2. Brown the chicken breasts and potatoes.
3. Add the garlic, rosemary, pepper, salt, vetsin, and calamansi
4. Let it simmer in low heat, turning it once. Let the juices dry out a bit, until only a tablespoon or two of the olive oil, meat juices, and spice mixture is left.
5. Brush some butter on the grill. I used a panini maker. Sayang effort na magbukas pa ng oven para sa two slices of chicken breast. Saka, hello, super-init! (So looking forward to the rainy season, floods be damned.)
6. Pile the meat and potatoes on the grill. Brush on the oil/juice/spice mixture over the meat and potatoes.
7. It should brown in a few minutes or so. Don't poke it around or turn it over. It toughens the meat, or so they say --well, I'm not taking that risk, especially wala nang ibang laman ang ref. Hehehehehe.

Boom! Tapos in less than 30 minutes ang breakfast. It was very flavorful and moist. I'd like to say na super sarap, pero may vetsin ang dila ko. Suffice it to say, TheHusband and Sharkteeth liked it so much.  Sharkteeth kept coming back for more. I swear, I cook better when I'm just winging it. Besides, I don't like buying a ton of ingredients, especially if I'm just going to use it once in a blue moon.

Chicken Nuggets

Sharkteeth is addicted to chicken nuggets, and I find it a bit alarming because of the preservatives. What to do? What to do? Of course, the answer is clear---make one! Hitting the Internet for recipes, I was quickly flummoxed by the numerous variations (herbs, cheese, etc) and other simplistic suggestions, I mean, "add seasonings"? Seriously? What seasonings? In the end, I did it using the only way I know---improvise!!! You know what that means, right? I can't give you the exact measurements...

Ingredients

Nuggets:
    1/2 kg ground chicken
    ~1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
    a few grates of cheddar cheese
    bread crumbs (I just placed a couple of sliced bread in the blender)
    2 eggs
    a pinch of mixed dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, and oregano)
    a couple of pinches of paprika
    salt, pepper, and MSG

Breading:
    blended bread crumbs and small pack of corn flakes
    salt and pepper
    a few shakes of Parmesan cheese


1. Just mix the nugget ingredients.
2. Get a small ball (half a golf ball).
3. Roll on the breading mix.
4. Form the shape you want. (For the record, the nugget on the lower right is an elephant. Yes, it is. IT IS AN ELEPHANT!)
5. I placed each nugget on individual foil squares and refrigerated them to keep their shape.
6. Fry on low heat to avoid burning the coating and ensuring an evenly cooked nugget. Oh, what the heck, just cook it the way you're used to---it's not rocket science.

Sharkteeth's verdict: "Wow, Mymy, sarap!" 

Sunday Sunshine!

Happy Tuesday everyone! Did you vote? I'm ashamed to say that I didn't, and my only excuse is that I don't live where I'm registered and won't be affected by the results of the election. My apathy shames me. Anyhoo...

This was Sunday's breakfast, and one of my favorites, if I might add, which is not to say that it is in any way significant, but I thought you might want to try that egg tomato salad. Whenever I cook dried fish and/or squid, I feel compelled to make this salad as well. Mainly because the sweet-sour tomatoes temper the saltiness of the fish.

This is pretty simple to make. Just boil some eggs and tomatoes (~12 minutes). Remove the shell of the eggs and the skin of the tomatoes. Chop into chunky pieces. Mix well. Add some fish sauce if you prefer, but not too much if you are having salty dried fish as well.  Kain na!


(This is my cow-shaped cream/milk dispenser I got from Gourdo's. It's about 2.5 inches tall and so very adorable. It dispenses milk from its mouth, but I think it would be better if the milk is dispensed from the udders. Whatchatink? Where can I find one?)

Not-Quite-Thai Chicken Pandan

10 garlic cloves, crushed
1.5 inches garlic, minced
10 peppercorns
1 small pack of Ayam coconut milk or gata from 1 coconut
2 chicken breast filets, sliced finger size
2 tsbp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 small packet of chili flakes, approximately half tablespoon
MSG
salt
14 pandan leaves


1. Mix the first three ingredients in a mortar. Pound until thoroughly ground and mixed .
2. Mix everything in a bowl. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Wrap each in a pandan leaf. (To wrap it without using a toothpick, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. Whew!)
4. Deep fry using low heat. The mixture of cocomilk, spices, chicken, sesame oil, and pandan created a scent soooo homey and wonderful when fried.


I didn't bother making a sauce, but I made an eggplant salad* as a side dish. Absolutely divine! *Exagge much* But really, I rarely make chicken pandan because it's so mabusisi, but it's always worth the effort, and I swear, you won't go back to those ready-made chicken pandan being sold in SM supermarket ever again. I have three more uncooked pieces left and I'm saving it for later. Yumness.



*Roast an eggplant, remove charred skin, chop roughly, and add vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Shrimp & Basil Rice

Hi everyone! Just to prove that I'm still alive (why you would care, I dunno), here's something I cooked for TheHusband's lunch.

1/4 kg  (~8-10 pieces) shrimps, shelled and deveined
handful of basil (I have small hands)
half an onion, diced
butter, as much as your cholesterol level would permit
5 calamansi, juiced
2 tbsp leeks
3 cups cooked rice
half teaspoon chili flakes
salt and pepper


1. Heat the butter. Do not burn please.
2. Sautee the onions and leeks until wilted.
3. Add the shrimps, salt, and pepper. I added MSG. Let me not hear any rumbling about vetsin. Keyword: moderation.
4. Add the calamansi juice.
5. Let the shrimps cook a bit. Remove shrimps from the pan.
6. On the remaining red sauce (this, this sauce? soooo bad---LDL galore from butter and shrimps), add the basil and chili flakes.
7. When the basil leaves are a bit wilted, add the cooked rice and mix, mix, mix! You might want to add more salt and pepper. Completely up to you. Add the shrimps on top.


While this is very fragrant and delicious, I say, cook this only once in a while. The cholesterol from the butter and shrimps makes this a very sinful treat. Eating this more than once a month is like investing on your cardiologist's and neurologist's kids' education.

The Way We Were

While Internet surfing, I came across a link about favorite eating places near the university I attended, and one of those mentioned is Janet's, a sort of high-end (you would have to consider that this is from the perspective of a not-exactly-starving-but-not-quite-loaded university coed) restaurant in the area. It serves good, value-for-money fares like pasta and various meat-and-rice combos. I'm reminded of the time when my roommates and I went there to eat, and my friend, who was taking up hotel and restaurant management, was dissatisfied with the slice of pork, deeming it too fatty, and without much ado walked out and left. The rest of us then looked at one another, quite unsure of what to do. Well, after looking stupidly at each other, we laughed and proceeded to eat. Yes, even our friend's slice of fatty pork. (Well, it was paid already. Can't let it go to waste. Not loaded, remember?) Hahahaha! Some friends, right? Nah, we're just all too familiar already with each other's dramatics (more like histrionics) and didn't (still don't) take it seriously anymore. That incident though became a stuff of legends in our tiny group and is recounted every time we're together. Needless to say, we spend our get-togethers mostly guffawing.


My favorite Janet's dish is beef and mushroom, which strictly should be called "beef and potatoes," as there are only a few pieces of mushroom but with lots of mashed potatoes. Missing it suddenly, I checked the fridge for the ingredients, but the only beef we had was in slices, not chunks. That would do. That would do. It's quite simple to make. First, I browned the meat* on some, okay, a lot, of butter. Then I added chopped onions. Once the onions were translucent, I drained the nasty, cholesterol-laden butter. I then added the liquid from canned mushrooms, simmered the meat till tender, added some potatoes, then finally mixed in a can of mushroom soup and simmered again. Yes, the picture looks unappetizing as hell, all icky and bleeeech, but I swear, it's very yummy. And eating it reminds me of my (long ago) college days. Back when things were uncomplicated and the most cry-worthy moments were the dreaded number 5 and when the one you're pining for didn't look your way, not even a glance.

*Marinated for 30 minutes in pepper, salt, calamansi juice, and shhhhhh...Maggi Magic Sarap. *blush*

Bundtsaymada

I scored a very cheap mini-bundt cake pan in Alabang last weekend, and with the excess dough from the ensaymada, I made some bundtsaymada (bundt + ensaymada, you did get it, right?). I regret not washing them with a bit of rhum and butterscotch. I think it would have been a tastier treat.

Roseta Melocotones y Crema

Oh, it's just peaches and cream...it just sounds so much more "cuisine" that way. Okay, enough of the pretentiousness! See, TheHusband went home down south because his granny died, and I was thinking of something to cheer him up when he gets back tomorrow, but ever since the New Year's New York Cheesecake Disaster (no, I don't have any post about this, and please don't ask me because my insides still clench with pain when I remember the failure; it was New Year's eve after all), I haven't had the guts to try doing desserts again.

So, I thought, go slow, start anew, do something totally dummy-proof, and there goes the lightbulb! Why not peaches and cream? Totally easy, a child can do it, no way to miss, plus my ever-trusted assistant is more than willing to help.

Here are the ingredients needed, but it's so hard to screw this up, you can add other things like grated cheese or other fruits:

2 packs of all-purpose cream
1 small condensed milk
1 can peaches
6 yellow cake bars (you can use broas or graham crackers)

1. Slice the cake bars.
2. Slice the peaches...some thick, others as thin as possible (for the rosette).
3. Mix the cream and the milk.
4. Place a thin layer of cream on the bottom of the pan, then a layer of cake, then a layer of cream, then peaches, then another layer of cream.
5. Once done, you can add the peach slices for the rosette. I started from the center going outward. Don't do that---messes the cream and "uglifies" the peaches! Outward going inward makes a neater rosette.
6. Refrigerate for 3 hours or more.

I also made a small one using a panna cotta cup swiped from Starbucks---it's for my cutie pie assistant. I think this can be made into a rosette peaches and cream tower, much like a cupcake tower.

This should sufficiently lift up TheHusband's spirit, don't you think?

I Heart Adverbs!

'Twas a terribly, horribly, freakingly fucking day at work!
No one to blame but myself though.

Tangent thought: I made a cup of cottage cheese last weekend. Cool, right?

Chocolate Cupcakes

During the weekend, TheHusband asked for some brownies. Feeling bold, I offered to bake him a cake (I certainly know how to dig my grave, no? I make very good brownies and chocolate chip cookies, but cakes, I don't dare; I did actually, a few times---utterly brilliant failures!) and went to buy some of the ingredients. However, Jack Bauer comes first, and the cake had to wait for another day. This morning, though, I just went home after waiting over an hour for my ride to work, and with nothing to do all day, I set out to bake. But, as with any good show/movie, the "bida" encountered some roadblocks, i.e., lack of skill and, as with most of my "ventures," the lack of will-power to actually do something planned. (Trish, is this a Leo thing? Apparently, not! Congratulations, by the way!) Anyway, I'm a regular reader of MarketManila, and a few days ago, Mr. MM posted a recipe of a sinful-looking chocolate cake. So recipe, check (with fingers crossed, hoping that the skill would go with it). I figured, if I follow the recipe to the letter, what could go wrong? Will-power? Uh-oh. But as fate would have it, Onyxx posted a comment on this blog, and it prompted me to post something, and I thought, why not the cake? So, will-power? Check!

I made a few modification on the ingredients, as I don't know where to find the chocolate Mr. MM used, and even if I knew, I think I'm gonna keel over when I see the price. I used half Hershey's and half Ricoa (Tita Z told me that the latter is better for baking, but the former gives a more chocolatey color), and I added 2 tbsp of mayonnaise to give it a more moist texture. And, oh, I don't have a baking sheet, but I have a new 6-well silicone cupcake pan...so cupcake it is! The baking went well, although I think the househelp gets the frisson whenever she sees me baking, as this means that there would be tons of equipment to clean afterward. Anyway, I let the cupcakes cool, and made the icing/filling. And this is where it went wrong. I don't have any semisweet chocolate; Sharkteeth, my daughter, polished off all the chocolates during the weekend. So I ended up using Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder. Uhgg, another roadblock! I don't have confectioner's sugar, so I just used granulated sugar, which made the icing a bit grainy. To lessen the graininess, I heated the mixture, thinking that the heat would melt the sugar (it didn't), and only then did I remember that I have a bottle of Karo syrup. Sayang! After the cupcakes cooled, I carved off the top and a bit of the inner part where I would put icing. I put enough filling and iced the cupcakes, with the ugly-looking ones getting sprinkles to cover up their, well, ugliness.

The cupcakes taste good enough, but really, Mrs. Fields, they're not. TheHusband, though, is quick to say that they taste great and that I should bake some again; lying is not one of his talents though.