the new gadget

i have to love that deep fryer i got for my birthday.

cooking chicken and potatoes have never been this convenient.

chicken curry

the first attempt to cook chicken was a disaster.  and that was just fried chicken, good Lord!

an officemate gave me her chicken curry recipe and i summoned the courage to try it, a week after my bloody fried chicken disaster.  i have to say, it looked and tasted like chicken curry. i'm just waiting for my guinea pig (12-year-old nephew) to get here and sample it.

Inang's Chicken Curry (as dictated by my stenographer/office den mother)

Sautee in a little oil in the following order:
chopped ginger
chopped onion
minced garlic

When the garlic is golden brown, add a little fish sauce (patis) or salt and the chicken.  Let it simmer until-- to use my officemate's words-- the chicken is anemic (wala nang blood)

While waiting for the chicken to go anemic, dilute coconut cream powder (gata) in tap water then add it to the anemic chicken.  Let it simmer.  When it boils, add curry powder (remember, a little goes a long way).  Simmer.  You can add potatoes and carrots while we're at it.  When the whole thing starts to boil and the oil shows, add a little sugar.

Tip: to lessen the power of the curry powder, dilute it in a little tap water.  For additional flavor, add a little salt and pepper.

the opposite of a Lightbulb moment...

ang hirap mag-isip ng kakainin.

college specialty

back in college, we used to chip in about 10 to 20 pesos each every thursday and we would cook dinner at a friend's house  to save what little was left of our allowances.  and dinner was always courtesy of  my blocmate who makes a killer adobo.  he was kind enough to share his recipe.

JOSEPH'S SPECIAL SOCIOSOC ADOBO

Ingredients:
1/2 kg pork cut into cubes (preferably the belly part)
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. sprite or 7-up (not diet! if you want sweeter adobo, use pineapple juice instead)
1 c. vinegar
2 tsbp minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
2 red onion heads cut into 4
1/2 tsp ground or freshly crushed black pepper

Use a thick pot with heavy lid and combine all the ingredients.  Cook in high heat.  When the sauce starts to boil, turn down the fire and let it simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.

When the sauce thickens, turn off the fire and set aside.  In a separate pot, sautee garlic and pour the cooked adobo to add a garlicky flavor.

and after dinner, we used to have gin and pomelo juice.  i miss those days when our only problem was how to get up at 7 the following morning for that crucial final exam.

Saturday morning cartoons

after one of the worst weeks of my life, it feels heavenly to wake up late on a Saturday morning and have brunch.

Since Burger King doesn't deliver and i am too lazy to go out, i did my own version of the giant fast food chain's Spam and Egg Breakfast meal.  Needless to say, it's perfect since i got to alter it to my liking (a pinch healthier than that served by BK).  Red rice, egg sunny-side up and well-done, SPAM Lite and orange juice instead of soda. Yeah, just a tiny bit healthier.

April Fool's Party Menu

it was my second attempt at the chinese fish fillet in tausi sauce. this time, i was easy on the salt.

my test group included two of my oldest friends and their significant others. i haven't received any complaints about upset stomachs so i guess it was fine.

thanks for helping out, Hazel and Peter. and thanks for being my guinea pigs, Paul and Colby.

Menu:

MOJOS
Ingredients:
Potatoes
Pepper
Salt

1. Scrub the potatoes (do not peel) until the skin comes off.  Slice potatoes (wedges or chips, it's up to you)
2. Soak them in water for a few minutes.  Then drain.
3. Transfer potatoes to a covered container/bowl (kahit baunan) and sprinkle salt and pepper.  Put a lid on the bowl and SHAKE!
4. Deep fry until golden brown.  Repeat step number 3.

GARLIC MUSHROOMS (Peter's recipe)
Ingredients:
Butter
6 cloves of garlic
1 can button mushrooms
a little soy sauce (or knorr seasoning)

1. Melt butter and sautee garlic.
2. Add mushrooms and a little soy sauce or seasoning. Mix mix ng konti.

FISH FILLET IN TAUSI SAUCE
Ingredients:
Cream dory fillet (cut into cubes... or as cube-y as possible)
Cornstarch
Eggs

Garlic
Onion
Spring onions (about 5 stalks) cut into 1" pieces
Bell Pepper
Black Beans
Water
Oyster Sauce
Black Pepper

1.  Coat the fish in cornstarch, dip in egg wash and then add another layer of cornstarch.
2.  Deep fry the fish until golden brown.  Do this in batches.  Set aside.
3.  In a separate pot, sautee onion and garlic.
4.  Add black beans and spring onions.
5. Add water, oyster sauce, bell pepper and a dash of black pepper.  Let it boil and simmer for a couple of minutes then add the fish.

childhood favorite

today, i attempted to make a childhood favorite a second time.  it's the less popular version of tokwa't baboy, similar to adobo.

the first time i tried to cook tokwa't baboy, i sliced the siling labuyo thus, it ended up just the way my dad used to make it... the burning sensation that slowly creeps into your mouth about 15 seconds after the food touches your tongue.

the second time, i barely feel the presence of the treacherous red pepper.

TOKWA'T BABOY

pork, sliced into cubes

tofu, sliced into cubes

black beans/tausi (don't include the sauce and wash the beans to lessen saltiness)

black pepper

soy sauce

water

onion, chopped (pang-gisa lang)

sugar

siling labuyo (totally optional)

1. Fry the tofu and set aside.

2. Sautee onion and when it's translucent, add the tausi.  

3. Add the pork. Gisa ng konti

4. When the pork is cooked, add the water, soy sauce, a dash of black pepper and sugar.  Let it boil. (you may laugh the evil laugh while occasionally stirring).  And this is when you can add your siling labuyo.

5. After most of the liquid has evaporated, add the tofu.  And....

VOILA!

 i do have to work on  my presentation, though.

lazy sundays

sunday is a day of rest.

hence, a lunch of Purefoods Chicken Nuggets will have to do.

Sa Lunes na ako magpapaka-Darna ulit.  Chicken curry, maybe?

gimme gravy tonight

i have leftover take-out fried chicken.
to me, fastfood chicken is only good with gravy. thus, i made gravy.
i got the recipe off the internet and did a little improvisation.  taste-wise, it was excellent.

i really need to work on my presentation, though. next time, i'll lay off the cornstarch.

but at least, i have expanded my culinary skills beyond sticking stuff in the microwave oven for two minutes.


My version of the recipe (i don't measure, by the way)

Ingredients:
butter
pepper
allspice
milk
water
Knorr chicken cube
cornstarch (depending how thick you want the gravy to be)

Dissolve the chicken cube in about a cup of boiling water.  Set aside.
In the same pot, melt butter.  Add cornstarch, then the broth and throw in everything else.

I plan on using the extra gravy for fries tomorrow, something i experimented on, by the way.  Which is a  post for another day.

Now, to eat dessert!