Ube Cheesecake

For the past month I've been working on improving the taste of the Ube Cheesecake. Daddy C who is a big fan of Ube Cake requested that I re-create the taste of ube ice cream for the cheesecake.

The first batch of ube cheesecake was baked using just mashed boiled ube  and the 2nd batch was enhanced with ube flavoring. I discussed the boys comments with Sandy my sister from another mother who lives in Vienna and she suggested I try making it again but this time use halaya (jam). See ube doesn't have any distinct taste you need to add butter and salt to boiled one or macapuno to enhance it's flavor.

Banana Pistachios Oat ChocoChip Cake

Banana!!!! say it the way Minions do.

Banana is a staple in our pantry, I buy it every week but we are not big banana eaters. When Daddy C see's them turning black he would always tell me "Why didn't you pack me 1 to eat in the office?" but he really doesn't bother getting one to eat at home.

School lunchbox week 3 and an Easy Puff recipe

Some of our lunchbox food this week is just a repeat if what V had two weeks back. He just insisted on not bringing his heavy thermal Sahara lunchbox.

Since my V requests almost the same kind of lunch food I will try and feature something new every week.

I was getting bored preparing the usual deli meat sandwich every morning, as I was staring at our fruit bowl full of red and green apples (Vs favorite fruit) a sudden craving for McDo's apple pie happened.

Ginataang Munggo

I am talking to my sister via facebook, she's in the office and even though storm Maring has left Philippines it still is raining back home. The recipe I am sharing today is perfect to give warmth to a rainy season.

Ginataang Munggo is a mix of glutinous rice and green mung beans cooked with coconut milk and sweetened with either sugar or condensed milk similar to ginataang mais.


 

It's 9 am and the kids are still sleeping. I am enjoying a little bit of "me quiet time" while reading the newest addition to our bookshelf - Momofuku Milk Bar. I am planning to prepare at least three recipe from the book every month.

The husband has been giving me hints that he likes ginataang munggo, the dish was suppose to be a surprise for him to enjoy for afternoon snack but then the nearby grocery delivered the wrong item and didn't bother to come back for my glutinous rice. My dear husband had to go down and buy me glutinous rice a key ingredient to enjoy his merienda.

Ginataang Munggo (Mung Beans and Sticky Rice Pudding) 

• 1/2 cup  Mung Beans


• 1/2 cup Glutinous Rice, washed


• 3 cups  Coconut Milk


• 6 Tbsp Sugar  (or 2 Tbsp condensed milk)


• 2 Tbsp Milk

Procedure:

1) Toast mung beans on skillet until brown

2) Cool mung beans and crack using a blender or almeres (mortar & pestel)

3) Simmer 2 cups of coconut milk

4) Add rice and let boil. After adding the rice make sure you give the pudding a good mix every 5 to 10 minutes.

5) Once you got the rice & coconut milk boiling add Mung beans.

6) Simmer till rice is soft and mushy and the mung beans still has a little bite to it.  If the rice and mung beans still not cooked to your liking pour in the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk, and if you ran out of coconut milk don't worry you can add either whole milk or water till the pudding texture you like is achieved. *We like our ginataang monggo with a little texture that's why the mung beans are a tad bit under cook.

7) Stir in your preferred sweetener.

8) Serve warm with a little bit more of milk.

Enjoy!

Lamb Tagine with Honey and Apricots

My husband C is not fond of lamb meat the strong taste (& lingering taste) turns him off, I have to do extra measures like marinating it in turmeric rinse then cover it with turmeric again and to some extent discarding the first juice extracted when boiling/frying. I however absolutely enjoy eating lamb dish.

I've been planning to prepare a tagine dish for us but I want to cook one in an actual tagine, I bought one on sale at Home Centre.

I got this Moroccan Lamb Tagine  from foodnetwork.com site, recipe by Emeril Lagasse - click here.

The thick gravy was so yummy that I ate leftover sauce the next day for lunch! I made another batch of this using beef shanks and it was still yummy but I still prefer using lamb.

 

We ate this Lamb Tagine with steamed rice and mix green salad, it was divine! I did made some minor changes from the original recipe doubled the amount of onions, add ginger (I love eating ginger), more broth and the next time I'm making this yummy dish I might add some veggies.

 

Lamb Tagine with Honey and Apricots

Recipe here from Emeri Lagasse

 

Ingredients:

1 kg Lamb Chops

1 tsp ground Turmeric

1 tsp ground Ginger

1 tsp Salt

3 tbsp Oil

2 cups Onion, chopped

4 Garlic cloves, minced

1 thumb size Ginger, peeled & sliced

2 cups Beef broth

a handful of Cilantro

1 cup dried Apricots

1/2 cup golden Raisins

2 tbsp Honey

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp ground Pepper

*1 tbsp ground Turmeric (to wash lamb meat)

 

Procedure:

Rub lamb meat with 1 tbsp of ground turmeric let sit for 30 minutes then rinse with water, dry each meat with paper towels.

Mix turmeric, ground ginger and salt. Rub mixture to your lamb pieces, set aside while you heat your tagine.

Heat tagine on high, add oil and fry each meat till brown. Remove cooked meat and set aside. Repeat with the remaining lamb.

Saute 1 cup of chopped onions till transparent then add seared lamb making sure to stir in the brown bits that settled in the bottom. Add minced garlic and sliced ginger, simmer for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of beef broth and a handful of cilantro on the side bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 2 hours till meat is tender to your liking.

Remove enough liquid from the meat to soak dried apricots and golden raisins let sit for 2 minutes.

After 2 hours remove cilantro bunch (discard) and meat from the pan, set aside. Simmer remaining liquid then add 1 cup onions, apricots, golden raisins, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Boil liquid till slightly thickened then add back lamb meat cook for another 2 minutes.

Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

 

Visit the original recipe here if you want to pair it with vegetable couscous and yogurt lemon dip.

 

Ampalaya Salad

I've been slowly introducing V to eating raw vegetables this month, I guess it has been my fault that he's not gotten to like eating more fruits in vegetables since we have been so forgiving of him when he refuse to eat them. We have reinforce the rule of having 1 bite of each food prepared during meal time, explaining to him that he will never know if the dish taste good if he never try and eating vegetables will make him stronger.

As a kid my cousins use to put all their veggie share on my plate and bully me to finishing all of them or else I'm not allowed to leave the dining table, thanks to our Manang's who would only require me to finish a spoonful of my veggie share. Sadly I was not a big vegetable eater as a kid but I did eat a lot of fruits, it was not till my teens that I enjoyed eating them.

One of the vegetables that I refuse to eat is Ampalaya (Bitter Melon), and when I was force to have them my secret would be to drink a cup of water and swallow this bitter veggie without taking any bite. Our Manang Juliet prepares ampalaya with almost no sign/taste of it's bitterness, she would always tell us "Ay naku tikman nyo yung ampalaya ko di mapait yan!" (Taste my ampalaya dish it's not bitter) and she was right, that's the time that I learned to enjoy eating ampalaya.

Whenever we visit our Lola Kaye in Pagsanjan, our Manang J always serve us this fresh salad and which she usually paired with fried Tilapia or Crispy Pata.

Ampalaya Salad

1 medium Ampalaya, sliced thinly
1 small Carrots, julliened
1 small Onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt & Pepper

Procedure:

Soak Ampalaya in ice cold water for 30 minutes, this is our Manang J's secret to remove most of its' bitter taste.

Dissolve sugar in vinegar add salt and pepper. Add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

Toss Ampalaya, Carrots, and Onion with Vinegar mixture. Serve immediately.

***

Bangus Sisig

This month’s Kulinarya theme “Sisig”

is hosted by Jenn of Storm In My Kitchen and Iska of ISKAndals.com.

Sisig is one famous Filipino appetizer which is enjoyed with either an ice cold beer or coke. After a days work my friends and I would share a plate of sizzling sisig and laugh out our daily stress in life.

I can't remember the last time I made sisig, but whenever I do I always use pork ears & liempo. For this month's challenge I'm making a healthier version using fish - bangus (milkfish). I  prepared 2 kinds of sisig (pork ears & fish) for dinner but the boys preferred the fish version.

 

You need to cut your bangus butterfly style, season with salt and pepper and fry it to crisp. Remove bones from fish and shred/mince/chop meat. Once that's complete let's get on to making Sisig.



 

Bangus Sisig

1 large Bangus, fried and minced
1 medium Onion, minced
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/3 cup each of Red & Green Bell Pepper (Capiscum), diced
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Oil
1 birds eye chilli (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Procedure:

Saute garlic and onion till translucent.
Add bell pepper, fish, chilli, and lemon juice.
Turn off heat and add mayonnaise and mix.

Taste and season with salt & pepper according to you taste.

 

Check out what my fellow Kulinarya members prepared for this month's challenge

• Crispy Pork Belly and Beef Tendons


• Sisig Style:  Roasted Turkey Drumsticks with Smoked Bacon & Pork


• Bangus Sisig


• Squid Sisig


• Sisig Pampanga

[caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="396"] Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney (Kath, Trisha, and Trissa), who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colorful cuisine.
Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.
If you’re intrested in joining our Kulinarya Club, please feel free to drop by our blogs and leave a note. We would love to hear from you.[/caption]

Paksiw na Isda

 

Last week I received the award for drama queen, was feeling really sad, alone, tired, and didn't want to talk to anyone. My poor husband was left guessing what was wrong, he would find me crying along with our baby.

Really missed my siblings, mom, and friends back home. I miss being in the office and earning but my heart breaks at the thought of leaving my kids with a nanny while I go back to work.

V saw me crying myself to sleep and my husband suggested that he accompany V till the bus came so I can get more sleep. They both kiss us bye and V whispered "Don't be sad na Mama. Let's eat fish later okay."

 

He greeted me at the bus stop with a kiss "I'm home mama. You're happy now?" 

We talked about school and what kept me busy that morning. V showered me with hugs & kisses. Re-assured me that everything will be ok.

We shared our favorite fish dish - Paksiw na Isda. Eating using our hands we enjoyed each bite with steamed rice.

That's all I needed. Yes I was happy.

2 pieces large Tilapia, cleaned and scales remove
1/2 cup Vinegar
thumb-size Ginger, sliced
1 medium Onion, quartered
5 cloves Garlic, crushed and skin removed
3 Eggplant, sliced
5 Okra
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 cup Water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Procedure:

Arrange fish in pan. Add vinegar, fish sauce, oil and water.
Top with Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Eggplant, and Okra.

Bring to boil and simmer over low heat until fish is cooked.

Eat using your hands and enjoy with steamed rice.

Banana Bread with Streusel

 

I stare at four ripe bananas in our table and all I could think of is Banana Bread.

My go to recipe for banana bread is from Simple Recipes which you can find here and my Daddy Nonong's favorite (he can eat a whole loaf in one day). Every time they came home from Majuro for a vacation he would ask me to bake him some.

Macaroons - a coconut dessert

 

Macaroons is a coconut base dessert that is addicting and really easy to do.

I've been baking these yummy treat for two days straight last week  as a thank you treat for friends.

To make these macaroons you will only need desiccated coconut, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, sugar, and butter. Chewy on the outside, soft and moist inside. When you start popping a piece in your mouth you just can't stop, it's addicting!

Coconut Macaroons

2 cups desiccated coconut/sweetened coconut
1 can (250ml) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Procedure:

In a mixing bowl beat eggs and add the rest of the ingredients.

Fill each mini cups with the coconut batter until 3/4 full. Bake in 180C oven for 30 minutes or until the top are golden brown.

Cool for 10 minutes.

WorldFoods: Chili Crabs

 

Remember when I posted about the hamper I received from WorldFoods? I finally had a chance to create something delicious to serve my family - Chili Crabs.

 

I was craving for some mud crabs that I use to eat back home but since that kind is not available here in Dubai we settled for blue crabs. The recipe I'm sharing is really easy and made much more easier with the help of WorldFoods Malaysian Chili Coconut Marinade.

1 kilo Blue Crabs, cut in half
1 medium Tomato, diced
1 medium Onion, diced
1 thumb Ginger, strips
1/2 cup Malaysian Coconut Chili
1/4 cup Water
1 tbsp Oil

Procedure:

Saute Tomato, Onion and Ginger in oil till it renders juice. Add crabs let simmer for a minute then add water and WorldFoods Malaysian Coconut Chili. Cook for the next 5 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice.

 

Believe me when I tell you that the sauce is addicting and you will need lots of rice. The marinade is spicy but it gives you the kind of spice that make's you taste and enjoy the dish.

Check out what other UAE bloggers prepared using World Foods.

Grace prepared Masaman Chicken Curry

 

 

Asian Cooking with WorldFoods

 

A few weeks back I received a package of goodies from WorldFoods. They sent goody hampers to bloggers for us to try out as they believe that everyone can be a creative chef in their home kitchen.

 

WORLDFOODS is a pioneer in the Fusion and Asian food industry.

Each WORLDFOODS recipe is developed from local blends using 100% natural ingredients, traditional herbs and spices.

 

Out of the 51 products they have I get to try 6 namely: Malaysian Chilli Coconut Marinade, Masaman Curry, Green Curry Paste, Sweet Chilli with Kaffir Lime, Ginger Garlic Chilli, and Turmeric Lemon Grass.



My husband and I can't wait to use the products and enjoy delicious Asian food. I will be sharing recipes featuring the wonderful sauces and marinades in the weeks to come.

Bangus Sardines in Tomato Sauce

 



 

The start of Dubai summer has been hard for V and I. We've been having the flu almost every other week and have been a regular at V's pediatrician.

V was ordered to rest for a week because aside from the usual cough and colds he was also starting to have sore eyes. C has been reminding me to try and not cuddle V much or kiss him since it might make me sick as well. It's impossible for me to stay away from my sick child who needs all the cuddle and kisses to make him feel better. He's feeling better now and enjoying school while I'm still coughing for almost a week now.

Both V and I crave for fish meals when the flu decides to visit and this Bangus Tomato Sardines hit the right spot to make us feel better.

I got this recipe from Ate Agnes who knows that I can eat fish all week (she's picky with her fish).

 

Bangus Sardines in Tomato Sauce

1.5 kilos of Bangus (MilkFish)
2 Carrots, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Olive Oil
8 Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Bay Leaf
6 Peppercorns
1/2 cup Water
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar
2 Chilli (I didn't use any since V is not fond of spicy food)

Procedure:

Clean Bangus, scales off and cut to serving pieces.

Mix all the ingredients except for Carrots, Tomatoes, and Fish. Place this on your pot then lay chopped Tomatoes, Fish and finally top off with sliced Carrots.

Slow cook for an hour and thirty minutes.

Serve with steamed rice.

Fixing Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I'm quite intimidated with buttercream frosting or cake recipes that call for egg whites to be stiff or cooked. Why? I tend to overcook and over beat them and also it doesn't help that I don't have the patience.

Time came when I finally decided to face my fears and make a batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC), like any other self taught baker I searched for tutorials online and found the post of Whisk-Kid and Sweetapolita to be very helpful in understanding the right procedure to make a perfect SMBC.

My first batch of SMBC was perfect! Everything went well I didn't experience the soupy or curdled mess and had a smooth perfect oh so yummy frosting. I instantly fell in love with the frosting.

I had my mind set to use peanut butter flavored SMBC to frost the wedding cake and so as the cake's were cooling off inside the fridge there I was mixing 2 batches of frosting at 11pm and then the dreaded thing happened, one minute the mixture was in its perfect shape but as soon as I added all the butter it turned into a soup like mixture!

Not giving up I re-read both Rosie (Sweetapolita) & Kaitlin's (Whisk-Kid) post on buttercream good thing they had a solution for the stage I was in. Pop in the mixture inside the fridge for 20 minutes take it out, whip it for a couple of minutes and viola should be back to its awesome buttery goodness.

20 minutes past and with high spirits I started whipping, then the mixture separated! I also didn't have enough eggs to make another batch it was almost 12 midnight and I had no choice but to make a different frosting. Sadly I had to throw the SMBC batch I made that night and said a prayer to the butter gods asking for forgiveness.

Last week a friend asked me to make a Strawberry Shortcake themed cake for her god daughter, once again I had the opportunity to make SMBC (strawberry flavored). As I was adding strawberry puree, the mixture was at it's worst - it curdled.

[caption id="attachment_1002" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="curdled SMBC"][/caption]

 

I didn't want to waste the eggs and butter that I re-read all SMBC post I had bookmarked and watched videos on how to make them but I didn't find one on my list that had experienced this curdled stage. To finish the cake that was due that day I had to make my staple vanilla and mocha cream frosting. This time I didn't throw my failed batch of curdled (cottage cheese like) SMBC, instead transferred it to a container and into the fridge.

 

The next day with a fresh mind I sat in front of the computer and googled "the worst thing that could happen to swiss meringue" which led me to Confections of a Foodie Wife's post on fixing Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I quickly scanned the post and saw a photo of the SMBC stage I was in!

 

Solution: Take 1/4 of your curdled SMBC mixture and heat it in your microwave for 20 seconds (they suggested 10-15 but that didn't work for me) and slowly add the heated mixture into your bowl while on low speed as soon as you've added heated smbc increase the speed and viola you will see the magic happen.

SMBC back to it's smooth fluffy goodness!

 

[caption id="attachment_1003" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="SMBC back to it's fluffy goodness"][/caption]

 

Once again I thank my SMBC angels for helping me from across the globe via their descriptive posts about this lovely frosting.

Sweetapolita - Swiss Meringue Buttercream Demystified

Whisk Kid - How to make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Confections of a Foodie Wife - How to fix Swiss Meringue Buttercream

 

 

Ensaladang Lato (Seaweed Salad)

Along with my craving for salty food I also miss some fresh salad's from back home. Growing up in Davao we were spoiled with good quality seafood. You should see my Aunt's house it's garden path was once covered with oyster shells, oh yes we had a bountiful of grilled fish, seashells and seaweeds every weekend that we enjoy by the beach.

 

One of the seaweed that I enjoy eating and truly miss is called Lato. My sister sent me a photo of what they had for lunch paired with some grilled liempo.

 

I can just taste the sea with each pop of the seaweed's tiny bulb. If only I can find some here in Dubai.

 

Ensaladang Lato

-a bunch of Lato (about 250 to 300 grams)

-2 tomatoes

-3 small onions

Carefully clean the lato with water. Cut tomatoes and onion in wedges. Arrange it on the plate.

For the dressing our familly enjoy it with a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of soy sauce. Or just eat it that way.

Cassava Cake

[caption id="attachment_847" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Cassava Cake with Custard Topping[/caption]

I have the pleasure of hosting Kulinarya Cooking Club's February challenge with Marni of Kensington Kitchen. February is the love month of the year and what better way to celebrate February than to reminisce about once first love. We asked our fellow KCC to prepare a dish that would make one recall our first love.

[caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="356"] Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.[/caption]

ohhh first love...Growing up I didn't have any clear idea on what love really is. Back then love for me would be that cute stares across the table or that one nice gesture out of the blue. That happy feeling would last a day or two with numerous diary entries of what could happen tomorrow. Love is a fairy tale, I'm the princess waiting for my prince charming to rescue me from all the hardships and pain.

I had my first heartbreak at 5 years old when I lost the one man in my life who gave me everything, my Papa. Since then I protected my heart but then some days I failed and met plenty of prince along the way who at the end changed into frogs.

One prince came by surprise, the day I met him bought tears and an overwhelming joy in my heart. He erased all the pain I had in the past. I knew then the moment I laid my eyes on him that this was what really love is. The one boy I know I would love forever.

[caption id="attachment_848" align="aligncenter" width="275"] October 17, 2007: The first time I met my little prince - Vierte[/caption]

 

Let me share to you the first kakanin merienda (Filipino snack) I prepared for V - Cassava Cake with Custard Topping.

When I asked our Manang to teach me how to prepare this kakanin she kept on reminding me to clean the shredded cassava to take the "poison" out. I'm not sure if there is any truth to what our Manang said but just to be sure I brushed the root crop, peeled making sure that no bark is left on it and finally soak it in cold water and squeezed out the liquid. One friend told me though that his mom no longer soak and squeeze the cassava juice.

I got this recipe from Ate Agnes, a Mommy also base here in Dubai.



 

Cassava Cake with Custard Topping

2 cups Cassava, grated
3/4 cup Evaporated Milk
2 eggs
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Butter, melted
Grated Cheese for additional topping

Custard topping:
1 cup reserved Cassava cake mixture
1/4 cup Condensed Milk

 

Procedure:

Preheat oven 180C.

In a large bowl combine grated cassava, eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, condensed milk, coconut milk and melted butter mix well.

*Strain 1 cup of the liquid for the topping.

Pour the remaining mixture to the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes till the sides are brown.
Custard Topping:

Cook reserve liquid mixed with condensed milk over medium heat till thick. Pour over the cook Cassava Cake and sprinkle some grated cheese on top and broil till the top becomes brown.

 

 

Fellow KCC members sharing a yummy dish for February:

Pork Sisig by The Peach Kitchen
Biko by My Twisted Recipes
Aphrodite's Baked Oysters by Chef by Day
Shrimp and Tofu Lumpia Sariwa by Pinay in Texas
Arroz ala Cubana by Jun Blog
Tiramisu Sandwich by Oggi
Lechon Manok by Adoras Box
Avocado-Calamansi Sorbet by Sassy Chef
Fruit Compte ala Jacques Pepin by Skip to Malou
Chilli Crab by Reel and Grill
Pork Menudo by Senorita Sisa
Lomi by My Expat Mommy
Longganisa Pandesal Pizza by I love Sisig

Kare-Kare

I had a chance to cook for my mother-in-law and when your husband speaks highly of his parent's cooking it would be hard for a new member of the family to get that seal of yummy approval.

There I was a new wife standing in our kitchen with a couple of printed recipe on how to prepare my MIL's ultimate favorite food which is kare-kare. It doesn't help that this is my first time to prepare the dish by myself.  I read through each recipe and took note of the procedure and ingredients that was familiar to me.



 

My MIL's eyes lit up when she saw that we had kare-kare for lunch and immediately asked who cooked the dish. My husband proudly replied "Si Gail. Sino pa ba."  which I think has a hidden message that would translate to - Don't worry Ma, I've found a wife who can cook good food for me. "hehehe"

C's parents enjoyed the lunch we prepared for them with much gusto and though I haven't got a chance to prepare a meal for them again I honestly think that this kare-kare got their seal of yummy approval.

Kare-kare  is a peanut butter base oxtail and tripe stew with a variety of mix vegetables, serve with rice, and bagoong alamang on the side.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:2]

Ube Macapuno Cake Recipe for FIA's Cake-a-Thon

My fun family of UAE food bloggers celebrated its 1st birthday at Tea Junction with a Cake-A-Thon party!

[caption id="attachment_748" align="aligncenter" width="402"] Little Z and V blowing FIA birthday candle[/caption]

FIA had a sugar high birthday celebration with not just 1 cake but more than 15 cakes! Imagine a full spread of cakes in front of you, just by looking at the yummy goodies you are off  to sugar la..la..land.

[caption id="attachment_749" align="aligncenter" width="402"] FIA Cake-a-Thon[/caption]

When I wrote this birthday post last July, there was 56 of us and after 3 months we have grown to 70 foodies. I can't put into words how blessed and happy I am to be part of this family.

Arva announced that we are going to celebrate FIA birthday with cakes I initially planned to bring V's favorite Moist Chocolate Cake then as I was checking if I had the ingredients C suggested to bring Ube Macapuno Cake (his favorite) since he was sure that there would be atleast 2 chocolate cake on the event.

You can read more FIA birthday post from FooDee, GingerAndScotch, MyCustardPie, and IriniSavva. (I may be missing some posts, will edit list if needed)

And before I forget our group just relaunched with a new name - Fooderati Arabia. If you're a UAE base food blogger drop us a note and join our growing family. Don't forget to like Fooderati Arabia facebook page to get the latest food recipe, restaurant reviews and lots of food love.

 ***

I have been searching for the perfect Ube Macapuno Cake just like what Red Ribbon sells back home. I've tried several recipes found online some requires the use of ube jam, while some just make use of ube flavoring , and others that use the jam as the frosting itself. So many to choose from and luckily I found one from Corrine of Heart of Mary that was just perfect for us.

 

[caption id="attachment_750" align="aligncenter" width="472"] Photo by Devina Divecha of FooDee[/caption]

 

Here's the recipe and I do hope that you give it a try.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:1]

Pork Kaldereta for Kulinarya Cooking Club

For this month's Kulinarya challenge our host's Oggie of I can do that, Chef Teodore of Chef by Day, Boyet of Real and Grill and Ray of Wok with Ray asked the group to prepare something patriotic - use the colors of our Philippine Flag.

Blue! I for the love of Pinoy food can't think of anything blue.

I've been meaning to cook Kaldereta using pork, you can also use Chicken, Beef or Lamb. So while cutting the veggies I realized that I had all the colors required for the challenge except for blue. Little V approached me and ask if he can help me cook, I told him to help mama look for something blue that we can eat...he gave me his blue fork.

I told V that we can't eat fork he just replied - "Mama, fork help us eat"

 

[caption id="attachment_729" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Pork Kaldereta"][/caption]

 

Yellow- Potato; Red/Green- Bell Pepper; White- Rice; Blue- Fork

Ingredients

• Pork Spareribs


• Potato, cut in wedges


• Carrots, cut in wedges


• Red Bell Pepper, cut in wedges


• Green Bell Pepper, cut in wedges


• Onion, finely chopped


• Tomato, quartered


• Garlic, minced


• 1 package Del Monte Tomato Sauce


• 1 small can Reno Chicken Liver


• 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter


• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Cut pork to bite size.

Pre-fry Potato, Carrots and Bell Peppers till the edges are a bit burnt.

Heat oil in saucepan and brown Pork Spareribs in batches, set aside. Saute Garlic, Onion, Tomatoes and add spareribs. Season with Salt and Pepper. Add Tomato Sauce, pour in 2 to 3 cups of water just enough to cover meat, stir well and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer till pork meat is fork tender.

When the meat is tender, add Potatoes, Carrots, Bell Peppers and Chicken Liver. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add peanut butter and stir well simmer for another minute.

Serve with rice.

[caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="317" caption="Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do."][/caption]

 

Check out what other Kulinarya members prepared for our August-September challenge:

• Dudut on Salted Fish Fried Rice


• Elizabeth on Chicken Curry and Mango Chutney 


• Peach on Pinakbet 


• Day on Adobong Dilaw


• Adora on Ube Macapuno Inipit


• Oggi on Red, White, Yellow, Blue Special


• Tina on Cathedral Window for Rye's Birthday


• Felix on Ensaladang Labanos


• Joy on Red, Yellow, Red and Blue?


• Ray on Grilled Pork Belly and Ensaladang Manga 


• Caroline on Salted Duck Egg and Tomato Salad  


• Malou on Adobo Wrap with Pineapple Vinaigrette 


• Thea on Kulinarya Cooking Club: Philippine History Edition  


• Tita Flips on Pinoy Breakfast


• Arnold on Tocino and Blue Potato Hash


• Jun on Itlog na Maalat and How to make Salted Duck Eggs

Croissants and Papa's Promise

Paris was my childhood dream destination. Whenever someone talks about France I always have Papa's picture with the Eiffel Tower on the background on my mind. Paris was my Papa's last business trip before he left for heaven, and I held on to his promise that someday I would see the beautiful tower.

 

[caption id="attachment_714" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Daring Bakers September Challenge"][/caption]

 

I logged in to the Daring Kitchens forum to check what was the challenge and for this month's challenge its describe as Fresh, Fluffy, French ... this challenge had me at French! And I was right, we are making Croissants.

 



 

Every time we buy a pack of chocolate croissants at C4 I always tell my bana C that I want to try and make one but of course you know me and my long list of must bake. That's why I was very excited to start making them (I waited till deadline week!) but then reading the very looong procedure was a bit of a turn off.

 



 

To my surprise making them was quite easy, only the waiting was painful as preparation took almost 8 hours because you have to let the dough rest for 2 hours in between turn.
So yes, prep time is 8 hours; baking is 15 minutes; and eating them lovely croissants (you should say it like Julia Child) less than 1 minute. I made several fillings for the croissants: ham and cheese, apple cinnamon sugar, and nutella. My boys loved the croissants and had them for dinner tonight, that is why I don't have any photo of the different fillings.

 

And by the way if you're wondering if my Papa kept his promise, YES he did. Last 2005 I was given a chance to be a World Youth Day Volunteer and took the opportunity to travel to Paris to see the beautiful tower my Papa promised.

[caption id="attachment_720" align="aligncenter" width="619" caption="Tourist at Paris and Volunteer at Germany, 2005"][/caption]

 

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child! 

Ingredients

1¼ teaspoon dry-active yeast (about ½ sachet)
3 tablespoons warm water (less than 100°F/38°C)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups Strong Bread Flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Fresh Milk
2 tablespoons Oil
½ cup or 1 stick chilled, unsalted butter
1 egg, for egg wash

Directions:

Mix the yeast, warm water, and first teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Leave aside for the yeast and sugar to dissolve and the yeast to foam up a little. Heat the milk until tepid (either in the microwave or a saucepan), and dissolve in the salt and remaining sugar.

Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and milk mixture. Mix all the ingredients together using the rubber spatula, just until all the flour is incorporated

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and let it rest a minute. Knead the dough eight to ten times only. Place the dough back in the bowl, and place the bowl covered with plastic wrap. Leave the bowl at approximately 75°F/24°C for three hours, or until the dough has tripled in size.

After the dough has tripled in size, remove it gently from the bowl, pulling it away from the sides of the bowl with your fingertips. Place the dough on a lightly floured board, and use your hands to press it out into a rectangle about 8 by 12 inches.

Fold the dough rectangle in three, like a letter (fold the top third down, and then the bottom third up). Place the dough letter back in the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the dough to rise for another 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size. (This second rise can be done overnight in the fridge.)

Place the double-risen dough onto a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the plate in the fridge while you prepare the butter. Once the dough has doubled, it’s time to incorporate the butter. Place the block of chilled butter on a chopping board. Using the rolling pin, beat the butter down a little, till it is quite flat. Use the heel of your hand to continue to spread the butter until it is smooth. You want the butter to stay cool, but spread easily.

Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured board or counter. Let it rest for a minute or two. Spread the dough using your hands into a rectangle about 14 by 8 inches. Remove the butter from the board, and place it on the top half of the dough rectangle. Spread the butter all across the top two-thirds of the dough rectangle, but keep it ¼ inch (6 mm) across from all the edges.Fold the top third of the dough down, and the bottom third of the dough up. Turn the dough package 90 degrees, so that the top flap is to your right (like a book).

Roll out the dough package (gently, so you don’t push the butter out of the dough) until it is again about 14 by 8 inches. Again, fold the top third down and the bottom third up. Wrap the dough package in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for 2 hours.

After two hours have passed, take the dough out of the fridge and place it again on the lightly floured board or counter. Tap the dough with the rolling pin, to deflate it a little. Let the dough rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Roll the dough package out till it is 14 by 8 inches. Fold in three, as before. Turn 90 degrees, and roll out again to 14 by 8 inches Fold in three for the last time, wrap in plastic, and return the dough package to the fridge for two more hours (or overnight, with something heavy on top to stop it from rising)

It’s now time to cut the dough and shape the croissants: First, lightly butter your baking sheet so that it is ready. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for ten minutes on the lightly floured board. Roll the dough out into a 20 by 5 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into two rectangles. Place one of the rectangles in the fridge, to keep the butter cold. Roll the second rectangle out until it is 15 by 5 inches. Cut the rectangle into three squares. Place two of the squares in the fridge.

The remaining square may have shrunk up a little bit in the meantime. Roll it out again till it is nearly square. Cut the square diagonally into two triangles. Stretch the triangle out a little, so it is not a right-angle triangle, but more of an isosceles. Starting at the wide end, roll the triangle up towards the point, and curve into a crescent shape.

 

Place the unbaked croissant on the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining squares of dough, creating 12 croissants in total. Leave the tray of croissants, covered lightly with plastic wrap, to rise for 1 hour

Preheat the oven to very hot 240C

Mix the egg with a teaspoon of milk. Spread the egg wash across the tops of the croissants. Put the croissants in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are browned nicely. Take the croissants out of the oven, and place them on a rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.