Tuesday, October 16, 2012

STEAK AND LEFTOVERS

DINNER:
Grilled Steak, roasted vegetables and popovers

1. Steak was seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled on a grill pan with butter.
2. Oven roasted beans, squash, carrots, baby corn, bok choy, and potatoes seasoned with rosemary, salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil.
3. Popovers using Chuck Hughes recipe
                        Heat 2 cups milk in a saucepan.
                        Put butter in ramekin and melt in oven. Leave until
                            ready to pour batter in.
                        To prepare the batter-
                                    Mix together 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp salt and
                                         pepper.
                                    In a separate bowl, whisk 4 eggs until
                                         airy. Add warmed milk.
                                    Add wet to dry ingredients.
                        Pour into ramekins upto 3/4 full.
                        Bake at 450F for 15 mins. Bring oven temp down
                              to 350F for continue baking for 15 mins more.
the popovers weren't as light as I wanted them to be, rather hard as a matter of fact. I might have beaten it too hard


LUNCH
Leftover steak sandwich with lettuce dressed in a little vinaigrette, pickles and mustard spread.
Soup - whizzed together all the leftover roast vegetables. If too thick, add chicken broth until desired consistency  met.


even better the second time around, haha

             
             

KALBICHIM (Korean Beefstew)

Beef stew on rice

Ingredients


5 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
4 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 cup leeks, sliced
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp sesame seed
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 asian pear, grated
1 k beef short ribs
2 raddishes, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 cup shitake mushrooms. quartered


Method

1.  Score the ribs. Cover the ribs in water and let soak for about 1 hour. Drain and discard the water.
Beef short ribs
2. Mix all ingredients together except for the vegetables.
Clockwise from the top. Sugar, leeks, sesame seeds,
chili flakes, garlic, pear, soy sauce, onions,
sesame oil, rice wine
3. Put ribs in the crockpot and cover with the liquid. Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours.
4. Add in vegetables during the last hour.
Left to right. carrot slices, radish slices,
quartered shitake mushrooms
5. Cook until ribs really tender and vegetables cooked.
6. Served topped with leeks and sesame seeds.


Korean Beefstew





Sunday, July 8, 2012

SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOMS


1/2 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, sliced
4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 shitake mushrooms, chopped (if dried, soak first)
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into cm-thick pcs and blanched
Peel from 1 lemon, chopped
1 big bunch of basil, chopped
1/2 cup cream cheese, cubed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 450g spaghetti noodles

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Once cooked, set aside atleast 1 cup of cokoing water.
2. In a saute pan, heat olive oil.  Add garlic and seat until soft and tender.  Add tomatoes and mushrooms and simmer for approximately 3-5 mins. Add asparagus, lemon peel and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer.
3.  Add spaghetti and toss together. Remove from heat.
4.  Add cream cheese, lemon and cilantro. Toss through and serve immediately.


Monday, June 25, 2012

CHINESE-INSPIRED DINNER


Theme night, and we settled on chinese. 
Fried rice with salt and pepper squid

LEFT, starting bottom clockwise, chives, chili peppers,
peppercorns, five spice, salt; RIGHT, squid
SALT AND PEPPER SQUID


1 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp five spice powder
2 cups cornstarch
1 kg Squid, cut into strips
Oil for frying
2 banana chili peppers, sliced
Spring onion, chopped









Heat pan. Toast peppercorns, five spice powder and salt in pan with no oil until fragrant. Grind spices together and mix together with the cornstarch. Dry squid and coat in dry mixture. Heat oil for in pan. Fry chili peppers and half of spring onion until slightly crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Drop in squid by batches and fry until golden brown.  Once done, garnish with fried peppers, spring onions and lemon wedges. May serve with sweet and sour sauce.  

Salt and Pepper Squid



FRIED RICE
BOTTOM LEFT, counterwise, corn and carrots,
chinese sausage, green and white chives;
Eggs; Chicken broth with kasuba; Rice;
not in picture, shrimp

5-6 cups day old cooked rice
2 eggs, scrambled
2 Chinese sausage, chopped
1/3 cup chopped shrimp, app 15 small shrimp
1/4 cup Spring onion, white and green part separated, chopped
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Kasuba
1 1/2 cup Frozen carrots and peas
1 Chicken cube dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
1 tbsp Butter





Add kasuba to chicken cube in water. Set aside. Heat pan. Fry sausages, rendering out its fat. Add the white part of the spring onions and fry until fragrant. Add the butter, and once melted, pour in dissolved chicken cube and frozen vegetables and simmer until vegetables slightly cooked. Add shrimp and saute until cooked. Add rice and toss together. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper as needed. Make a well in the center of the rice and pour in the egg. Let it slightly set then mix it all together. Add green onions, toss through, and serve immediately. 


Fried Rice



The big 3 - 0

I like having weekend birthdays because I get to somewhat celebrate it for almost 3 days. So the following is just the food adventures I had courtesy of this annual event.


Chili Cheese Logs of Offbeat Cafe
Friday night, my actual bday, my mum had class that was until 9pm and I usually wait for her.  On any other day, we would have gone straight home to have dinner, but this being my bday, we decided to eat out. We eventually ended up in The Collective, at the Offbeat Cafe.  Well, the interiors were fine with their steel chairs and sofas, a little dark but I guess that's what they were aiming for and it was night after all.  They had an open kitchen with good exhaust system because despite what we ordered I didn't feel like we were wearing our food.  There were a selection of games and books that patrons were free to use.  The menu was written on a  blackboard on top of the bar but there were also several laminated menu cards.  I did like one particular piece which was the green bottle light fixture.  The staff was accommodating enough and quick in serving us. Now to the food. I ordered the ribeye steak and my mum the t-bone steak, and the chili cheese logs as an appetizer.  The chili cheese logs were fast enough and good freshly cooked.  The chili seemed straight from a can and zapped in the microwave (actually saw it with my own eyes)  with processed cheese used as a stuffing for the logs.  I don't mind the use of processed cheese, but you really have to eat as soon as possible because it becomes cold fast and if at first it was just palatable, cold it becomes a chore to finish. But the real travesty was the steaks. I was so in shock that I wasn't even able to take a picture. The ribeye was 1/4 inch thick and the size of my palm, and the t-bone was just a little bigger in size but the same thickness. Funny that I even specified that I wanted it medium rare since not only did they cook it for a LONG time but its thinness made cooking preference irrelevant. They were both served with heavily buttered garlic rice and a tablespoon of vegetables consisting of jullienned carrots, chayote and green beans.  My mum and I couldn't get out fast enough. Oh well. They aren't known for the steaks in the first place, but for the donut burger. Lesson learned. 




Baja Querida Mia of Army Navy
So after dinner, my mum still wanted to nosh, good thing we had an Army Navy near us. She had the Tortilla soup and I had a new menu item - the querida mia, which is like their version of pizza but made with tortilla. There are 4 varieties, cheese, baja, baja chicken and meat. I had the baja which is the veggie option, consisting of green bell pepper, onion and jalapeno. I quite enjoyed it, but must also be eaten freshly cooked to savor the crispness of the tortilla bottom and the ooziness of the cheese. I asked for hot sauce but didn't have to add any because the jalapeno peppers added sufficient heat. I paired this with a chocolate milkshake, which was almost like slightly melted ice cream, yum yum. Thinking about it, and I want some more.




Aomori Cafe facade with its gold and
purple chairs and dry-goods products
The next day, we had dinner out to officially celebrate my birthday. We had dinner in Aomori Japanese Cafe in Greenhills. It slightly reminded me as an in-between of Ji-Pan and UCC.  It had Japanese dry goods such as chips, coffee, and china.  The tea cups were darling to look at, real English tea ware, but costing P1000 plus for a pair of cup and saucer.  There's also a bakery and patisserie, with a variety of french macarons. The seats were super comfortable and furbished in either gold or purple faux-velvet. Choose the purple because  of its arm rests and feel like royalty, haha. The menu isn't that extensive but they have the usual pasta, salad, rice dishes and sandwiches. Something that's not so common are their waffles. Unfortunately, the food takes a long time to come, with each dish literally being brought out one by one. The longest took around 30 minutes, and it just had to be my grandmother's waffles. She was almost ready to cancel her order, good thing it arrived in time. I guess that's why they serve complementary bread with (get this) coffee butter. 


Selection of bread with Coffee Butter
I think they're trying to go the healthy route because their selection of bread consisted of wheat and grains. The coffee butter wasn't particularly strong, bitter or sweet. You wouldn't really realize what you were eating if you weren't looking for it. 
Beef Yakiniku Sandwich


I ordered the Beef Yakiniku sandwich which was marinated beef strips in yakiniku sauce, served on a rye bread roll with scrambled eggs, sauteed onions, mayo, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce, with fries on the side. Its quite a substantial meal despite there not being that much meat, but each slice does have beef.  The scrambled eggs were wonderously creamy and the fries a tad salty and seemed pre-processed. Altogether, a filling sandwich and something I didn't regret ordering, but if given the chance to eat here again, I'd opt to order something else because there are other interesting options. 






Porkchop with Salsa and Multi-Grain Rice
My mother had the pork chop with salsa and multi-grain rice. The grilled pork chop was thick and served with a mango salsa which complemented it well. The multi-grain rice was distinctly nutty in flavor and extremely filling. My grandmother had the bacon and ham waffle set which consisted of 2 waffles, 1 pc of ham, 2 pcs of bacon, salad, and 2 eggs which she had scrambled. There was also the coffee butter, waffle syrup and chocolate syrup.  The waffle was cooked to order and very dense but crisp. Unfortunately, it cooled quickly. The salad had a pesto dressing and topped with nuts. In the menu, it mentioned option for the butter aside from the coffee, such as nutty butter, berry, etc, but we weren't given any option. If we go there next time, I'd like to try some of their other butters. Also, if this was really a set, it should have included a drink option.


Bacon and Ham Waffle Set
Bible Bread
From left to right, Sesame Macaron
and Oreo Macaron
To cap our meal, we tried 2 of their bestselling macarons - the sesame and oreo. I was prepared to like the latter over the former but I ended up liking the sesame more. Truth be told, this is my first time to try a macaron so I wasn't sure what to expect. The oreo had a very chewy interior, and the chocolate was intense but not sweet at all. The sesame reminded me of hopia, but the reason I enjoyed it was because of its crispier exterior and the whole sesame seeds that gave textural difference. The staff were very welcoming and were always at hand. They even have containers for the bags so that you don't have to put it on the chairs; however, if there were a lot of people in the little restaurant, it could prove to be crowded and difficult to maneuver around. There was also several promos ongoing for the bakery, and we availed of the buy-1-take-1 Bible Bread, so called because the wheat used to make the bread was gleamed from the bible. All in all, I enjoyed the food, except for the long wait for the food.




Deep Temptation for Cold Layers
Afterwards, we had dessert at Cold Layers which touts a healthier alternative to ice cream with just 1/3 of the calories. Its literally flavored shaved ice with your choice of toppings. We shared the Deep Temptation that consists of chocolate shaved ice, banana slices, chocolate pudding as a base, and topped with mini marshmallows and chocolate syrup. I wasn't sure how I was going to like this but I surprisingly enjoyed it. Since its just ice, its lighter but there was still a great chocolate taste and feel to it. Despite being made of ice, there wasn't a grainy texture. The only drawback was the marshmallows. I would have enjoyed it more if it had nuts. Still, enjoyable as a whole.



Baked Rigatoni with garlic bread



 Sunday night, my mum made individual baked rigatoni with garlic bread, after which we had the Ultimate Chocolate cake from Red RIbbon. It was a great way to end a birthday weekend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME and until next year.




Ultimate Chocolate Cake from Red Ribbon


Thursday, June 14, 2012

PROMETHEUS

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Prometheus was a Titan who brought down fire from Mt. Olympus and introduced it to mankind. Consequently, he was punished by Zeus by being tied to the top of a mountain with his liver being eaten by an eagle for all eternity. And therein lies the plot of Ridley Scott's new sci-fi movie. A space vessel of same name in search of knowledge that would answer man's ultimate question - where did we come from? Unfortunately, just like its predecessor, its mission ends in disaster.

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I have to admit that sitting down to the movie, I had absolutely no idea what it was about, aside from knowing who directed it, Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender were in it, and that it occurs in space. I also had the vaguest idea that it was a suspense/thriller sci-fi movie. Other than that, my mind was a blank slate. Which is probably the best state to be in for it gives the viewer the chance to be overwhelmed and able to experience a movie with no bias or expectations. As a suspense sci-fi, it certainly did not disappoint, being able to build up to a climax and sustaining it the very end. However, I found the discussions regarding religion and the beginning of humanity a little over reaching and forced, and the attempt to give the lead female character a "back story" that (surprise, surprise) influences her in her current situation is old news and lacking in substance. As a whole however, I enjoyed the movie, in part because the end was so fantastic and unexpected (again, because I knew nothing about this movie), that whatever low points were negated at the realization of how this story fit in the movie universe, and made me hope and hunger for a sequel.


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The cinematography was excellent and the sets utilized were amazing in detail and scope. The transition between reality and CGI were seemless. I like Scott's method of creating the setting as almost another character in the story; sometimes, in the stillness of his shots, more palpable emotion can be felt within than from any drawn-out dialogue.

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Considering I must be the last person in the world to know this, I have no qualms in saying this - this movie began as a prequel to Alien. However, during the process of developing the script, it turned tangential until it became (in the words of the creator himself) a film "set in the same universe as the events of the Alien series” but wholly removed from it. However, there were still certain aspects similar to the sci-fi franchise. This was evident because despite not knowing that this had any connection to Aliens, I could not help but be reminded of it while watching.  For example, the use of an android and the set design of the alien military hub. Not to mention that the lead also gets impregnated with an alien baby. And, well, the ending that blew my mind and almost had me jumping out of my seat. Its unfortunate that the mention of the financing company for the mission did nothing to jog my memory; shame on me, I know. Anyway, no matter how blown away I was at the end, once the dust had settled, I realized that there were still a lot of questions left unanswered for me, most of which Shaw, the lead female, herself asked. Hopefully, this means a part 2 in the making, which I know "will not be part of the Alien franchise." I have to admit though, that I don't see a big fan base being created for Prometheus per se. Any fanfare would just be a residual from its association with Aliens, sad to say and probably to the disappointment of its creative team.


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In terms of casting, the jewel of the entire roster was Michael Fassbender. His ability to *not* convey emotion spoke volumes, and in my opinion helped propel the story, if such a juxtaposition was possible. However, don't expect him to be Data from Star Trek or even the other android from the first Alien. Now, if you're expecting Charlize Theron, prepare to see and expect as little from her as possible. Some of the issues I have with the movie are actually with her character. I read somewhere online that her character was created to really just be in the background. In that respect then, they were successful. However, I also read that additional scenes were written for Theron. If one of those additional written scenes included that travesty between her and the captain, then it should just have stayed unwritten.


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What can I say about the rest of the cast? The lead actress, Noomi Rapace, certainly held her own in the action sequences, and the others were believable enough in their roles. But I doubt any acting nominations are in their futures. I do have to specially mention Guy Pierce though. Despite seeing his name during the opening credits, I hardly recognized him. And this in spite of finding his prosthetics a little... fake, and his voice did not seem aged enough. Which makes me wonder: what deciding factor contributed in choosing a younger actor to play an old person vs casting someone of that age himself (or at least someone nearer that age)? Hmmmm…. On the other hand, what I do love is the mini-UN congregation that occurs in casting movies like this - there is always the obligatory Asian, African-descent, UK, and European.

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If the aim of Ridley Scott and associates was to bring the audience on an amazing movie experience full of suspense, fighting, explosions, and aliens (with or without 3D glasses), then I believe they were successful, as long as you don't think too much about the existentialist questions they pose. Did they make me contemplate whether Aliens are our ancestors? Sure, but only in the context of the movie. Did they shake my belief in a God? No. I believe that humans will never truly be able to answer the creation question because I have this little idea that the answer is too big for anyone to grasp. Plus, if we ever found the answer, then what else shall we strive for? 

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BEEF BOURGUIGNON AND SIDES



 (Adapted from Julia Child)


I finally decided to try this recipe after hearing so much about it and from watching Julie and Julia. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to follow the recipe to a T, because I didn’t have the necessary ingredients and I didn’t want to open the oven.  In the end, it turned out okay. Something I would try again, as long as I have 2-3 hours to spare. The main recipe here is the one I did, but I’ll include in parenthesis the method that  was originally done by Julia Child.)

top to bottom: beef shank, bacon

6oz bacon, cut into 1 cm strips (in the original recipe, an uncut piece of bacon was used. The rind was removed and both meat and skin was boiled in water.  Its cut into lardons, which are centimeter-sized pieces, and then the procedure continues as it is)
3 tbsp oil
500 gms beef (Julia Child used beef chunks, but I had shank on hand so that’s what I used.)
clockwise, from right: carrots, onions,
garlic, bay leaf, thyme, tomato paste
1 large carrot, cut into big chunks (I cut them into big chunks so that at the end, I can still serve them with the meat. In Julia’s recipe, I have the impression that they end up as mush and are discarded at the end).
1 medium onion, french cut
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 cups red wine (rule of thumb is - if you can drink it, cook with it)
2 cups beef stock (I used 4 beef cubes in 1 L water, which is more than enough to cover the amount needed for this recipe and its sides)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic mashed with 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1. Saute bacon in oil for 2 to 3 mins until browned. Remove with slotted spoon. Set aside. Reheat oil.
2. Dry beef in paper towels. Brown. Remove and set aside with bacon.
3. In same pan, brown vegetables, app 10 mins. Pour out excess fat.
4. (If beef cubes are used, add beef in this step and coat with flour as well. Brown also.) Add salt, pepper and flour. Toss together until slightly browned. (In the original recipe, after the flour and seasoning is added to the beef and vegetables, the entire casserole was placed in a 400F oven for around 15 minutes or until the meat was browned even more.)
from left to right: red wine, beef stock
5. Add tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Stir in wine and stock. Scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. (Actually, in the original, the wine was stirred in first before the tomato paste, garlic and herbs).
6. Transfer to a slow cooker/crockpot and cook on moderate heat for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs or until meat is fork tender. (Here I deviated once again.  The dish is supposed to be cooked in a 350F oven for the said hours).
7. Once done, remove meat and pour rest of contents of casserole through a sieve set over a saucepan. Transfer meat, bacon and carrots to a serving platter and set aside. Garnish with braised onions and sauteed mushrooms (recipes follows).
8. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce until approximately 2 1/2 cups of sauce remains, or until thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.


beef bourguignon, carrots and sides

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
left to right: sliced mushrooms, butter
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1-1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper
Heat skillet over high heat with butter and oil. Be careful not to burn the butter. Once bubbles subside, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 8-10 mins until lightly browned. Set aside to serve with beef.

sauteed mushrooms

BROWNED BRAISED ONIONS
browned braised onion ingredients
(clockwise, from top):

beef stock, onions, butter,
dried parsley, bay leaf, dried thyme

Pearl/small onions, 3-5 pcs per person (I couldn’t find any pearl onions in my supermarket, but luckily enough, there were some small onions of approximately 1 inch in diameter).
1 1/2 tbsp butter
½ - 1  cup beef stock
Pepper
Parsley sprigs (I didn't have any parsley but i did have dried parsley. Not the same, but I had to adapt)
1 small bay leaf
1/4 tsp thyme

1. In the same pan where mushrooms were cooked, add an additional 1 1/2 tbsp butter to the fat. Add onions and saute over moderate heat for approximately 10 mins until brown.
2. Pour in beef stock until I reached halfway up the onions, and add herbs. Cover and simmer slowly for 40-50 mins until onions are tender and liquid evaporates. Once done, remove herbs and serve onions with beef.

brown braised onions

GREEN BEANS WITH LEMON
250 gms green beans, topped and cut to 3 inches length
1 tbsp butter
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1 – 3 tbsp lemon juice (approximately ½ lemon)
Pepper
1. Steam green beans until cooked, around 3-5 mins.
2. Heat pan. Melt butter and toss in cooked beans.  Add 1/2 of lemon peel, juice (add tbsp by tbsp, to make sure it isn’t too sour) and season with pepper.  Mix together. Garnish with remaining lemon peel to serve.

green beans with lemon

CHEESY GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
mashed potato ingredients (clockwise from top right):
garlic cloves, melted butter, cheese spread,
parmesan cheese, cut potatoes
4 large potatoes, cut into chunks
4 large whole garlic cloves
1/2 cup cheese spread (there wasn’t a lot of choices in terms of cheese in the small supermarket I went to, so I decided to try this)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1 tsp melted butter
Parmesan cheese to garnish
finished mashed potato

1. Boil potatoes and garlic together in salted water until potatoes are cooked, approximately 15 mins.
2. Heat cheese spread and milk together. Set aside.
3. Mash potatoes with melted butter and cheese spread. Add parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and pour with 1 tsp butter. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve. 


finished dish of beef, carrots, mushrooms, onions,
green beans and mashed potato