Recipe : 5-1-1 Leche Flan

Probably the easiest to remember Leche Flan recipe. Oh, and it tastes awesome too.

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5-1-1 Leche Flan












Ingredients :

For Flan:
5 egg yolks
1 c evaporated milk
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1/2 tsp grated lemon, lime or native orange (ie. dalanghita) peel (optional)

For Caramel Syrup:
2 c sugar
1 c water

Procedure:

To make syrup: Put water and sugar in a medium sized saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering until the mixture begins to turn a light brown color. Swirl the pan then turn off the heat once the syrup has turned into a caramel color. You may heat it further if you want your caramel to be more bitter. Pour into a Leche Flan mold or baking pan such as a cake pan or loaf pan. Set aside.

To make flan: Combine yolks, milk and sugar (and vanilla and grated citrus peel if desired) and beat until well combined. Add mixture to Leche Flan mold over the caramel syrup. Steam in a steamer over gently simmering water. If the water is boiling too rapidly, you may end up with large holds or cracks in your Leche Flan. Steam until the flan is slightly wobbly like gelatin. Remove from steamer and let cool. Once cool, unmold onto a plate and enjoy!

Alternative water bath method: If you don't have a steamer, you can create a water bath. To do this, take an oven proof container or pan that is bigger than your Leche Flan mold. Place the mold into the pan and fill the pan with water until halfway up the sides of the mold. Cover the mold loosely with foil. Heat the oven to 350F. Place the pan (that contains the water and Leche Flan mold) into the oven and bake until flan is wobbly. Remove from oven and let cool. Unmold and enjoy!

*Notes : You can increase the number of yolks to up to 9 yolks if you would like a richer (and deadlier) Leche Flan.

Recipe : Pulled Pork Sandwich

My version of the pulled pork sandwich.

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Pulled Pork Sandwich













Ingredients:

Pork shoulder, butt, or loin
Brine (recipe follows)
Barbecue Marinade (recipe follows)
Focaccia bread
Coleslaw
Sauteed mushrooms
Grated Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese

Brine:
Water
Apple juice
Salt
Sugar
Worcestershire sauce
White wine
Cardamom
Cloves
Cinnamon
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried Rosemary
Dried Thyme
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano
Dried Parsley
Liquid smoke

Marinade:
Barbecue sauce
Liquid smoke
Apple juice
Worcestershire sauce
Canned chipotle peppers
Coffee
Dijon mustard
Orange marmalade
Sauteed onions
Roasted garlic puree
Brown sugar
Cardamom


Procedure: Poke pork all over with a knife. Combine brine ingredients. Brine pork for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Make marinade by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Cool then puree. Place pork in a baking pan, season and rub with salt, pepper garlic powder, paprika and onion powder. Pour marinade over pork. Roast in a 250 deg. F oven for at least 3 hours. When pork is tender, broil under high heat until slightly blackened. Remove pork from oven, then pull or shred the pork. Toast the focaccia. Cut in half and slather with butter or margarine. Put pork on bottom half followed by the cheese, mushrooms, then the colselaw. Top with upper half. Done!

Notes: For a quick coleslaw, shred some iceberg lettuce then combine with onions, carrots and mayonnaise.

Batter Up!

Finally, I've discovered the secret to getting the crispy coating in Chinese deep fried chicken wings. Who would've thought that it's so darn simple!? The batter is simply a combination of cornstarch and water, and should be the consistency of cream. The batter also works if it is a combination of wheat starch/flour, cornstarch and rice flour.

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Traditional Chinese style Batter for Crispy Coating:
- Cornstarch and water. Batter should be consistency of cream.

or

- 1 part Cornstarch, 1 part Rice Flour, 2 parts Wheat flour, and water. Batter should be consistency of cream.

* The batter can also be made using brine instead of water.

Recipe : Pomegranate Crispy Prawn Balls

In this recipe, prawns are minced and studded with croutons then deep fried. It may sound odd with the croutons, but these are oh so yummy and are perfect as a starter or hors doeuvre.

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Pomegranate Crispy Prawn Balls














Ingredients:
4 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes
225 g (8 oz) uncooked prawns, peeled, deveined and minced
2 teaspoons salt
pinch of freshly ground white pepper
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 slices root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
600 ml (1 pint) vegetable oil
Lettuce leaves, to serve

Procedure: Toast the bread cubes lightly until light brown and dry. Mix together the minced prawns, salt, pepper, egg whites, cornflour and finely chopped ginger. Form the mixture into balls, using about 1 tablespoon per ball, then roll each ball in the croutons until coated. Heat the oil in a wok to 180 degree C or 350 degree F or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Gently lower the balls into the oil and deep-fry until light brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve as an hors doeuvre or starter, on a bed of lettuce leaves.

Notes: This can be served with a sweet and sour sauce, shantung sauce, or an aioli.

Recipe : Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies












Ingredients:
1/4 c butter, softened
1/4 c vegetable shortening
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 white sugar
1 extra large egg
1 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1/2 c oatmeal flour (See procedure)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c flour
1/2 c oats
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/4 c chopped dates

Procedure: Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Cream butter, shortening and both sugars. Add egg and beat on high for 1 minute. Add corn syrup, vanilla and salt and beat another 1 minute. Fold in the rest of the ingredients until well combined. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 3 minutes. Bake for approximately 17 to 20 minutes or until edges of the cookie turn brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

Notes:
To make oatmeal flour, roast oats in a medium hot pan for about 3 minutes. Let cool and process into a fine powder in a food processor.

For best results, use a convection oven oven and if possible, line your baking tray with Silpat. The cookies must be removed from the oven when the edges are brown, even if they are still quite soft.

Kitchen Gadget Review : Silpat Baking Mat

Ok, a baking mat isn't really a kitchen 'gadget' but a high tech, innovative baking mat is. Silpat is a baking mat with a unique nonstick surface that prevents whatever you bake on it from sticking. I've used it on two occasions and on both times, it has worked flawlesly. Both times I baked some cookies on it with varying butter-sugar ratios and egg content. On my second trial, I baked 3 batches of different cookies without wiping the surface between each bake. It performed as advertised and caused me no trouble whatsoever. The only qualm I have is that the mat doesn't perfectly fit my 11 x 15 inch baking pan. Other than that, it has performed admirably. Silpat is made in France and can withstand temperatures of as low as -40 deg. F to as high as 480 deg. F. That temperature range is good enough but it would've been nice if it could withstand up to 500 deg. F because that's the max temperature in most ovens these days. It can be washed simply by wiping with a damp cloth or can be washed with a weak solution of water and soap. It's a bit expensive but it's reusable so it pays off in the long run. I got mine on sale for $7 which is quite reasonable. This 'gadget' is definitely a keeper. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Cookng Techniques : Checking doneness of steak and resting

Checking a steak's doneness









An easy way to check for the doneness of a piece of steak is through the hand and earlobe method.

Hand Method :
This involves putting your thumb and one of your other fingers lightly together and checking the softness of the area of the palm just below the thumb to test for doneness:
- No fingers touching one another : Rare
- Index finger and thumb : Medium rare
- Middle finger and thumb : Medium
- Ring finger and thumb : Medium well
- Pinky and thumb: Well done (ie. rubber)

Ear Lobe Method:
A medium rare steak should be as soft as your earlobe.

Resting
It is essential to let a steak rest after cooking to ensure that it retains its juiciness. By letting the steak rest, you allow the juices of the steak to be reabsorbed into it. After cooking your steak, allow it to rest on a plate, tented (ie. loosely covered with aluminum foil), for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Recipe : Buchi Balls

Aaah buchi ... I just love em. Although they may look difficult to make, they actually aren't. It just takes a bit of patience, especially if you're making the filling from scratch. Buchi can be made only with glutinous rice flour, but to give it a better texture and more character, it's best to include mashed sweet potato.

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Buchi Balls













Ingredients:
2 c Glutinous rice flour
1 1/2 Sweet potato; cooked; mashed (1-1/4 lb)
1 c Brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/4 c Water
Sesame seeds
Red bean paste (recipe follows)

Mix the first 2 ingredients in a bowl. Dissolve brown sugar in water and bring to a rolling boil. Immediately add water to flour mixture and stir until dough is firm. Knead lightly for a few minutes until dough is well mixed. Divide dough into 15 pieces or less depending on how big you want each ball to be. Take a ball of dough and press an indentation into it, making a deep cup. Place 1 teaspoon of red bean filling inside and close the cup, making sure you completely cover the filling with the dough. Pince and twist off a pice of dough and seal the edge well. Roll the filled ball between your palms to make it perfectly round. Then roll the ball in sesame seeds, pressing gently, until the entire surface is covered and the seeds adhere to the dough. Prepare the other half of the dough and cover the finished balls with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Heat wok over medium heat. Add oil and heat to 350 degrees. Lower ina few balls at a time and let cook slighly. When sesame seeds turn lighT brown, apply some pressure to the balls with the back of a large ladle, pressing them against the bottom or side of the pan. Do this continuously, pressing each ball until it blows up to about three times its original size and the sesame seeds turn golden brown; this takes about 5 minutes.Each time you press down on a ball with the back of a large ladle, it will automatically turn over and expand a little. The trick is to work all the balls in separate turns, until they have tripled in size, pressing each one separately and quickly going on to the next during the 5 minute process. Drain the sesame balls on paper towels and serve them warm or at room temperature. Already cooked sesame balls can be reheated in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 5 minutes, or until they puff up again.

Red Bean Paste
Sweet red bean paste can be bought in the store, and used straight from the can for filling, but this is how to make it from scratch.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups red beans, washed well
4 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar

Place the beans and water in a saucepan, cover, bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are very soft. Strain the water from the beans, and blend them into a puree in a blender or food processor. Press the puree through a sieve, discarding the skins, which will be left in the sieve. Place the puree in several layers of cheesecloth, and gently squeeze to remove excess moisture. Place the thickened puree back into the saucepan, together with the sugar and vegetable shortening, and heat over low heat, stirring until it becomes a thick paste. Stir and scrape vigorously so that it does not stick to the bottom. Remove from heat and let cool before filling buns.

Notes: Lotus seed paste is another traditional filling used in buchi.

Recipe : Rosemary Chicken Thighs

Another recipe from James Barber. This actually came from a Milk calendar.

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Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Recipe adapted from James Barber

Ingredients:
8 skinless chicken thighs (preferably deboned)
3/4 c flour
1 egg
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp rosemary (dried) or 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 c milk
3 c bread crumbs
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp parsley (dried) or 1 tbsp fresh minced parsley
1/4 c melted butter
*salt (if preferred, you can very lightly salt the chicken thighs)

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 375 F and lightly grease a baking tray. Whisk egg, cornstarch, mustard and rosemary in a saucepan. Pour in milk and whisk over medium high heat until it thickens. Set aside. Combine and toss together bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley and melted butter. Take chicken thighs and cover with flour then dip into milk mixture and finally rolling onto bread crumb mixture. Place on baking tray and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Note: Do not, and I mean do not, substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs. Breasts (of a chicken you perv!) toughen up quickly and are less flavorful than the thighs. You can use commercial dry parmesan cheese instead of fresh.

Recipe : Meatballs in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

To start off this food blog I thought the most appropriate thing would be to post the recipe that I followed to make my first successful (ie. edible) dinner for my family. The recipe is from the great James Barber (RIP), also known as the Urban Peasant. This recipe is simple and straightforward. It came out right the first time I made it, unlike the spareribs I cooked to near carbon form in an earlier dinner making attempt. I loved watching James Barber on TV. The guy was practically on life support and just plodded along slooooooowly. I wonder how I ever stayed awake during his show. His dishes are simple and clean with an understated touch of sophistication. In many ways, his recipes were perfect for the beginner cook. I remember coming home from Mass excited about cooking this dinner. It was a way to prove that I wasn't totally useless in the kitchen but it was also a way for me to give comfort and happiness to my family. So when things turned out well, I was glad. That was a start ... and I never looked back.

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Meatballs in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Recipe adapted from James Barber















Meatballs:
1 lb or 2 cups lean ground beef
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 onion finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Grated orange rind
1 tbsp butter

Mushroom sauce:
2 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cornstarch or flour
1 c milk
1 c frozen peas
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Juice of 1 small orange

Procedure:
Meatballs: Combine all meatball ingredients and stir. Shape into small balls. On medium heat, fry meatballs in butter until golden brown and firm.
Mushroom sauce: Saute mushroom in butter for 5 to 7 minutes. Take some of the milk and add cornstarch to it. Add remaining milk and cornstarch mixture in a fry pan stirring until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and orange juice and add to boiling milk. Stir. Return to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes adding the peas after 7 or 9 minutes. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve.

Notes: The orange rind and orange juice are optional. Garnish dish with chopped parsley or basil.

Let's Eat!

Finally, my food blog is up and running! This blog will contain anything and everything related to food ... interesting foodstuffs, restaurants, kitchen gadgets, recipes and random hungry thoughts and ideas. A word of caution ... you WILL get hungry and gain 5 to 10 pounds just by reading this blog. Don't say I didn't warn you! With regard to the recipes, they are kitchen tested BUT ..... they oftentimes won't have any measurements ^_^; . Sorry! I don't really measure my ingredients so some recipes will just list the ingredients and procedure and nothing more. If I do give measurements, they are a only a rough guide which might need subsequent tweaking. This doesn't apply to baking recipes because, well ... that would just be pushing it. Note that I am not a professional chef, but I can confidently say that I can whoop ass in a culinary battle because I watch Iron Chef and cuz Kaga is my hero. So sit back, relax and hear your tummy grumble. Time for some culinary blogging!