DINING OUT IS THE BEST WAY TO BOND

There are so many ways to bond with your family. For some, they do activities together like biking in the park, planting new materials in the garden or watching a good film. For us, if our budget allows us, we go out and dine together. Last week, we went through the rain to dine at Grab-a-Crab Restaurant at Robinsons Mall Gensan. 

We had a hearty dinner of Quail Soup, Seafood Fried Canton, Buttered Chicken, Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet. They did not serve any recipe of beef and pork that night. What my kids enjoyed the most was the dessert: cakes of various flavors: Carrot Cake, Black Forest, and 3 other cakes which I didn’t get the name. And what I enjoyed was the White Wine. It was an opulent golden yellow in color- orange the most, which made me wonder why it was called a white wine ( Most white wine is produced from white grapes. I say most, because there are a few exceptions. Wine gets its color from letting the skins soak in the juice. Since this is the case, it is possible to make white wine out of black grapes by carefully extracting the juice and keeping the skins separated. Champagne is the most famous example. It is made from a blend of grapes.)

I studied the taste of each recipe. Each was superb. I am going to try to cook them soon. And of course, I am going to blog them. 

It was indeed a hearty meal and a happy bonding time for us. Here are our photos:

wacky can't wait for his share

owa enjoying his cake

quail soup

sweet and sour fish fillet

buttered chicken

seafood fried canton

cakes

chilled white wine

sauvignon blanc

SAVORY SISIG

The term sisig refers to the spicy and fatty - but oh-so popular - meat dish all over the Philippines. It is considered a specialty food because the long and arduous preparation of sisig is really a ‘labor of love.' But after hours of cooking, the aroma alone can make anyone hungry.

Ingredients:

Ø  1 kg pork head

Ø  1⁄4 cup grilled liver (diced)

Ø  2 Onion, chopped

Ø  2 Red pepper, chopped

Ø  1 Head garlic, minced

Ø  4 Hot chili pepper (minced)

Ø  1 Tablespoon Cooking oil

Ø  1 Cup Vinegar

Ø  2 Tablespoon liquid seasoning

Ø  1 Teaspoon Black pepper

Ø  1 Teaspoon Brown sugar

Ø  1 Cup Beef stock

Procedure:

Ø  Grill pork head to remove hair.

Ø  Boil pork head until tender.

Ø  Take out all the meat and dice.

Ø  In a sauté pan, heat oil and sauté garlic, onion, red pepper, pork meat and liver.

Ø  Season with liquid seasoning, black pepper, and brown sugar.

Ø  Pour in beef stock and vinegar and cook until meat is tender and starts to oil again.

Ø  Add minced chili pepper last.

Ø  Serve on a sizzling plate.

savory sisig

COFFEE TASTING IN COFFEE CLUB 101

One of the most interesting experiences we have in our Food & Beverage class is the “coffee tasting. ”(Coffee tasting, is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. It is a professional practice but can be done informally by anyone or by professionals known as Master Tasters.) The Coffee Club 101 in Laurel East Avenue accommodated our F and B class for our coffee tasting. We were not Master Tasters but somehow we managed to discern whether the flavor, body, acidity and aroma of each coffee we have tasted was pleasant, or unpleasant.

One of the coffee that we've tasted was cappuccino. A cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed-milk froth. It is made in a steam producing espresso machine. One third of the cup used is made of espresso, which is poured into the bottom of the cup, a similar amount of hot milk, and the top third is made of firm milk froth that has been prepared a minute or two prior to assembling the drink. The foam is often sculpted to an artistic peaked mound. Shaved chocolate, raw sugar, cinnamon or other spices are often sprinkled onto the top of the finished drink.

(Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee.)

We were coffee drunk afterwards. Nevertheless, the experience gave us enough knowledge about coffee. 

Here are our bittersweet memories…

coffee club 101

the baristas

hrs 1-2

caramel coffee topped with cinnamon

the coffee tasters

iced coffee

listening to the barista

cappuccino

the group A

with sir felix

the boys

the boys II

LUSCIOUS LECHE FLAN

Leche flan is a favorite and popular dessert in the Philippines. It is similar to a cream caramel. It is sweet and rich. Leche flan is a must during Christmas, New Year and fiestas.

This is the first recipe that I have learned to cook by myself. I was in first year high school when I perfected it. I used to cook for my classmates, friends and family…

Ingredients:

Ø  12 egg yolks

Ø  2 cans (big) condensed milk

Ø  2 cans (small) evaporated milk

Ø  2 cups fine white sugar

Ø  2 tablespoon vanilla

Procedure:

        (Caramelized Syrup)

Ø  In a stainless steel pan, dissolve 3/4 cups of sugar, add 1/4 cup water over medium heat, do not stir, just swirl the pan gently, caramelize in low heat if you don't want it burnt.

(Custard)

Ø  In a mixing bowl, combine all the egg yolk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla. Use a whisk to mix thoroughly but gently to prevent bubbles from forming. Remove any solids by using a strainer.

Ø  Pour the mixture in the llanera and cover it with an aluminum foil, so that the moisture from the steam won't come in the pan as it will become watery.

Ø  Steam Cook for 40-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Ø  Remove the llanera and let it cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Ø  To unmold the leche flan- run a sharp knife around the edge and carefully invert it unto a platter or serving dish, let the caramelized sugar flow over the leche flan.

luscious leche flan

MOROCCAN-INSPIRED DESIGN FOR A BOODLEFIGHT VENUE

Our final exam for our Food and Beverage class was to set up a venue for a boodlefight. (Boodle fight is a military style of eating where long tables are prepared and food are on top of the banana leaves. Viands and rice ready to eat using your bare hands, jugs of water are prepared on the side to wash hands before the "eating combat". With the signal to start the boodle fight, everyone aims for his/her position.) Our group chose a Moroccan- Inspired design as our theme. It is a combination of colorful, exotic and sensual essence of Arabian nights. In this kind of decor, we used rich variety of colors ranging from deep red including different shades of blue and green along with vibrant gold to set the right mood of the theme .We added some throw pillows and carpet. The foods which had been served were equally captivating as the venue. Here are our captured moments for you to witness.

RELLENONG MANOK

A stuffed chicken is popularly known as "rellenong or relyenong manok" in the Philippines. This famous chicken recipe is usually one of the Filipino dishes prepared during Christmas dinner called Noche Buena by the locals. 


Rellenong or relyenong manok is a chicken recipe stuffed or filled with different ingredients that is tasty, colorful and festive...

Ingredients:

Ø  1 whole chicken, deboned with shape kept

Ø  3 tablespoons calamansi juice

Ø  3 tablespoons soy sauce

Ø  2 tablespoons sugar
 

Stuffings:
 

Ø  1/2 kilo ground pork

Ø  1 cup bacon, diced

Ø  1 cup ham, diced

Ø  1/4 cup sweet green peas

Ø  1/4 cup carrots, minced

Ø  1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Ø  1/4 cup raisins

Ø  1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Ø  4 whole eggs, beaten

Ø  1/2 cup butter

Ø  1 tablespoon soy sauce

Ø  1/2 tablespoon sugar

Ø  Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Ø  Marinate chicken in calamansi juice, soy sauce and sugar.

Ø  In a bowl, mix all stuffing ingredients well.

Ø  Stuff the chicken in all parts.

Ø  Sew the cavity opening and truss the chicken.

Ø  Wrap chicken in aluminum foil.

Ø  Heat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake breast-up for an hour or until chicken is cooked.

Ø  Open the foil and rub chicken with butter and put back in oven until golden brown.

rellenong manok