Caviar Appetizer

I had this at a symphony ball reception a few years back & just could not get enough of it even though I am not a huge caviar fan.  As per usual, I have no measurements as the recipe was given to me by the caterer on site.

Everything goes into a spring form pan.

INGREDIENTS:

• Boiled eggs – chopped
• Mayo
• Red onion – chopped
• Sour cream
• Cream cheese
• Scallions – chopped
• Caviar (the smallest kinds – caterer used black & red)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the eggs & mayo – put into bottom of pan.
2. The 2nd layer will be the chopped onions.
3. Using a hand mixer, combine sour cream & cream cheese.
4. Spread mixture over the 2nd layer.
5. Sprinkle the top with the caviar.
6. Refrigerate at least 2 hrs.
7. When ready to serve, release from the pan and garnish with scallions all way around (border the concoction with scallions).
8. Serve with water crackers.

Chicken a la King in Puff Pastry Shells

I’m not sure where this recipe originated.  An internet Google search turned up several variations – all of which are more complicated than the recipe my Mom and Uncle Manny use.  However, I can confidently say that our version is always a hit.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken Breast – shredded
• Jar of sliced pimiento peppers
• Jar of sliced mushrooms
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 can of cream of mushroom
• pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil chicken breast/s until cooked.  Let cool and then shred.  Transfer to medium pot or sauce pan.
2. Drain pimientos & mushrooms.  Add to shredded chicken.
3. Add evaporated milk & cream of mushroom.
4. Pepper to taste.
5. Let simmer on low until heated through being careful to not let burn.
6. Mixture will thicken.  Can be served either warm or chilled.

PUFF PASTRY SHELLS:

We typically use Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Shells.  They come 6 to a box.  They also sell miniature shells which would be perfect to use for appetizer size.

Bake pastry shells as directed on box.

Let cool.

An option to the puff pastry shells that Mom and Uncle Manny both used to do is to take a cupcake/muffin pan and line each cup with a slice of white bread with the crust on all 4 sides removed.  This forms a shell/cup.  Bake in the oven until the bread is crisp.  Remove each toasted cup carefully after cooling.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Remove tops from pastry shells and spoon chicken mixture into shell.  You can be generous & fill to almost over-flowing.

Lolo Io’s French Toast

While Mom was in town visiting us this summer, I made French Toast – nothing fancy:  slices of bread, dipped in a milk/egg/vanilla extract/cinnamon mixture and then grilled in light butter.

Mom noted that Lolo Io (her father) used to make the best French toast.  She didn’t know the recipe but luckily Uncle Manny does!  Here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• evaporated milk
• vanilla
• unsliced bread, cut into thick slices

Directions:

1. mix egg, evaporated milk & vanilla  together
2. place on buttered grill
3. grill until golden brown on both sides

Thank you, Uncle Manny!

Chicken Adobo with Gata

Chicken adobo with gata (coconut milk) is a dish that I remember Uncle Manny making when we were kids.  It’s a wonderful variation of chicken adobo.  Angela now makes it.  Here is her version:

I always loved this dish growing up, and have tried several variations.

Typically, I use a combination of chicken parts (on the bone); chicken thighs and chicken breast, and follow the recipe above until malutong (I typically double the liquid portion of the recipe, and after the meat is cooked, set aside about a cup of the sauce for later).

Chicken is a little different than pork, though, because in order to get the ‘fall of the bone’ effect, you have to cook a little longer on lower to medium heat.

After the remaining liquid has evaporataed, and the chicken is cooked through and a little toastado, I add back the liquid with a can or two of coconut milk.

I’ve tried several types of coconut milk with this dish, and have found that Thai coconut milk (even the Lite version) works best. Be sure to taste the coconut milk (for freshness) before adding to the dish, as a bad can of coconut milk can ruin the entire meal! I usually serve with simple garlic sauteed green beans and sininaag.

Without a toddler wrapping her arms around my legs as I cook on a hot stove, this would be a pretty simple meal to prepare. But as a working Mom with too many other things I’d rather be doing (like giving my little Skye 100 kisses a day), I am constantly on the search for the easiest, least-mess way to prepare a meal.

Enter the crock pot.

I’ve found all sorts of interesting uses for the crock pot – sinigang, apritada, and now adobo chicken with gata. For this version, I follow all of above (ie. doubling the liquids in Pinky’s original recipe, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, but without the coconut milk) and allow to cook in the crockpot for a few hours (I usually do this in the early morning before heading to work). I skip the part of setting aside the adobo liquid for later (and sacrifice the tostado pieces of chicken – which, for this recipe, is actually okay, since the ultimate result is a saucier meal). Right before serving, I add the coconut milk, and a few scoops of cooked japanese rice.

Wow…sarap!  I’m not sure if this blog was such a great idea after all.  I’ve been inspired to cook but all I’m doing is eating!

Mayos’ List

Mayos sent me a list as well.  I’m so glad that my cousins are getting involved!

lola lilay’s pancit bami

Lola’s sinigang na baka

Lola’s fried fish with milk sauce

Chicken diniguan with grated papaya

langlang soup – sotanghon soup with tenga ng daga (a type of mushroom) & chorizo

Ask Uncle Manny  or your mom for recipes with “pako”– edible fern.  Dad found some “pako” in the wet market in july– we substituted blanched pako– as substitute for the greens when dad made lolo lilay’s salad (actually dad told us– this salad is originally lolo iyo’s salad:  which consist of slices of beef steak, boiled eggs and potatoes,  sliced tomatoes, and cucmber with beef steak sauce w/ onions combined with vinegar for the dressing– turned out so good– pako tasted even better than lettuce in this salad.

Dad also made ginitaang pako.

Lola also used to cook some recipes with santol– I wonder if your mom would remember any of those?

This is an interesting list from Mayos.  I am not familiar with some of these recipes.  I definitely was not familiar with the santol dishes (which we can’t get in the States unfortunately – but I’ll see if Mom, Uncle Manny or Uncle Pito remember so everyone in the Philippines can have the recipe) nor with what “pako” is.  My friend Tina informed me that it is “fiddlefern”.  Which still means nothing to me.  :)  After some googling, I found out that it is “edible fern” that tastes similar to watercress but less peppery.

BTW – I LOVE Santol and am so jealous that my brother gets to go back to the Philippines next month and eat some!  You can read a little bit more about santol and an interesting recipe here:  Of Santol….

Poppy Seed Cake with Chocolate Ganache

UPDATE:

The poppy seed birthday cake turned out well thanks to our friend Shella who actually baked the cake while I prepared Mark’s birthday pancit & BBQ. I made the icing & iced the cake.

This is definitely a keeper – it was very moist (despite the fact that we neglected to soak that poppies for 2 hrs as directed…oh, well). I think the only thing I would change is less sugar overall and Mark has requested skipping the walnuts.

Glad to have found Mark’s go-to-birthday cake from hereon out!

Sunday, October 25th is Mark’s 50th birthday.  He doesn’t want a celebration so it will be very low-key but I am going to try to make a special birthday cake.  He told me once that his very favorite birthday cake  as a child was poppy seed cake.  I remember thinking, “Uh…okay…what kid wants poppy seed cake”?  I seriously had to wonder if kids brought their own cake to his birthday parties!

Mine was Betty Crocker yellow cake with chocolate icing.   However, Mom always, always baked a chiffon cake with butter icing.  While I never really liked the concept of an “adult” cake I must say it was tasty.  I remember on the morning of my 6th birthday, Arthur & I had sneaked out of the bedroom before Mom & Dad had woken up to sample the cake Mom had left on the dining room table at our apartment on Park Hill Avenue.   Let’s just say that we sampled enough of it that Mom had to bake another cake before the guests arrived later that night.  Hahah.

I’ve been searching for a recipe to add to our family list and I think I may have hit upon one that even makes me go “yum” over poppy seed cake.  This recipe comes from Dinner with Kirsten.  I’ll report back if I decide to make it.

This recipe is a classic in my family, part of long-standing tradition. I don’t know where it came from exactly, but Grandma Lois used to make this Czech dessert a couple times every year. It’s one of my Dad’s and Grandpa Ernie’s favorites.

We call this a “torte” but it’s actually just a cake with lots of layers. This cake uses egg whites only, giving it a light texture, while the egg yolks are reserved for the custard filling. But my favorite part of this cake is the thick fudge-like ganache frosting.

I have to admit that, as much as I love this cake, I’m always a little reluctant to commit to making it. There are just so many steps! But, in the end, there’s really nothing too complicated involved and it’s definitely worth the effort.

Poppy Seed Torte with Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Grandma Lois’ Recipe

For cake:
3/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup milk
2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 egg whites, beaten until stiff (reserved egg yolks to use in filling)

Soak poppy seeds in milk for two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. To this, add milk mixture and dry ingredients alternately. Add vanilla extract. Fold in egg whites. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

For filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
4 egg yolks

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and milk. Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes.  Temper egg yolks (add a little of the hot mixture to the yolks to gradually bring up their temperature, then add all the yolks to the saucepan) and cook 2 minutes longer.  Cool and add nuts.

For ganache frosting:
1 1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons milk
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Kahlua
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, milk and butter and bring to a boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, and add Kahlua and chocolate.  Beat with an electric mixer until thick (the mixture will thicken even more as it cools).

To assemble:
With a long serrated knife, cut cooled cakes in half horizontally, so there are 4 layers. Spread walnut filling between layers. Spread chocolate ganache frosting on the top and sides of the cake.

Apritada

Apritada is a tomato-based stew that can be made with either pork or chicken.  Like many Filipino dishes, it finds its roots in Spanish cuisine.

This recipe is adapted from Let’s Cook with Nora by Nora Daza - the quintessential Filipino cookbook that we should all have.  I haven’t seen the actual recipe so I don’t know how different it is from the version Mom gave me.

• 1 lb. pork loin, cut into strips or chicken breast or pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 tomatoes, sliced
• 2 medium sized potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons Datu puti
• sliced red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup water
• fine breadcrumbs
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Sautee garlic, onions, and tomatoes until wilted.
2. Add the pork and brown.
3. Add vinegar and let it boil for a few minutes, until it is reduced.
4. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
5. Add the water and simmer until pork is tender, about 20 minutes. Add more water if it starts drying out too much.
6. While apritada is simmering, fry potatoes in oil & drain.
7. After 20 minutes, add sliced bell peppers & approximately 3 tablespoons of fine bread crumbs to thicken the sauce.  Adjust accordingly.

To serve, dish apritada over steamed rice and top with fried potato cubes.

kim’s marvelous meatloaf

Our friend Kim Porter, photographer extraordinaire who documented Rio’s & Sylvi’s first 9 months in pictures, shared this meatloaf recipe on her Facebook page.  I’m assuming it’s marvelous because she calls it “marvelous”.  To see photos of what this should look like, click on the Kim’s name above;  I think it’s posted in the “food” category.

Kim’s Marvelous Meatloaf

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 large onion, chopped (I chunk up an onion and pulse it in the Cuisinart)
• 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, plus one teaspoon (I don’t even measure, I just put a buttload in the cuisinart and hope for the best)
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup, plus 1/4 cup
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup brreadcrumbs
• 1 pound ground chuck (don’t skimp and go lean on me!)
• 1/2 pound pork sausage (I use the Jimmy Dean in the roll, or already ground sausage like you can find at Henry’s or Sprouts)
• 1/2 pound ground turkey (Costco, baby!)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons plus 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• bacon slices
• 2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (I pulse these in the Cuisinart b/c I don’t like chunks, call me crazy)

1. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add all but 1/4 cup of the onions, the celery and cook, stirring constantly, until veggies are softened and beginning to caramelize around the edges (about 6 minutes).
2. Add 2 teaspoons of the garlic (which I have already Cuisinarted) the thyme, rosemary, and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. When the veggie mixture is somewhat cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the eggs, mustard, 1/4 cup of the ketchup, 1 teaspoon of the Worcestershire sauce, and heavy cream, and mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Add the breadcrumbs, and all of the meat, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Transfer to a 9×5×3 inch loaf pan and using your hands, form mixture into a loaf shape. Arrange slices of bacon on top and set aside.
6. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped onion, remaining teaspoon of garlic, remaining 1/2 cup of ketchup, remaining 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, remaining 2 teaspoons of pepper, vinegar, and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
7. Pour the sauce over the uncooked meatloaf and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes (internal temp of 170) or until the bacon and sauce are slightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with some kind of yummy, fattening, potato dish and win the love of your man (&/or family) forever.

A Note About Measurements

…or lack thereof.  Most of our family recipes come without measurements.   No indication of cups, pounds, teaspoons or tablespoons.

For as long as I can remember, that is the way it’s always been.  My Mom has only had to come up with “measurements” when I’ve pressed her for them and that’s really only been with adobo.  Get those proportions wrong & you get funky tasting adobo.  Not bad…but not “Mommy’s adobo”.

I once asked Auntie Baby how come she doesn’t use measurements either & in her characteristic way, she balked with a twinkle in her eye & said, “WHY?  You have to use measurements?  You don’t need measurements.  Your Lola didn’t use measurements.”

Ah-hah!  The gauntlet thrown down.  I will not cook using measurements either!

I imagine my son & daughter will ask the same of me one day.  :)

So for those of you “not in the family” and wondering how to make sense of it, it’s been trial & error for us.  Bambie, my sister-in-law and I have discussed what we’re doing wrong because our adobo still doesn’t taste like Mommy’s.  Same ingredients but still not quite there.  We’re getting there though.  We have to or WE will turn into adobo.

Vegetable Lumpia

The funny thing about vegetable lumpia is that it has meat in it.  Ground beef.  Of all the lumpia, it is my favorite!  I made it for the first time when Iko was living in the States some years ago with her husband Joel and daughters Popsie & Ruthie.  I made it for her birthday and frankly, we were both surprised by how good it turned out!

I am not really sure what the key is to making seamless, non-greasy, nice & crispy vegetable lumpia because I’ve only been able to achieve that kind of “perfection” that one time.  It probably entails a combination of factors:  draining the filling well, wrapping the lumpia tightly, having a good lumpia wrapper.

If anyone reading this has a favorite brand of lumpia wrapper available in the States and Canada, please let us know!

Ingredients:

• Ground Beef
• Garlic
• Onion – chopped
• Olive Oil
• Potatoes – chopped
• Singkamas (jicama) – chopped
• Carrots – chopped or shredded (I cheat & buy them in the bag already shredded)
• Green beans – raw/fresh – sliced
• Beansprouts
• Lumpia wrapper
• Datu puti vinegar
• Egg wash or small bowl of water

Directions:

1. In a large pan or pot, heat olive oil.
2. Add chopped/pressed garlic & brown lightly.
3. Add chopped onions and sautee for about 2 minutes
4. Add ground beef until almost no pink is showing
5. Add potatoes and singkamas; cook until potatoes are almost tender
6. Add remaining vegetables plus salt, pepper & soy sauce to taste
7. Simmer slowly being careful not to overcook thus drying out the beef.
8. Once well mixed & cooked, pour into collander to drain juices and to cool.
9. DO NOT USE SOGGY OR HOT mix to roll into lumpia – it will be a disaster!  Trust me.
10. Cut your lumpia squares in half diagonally.
11. With point of wrapper closest to your body, spoon mixture in a straight line running parallel to the long end of the wrapper.  Start rolling from the point to the long end being sure to roll tightly.
12. Use either an egg wash or water to moisten long edge of the wrapper to seal the lumpia.
13. Deep-fry lumpia in small batches and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with chopped garlic, pepper & salt-laced datu puti vinegar.