KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - CHICKEN AND BABY POTATOES IN CREAM

This is another recipe I got from Mga Luto ni Dennis at iba pa blog…it is basically like chicken a la king but the main difference is the addition of potatoes instead of mushrooms. The dish starts with salting the chicken pieces lightly then they are fried in a bit of butter. Set aside. Then garlic, onions and ginger are sautéed, chicken added, then after a while a cup of water. When the water boiled, the baby potatoes are added then allowed to cook. When the potatoes are still firm, I added the all purpose cream and green peas. I let the mixture boil some more until the sauce becomes thick. Another option is to add some cornstarch diluted in water if you want a thicker sauce. I adjusted the seasonings – added more salt and pepper and served this as our lunch today…yummy! Thanks again Dennis!

LIFE OF PI – a movie review

The Life of Pi was our chosen movie today…we started watching the movie after breakfast/brunch at around ten am. I thought my daughter would soon get tired of the movie because it lacked some action and was only about a young boy’s adventures on a boat…but I was wrong since she watched the entire film and was really interested with what happened to him in the movie. The movie is actually about an Indian boy named Pi Patel, he tells his story to a novelist/writer in Canada and he starts about his childhood in India. Pi relates that his family owned a zoo and that he was particularly fond of animals, in particular a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. One day, he tried feeding the tiger but his father angrily shoved him away and told him that the tiger is dangerous. As proof, he made Pi witness the tiger killing a goat and made him promise not to go near it again. But then his father came home one day with sad news that the municipality cannot support the zoo anymore hence they needed to sell the zoo and its animals. The family will be also be relocated to Canada and so they rode a Japanese ship. One night while Pi is on deck, the ship is met with a heavy storm, he tries to find his family but a Japanese crew member throws him out into a lifeboat and he watched as the ship sinks killing his entire family. The next day, he discovers a zebra with him on the lifeboat. They later discover an orangutan floating at sea who they also take into the lifeboat. Then, suddenly a hyena emerges from under tarp covering half of the boat and kills the zebra. It also kills the orangutan and tried to approach Pi when suddenly a tiger comes out from underneath the tarp and kills the hyena. So Pi decides to get out of the boat and use the flotation device to stay at a safe distance from the tiger. He gets some emergency food rations and water that he found on the boat. He starts to fish and also collects rainwater for him and the tiger. After many days, Pi teaches the tiger to accept him inside the boat and it was then that he realized that caring for the tiger was what kept him alive. But despite his survival efforts, the two almost die of starvation until later on they reach an island filled with many edible plants, fresh water pools and thousands of meerkats. They eat and drink what they could find in order to regain their strength. But come nightfall, they soon discover that the island turns onto a carnivore, since Pi sees dead fishes floating in the now acidic water and discovers a human tooth inside a flower. So the next day, he and Richard Parker decided to leave the island. Soon, they reach the coast of Mexico and as Richard Parker walks away into the forest, Pi looks on and expects him to look back at him to acknowledge him. But instead, the tiger walks on and goes into the jungle. Pi cries as he is rescued and brought to a hospital. After some time, insurance agents come to interview him but do not believe his story and ask him to relate what really happened and so he makes up a story about being on the boat with his mother, a Buddhist sailor with a broken leg and the cook. In this story, the cook killed the sailor in order to eat him and use him as bait then Pi's mother pushed her son to safety on a smaller raft before the cook stabbed her and threw her overboard. Pi later returned, to kill the cook with a knife. Pi then asked the writer what story he prefers and he responds ‘the one with the tiger’ as it is the better story. Later on, he sees the insurance report and notes that the insurance agents wrote that Pi survived 227 days at sea with an adult Bengal tiger so I guess it seems they believed his story after all. What was originally a quite boring story about the adventure of a young boy with a tiger came truly alive with the 3D effects that this film used. In fact, many critics described the movie as a 3D masterpiece since you just don’t watch the movie, you live it. The film is visually amazing, the effects that Ang Lee made in the sky and the water makes it so much interesting. The movie is filled with so much marvelous things that you may even doubt what you are already seeing with your own eyes. And in the end, it makes you even wonder if you have seen anything at all. In fact, if you read the making of the film, the tiger and all the other animals in the film is not real at all and just the product of magnificent visual effects. But then again, this draws us back to the story’s real ending – which is the story that truly happened? The one with the tiger? Or the one with the humans? But I guess it does not really matter, as it depends on what you prefer to believe as a moviegoer: if you are someone who only believes what he sees and touches or someone who believes in miracles and accepts things based on faith. What matters is that the movie made me believe in the majesty and miracle of God and believe in something that would have been thought of as impossible.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - BACON AND TOMATO OMELETTE

This was supposed to be a frittata…but the ingredients came up short and I could not make it fill up a 9-inch plate and so it became an omelette. I used the same ingredients though and practically the same process – I started out with frying the bacon in a bit of oil, none at all if using a non-stick pan. Then I sautéed the garlic, onion and tomatoes and removed from pan. Next is beat three eggs in a bowl, dropped the sautéed ingredients, added some grated cheese and then I reheated the pan. If cooking as a frittata, you just let the eggs set in the pan and when it seems solid enough invert onto a plate and return to the pan to cook the other side. But since my ingredients would not fit the entire pan, I decided to cook it as an omelette, I just dropped half of the mixture into the pan and folded the egg in the middle until the edges are set. I did the same to the other half of the mixture and then served with rice or bread.

SAM’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Sam turned seven today and in a way it was a reunion of sorts... because my long-time college friend Mia came (she is also a friend of my brother and my two sisters...it's a long story how but it just is) then an aunt who had long been 'missing in action' in some of our family gatherings arrived with her kids in tow and we we were quite glad to see her. We all chipped in something just to ensure that Sam’s birthday will be really special! The night before, I went off in search of bread sticks, marshmallows and choc-o sticks just for my special contribution for Sam’s party – his very own choco fountain! Ma cooked some spaghetti and fried chicken for the kids…and we all went there at around 4pm to have fun with Sam and his friends. His mom Vanj was here in Manila and she prepared a few somethings too and some of the other guests brought some cake and ice cream… I know what we shared was just simple things but collectively I am sure we made one little boy’s day truly special…Happy Birthday Sam!

P.S. Credits go to Vanj for the photos that I grabbed from her FB account.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - GARLIC KANGKONG

Here’s a new twist to the classic kangkong favorite…usually when we have fried fish dishes we pair it up with steamed kangkong or kamote tops, whichever is available, and have as our sawsawan some bagoong and/or toyo with calamansi --- yummy! But last week, the boss treated us out to a Chinese buffet restaurant somewhere in the Timog or Quezon Avenue area (I forgot na e!) but all that I remember was that it was located within Aberdeen Court. Their food was OK and quite affordable pa but what really got my attention was the kangkong dish that was smothered in garlic and cooked briefly in oil (can be olive if you have it) and I vowed to try and replicate the dish at home. And I did! And the family loved it! I just sautéed lots of garlic in oil then I added the kangkong (that was already previously blanched in boiling water) then when the leaves have wilted, served immediately and add more fried garlic bits as garnish! It tastes really good…and healthy too!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - SWEET AND SOUR TILAPIA

This is another fave dish that I got from Mga Luto ni Dennis at iba pa…it was a new way for me to cook tilapia because I knew the family had gotten tired of the usual fried, inihaw or pinangat that we cook around the house. It is really actually just frying but afterwards, sweet and sour sauce was added that made all the difference and a totally new experience for our usual tilapia fare. For the complete recipe please just check out Dennis’ blogsite…all I did was after cleaning and scoring the fish, I rubbed some salt and pepper and let the fish rest for a few minutes while I cut up the vegetables. While the fish fries in a pan I sautéed the ginger, garlic and onions. Then I added the carrots, red bell pepper and tomato catsup and seasoned the dish with salt, pepper, brown sugar and some cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken the sauce a bit. Finally, I poured the sauce over the fried tilapia, garnished with chopped onion leaves and served with hot rice for another yummy lunch! Thank you Dennis!

OUR WEEKEND FOOD TRIP

During weekends that we stay at home and we do not have much to do…just the regular chores and review of my daughter’s lessons, we usually watch movies either on USB or regular cable. And during those times…we do nothing much but EAT! And EAT! And EAT MORE! So it is expected that I stock up on food that we can munch on or sometimes my daughter and I make some sweet desserts (either baked or not) to have our own kinda fun in the kitchen…it’s good therapy really…Of course, it is expected that there will be a lot of mess to clean up afterwards but still it’s a good way to bond and develop camaraderie with my kid! And so this weekend, we bought some chips, fish crackers, Indian mangoes and bananas…we bought this at the local tiangge market then later on we’d be getting more from the grocery store… here’s tp a yummy weekend!

CUPCAKE SECRET

Here’s another belated gift to myself – and it arrived in the mail today – yippee! My very own Cupcake Secret silicone muffin pans! What is it really? Well, it is just like your regular muffin pans but it has a secret… it has pins at the center of the cake and removable bottoms so you can place anything – marshmallows, a chocolate, even a fruit at the center of the cupcake! Or you may opt to use the small thimble-like container, if you want anything liquid naman at the cupcake centers – like maybe some melted cheese or dulce de leche or even dark chocolate! There are endless possibilities – all I need now is to find some very promising recipes, buy the needed ingredients, and have THE TIME to finally do some baking! I am just SO EXCITED!!!

NEW POPSICLE MAKERS!

Before I left for home today, I decided to open my emails and FB page to check out the greetings and thank those who greeted me on my special day. Then, I got a pleasant surprise when I saw in my email inbox an item for sale at Cash-cash pinoy…the popsicle makers that I had long been wanting to have! This is just the perfect thingy for the coming summer and the perfect birthday gift I could give to myself and my daughter! She would surely love this…and I just know we would both enjoy making different flavored popsicles together! Here’s looking forward to a fun summer with my new popsicle makers!

DITSE'S BIRTHDAY

Today is Ditse’s birthday and as our way of showing our gratitude for everything that she has done for us…we always celebrate it with cake and a special dinner. Of course, it cannot be helped that she had to cook some of the dishes herself, but most of the time, we buy her something special like cake or lechon manok or liempo or siomai…to save her the effort of cooking everything by herself. Sometimes, we also invite her children to spend the day with her…to give them time to spend together…but with their very busy lives, they rarely are able to come. And so this year, it was just us…I just hope she felt special even for just one day…

NEW BLUETOOTH HEADSET

I made another purchase via the internet and it arrived thru special delivery today…but I swear, I really do need this gadget because it had been pretty hard for me to make some calls using the tab because it is so bulky to just hold up and make phone calls (kinda makes me look stupid too) So more often than not, I need to insert the earphones first…this is OK when I am the one making calls but what about during those times when I receive the call…I had no choice but to hurriedly take out the earphones and insert them but by the time I am ready to answer, the caller had already hung up. So when I saw this Bluetooth headset on sale with Groupon, I immediately grabbed the deal because it was quite cheap too! Imagine, at only PhP400 I could have my own Bluetooth headset yippee! I could simply put it on my ear whenever I am travelling and there’s no need any more to take out the gadget just to answer the call. A very welcome development indeed!

HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL @ CLARK

 Today, we spent the day at Clark, Pampanga to witness our first-ever Hot Air Balloon Festival…it had been celebrated annually for 18 years now, ever since the US military bases vacated Clark to promote tourism in the area. We had planned to do this since last month pa, ever since I saw the announcement about the event. But it was all just plans…we never really made concrete itineraries and made invitations to others to join us. So on the week before the event, I was still non-committal to my sister who wanted to tag along with us for the event…good thing we were together na din since last night so when the hubby decided to push through with it… she was able to come with us.      
The day before, Alan already bought some hotdogs and longganisa for our breakfast/picnic tomorrow while waiting for the balloons to be launched then on D-Day, we got up early to cook rice, and the hotdogs, we also packed some plates, glasses, cold water in a jug and of course, a picnic mat. Then, after I woke up everyone (including Anna, Alan, Ditse and the kids) off we went to travel for about an hour to Clark, Pampanga. We do not have the money to pay for the entrance tickets and so we opted to just find our spot outside the launching grounds…anyway, we can see the balloons naman from just about anywhere. At first, we went near the entrance, we followed where the people were going…but after awhile, we realized the entrance was still quite far from the launching area and in fact, our parking spot was even nearer and so we changed venues and hurried to where our car was parked because they were starting to inflate the balloons na.      
The balloons this year included a lot of regular shaped balloons and had many forms and sizes - a space shuttle, a sun, an elephant head, Humpty Dumpty, and whole lot more. The balloons, a blog says, were from different countries around the world and were brought here to the Philippines. The thing about hot air balloons is that you can’t control them. They go where the wind takes them. So even if the balloons did not fly near where we were situated, at least we were near the launch area so we get to see them before the winds took them elsewhere …we were so lucky indeed! The kids had so much fun taking pictures and watching in awe as the colorful hot air balloons took off.  
But the day is not just about hot air balloons – we were also able to witness para-gliders doing exhibitions and different formations in the sky. But what really made our day was the Breitling Jet Team that made a spectacular aerobatic display with their supersonic jets…it was just so amazing! We almost did not get to see it because we thought the show was over and we decided to move out of the parking lot earlier than the others so as not to get stuck there…but good thing that we were caught in traffic or maybe the cars just decided to stop on the highway and gaze at the marvelous maneuvers unfolding before our eyes. And so we all went home quite satisfied and happy with everything that we had witnessed…will we come and visit again next year? Maybe…if it were better planned and maybe if we get the chance to get real up-close with the balloons or even better – get to ride in one---that would be the best experience yet!       

JOLLIBEE PARTY AND STAR CITY WITH BALIKBAYAN RELATIVES

About three weeks ago, our step-sister who had migrated to Canada in 2006 came home for a much-needed break. They went there at around June of 2006 with two kids and a dream to make it big in Canada…and they did all of that and much…much more! They now have their own dream house, their own car that would amply fit their growing family of three boys and a girl (the youngest boy and girl were born there), their successful jobs and some money saved/left over to vacation here in the Philippines…imagine that! Well, I guess their big risk and hard work for the past seven years had paid off and now they are starting to enjoy the fruits of their labor…
They planned their vacation to last for about a month, and for the past three weeks of their stay here (we haven’t really seen them yet) they have been making the rounds of tourist spots in the country like Bohol, Palawan, Tagaytay, etc…visiting the places they have truly missed and going to popular tourist places that they want to enjoy and savor. I heard, they even visited Bali or was it Bangkok…whatever…and so this weekend, is the one they have reserved for us. Well, it was not the usual long all-night sleepovers that we used to do where we just spend the night making non-stop kwento and all…but I guess they have other plans and so this birthday at Jollibee for one of their kiddos and for the little girl, to finally meet the Jollibee mascot, is the time that they have reserved for us…we do understand their busy sked! I guess not even a month is enough to arrange meet-ups for all the relatives and friends that you want to see and spend a moment with…
Suffice it to say that we had fun during the Jollibee party…the kids played some fun games and even us adults, participated in some of the games. Then, after the games the kids wanted to have more fun and went to Star City…this time the hubby and I just begged off, I knew it was a Saturday and there were just too many people there…I also knew the hubby would not be enjoying the rides and so we just left our kids in Anna’s care and took off on our own. It was almost 7, when they went out of Star City and we said our goodbyes and thank you’s to our balikbayan relatives…I knew it was just a short but sweet visit especially for the kids who have not been able to have the kinda fun and chat they would have needed to catch up with each other’s lives…but I guess there’s always FB… so here's hoping the family will have a safe trip home! Sure hope, too, that we’ll have a longer bonding time on their next trip home!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - Porkchop aloha

Here’s another easy recipe that I was able to get from mgalutonidennis@blogspot.com. I say easy because it allowed me to do my exercises while cooking. I simply marinated the porkchops overnight in a mixture of calamansi, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Then, in the morning, I pan fried the chops in a little oil and when the meat has turned pink, add the marinade and a little water and let the mixture boil until the pork has considerably softened…when the liquid had been reduced, add the pineapples, adjust the seasonings according to your preference, turn off the fire then serve!

MEETING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND

Facebook is truly a wonder as it has made the world smaller and access to friends even from those around the world so much easier! Can you imagine getting in touch again with a friend whom you parted ways with when their family moved out of the old neighborhood when you were about fifteen years old? Imagine too that she’s now living in Chicago, Illinois, some 8,100 miles / 13,000 kilometers away in the U.S of A…hard to believe right? But thanks to FB this kind of miracle now happens every time!
But this friend I recently met up with is not the same childhood friend who lives in Illinois, USA. This is another friend whom I met when we moved to Diliman after living ten years in Cubao. She lived across from our house and on the first day after we moved, she immediately knocked on our door and introduced herself and we hit it off right away. By then, I became pregnant with my first born son and she was the one I shared my joys and woes with…but sad to say, we moved to Paranaque after only two years and I have lost touch with her ever since, though I made her a godmother of my child.
Then, suddenly a few months ago I saw her trying to add me up as a friend on FB and of course I immediately accepted her and we chatted just like the old times…I learned that she is now married to a new guy, but she has not had another child again…just my inaanak, Top-top, who is BTW, now a pretty young lass herself, albeit a bit on the chubby side. She stayed in Bicol for awhile, in pursuit of ‘gold’ but she did not luck out and had to return here…her next stop was Cagayan where she engaged in another form of business, making jewelry. This is where she met her current man and nowadays she keeps herself busy with another business venture – the Royale Business Club.
It is actually a multi-level marketing company that earns its profits thru networking/recruiting and sales of beauty products that are all produced and distributed locally. Recently, however, they have branched out to different countries like Singapore and some Middle East countries like Qatar, UAE, in order to target OFWs. She invited me to join but at first I balked because I needed to shell out about 12K for the membership fee…but she gave me an incentive/package wherein I could get some products advanced and if I am able to sell them and reach the amount of 12K, I can be a member na…no cash-out required! Pretty neat huh! And so I agreed to meet up with her so she could explain to me the basics of the products and the company itself. I left the office at around 3pm to go to her place via a trike at the Bliss area. Stopped first though at Yviana’s to buy some banana cake which we can share…after all, it is coffee time! She still looks good, after all these years of not seeing each other and in between her explaining to me about their products and services and of course, how I could eventually earn, if I get to recruit some down lines…well, it all looks legit naman and the products are all enticing…I just hope I would have the guts to eventually sell them to the people in our office…or better yet to recruit some down lines so that I could earn much…oh well, here’s crossing my fingers something good will come out of this yet!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - Bonchon chicken

There had been many outlets of this famous chicken house here in the country (that originated from Korea pala!) but sad to say, I have not been able to try it yet…but what I was able to taste was the version made once by my cousin-chef when we visited another aunt’s house in Pasig…it tasted great and at the time, I saw how he cooked it and saw the ingredients he used, but did not remember the proportions and so I searched the net and saw a couple of recipes …they basically had similar ingredients and the processes involved were the same. First, the chicken part – though I was not really a fan of chicken wings, I decided to use them for this recipe since most sites I visited used the wing part of the chicken (but I think it’s OK if you use any part). Marinate the chicken pieces in salt, pepper, minced onion, minced garlic and 2T soy sauce, overnight is best - the longer the better. Prepare the breading by mixing ½ c flour, ½ c cornstarch, salt and pepper, and a dash of your fave seasoning (vetsin or magic sarap). Toss the chicken pieces in the breading, making sure that each piece is coated well. Deep fry the chicken pieces until golden and drain on paper towels. Let rest for a few minutes. Re-fry the chicken wings until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Then toss the chicken wings in the sauce. For the sauce, mix together ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and ¼ c water in a bowl. Then set aside. Saute garlic and ginger for two minutes. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and simmer for ten minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and toss the chicken wings with the sauce. Coat each piece well and serve with hot rice…It tastes really good - the kids and the hubby liked it!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - DULCE DE LECHE CREAM TART

This is another sweet and sinful recipe that I got from Casa Veneracion but first you have to start with making dulce de leche. What exactly is dulce de leche? Well, according to Wikipedia dulce de leche is a confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from the caramelization of the product. Literally, it means ‘candy of milk’ or candy made of milk. It is popular in South America, in particular, in Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Brazil, Colombia, Eastern Bolivia and Venezuela.
But the product itself varies from country to country – some like in El Salvador, has a soft crumbly texture while in Colombia and Venezuela it is made with corn starch giving it a soft custard like texture. Mexican’s make theirs from goat’s milk while in Puerto Rico, it is sometimes made with unsweetened coconut milk. The most basic recipe calls for slowly simmering milk and sugar , stirring almost constantly, while other ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon may be added for flavor. Much of the water in the milk shall evaporate and so the mixture thickens.
Here in the Philippines, I have learned to make dulce de leche from my fave chef – Connie. You just boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for two to three hours (shorter if using a pressure cooker), allow the cans to cool completely before opening them to have your very own dulce de leche. This may be used to flavor candies, cakes, churros, pies or even with plain old pandesal…but enough of the history, you may get the exact recipe at the CASA Veneracion blog…I just want to say that what drew me to this recipe was because it required no baking. You just have to make the crust (from graham crakers) then mix together the cream mixture. Then its assembly time - place the dulce de leche layer on top of the crust then the sliced bananas and cover it all with the whipped cream mix. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and chill first before serving…quite easy eh? Delicious too!

PLAYING WITH THE RABBITS

These bunnies were born last month on January 26…and today is our first time to play with them…and it may be the last time too…coz we’ll be giving them away again, in a few more weeks…we can’t afford to keep anymore bunnies kasi e…Whitey’s babies this time are four – two white ones and one completely brown like its dad and another white one with big brown patches. They’re just sooooo cute and cuddly, quite big at just three weeks! One pair will be given to Keith’s ‘special friend’ while the second pair to Ate Gemma, Kaye’s school bus operator, she had long been asking us to give her some bunnies and now she can finally get her wish…

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – FISH FILLET IN SWEET CORN AND WHITE SAUCE

I had some leftover fish fillet from the one I used to make the nuggets and so I decided to cook another fish dish but this time with some sauce so it won’t be too dry. We had this for lunch and though it was just me, the hubby and the daughter…it was truly a satisfying meal! I got the recipe from CASA Veneracion’s archive. The only difference is that instead of using fresh corn on the cob, I cheated and used the ones in a can…It still tasted great though! I just knew my family loves anything with milk…and corn…so they just love that this dish had both…thanks Sassy for sharing!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – BAKED PORK IN MUSTARD AND YOGURT

I am posting this dish even if my family did not like it…I guess it may be considered as one of those epic failures of a dinner that I made…boohoo! I knew I followed the recipe to the letter and the chops came out juicy enough…but I guess the family does not really like mustard in their food…which was just too bad because while the pork was cooking in the oven, they were quite excited because the aroma of the dish was just so great…but when it was served…they found the taste - peculiar! Oh well, at least now I know not to serve them anything with mustard…lesson learned!