Mga Pahina

Linggo, Disyembre 30, 2012

Doing some "Fat Kid's" recipes...

Its 1am and the whole family just got home from our post Christmas /pre new year celebration and here I am blogging, as if I have readers. Like I've said, I am doing this for passion. I received a Hard Rock Cafe tumbler, which I got from the lucky game of BINGO; a Dona Elena Olive Oil, for my cooking frustrations; a 200 peso Sun Load, and a 20 peso bill. 

Also, I am now bald by choice, just for the fun of celebrating the new year with a new look and a new hairstyle. Anyway, before the year ends, I would just like to share some of the dishes I cooked this week. These were my "output" from Erwan Heussaf's food blog  which I highly recommend for foodies, both expert and frustrated (like me). The recipes are easy to follow.

*to respect and acknowledge Heussaf's recipes, I will just direct you to his website...

The Grilled Cheese
Please check out: Grilled Cheese 



The above picture is my version of Heussaf's Grilled Cheese. It is really fun to do and you get to experiment the taste depending on your preferences. I like my tomato relish with Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco (loads) instead of Balsamic Vinegar. This is also my first time to fry an egg. I did the process twice because my dad asked me to cook for him after he had a taste of the dish I prepared. So I guess that was a positive gesture. *winks*

The Chili
Please check out: Erwan Heussaf's Skill Shop #13: A Big Bowl of Chili 




I have to admit that this one is also easy to do if you have the "right" ingredients. Now I get it when they say that do not settle for less. I bought all the right ingredients, spices and all, except for the mushrooms. Instead of buying fresh, I bought the canned Japanase Mushroom which is not a perfect fit for the Chili. My chili became a spaghetti of hard to swallow japanese mushroom. Eeek. 

Well, I cannot say that this one is a failed mission. In fact, it tasted good because of the completeness of the spices (chili powder, paprika, tumeric, basil, cumin and white pepper).  So, check out Erwan's recipe and try this easy to do dish. Again, no canned Jap Mushrooms, ok?

Martes, Disyembre 25, 2012

Chicken Coriander and Great Courage

Pursuing a new hobby such as cooking requires a lot of courage, but inviting friends over to eat your second dish is a different story. I have invited 2 of my friends, Harold and Joana as my human guinea pigs. 

Chicken Coriander is a famous Indian Food. I don't know what a coriander is until today, so if you are an idiot like me, here's one thing you need to know about Coriander: Cilantro and Coriander are one and the same. If you refer to the leafy part, that's the Cilantro (or Wansuy in tagalog). On the other hand, the seed part is called Coriander. 

Got that? (these herbs and spices are killing me)

Here's how you make one:

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, skinned, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt
250 ml plain yogurt
2 tablespoon oil
3 large onions, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
2 tablespoon garlic paste
5 green cillies
2 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder 
200g chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
100g chopped mint leaves


First, you need to marinade the chicken with 100mL of plain yogurt, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of chili powder. I am a sucker for spicy foods so I added another teaspoon to the mixture. Leave the mixture for 15-20 minutes.

In a saucepan, pour some oil and add the onions (wait until transparent) then the ginger and garlic paste. After 5 minutes, add the green chillies, coriander and cumin powder. Ok, here are some tips: when slicing onions, make sure to put them in the freezer (10-15mins) so that you will be spared from the agony of teary eyes. On the other hand, if you have a blender (or a mortar), do not buy ginger and garlic pastes. You can make your own. Not only it is fresh but its free from preservatives.  For the coriander powder, try to buy some seeds which you can powderize using the blender. Blenders are really handy and useful. I just bought my Philips HR2001 blender last Friday for the price of P1,995. It's very affordable and it's very good for starters.

If you feel that the mixture is ok (because my mom told me that cooking is all about intuition), add the chicken with the marinade in the saucepan. Add another 100-150ml of plain yogurt, chopped coriander and mint leaves. Bring them to boil and wait for 20 minutes to cook everything. Serve HOT!

The verdict: They were actually impressed but I am not sure if they are telling the truth. 

My apologies for I failed to take a NICE photo of the dish because my hands are all over the place. I promise to document my next dishes in DETAILS...I never realized the cooking is really tiring especially if you are using fresh ingredients. 




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 To compliment your Chicken Coriander, you can make your own Mango Lassi--a famous Indian Drink. It's very easy! Just blend mango slices, yogurt and sugar. Serve chilled. 


Linggo, Disyembre 23, 2012

Call Centers, Dyslexia and Idiots

I have been fascinated with the Indian culture since I was a kid. I am not sure of the root cause, but all I know is that I am attracted with colorful cultures and history. God willing, I will be able to finally visit the country next year, 1st week of November, just in time for their Deepavali (Festival of Light). 

Last week, before I started this blog, I have decided to document my chronicles BEFORE my India trip. I want to study more about the country and their culture in the comfort of my own cozy little room. In short, I will be in India without really being in India. 

I believe that's how things work. You have to attract your deepest desires and actually live like you already have them. For the past weeks, I have been watching some bollywood films (recommended by couchsurfers), listening to traditional music and trying to cook their delicacies. 

Let me show you a glimpse of what I did for the past week.. 



Outsourced is a TV series about an American Call Center Manager who was assigned to handle a call center in India.  I am not sure if this series is offending to Indians but I have learned some of the basics of their culture (and how Indian girls are really attractive). You can easily relate to the characters especially because of their humor, sarcasm and their innocence. Going back to the cultural side, I have learned that:

- there is no such thing as "Indian" language
- touching the feet of an elderly to show respect is noteworthy. 
- Indians, are in many ways similar to Filipinos in terms of values.

Enough has been said about outsourced so lets now talk about 2 Bollywood movies which I watched this week, Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots (for the 3rd time).



Taare Zameen Par or Stars on Earth is about an 8 year old boy who suffers from Dyslexia. The little boy, Ishaan, felt insecure and "unloved" until he met his art teacher (Ram Shankar Nikhumb played by the awesome Aamir Khan) who believed that every child has a potential--without exemptions. Ram brought out the best in Ishaan even if he faced persecutions from his fellow teachers. There were various tearjerkers in the film especially the relationship of Ishaan and his family as well as the improvement of Ishaan's character as a student, as a son and as a person. 

Lesson: Never underestimate a person because of his weaknesses. Look at his strengths and focus on them. 

(thanks to my couchsurfing friend, Sid Kandoi for recommending this film..) 




If you haven't watched this film...shame on you! Sorry for being so rude, but this is a must see movie. I don't want to tell the story or the plot because it's really for you to find out. If you want to step out from mediocrity and think outside the box, this is an inspirational film to watch.  

Martes, Disyembre 18, 2012

My First Post and My First Dish (Thai Green Curry)



Coconut Milk. What the heck is a coconut milk? 

That's the first ingredient I saw in the recipe which was written at the back of the green curry paste packaging. I didn't know that those recipes work. But first things first. What the heck is a coconut milk and where can I find it? I am damn new to this supermarket scene.

Junk foods.. yeah! That's my heavenly lane. Go to a supermarket and buy a Lays barbecue flavor. That's easy as one-two-three..but looking for a coconut milk..that's worse than your average Easter egg hunt. I went to the milk section. Nope. No sign of Coconut Milk. I don't even want to ask because I don't want them to figure out my ignorance on this thing. Glad I found one and I forgot which lane. See how stupid I am? Well you cannot blame me. It's a defining moment. I am now human. 

Next... the meat. Funny thing is that the guys who wrote the recipe (shame on them) failed to write how much meat you need in order to perfect the meal. So I approached the butcher and asked if how much do I get for a half kilo chicken thigh fillet. He placed some of the meat inside a plastic bag and weighed the loot. My gut feel told me that a half kilo is enough. Sigh of relief. 

"So that's how half kilo looks like", I said to myself. 

After surviving the jungle and completed the things on the list, I went home and prepared for the meal. 

My first *cooking experience was fun except for a few bloopers I made like putting the tomatoes without cutting them. Thanks mom for telling me how stupid I am. But I am glad they all liked it (or they just lied because they wanted me to feel good at this cooking debut of mine). 

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Indian or Thai foods are not easy meals to prepare. You need to know the list of spices and majority of them cannot be found in one supermarket. So, for starters, all you need is a ready made paste. This Kanokwan Green curry paste is really tasty. Highly recommended.