H invited some of his friends for dinner so our kitchen has been very busy since yesterday. Between shopping for fresh ingredients, ordering stuff and scheduling delivery (timing is everything!), I was an exhausted mommy.
But I always enjoy having people over. I am what they call an ever enthusiastic hostess, with the tendency to over-plan, over-prepare and do everything over the top. Moderation has never been my thing.
On tonight's menu is crown roast, marinated in olive oil, thyme, rosemary and italian pasley. I served it to our relatives during our reunion during last Christmas holiday and it was a hit; I sure hope it turns our okay this time.
We will also have our party staples: fried chicken lollipops, mashed potatoes, lasagne and chicken cordon bleu. For dessert we will have caramel apples (yes, that carnival favorite) that we made cuz I couldn't pass up the mansanitas (small apples) at the grocery store yesterday. We also made cheesecake upon the request of H and chocolate mousse that the kids love.
Bar list includes the only cocktail that H truly enjoys: Margaritas. We pre-made them in massive quantities using Patron Tequila but I made two tubs of lemon and lime based and the another two with strawberries, so when the guests arrive, it will just be a matter of scooping them onto Margarita glasses.
I hope our friends like the food. I hope H wins in poker.
N
13 May 2010
On Sherlock Holmes, lunch bags and lunch boxes
I have always been a fan of lunch boxes. Since I got my first Holly Hobbie tin lunch box when I was in grade school, I fancied the concept of bringing home-cooked meal at school or at the office. For one, I thought and still think that that rectangular tin case was a very nice accessory that somehow distracted people from the yucky green uniform they made me wear in grade school. The second reason is lifted off the concept that was introduced to me by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes books.
Men have many observable behavior or practices that indicates whats going on in his life. Neat and tidy clothes and shoes may indicate that the wife cares enough to press his clothes or make sure that the shoes are polished (or they have good maids!). Wrinkling at the arm of a man's shirt may indicate that the better-half has the habit of clinging to his arm (or he has a monkey for a pet?) A right-handed person will never put his wallet on the left back pocket of his trousers (someone took something from it then returned it). Mud on his shoes or the tires of his car means the butler did it for sure, LOL.
While obviously these may or may not be true (its a fiction book, for heaven's sake), I became fascinated by the amount of stuff that people reveal of themselves, if only we care enough to look.
Back to lunch boxes: Back when I was still working, I was envious of people who brought home food with them. It showed that either they are loved by someone who packed the meal or they have very efficient maids or cooks at home. Besides, their food is always, always better than the bland canteen food and I was sick and tired of Mickey Dees. So when I got married, I made a vow to always make lunches for my beloved.
So he who was accustomed to eating nothing else other than Taco Bell, Chilis, Fridays, CPK, McDonalds was suddenly faced with a wife who insists that he brings food to work whenever possible.
Fast forward today: H is once again on his version of the Atkins diet. He was on it once since we got married and I have seen such fantastic results but am nervous about all the cholesterol and fat that goes into a typical Atkins meal. So what i do is try and sort of balance it out with the inclusion of veggies and cooking his food with as little fat, oil or butter as possible. Now I am not a nutritionist neither am I an expert in dieting but the no starch, hi protein with equal portion of veggies made us lose inches off the waistline and lbs off the scale. Oh, and we had to give up soda too.
So for today's lunch, H will have quiche with ham and cheese and sirloin burger in romaine lettuce as substitute for buns. I always throw in catsup and mustard, just in case hes in the mood for them and I will definitely add one more item such as buttered okra or a banana.
I hope he likes my expression of love for him today.
MrsA
PS: The kids, with the exemption of Moggy- all refuse to bring lunch bags to school. They think its uncool. Ha!
Just wait 'til they're married!
Men have many observable behavior or practices that indicates whats going on in his life. Neat and tidy clothes and shoes may indicate that the wife cares enough to press his clothes or make sure that the shoes are polished (or they have good maids!). Wrinkling at the arm of a man's shirt may indicate that the better-half has the habit of clinging to his arm (or he has a monkey for a pet?) A right-handed person will never put his wallet on the left back pocket of his trousers (someone took something from it then returned it). Mud on his shoes or the tires of his car means the butler did it for sure, LOL.
While obviously these may or may not be true (its a fiction book, for heaven's sake), I became fascinated by the amount of stuff that people reveal of themselves, if only we care enough to look.
Back to lunch boxes: Back when I was still working, I was envious of people who brought home food with them. It showed that either they are loved by someone who packed the meal or they have very efficient maids or cooks at home. Besides, their food is always, always better than the bland canteen food and I was sick and tired of Mickey Dees. So when I got married, I made a vow to always make lunches for my beloved.
So he who was accustomed to eating nothing else other than Taco Bell, Chilis, Fridays, CPK, McDonalds was suddenly faced with a wife who insists that he brings food to work whenever possible.
Fast forward today: H is once again on his version of the Atkins diet. He was on it once since we got married and I have seen such fantastic results but am nervous about all the cholesterol and fat that goes into a typical Atkins meal. So what i do is try and sort of balance it out with the inclusion of veggies and cooking his food with as little fat, oil or butter as possible. Now I am not a nutritionist neither am I an expert in dieting but the no starch, hi protein with equal portion of veggies made us lose inches off the waistline and lbs off the scale. Oh, and we had to give up soda too.
So for today's lunch, H will have quiche with ham and cheese and sirloin burger in romaine lettuce as substitute for buns. I always throw in catsup and mustard, just in case hes in the mood for them and I will definitely add one more item such as buttered okra or a banana.
I hope he likes my expression of love for him today.
MrsA
PS: The kids, with the exemption of Moggy- all refuse to bring lunch bags to school. They think its uncool. Ha!
Just wait 'til they're married!
What's in my bag?
Last Monday, as I headed out to cast my vote in the national elections, I realized that my purse was not only bulging, it weighed a ton! I took a photo of the contents with my cellphone camera and sent it to my friends. I thought it was funny but I don't think anyone else did, not even H who says i always bring everything but the kitchen sink.
'
Now if you also live in a tropical country where the two seasons are 'hot' or 'hotter', you will be weighed down but will always carry around anti-sunstroke paraphernalia as well, don't you think?
Mrs A.
'Now if you also live in a tropical country where the two seasons are 'hot' or 'hotter', you will be weighed down but will always carry around anti-sunstroke paraphernalia as well, don't you think?
Mrs A.
12 May 2010
Ensaymada challenge on hold; cast iron pan obsession
My self-imposed ensaymada challenge has been temporarily put on hold. This despite all the hard work and effort that I have extended on researching all about ensaymadas- from reading about recipes, techniques and equipment to sampling a few last Sunday. I coerced H to drive Yap and I to the mall after dinner so we can buy a few at Mary Grace. After the second serving, I remember now why their ensaymadas never registered in my palette as a favorite. It was too... for lack of a better term- blah..
Sure the bread was soft and they used some cheese other than local cheddar, but there does not seem to be any cohesive magic created when it passes my lips on to my digestive tract. It felt like I was eating regular bread with butter, sugar and cheese. No magic. Blah.
I had to do a lot more research on the matter and decided to share my dillema with my younger brother Kev, also a major foodie. Where do I begin my search for ensaymada that is to die for?
Now, if you know Kev and I, you will know that our conversations always start out with a sharing of an experience or idea then just out of nowhere- at the most inopportune time, with little or no reason- the subject will go to any other random thing. Kinda like what happened last Monday.
"Ei Kev, do you know where I can get good ensaymada? I wanna make one but I dont know what makes a good ensaymada so I would like to one that will be the benchmark of future experimentation."
"That's dumb." That's my bro. Always encouraging.
"So if you were in a lavish buffet, what would be the top three main courses that you will put on your plate?"
"Steak" he immediately replied "and more steak" he added
"Yeah, you know that I read that the best cookware for steak is a cast iron pan. I found one at a hardware store but didn't buy it cuz t'was pricey"
"The best way to season cast iron pan is to use animal fat or cook a huge slab of bacon on it. Its a tedious process" He says with the confidence of a Food Network star.
"Well, it should be do-able, given the number of people who swear its the best there is. Man, those things are heavy!"I exclaimed.
"Yep" says my baby bro. "Read Market Manila. I think he wrote about cast iron pan seasoning".
So my ensaymada obsession has been temporarily overtaken by a new one: my search for cast-iron pans. I want to learn how to season them and cook steak in it. It may have been a shift of focus but the side tracking has been truly rewarding for in a mere two days, I was able to accumulate 6 pans! Woohoo!
Now, I did not overspend on these babies. True to what we read in the net, these are unbelievable cheap. The first one was a find at a supermarket. It has Japanese markings, a flat surface on one side and grooves on the other for making paninis and for getting grill marks on steaks and such. Cost? PhP 275 or just about USD 6! I found two miniature ones in our stockroom, purchased many months ago but remained unused because we already threw away two due to rust. They cost me Php 100 each as they were on sale then. The other three were a bargain purchase at a discount store for about PhP 500 or a little over USD 10 for all three pans. I am a happy Mommy.
Naturally, when I reached home, I rushed to the kitchen to season the pans. I ended up spending many grueling hours trying to get the desired black sheen to denote that it has the non-stick properties. I did everything that can be considered wrong: not rinsing off the salt (duh!), oven not hot enough, use of wrong oil. I called it a day past midnight, feeling much like a failure.
The following day, I had a brilliant idea. Capitalizing on what I read that morning that animal fat is best for seasoning cast iron pans, I cooked H's bacon in one of the pans. I got carried away and made carbonara for lunch, just so we can cook more bacon. We then brushed the residual oil in all the other pans (brushing ensured that there are no 'puddles'), heated the stove top and have all the pans heat up to smoking point, turned off the flame and left the hot pans alone to cool off. The result? The most beautiful black sheen.
So now I am a proud owner of cast iron pans and I am proud to declare that I was able to season them properly. This morning I cooked omelets for breakfast and H said that they came out fluffier, tastier. The man truly loves me.
As for me I love my pans. The ensaymadas can wait a few days. I still gotta cook steak.
MrsA.
Sure the bread was soft and they used some cheese other than local cheddar, but there does not seem to be any cohesive magic created when it passes my lips on to my digestive tract. It felt like I was eating regular bread with butter, sugar and cheese. No magic. Blah.
I had to do a lot more research on the matter and decided to share my dillema with my younger brother Kev, also a major foodie. Where do I begin my search for ensaymada that is to die for?
Now, if you know Kev and I, you will know that our conversations always start out with a sharing of an experience or idea then just out of nowhere- at the most inopportune time, with little or no reason- the subject will go to any other random thing. Kinda like what happened last Monday.
"Ei Kev, do you know where I can get good ensaymada? I wanna make one but I dont know what makes a good ensaymada so I would like to one that will be the benchmark of future experimentation."
"That's dumb." That's my bro. Always encouraging.
"So if you were in a lavish buffet, what would be the top three main courses that you will put on your plate?"
"Steak" he immediately replied "and more steak" he added
"Yeah, you know that I read that the best cookware for steak is a cast iron pan. I found one at a hardware store but didn't buy it cuz t'was pricey"
"The best way to season cast iron pan is to use animal fat or cook a huge slab of bacon on it. Its a tedious process" He says with the confidence of a Food Network star.
"Well, it should be do-able, given the number of people who swear its the best there is. Man, those things are heavy!"I exclaimed.
"Yep" says my baby bro. "Read Market Manila. I think he wrote about cast iron pan seasoning".
So my ensaymada obsession has been temporarily overtaken by a new one: my search for cast-iron pans. I want to learn how to season them and cook steak in it. It may have been a shift of focus but the side tracking has been truly rewarding for in a mere two days, I was able to accumulate 6 pans! Woohoo!
Now, I did not overspend on these babies. True to what we read in the net, these are unbelievable cheap. The first one was a find at a supermarket. It has Japanese markings, a flat surface on one side and grooves on the other for making paninis and for getting grill marks on steaks and such. Cost? PhP 275 or just about USD 6! I found two miniature ones in our stockroom, purchased many months ago but remained unused because we already threw away two due to rust. They cost me Php 100 each as they were on sale then. The other three were a bargain purchase at a discount store for about PhP 500 or a little over USD 10 for all three pans. I am a happy Mommy.
Naturally, when I reached home, I rushed to the kitchen to season the pans. I ended up spending many grueling hours trying to get the desired black sheen to denote that it has the non-stick properties. I did everything that can be considered wrong: not rinsing off the salt (duh!), oven not hot enough, use of wrong oil. I called it a day past midnight, feeling much like a failure.
The following day, I had a brilliant idea. Capitalizing on what I read that morning that animal fat is best for seasoning cast iron pans, I cooked H's bacon in one of the pans. I got carried away and made carbonara for lunch, just so we can cook more bacon. We then brushed the residual oil in all the other pans (brushing ensured that there are no 'puddles'), heated the stove top and have all the pans heat up to smoking point, turned off the flame and left the hot pans alone to cool off. The result? The most beautiful black sheen.So now I am a proud owner of cast iron pans and I am proud to declare that I was able to season them properly. This morning I cooked omelets for breakfast and H said that they came out fluffier, tastier. The man truly loves me.
As for me I love my pans. The ensaymadas can wait a few days. I still gotta cook steak.
MrsA.
09 May 2010
Ensaymada Challenge
I spent all of last night and all of today researching for a good ol' traditional ensaymada recipe. Honestly, I am not really a fan of ensaymada; I do not believe I ever had a craving for it. What ensaymada to me are two things- it reminds me so much of my childhood, my mom and dad loved ensaymada and would buy a gigantic one whenever we drive home from visiting our ancestral home in Bulacan.
The gigantic ensaymada had salted duck's eggs on top, along with the traditional butter, sugar and cheeze topping. My mom would slice it in wedges, pizza style- and would almost always exclaim that they no longer make ensaymadas the way they used to. Now- all throughout my life- I would hear that phrase whenever we eat pinoy stuff like pandesal or quesong puti or pancit palabok. Someone older than I would declare that traditional pinoy cooking is a dying art, that our generation is shortchanged as we did not have the chance to enjoy genuine Filipino cuisine the way it is supposed to be.
Hence my quest now for good old fashioned ensaymada recipe.
The other reason why I am challenged to make ensaymadas is because I am aware that it is a long and tedious process; it is not just a test of one's baking skills but it is also a test of one's patience.
If I should have a third reason is because today is Mother's Day and I would like to honor our dear Mommy Indes. It is she, along with our dear Dada, who raised my brothers and I and molded us to who we are now; that feisty lady who demonstrated to me what devotion to a beloved husband is like. I have fond memories of making ensaymadas with my mom and my brother Koo (our term of endearment for Kuya Kit), how much we enjoyed rolling the soft dough and how in many occasions we had to discard a batch due to discoloration for playing with it too much (it was already gray :)
This has become a self-imposed challenge of sorts. I must make ensaymada. I will make ensaymada!
Stay tuned!
N
The gigantic ensaymada had salted duck's eggs on top, along with the traditional butter, sugar and cheeze topping. My mom would slice it in wedges, pizza style- and would almost always exclaim that they no longer make ensaymadas the way they used to. Now- all throughout my life- I would hear that phrase whenever we eat pinoy stuff like pandesal or quesong puti or pancit palabok. Someone older than I would declare that traditional pinoy cooking is a dying art, that our generation is shortchanged as we did not have the chance to enjoy genuine Filipino cuisine the way it is supposed to be.
Hence my quest now for good old fashioned ensaymada recipe.
The other reason why I am challenged to make ensaymadas is because I am aware that it is a long and tedious process; it is not just a test of one's baking skills but it is also a test of one's patience.
If I should have a third reason is because today is Mother's Day and I would like to honor our dear Mommy Indes. It is she, along with our dear Dada, who raised my brothers and I and molded us to who we are now; that feisty lady who demonstrated to me what devotion to a beloved husband is like. I have fond memories of making ensaymadas with my mom and my brother Koo (our term of endearment for Kuya Kit), how much we enjoyed rolling the soft dough and how in many occasions we had to discard a batch due to discoloration for playing with it too much (it was already gray :)
This has become a self-imposed challenge of sorts. I must make ensaymada. I will make ensaymada!
Stay tuned!
N
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