Category Archives: eating

Celebrating a Friend’s Engagement

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How could you not have fun with a bunch of girlfriends at a cooking class and then karaoke in a private room belting out hits from the 1980’s? There were plenty of treats for us at dinner, and unfortunately, I didn’t make time to bake up a batch of cookies to share. (I really wanted to.)

I did make this card for my friend.

Borrowing a line from a Las Vegas commercial, I wrote this in the card, “What happens at the bachelorette party, stays with the bachelorette party.” So with that, I won’t go much into the weekend details (no big debauchery, really), but I’ll say it was so much fun spending time with the ladies. I will share how to make the card!

What you need:

  • The Bad Girl’s stamp kit by Chronicle Books
  • 6″ x 6″ card – white cardstock
  • Two or three coordinating colors in acrylic paint – I used Lumiere paint to coordinate with the bride’s invitation. Feel free to experiment with other colors!
  • Black embossing powder
  • Miscellaneous supplies: paint brush, ink pad, and heat gun
  • I’m assuming there is general knowledge about embossing and rubber stamping… basic techniques can be found by searching for “rubber stamping basic embossing technique“.
  1. If you need guidelines, then use your ruler and lightly pencil out a grid, evenly dividing the card into 16 spaces. I did not do this… just eyeballed the spacing to give it a handcrafted feel.
  2. I then took drops of each color and placed on a foam plate (palette) to mix the colors a bit. This is all very free-range art; mix as much or as little as you want. I like it lightly mixed so you can still see different colors.
  3. Paint 16 squares on your card front, preferably free hand. The squares don’t have to be perfect. Let dry.
  4. When paint is dry, stamp your images within the square. Again, I went for a freehand look and did not align the images in a certain orientation. Off-center is fun and quirky!
  5. NOTE: I stamped four images and then dusted with embossing powder.
  6. Once your card is all dusted with embossing powder and you’ve tapped off the excess, turn up your heat gun and make some embossing magic!

Voila! It’s done and ready for your personal note for your bride-to-be pal.

Filipino Style Pressed Sandwich

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Honestly, I don’t know that Filipinos (well, old school ones) like sandwiches all that much. Rice trumps bread…always. Bread is mainly reserved for breakfast or snacktime, and it’s dunked in coffee nonetheless.

Growing up, sandwiches were not a staple in my home and were made really thin: too little meat, thin bread, thin layer of chicken salad or (and I even hate admitting this) it was just sandwich spread. We had road trips with thin sandwich spread sandwiches, like eating mayonnaise on white bread. Imagine the look on my face when I actually saw a well-made deli sandwich for the first time? I remember my mom taking my brother and me to Wag’s (Late 1970’s Walgreen’s had a little restaurant) for lunch and we ordered a BLT. It was delicious, but I remember I had a torn-up upper palate from the toasted bread. Thirty years later, BLT’s are still a favorite, and my mouth still gets raw.

It wasn’t long after that I started making my own sandwiches for school lunches. No more Miracle Whip sandwiches for me. Had a big love affair with Philly steak sandwiches in college, and my brother introduced me to Bahn Mi, Vietnamese sandwiches, a few years ago. But, I really like paninis; it’s like a grown-up grilled cheese sandwich but bigger and with more fixin’s. The crispy, toasted bread with fluted ridges did me in – Pretty and tasty at the same time.

So, why not a Filipino version? Is there one? A good one? Mine are a bit like bahn mi in the respect I used cilantro and matchstick carrots. I couldn’t think of vegetables that represented Filipino cuisine, would taste good with sweet, seasoned sausages and wouldn’t necessarily have to be cooked. And I definitely wanted to keep an Asian flavor. Maybe next time, I could try a Napa cabbage slaw? I don’t own a panini maker, either. I did this all on the range with our cast-iron grill.

  • 1 pkg. (typically 9-10 pcs.) of Longanisa (Filipino pork sausage: sweet, garlicky, peppery)
  • Pan de Sal (Filipino rolls: soft, airy bread)
  • Sauteed onions (optional)
  • Cilantro
  • Carrots (cut into small matchsticks)

Butterfly cut the sausages so they will lay flat for the sandwich. Place on grill at medium-high heat. Cover with foil, heavy cookie sheet and then a weight (filled tea kettle) so the sausages won’t curl while cooking. Cook for 4 min. Remove weight, flip over the sausages and cover up again. Cook for another 3-4 min. When done, remove from grill and set aside.

While sausages are cooking, prepare the bread by cutting open and brushing olive oil on both sides. Place cooked sausage on prepped bread, then layer cilantro, carrots and onions. Top with bread. Return to grill,cooking the sandwiches on medium heat. Again, cover with foil, cookie sheet and weigh down. This will press the sandwiches. Cook for 2 min. or until toasted to your liking. Remove weight, flip sandwiches and weigh down again. Cook until toasted. Enjoy with a San Miguel (or your beer of choice).

Will be back next week with lots of art project updates!

Trying to Bake Bread… again

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Since we’ve been talking about food, what is it about fresh-baked bread that makes the house smell so good? There’s a grocery store two blocks away, and it’s just as easy for me to pick up their fresh-baked goods (they’re still warm, too). I think I’m pretty good at baking (quick breads, especially) but I’ve had no luck in the past with making anything that starts with yeast. Let me recap my epic failures.

About 8 years ago, I attempted to make a coffee cake. The “Rosy Red Coffee Cake” was a recipe from my “Great American Home Baking” binder cookbook. You know, the sort of cookbook that grows because you’re paying a few bucks a month and in return you receive myriads of recipe cards to fill your binder. I had such high expectations before I got married that I would try all the recipes. No such luck. But this recipe seemed so easy… yeast bread, cranberries, sugar, orange juice in a beautiful wreath. My wreath was all deflated, looked melted, and the bread itself… hard. Clearly, I must have killed the yeast.

About 4 years later, I tried to make cinnamon rolls from my aunt’s recipe. This recipe didn’t seem hard. I had a few years of quick bread recipes under my belt, so I thought, maybe my technique would be better this time. Pucks, hockey pucks, 12 of them.

Fast forward, April 2010. This time, this time I think I may have found a recipe I can count on. A recipe that has restored my faith in cooking with yeast… a No-Knead bread. (Aaaaah… the angels are singing for me.) You knead, I mean, NEED time – time for the dough to rise on its own. Don’t do this if you want your bread the same day. And where did I get this recipe? Actually, I saw Jim Lahey on Martha Stewart and heard him say “no knead bread”. I watched, and then thought, “Hmph, cool,” end of story. (Not like when I watched Good Eats with Alton Brown and he cut up a whole chicken, and did a southern fried chicken recipe. I ran to the store the next day, cut up my own chicken and made… fried chicken. Another story for another time.)

Actually, it was in the April 2010 Living magazine that they showed the no-knead bread (Pane Integrale) recipe and some step-by-step pictures. My one mistake: I used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. In the magazine, they call for bread flour. In the television recipe, they call for either; I didn’t remember this. Everything else in the recipe was the same. I only realized I used AP flour after I had mixed everything and the dough was sitting to rise. Seriously, I thought, NOT AGAIN. I messed it up AGAIN! Well, let’s see how it turns out. Not to worry, though, because as you see from my pictures, I think everything turned out okay. Not a lot of fuss. I couldn’t have been happier about baking bread. It was really rustic, crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. Lovely. I’ll try it again with bread flour next time.

Click here for some more of Jim Lahey’s recipes from the Martha show.

Communion Reception: Menu and Black Bean Salsa Recipe

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What time do most people eat dinner? Do most people call it “dinner” or “supper”? I suppose there’s a difference, and maybe a subtle one. I never bothered to look up a definition until now. So, what would you do for a reception if a religious service was at 1:30 pm and lasted for 1-1/2 hours? It’s not really a late lunch, but it’s not totally time for dinner either. Essentially, it was supper and it was good.

Here’s what we figured for 25 adults and 11 children (some of whom are light eaters – count 2 kids as 1 adult)

  • To munch on: Banana-chocolate chip bread, Cran-apple-orange bread, Orange-rosemary mini cornbread muffins (breads baked at home), salami and cheese, smoked salmon and crackers, roasted garlic hummus and olive crostinis (store bought).
  • 48 piece tray – Italian subs and Club subs  (approx. 4″, bought at local Italian deli) One tray had 24 pieces, and that wouldn’t have been enough.
  • Tortilla chips and roasted corn-black bean salsa (brought over by family)
  • Shrimp salad (store bought)
  • Cake – split yellow and chocolate cake with custard and strawberries
  • Coffee, tea, assorted soda, and juice boxes for the kids

Notes:

  1. Quick breads can easily be done a few days before and frozen if you want.
  2. The cornbread muffin recipe is from Martha Stewart which was recently reprinted in the Living magazine with the addition of orange peel. True to the recipe, it keeps for 2 days in an airtight container. TWO days. I made it one day too soon. They dried out.
  3. It’s nice to have a good bakery so close to home!

Here’s a favorite recipe for black bean salsa that I’ve made over the years adapted from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula Deen. I visited her restaurant before she was a Food Network celebrity and bought my cookbook there. This salsa is similar to the one we had last Saturday; the difference being roasted corn. It does add a lovely smokiness. Just by frozen roasted corn for ease! Enjoy!

Julie’s Black Bean Salsa

  • 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (17 oz.) pkg. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
  • 2 lg. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 lg. avocado, peeled and chopped (optional)
  • 1/8 tsp. cumin (optional)
  • 1/8 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl, mix all ingredients well. Cover and chill overnight. Before serving, add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Great with tortilla chips or just as a side to your meal.

Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

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Back to the daily grind! My husband and I went away for a little “stay-cation” in the city. It was really nice not having a schedule, but we did miss our kids. I’ll be sharing some foodie moments from the weekend another time… haven’t downloaded the pics, yet.

When I was little, I actually liked vegetables. Maybe it was because my mom cooked them in and with delicious sauces or gravy which was really good with a bowlful of sticky white rice. My kids aren’t like that, and it’s a little disheartening that they don’t like veggies as much as I did at their age. I’m hoping they grow out of it, sooner than later. What is promising is that they enjoy vegetables if they are prepared Chinese-style or somehow Asian. Actually, when I feel the kids aren’t eating well at all, I pull out all the Chinese-Filipino recipes and they magically start eating again. Here’s my recipe for a nice side dish that the three-year old ate with rice. He passed up the chicken main course and ate only this.

  • 3 cups of broccoli – mostly florets
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 2 tbsp. oyster sauce (can get in most groceries)
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
  • dash cooking wine
  • 1-1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tbsp. minced ginger
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp. water
  • dash of sesame oil

Combine water, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar in small bowl. Mix well, set aside.

Prep the broccoli by blanching – fill pot with enough water to cover broccoli. Get water to boiling first, then place broccoli in pot, cook until bright green, about 1-2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, set aside.

In a wok or pan, heat vegetable oil. Add garlic and ginger and toss until fragrant, but not brown. Next, add the sauce you mixed before, and heat.  Return broccoli to pan and mix in sauce well. Cook for one minute, then add cornstarch mixture to thicken. Add a splash of sesame oil at the end if you’d like, only optional. Stir around, and plate…

Durian candy from the Philippines

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Durian. Ever have it? Heard that it’s an acquired taste. It scares me. I’ve seen it at the Asian grocery stores, and I’ve only seen it being eaten on Food Network. While durian might be a great fruit, the unfortunate part might be its smell, which then I would think affects its taste. Let’s say it smells like feet… at the end of the day… after wearing socks made from synthetic material that doesn’t let your skin breathe. Yeah, right? What would possess someone to try this fruit? But, there are people who eat it. If you can get past the interesting aroma, you are rewarded with a smooth and creamy fruit – I wonder if it’s like avocado in that sense? In Asian cuisine, it’s used in milkshakes, ice cream, cakes and candy. So… hiding the fruit in food masks the smell? Maybe.

I’m not opposed to trying things once, so when my husband’s parents came home with some durian CANDY, I thought, okay, it’s been sugared up and I’m not eating it straight off the tree. It’s a little less scary. Great. I took a small bite out of the already small bite-size piece and let the flavor melt in my mouth a little. Disappointment. Sweetened condensed milk and sugar with durian could not convince me. I could still taste feet-iness. I wanted to like it, really. I even wanted to fake liking it so my husband would try it. Could you imagine, “Hey, honey, this is sooooo delicious. Try it!”

Found some takers for our two bags – My mom, dad and aunt were happy to have a taste of home.

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