Easy Puto Maya ( Steamed Sticky Rice with coconut milk )

 

Ripe sweet mangos always remind me of the Philippines. And I must say when we claimed that we have the best mango in the world, hands down it's truly the best. But being away from home and craving for those heavenly luscious fruit is like a quest. I have tried several varieties and so far I can say that probably the closest is the Ataulfo variety. But sadly unlike those mango we have back home it can be a little tricky to know if it's truly ripe or not. Philippine mango has a very sweet aroma and it is the best determinant that it's ready to be consumed. 

Sweet mango also reminds me of a breakfast that I truly love. It's a simple one paired with sticky rice and sikwate - our own version of hot chocolate made from tablea ( Cocoa ground formed to coin sized tablets ). Every time I can enjoy this treat my taste buds just take me home.

After of course discovering the sweet mango, it was time to learn to cook Puto Maya. Native desserts like Puto Maya always intimidate me because they have no specific measurements when they do this at home. Correct me if I am wrong but everything done eyeballed. And that really throws me off. Fortunately after some research and a friend's advise  I finally have the recipe. Now I can finally have this wonderful breakfast at home granted they have lovely mangos in Costco and the pasalubong ( gifts you give after you travel ) of tablea from my in-laws is still around.

2 cups sticky rice
1/2 can (14oz) coconut milk 
Slices of ginger
1/4 cup or less sugar
Salt 

1. Soak rice in water (overnight for best results)
2. In your steamer basket place ideally banana leaf ( or parchment paper to prevent sticking).
3. Drain sticky rice completely
4. Add about 2 tbsp. of sugar and few dashes of salt on the drained rice. Mix until completely incorporated.
5. Place seasoned rice on the steamer and start steaming covered for about 10mins.
6. After 10mins. Or more depending on your steamer water should start to boil. Add about 1/4 of the canned coconut milk + ginger. Mix well then cover again.
7. Once rice is half cooked add the other 1/4cup of coconut and mix well. Or just enough to cook the rice. Adding too much will make it soupy.
8. Check the taste for sweetness, if preferred you can add more sugar to your liking.
9. Cover again and check from time to time until rice is thoroughly cooked.

Enjoy! 

Easy and Garlicky Adobo

Who would not love adobo? Be it pork or chicken ( which is the common meat ) almost all pinoys love it.

What's not to love? Its easy but when you prepare it you can be sure its a crowd pleaser. Yet in the Philippines, there are a lot of versions of this dish.

Growing up my definition of adobo was pork sides (thicker cuts of pork belly cut into chunks like the ones used for bacon) deep fried to golden brown. It was tender but the skin ( which is the star of the meat, in my opinion ) is crispy. My grandfather sold this in his carinderia ( eatery ) and thus I always connect the word adobo to his dish.

But it was just later on that i discovered that adobo was to some typically meant meat, seasoned with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf and pepper corns. Then simmered until the meat is tender and usually would render fat, then would help brown the meat towards the end of the cooking process.

But there is no absolute rule to make adobo, some like it dry and some like the reduced liquid to remain at the end. And this also makes the perfect topping to your rice. Some even add coconut milk or cream to their dish which i have not tried.

So which one is my favorite? I would say it depends, just like any dish I have tried that are good and some just didn't cut it for me.

But this version I will share is the one i have discovered lately and is my current fave.

Pork sides - cut into half inch thick
Coarse Salt - adjust according to the amount of your meat
Vinegar - at least 1 tsp for 1 pound of pork
Ground pepper
2-3 pcs. of bay leaf
1-2 tbsp of oil
1 head of garlic crushed -if using 2 pounds of meat

Add all ingredients( except the garlic ) in a bowl or in a frying pan. Pour in water just enough to cover your meat. Cover and cook until meat is tender and thoroughly done. Remove the lid to let the water evaporate and meat will render fat. Once your meat is brown, add the garlic. If there's not enough oil you can add another tablespoon. Cook until desired crispiness or once golden brown. I prefer the pork skin and garlic to be crispy at the end. Enjoy!

Cooking pinakbet in the US

Pinakbet is a vegetable dish in the philippines. I am not very familiar of the exact region it originated from but just like any pinoy dish it will be prepared differently depending on cook.

To me pinakbet would be defined as a dish with the following ingredients:

Onions, garlic and tomatoes sauteed
Squash
Eggplant
String beans
Ampalaya ( bitter melon/ gourd )
Red sweet peppers

My mom makes use raw shrimp shells and head to be used as the base of the stock for liquid added to the dish. Then almost all the time, she seasons the dish with shrimp paste.

I enjoy having this dish, and i find it very healthy if you add less sodium like minimizing the amount of shrimp paste or salt. But I add ginger and coconut milk each time I cook it, I wanted my own style.

To me there is no real way to cook it, so now that I am in the US I use substitutes to prep this dish. Back in the east coast, I discoved butternut squash to substitute the creaminess of the usual squash. And lately, if string beans are not yet in season I use my favorite snow peas.

I realized that when you try to be creative in your cooking, you will still be able to enjoy old time favorites when you substitute. You'll never know, it might even be more that what you hoped for.

Beauty Related

If I had to choose between being a food or beauty blogger/guru, I would choose food. I am more interested with food than beauty related things. But it doesn't mean that I don't care much for looking good and being more than presentable since I believe in the saying "Look good and feel good".

And that being said, I guess this makes my officially first beauty related post. What did I choose? It's Nail Water Decals! I have been curious since my sister started her nail art hobby.

So what are Nail Water Decals? They are nail designs that you can use to style your nails. You use water to slide off the design ( hence the name ). The process involves usually coloring your nails then cutting (to fit) then applying the desired design ( like the Monogram Louis Vuitton design on the photo ). See a tutorial video here on the how to's. There are a lot of designs you can choose from and the possibilities are endless. You can buy them at Amazon or Ebay but I got mine from a seller on Facebook ( located in the Philippines ) sent by my sister.

I just thought since Spring is officially here I should design my nails differently for unique set of fresh pedis. And would go perfectly with my flips flops or open toed sandals which I can wear for the season is getting warmer ( at least I hope ).

My Spring Stir Fry

Spring is my favorite season, not only because its the most colorful season but because the produce is good too during this time. This is the time strawberries, asparagus and other vegetables are in season and they will be cheap.

And with all these wonderful produce I do take advantage of a good bargain. I like to make wonderful and easy stir fry with the veggies that's abundant in the market. These dishes are so good with meat dishes, I try to make veggie dishes as sides so I encourage healthy eating with DH & DS.

My Stir fry features a cool weather vegetable - Sugar Snap Peas. I just recently discovered that they are so good when eaten raw, but I do like to remove the rib part.

For my recipe ( good for 2-3 persons)
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/4 cup red onions
1/4 cup red bell peppers
2 tbps of leeks
1 cup of mung bean sprouts
1 cup of sugar snap peas
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 water or just enough to cook veggies
Pepper to taste

Heat oil then saute onions, leeks and peppers. Once fragrant, add the rest of the veggies. Mix everything then after 2-3mins, add the oyster sauce and water. Cover and cook until peas are bright green. Add pepper to taste. Do not overcook. Serve hot, its good as a rice topping.

Dinner in 30 minutes!

I admit there are really times I want to fix meals quickly and use short cuts even if I like doing things from scratch. That is why I like Robin Miller and Sandra Lee shows on the Food Network Channel. Another thing that I like too is pasta meals. Aside from stir fry dishes, pasta meals always fall in the category of quick prep meals for me.

I would like to share an easy pasta recipe. This is a tuna based dish so this is really good for Lent Season.

Fetuccine Alfredo with Tuna & Sundried Tomatoes in Olive oil

What you need:
1 jar of Alfredo sauce like Ragu lite alfredo
1 box ( 1 pound ) of fetuccine pasta
2 cans of BUMBLE BEE® Prime Fillet® Solid Light Tuna - Sundried tomato in Olive oil ( 5 oz. each )
Parsley for garnish
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Cook pasta as directed ( I just use half or 3/4 of the box for this recipe ). Heat the sauce while the pasta is cooking. Drain pasta then add the sauce, leave 1/4 cup as topping if you like. Mix 1 can of tuna to the pasta and sauce mixture( you can choose to drain the oil if you want ). Transfer in serving dish, place the remaining sauce on top the your pasta then add the 1 can of tuna and pepper. Garnish with parsley.

This is really good with garlic bread, but we like our pasta with Texas Garlic toast with three cheeses.

I hope you guys enjoy.

Falling in love with Cilantro

I was never a fan of Cilantro, they say it has an acquired taste. It's either you like it or you don't. Mostly it is found in Mexican cuisine ,Vietnamese and Thai. Although I like to experiment with recipes whenever it calls for Cilantro, I get turned off sometimes. But in spite of this I still like to eat in Thai restaurants and sometimes I still eat Mexican & Vietnamese dishes as long as I know I am not eating a whole sprig of cilantro.

Just recently DH took us to Chipotle it just opened in our area and he said it was good. Being a Filipino most of our choices when eating out would mostly be Oriental Restaurants, that's no.1 on the list then anything seafood which is scarce in our area. But this time DH wanted to try something different so it was Mexican this time - meaning eating something that has a great chance of having with Cilantro in it.

Chipotle is similar to Taco Bell since its a chain only different because it's like Subway that you get to choose what you want for your fix-ins. Before we left I checked their site and decided in the Burrito Bowl.

This was my Burrito Bowl: (bottom - top)

Lime Rice

Grilled/Roasted Peppers & Onions

Grilled Chicken

Pinto Beans

Pica de Gallo

Cheese

Guacamole

see here for the specifics of their ingredients

It was bursting with flavor.I fell in love with the bowl so I decided to replicate it at home.

My Version:

Lime Rice

cooked jasmine rice ( steamed )

cilantro ( I used the ones in tubes )

lime juice

mix while the rice is hot

Grilled/Roasted Peppers & Onions

green peppers cut in strips or thick julienne

red onions in strips or thick julienne

olive oil to coat

S&P

spread in baking sheet

BROIL in 2-3mins ( time may vary in different ovens )

Grilled Chicken

marinate chicken breast (bone-in) or you may try this marinate too

or this for a spicier version

*best if marinated overnight

bake in oven or simply follow instructions in marinade packet

once cooked let it rest and chopped when ready to serve

reserve the drippings, its really good when you dizzle it over the chicken before serving

as the white meat tends to be a little dry

Pinto Beans

raw uncooked pinto beans is the best compared to canned versions

chopped bacon

cook beans until desired tenderness

Pico de Gallo

I used Emeril's version

Cheese

I like the Mexican 4 cheese blend of Kraft

Guacamole

I have not made it but chunks of avocados are great.

Arrange them in a platter or a bowl. And there you have my Burrito Bowl. DH was pretty pleased when I served this during Valentines day, he had seconds. I am happy that I had tried this at Chipotle because with this dish I can fall in love with cilantro.

Check out my Burrito Bowl Gallery:

Quest for the best RICE PUTO

One of the dishes when we had our Halloween party over the weekend was Dinuguan ( blood stew ). It reminded me how much I enjoyed back home having Puto & Dinuguan for snack or even as a meal. Before I thought it seemed weird since Dinuguan to me was a main dish for a meal but that all changed.

But even before the snack combo became my favorite I was always a fan of puto. It was easier to enjoy it back home since you can buy it almost anywhere, I can say its a popular dessert or snack to Filipinos.I like the rice puto better than the flour version. And since its a favorite I will always miss eating it now that I am here in the US.

Being here made me a DIY person, and in order for me to have a taste of home in my new kitchen I had to whip up old favorites now on my own. I did attempt to make rice puto before probably twice ( 2 different recipes ) but they all ended up in the trash bin. And I stopped at attempt number 2. Then my taste buds were nostalgic when I tasted Dinuguan again. So I decided the give it another go, this time using Manang's recipe - http://kusinanimanang.blogspot.com/2010/04/rice-puto.html

It was love at first bite. It was a best puto I ever, it definitely tasted like the ones I enjoy back home. The marriage of rice & coconut flavor was perfect, just the way I wanted. I made them in small silicone molds but I will be looking for bigger molds for bigger rice puto!

How to Plant Lemon Grass

Lemon grass is not really a staple in Filipino cooking but at home my mom would use it to stuff her chicken roast, stewed mung bean soup ( Monggo Soup ) & Filipino style Chicken Soup ( Chicken Tinola ). And when I cook these dishes now in my kitchen it would always seem that something is missing when I don't add lemon grass to it. I always buy some stalks but they would be expensive when I get it from my local grocery and getting it from my Asian grocer is not practical as well.

I would buy lemon grass in small amounts until a friend who is also a Filipina gave me some from her garden. I was curious how she got it. I was not able to ask her but my other friend said she buys hers from a nursery in the summer. It got me thinking that I should grow my own as well. I researched online and found out that you can grow the lemon grass from the stalks. Then last summer I decided to try it.

You will need the following to grow your lemongrass:

3 or more stalks of Lemon Grass

- this is mostly available in oriental groceries, choose a healthy fresh stalk

Glass with water

Place the stalks in in your glass of water and keep this in a sunny spot, I kept mine in my kitchen window. In about 2-3 weeks the roots will sprout and this will make it easier for you to replant it. Back home they would directly plant a fresh stalk and water the soil frequently to encourage sprouting but using the water-in-glass method is fool-proof for me so I use it each time. You can choose to separately plant each stalks when they're ready or plant them in in one spot.

This summer I have grown my lemon grass with less watering and still it was fine. I guess I only did once a week and even when there were times that temperature have gone up to the 90s. It's a great herb to grow considering it requires less maintenance.

Special Ensaymada

It's probably been more than a year since I made my first ensaymada. The recipe was handwritten in on my recipe notebook, sadly I cannot remember which website my recipe came from.

But there are a few modifications that I have added to the recipe. Instead of the regular melted butter & sugar topping I decided to use plain cream cheese and sugar sprinkles. I know it's not traditional but it's definitely worth trying.

*this gallery also showed the first ensaymada I made

~Recipe~

1 packet of yeast

1/3 cup lukewarm water

1 1/2 teaspoon of white sugar

1/2 cup diluted evap milk or undiluted fresh milk

(the more fat the better)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

3 egg yolks

2 1/2 - 3 cups unsifted AP flour

Philadelphia regular cream cheese (thawed & must be spreadable)

Wilton sugar sprinkles

Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water & 1/2 tsp of white sugar. Mix, then set aside until bubbly/ foamy. This process will also let you know that your yeast is still good to go, if no changes have occurred repeat process with a new pack ( its also a good to have extra just in case ). Mix everything together until well incorporated & smooth. Transfer dough into a well greased bowl, let rise for 1 hour , then form into a log. Flatten & fill with cheese & butter ( or ube jam , sweet bean paste or custard etc. ) Form into snail shell shaped coils in a greased round pan. If making smaller ones divide dough into equal balls then form into smaller snail shells coils & place it in greased muffin or cupcake pans. Let the dough rest for another hour. Preheat oven at 300'F. Cook for 25mins. or until lightly brown. Cool completely then slather with cream cheese or butter. Add the sugar sprinkles on top as well.

Quick and Easy

A few days ago I stumbled upon a recipe of Pinoy-style Custard Cake by a Pinoy Foodie Blogger - Kusina ni Manang. After reviewing her recipe, I was tempted to make one myself since her recipe only called for leche flan ingredients and cake mix in a box.

Custard cake would probably one of my top 20 favorite desserts. The cake is simple yet I love how you get 2 textures of creamy and light in one dessert. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Although this recipe was inspired from Kusina ni Manang, I made some adjustments. And here's what I did:

ingredients:

~ Custard Topping~

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 can large condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon juice OPTIONAL ( I wish I did this, this usually tempers the sweetness of the custard )

Caramel

sugar and water, adjust according to your preference

Boil mixture in a sauce pan, then add to your cake pans when once the syrup turns amber colored.

BE CAREFUL THIS IS VERY HOT!

~Cake~

I used French Vanilla Cake Mix from Duncan Hines, I just followed what the box asked for. I think the French Vanilla Mix is the best cake for this, it was a good bargain for $0.76 cents!

Procedure:

Preheat your oven 350F

I used 2 pans 6" and 8" round baking pans.

Mix all your custard ingredients until well combined. Add a thin custard mixture to your caramelized pans. Prepare your water bath for your pans. Fill a larger pan (such as a roasting pan) with warm water, make sure it is large enough that will fit the pans you're going to use for the cake. This is called Bain - Marie method. The water should be in the mid level of the larger pan when you add your cake pans.

Bake Custard Topping for 30mins. uncovered.

After 30mins when the custard is set ( jiggly in the middle ), start mixing your cake. Then add your cake mixture to the pans and bake for another 30mins or so. The cooking time for this last part is dependent on the size of cake pans used. You still need to use the Bain- Marie method for this second part. You may need to add more water to your bath.

When you cake is set and a tester comes of clean, your cake is ready. Cool for 10mins or so. Loosen the sides then invert in the pan. I found it best to chill the cake in the fridge overnight.

I really love the outcome of this experiment. I may use chocolate cake mix next time. Thanks Manang for this wonderful recipe!

What to do with your green tomatoes?

A week ago I cleaned up my garden space starting with the tomato plants. I know some of the fruits will not ripen anymore and I remembered that I have a pie recipe for them from a Food Network Magazine. I did have a lot of them about 4 pints, the plant was given by a friend and I think they were volunteer cherry tomatoes from her compost.

These tomatoes were very sour and I usually add them when I saute stuff. I already froze the other ripened ones and I already have a lot in my fridge. I never knew before you can make a pie out these green ones. So with my favorite pie crust recipe I made a green tomato filling to try this southern dessert. And it was later that I found out that this was southern when I searched from Food Network. A recipe of Paula Deen popped and right there I knew.

My Review: The pie was like a "sweet 'n sour" pie. A little too tart for me maybe next time I will cut the amount of lemon juice but aside from that it was good with my favorite all-butter pie crust. I did take half of the pie to friend's house and she liked it. And this pie would be best served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. At least now I don't have to worry about my green tomatoes.

My Pie Week

For the past few weeks, I have been daydreaming about making my own pie - Peach Mango Pie specifically. This is a deep-fried pie filled with luscious creamy cubed Philippine Mangoes and Peaches. Since mangoes are abundant back home as apples are here in the US, Jollibee ( most popular Filipino owned fast food chain ) probably made use of what's most available. It's what they offer since Mickey D's have the apple pie on their menu. The Peach Mango Pie is my favorite, I even bought some in California last Feb.

Being here in the US, I have been a trying hard DIY girl on almost everything I think is possible to accomplish most especially in the kitchen. So after a few weeks of research I decided to make my own Peach Mango Pie. But I warned myself mentally that I may not achieve the exact same thing that Jollibee sells. One thing is certain though, I know it will be a fun and fulfilling journey.

The Fruit

Number one on the list is the Mango, since I got here the closest thing that I ever had to our mangoes are the Ataulfo from Mexico and they're $1.25 ea ( what the F*!) Meijer price. It was definitely impractical to use them for my experiment. But I found those Apple-Mango kind ( as we call them back home, they're not sour even if they're not ripe ) on the same isle and on sale 2 for a buck, I thought they will hold well since they will be cooked with the canned sliced Peaches.

The Filling

I followed a Pineapple Filling recipe for this one and it was really nice. I had so much fun eating them and decided to give some to my 90 y.o. neighbor. And she found them very nice too. My second batch - baked not fried, I added some almond extract to see how they turned out. And the taste was a little bit different, I liked the plain mango and peach combo better.

The Crust

I was tempted to buy a rolled pie crust for this project but I remembered my pie crust recipe from FoodNetwork in my "untested" folder file. I decided to try if it would work well for my recipe. They were nice compared to the store brought kind but my second batch was flaky and less buttery. But I made a wonderful discovery from Paula Deen's recipes, she used ready made biscuits for her fried apple pies. And so, I bought some and used them for my first batch.

Ready-Made Biscuits

They are good when you consume it right away but they get soggy from the oil if you dont. The taste was wonderful and you can get a lot of ideas if you use Paula's method. I used buttermilk kind for my first batch.

Pineapple Pie

I was also nostalgic for commercially made Pineapple Pie you can find in most local bakeries back home so I made one too. They're the too commercially-tasting pies you ever tasted in your life but they were good. They reminded me of one summer that I stayed with a relative that owned a bakeshop. It was the most delicious vacation ever, having freshly baked bread everyday was the best ever. I guess that is how I fell in love with the smell of freshly baked goodies.

My Pineapple Pie creation's timing was impeccable since we were having potluck for a pilgrimage to Mama Mary's Shrine for the weekend. I brought the 9" pie for dessert and they were giving compliments of how good it was. I felt like hitting the jackpot, and was pleased with how my experiment turned out.

Pie Crust recipe 2

This I got from Smitten Kitchen, she noted in her blog that she loves butter flavor more than the the flakiness. And having tasted the flaky crust recipe , it made me decide to go for recipe 2. It will be my mainstay pie crust recipe from now on. The aroma is simply divine.

My Style

Peach Mango Pie filling

1 canned sliced peaches in light syrup, cubed

1 large ripe mango, cubed

Procedure is the same with Pineapple Filling

I omitted the lemon ingredient

For Baked

Form dough into a log, then flatten it. Cut into desired shape fill and brush with water on the sides and seal with fork twines.

Bake 375F, for 20 mins or until brown. Cooking time varies with each oven.

For Fried

Follow Paula's method, she even has a video you can watch.

Pie Crust recipe 2 is for a 8" dish but I was able to roll the dough thin enough to fit in an 9" dish. I was under time constraint so I only refrigerated recipe 2 for 30mins prior to rolling it. Pineapple Pie filling was made of (1 of each) 20oz. canned crushed pineapple and diced, there's a little extra. I used the 375F for the temperature to bake my pie.

Taste Review

My Peach Mango Pie is the closest you can get to having the aunthentic Jollibee pie. The filling is a little tart but I like it the way it is without the Almond Extract since I experimented with it too. I think the variety of mango that I was using also played the big factor, Philippine mangoes are incomparable especially the ones from Cebu - fragrant , creamy and they simply melt in your mouth. Probably next time I will try to make the filling with mango puree or juice. And although the pie should be fried the baked ones are my choice - less fat.

As for the Pineapple Pie, its a little tart too but it is perfect with Pie Crust Recipe 2. Tartness never really bothers me, I enjoy bites of sourness in my tastebuds. Although I was craving for the commercially tasting one, I was happy with how it turned out.

This experience surely satisfied my cravings. But for me I can tell you they were wrong about the expression "easy as pie", making pies is not all easy - especially if its double crust. But I guess after your first attempt you can say that line. It's very challenging but it can be very rewarding as well. I'm happy for my pie week, just think of the different recipes that I can make in the future. Sweet!

The Color of My Summer

Yesterday, it was a beautiful day. I was attending to my garden and I couldn't help myself but take pictures of the Asian veggies growing in my tiny garden space. I just a few took shots with Kodak Easy Share C613, I bet my shots would be better if it was taken on a DSLR camera - another wish list.

Then later on my son and I explored the compound for other picture worthy scenes. There was plenty of things to see and I enjoyed that I was sharing this with my 3 year old. I told him the story of how bees cook up nectar from flowers into honey. He loves honey so it was fascinating for him.

Some of the pictures that I took were from my Bok-choy ( pechay ) - they had tiny yellow flowers but I was not expecting to see them this early since they looked small. I also had shots of thistle flowers, the plant wasn't much to look at when it was growing from my space. I had to pull it out too since it was too prickly, but the ones growing in the pond had nice flowers. And there were those tiny lavender wild flowers, they were lovely too. Even the bees agree with me, my son spotted a busy group collecting nectar and that was when I shared the honey story to him.I also took pictures of my son's hand, he found two blossoms of Dandelions and he wanted me to take pictures of them too. I find them really cute.

Baked and Easy Crispy Pata

My Crispy Pata Gallery

Whenever I think of Crispy Pata, my memory would take me back to my mom's kitchen. My mom was a great cook, and she loved it. She is also a great influence in terms of my love food and cooking itself. Crispy Pata whenever it was prepared it would always mean that there's a special occasion. When I was still single I never tried to make it since my mom was always there to whip it up for us.

But when I dated my husband, I later found out how he loves Crispy pata. I myself am a big fan of it. So its always present when there's a special occassion since we moved here. And it can be recycled into other dishes. My definition of Crispy Pata is seasoned whole pork leg ( pata is leg in Spanish ), boiled and deep fried to perfection until the skin is crispy. I have seen my mom make it a couple of times back home in the Philippines but I never realized how challenging it was until I made one myself.

Mommy's Style

My mom said there is a specific sign that you have to look for before you fry the leg. When boiling, you shouldn't overdo it. The skin has to be tender and so is the meat but it shouldn't fall off the bone. When the meat is ready, you can season it again with rock salt. But she always used seasoned water (salt and pepper ) when she boils the leg. And then you can finally deep fry the meat. So this was how she prepares her crispy pata.

First Time

One thing that I try to avoid in my kitchen is deep frying. I find it too messy in the kitchen and too unhealthy. Crispy Pata is comfort food to some but it is very sinful as well. My first Crispy Pata experience was not very good. I don't have a deep-fryer so I had to resort a small deep pan for frying. The results was very impressive, my husband enjoyed it so much. But the preparation left a mess in my kitchen, and I didn't enjoy the oil splattering in my stove.

Bagged and Baked

A few months after that experience I found out from Connie Verneracion's recipe that you can bake Crispy Pata. My second one was baked knowing that it could be done. Though it takes a lot time to achieve the crispy stage of the leg I couldn't complain since I just had to let my oven do the work. So now the deep-frying part which I really dislike can be eliminated. And by accident, I found out that I can eliminate the boiling process too. This happened when I prepared my first turkey for Thanksgiving last year. My friend suggested oven bags for a fool-proof Thanksgiving turkey prep. Oven bags keep the moisture in the meat and it make it tender as well. So there I had my "eureka" moment. And it definitely saved me from the hassles of finding a big pot so it can fit my huge Pork Shoulder Picnic for boiling.

The Recipe

1 Pork Shoulder Picnic not less than 8lbs.

1 Reynold's Oven Bags for 8lbs and up

salt and freshly cracked pepper ( you can add other dry seasonings as well )

meat thermometer

large cookie sheet or baking pan

Preheat your oven to 375 F

Wash the meat and rub desired dried seasonings, place the meat in the oven bag and follow instructions on the bag (varies with the weight of the meat ) (Please Read the Instructions in the Bag, ITS IMPORTANT!)

1st Part

I usually cook mine at least 2 hours @ 375 F until the juices are clear and the skin & meat of the pork is tender, and the internal temperature ( insert meat thermometer at the meatiest part, its okay to puncture the bag) is at least 165F.

2nd Part

Once the meat is cooked, remove bag then put it back on the pan for the second part of baking - skin side up. Sometimes there's a generous amount of meat juice in the oven bag, I keep in my fridge in the container to solidify the pork fat then I remove it. This meat juice is concentrated pork stock that I save for future use. You can adjust the temperature from 350F - 400F (not more than that, as per bag instructions). If you start with 400F, it will brown your meat in a short period of time. Then once golden brown you can lower the temperature to 350F or 375F. This will allow it cook evenly without burning the meat. Check for the internal temp (at least 165F) and if the skin makes a hollow sound when tapped your Crispy Pata is ready*. Remove from oven wait at least 5mins. before serving. Garnish as desired.

If you want a slow and low cooking ( that is if you have enough time ) you can start @ 350F or 375F. It will still yield the same result but only its a longer cooking time. For me, I choose the cooking time that fits me.

*Based on my experience it usually takes at least 4hours to make Crispy Pata. The cooking time varies on the weight of your meat ( based on a Pork Shoulder Picnic cut )so it is important to check the internal temperature with your meat thermometer to avoid under cooking it.

You can do the 1st part the day before or in advance then do the second part on your desired date or occasion. And by the way, about the meat I use Pork Shoulder Picnic cut since its the closest thing I could find that's good for Crispy Pata and the price per pound is a good bargain. Always choose the one with skin. I buy this part at WalMart or Save-a-Lot but if you have a butcher you can ask for the usually Crispy Pata part. And remember to specify with skin since I had a bad experience with that last December. I went to a local meat shop and ordered the part - whole pork leg with the hocks and I specifically asked and noted on the order slip "with skin". The following day they gave me a skinless leg! I said nicely I cant take it since I was specific with my order, the lady said the butcher doesn't want to do anything with it anymore. He said he's fed up of how specific my order was and didn't even apologize. They were so rude and good thing they gave me back my deposit. I never came back to that shop and get my meat elsewhere.

Recycling Food

Banana Cookies

One habit that has been helpful to me back home is shopping for groceries that's good for a week. And I still practice that here. But there are also some few disadvantages that can go with that practice. Since you buy more there's always a risk of having your fruit or veggies to go bad. So I always try to find ways to recycle a fruit or a veggies including cooked dishes.

These cookies are the result of an almost funky 3 small bananas in my kitchen that my family wont eat anymore. I am not a big fan of banana, hubby thinks bananas that have spots are too sweet to eat and my son is not in the mood for bananas lately.

The bananas still look good to me for baking but not for muffins. So I searched for a good recipe online for cookies. At least when they're turned into cookies, I am positive that they will be consumed without hesitation.

The cookies were soft and cakey but was nice, and I really enjoyed making it with my son. He sprinkled the chopped walnuts and mini - morsels. When he proudly mentioned to his dad how helped me in the kitchen, it was so amusing. I made some adjustments with the recipe :

1/4 cup of each - raw wheat germ & rolled oats to replace the 1/2 cup of flour  

(recipe calls for 2 cups of all - purpose flour

1/2 cup of each - chopped walnuts and mini -morsels.

1/2 cup of each brown sugar and white for the 1 cup of sugar

At least now, I have an alternative to banana cake, banana muffins and banana bread. And with cookies, you can be confident they will be gone soon. 

Shown here are dishes that I have made and recycled into something else:

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