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.

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!

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.

It snowed...

 It truly is unpredictable.... snowing again..in April. This is not my kind of weather.

Mi Mancherai

Mi Mancherai is how you say "I miss you" in Italy. And I learned this because of the foreign film "Il Postino" - The Postman. I would have never known how beautiful this film was if not for my friend - Kenny. He is my one-of-a-kind friend I have who feeds me with stuff about foreign culture. 

I always had this fascination for Italy, so when Kenny tells me of this beautiful Italian film I told him I should see it for myself. But his introduction was not about the film, it was about the poem "Tonight I can write the saddest lines - Pablo Neruda". And that started it all, since then I already have a beautiful imagery of what the film would be like.

It had been probably about 3 years since Kenny first mentioned the film to me.  But my intense interest for this film has never left me. So when I found out it was available in the library I was so happy that I will be able to get the chance to watch it. 

The movie never failed my expectation. It was wonderfully funny but moving at the same time. But few months ago prior to watching the film, I was already enjoying the motion picture soundtrack of the movie. It contained poems of Pablo Neruda that were read by famous Hollywood personalities such as Andy Garcia, Glenn Close, Madonna and Julia Roberts to mention a few. 

The movie plot is not that complex, but it is heart-warming. And ever more I am very fascinated with the language of Italy and the country itself. Its definitely on my wish list on the places I want to visit in the future. This movie made me fall in love with Italy.

here's the song of the movie:

Mi Mancherai (Album Version) - Josh Groban (Featuring Joshua Bell)

LYRICS with TRANSLATION

Flat Tummy Aid

One the main part of my body that I dislike the most is my abs. A few months ago I found this video. And it  looks interesting, and I'm trying it. I'm hoping it will remove those hideous muffin top. 

My Top Movi(e)ng Quotes

Ever since I became a mom, my trip to the theaters to watch movies on the big screen lessened. But I still watch movies at home most of the time. My hubby is a movie buff so I'm always updated with what is playing currently.

One of the wonderful perks my family have enjoyed here in the US is being able to watch movies for FREE. Yes, because their public library provides these resources. They have DVD copies of movies that's available to the public. My hubby enjoys this privilege as much as I do. And with today's economy its the most PRACTICAL form of entertainment especially for people like us who loves watching movies.

Most of the movies I watch are new on DVD. But recently I started borrowing old movies, these are some of the movies I enjoyed so much back in college. One of my favorite genres is Romantic Comedy. And lately I have watched Sabrina and The Bachelor as if it was my first time. These movies made me hark back to my early days when I was single and enthusiastically awaiting for "the One". But one of things immediately came to mind was the my previous wondering "When would be that day come when I would fall in love as if nothing else mattered?".  Thinking about that now, it makes me feel satisfied knowing that I was certain of the things my heart desired. But I just feel bountied knowing I got what I wanted. 

Its not hard to figure out why people like me are into Love Stories. We want to have the same love story that we saw or we can just simply relate to it.  And here is a collection of quotes that moved me in the most exceptional way. 

Once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, not far from New York, there was a very, very large mansion, almost a castle. And on this very large estate lived a small girl. And life was pleasant there and very, very simple. But, then one day, the girl grew up and went beyond the walls of the grounds and found the world. 

~Sabrina

It's a wonderful thing, 

as time goes by, 

to be with someone who looks into your face, 

when you've gotten old,

and still sees what you think you look like.

~The Bachelor

Destiny is something we've invented 

because we can't stand the fact that 

everything that happens is accidental.

~Sleepless in Seattle

Don't forget. I'm just 

a girl standing in front of a boy...

asking him to love her.

~ Notting Hill

The best love is the kind 

that awakens the soul 

and makes us reach for more;

that plants a fire in our hearts 

and brings peace to our minds .... 

That's what you've given me 

and that's what I hope to give to you forever.

~ The Notebook

Destiny is the bridge you build to the one you love

~My Sassy Girl

The Peach Experience

Chuko called today. We were having a chat, I wasnt really expecting a call since the it was still early. I was busy frying the omelet.I missed my brother so dear.We talked mostly about my experience here. And about the food adjustment.He sounded okay.After about 20mins.he gave the phone to my mom.SHe was also asking me about how things are & how much I have adjusted.I told here the food is quite my issue for now. Especially with the limited ingredients.Then she asked have I tried fresh strawberries already? I said not yet & I dont think they are in season now. But I was proud to tell her about my first fresh peaches experience.I told her that the texture is so close to mangga rosso.I then asked myself, when can I be able to eat that again?I remembered it now it was last sunday I had my peach, it was only my baby boy who enjoyed eating it.I was happy because it was always pleasurable for me to see my baby eating fruits.

Downside...so far?

I felt like crying in mass today because of once certain hymn the choir sang. I wasnt familiar to that song really but the melody & how they sang it made me think of home. But I held back so I wouldnt cry. As we were strolling downtown after mass, there was one billboard I saw. "YOU ARE HERE! WHERE'S YOUR FAMILY?" I said out loud "Here with me in OHIO".It struck me now when I visited my forum that, home is US now.

W I E R D...in a good way

It would be somehow useless if I discuss in detail the longest 2 days of my life - Our Trip to the US. If I may say in my native tongue, "bahaw na". This is actually my second attempt to write an entry to this blog.Last time this prompt from the library had deleted everything.WAAAAH!

In my attempt to vent all my "chopsuey" emotions, I have to come to Birchard everyday. So I guess this is it. I have been trying to keep my emotions up even my kitchen was ruined, last week. A fire broke which resutled from neglence. I wish I could keep myself from bitching about it but it was totally obvious. And I could say, "Ana jud cya?!".But life must go on. Good thing I wont be the one to clean it.

Good things:
Jason - hubby's supe gave us a sack of rice. It was the kindest gesture we have ever recieved from a total pinoy stranger. I think in some way he must have handed down that small piece of ritual or tradition that new pinoys here should get a sack. He said too which I dont think I will ever forget, the first year is the toughest and after that its just going to be a breeze. Well, at least I hope so. Aside from the sack, he took us to AppleBee's for a very sumptous dinner.It was Quesadilla Burger for me & thier fries was great. But thinking back, NeoNeo's menu was still the best. I miss Filipino food so bad. I wish I could have some of those SUTUKIL here. I find it ironic that now I am here I really miss being back home...

My Fascination...
Walmart, last Friday it was the first time I used to pay in dollars then Thammee asked "unsay feeling nimo". I said weird... a nice way cya and I smiled...Next was paying for the treasures we found at a catholic church's garage sale - Furball, Bebos' new friend, his books, a set of transparent but good Jar set..

Why the Soy?

It was rather a very amusing display for a meal. It had a very small portions yet very fullfilling I might say. But nothing else caught my eye upon the sight of tiny fish-like shaped plastic filled with a rather familiar color of condiment. I believe California Maki was on the menu in our NWA flight to detroit. Then instantly I figured out that it was soy sauce. I was filled with joy, and somehow find it rather funny at my own childish reaction to the sauce. It tasted different compared to the one I use at home with my adobo, but to me it was a little bit of home in a small fish-shaped plastic...

This cute vessel was also the very source of my arguement with Thammee since I insisted that I carry it with me as our plane was ready to land. He was very firm in telling me that I should not carry any food as we are going to be inspected in the airport. I was determined to carry it with me to Ohio as it would be the inspiration or "the title" of my new blog. He find it ridiculous but I was serious. So we emptied the contents & I took the container & placed it in my pocket.

Two days later, I was in my beautiful kitchen. Cooking my adobo & now I realized that I was trully in a different world... Im in the other side of the world...