Ensaymada

Ensaymada is a soft, sweet and delicious bread that is similar to Brioche-a-tete. It originated from Majorca, Spain. To give its bread a pillowy texture, butter is usually added instead of lard. For its filling, you can have ube, macapuno, chocolate, red bean paste, yema or anything that suits your fancy.

For the toppings, you can have as simple as sugar, butter or butter icing  and topped with a generous amount of grated cheese. To contrast to the sweet and creamy taste of the bread, you can also top it with salted egg or ham depending on your mood. 

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
2 teaspoons active yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 1/2 all purpose flour
1 cup butter
6 egg yolks or 4 whole eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Toppings:
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Method:

• Warm the milk add the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar wait until it foams.
• Add  eggs, sugar, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour, mix and add butter.
• Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, use spatula to mix as it is very sticky.
• Transfer to plastic bowl and cover, let rise for 1 to 2 hours.

• Punch down risen dough, use rubber gloves or spatula.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours to rest so it is easy to handle.
• Form the dough into a ball and cut to 2 portions, roll each ball as a log.
• Cut to desired sizes, roll each piece to form small balls, flatten it one by one, add filling if desired and roll as a log and coil it.
• Place it directly on prepared sheet or to ensaymada tins.
• Let it proof for 1 hour.

• Preheat oven 30 minutes before final proofing ends.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
• Brush eggwash on each ensaymada. 
• Let cool and dip on melted butter then to white granulated sugar or top with grated cheese.

Enjoy your homemade ensaymada.

Itlog Maalat (Salted Egg)

Salted eggs are easy to prepare, we use a brining solution to cure the eggs. Brining or curing is the process in which the eggs are submerge in salty water for a certain period of time. Salt will then give the flavor to the eggs, grainy texture and the natural oil of the eggs to develop is what we want to achieve in the curing or preserving process. The video is a step by step guide on how to prepare the salted eggs, I've tried 25 days before harvesting the eggs and it's proven to be perfect. You can try checking the eggs after 12 days if you prefer but I tell you, 25 days is just the perfect recipe. You will need water, salt and a container to store up the eggs during curing process. Duck eggs are best to use rather than chicken eggs because of its high fat content that produces oil after curing. Salted eggs are consumed as an appetizer or side dish, it can also be used in other dishes and recipes. I can use this on my ensaymada and puto pao recipe as well.

You'll need:
12 eggs preferably duck eggs
3 to 4 cups water
1 cup sea salt
Method:

• Wash eggs thoroughly, set aside.
• Bring the water to a boil add and dissolve salt, let cool and set aside (Brine solution).
• Arrange eggs in a container or a clean jar and add brine solution.
• Keep the eggs submerged in water, fill plastic bag with water seal it and place on top of eggs.
• Keep the container covered in a cool place and leave for 25 days.
• Wash the eggs with cold water and boil the whole batch once cured. It should be salty and grainy, refrigerate.

Enjoy your homemade salted eggs.

Curing 

Palitaw

Palitaw is a glutinous rice dumpling a kakanin or filipino treat in the Philippines, the name come from the way it is cooked. How to know that it is done is when a dollop floats right up when boiled...that is palitaw.

Gooey and sweet with the grated coconut and toasted sesame seeds. Easy to prepare and not expensive, the only challenging part is to grate the coconut unlike in the Philippines you can buy it fresh in the market. That's why I have my own coconut grater here in Jeddah and I'm proud to say that it has served me well a lot of times. Coconut however is available here in supermarkets imported from India and the variety is smaller than what we used to have in our native country. It served the purpose though and so I cannot complain.

Palitaw is best combined with toasted sesame seeds and grated coconut, sesame or sesamum indicum grows in sandy soil and tropical environment. It grows 5 feet in height and bears pink-white foxglove flowers. The pods appear containing white, brown or black seeds depending on the variety. Each pod contains 100 or more seeds. The seeds are rich in vitamins and minerals very good sources of Vitamin B complex such as niacin, folic acid and thiamin.http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org

Ingredients:

• 500 gms or 1 pack glutinous rice powder
• 1 1/2 cups of warm water
• 3/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups toasted sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 cups grated coconut

Method:

• Make the dough by adding water a little at a time until the rice powder becomes a big solid mass, knead until water is well combined but dough is not soggy.

• Boil 5 cups of water, pinch a tablespoon of dough flatten and drop to the boiled water for 3 minutes.
• When dough floats remove from the water and place on a plate, immediately coat with grated coconut to avoid from sticking together as you pile them up.

• Mix sugar and toasted sesame seeds and add as you eat, do not add sugar ahead of time to your cooked dough. Your palitaw will be watery as the sugar melts easily with the hot palitaw.

Serve and enjoy your homemade palitaw.

Ciao!

Oven Roasted Turkey

Christmas 2015

Perfectly done

It has become a yearly family custom, to invite friends over to a shared dinner or noche buena during the Christmas eve at our home. At the beginning of the month of December it is already my task to think of my menu for the Christmas dinner. Since I'm working, I have to prepare food ahead of time especially desserts so everything would fit in my schedule to avoid cramming. 

It has become a problem searching for the right size of turkey here in Jeddah, the supply has been scarce after the thanksgiving celebration. We actually found one but only 3 kg and it's just a little bit larger than a chicken and I am not happy about it. 

I flew to Washington Dc. a week before Christmas so it gave me an idea to get my turkey from there, my first time to try it so I purchased one thermal bag to fit my 10 kg/21 lbs. Butterball turkey and was happy that the bag perfectly fit in my pullman. 

I was the happiest person alive when my roasted turkey came out just fine and nicely done. The meat inside was not dry and just cooked exactly as I wanted it to be. The flavor was so good due to brining overnight. The cavity was stuffed with apples just so not to dry the meat after 5 hours of roasting. Well, I'm happy with the outcome then expect me to do it again and again. Other method is to roast it breast down as the juice settles in the breast leaving the turkey moist and flavorful.

Ingredients:
10 kg turkey 
1 cup iodized salt
1/4 cup of sugar
5 to six liters of water
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons garlic or more as desired
3 tablespoons of pepper or more as desired
3 to 4 piesces of apples 

You"ll need:
1 rack that fits your pan
A pan either rectangle or round ideal for your turkey size
A dependable meat thermometer

Brining is the method of submerging or soaking the turkey overnight with salt, sugar or any herbs like rosemary, thyme, lemon grass etc. this way the turkey meat is not dry when roasted and remains flavorful.
Method:

• Thaw turkey overnight. Boil 5 to 6 liters of water and dissolve salt and sugar then let the water cool.
• Place the turkey in the brine solution overnight, refrigerate if possible or place in a cool area.
• Remove from water and let dry wiping it with paper towel.
• Apply butter under skin (pockets) and on skin, add garlic salt and pepper.
• Stuff cavity with apples either cut or whole.

• Place the turkey on the rack, round or rectangle pan underneath, you can use your cake rack and pan like I did.
• Tuck legs by inserting them in the cavity at the bottom of the turkey and wings with toothpick.
• Cover top with foil to avoid browning ahead of other parts.
• Remove foil 1 hour before the roasting time ends to even the browning of skin.
• Bake for 5 hours at 350 degrees for 10 kg and 3 hours for 5 kg.
• Internal temperature should give 160 to 165 degrees F to ensure it is properly cooked.
• Let your turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving to let the juice settle in. 

Enjoy and have fun with this recipe.

Cathedral Window

'Tis the season to be jolly, don we now our gay apparel, yes! it's Christmas time again. This delightful dessert makes the occasion more festive and fun. Composed of different colored cubed gelatin, creamy and delicious. You may also mix in lemon or orange juice to the mixture for a more flavorful result. You can also add in your favorite fruit if desired. Just be imaginative, have fun with this recipe it does not take so long to prepare. 

Gelatine as an important ingredient in this recipe to bind all other ingredients or gelatus in latin terminology, meaning "stiff" is a translucent, colorless, brittle when dry and flavorless food. Derived from collagen from various animal by-products. It is a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis. Collagen is extracted from the skin, bones and connective tissues of domesticated animals such as cattles, pigs, chicken, horses and also from fish. It is used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and photography. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org. 

Without the gelatine or knox (brand name), this recipe will not hold its shape, so the correct amount or procedure is needed to be precise, ineffective use of gelatine will ruin the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 box green (3 oz) gelatin
1 box red or orange (3 oz) gelatin
1 box yellow (3 oz) gelatin
1 cup boiling water for (each box)
1/3 cup cold water for (each box)

Cream the following:
1 can all purpose cream
1/2 can condensed milk
1/2 cup white sugar
2 packet of knox 
1 cup boiling water 
1 cup cold water 

Method:

• In separate bowls set your colored gelatin then slice into cubes, dissolve each box with 1 cup boiling water then adding 1/3 cup cold water.

• Combine cream, condensed milk and sugar until dissolved and well combined.

• Slowly mix in cubed colored gelatin.
• Dissolve 2 packets of knox into 1 cup boiled water and with 1 cup cold water then add to the creamed mixture.

• Transfer to a bowl, let cool.
• Transfer on a serving plate and enjoy. 

Lemon Meringue Pie

It's two days after Christmas, so I have time to relax a bit; anyway, I have already done the chores of the day. Having settled down on the sofa, watched shows on tv, current events and some movies, I thought I could get a little nap to rest my tired body from the chores at home and worries of work since it's a week off. However I know that I would be so much happier if I would be in the kitchen, so then again, I've decided to make this Lemon meringue pie that I've been wanting to make in preparation for the coming New Year.

One vital ingredient to make the crust tender and flaky is by adding the vinegar. It sounds weird when I first heard it, it was my sister who gave me the recipe to add vinegar, apple cider or lemon juice. I thought it will make my pie crust sour but I tried it anyway and the result was perfectly fine. Another important procedure to remember is the "blind bake". This step is a sure way to have a good crust to fill. Otherwise the crust will shrink and you will just scratch your head in finding solution to your problem. Blind baking means to bake the crust and putting weight placed on a foil on top of the crust, about 40 to 45 minutes. The crust is ready when the sides turns golden brown. 

Crust
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 stick cold butter or 8 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons ice water

For the lemon curd:
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 whole lemon, juice extracted and zested 
1/2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks, beaten and tempered

Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon tartar

Method: 

• Make the pie crust, add sugar, flour, salt, vinegar, ice water and cut up butter into a large bowl, knead and form it into a ball, refrigerate for 15 minutes or more when soggy.

• Flatten with rolling pin on a floured surface into 12 inches diameter to cover side and bottom of 9 inch pie dish.

• Poke with fork, it's called docking to escape air and prevent bubbles on your pastry shell, line with foil and top with beans (blind bake) as a source of weight when crust is baked to stay in place and not shrink.

• Bake for 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
• Remove foil and crust is ready for filling.

Filling: Lemon curd

• In a saucepan, put 1 1/2 cups water,1/4 teaspoon salt, lemon juice and zest.
• Add 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons corn starch, 2 tablespoons flour.
• Bring the mixture to boil until thick then add the butter.

• Temper the egg yolks by adding half cup of the boiled mixture then stir to avoid it to be cooked thoroughly.
• Add the tempered yolk back to the whole mixture then set aside.

• Fill the baked pie crust then set aside.

• Make the meringue, whip the eggwhites, add the sugar and cream of tartar slowly until frothy but not dry. 

• Top meringue on the pie.
  

• Spread to cover the pie then bake for 15 minutes or until top is golden brown. Enjoy your lemon meringue pie.

Bicol Express

Bicol Express

Bicolanos are known for their love of hot and spicy food. Bicol express is surely an authentic Bicol dish using local ingredients around the region sili or chilli and with the cream of coconut milk is a superb combination, delicious and mouth watering taste that one can consume a lot of rice to offset the spiciness of chilli. 

The name of this dish was taken after an express train that travels from Manila to Bicol long time ago. With modernization the train is already outdated and long gone, people nowadays travel with airconditioned buses straight to Bicol but the dish still kept its name and an insignia of a truly Bicolano, a reminder of the history that will linger on to the next generation to come.

The dish became famous because of the amount of chilli added in the recipe. I am not a Bicolano but I've learned to love the dish. Chilli is available all year round, in wet markets or supermarkets. I has some medicinal values too. It contains medical compound called capsaicin and its co-compounds being employed in the preparation of ointments, rubs and tinctures for their astringent, counter-irritant and analgesic properties. This formulation has been used in treatment of arthritic pain, post-herpetic, neuropathic pain, sore muscles etc. http://www.nutrition-and-you.com

sgforum.com

Ingredients:

1 regular size onion

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons oil for saute

1 kilo pork or chicken 

1cup of red and green small chilli (siling labuyo)

3/4 cup 2nd (puree) extraction of coconut cream 

1/2 cup of 1st (puree) extraction of coconut milk

Method:

• Saute the garlic and onion with 3 tablespoons oil.
• Add the meat, pork or chicken cut in bite sizes.
• Add the 2nd extraction of coconut cream, let boil in medium heat until meat is tender.
• Add the chilli 1 cup or more to your preference then add salt to taste, let boil in low heat to reduce water.
• Lastly add the 1st extraction of coconut milk, let boil until it becomes thick like a sauce.
• Serve and enjoy your hot and spicy dish with white rice.

Note: 1 or 2 mature coconut is sufficient for the puree extraction.

Have fun and enjoy this authentic Bicol recipe.

Ciao!