Bounty from Farmer's Market

Finally!!! I was able to go to Farmer's Market in Cubao. I've been craving for the little pusit and was able to buy. Since I was there already I also bought other seafood, meat and vegetables. The beef for my mechado, shrimps, and for my family's Saturday lunch, beef for Gilly's Nilaga and ubod. I'm going to make fresh lumpiang ubod.

As soon as I got home, I already cooked the Shrimps with Garlic Butter. It was my late lunch.

Shrimps with Garlic and Butter

250 grams shrimps

1/4 C. butter or margarine (I used Dari Creme Classic)

1 head native garlic, crushed

1 t. rock salt

2 T. Mirinda Orange or Royal Tru-Orange

Melt butter or margarine in a frying pan, add the garlic and cook until brown. Toss in the shrimps and salt then the Orange soda. Continue cooking until it changes color and the shrimps are cooked through. Do not overcook because it will be hard to peel the shrimps.

I have to pause now because I am already eating the adobong pusit cooked by Hermie. Ahhhh baby pusit, it is so hard to find that variety. Most of the pusit sold in the supermarkets are big. My mom liked the little one because it is more tender.

My dinner tonight is Beef Mechado. My neighbor taught me how to cook it. I used Beef Kalitiran (Flank Steak), I hope the butcher gave me a good cut!

Beef Mechado

1 K. Beef Kalitiran, whole or beef cubes

garlic, crushed

1 onion, sliced

4 pieces tomatoes, sliced

1 C. Tomato sauce

3 -4 T. soy sauce

1 pc bay leaf

3 kalamansi

2 pcs. Knorr Beef cube

2-3 Cups water (2 If pressure cooker is used)

potatoes, cubed

carrots, cubed

button mushroom

red pepper, sliced

Brown beef all over, remove. Saute garlic, onions, tomatoes, tomato sauce, soy sauce and juice of calamansi. Add water, then the beef and bay leaf. Simmer until tender. Strain sauce. Refrigerate beef, then slice. Return sauce to pot, add sliced beef, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes and red pepper. Serve hot.

Lia's version of Italian Spaghetti

I have been searching for a perfect Italian Spaghetti. I always see in movies that the sauce is rich in color, hence rich in taste. I've eaten in different places where they serve pastas but they don't have the consistency and color I am looking for. Usually it's with whole fresh tomatoes and a bit too anemic in color, sour or bland for me. My traditional recipe has tons of sugar in it, the children's kind and I only use Del Monte tomato sauce, that's not Italian.

It was my good fortune when I came across this recipe while browsing through my Grandma's cookbook by Edith Barber. I tweaked it a bit and, the result was PERRRRRFECT for me!

The sauce was so thick , flavorful and coated the noodles all over!!! I didn't even have to add herbs, which I don't like, by the way.

Italian Spaghetti Sauce

1/4 C. olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

3 T. white onion, minced

3 T. green pepper, minced

225 grams ground sirloin

1 400-gram can of Molinera Whole Peeled Tomatoes (mashed with a fork)

1 250-gram pouch of Del Monte Tomato sauce, Original Recipe

120 grams Del Monte Tomato paste

1 C. water

1 t. salt

2 t. sugar

Parmesan cheese

Heat a thick sauce pan, add olive oil, saute garlic, onions and green pepper. Add the ground beef, break apart and continue sauteing until it is not pink anymore. Add the tomato paste, then the canned tomatoes followed by the tomato sauce. Season with salt and sugar then add water. When it begins to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours uncovered and stir occasionally.

Pour sauce over noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan on top.

1 recipe of Italian Spaghetti sauce : 225 grams uncooked spaghetti noodles.

1 recipe is good for 4 adults (if not "akaw akaw") or 6 children (also if not akaw akaw").

It was really so perfect! I hope it is perfect for other people too!

Home Baked Apple Pie

I don't remember the last time I made apple pie, probably more than 5 years ago. Last week, Tita Portia asked me to bake the Sara Lee Peach Pie she bought from Rustan's. Since then I've been planning to make apple pie. Mona wanted to learn how flute the edges of the pie so we practiced this afternoon. Hmmm .... didn't turn out picture perfect though.

My favorite cookbook was my Grandma's, published in 1955 by Edith Barber. I like the old fashioned way of cooking and baking so I consider this book my bible. I even got the base recipe of my cream puff from it. Can you imagine, it is older than me!!!!

Apple Pie adapted from Edith Barber

Standard Two Crust Pastry

2 1/2 C. sifted flour

1 t. salt

3/4 C. cold Queensland butter, cut into small cubes

5 T. ice cold water

Mix and sift flour and salt. Using two knives or pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles small peas or corn meal. Add 1 T. cold water a tablespoon at a time. Mix with a fork, knead lightly, do not over handle the dough or else it won't be flaky. Divide the dough into two, wrap with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Put the chilled dough in between 2 pieces of wax paper. Roll out 2 inches larger than your pie pan and line the pie pan with the pastry.

Apple Pie Filling

1 C. Sugar

1 T. flour

1/4 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 T. butter

5 - 6 green apples, pared, cored and sliced thinly (One apple at a time to prevent browning.)

Mix in a bowl the sugar, salt, flour and cinnamon. Layer the apple, one apple = one layer, sprinkle 2-3 T. of the sugar cinnamon mixture for every layer. (I forgot to add cinnamon that is why the sugar mixture is white.) But it still tasted good, just the same.

Before covering the pie with the 2nd rolled out dough, dot with butter.

Brush the top crust with egg wash and put 4 slits in the middle to let the steam escape during baking.

Bake at 425 F for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool 1-2 hours before slicing.

Serve with vanilla ice cream on the side.

We rolled the left over dough, brushed with the remaining egg wash and cut into strips for Wriggly!!!!

But when it came out of the oven, it tasted so good... flaky and buttery. Mona said, maybe we should just eat it and not give Wriggly, I said, NO! That's for my baby! But who said we can't have a few?!?!?!

Hehehehe so we pilfered a few from Wriggly and got the guava jelly from the fridge.

Voila! Assumption Tarts!!!

"Happy Birthday" Lia!!!

Today is August 1. So, what's so special about it? It is the start of my birthday month long celebration! When my Dad was still alive when I was younger, he declared the whole month of August as my birthday month. Every day of the month, I was so excited to get up from bed and couldn't wait to find out what extraordinary event will take place!



My real birth date is still on the 28th but I already have several birthday celebrations lined up! And I'm so excited!


Corry, the sister of Mona, invited us to have lunch. We were cruising along Jupiter Street when we saw Whistle Stop. I liked the place because it was cold inside and it was my first time to eat there.



We ordered......



Whizza - izzas ... their version of Taquitos with ground meat, red onions, chopped tomatoes and grated cheddar cheese on fried wonton skin.





Boneless Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese dip






Beef Salpicao with Garlic rice





Whistle Stop Crispy Pancit






So... today really marks the 1st day of my birthday celebration. Hehehe Corry said the dinner at Marriot last night was the "bisperas"!

Dinner Buffet at Marriot Hotel

Mona and I had a wonderful evening at Marriot Hotel in Newport City. That is the new development across NAIA 3. We toured the whole complex ... Resortworlds, Maxim's and Marriot.

We were early for the Dinner Buffet so I had time to take pictures before it opened at 6 pm. There were several stations.

Chinese/Noodle Station - This is the first station I went to when the buffet opened and got Roast duck, pan fried shirmps, siomai, hakaw, century eggs, jellyfish, chicken feet, spareribs and noodles with shrimps and vegetables in Laksa soup.

Japanese Station - My 2nd stop, had 3 slices of Tuna Sashimi, 3 pieces of Ebi Tempura, 1 piece of fish tempura and a bowl of Miso soup.

Cold Appetizer Station - I only got the Shrimps with the cocktail sauce.

Roast Beef Station - I had a thin slice and had it seared, I don't like my meat bloody and I drizzled a little bit of peppercorn sauce on the beef.

Pizza/Pasta Station - Tried 1 slice of pizza and a little serving of spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. My least favorite station. I guess it shows in the way I took a photo of it.

Salad/Cold cuts/Bread/Cheese/Dried Fruits/Nuts Station - Got a small segment of Brie Cheese, candied fruit, walnuts, 1 piece of marinated olive (YUM) and a lettuce leaf with Caesar salad dressing.

Indian Station - I ate several pieces of Papadum with the sauce of Chicken Masala as a dip! I really, really loved it, went back several times.

Dessert/Fruit Station - The fruits were sweet and beautifully arranged, ate the watermelon, papaya, orange segments and pineapple. I also tried the Strawberry Panna Cotta (too sweet for me) and Caramel flan which was creamy but not "yolky" enough for me.

Ice Cream Station - I loved this station the best because they made their own ice cream! I tried most of the flavors but only in small amounts. Imagine golf ball sized scoops of mango, strawberry, pandan, smores, white mocha ice cream and dalandan sorbet. Thumbs up for their homemade ice cream! I wish I could eat more but I am not even allowed a scoop. I just gave myself permission. Hehehehe.

What I love about buffets is that I don't need to gorge myself with everything I see, but just to try in small amounts and get to experience the different kinds of food. I was very satisfied tonight because I didn't feel like I was going to explode. I started at 6 pm and ended at 9 pm with a pot of Green Tea.

Mongolian Barbecue

I love cooking Mongolian Barbecue when I have guests. It is so easy to cook! Hahaha Promise ... really in a jiff. And I love the the taste. I can still remember the Mongolian Grill Restaurant in Mile Long, I only got the vegetables I like and beef, so that is what I cooked tonight for Mona. Other meat and vegetables can be added also.



Mongolian Barbecue




1/4 K. beef sirloin, sliced into strips

2 heads native garlic, crushed and soaked in 1 T. water

1 white onion, sliced

red pepper, sliced

green pepper, sliced

celery, sliced diagonally

carrot, julienned

chinese cabbage, sliced

cabbage, sliced

beansprouts

3 T. Kikkoman soysauce

1 t. Lee Kum Kee sesame oil

1-2 T. Lee Kum Kee Chili sauce

brown sugar, to taste

1 T. cooking oil



Combine all the ingredients on a tray or in a bowl except the cooking oil. Heat a flat bottomed frying pan or griddle, when smoking hot, add the oil and DUMP all the ingredients. Toss with a pair of spatulas until the beef is cooked.


SEE?!?!?!?! I told you how easy it is!!!! I used a big wok that was why there was more sauce (liquid from the vegetables) than I would prefer. But, none the less, it really tasted good. Just the way I like it!

Fish Sinigang with Miso

My most recent craving is Fish Sinigang with Miso. I cooked it three times in just 1 week. I got dizzy eating all the meat based food so I told myself, I have to eat more vegetables and fish.

Mona is my house guest for the weekend. For today's lunch, I cooked Salmon Belly sinigang with Miso, Inihaw na liempo (marinated in rock salt and patis for a few minutes)

and green mangoes with Bagoong.

For dessert, we had the Arce Sorbetes de Caro Avocado ice cream.

It tastes so much better than Regular Arce Avocado ice cream.

Salmon Belly Sinigang with Miso

1/4 k. Salmon belly

garlic, crushed

onions, sliced

3 tomatoes, sliced

1/4 C. Miso paste (local not Japanese)

1-2 T. patis

4 C. water

1 small Knorr Sinigang Mix Original recipe pack

radish, sliced

Mustaza leaves (but I used Kang Kong leaves)

Saute garlic, onions and tomatoes. When the tomatoes are wilted, add the miso paste, add water 1 cup at a time. When it begins to boil add the radish, when tender, add the fish and cook for 5 minutes. Add the kangkong, cover and cook for exactly 1 minute. Remove cover, do NOT cover again because the leaves will get discolored.

Nowadays, I want the soup served separately from the meat/fish.

The other day I made Fish Head Sinigang but used Knorr Sinigang Mix with Miso. I prefer the soup made with fresh miso paste.