Korean Birthday Dinner with my Beach Buddies!

Happy Birthday Everyday, Lia!

I prepared a Korean dinner for my Beach Buddies: Cristina, Jodie, Miko and Mona.

Wang Mart grocery on Polaris St., Bel-Air is a good place to get all your Korean ingredients.

Soysauce

Dangmyun Noodles (sweet potato noodles for Jap Chae)

Ssamjang, Gochujang and Sesame Oil.

My favorite Barley tea!

But my guests did not like it. They said it tasted like "gulaman at sago" without sugar.

Korean Rice, they mixed a little malagkit rice with the Korean rice, 2:1 ratio (more or less). They said the rice was very good.

The menu for tonight:

Samgyeopsal

Korean Fried Chicken. (McCormick Korean Soy Garlic)

Jap Chae (recipe from koreanbapsang.com)

Kimchi

Stir-fried Vegetables

Galbi Jjim (Korean Beef Stew)

2 K. Short ribs, cut 2 inches

2 C. Water

2 T. Rice wine

2 T. Minced garlic

10 T. Korean soysauce

Put all the ingredients in a heavy pot and boil until fork tender, about 3 hours. Add more water if needed.

Add:

5 T. Sugar

1 t. Chili powder or Gochujang

1 T. Sesame oil

2 1/2 T. Toasted sesame seeds

Boil for 1 more hour. Adjust seasoning according to your taste.

Garnish with chopped leeks or spring onions.

We absolutely loved the Korean beef stew!

Thank you, Tricia L. for the recipe!

Our dessert:

Lychee Salad

Dumaguete's Sylvanas from the patient of Dra. Cristina.

And Purple Oven's Chocolate Cake from Cristina, Jodie and Miko! My favorite!

I love opening presents!

I got a mono pad from Jodie! With a bluetooth remote!!!!

Cristina gave me Beats portable speaker!

Cristina also made loomband key chains for everybody!

I love my friends!

We are always planning our upcoming adventures and we love going to the beach!

We already went to Boracay and Nasugbu.

It was a pleasure to plan and cook the Korean dinner for you, my beach buddies

Thank you so much for celebrating my Birthmonth with me!

!

 

 

 

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Almond Roca Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

I am in my Chocolate Cake obsession phase of life. I think I have this craving every August.

I went to Starbucks earlier to eat a slice of cake but it was out of stock!

Hmph! I just made my own!

Almond Roca Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake ( Hershey's Cookbook)

I have this very delicious chocolate frosting recipe given to us by the classmate of my Ate way back in the 70's!

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1/2 C. Butter

1/4 C. Cocoa

1 can Nestle condensed milk

16 - 20 pcs. Almond Roca, crushed

Thank you, Tita Medy for the Almond Roca!

Melt butter in a heavy bottom pan. Add the cocoa and stir until melted.

Add the condensed milk and stir over low heat until the frosting is glossy and dark. Use immediately.

Slice the cake into 3 or 4 layers. Spread frosting on the 3 layers and sprinkle with crushed Almond Roca.

Pile the cake layers on top of each other. Cover with fudge frosting all over. Sprinkle remaining Almond Roca on top. (Hmmm it does not look pretty but I assure you, it tastes heavenly!)

Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe from the net)

1 C. White sugar

6 T. (90 g.) butter cut into 6 pieces

3/4- 1 C. Heavy cream, depends on your preferred thickness of the sauce

1 t. Fleur de sel

Melt the sugar in a heavy bottom pan until amber colored.

Add the butter one piece at a time.

Pour the cream and continue stirring.

Add the salt.

Keep in a covered container.

I invited all my friends to come to my house so they could try it!

But they could not :(

It was so good! So moist and and not too sweet!

I know, I know, I know!

Mom said never to praise my own cooking (baking?) but I could not help myself!

It's my Birthmonth! Hahahaha! I can do whatever I want!

Happy birthday everyday, Lia!

 

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Suckling Pig

I love Suckling Pig!

More than I love our Pinoy Lechon!

It was a fun and busy day for me. I am preparing for three birthday celebrations this week!

My first destination was President Grand Palace on Ongpin St. in Binondo.

I was seated near the window where they hang the roast meats! I could not help myself and ordered a small serving of....

Suckling Pig!

Ohhhhh All for me!!!

I figured... Hey! Isn't it my birthday everyday?????

And.... For long life (not that I want to live forever)... Sizzling Noodles with Shrimps and Pork!

That was a happy and satisfying meal!

At least I will not think about Suckling Pig for a long time.

Or else.... I will go crazy thinking about the paper-thin crunchy skin!

And the ribs of the pig were as thin as a toothpick!

If I were given a choice in a Chinese resto, I only like to eat Suckling pig, fried rice and soup. I would be so happy already!

Ok... Ok... Ok... I am getting carried away here.

My next destination was 168!

Specifically at stall 2HB (06-08) for my party props!!!!

They have everything there!!!

I just bought a few pieces for my Birthday celebrations this week.

Hmmmm...I am still in Suckling Pig heaven! Hahahaha! You should see the smile on my face!

 

 

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Exciting Month of August!

It is already my Birthmonth!

Happy Birthday Everyday, Lia!

I have a lot of activities lined up for this month. They are all food related events!

My theme this August is Asian.

The very first cooking and eating activity has a Filipino theme because of our Balikbayan guests.

Pork Binagoongan has been my craving for days!

I checked my blog and followed the Bataan recipe.

Do you get excited by the thought of food?

I do! Especially by fatty pork pieces!

I took pictures while I was cooking and sent them to the Batgirls via Viber.

When I told them that the oil from the pork has started to rise to the top, Mayette said she could imagine my eyes getting bigger and bigger!

That was true!

Another favorite dish I love to cook.... Adobo... But this time, it was Brown Adobo!

This was taken after frying the chicken.

Then I poured the sauce over the fried chicken adobo!

All-time Pinoy food.... Kare-Kare.

Hermie cooked the Lumpiang Shanghai.

My Ate asked me to bake Cinnamon rolls.

The other desserts were Mangoes and Cream ice cream and Ginataang Mais.

OMG! It is just the start of August! I have to pace myself, in terms of cooking and eating!

I still have a whole month to celebrate my birthday!

 

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