Broas

I've been looking for Broas in the supermarket for days.  I usually see the commercially baked Broas in cans but  I like the ones from Quezon, maybe I should go to Market! Market! and buy.... I only want a few pieces, not a whole can because I will end up eating all of it. 

Mona said the other day, she and Corry were eating Broas with fresh butter! So, ever since then ... I've been dreaming about it.

I have decided to bake my own.  I got the recipe from Recipe of the Philippines by Enriqueta Diaz-Perez.

Broas

Broas

3 egg whites 

3 egg yolks

1 + 5 T. sugar

8 T. flour, sifted

2 T. powdered sugar

Beat egg yolks with 1 T. sugar until light and fluffy.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until bubbles are fine.

Add the rest of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Add the eggwhites in 3 installments to the egg yolk mixture using the cut and fold method.

Add the sifted flour. Cut and fold again.

Transfer into a piping bag with a big round tip.

Pipe onto a lined baking sheet (parchment paper or Silpat).

Sprinkle powdered sugar on the broas.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375.

Broas inside the oven.

Broas with Queensland Butter

                                                                                  



Sundries

I enjoyed my breakfast last Sunday, Jon and Mayette dropped by to let me taste "I can't believe it's not butter!"  I shared with them my mini pan de sal with Fried Kesong Puti and salted egg.

                                     

My lunch guests were Corry and Mona.  I promised to cook Sinigang na Liempo.  We call it "Floating" because of the floating bits of fat!  Whenever I serve soup dishes, I set aside the meat and vegetables from the stock.  I don't like to fish for my food.

                                        

I rarely have dinner guests now ... hahaha... maybe because people know I don't eat anything but salad.  I tried the Honey Mustard dressing for the first time and it wasn't bad at all.  I used a small bottle with a tight fitting lid, added all the ingredients and shaked it vigourously.  I tried stirring the dressing ingredients in a bowl but it wouldn't emulsify so I transferred it into a small bottle.  I saw Martha Stewart do it in her show.

                                                   


Honey Mustard Dressing

1 t. mustard
1 t. honey
1 t. cava wine vinegar
1 T. Extra Virgin Olive oil

I just added grapes and mangoes to my salad leaves.  The dressing really tasted good together with the mangoes.

                                        

Tita Portia gave me sugar free coffee jelly with whipped cream prepred by her maid.  Will ask for the recipe.

                                             

I like the hotdog on a stick in Cash and Carry because they use JUMBO hotdog.  One time I bought "corn dog" in Glorietta and it was such a disappointment.  They used a regular sized hotdog and double dipped in batter to make it appear big.   It is so easy to make hotdog on a stick, I just buy Maya Hotcake Mix and Purefoods hotdog and follow the instructions at the back of the box.

 

 I was hungry yesterday and checked my pantry what can I make for merienda.  I ended up making Pizza Pan de sal!  I used Del Monte Pizza sauce, Zaragosa Hot Spanish Sardines and Eden Melt sarap and toasted it in my little oven.

Saturday Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

It is Saturday again! Time flew really fast even if I was sick the whole week.  I'm feeling better now especially after consulting with Corry, Mona's sister.  I'm suffering from allergies and it's because of you know who. WRIGGLY!!!  What can I do? I can't live without him .... but he really isn't allowed anymore to sleep in my room.

I was up and about early this morning, that's a first ... was in Salcedo market by 8:00 am!!!!  As usual, I bought my favorite lumpiang ubod from Joanna's.  Sometimes, the lumpia filling is light and whitish but this morning, it was a little discolored, it probably depends on the ubod they use.  Next time, when I experiment, I will use chicken instead of pork.

I also tried the Chinese vegetable lumpia.  I didn't like it that much.  I have eaten a better version, like the one Jing and I ate in the little lumpia store in Binondo.  See?  My food choices now are of the healthy variety.



My whole family had lunch in my house.  I've decided to make lasagna, haven't cooked that in more that 5 years!!!  I had to consult several websites, cookbooks and called Mona a gazillion times to ask questions, she is an expert lasagna maker, that's her business and she even makes noodles from scratch!

Lia's Lasagna Experiment

 

Italian Spaghetti Sauce (double recipe) http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/08/lias-version-of-italian-spaghetti.html

White Sauce

1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Flour
4 C. Fresh Milk
1 bar cream cheese, cut into cubes

Melt Butter, add flour... whisk until blended.  Add the milk gradually and whisk continuously until not lumpy anymore.  Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth.

Lasagna noodles - follow cooking instructions on the box.

Grated Cheddar, Parmesan and Eden Melt sarap cheese.

Grease a BIG oven proof rectangular dish with butter.  Lay 4 strips of lasagna noodles.  Add 2 cups of the meat sauce, 1 cup of the white cream cheese sauce and a quarter of the grated cheddar cheese.  Repeat layers... should end with noodles as the the last layer... spread the remaining white sauce, cover with grated cheddar, Parmesan and Eden Melt Sarap Cheese.

Bake at 350 C for 25 minutes then broil for an additional 5 minutes if your oven has that setting.

Important:  Let the lasagna rest for at least 25 minutes before serving so it will not fall apart.

I also made Caesar Salad and Ate liked it very much.  It really makes a difference when you use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/09/caesar-salad-from-scratch.html

 

My BBQ helper grilled the Pork Barbeque.  My Kuya was so funny ... he was telling everybody to enjoy it while it is free.   Hahaha  When it is weekdays, if he wants to eat BBQ, he has to buy from my "ihaw-ihaw" stand.

They were looking for dessert, I told them I'm not allowed so I did not prepare.  We just peeled my suha but it wasn't sweet.  It is better to get  the peeled pomelo from Rustan's than unpeeled.

I was able to buy my NEW favorite Cheese in Rustan's this evening!!! 

When I was in S & R last week, I tasted the Mainland Vintage Cheese but they didn't have stock anymore.  I like it because the texture is .... I don't know the English equivalent but in Filipino... this is what we refer to as "Mala-bo" (accent of the BO).  I used it for my salad tonight.  I just added seedless grapes and chopped Gala apples.  The doctor said I can only eat half a cup of fruits in my salad with my favorite Cava Wine Honey dressing.

 The day was very long for me but I am happy.  I can't wait to wake up! Tomorrow is another day and I'm excited to cook and of course, EAT!!!

Caesar Salad from Scratch

I've been eating food for the "sick" these past few days.... arroz caldo.... chicken sopas... and this morning I made chicken congee but it tasted like AM!!!  So tonight, I said to myself .. no more sick food!

I cooked bacon, toasted whole wheat bread and made Caesar Salad from scratch!  Oh, did I mention I heated the baked beans in bacon grease????

I didn't measure the ingredients for the salad dressing so will just give an approximate amount.

Caesar Salad Dressing

1 egg yolk
1/4 t. French's mustard
2 T. Wesson Corn Oil
1/2 t. anchovy, mashed into paste
1/2 t. white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Beat the egg yolk and mustard together with a spatula.  Gradually add the oil, then the anchovy paste and vinegar.  Drizzle over the lettuce leaves and garnish with the following:

3 pcs. bacon, crumbled
1 pc. whole wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes
Parmesan cheese, grated

I only ate half of the Hunt's Baked Beans ... I really like it better than the plain Hunt's pork and beans.  There really is a difference in taste.

And also half  a Bacon sandwich.  Before I wouldn't be satisfied with just 1 sandwich, now I could barely finish my half. 

Hopefully, tomorrow night I can just eat salad with no meat.  But for tonight .. I'm trying to regain my strength from eating food for the "sick".

PS.... I enjoyed my grilled bangus this lunch time.  I just added rocksalt to the "butterflied" bangus and had it grilled "open faced".  That was the way they grilled the bangus in Boracay.  My fish turned out really yum!  It was like fried bangus... golden brown and crunchy but it was grilled.  I want to eat that again for lunch tomorrow.  I was too excited and hungry to take a photo.

Saturday Lunch at Basix, Dusit Hotel

This is a stale post already since I wasn't able to write this blog last Saturday, then I got sick with the very bad case of colds. I'm feeling better now but I still have to rest.

Instead of the usual family lunch here at home, my Ate treated us all for a lunch buffet at the Basix Restaurant, Dusit Hotel.

My Tita Portia and I arrived early, I took pictures while waiting for the buffet to open.

Bread Station

Appetizers

Salad Station (Took this photo after eating all my favorite food.)

Roasting Station

Grilling Station

Indian Station

Crepe Station

Sushi Station

Dimsum Station - they will steam after placing your order.

Dessert Station

Drinks Station - Beer, Red and White wine, juices and canned soda.

Then as soon as the clock stuck 11:30 am.... I noticed that they were going to serve Lechon! I immediately looked for Tita Portia and she dropped her bread plate and zoomed in on the pig.

I got my favorite from the Buffet .... a slice of Roast Prime Rib, then had it seared at the grilling station, few pieces of Ebi Tempura, just a small plate of Lechon, grilled shrimps and dimsum.

After getting all my favorite, I was able to relax already. I tried their Ceasar Salad and I really liked it! In fact, I got a second serving.

While I was at the Indian Station, I got Poppadom but waited for some Indian nationals to get their serving of the different kinds of pickles to go with the Poppadom, I just copied what they got.

For my dessert... I know I am not allowed, there were so many to choose from! But I only ordered from the crepe station, Dark Cherries with White Chocolate Sauce sprinkled with Almonds.

YUMmmmmmmmmmm we all enjoyed our food. I was not able to take pictures of the other hot dishes. Hahahaha was too busy eating. I can't wait for the next "invitation".