the kitchen masochist

Rose Apple Spinach Salad

2011-02-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Beauty deprived of its proper foils and adjuncts ceases to be enjoyed as beauty, just as light deprived of all shadows ceases to be enjoyed as light.

John Ruskin

A rose isn't a rose isn't a rose...at least when it's a rose apple anyway...

Asian Style Barley Pilaf

2011-02-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Nothing makes a woman realize the consequences of the gluttony she committed during the recent festivities like a pair of tight-fitting jeans. You know, those pair of jeans with zippers that glided smoothly when you zipped them up or down prior to December of the previous year. Then comes January and all of sudden, that zipper on those same pair of jeans experiences a bumpy ride as it travels up and down. The zipper simply does not glide as smoothly as it did just a few months ago. As much as I she would like to think that she's experiencing a wardrobe malfunction (it's Superbowl season, I'm allowed to borrow that term) or think it's simply because of defective zippers, that bumpy ride is a storage of leftover gluttony in the form of fat.

Meringue-Making On A Manic Monday: Silvanas

2011-01-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

BlogCritics: my first article submission, Confessions Of A Chocolate Chaser, has been chosen as Editors' Picks. You can read it here if you're interested.

I just discovered my own personal Bible, The Idiot's Guide To Managing Your Time. To date, it has truly been a revelation in that I was able to write and submit my long overdue first article for Blog Critics, complete another article for a client after my regular office hours and managed to bake a batch of silvanas and meet up with a friend for a cup of coffee. All this accomplished on a manic Manila Monday!

New Year's Eve 2010

2011-01-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Unlike in the West, New Year's Eve is a family affair here in the Philippines. It really is just a continuation of Christmas Eve with a few differences. Being a "holiday orphan," my friend invited me to spend Christmas Eve with her family, which was very generous of her to do so. Now imagine my surprise when her parents invited me again to spend New Year's Eve with them! A repeat invitation in a short space of a week is a good sign that I didn't repulse my hosts during Christmas Eve.

Local Christmas Traditions

2010-12-25T08:37:00.000-08:00

With the over-the-top, paranoid-like security measures that every high-traffic US airports employ, I have decided to stay put for the holidays instead of going home as I usually do. After working for around fourteen hours almost everyday for the past six months, I simply do not have the energy to queue for two to three hours and subject myself to have my luggage scanned and turned upside down after hours of meticulous packing in the hopes of finding any explosive devices.

Loomi Luvin'

2010-12-16T02:48:00.000-08:00

My palm reader said I'm going to hold
something old and withered in the palm of my hand.
Perhaps this was what she meant?!

Unless you are familiar with Persian and khaleeji cuisines, most likely, you have never seen nor heard of lumi (pronounced as "loomi"). They are preserved limes boiled in salt water and dried out in the sun until they become brittle and reach that tan or black color. Sometimes, they're called "black limes" or "black lemons," which is a misnomer.

Papaya Fried Rice

2010-12-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

With Christmas just a little over two weeks away, I am starting to feel the pressure to finish everything work-related before the break. It doesn't help either when you hear "Only 'X' days till Christmas!" on TV every night. As soon as September arrives, the entire Christian population in this country start the count down.

Thai Pumpkin Coconut Custard (Sang Kaya Fuk Thong)

2010-12-02T00:18:00.000-08:00

From about 2003 to 2007, I spent Thanksgiving Day in Thailand on business trips. I have done away with turkey but Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without any kind of pumpkin. I used to order this Thai pumpkin coconut custard at the hotels I stayed at on all the Thanksgiving Days I was in Bangkok. It became my own personal tradition as a way of celebrating the holiday the best way I could away from home.

Kotlet (Persian Burgers) For Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-11-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

For Americans living overseas, many of us do not celebrate Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day. Since it isn't an international holiday the way Christmas is, most of us are usually working on Thursday and usually celebrate it on a Friday or a Saturday. Because it's a holiday that's exclusive to North America (just celebrated on different dates), it is quite easy to miss as there are no images of orange pumpkins or any icons associated with the holiday.

A Retort On A Tort Of A Torte

2010-11-24T03:19:00.000-08:00

I learned how to bake first before I learned how to cook. When I moved out of my parents' home to go off to university, my mother worried about my lack of cooking skills. She used to say: "You can't live on cookies, brownies, instant noodles and Shirazi salad." And Marlboro Lights for dessert. Of course, she and Dad never knew that! As a side note, I quit when I was 28 and haven't touched a cigarette ever since. My parents still don't know to this day that I belched smoke for ten years.

A Threesome and The Best BJ For My Birthday

2010-10-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

"Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit."

W. Somerset Maugham

I have, unintentionally, let my 35th birthday (a month ago) pass me by. I have been skating between my "conventional" yuppie day job and my word whoring, er...I mean...ghostwriting gigs, which I work on between breaks and in the evenings. On my birthdays, I usually treat myself to something I don't permit myself to indulge in. This year, I told myself: "I'll take care of it (my birthday)next week." "Next week" turned into "7 weeks later."

Since my birthday also happens to be close to my ten-year anniversary as an expatriate, I have been swept over by this insidious bastard of an emotion, the bane of every expatriate's existence called homesickness. It seems to strike a lot of longtime expats during the ten-year mark. I definitely was not exempted. After a decade of living overseas as an adult, I can safely sum it up as something like this: homesickness is as elusive as the horizon. Just when you think you have come close to grasping and mastering its essence, you realize, sooner or later, that you are nowhere near it as you had initially thought. It is during this moment of realization where you begin to entertain the thought that perhaps, Johannes Wolfgang von Goethe had you, instead of Faust, in mind when he wrote these words:

"And here, poor fool, with all my lore I stand no wiser than before."

For those of us who choose the expatriate life, we find ways to handle our bouts of homesickness. A friend of mine, a fellow expat from New York, deals with her bouts of homesickness by watching her DVD set of Friends, Seinfeld and Woody Allen films. So how did a recently-turned-35-year-old expat woman treat herself for homesickness and her birthday? She binges on classic American junk food. Let's just say that my hips, thighs and waistline's girth are directly proportional to the intensity of my homesickness. The formula would be something like this:

Let h=hips, t=thighs, w=waistline, H=homesickness;

H=thwk, where k is constant

Phew! I still remember my algebra at the ripe old age of 35!

For the longest time, I have been lusting after the smoothest, richest, milkiest and creamiest BJ to go with a threesome-me, Ben and Jerry.

Chicken Macaroni In Milk Broth

2010-09-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

I would like to apologize for failing to deliver my once regular weekly posts to those of you who look or looked forward to them. After an 11-month depressing dry spell, my freelance work has been picking up quite a bit for the last six or so weeks. After months of countless rejections of my writing samples since the year began, I was starting to think that I'd never sell an article in 2010. I have even been entertaining the idea that I was finally an eligible candidate to have a landfill named after me for quite sometime now. Luckily, the landfill idea has been staved off since I finally sold a few articles and have managed to snag a few clients here and there. I have been taking advantage of this momentum. Hence, my absence from the blogosphere. It has been quite a juggling act (an enjoyable one though) between the day job and the writing assignments.

Outside The Box Sessions: Lemongrass-Skewered Prawns With Curry Sauce In Tofu Boxes

2010-07-12T03:20:00.000-07:00

After a few technical glitches, this long overdue post has finally come into public view. thanks to Lazaro, of Lazaro Cooks, who informed me that there was a problem with this post when it wasn't showing up the way it should be.

This was the last dish I prepared and the post I was working on back in May before I fell ill.

4th Of July-Mom's California Pasta Salad

2010-07-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

As an American living overseas for close to a decade now, I've come to the stunning conclusion that the prevailing perception of American cuisine, thanks to the global proliferation of the likes of McDonald's, KFC and Burger King, has been written off as a diet of dry, bland hamburgers blanketed with orange glob that eerily bears a striking resemblance to a piece of melted orange vinyl instead of cheese, fries bathed in salt and ketchup that we happily consume in all their artery-clogging glory.

Shiraz Salad

2010-07-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

As promised in the previous post, here's the recipe for the Shiraz salad that I prepared for Father's Day. This is probably the easiest and quickest Persian recipe you'll ever encounter. This was the very first Persian dish my mom learned to make. I used to watch her prepare this when I was little. Years later, when I went off to college/university, I would prepare this every week when I got tired of the usual North American college student 's staple diet of instant mac and cheese, two-dollar pizzas and instant noodles. Needless to say, this was the first "real" and nutritious food I ever learned to put together.

Father's Day-A Persian Lunch

2010-06-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Herbed Fish Stew (Khoresh-e ghalieh mahi)

This is one of my favorite Persian dishes and my Dad's as well..

It may not look too appealing, but it's just teeming with flavor and aroma.

For those of you wondering where I've been, I've had a series of medical problems that I had to take care of, hence my absence from the blogosphere. To those of you (and you know who you are) who took the time to express your concern(s), I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your gesture.

Mother's Day Special: Prawn Mango Curry

2010-05-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

With a hectic week at work, it's been a consistent diet of takeout food and I've obviously been lagging on both my blog posts and visits to my favorite blogs. So, to those blogs/bloggers that I visit regularly (and you know who you are), I have not forgotten any of you. Life just sort of has been getting in the way lately.

Thai Minced Chicken Salad

2010-04-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

Minced chicken salad in red cabbage cups.

With the unrelenting hotter-than-normally-hot weather that currently seems to be sweeping most of the Southeast Asian region, coming up with light dishes that require a minimal amount of time in front of the stove has been quite a challege.

Mack Attack

2010-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Mackerel Ceviche

Although it's hot and humid throughout most of the year here in the Philippines, this month of April has been unusually so. In all the nine years that I've been living in this country, this was the first time I have ever experienced any kind of heat rash. Although my rashes have mostly disappeared, I still have been avoiding any kind of kitchen work and have been eating out quite a bit lately. The same thing seems to be happening to Denise in Singapore, the author of the food blog Quickies On The Dinner Table.

All These Head-Inflating Awards

2010-04-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

With the month of April drawing to a close, overall, inspite of a few mishaps I've told you about in my previous post, I'd have to say it's been a wonderful month. With all these awards I've been bestowed, I can't help but feel my head swell up to the same size as Alaska.

Batik Corn

2010-04-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

Dear loyal readers,

I have been suffering from heat rash for the past two weeks and most of my body is covered with red rashes including my hands and fingers. To say that it's uncomfortably itchy would be an understatement. This is a common disorder in hot and humid tropical climates. I have been advised by my dermatologist to avoid engaging in activities that cause perspiration since it leads to heat rash. So that means no cooking since I live in a small place that heats up rather quickly when I work in the kitchen.

Local Snacks And Delicacies

2010-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

For my last installment of the Lenten foods that I consumed, here are some Filipino snacks and delicacies that my friend and her very hospitable family offered.

Grape Seaweed Salad

2010-04-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

Before moving to the Philippines, the only type of seaweeds I knew of in existence were those nori sheets used in sushi and kelp. Being an island nation with a coastline double that of the United States, I suppose it's only natural to have such a large variety of seaweeds available for consumption.

Holy Thursday-Freshwater Prawns In Sour Soup

2010-04-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

Even though my mother is Catholic, we never obsereved Lent or Easter when I was growing up. Since I spent the first 12 years of my life in the Middle East where Islam is the dominant religion, I am much more familiar with Ramadan's rules of fasting. It's quite straightforward. It's a complete abstinence from all forms of pleasure of the body including eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset.

Holy Week In The Philippines

2010-04-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Being the sole predominantly Catholic/Christian country in Southeast Asia, as in all former colonies of Spain, Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is observed throughout the Philippines. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays. All offices and most business establishments cease operations. Manila's population temporarily decreases by 80-90% as her inhabitants return to their provincial homes to visit their families and relatives for the long weekend.

I was fortunate enough to be invited by a friend of mine to spend the Holy Week with her and her family at their farm in Bataan, a provincial town 77 miles (124 km) away from Manila.

Here are some of the photos that I took on that trip. Please join me on my trip for a glimpse of a rural Philippine town and its way of observing the Lenten season.

On The Road

On the road. A view of rice paddies from my car window.

Outside The Box Sessions: Parasol Cookies

2010-03-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Inspiration can be found in a pile of junk. Sometimes, you can put it together with a good imagination and invent something.

Thomas A. Edison

When I was an art student, my roommates and I used to hold these weekly sessions that we called Outside The Box Sessions (OTBS). The goal was to get our creative juices flowing and

Thai-ed Up To Spicy Chicken And Basil Fried Rice

2010-03-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

Spicy chicken and basil fried rice garnished with cilantro/coriander.

If I were to liken a dish to a genre of music, I would say that fried rice is like an improvisational jazz composition rather than a classical one. Much like jazz music, fried rice is a dish about Its flavor profile and textures are built at the cook's discretion, not necessarily built on previously established recipes. It can be as complex or as simple as he wants it to be. The fried rice is as varied as the people who cook them. More importantly, just like an improvisational jazz composition, there is no right or wrong in cooking a fried rice dish.

Perhaps The Witch Ran Out Of Choices....

2010-03-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday morning, I checked my email and in my inbox sat a message notifying me that Stella over at The Witchy Kitchen has left a comment on one of my posts. So I checked her comment and to my pleasant surprise, were 3 badges/awards that were waiting for me.

Top Chef It Yourself Challenge: Getting My Moo On With Corkwood Flowers And Chive Blossoms In Shallot Sauce

2010-03-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

For this month's Top Chef It Yourself Challenge, last month's winner, Casey, the author of the blog Eating, Gardening & Living In Bulgaria, chose the following ingredients for this month's challenge. She specified shallots, edible flowers of any kind that's locally available and meat (beef, pork or lamb). I have to admit that this was quite a challenge, as I don't see that much edible flowers here in the Philippines, except for squash blossoms.

St. Patrick's Day-Always Something To Green About

2010-03-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

I have not a microdrop of Irish blood coursing through my veins; therefore, the significance of this holiday is lost on me. Fortunately, being of Irish ancestry is not a pre-requisite to enjoy this festive green holiday.

Raspberry flavored macarons on my favorite green platter.

Hey Sunshiny Day

2010-03-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

The Kitchen Masochist has been given the Sunshine Award by Natesgirl, the uber multi-tasker at Give Peas A Chance. Thank you very much. If you have a minute, please visit her site and you'll find a treasure of easy to do recipes that are perfect for busy parents with little ones to feed.

Awarded by Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! on Tuesday, April 13, 2010. Thank you, Lazaro.

The Sushi-fication Of The Paella

2010-03-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

Like a lot of small, densely populated metropolitan Asian cities, traffic, both human and vehicular, is a daily fixture in Manila. If you have been to Bangkok, then you have a very good idea of what traffic is like here in Manila. The traffic here is so horrendous that it pretty much eats up a large chunk of one's time. A simple 30-minute, 8-mile (13 km) journey on a weekday is a butt soar-inducing and mind numbing ordeal that takes a minimum of 1.5 hours. I thought the traffic back home in Los Angeles was pretty bad, but nothing prepared me for Manila traffic when I first moved here. Take my word for it, it's pretty energy-zapping to sit for that long in a car doing nothing but wait for the car in front of you to move half an inch.

Paella Temakizushi

Of Rice And Men

2010-03-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

Like many longtime expats, I find myself thinking of the issue of distance and aging parents lately. My dad's birthday is two weeks away and I can't believe that he's going to be 69 years old, just a year away from being 70. I've been living outside the States for nine years now and I haven't been around to celebrate his and all of the members of my immediate family's last nine birthdays and milestones. As a result of being far away from each other for so long, they still see me as my former self from nine years ago and vice versa.

Seafood paella (paella marisco)

Hot Sour Prawn Soup With Tamarind Leaves

2010-02-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

This Thai dish is similar to tom yum goong, except that this particular soup dish uses tamarind as its base. Tom yum goong, on the other hand, relies on lemongrass as its primary souring agent. In addition, the tomalley from the shrimp's head is pureed and used in this dish, as you can see in the picture.

How To Make Tamarind Water From Fresh Pods

2010-02-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Tamarind water is the foundation of many Southeast Asian tamarind based soup dishes. Green, unripe tamarind pods are used as souring agents. These green pods are quite tart, acidic and astringent. They are usually used in combination with chilies.

Mussels In Ginger Soup With Chili Leaves

2010-02-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last week, a reader who goes by the initials V.T., e-mailed me about this particular Filipino mussels soup dish that I forgot about. As I have said to V.T., this is one of my favorite classic Filipino dishes. Unlike a lot of Filipino dishes, this is one of the easiest to prepare and cook.

Awards And Badges

2010-02-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

With this blog still very much in its infancy, which I started on Thanksgiving Day of 2009, I didn't expect to receive an award, let alone two, in such a short period of time. With this blog being just a little over two months old, I have met some wonderful and talented fellow food-obsessed bloggers. One of those would be Anamaris over at Chef It Yourself, who gave me these two awards.
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Curried Away: Green Chicken Curry With Baby Corn (Geng Gwio Warn Gai)

2010-02-10T04:59:00.000-08:00

Green chicken curry has to be one of the most well-known Thai dishes outside the Kingdom, as this dish is almost always served in just about every Thai restaurant the world over.

Curried Away: How To Make Green Curry Paste

2010-02-04T04:29:00.000-08:00

During my freshman year as an art student, a professor of mine said that a good piece of art is like a well-choreographed dance performance. The music, the movements of the body, the sequence and the timing must seamlessly blend together to achieve that smoothness, finesse and unity. Like in a dance performance, a good piece of art is an exercise in restrain and moderation. Apply too much of the available visual elements on a canvas or execute too much pirouettes in a ballet piece, clutter and chaos results.

Thai Me Up, Thai Me Down: Mussels Soup With Thai Basil (Hoi Malaeng Puu Bai Horapha)

2010-01-29T06:09:00.000-08:00

It's been said that eating is one of the greatest pleasures our body could possibly experience. If there is a cuisine that truly delivers on that aphorism, for me, it would be Thai cuisine. I simply

Thai Chicken Stock (Nahm Cheua Gai)

2010-01-29T06:03:00.000-08:00

Recipe

(source: Thai Food by David Thompson)

1 kg (2 lbs) chicken bones

pinch of salt

1 small piece of ginger, bruised

offcuts from spring onions (green), cabbage, coriander / cilantro stalks

Directions:

Wash the bones, remove any skin or fat.

Blanch. Drain and rinse the bones to remove any scum.

Crush the bones slightly with a pestle or heavy object before covering with cold water.

Cover ingredients with cold water, add salt and quickly bring to a boil.

Simmer for 20 minutes, then add vegetables. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming as required. Strain.

Stir-Fried Ostrich Meat

2010-01-25T01:53:00.000-08:00

Ever since I relocated to the Philippines, my meat consumption has decreased significantly. When I moved here in the early 2000's, it was the height of Mad Cow and Foot and Mouth disease scare. Following that, came the Avian flu, or more commonly known as bird flu found in poultry. Being the paranoid, semi-hypochondriac woman that I am, I pretty much avoided all of these types of meat. No chicken, no beef, no pork. I turned to tofu for my main protein source. How I made myself eat this, I have no idea. One thing I learned about this ingredient is: tofu is your waistline's best friend. I must have shed about 12 lbs (5.5 kg) within 2 weeks.

Top Chef It Yourself Challenge: Purple Yam Cardamom Cheesecake With Green Glutinous Rice

2010-01-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

When Anamaris of Chef It Yourself told me about her idea of starting a monthly challenge similar to Top Chef Challenge, I jumped at the chance to join in when she invited me to participate. As I've told her, I love playing with food.

The challenge for this first month was to prepare a dish that reflects you, that says something about you. I also took Anamaris' 3 pre-set ingredients: 1 uncommon ingredient, 1 spice and 1 wild card into consideration even though she specified that there are no ingredient restrictions for this month's challenge.

Awesome Blossom

2010-01-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

Stuffed squash blossoms-Filipino style

For the past month, on my trips to the market, it seems like squash blossoms are being sold by just about every vendor. If my memory serves me correctly, these were quite expensive back home. They were only available at weekend farmer's markets and were sold at about $5-6 for about 5 pieces.

America's Contribution To The Filipino Diet

2010-01-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

As American as these products are, they are very much a part of the Filipino diet among the upper and middle classes. Filipinos consume canned corned beef, Spam and Libby’s Vienna sausage like nobody’s business. If you have noticed, these products are regularly stocked at most supermarkets.
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She Fawns On Prawns

2010-01-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of living in a tropical island is the abundance and variety of seafoods that can be enjoyed at relatively cheaper prices. On my trip to the market this morning, these beautiful creatures the size of my hands caught my eye. The moment I laid eyes on them, I thought: "Prawns thermidor, prawns thermidor..."

Pho In The Philippines

2010-01-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

Pho Chin, Nam

During my first two months in the Philippines, I pretty much dined out most of the time since I wasn't much of a cook back then and I didn't know where to get a particular ingredient, or it wasn't available at all. Also, I simply didn't feel settled and comfortable enough in my then-new place.

Purple Yam Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream)

2010-01-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

Purple yam (ube) kulfi

As I promised in my previous post, here is my post on my first attempt at making ube ice cream, or any kind of ice cream for that matter. Since I don't own an ice cream maker, and have no intention of investing in one any time soon, I figured I'd make kulfi or qulfi, which is a rich and creamy Indian ice cream. No special equipment is necessary to make this.

The Purple Craze

2010-01-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

As an expat, one of the benefits of living in another country is the delight of seeing and learning about the local cuisine and encountering "exotic" ingredients that you most likely won't have the chance of seeing in your home country.

The Market Scene

2009-12-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

So, you're new to the Philippines or you'll be moving to the Philippines for whatever reason.. ...new or 'unseasoned' expats underestimate the importance of cooking and grocery shopping in their new environment. Understandably so, as grocery shopping is quite a mundane activity that one really doesn't give much thought to.

Secondly, specifically for Americans, it won't be in pounds and ounces. The metric system is used here, just like in every country of the world. During my first 1.5 years, I dreaded going to the supermarket since 1/2 kg or 250 mL didn't really mean anything to me. At the bottom of this page, conversions are provided specifically for the Yankee expat.

Fish lips anyone?

As far as supermarkets in Manila go, well, they're not so 'super' in terms of size. They're a fraction of most U.S. supermarkets in terms of floor area and inventory. The largest supermarkets tend to be the SM chain of supermarkets. Also, you will notice that most supermarkets are found in shopping malls. Stand-alone supermarkets are quite rare in Manila. The only stand-alone chain of supermarkets are SaveMore, which, coinciddentally, are also owned by SM. They pretty much carry the same items. SaveMore supermarkets just tend to be smaller in size.

That's right, they sell live, fresh escargots at supermarkets

at dirt cheap prices at US $0.55/lb or $1.21/kg.

Supermarkets in Manila usually receive their supplies from distributors and/or importers, not directly from the manufacturers. What's the significance of this, you ask? Let's say you're looking for Philadelphia Cream Cheese or a Cadbury chocolate bar, and you find that they're out of stock at SM Supermarket at their Megamall branch. So you think to yourself, "I'll go to Rustan's Supermarket (SM's competitor) to see if they have it." Well, they most likely won't have it at Rustan's either or other SM branches. If you notice your favorite product from back home hasn't been restocked for months now, do not bother looking for it in other branches or other supermarkets. You won't most likely find it, as that particular product comes from the same distributor or importer.

Another tip I'd like to share to you newcomers to the Philippines when it comes to weighing your produce, there will be someone who will weigh them for you. Since labor is quite cheap in this country, DIY is simply not part of the culture. Most middle and upper class Filipinos hire helpers to do their household chores for them. But that's another topic. My point is, this have-someone-do-it-for-you attitude pretty much extends to supermarkets as well. Therefore, do not go to the check-out line expecting the check-out girl (yes, all the cashiers at all the supermarkets in Manila are women) to weigh it there at the counter and have the price appear on that tiny screen. You will hold up the line because she's going to ask someone else to go back to the produce section and have it weighed and priced, which you should have done in the first place.

In my subsequent posts, I will help you newcomers "uncover" what those "exotic" ingredients are.

Featured "Exotic" Ingredient: Purple Yam

In the meantime, this is specifically for American expats who are diving into the strange world that is the metric system. All of these equivalents are approximate equivalents.

US Metric

1 lb 500 grams (g) = 1/2 kg

2.2 lbs 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)

1 oz. 28.35 g

33.81 fl. oz 1 liter (l or L) = 1000 milliliters (ml or mL)

1 gallon 4 L

1 pint 473 ml

1 quart 946 ml

1 tbsp 15 ml

1 tsp 5 ml

32 F 0 C

212 F 100 C

375 F 190.55 C

400 F 204.44 C

Heaven In Your Mouth, Hell On Your Waistline

2009-12-24T01:45:00.000-08:00

Cream Puffs-Heaven in your mouth, hell on your waistline!

Food has a strange way of reminding us of a certain a time and place. For me, if there is one particular food that I associate closely with a particular time and person in my life, that would be cream puffs and my mother.

This classic French pastry always reminds me of my mom and my childhood. My mom has been making this ever since I can remember. I used to watch her make this for special occasions. When I got a little older, I'd help her make the filling. People always requested that she bring this whenever there were potlucks and parties.

When I was around 6 or 7 years old, I can recall her looking at some Julia Child cookbook as she was making these puffs. I believe Julia Child popularized this French classic in the United States in the '70's, if I'm not mistaken.

I remember way back in the early '90's, there was a recession going on and my mom's hours at work were cut back. To make ends meet, she sold these to her friends and co-workers. Around Christmas time, I would come home from school and find our dining table (for 6 people), from one end to the other, full of these unfilled puffs. She'd leave a note saying, "Honey, please fill these shells after you do your homework. Love, Mom." I must have gained about 5 lbs. during this time since not only was I just stuffing the shells, I was stuffing my face with these as well. Needless to say, my waistline certainly suffered, and I managed to turn myself into a chubby 9th grader in no time at all.

I only started making these myself last Christmas. I was quite surprised that I remembered the recipe just by watching my mom all those years ago. I can practically do these with my eyes closed. So here I am on the other side of the world, in my green kitchen (not my choice), making these same cream puffs the way my mom did in her tiny pink kitchen in Los Angeles.

Recipe:

Pâte à choux

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (115 g) butter, unsalted

1/4 tsp (1.26 g) salt

1 cup (236.6 ml) water

1 cup (99.3 g ) flour

4 eggs

Preheat oven at 400 F (204 C).

Combine water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Add flour, all at once. Vigorously mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in a ball. The dough shouldn't be sticking to the sides of the pan by this time.

Transfer the dough in the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. At medium speed, incorporate eggs one at a time. Make sure the egg is well incorporated before adding another egg, otherwise you will end up with a thin, runny batter. Mix until the dough is smooth and shiny.

Fill a pastry bag with the dough, cut 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) opening at the tip. Pipe about 1/4 (0.64 cm)-size balls on ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch space between each ball.

Bake for about 8 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 375 F (191 C). Continue baking until the choux are puffed and golden brown and feel dry. About 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool on the baking sheet.

Filling:

(adapted from François Payard)

2 cups (480 g) milk

1/4 cup (100 g) sugar

5 tbsp (40 g) cornstarch/cornflour

4 large egg yolks

1 tbsp (15 g) butter, unsalted

Line shallow pan with plastic wrap.

Pour milk in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as small bubbles form around the sides.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch/cornflour and whisk in the yolks. Whisk until the yolks reach a pale yellow color.

Slowly pour a fourth of the milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the yolks from curdling.

Once the milk is well incorporated, return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with the whisk to prevent lumps from forming, until it the consistency thickens and bubbles start popping from the center of the pan for at least 20 seconds. You need to bring to a boil to activate the cornstarch.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until mleted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the cream into the prepared pan; cover with plastic to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until ready to use.

Topping:

Caramel Sauce

(adapted from whatscookingamerica)

6 tablespoons (88.72 ml) light corn syrup

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (119.77 g) sugar

3 tablespoons (43.03 g) unsalted butter, cut up into pieces

1/2 cup (118.3 ml) warm heavy cream

In a heavy saucepan over low to medium-low heat, heat the corn syrup.
Stir in the sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture just begins to simmer.

After sugar dissolves and syrup is simmering, cook for approximately 9 to 12 minutes, without stirring. Every so often, hold handle of pan and gently tilt the pan off the heat to distribute color evenly as sugar caramelizes. When sugar reaches a uniform golden brown (dark amber) color, immediately remove from heat. If using a Candy Thermometer, the temperature will be between 350 degrees and 355 degrees F. NOTE: Once the color is right, it is imperative to prevent the sugar from cooking further, which would make the sauce too bitter.

Asparagus Beef Bundles

2009-12-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

With Christmas less than a week away, most of my meals have been light and low carb lately. I figured, with this strategy of mine, my waistline won't have to pay too much for the gluttony I'm about to commit this Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

I made a few changes from the original recipe by omitting the salt as I didn't think it was necessary since the soy sauce is salty enough on its own. It just seemed redundant. Since I like to play with my food, I decided to add snake beans to tie up the bundles.

This is a very easy and quick dish to prepare and shouldn't take you more than half an hour. This makes a great appetizer packed with Asian flavors. Like most Asian dishes, balance is the key. Neither one ingredient should dominate over the other. Let your tastebuds be the judge.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup asparagus
12 slices beef in sukiyaki cut
toasted sesame seeds
5 pieces of snake beans, blanched

Marinade

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

1 large clove of minced garlic

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 sugar

Pepper,to taste

2 pieces of bird's eye chillies, sliced with seeds removed

Directions:

Rinse the asparagus.

Cut off the tough parts.

Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chillies.

Marinade the beef for at least 10-15 minutes..

Wrap the beef around three pieces of asparagus. Secure with a toothpick.

Put a little sesame oil in pan, then cook both sides of the asparagus wraps for 3-5 minutes. The asparagus should not be too soggy.

Cut snake beans about 2.5 inches, tie around each bundle.

Transer to a plate, remove the toothpick.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds..

High-Sugar Breakfast From My Childhood Revisited

2009-12-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

Like most American kids growing up, my breakfasts consisted of a bowl of "cereal." Looking back, I think they can pretty much be classified under the junk food category as they pretty much contain large amounts of sugar and other artificial ingredients that contain little to no nutritional value.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw my favorite cereal from my childhood at Metro Gaisano...

I think the last time I had a bowl of any kind of so-called cereal Kellogg's products was about oh....15 years ago. And yes, the box did come home with me. I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to seeing things that remind me of my childhood.

So this is what I had for breakfast today. No scrambled eggs with toast or mangoes for breakfast today. Just a quick, speedy, high sugar breakfast. I've also found that this is a good way to disguise the weird taste of UHT milk. What better way to start the day by having an old childhood standby for breakfast?

Duck Egg and Tomato Salad

2009-12-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

A market in Manila.

These mallard duck eggs are cured in salt solution for about 18 days. Hence, they are quite salty. The yolks from these eggs are found inside traditional Chinese mooncakes. These eggs are eaten throughout Southeast Asia. When I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, they served this during breakfast as a side dish at the hotel I stayed in.

In the Philippines, they are dyed in a bright magenta color to distinguish them from other kinds of eggs. The dye bleeds and temporarily stains your hands as you can see below. They do eventually come off.

Since these eggs are quite rich and salty, they're usually eaten as a side dish or included in salads. They are rarely eaten on their own. For those who have never had this before, I think this is one of those types of food that you'll either like or hate the first time you try it. The yolk has a slight grainy texture but not crumbly like a chicken's yolk. The closest description I can come up with would be something similar to very fine sugar.

They look like this when opened. The yolk's orange tinge is brought about by the curing process.

Unlike Western salads, this Filipino salad recipe isn't eaten before the main course. Rather, it is eaten along with the main course as a side dish. Or, the salad could be eaten with rice, with no other pairings.

This salad contains only 4 ingredients--tomatoes, the egg, cilantro/coriander and red onions. The onions, cilantro/coriander and tomatoes will neutralize the egg's saltiness. These 4 ingredients create a symphony of interesting textures. The tomato provides the moisture as the yolk can be a bit dry. If you don't have access to native Philippine tomatoes, use a tomato with less juice content, otherwise the yolks will turn out mushy. If you're using a tomato with high juice content, remove some, not all of the seeds. These make a perfect light, summer salad.

As you can see, the recipe below does not give exact measurements. There's quite a bit of variation when it comes to the yolks' moisture and the overall saltiness. Some are oily, some are dry or some are much saltier. Therefore, adjust accordingly and whatever suits your personal taste. The key is to achieve a balance of textures and flavors. Neither of the ingredient should dominate one over the other. And remember, mushy/soggy eggs are a no-no!

North American residents, you will be able to find this in most Filipino stores. However, it will most likely be chicken eggs instead of duck eggs. And, they will be dyed red. If not, ask them. There are a few stores that don't dye their salted eggs. Ask them if they have itlog na maalat (salted eggs in Tagalog).

Recipe

Ingredients:

Salted duck eggs

red onions, to taste

cilantro/coriander

tomatoes

Make sure your chopping board and work space are dry. The dye tends to bleed and stains anything that it comes in contact with. Wash immediately if any of your kitchen gadgets are stained for easier clean up.

Cut eggs in half. Scoop out the eggs. Reserve the shells (optional).

Chop eggs and tomatoes into medium sized chunks.

Chop onions into small chunks.

Chop cilantro/coriander

Mix all ingredients. Do not overmix. Overmixing will give you mushy egg yolks, thus loosing the texture.

Fill the reserved eggshells with your salad. This is a great way to present them if you have guests.

Enjoy! Hope you like it.

Not Quite Barberry Rice with Chicken Kebabs

2009-12-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

I've always had some sort of affinity with Persian/Iranian food. Perhaps it has something to do with spending the first four years of my life in Iran, albeit a very hazy memory.

Having grown up in Los Angeles, a city with a large Iranian community in West LA, Iranian food is both familiar and exotic to me. It's exotic because I don't know what most of the dishes are called. But when I see them, I know them. My mom and I used to try the various small, family-run Persian restaurants in the area. We dined frequently at Sherazhad's (sp?) in Westwood whenever we needed our Iranian food fix.

When I first moved to Manila, there were less than a handful of Iranian restaurants in the city. The most well-known (and the most expensive) being Hossein's on Makati Avenue in Makati City. In the last four years, I've noticed the mini-boom in Iranian restaurants sprouting all over Metro Manila. These new breed of Iranian restaurants, from what I've observed, are mostly owned by half-Iranian/half-Filipinos, whereas the older generation of Iranian restaurants were owned and operated by Iranian expartriates.

Unfortunately, decent (just decent, not good) Iranian restaurants tend to be overpriced in Manila. It's one of those you-get-what-you-pay-for type of deal.

So, here's my first attempt at recreating an Iranian dish. First, the rice. This is the old fashion way of cooking the rice, so this part is the most time consuming. I believe most Iranian households now use a rice cooker (different from the Far Eastern one).

For a more authentic flavor, add barberries (zereshk in Farsi) to garnish the rice. It has a strong, tart flavor. Raisins can be substituted if the barberries can't be found. Since I have no idea where the Iranian grocery is located in Manila, I have no choice but omit this ingredient. I've never been a raisin girl. So that's not an option.

To prepare and assemble the rice and tadig:

(adapted from Hayedeh Sedghi)

Additional ingredients:

3 tbsp ground saffron

dried barberries or raisins

2 tsp sugar (omit this if you're using raisins)

Directions:

While the rice is left to soak for 30 min...... (first step in making chelo)

If using barberries

Heat the oil in a pan, medium-low heat. Fry the barberries and sugar with 1 tbsp of saffron until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

If using raisins:

Omit the sugar. Do the same as you would for barberries.

Once the chelo is cooked...

Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp of saffron in hot water. Mix it with 4-5 tbsp of cooked rice, making sure they're dyed evenly.

Lay dyed rice over plain rice. Don't forget to play and have fun. Create any pattern you wish. Garnish with barberries or raisins if you used any.

Serve with tadig (the potato slices/lining) as a side dish.

On to the kebabs.....Are you still with me???

My mom got this recipe from one of her Iranian co-workers many years ago. When she learned how to make this, this was a regular fixture on our family menu. Originally, lamb is the meat of choice here. However, with lamb being quite expensive, most Iranian restaurants (in LA anyway) use chicken.

Chicken Kebabs

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb (about 500 g) of chicken breast fillet, cut into cubes (lamb and beef can also be used)

2 large onions, chopped into small chunks

2 cups plain or Greek yoghurt

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges

skewers (soak in water if using bamboo or wood)

Side dishes: grilled whole tomatoes, tadig

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. The yoghurt will make the meat tender.

Skewer the chicken pieces and grill over hot charcoal. Turn frequently until cooked and charred in parts, taking care not to dry the meat.

This can also be served with flat bread. The charred tomato skins aren't usually eaten.

The finale should look something like this.....

.......complete with the tadig (potato slices/lining), charred tomatoes and lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Philippine residents:

Saffron-available at SM Hypermart in Pasig, SM Supermarket, Makati, Rustan's Supermarkets and Spices and Flavours at Market! Market! They carry Iranian saffrons, a bit on the pricey side though.

plain or Greek style yoghurt is available at Säntis Deli branches. BUT, like everything they sell at that store, they're overpriced. Sometimes they're available at regular supermarkets. If they're unavailable or you're just too cheap to shell out over Php 300 for a tub of yoghurt, (I fall into the latter category) then you can substitute Nestle's Creamy Yoghurt...

Chelo (Iranian Rice)

2009-12-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

Chelo is plain Iranian rice. This is usually the foundation of many Iranian rice dishes.

Recipe

Adapted from: Feast of Flavours From the Iranian Kitchen by Hayedeh Sedghi

Ingredients:

600 g ( 1 lb 5 oz) Basmati rice washed and drained

4 tbsp salt

4 tbsp cooking oil

1 large potato, sliced thinly

2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

Soak rice and salt in a large bowl for at least 30 min. Add enough water to cover.

Parboil rice: half-fill a large pot and bring to a rapid boil. Add drained rice and allow to boil without stirring. Grains should be half-cooked. Drain and rinse.

Pour oil into a medium non-stick pot, swirl to coat evenly. Line with potato slices.

Spoon rice over the center of the pot until a mound forms.

Wrap the pot's lid with a clean cloth or a paper towel. This will absorb the steam which will prevent them from dropping into the rice. Dry out the rice over low heat for about 1 hour or until the rice is cooked.

Tadig

Dish out the rice and set aside. Carefully lift the potato slices (the tadig). Arrange on a serving plate. Pour butter over the rice evenly before serving the potato slices.

Philippine residents: Basmati rice can be purchased at SM Supermarkets, Metro Gaisano, Global City, Taguig. You can either buy them pre-packed or by the kilo.

Pico de Gallo

2009-12-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

As a condiment to go with my chicken fajitas, I decided to prepare pico de gallo (say it like: "peeko de ga-yo") to keep it light and fresh. Pico de gallo means "rooster's beak" in Spanish, for those who are unfamiliar with this dish.

Recipe

Adapted from EdsgirlAngie

Ingredients:

4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaf, chopped (or more to taste!)
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients; cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

This tastes best the same day that it's made.

Note to readers who are residing in the Philippines: Generally, you will find two types of tomatoes in most Philippine supermarkets. There's the native Philppine tomato and the "regular" tomato. Sorry, I don't really know what the variety is called.

As you can see from the picture above, a native Philippine tomato is a bit smaller than a "regular" tomato. Since it is much smaller, it usually has less juice. I've found that you won't quite get the same result if you use the native tomatoes for your salsas or other Mexican and Mediterranean dishes where tomatoes take center stage such as pico de gallo. Native Phlippine tomatoes are best suited for, well, Filipino and Asian dishes.

Chicken Fajita

2009-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Southwestern, Tex-Mex or Mexican food can be quite challenging to do here in the Philippines, or in most of the Far East, for that matter. Although comercially produced salsas, taco shells (moslty Old El Paso brand) and tortillas are widely available in Manila, it's the chilis used in these cuisines and tomatillos that are very difficult to obtain. If they ever do appear, they tend to leave nasty, large holes in one's pockets. A year ago, I found cans of tomatillos at Metro Gaisano supermarket. Somehow, they never restocked their supply.

Souped Up Spaghetti, Faux Japanese-style

2009-12-06T02:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Saturday, was one of those lazy days. After a long week at work, I didn't feel like spending it in a kitchen. Although I still had quite a bit of wonton dumplings left over from a few days ago in the freezer, I wanted something different. Since Saturdays are notorious for heavy traffic jams in Manila, I didn't want to go too far from my house. Even though it wasn't my first choice, I ended up dining at UCC Cafe, a Japanese Cafe/restaurant that sells their own brand of overpriced instant coffee, UCC and pastries.

After pouring over their four-page menu, one particular dish caught my attention. That's right, Japanese Spaghetti Tomato Soup. Since tomatoes aren't something associated with Japanese cuisine, my curiosity took over.

So, my order comes. Soup it was indeed. I see nothing distinctively Japanese in the ingredients. The tomato soup was quite nice. It wasn't sour like a lot of over stirred tomato based dishes I've tasted. The pasta was al dente, I'm still waiting to taste something Japanese in this dish, it's all tasting Italian-ish to me so far. Not that that's bad, but it said Japanese spaghetti on the menu.

The shrimps, fish and mussels were all firm. But still no resemblance of Japanese on my taste buds. By this time, I was just hoping I'd find a piece of seaweed or tofu to float to the surface of the tomato soup. None.

Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate good food when I taste it. This was a good pasta dish. However, it felt like one of the biggest con in culinary fusion (or lack thereof) history. All of this would have been a pleasant meal if it said "Spaghetti Tomato Soup" or "Italian Spaghetti Soup" (okay, that would be sort of redundant). At least the dish would have lived up to most diners' expectation.

Chinese Chicken Stock

2009-12-04T03:24:00.000-08:00

Chinese chicken stock is different from Western chicken stock in that it uses less ingredients. Celery, carrots, and onions are not included. Use this stock for Chinese dishes that call for them such as wonton soup.

Recipe

Adapted from BellaOnline

Ingredients:

4 to 5 lb chicken

12 to 15 cups water

2 inch piece fresh ginger

3 green onions

Directions:

Remove the bag of giblets from the chicken and rinse the chicken and neck under cold water. Then place the chicken and neck in a large stock pot.

Chicken wings and neck.

Cover the chicken with water, about 12 to 15 cups.

Peel the ginger and cut it into 1 inch slices and add them to the stock pot.

Rinse the green onions under cold running water. Cut off the very bottom of the white bases and the very top of the green stems and discard. Cut the remaining stalks into 1 inch pieces and add them to the stock pot.

Bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, skim off any foam that rises to the top. Then turn the heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, remove the chicken. The chicken meat will be very tender and can be used in a number of other recipes.

Once the chicken is removed, let the soup cool for about an hour.

After it is cooled, slowly strain the stock pouring it into a container with a tight fitting lid. Place the container in the refrigerator and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the container and skim off any fat that may have congealed on top of the stock.

Now the soup stock is ready to use. Makes 12 to 15 cups. For any unused stock, pour into ice trays and freeze for future use.

Wonton Soup With Snow Peas

2009-12-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

Ever since I moved to the Philippines, I've pretty much avoided soup dishes. When eating out, I usually opt for the salad. It just seems 'wrong' to have soup in such a hot and humid tropical climate. If there's anything I hate most, that would be perspiring while I take my meals.

Now that December is here, with the weather much cooler and balmy evenings, I thought I'd prepare myself wonton soup for dinner tonight. I wanted something easy (sort of) to prepare. Sort of. Initially, it isn't an easy dish to prepare. As a matter of fact, like many Asian dishes, it's labor intensive. I say it's easy to prepare because once the broth and the dumplings have been made, they can be stored in the freezer. When I'm having bouts of laziness, this is one of my go-to meals. Also, the dumplings can also be used for other dishes. They can be deep fried or steamed separately and be eaten as dim sums .

The most labor intensive part of making wonton soup is making the wonton dumplings. Yes, it is somewhat masochistic as there's quite a bit of chopping involved. This is the part I least look forward to when it comes to making any kind of dumpling. For me, the most enjoyable part of making dumplings is wrapping them into shape.

I do have a confession to make, dear reader. I am quite anal when it comes to wrapping dumplings. I redo them if I am not satisfied with their shape or if there's even the tiniest slit in the wrapper. They must be uniform in shape and visually appealing. Actually, I like all the meals I prepare to be aesthetically pleasing. Hence, the addition of snow peas and spring onions.

Recipe

1/2 lb (250 g) ground pork (preferrably with fat)

1/4 lb (125 g) shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 water chestnuts

1/2 corn starch ( aka cornflour)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 pack of wonton skins

1 egg (lightly beaten)

salt to taste

white pepper, to taste

snow peas (optional), stems removed

spring onions, finely chopped (optional)

3 cups of Chinese chicken stock

Directions:

Chop shrimps and water chestnuts into small pieces. Combine with ground pork, corn starch, sesame oil, egg, salt and pepper.

To wrap the wontons:

Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Moisten all edges with water.

Gather the opposite corners and press together. Seal all edges, forming a triangle.

Moisten corner B with water. Take corner A and corner B and gently pull both corners towards the center until they meet.

Press A on top of B. Tuck the corners under.

Voila!

For the soup: bring the stock to a rolling boil. Drop in wonton dumplings. Dumplings are cooked once they float to the surface. Blanch snowpeas in the stock. Garnish with spring onions.

Thanksgiving Day-ssert - Pumpkin Cheesecake

2009-12-01T01:13:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without some kind of dessert made of pumpkin. Most American families, if not all, finish Thanksgiving dinner with pumpkin pie. Since most Americans do not know how to make pumpkin pie from scratch due to the wide availability of canned pumpkins back home, this can pose a problem for those of us living overseas. I daresay it can even sort of ruin one's Thanksgiving dinner. In all my years living overseas, I've come to the conclusion that canned pumpkins are an exclusively American phenomenon. But correct me here if I'm wrong though.

During my first few years here in Manila, I would get the strangest looks from the locals whenever I asked them if there were any canned pumpkins available. Thankfully, Libby's canned pumpkins have been consistently available at Metro Supermarket for the last five years. So, my dear Canadian and American readers in the Philippines, consider yourself lucky in this regard as some of our compatriots live in other parts of the world where canned pumpkins (or most North American products) are much harder to come by.

Pumpkin cheesecake squares.

Instead of making the traditional pumpkin pie for my Thanksgiving dessert, I decided to whip up pumpkin cheesecake squares instead. With my oven being just slightly larger than a toaster oven, I had no other choice but use an aluminum pie plate. I also omitted the nuts as nuts are insanely expensive in this country.

For food processor-less bakers, here's a tip for crushing graham crackers quickly: use a meat tenderizer. That's right, honey. A meat tenderizer. It does the job much quicker than a rolling pin. The crackers achieve that fine texture much quicker.

These teats are even better the next day when the spices and flavors have melded together.

Pumpkin pie cheesecake squares

Ingredients:

2 cups graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice*

1 tsp vanilla extract*

2 eggs, lightly beaten

20 walnut halves

Combine crackers and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto bottom of 13 in. x 9 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat tcream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in flour, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust.

Bake at 325 F (163 C) for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire wrack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or over night.

Cut cheesecake into 20 bars. Top each with a half walnut.

I've seen pumpkin pie spice a few times at Metro Supermarket. Unfortunately, the price isn't as aromatic as the pumpkin pie spice itself. Last time I looked, the smallest bottle (0.75 oz.) of Durkee pumpkin pie spice was at 250 pesos ( about US $5.43). Also, they do not stock it regularly. So it would be much better to make the spice yourself. Just follow the recipe on the link provided above. Those individual spices that make up the pumpkin pie spice are readily available all over Manila.

Vanilla extract is rarely available in the Philippines. If they are, they're usually found in specialty cooking shops and quite expensive. Again, it is suggested that you make your own if you bake regularly. A link has been provided above. Vanilla beans can be purchased at Säntis Deli or Cook´s Exchange (Glorietta, The Power Plant mall, SM Megamall, Shangri-la Plaza).

Thanksgiving Day - Side Dishes:Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2009-11-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my mom usually prepared mashed potatoes, mushroom and asparagus as side dishes to go with the turkey. Instead of preparing mashed potatoes, I decided to use an ingredient that is associated with Thanksgiving just as much as turkey and pumpkin pie --sweet potatoes. I believe sweet potatoes are much more commonly used in Southern cooking. Being from California, these tubers were rarely included in my daily menu. Since these bright orange tubers are fairly cheap and readily available in Manila, I thought this would be a good time to try them in lieu of potatoes as I've only had sweet potatoes prepared in the form of chips or fries.

With the main course, lemon thyme Cornish game hen being a "daysaster," this side dish of roasted sweet potatoes, along with buttered sting beans, ended up being the main course.

Roasted sweet potatoes

Ingredients:

7 cups sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in 1-inch cubes

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C).

Place sweet potatoes in a shallow roasting pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, toss well to coat.

Bake for 30 min.

Add the onions, stirring well.

Preheat broiler.

Drizzle the sweet potatoe with butter, stirring to coat.

Broil for 10 min. or until browned.

Thanksgiving Day-saster-Lemon Thyme Cornish Game Hen

2009-11-30T21:48:00.000-08:00

So it's was the fourth Thursday of November. Thanksgiving Day. I don't really know why but I've never been crazy about this holiday. For me, it just a sign that Christmas is coming. I never understood what the fuss was with turkey. I always thought, and still do, that it was just an oversized chicken in taste and texture. Needless to say, in all the years that I have been living outside the States, I have never celebrated Thanksgiving. I usually just bake myself a loaf of not-so-masochistic pumpkin bread every year. That's about the closest I get to celebrating this holiday.

The Kitchen Masochist's tiny oven.

This year, however, I decided to take on the masochistic feat of cooking a mini feast for myself. With my oven being so tiny, no 25-lb. (about 11 kg), Butterball turkey will fit into this sucker. As a matter of fact, the turkey is much heavier and bigger than my oven. Having no experience in roasting anything at all was also another factor to consider. So, the Kitchen Masochist ended up deciding on preparing Cornish game hen for Thanksgiving Day.

Lemon thyme Cornish game hen with string beans.

Lemon thyme Cornish game hen (recipe taken from Allrecipes)

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

2 Cornish game hens

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Place hens on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Tuck wings under hen. Spoon half of butter sauce over hens. Bake, uncovered, at 425 (218 C) degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees F, basting occasionally with remaining sauce.

So far so good, all juices running clear, no pink flesh.

Woo hoo!! Not too bad for my first attempt at roasting, I thought.

Still high (so to speak) from my small victory, I sat myself down and dove into this little mama to savor the fruits of my labor. I cut off a piece of white, juicy and moist breast meat and took the lovely, tempting piece of flesh into my mouth to savor all the melded flavors of lemon, thyme, garlic and butter.

BUT NO!! Instead, I feel my high coming down as I chewed on the meat. The nasty and indescribable texture and taste was unmistakably due to long storage in the freezer. It cancelled out all the flavors of butter, garlic, thyme and lemon. And no, it wasn't in my freezer for a long time. I purchased the hen a day before Thanksgiving Day at Metro Gaisano.

Disappointed and declaring the main course of my Thanksgiving dinner a Thanksgiving Daysaster, the little hen found her way into the garbage can. Thanksgiving dinner for the Kitchen Masochist ended up being a vegetarian dinner of string beans and roasted sweet potatoes.

Homesickness

2009-11-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

Homesickness is a tricky feeling most expats deal with. It comes when you least expect it. Most of the time, the most innocuous things tend to trigger these feelings of homesickness. It could be something as mundane as a song or hearing that American twang I haven't heard in quite a while now. Or in my case, most of the time, food products from back home that I haven't seen in a long time. I left the States during the last few months of the Clinton administration. That's how long I've been away from home. I've pretty much adjusted to the way things are here in the Philippines. I haven't felt homesick in quite a while.

A simple, usual shopping trip to Metro Gaisano supermarket at Market! Market! in Global City, however, threw me off after seeing one of these few of the many products from home...

...liquid pectin, mac & cheese, and cream cheese. Yeah, I know, instant mac and cheese is not something to get really excited about. However, it brought me back to my college days when I was a poor student on a tight budget. Like most North American college students, I survived on this stuff! After not having seen it for a long time, the excitement of seeing something from your old life in a foreign country is orgasmic! I'm sure you fellow expats know what I'm talking about.

Yep, that's right, Guittard baking chips! It's that gourmet, San Francisco-based gourmet chocolate manufacturer. It beats Hershey's or Nestle baking chips by thousands of miles. I can see chocolate chip cookies in the not-so-distant future. Oh...think...like... next week here!

Being a long time expat, I'd like to help fellow expats, regardless of your country of origin, in pointing you to the right direction so you can get/prepare your fix of comfort foods you may crave from back home. I truly empathize with you when you crave or miss something from back home. Food is the easiest way to alleviate homesickness. Most of the time anyway.

Okay so..if you're new to the Philippines...you can find these items...

American expats:

Metro Gaisano Supermarket

Corn meal

Masa Harina

Libby's Pumpkin

grits- hurray for Southerners!

Smucker's PBJ

Mexican foodstuff (mostly El Paso and La Victoria brands.)

Betty Crocker and Pillsbury cake mixes

Reese's

Nestle Tollhouse chips

Guittard and Hershey's baking chips

Liquid and powdered pectin

Butterball 25 lb turkey

Sara Lee frozen cakes

Jalapeños (canned and bottled)

Land O'Lakes cheeses, butter and margarine

Blue Bonnet Margarine

Lender's Bagels

It's either this or locally produced bagels. The bagels produced here are nothing like the real

thing at all.

Rustan's Supermarket

Ben and Jerry's ice cream -something to rejoice in!

Haagen Dazs

Note to fellow Nth American expats who are new to the Philippines: DO NOT look for milk in the cold dairy section. Fresh milk is not available here as far as I know. Most of the milk in liquid form are UHT. Refrigeration is unnecessary and it has a one-year shelf life. You will find its taste very different from the one you're used to back home. Not necessarily bad. But very different. You have been warned. The milk section is usually found in the middle of the supermarket, usually along with the coffee section.

CANADIAN EXPATS:

All of these Canadian products mentioned are available ONLY at Metro Gaisano Supermarket as far as I know. Feel free to correct me here though.

Merit Selection products (see the pic above)

President's Choice products (instant jello, custard, cookies, etc)

Maple Cream Cookies

Canadian style bacon - Earle's Delicatessen. They have an outlet in Metro.

AUSSIE and KIWI EXPATS:

Luckily for you, Australian and NZ products can be found in all major supermarkets of Metro Manila (mostly dairy products, pastas and wine), except for Vegemite and James Boag Lager.
To save yourself from enduring the horrendous Manila traffic, your beloved beer and Vegemite are available at Metro Gaisano Supermarket and nowhere else. Don't bother going to SM and Rustan's Supermarkets looking for these two products.

Metro Gaisano Supermarket

What the hell does concentrated yeast extract taste like???

Timtams

Cottee jams and chocolate sauces

Patton macadamia chocolates

James Boag Lager

Sanitarium cereal products

Gravox

All supermarkets in Manila

Bega cheese slices and butter

Coon cheese

Cowhead dairy products

Pauls milk

Anchor butter

Cadbury chocolates

Maltesers

Rustan's Supermarket

-Bulla ice cream products