River Cafe's Chocolate Almond Cake

Torta Caprese

When I was in first-year high school, we had an English assignment that had us writing an essay about who we consider our hero and why. I wrote a fairly insipid essay (I don't know if you've heard, but I am a crap writer) about a noble, intelligent guy (identity doesn't matter). I received a dismal score for it, and it was so predictable and forgettable I don't even remember any of the details. Our English teacher was a real motivator, so he had the writers of the highest-scoring essays read them aloud in front of class. My Math seatmate and Science lab partner was one of them, so he was called in front.

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Rose's Chocolate Feather Bed

Just a reminder: you can still join our Momofuku book giveaway. Before February 7 (12NN GMT), just insert a short paragraph in your next post about the most important food book of your life and link to our post on the Gastronomer's Bookshelf here, Then leave a comment on that post. Non-bloggers can also join by using the contact form on the site (visit the link above for details). Open to all!

While Garrett has been busy decorating his new apartment, he brought up an old post from his archives about dining alone. I am a strong dining-alone proponent, so I had to leave a comment on that post.

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Momofuku's Roasted Rice Cakes

We now interrupt my usual story or philosophical rant for a (and here we substitute my Oprah-yelling voice) GIVEAWAAAAAAAAY! Duncan and I are giving away a copy of acclaimed book... MOMOFUKUUUUUUU! by David CHa-AAAAAANG!

Before the rest of my chatter: head on over to The Gastronomer's Bookshelf to find out how to participate. Also, check out my newest review, for Momofuku! (You can also check out our archive page to read all our reviews so far.)

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Tartine's Chocolate Pots de Crème

So, like I said in my previous posts, this is my first Thanksgiving. However, I'm not feeling the mad rush to produce dinner, since my uncle's dad has already volunteered to do so, which is a relief (though I am thinking about dessert, I hope he doesn't mind). It will also be my first Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving that, as I understand it, there's usually no work and stores slash their prices to encourage buying for the next big holiday. There've been horror stories about this, sadly, but I'm avoiding that rush too and thankfully there's the task of babysitting my cousins while my aunt and uncle go to work (no surprise there, as she works in Nordstrom).

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Brazo de Mercedes

Filipino Meringue-Custard Roulade

RP = Republic of the Philippines, just so you know.
When I was in Greenville, North Carolina, one of my kind hosts requested a dessert. Actually there were three mentioned: 1) Food for the Gods (to come later), 2) Tiramisu (unfortunately we couldn't find Savoiardi and I was strapped for time to make some), and 3) Brazo de Mercedes. I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to make something she missed dearly and probably couldn't get any other way in Greenville. It must have been something she really missed! It got me thinking about the things I'd miss most about the Philippines if I were to ever leave.

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Big Sur Bakery's Baked Beans

So I am back from my observership from North Carolina- and if you've been paying attention, it won't be long before I have a travel post on it. I'm not quite sure if anyone's interested, but of course I'll try my best to make it interesting. Certainly it was a good trip and I enjoyed my time there thoroughly, but a lot of it had to do with my time inside the hospital, and of course I did my best not to take any pictures of anyone in the hospital or the surroundings (there were some really endearing patients along the way, but I'm protecting their privacy of course). So we'll see what I'm able to write. But I'm here now, in case you were wondering if I died or something. Observership gave me a cold hard look at how much time I'd be spending on my blog if I had work (and observership isn't even work!) and the sad fact is, it's nearly zero hours. Well, unless you count the time I spend actually cooking. Maybe I can spend my one free day cooking and the free day next week blogging. Two posts (or less) a month, ha ha ha!

Now I wait. I applied for a not-small number of hospitals and now I'm expecting the first invitation to interview. Annnnny day now. In the neeeext minute. It must be their coffee break. I'll check again in ten minutes. Just kidding- they actually have tons of applications to go through and if I've learned anything from this whole experience, it's to be confident of the skills you've acquired, because no one else will see it if you don't.

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Cherry Macarons

Macarons Cerise

(Gosh, can anyone guess how many times I've used a Beatles song for a post subtitle?) Again with the craziness! This week-end is going to be one of my silent ones, comment-wise, as I'm currently in a rush to pack respectable (read: physician-style) clothes and gifts for half the Filipino population in the US, as well as make the finishing touches on my application for residency in the United States (the applications are electronically sent to the program directors on September 1. AAAGH!!). I know I said I'd share part 2 of my New York experience from last Winter, but those posts take the longest to write, and I'm trying to save time, so I'll get to that post when I've settled.

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Dulce de Leche Flan

When I was in college, there used to be this strange yearly event for freshman orientation wherein various organizations compete to be the best. At what, I don't know, because it involved racking up points for 1) collecting as much newspaper as you can and 2) hanging out at a particular building in campus during your spare time for the most amount of hours. It was considered to be a chore because let's face it, there's a ton of places better to go than some ratty building wherein you played board games until everyone went postal from having to hang out with each other (er, never happened).

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Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

I've heard someone say that one of the worst ways to start a speech is with an apology. I'm glad then, that this isn't a speech, and I'm me, and I am rarely too proud to apologize when I have to. Again I dropped out of the blogosphere for a whole week, except for the few times I logged on to Twitter and had a nice time chatting with a bunch of folks. You see, I'm trying out this thing where I only read and comment on blogs once a week.

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Ruins Longanisang Hubad

Ruins Naked Filipino Sausage

It's my first time to participate in Marc and Susan's event, Dinner and a Movie (see the announce), this month for Breakfast at Tiffany's. I thought it would be a good one to participate in, because it is such an iconic movie and I'd never seen it before. It would be really easy for me to talk about being afraid to fall in love or being a slut (er, not really), but as I tweeted while watching it, I just couldn't get over particular scenes involving Mr. Yunioshi, and how he 1) acted like no Japanese person I know, and 2) could ever stoop so low as to play such a stupid and misinformed stereotype. It turns out, he wasn't Japanese at all, and was played by Mickey Rooney in yellowface (well duh, Manggy).

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Mango Parfait with Orange Anise Jelly

I transferred from another elementary/primary school to high school. As a result, many of my classmates knew each other from before, and my classmates had friends in other sections. In the Philippine school system before college, sections of 40-50 students are stationary in the room, it's the teachers that moved around, so I never really got to meet anyone outside my 49 classmates in 4 years. Anyway, there was this boy from another section about a year older than me who was a paraplegic (? functionally, if not totally) and therefore always walked with crutches all over the campus. I knew his name but I didn't know anything else about him.

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Paella

Susan once told me over at Twitter that she imagined I wasn't a problem child and gave my parents no headaches. That's probably true... To some extent. I didn't hang around the kids in my neighborhood (plenty of cousins to keep me entertained), didn't get to any fights, and was quite content to stay indoors and draw away on my sketchpads, and a bunch of other introverted hobbies like origami or listening to music.

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Chocolate Amaretti

Amaretti di Cioccolato

Ah, I've finally started answering your comments. But I just managed the Strudel and the Blintzes posts. I don't know why I thought I'd go through them faster. Clearly reading, thinking, and replying take time!
Yes, I know the image title isn't a word. But since I returned, I've gone mad from meeting random relatives and family friends. Why? Because no less than ten people have told me, "mukhang tumaba ka!" (Translation: It looks like you got fatter! Unsaid: ... Porky!) And while just the plain words written out just seem baseline-offensive, the thing that drives me crazy is the way they say it. With a giant smile on their faces! Like somehow they think it's a good thing to tell someone that they have chubbed up. Twisted.

Without speculating too much, I think there may be a cultural/ generational difference going on here. And not in the way that the Romans thought that overweight women were attractive or something. You see, if we're just talking about my own circle of friends, the only time we'd talk about it is (1) asking point-blank ("Do I look fatter?"), in which case the answer is always either "No!" or "Not by much, don't worry!" or (2) a male friend poking fun at another guy. But it's always undesirable, unless we are talking about my friends who have difficulty gaining weight, curse them.

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Raspberry Macarons

Macaron Framboise

This is my entry to the 29th Edition of The Blog Rounds, hosted by Dr. Em Dy of Pulse. The theme is LOOOOVE! Ack.
When I was standing in line at 4 in the morning on New Year's Day at the check-in counter of the airport, there were two American women behind me who made Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie seem like the kindest, most intelligent creatures ever. In whiny voices, they'd think (using the term loosely) out loud, "Why are we the only ones in New Year wear?" (uh because only people who absolutely HAVE to leave for their jobs leave on New Year's Day instead of spending it happily with their families?) "What airport doesn't have a McDonald's? I'm not going to be eating in no fucking Jollibee," and other such gems. I thought to myself, Lord, if ever I get married, let it not be for this.

I keep chuckling every time I remember the travesty that was Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson's marriage. Each time Nick would finally get a brief respite from inane questions about what's inside a can of tuna and gets to party with his male friends, Jessica calls him up to ask him whether bratwurst is made of beef or pork. How unfortunate that his severe loneliness was documented, but at least now he's out of it. Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of The Hills seem to be heading for the same trainwreck, and I'm beginning to wonder if Heidi deserves Spencer (he who would name his adopted African baby "Dunk" (skip to 6:27 in the clip)) if she doesn't get out now, blinded by the promise of multimillion-dollar deals if they tie the knot. That's two less idiots to infect the pool of single people.

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Chicken Pandan

Gai Hor Bai Toey

This is my second entry to Darlene's Regional Recipes event, featuring Thailand. Except that the fantastic Thip just posted this days ago and she wrapped it better too, haha :P

During the day my pretty crappy neighborhood can get on my nerves. Even though the construction that made my ears bleed is done, every now and then the serenity will be broken by the impossibly loud honk of a truck's horn. Imagine that coming down not 4 meters from your window. Even without the vehicles, the children who live in the area (a squatters' area sadly) are horrible thugs in the making. In the afternoon they play dodgeball, which is fine-- kids should be able to play as much as they want especially during holiday. But these brats scream and yell at each other like lunatics. Having nine year-olds scream "(Pu)tang ina mo!" (literally "your mother is a whore" but the usage is more similar to "Fuck you!") at each other is quite jarring. When they combine forces, it's so tragic it becomes funny again:

(Kids play on the street, yelling obscenities at each other.)
HOOOONK!
Kid: (Tauntingly) HA HA, HINDI KAMI NAGULAT! (Ha ha, we weren't startled!)
Truck driver: UMALIS KAYO SA DAAN, SA SUSUNOD SASAGASAAN KO KAYO! (Get out of the road, next time I'll run you over!)
Kid: 'TANG INA MO! (Fuck you!)
They grow up so fast.

(The next few pictures were taken from my grandmother's house in Pampanga last All Saints' Day.)

At night, all these harsh elements go away. Lovely Siberian winds have brought us a gentle chill (if you can call it that, o people of the frozen north), with temperatures of about 24°C (75°F) at night. I usually sleep with the electric fan on, but recently I've wanted to feel the cool temperature on my skin without any help. Even though the electric fan has a barely noticeable whirring sound, the quiet that resulted was a sweet surprise. Nothing but the crickets. Amusingly, when I was a boy I thought that it was the sound the moon makes.

Flowers for my grandfather

What I think is my grandfather's old bike (it certainly is aged and beautiful, like he was). The tracks on the side were from rain falling from the scalloped roof edge.
It reminded me of those times in my childhood when we spent the evening at my grandparents' one hour North (in Pampanga). Some rooms had no electrical outlets or fluorescent lamps, and we slept on mats on the floor, in pitch darkness and with the sound of frogs and crickets outside our lullaby. I hated those nights; I longed for my light and my television. However, during my recent quiet nights, my memory only associated my sleepovers with a feeling of calm. And now that the year is ending, as always, reflection.

My grandmother's tools: a chopping board and a paddle (for washing clothes).

Overgrowth of kangkong (water spinach) at my grandparents' pond
Though there were many joys and triumphs this year, it had its share of tragedy as well. But after the dust settles, I can't deny that life has been very kind to me. I'm so looking forward to the opportunity to start giving back to the world again as a working physician.

Jackfruit tree

Seat from my grandparents' siesta hut, made of bamboo (and nails).

My favorite non-food photo I took this year, of a Passion flower I just happened to find near the water pump. Probably the first time the beauty of the shot matched the beauty of what I saw with my eyes.
This year I also got to meet a lot of new blogging friends, and a lot of new places to enjoy on the web. Thanks so much for your support-- I thoroughly enjoy your company and your food, even if I can only taste it through the monitor! Even though by mid next-year I'll be posting a lot less due to work (crossing fingers!), I hope you'll still continue visiting. I'll make it a point to still visit you guys each time I get a chance. But that won't be for a while, so let's enjoy ourselves for now :)

Gai Hor Bai Toey
This is one of the first Thai dishes I ever tasted, and it still is one of my favorites. Quite kid-friendly too, and though I am not a fan of cilantro and the aroma is quite strong as it marinates, the end-result is very pleasantly flavored and not offensive at all. There are plenty of recipes out there (here's Syrie's quick and delicious version, which was the one I adapted): this is a hybrid of all the versions I saw, though a little simpler on the ingredient-aspect (no coconut milk). I encourage you to add whatever you feel may be good-- I particularly liked Thip's addition of red chili powder-- wish I had thought of it.

• 500g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets (I used skin-on, just a preference)


• about ten stems of cilantro (coriander), roughly chopped


• 5 cloves garlic


• 1 teaspoon white pepper


• 2 teaspoons brown sugar


• 1 tablespoon cornstarch


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce


• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil


• vegetable oil for frying


• 20 fresh pandan (fragrant screwpine) leaves, cleaned

Cut each fillet into 2 or 3 pieces, each about 2-3 inches. Mash together the cilantro, garlic, white pepper, brown sugar, cornstarch and salt (alternatively you could blend/process it all with the oyster sauce and sesame oil). Add the oyster sauce and sesame oil if you haven't already. Coat the thighs in the marinade, cover, and leave in the fridge overnight. The following day, wipe the marinade off each chicken piece with your hands (just to make sure there aren't any big pieces of cilantro or garlic sticking to it) and wrap each with a long pandan leaf (sorry I can't diagram these; as you can see I didn't do a good job of it-- a skewer helps to keep it in place). Place in a steamer for 5-7 minutes, then fry until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes each side. Serve with sweet chili sauce on the side.

Trio of Chocolate Mousse Cake

Les Trois Soeurs

I've noticed that it's become kind of tense lately and I'm somewhat contributing to the problem, if you can call it that. Factor in my usual tendency to overshare (which has gotten me screwed before, dunno why I never learn), and you've got kind of nervous/icked-out readers. Sorry about that. The last two weeks have not been typical in the slightest. As proof of that, I just gained 3 pounds over my average in the span of a week. Damn you, chocolate!!

Actually, I'm glad I'm shaking it off because I was originally going to talk about sex based on my association of it with chocolate. Really dodged a bullet there! (Believe me, you don't want to hear me talking about that-- though I have one friend who says she gets the tingles when she hears me say the F-bomb.) Instead, I'm going to have Kylie sing about it in a very beautiful French-style music video for "Chocolate." Thanks, Kylie.


Those of you who skip straight to the funnies in the papers probably know of the existence of the comic strip Cathy. It's quite a polarizing strip, in that it's kind of the chick flick of the comic strip world. Currently there seems to be a series of strips where Cathy makes the connection between tough times and eating.

Art imitating art; Liz Lemon plagiarizing Cathy.
While I don't necessarily have any cravings, I find that I have a (fatal) mouth-stomach disconnect wherein I compulsively eat food just because it's there, even if I'm not really hungry. Last night I told my dad I could barely eat and dragged my feet into the dining room, only to be stuffing myself later with leftover jambalaya, fried spring rolls, pancit (stir-fried noodles), peas, corn, and carrots, grape juice, and finishing it off with a huge sweet roll stuffed with cream cheese. I have no idea where that "hunger" came from, but at least I know what the hell to stop doing so I don't explode.

By the way, what would you consider proper comfort food? I hope to fall on the side of Irving someday-- yum, fresh apple.

My body seems to be telling me to slow down in other ways: I was working on raw chocolate for another dessert a few days ago and I ate the scraps so they wouldn't go to "waste." For some reason the caffeine, tyramine, or whatever food cooties reared their ugly heads and gave me a headache. I suppose I should be thankful for small favors. But really, the best way to avoid these pitfalls especially this holiday season is to plan ahead, make only as much as you need, and of course, share it with others!

Case in point: I made this scaled-down version of a cake (that originally serves 12, and too generously in my opinion) from famed New York patissier Francois Payard, and served it to Genie, Vany, and Genie's mom after they helped me in preparing for my exam. Not only does it look elegant in my opinion, but I was also quite impressed on how distinct the flavors of the chocolates are in each layer. Despite the long instructions, it's really not that hard to make when you have the ingredients all ready. Now all that needs to be done is to get rid of the three pounds...

Trio of Chocolate Mousse Cake adapted from Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard
This is more accurately a bavarois cake. For this recipe you'll need a 6" cake ring 2.5" high, or a cake pan of the same dimensions, but it's easy to make it in a 9" cake ring, springform, or cake pan: simply double the quantities listed here. If using a cake ring, a strip of acetate at least 2.5" wide and at least 19" long is recommended to make a clean side. If you don't have acetate, just freeze the cake for longer and unmold when very firm. It will be difficult to add the cocoa mirror glaze if using a cake pan without destroying the pristine sides, but you can build the layers any order you want, and decorate some other way, such as with white/dark chocolate shavings or peaks of whipped cream.

Creme Anglaise Base

• 120g (1/2 cup) whole milk


• 2 large egg yolks


• 15g (1-1/2 tablespoons) sugar


• 25g (1-1/2 tablespoons) light corn syrup

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and corn syrup. Slowly pour the milk into the yolks in a thin stream while whisking madly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leave a trail when you run your finger through it (it will take a little more than a minute). Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. You will need the creme anglaise to be hot enough to melt the chocolate in the next step, so work quickly.

Chocolate Mousses

• 55g (1-3/4 oz) white chocolate, chopped


• 55g (1-3/4 oz) milk chocolate, chopped


• 63g (2 oz) 72% chocolate, chopped


• 375g (1-1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) heavy cream, chilled

and for each chocolate mousse:

• 1/2 teaspoon powdered unflavored gelatin


• 15g (1 tablespoon) cold water

Prepare 3 medium bowls each containing one type of chocolate and 3 small cups, one for each type of chocolate. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for 2 minutes. Microwave on low power for 15 seconds, or until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Dump 1/4 cup (60g) of the hot creme anglaise over each type of chocolate and give each a gentle stir to melt the chocolate. Stir in the dissolved gelatin into each chocolate sauce and stir until well-combined. Set aside.

In a well-chilled bowl and using well-chilled beaters, whip the cream until it holds medium peaks, about 5 minutes. When not using the whipped cream, keep it in the fridge.

Line the sides of a 6" cake ring with acetate and place on a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bottom of the ring on a rimless baking sheet or removable bottom of a tart pan. If using a cake pan, spray with vegetable cooking spray and line with a large piece of plastic wrap, pressing it against the sides.

Take a third of the whipped cream (125g) and fold it into the dark chocolate sauce until well-combined. Pour it into the center of the ring and give it a gentle bang to level the mousse. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes or until halfway firm. Take half of the remaining whipped cream (125g) and fold it into the milk chocolate sauce until well-combined. Pour it into the center of the firm dark chocolate mousse and give it a gentle bang to level the mousse. Return to the freezer for 20 more minutes. Fold the white chocolate sauce into the remaining whipped cream until well-combined. Pour it into the center of the firm milk chocolate mousse, taking care to leave a few mm space to pour in the cocoa glaze (eat the remaining white chocolate mousse if there is any as a treat). Leave in the freezer overnight, or until completely firm.

Cocoa Mirror Glaze

• 60g (1/4 cup) whole milk or heavy cream


• 75g (5 tablespoons) water


• 90g (7 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon) granulated sugar


• 33g (5 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona


• 3g (1/2 packet) gelatin granules


• 15g (1 tablespoons) water

Prepare the glaze according to the instructions for glacage here. You will have enough for two cakes. Pour the glaze into the remaining space of the cake ring and place in the freezer for 20 minutes, or until set.

To unmold the mousse, place a 6" cake board (you could just use a 6" circle of stiff cardboard coated with aluminum foil) under the dessert and ease the plastic wrap away. Push from the bottom to release the mousse from the ring. Peel away the acetate and place on a serving platter. If you've used a cake ring, simply invert it into a serving platter and peel away the plastic wrap. Let it thaw in the fridge for a few hours before serving. I decorated the top with melted white chocolate.

Variation: you can add another layer of cake at the bottom: simply bake one sheet of chocolate genoise and use the cake ring to punch out a 6" round of genoise and use it to line the bottom.

Kalbi Jim

Korean Braised Short Ribs

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let those who subscribe to my feed using an RSS Reader (super-thanks, by the way! :) know that I've signed in to Feedburner and I would very much appreciate it if you switched the link to reflect that change. Thanks so much for your support!)
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I've been wondering if I should even post something like this, but lately it's been one of those days when I stare blankly at the computer or lie awake in bed, thinking about everything that's happened in the world lately. This post, in particular, encouraged a healthy amount of calorie-burning pacing from me. First of all, it brought to mind these two pages from the comic book Excalibur, issue 15, published in 1989:

It's interesting how very rarely true world crises are reflected in the pages of comic books, given how the start of each mission usually involves an imagined one. Even more interesting is when writers (Chris Claremont above, at his finest) do include them. These pages in particular prompted a very passionate reader to write the editors a letter, part of which I quote here:

That comedian Sam Kinneson did a black humor bit about how the starving Ethiopians should just get out of the desert. What he apparently did not know is that Colonel Miriam (sic)... put about a million of his countrymen onto freight planes, and dumped them four hundred miles out in the desert, with the warning that they'd be bayonetted to death if they somehow got through the deadlands back to more livable regions. He did it to insure that rebels in the area would have their food supply taken by these refugees. It is apparently these rebels who are attacking the relief workers, to entrench their long-term strategic positions.

What hurts most of all is that the world not only has its share of seemingly insurmountable problems, but it is also littered with real-life super-villains who have, in some cases, come to seats of power, enjoying the hatred and fear that choke the people of the world until there is nothing left.

Thought comic books may be afraid to expose real problems too much because it may sugar-coat and mislead the readers into thinking they are too easily solved, especially with, oh, maybe reality-altering powers and boundless telepathy and telekinesis (Phoenix force, I'm counting on you), it still goes to show that we can get knowledge, understanding, and hope from what may seem like the unlikeliest of places. I don't know if the first ever person who wrote the first on the first food blog in the universe ever thought that someday, it would get people to unite for so many causes, or in special cases, one special person. My heart is broken that Bri is gone, and I hope that I was able to touch her life, even if it was only for a short time. I know she did mine and I will always be grateful for that.

Whenever you cook something for someone else, even if it's just their daily meals, you really are making the other person infinitely happier than whatever praise or gratitude you may get makes you. Which is why I'm glad to be part of the community of food bloggers. Even if we individually have our faults, there are good people out there. Sorry if I may sound like an airheaded hippie (not to mention preachy, I think), with all this free love and peace, er, thingies. I just had to, at least today. I wish for love and peace for you, gentle reader :)

Kalbi Jim
I couldn't find a way to insert the word "faux" into this, because true Kalbi Jim is braised for several hours, not to mention marinated. While this version isn't (it doesn't even have Asian pear or ginger, which I think are part of the original), it's still extremely flavorful-- don't be fooled by the water-only pressure cooking. I haven't yet optimized it so that there's no transfer of pots at all (which means pressure cooking throughout), but I'm satisfied with the outcome. I prepared this for Genie and Vany when they helped me with my exam practice, and they pressured me to release the recipe as soon as possible. This is yet another one of those "Making History" recipes, out of my mom's kitchen notebook, with a few revisions by me.
Photography notes: Well, this is for my own archives, anyway. The main inspiration is Masashi Kuma's work. There's no way I can achieve his hyper-elegant style but again, I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out, especially since I was forced to go out of my white comfort zone and experiment.

• 2.5 lbs (1kg) beef short ribs, cut into about 2-inch lengths


• 1 cup soy sauce


• 1 tablespoon sesame oil


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 small onion, minced


• 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks


• a handful of dried mushrooms, torn up (I used Chinese white mushrooms and black wood-ear mushrooms on different occasions, and I like them both.)


• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted


• 3 stalks green onions, chopped

Place the short ribs in a pressure cooker and add enough water to cover. Snap the lid in place and bring to pressure over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and process for an hour. Take off the heat and release the pressure (our model works by dousing the top of the cooker with cold running water for a minute). Transfer the ribs to a pot (save the broth) and add the rest of the ingredients except the sesame seeds and green onions. Add enough of the broth from the pressure cooker to complete cover the ingredients and cover. Bring to a low boil and cook for 40 minutes. The meat will be tender, but if you want it to melt away, simmer over very low heat for an additional 1-1/2 hours. Alternatively you could use a crock pot for this step-- it will take about 3 hours. Turn the heat off at the desired stage of tenderness and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions.

Cooking notes: I wonder how feasible the results would be to make it from start to finish in a pressure cooker, or a crock pot?

Apple Trifle with Apple Doughnuts

This is my entry to Art You Eat #5: Autumn Edition, founded by Holly of Phe/mom/enon-- do check out the round-up this November, and maybe even make your seasonal dish and join!

Last Sunday I found out (via a text message from Kittymama) that I had won the 2008 Philippine Blog Award for Best Food and Beverage Blog. There was actually an awarding ceremony in Pasay that I couldn't attend. I immediately began to wonder if she was pulling my leg, before realizing that the only reason she'd do that is to be uncharacteristically cruel. You see, the other three blogs that were nominated are all really fantastic blogs: Market Manila, Table for Three, Please, and Kubiertos. It was really such an honor to be counted among these greats of Philippine food blogging.

The problem then was my mind. It races at the speed of light at such exciting news. The most predominant among them was, "I really wasn't expecting this." and similar strange thoughts that you think would be taking the humble route, but really turn out to be more douchey than anything. Gratitude-- a simple "thank you, you're all very kind," is really the nicest thing to do. It gives respect to the judgment of those who believe in you and believe your work is worth something.

Before you guys came along (yes, I mean the food blogging community), I really never could handle a compliment. In this society, people (okay, maybe my medical school classmates) think that men have incredibly thick skins and like a camel can go on for years on a single compliment while we take the heat of comments that are meant to be friendly but when you add them all up are pretty huge blows to one's ego. After all, I am the guy who usually gets the "Oh, I didn't realize you were kind of fat!" when a girl accidentally jabs my midsection (I have a totally different appearance with or without clothes, I'm sure you know people like that). So it's kind of a shock when someone actually says something nice. I laugh about it in bed like a maniac.

The strange thing is, I never really knew how to give a compliment before you guys came along, either. I don't know when I started to withhold gushing, or believed that people didn't want to hear once in a while that they look good or did a good job. So all in all, visiting all your fantastic blogs, getting my mind blown, my saliva drained, and my stomach grumbling-- it has been a pretty wild and wonderful experience for me. Made me a better person, natch. Thank you for coming here and (hopefully) enjoying my blog, as I (surely and definitely) enjoy yours. Thanks for making me realize there's all this wonderfulness (gastronomic or otherwise) out there, all over the world!

Apple Trifle with Apple Dougnnuts from Maze (serves 6)
Do you ever wonder why the French give such beautiful names to their original desserts-- "Jolie", "Envie", "Satine", "Opera", "Ardechois", "Grenobloise"-- while the English give such long-winded and boring names to theirs? I suppose the latter would be more descriptive, but that's what menus are for! Let's be romantic! Oh, whatever. I was planning on calling this "Pomme de mes yeux" but it's still too long and this is not my original dessert. It's one Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton's dessert from his restaurant, Maze (part of the Gordon Ramsay empire), which also has a cookbook, which I am thoroughly enjoying. This is a light and elegant dessert with the lovely flavors of the fall. You can opt to just make the individual components instead-- serve the Apple Jelly on its own, eat the Caramel Custard as a pudding with some biscuits, or the Apple Doughnuts on their own. Originally this has a topping of Cider Granita but I didn't have cider and I was not too keen on making a granita for now.

Apple Jelly

• 250g (1 cup) apple juice (alternatively you could extract the juice of 3 Granny Smith apples)


• pinch of vitamin C powder (or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice)


• 75g (5 tablespoons) water (A)


• 83g (6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) granulated sugar


• 83g (5-1/2 tablespoons) water (B)


• 4 teaspoons powdered gelatin

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water (B) and bring to a boil over low heat. Let it bubble for a minute to thicken slightly. Cool until it comes to 40°C (105°F), then divide into two and sprinkle the gelatin on top of one half and set aside. Mix the apple juice with the vitamin C powder or lemon juice, water (A), and the half of the sugar syrup without gelatin. Place the half of the sugar syrup with gelatin over very low heat (a double boiler if you are not confident), swirling until all the gelatin is dissolved. Take off the heat and stir in the apple juice. Divide among 6 small serving glasses and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Caramel Custard

• 83g (6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) granulated sugar


• 75g (5 tablespoons) heavy cream


• 188g (3/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon) whole milk


• 1/2 split vanilla pod, seeds scraped (optional)


• 12g (1-1/2 tablespoon) cornstarch


• 2 large egg yolks

Heat a heavy-based saucepan until very hot. Gradually add 50g (1/4 cup) of the sugar a little at a time so that it melts on contact with the pan. Swirl the pan as the sugar caramelizes. When it becomes a dark amber (I find that this point occurs a few seconds just after it foams), pour in 60g (1/4 cup) of the cream, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Put the milk and vanilla seeds in a small pan and bring a simmer. Turn off the heat as soon as it bubbles up the sides. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 33g (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and 15g (1 tablespoon) cream until well-combined. Slowly drizzle in the hot milk, whisking all the while. Pour it back into the pan and stir over low heat until it boils for 1 minute, whisking to avoid the bottom and edges burning. Pass the custard through a sieve into a bowl and cover the surface flush with cling film that has been punctured in a few places to let steam escape. Allow to cool completely. Whisk in the caramel vigorously (or use an immersion blender) until smooth. Divide among the serving glasses, layered on top of the apple jelly.

Calvados Cream

• 125g (1/2 cup) heavy cream


• 1 tablespoon icing sugar


• 1 tablespoon Calvados

Whip the cream and sugar together in a small bowl to soft peaks, then fold in the Calvados. Spoon over the caramel custard in each serving glass and chill until serving time.

Apple Purée

• juice of 1 lemon


• 450g (1 pound) Granny Smith or Bramley apples


• 75g (6 tablespoons) granulated sugar


• 12g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter


• scraped vanilla pod from the caramel custard (optional)

Add the lemon juice to a large bowl of cold water. Peel, core, and chop the apples (1/2 inch dice), immersing them into the cold acidulated water as you go. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Place the apples in a wide pan with the sugar, butter, and vanilla pod. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. The apples will be tender but hold their shape. Take out the vanilla pod and purée the apples (ideally with a stick blender to save on clean-up) and turn up the heat to high. Cook until thick. Cool slightly then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a slim nozzle.

Apple Doughnuts (makes about 20)

• 250g (1-3/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting


• 1 teaspoon sea salt


• 25g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar


• 7g (1 sachet) fast-acting dried yeast


• 40g (1/4 cup) warm whole milk


• 1 large egg, lightly beaten


• 1/2 tablespoon dark rum


• 1/2 tablespoon rosewater (I just used... Water.)


• 40g (3 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature


• sunflower or other neutral oil, for deep-frying


• 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar


• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, stir together the yeast and the milk and set aside. Place the flour, salt, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center. Pour in the milk, egg, rum, and rosewater. Using a mixer with the dough hook (or your hands, as I did), stir or knead the ingredients until it comes together in a ball. Mix in the butter a little at a time until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth. If the dough still appears too wet, dust with a little flour and knead it in. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to prove in the fridge overnight (it will double in size).

Bring the dough back to room temperature, then knock it back and knead lightly on a floured surface. Divide in two and roll each portion into a long log about 3-4cm (1-1/2 inch) in diameter. Cut into 20-25g (3/4 oz, the size of a ping pong ball) pieces and place on an oiled baking sheet, making sure there is space in between each. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and prove in a warm place for 1-2 hours until they are almost double in size.

Mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together in a deep plate and set aside. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep, heavy pan to 190°C (375°F-- I found that this was too hot and browned too quickly, or I have a bad thermometer, and ended up frying them at 160°C on my thermometer) and deep-fry the doughnuts in small batches until golden brown all over. Drain on paper towels. While still warm, pipe the apple purée into the centers and toss in the cinnamon sugar.

Squash and Sage Risotto

Risotto ai Zucca e Salvia

Ooh, you like the 90's-style food pic? Best I could do under the circumstances.
Strangely enough there are quite a few declarations that instantly become untrue when you make them. I'm humble (No.). I'm feisty. I'm quiet. I lack self-awareness. I'm fierce (Ew.). How about this: I'm funny?

My friend Mira and I were having a heart-to-heart about something I've forgotten by now, and in the course of the conversation, I told her that I actually thought I was funny. She made this face of such disbelief: all that was missing was an impression of David Walliams' Sebastian character from Little Britain. "WOT." I actually became quite offended! It's funny now, when I think about it.

I faced up to the fact that I wasn't the most attractive guy in my group of friends (uh, just hunt for a picture if you like, it's out there), and neither was I the smartest. I don't know what made me think that being funny was my thing, especially now when I can name lots of friends who are funnier (I was going to add "in a traditional sense," but let's just leave it at that for now). Obviously I had let it get to my head when someone suggested I should do stand-up (I KNOW. It's silly. And difficult.) or when people ask me to say something witty at a moment's notice like a court jester.

It must be (even more of) the foolishness of youth, the way we flatten our personalities to fit certain stereotypes. It's probably only on television that these roles get filled out so perfectly: in your group of friends, there's the attractive one, the neurotic one, the funny one, the smart one, the secretary, and the slimy green ghost that manages to let all the evil ghosts loose (or the giant rat that teaches you martial arts). Or, in the case of other shows, the whiny one, the bossy one, the prissy one, and the slutty one. It's only after a period of self-reflection that you realize: there are no roles to fill. You can be everything you want to be, and other people won't always be there to fill in the gaps of your personality. Refuse to be defined in the context of your other friends: if you want to be funny, be funny. Don't let the fact that there are funnier people out there dim your light.

The Italian food fanatics among you (let's face it, even those who aren't) will notice something glaringly wrong with the picture. I know, I know, risotto isn't supposed to... mound like that. It would certainly enter the gallery of regrettable food if it didn't actually taste good. I know people don't really care if I have an excuse for such shoddy work, but it was for Father's Day lunch and I was juggling a lot of other dishes. Apparently if you leave wet risotto alone for more than a few minutes with the lid on, the rice will absorb the rest of the liquid and give you dry, overcooked risotto. Factor in the time you take to take a picture. Oy.

This is my entry to Michelle's Thursday Night Smackdown for October, with the theme Orange.

Squash and Sage Risotto from Cook With Jamie

• 1 cinnamon stick


• 1 dried red chili


• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


• 1 medium butternut squash, quartered and seeds discarded


• extra virgin olive oil


• 1.5L (6 cups) chicken or vegetable stock


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1 tablespoon butter


• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped


• 4-5 ribs of of celery, trimmed and finely chopped


• 600g (3 cups) Arborio rice


• 270mL (1 full wineglass) dry white wine


• 1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese


• 100g (7 tablespoons) butter


• 1-2 handfuls freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving


• a bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). In a mortar, pound the cinnamon stick and chili with a good pinch of salt until you get a fine powder. Rub the squash with some olive oil and the spice mix. Place on a baking sheet and roast 45 minutes, or until soft. Set aside.

Meanhile, in a large skillet, add the 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over very low heat, then the onion and celery and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes without coloring. Once the vegetables are soft, add the rice and turn up the heat. Keep stirring the rice and after a minute it will appear translucent. Add the white wine and keep stirring. Once it has cooked into the rice, add the stock ladle by ladle, stirring and massaging the rice grains, until you've added about 2/3 of the stock (1 liter). Pour in a cup more of the stock and scoop the flesh out of the squash and add it to the risotto, stirring to break it in. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer until the stock has been absorbed. If the rice is still not yet cooked, add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time until it is. If it still isn't after using up all the stock, you can add hot water until the rice is soft but still al dente. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take off the heat and stir in the 100g butter, grated Parmesan, and mascarpone. Put the lid on and leave for a minute. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a frying pan and fry the sage leaves for a minute, until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Serve the risotto with the crispy sage leaves and some more Parmesan cheese.

Mango-Pineapple Jam

Some of you might have noticed that I have a bit of anti-Martha Stewart sentiment. It usually surfaces when I read a blog post that used her recipe. It all stemmed from an unfortunate microwave minestrone recipe I got from Everyday Food. I know, I know, the title alone should have signaled disaster, but I was hard of head so I tried it and as a result got to taste the blandest-ass soup ever. The only other recipe I've made of hers (and her rumored not-so-thoroughly-tested kitchen) was a peanut butter swirled brownie, which was okay (on the bitter and cakey side). So since then, I've just enjoyed looking at the pictures in her magazines, even if I've stopped buying them. But I don't hate her: in fact I quite enjoy the undercurrent of bitchitude she has on her talk show and the creepy, crazy, robotic obsessive-compulsiveness. You just know, if you weren't a celebrity and your stencil or whatever didn't line up, she'd shiv you.

I haven't seen one of these things in a while, so it was pretty cool.
The thing is, I was not the neatest kid in school. I recall dumping all my notebooks (we had 13 of them, one for each subject) in my bag in grade school. One day, I found remnants of a dead rat inside (Hello! Welcome to a man's blog). Even in high school, I just piled my books haphazardly inside my locker while my classmates had theirs vertically arranged according to height and subject. In college, my friend Marga constantly criticized me for having the messiest bag ever: sometimes I'd just throw receipts inside, and if a box of staples spilled, my books would be littered with tiny metal confetti. I'm sure Martha Stewart would approve. There were times when I'd fix my locker (even go so far as to add knick-knacks to make it look good) or bag, and I've found that neatness inspires even more obsessiveness. Suddenly, there's a little space in your brain devoted to keeping things in order, because you've already established the order. I think, in the past, keeping my things a mess was my way of not using up valuable head space. I know, I'm making excuses. I've since reformed my ways. Except on my bed. I share it with Claire Clark, Pichet Ong, Pierre Hermé, Flo Braker, Jamie Oliver, and Jason Atherton (and the editors of New Zealand magazine Dish). Quite an orgy I have each night! I wake up with paper cuts all over. Just kidding.

How do you like the picture? The brilliant stylists at the Martha Stewart institute were my inspiration. It took me a while after I'd made the jam to take it, because of the rain. Then when the sun came out, it came out too strong and I had to wait for that 10-minute window of time when it just hides behind the horizon but there's still daylight. It helps to scramble for the props early in the day, and to just wait. I'd also just bought several napkins of varying hues at Shoemart (about 67¢ to $1 each), so I'm really happy!

When I started the blog's food trajectory I told myself I would tackle on a new skill each time, but lately I've been rehashing basic skills (like cake mixing). Making preserves was altogether frightening for me. But, I thought, hundreds of Americans do this, so why can't I? Anne and Allen make wonderful preserves (Anne's I've even tasted!), so it inspired me to make my own-- I used the Ball home canning jar that Anne gave me, mangoes that were gifted to us, and pineapple leftover from another dish. I squealed with delight when I heard that reassuring pop as I took it out of processing. Vacuum-sealed, baby! Unfortunately, I didn't have any of the other tools, like a jar lifter and magnetic lid lifter, but I just used a pasta pot with removable colander, and a large spoon to fish out lids. And asbestos fingers.

I didn't just use these fruits because they were what I had-- Mango-Pineapple Jam is widely commercially available in the Philippines and is my favorite flavor hands-down (I may have to gift some, with all my raving...). As for the taste and texture? Absolutely perfect. Since my mangoes were really ripe, I didn't have to add as much sugar and as a result, they were less artificially sweet. Serve on warm rolls or lightly toasted bread (it goes well with soft, buttery bread). You can also use it to fill pastry and make turnovers. Would I do it again, though? Probably only if I have a lot of fruit that needs preserving (as in, the quantities listed below). I only made one and a half jars and it was plenty of effort, handling scalding jars.

Mango-Pineapple Jam
There are so many different recipes for making mango jam that I've come to the conclusion that it rarely can be messed up. Some call for 5 parts sugar to 6 parts fruit (!). Some more reasonable recipes call for 1 part sugar to 4 parts fruit, or 1 part sugar to 7 parts fruit. Take note that the recipes that call for smaller amounts of sugar were formulated in the Philippines, where mangoes are far superior to the ones in Europe or the US. Philippine mangoes are smaller and more elongated in shape, softer, and are yellow when ripe-- do search for them if you can. I use a very conservative 1 part sugar to 8 parts fruit, but that has to be the absolute minimum amount of sugar to use. Because both mangoes and pineapples are low in pectin, some recipes call for subbing 1/3 of the amount of ripe mangoes with green mangoes. I find this unnecessary (potential for tastelessness) and used citric acid instead.

• 450g (1 pound or 2¼ cups) ripe mango chunks (about 5 small mangoes; you can use overripe ones)


• 450g (1 pound or 2¼ cups) ripe pineapple chunks (about 1 large pineapple)


• 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar (average amount; I used only 110g)


• 1 tablespoon kalamansi or lemon juice

Prepare around 5 or 6 250mL (8oz) jars suitable for home canning. Sterilize and prepare them as directed here. Chop the pineapple finely (the mangoes as well if they are not very soft). In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the fruit and the sugar and set over high heat to bring to a rapid boil. Once it does, decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches a setting consistency, or 105°C (220°F), about 20-30 minutes. Drain the sterilized jars and make sure they are dry. Pack the jam into the jars, leaving 7mm (¼ inch) headspace. Use a clean rubber spatula to release any air bubbles. Center the lids on top and screw on the bands until fingertip-tight. Process in boiling water for 25 minutes. Check if it has properly sealed by making sure the central button is depressed; if not, you will have to refrigerate the jam or reprocess it.