Day 19- Kutsinta

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Kutsinta
Blog Commentary: I've wanted to make this for the past week but had NO idea what the heck lye water was or if it was even available here so I just kept pushing it off until I FINALLY found some lye water at our local Asian supermarket. Also, the other thing that was stopping me was getting a steamer. Last time I cooked a recipe (puto) that needed a steamer, I used an alternative and cooked it in the oven. The result wasn't too bad, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. So I found a wooden steamer that was able to hold some aluminum muffin molds (which I had to cut so it could fit). The result was pretty good. I didn't use food coloring cause I didn't think it was necessary. I kinda regretted it because it ended up turning rather brown and sewer-water-color. O wells, lesson learned. For those of you who don't know what kutsinta is, it's basically a hard jello-like version of a muffin/rice cake. It's a very light dessert. Well at least it tastes like it.
Reference: http://www.pinoyrecipe.net/cuchinta-or-kutsinta-recipe/
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose or rice flour cup brown sugar cups water teaspoon lihia (lye) few drops of yellow food color grated coconut	1 cup all-purpose or rice flour 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cups of water teaspoon lihia (lye) water few drops of yellow food color (recommended) grated coconut
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Boil water for the steamer. 2. In a bowl, blend all the ingredients except grated coconut. 3. Mix until smooth and free from lumps. Strain. 4. Half-fill small muffin pans. Steam for 10-20 minutes. 5. Cool for 5 minutes then remove from the pans. 6. Serve with grated coconut.	1. Boil water for the steamer. 2. In a bowl, blend all the ingredients except grated coconut. 3. Mix until smooth and free from lumps. Strain. 4. Half-fill small muffin pans. Steam for 10-20 minutes. 5. Cool for 5 minutes then remove from the pans. 6. Serve with grated coconut.
Next: Baked Tahong (Mussels) w/ grilled eggplant and salsa

Day 18- Beef Asado

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Beef Asado
Blog Commentary: The hubby and I decided to take a break from all the filipino food as we were both gaining weight and were wasting some leftover ingredients. Not sure what was causing the weight gain; the garlic or the onions? haha. I mean we were exercising every day. If you're following along with some of these recipes, just try to not eat everything you make (unless you're feeding your family). So I'm picking up my blog with the beef asado. It's a fairly simple recipe. I think this is going to be the last of my beef recipes for a while. I'm gonna try to do desserts and seafood next week.
Reference: http://www.allfavoriterecipe.com/RecipeDetailBeefAsadoII.aspx
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
1/2 lb. beef, cut into thinly strips 2 tbsp. butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. salt spring onions, cut into 2 inch long – for garnishing	1/2 lb. beef, cut into thinly strips 2 tbsp. butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. salt spring onions, cut into 2 inch long – for garnishing
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add beef strips and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly brown. 2. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add chopped onions and sauté for 3 minutes and then pour in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Let it simmer over medium-low heat. 3. If sauce is about to dry up and meat is still tough, just add 1/2 cup of water. Continue cooking until meat is tender. 4. Remove from heat. Arrange on a serving plate and sprinkle with spring onions on top. Serve with patis (fish sauce) and calamansi juice as sauce.	1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add beef strips and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly brown. 2. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add chopped onions and sauté for 3 minutes and then pour in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Let it simmer over medium-low heat. 3. If sauce is about to dry up and meat is still tough, just add 1/2 cup of water. Continue cooking until meat is tender. 4. Remove from heat. Arrange on a serving plate and sprinkle with spring onions on top. Serve with patis (fish sauce) and calamansi juice as sauce.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: This came out pretty well. Thanks to the source above. ! Next: kutchinta

Break

Hello! It's been a while since my last blog. I had to finish up a website so I've been slacking a little. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. If you have any suggestions as for my next recipe, feel free to comment. Otherwise, I'm making carne asada tomorrow!

pastry cream

makes rice sticky? I wish I saw this Top Chef episode before I made my sticky rice...

Day 17- Buko salad

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Buko salad
Blog Commentary: This salad is a very very sweet (surprise!) potato-like salad. I took out the condensed milk because my hubby doesn't really like sweet things. The sweetness comes from the Nestle cream already so I thought we'd be good, but if I wasn't serving this to my hubby, I would have included the the condensed milk. This is a very quick and easy dessert (except for the wait of freezing it).
Reference: http://www.recipezaar.com/Buko-Salad-Filipino-Young-Coconut-Fruit-Salad-306016
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
3 cups coconut meat, grated (or you can buy it canned) 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained (don't use the juice from the can) 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can Nestle cream 1 (10 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup whole kernel corn (optional) 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated (optional)	2 cups macapuno strings (canned) 1 cup of coconut gel (canned) 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained (don't use the juice from the can) 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can Nestle cream 1 cup of sweet sugar palm fruit (canned) 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated 1 (10 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (optional)
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Combine and toss together all ingredients. 2. Freeze in the freezer. 3. Take it out and enjoy the cold desert.	1. Combine and toss together all ingredients. 2. Freeze in the freezer for at least 30 mins- 3 hrs. 3. Take it out and enjoy the cold desert.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: Hey! I got footage now! Will post when I can! Next: Polvoron

Day 16- Beef caldereta

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Caldereta
Blog Commentary: Another beef course. This one resembles Picadillo, especially the sauce. The main difference is the meat used. You can use different types of meat with this. As the recipe on the site says, goat meat or chicken can be use (instead of beef). If you're "beef"ed out, try using chicken. I've never tried goat with calderetta.
Reference: http://www.whats4eats.com/soups/caldereta-recipe
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
Beef round or chuck, cubed -- 2 pounds White vinegar -- 1/4 cup Soy sauce -- 1/4 cup Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons Onion, chopped -- 1 Bell pepper, chopped -- 1 Garlic, minced -- 1/4 cup Tomato sauce -- 2 cups Stock or water -- 2 cups Potatoes, peeled and cubed -- 2 cups Peas -- 1 cup Salt and pepper -- to taste Liver pâté (optional) -- 1/4 cup	Beef round or chuck, cubed -- 2 pounds White vinegar -- 1/4 cup Soy sauce -- 1/4 cup Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons Onion, chopped -- 1 Bell pepper, chopped -- 1 Garlic, minced -- 1/4 cup Tomato sauce -- 2 cups Stock or water -- 2 cups Potatoes, peeled and cubed -- 2 cups Peas -- 1 cup Salt and pepper -- to taste
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Mix the beef, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic together in a large bowl. Marinate, refrigerated, for anywhere from 1-8 hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry, reserving the marinade. 2. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large pot. Brown the beef in batches, removing it to a plate or bowl. 3. When the beef is all browned, add more oil to the pot if needed and sauté the onions, peppers and garlic over medium flame until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes to cook down somewhat. 4. Return the beef to the pot, along with the reserved marinade and the stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes. 5. Sir in the potatoes, peas, salt and pepper and simmer for another 20-30 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Add a little more water if necessary. 6. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the liver pâté if using. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve hot over rice.	1. Mix the beef, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic together in a large bowl. Marinate, refrigerated, for anywhere from 1-8 hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry, reserving the marinade. 2. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large pot. Brown the beef in batches, removing it to a plate or bowl. 3. When the beef is all browned, add more oil to the pot if needed and sauté the onions, peppers and garlic over medium flame until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes to cook down somewhat. 4. Return the beef to the pot, along with the reserved marinade and the stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes. 5. Stir in the potatoes, peas, salt and pepper and simmer for another 20-30 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Add a little more water if necessary. 6. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the liver pâté if using. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve hot over rice.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: Hey! I got footage now! Will post when I can! Next: Buko salad

Day 15- Halo-halo

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Halo halo
Blog Commentary: Another dessert. Even though we had a recipe dessert yesterday, I was still in a dessert mood as we had thai for dinner. The most important thing about this dessert is getting the right type (as I figured out when making this) of glass because if it's to tall, you can't scoop ALL THE WAY down the glass without soaking your hand, unless you have a long spoon. If the glass is too wide or you use a bowl, everything seems to blob all the together. I would recommend the glass they use in the picture or a brandy glass. Another challenge was probably cutting the jackfruit. You can buy jackfruit in a can but again, the fresher the ingredient, the better. If you don't know how to cut a jackfruit (like me) here's a youtube vid I referenced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTUhf-CQnbc . Great thing about this dessert is that there's no baking involved. I changed from the coconut to macapuno because I like the taste better and also changed the milk to evaporated/condensed milk. Again, I like the sweets! NOTE: The recipe is for 4 glasses. The procedures is by the glass.
Reference: http://www.pinoyrecipe.net/halo-halo-recipe-a-filipino-dessert/
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
1 ripe large banana 2 ripe mangoes or 1 cup canned ripe mango 1 cup firm gelatin set into gel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 cup canned ripe jackfruit 1/2 cup sweet corn or chick peas (garbanzos) 1 cup young shredded coconut, fresh or canned 1 cup cooked sweet yams or (ube halaya) glutinous purple yam, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 cup shaved ice 2 cup milk 4 scoops of favorite ice cream 1/2 cup chopped peanuts or rice krispies	1 ripe large banana 2 ripe mangoes or 1 cup canned ripe mango 1 cup firm gelatin set into gel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 cup canned ripe jackfruit 1/2 cup sweet corn or chick peas (garbanzos) 1 cup young shredded macapuno, fresh or canned 1 cup cooked sweet yams or (ube halaya) glutinous purple yam, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 cup shaved ice 2 cups of evaporated milk 4 scoops of favorite ice cream 1/2 cup chopped peanuts or rice krispies
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Peel mangoes and slice the meat into 1/2-inch cubes. Discard the seeds. 2. Prepare 4 glasses. Divide each ingredient into 4 equal parts. 3. In each glass place 1/4 of each ingredient, adding layer by layer starting with corn or chick peas, cooked sweet yams, jackfruit, bananas, coconut, and gelatin. 4. Top with 1/2 cup shaved ice. 5. Pour 1/4 cup milk over shaved ice and top with a scoop of ice cream. 6. Sprinkle nuts or rice krispies over it.	1. Peel mangoes and slice the meat into 1/2-inch cubes. Discard the seeds. 2. Prepare 4 glasses. Divide each ingredient into 4 equal parts. 3. In each glass place 1/4 of each ingredient, adding layer by layer starting with corn or chick peas, cooked sweet yams, jackfruit, bananas, coconut, and gelatin. 4. Top with 1/2 cup shaved ice. 5. Pour 1/4 cup milk over shaved ice and top with a scoop of ice cream. 6. Sprinkle nuts or rice krispies over it.
VIDEO: LOST ALL MY FOOTAGE for this week!
Video Commentary: Next: Calderetta

Day 14- Cassava cake

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Cassava cake
Blog Commentary: I never knew what a casava cake was until I wikied it : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassava. According to wiki, the flour is supposed to be made of tapioca. I'm not sure if you can make the grated cassava (maybe from flour and tapioca pearls?) but I bought two frozen grated cassava flour which I found in an Asian supermarket. Not sure if Ralph's or Shoprite have it. If anyone knows how to make a cassava cake without cassava or if it's sold in general grocery stores, please let me know. I changed the topping from egg yolks to condensed milk because I like my sweets. :-)
Reference: http://www.recipezaar.com/Cassava-Cake-28845
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
2 lbs grated cassava 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping) 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping) 1 (13 ounce) can coconut cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping) 2/3 cup sugar 3 eggs, plus 3 egg whites 1 cup grated coconut Topping 3 egg yolks	2 lbs grated cassava 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping) 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping) 1 (13 ounce) can coconut cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping) 2/3 cup sugar 3 eggs, plus 3 egg whites 1 cup macapuno strings Topping 3 egg yolks (or a can of condensed milk)
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Preheat oven to 325° f. 2. In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients. 3. Mix well. 4. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans. 5. Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes). 6. Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes. 7. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. 8. Cool cakes completely. 9. Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.	1. Preheat oven to 325° f. 2. In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients. 3. Mix well. 4. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans. 5. Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes). 6. Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes. 7. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. 8. Cool cakes completely. 9. Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.
VIDEO: LOST ALL MY FOOTAGE for this week!
Video Commentary: Next: Halo halo

Day 13- Picadillo

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Picadillo
Blog Commentary: Picadillo is basically a soup-like dish with a bunch of ground stuff (beef and pork) with potatoes and yummies. My main regret was putting too much fish sauce and not enough tomatoes. Eeek. Some picadillo, especially, ones in the stores, are more orangey and have a thicker paste (not as watery). However, this recipe and the picadillo my mom makes are a little watery. So if you want soup with some meat, you'll love this dish. Enjoy!
Reference: http://www.ex-designz.net/recipedisplay.asp?rid=2147
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground beef 1/2 lb. ground pork tbsp. minced garlic 1 tbsp. oil 1/2 cup minced shallots 1 cup cubed tomatoes 4 cups water 2 cups diced potatoes Patis (fish sauce) or salt and ground pepper to taste	1/2 lb. ground beef 1/2 lb. ground pork tbsp. minced garlic 1 tbsp. oil 1/2 cup minced shallots 2 cups cubed tomatoes 4 cups water 2 cups diced potatoes Patis (fish sauce) or salt and ground pepper to taste
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Saute garlic in oil until brown. 2. Add shallots and tomatoes and cook until soft. 3. Add ground beef, pork, patis (fish sauce or salt) and ground pepper. 4. Add water and potatoes. 5. Simmer until done.	1. Saute garlic in oil until brown. 2. Add shallots and tomatoes and cook until soft. 3. Add ground beef, pork, patis (fish sauce or salt) and ground pepper. 4. Add water and potatoes and boil. 5. Simmer (for about 25-30 mins) or until done. 6. Serve with rice.
VIDEO: LOST ALL MY FOOTAGE for this week!
Video Commentary: Next: Cassava cake

Day 12- Biko sticky rice

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Biko sticky rice
Blog Commentary: Continuing with the rice theme (no I didn't have anymore leftovers). Besides we need a different kind of rice anyways. I couldn't find the malagkit rice or any sticky rice so I decided to find some sweet rice. bad decision. Find sticky rice! That is very very important. Sweet rice won't do. While the flavors might be there in the end, it's the not the same without the sticky part of the rice. I also took out the jackfruit because I didn't have any then. Plus, I don't think it's the integral part of the recipe. The sweeter, the better for me. And the jackfruit does't really add to the sweetness of the rice for me.
Reference: http://www.grouprecipes.com/29137/biko-filipino-sweet-rice.html
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
4 cups of sweet rice ( sticky) 4 cups water for cooking the rice 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1lb. brown sugar 2 cups coconut milk 1 bottle jackfruit ( langka) condensed milk	4 cups of sweet rice ( sticky) 4 cups water for cooking the rice 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1lb. brown sugar 2 cups coconut milk condensed milk
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Cook the rice in the rice cooker while waiting boil the coconut milk and mix with the sugar. keep stirring until it gets very sticky. scoop some juice for topings. pour the jackfruit and mix with the rice. bake if you want ( 20 mins.) then put the toppings.	1. Cook the rice in the rice cooker while waiting boil the coconut milk and mix with the sugar. keep stirring until it gets very sticky. scoop some juice for topings. 2. Preheat oven for 300 degrees and bake for 20 mins. 3. Then put the toppings.
VIDEO: LOST ALL MY FOOTAGE for this week!
Video Commentary: I also noticed that the coconut milk didn't get as sticky as I would have liked it to be. So, I may change that to coconut creme or something with a thicker substance or continually add to the sugar while stirring instead of just adding everything at once. Next: Picadillo

Day 11- Tocilog

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Tocilog (tocino, garlic fried rice, and sunny side up egg)
Blog Commentary: I bought some tocino this weekend and wanted to use it but since I'm doing a cooking blog, frying up a tocino isn't really cooking so I decided to add the sinangang, which is garlic fried rice, along w/ the egg to make Tocilog for breakfast! Below is the recipe for the fried rice and basically fried the egg and fried the (pork) tocino that I bought from an asian supermarket. Great, hearty breakfast! I just made some changes to the rice (as I had eggs whites left from the yema balls recipe).
Reference: http://www.simplecomfortfood.com/2009/06/13/sinangag-filipino-garlic-fried-rice/. http://philq8yummies.wordpress.com/2007/08/07/tocino-garlic-rice-and-sunny-side-up-egg-tocilog/
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
Ingredients	Ingredients
Fried Rice 3 cups of day old, cooked rice 3 tbsp olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, minced 3 eggs, scrambled with 2 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp oil salt pepper 2 tbsp soy sauce Chives, chopped for garnish Optional ingredients; onion, bacon, ham, peas, tocino, corned beef	Fried Rice 3 cups of day old, cooked rice 3 tbsp olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, minced 6 egg whites, 1 egg, scrambled with 2 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp oil salt pepper 2 tbsp soy sauce Chives, chopped for garnish 3 piece of diced cooked ham
Procedures:	Procedures:
1. Begin by beating your eggs in a small bowl. To a small skillet, add about 1 tbsp of oil, and add in your eggs, cooking on both sides. Once cooked, remove to a cutting board and let cool. 2. To a large skillet, add the 3 tbsp of oil, and bring to a medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, and cook for a minute or two, until it becomes a light golden brown. Once it is browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on some paper towel. 3. Add the rice to the oil, and begin to break it down, mixing it well, so the oil gets on all of the rice, and begins to fry. 4. Lower the heat to medium-low. Slice the cooked eggs, and get a nice dice on them. Add them to the rice, and mix well. I used three pieces of ham, and diced that as well. Add that to your fried rice, or use your optional items as well. Mix well. Add the soy sauce, and mix well. The soy sauce adds a bit of flavor, but is nice for the coloring. 5. Take half of your garlic chips and add to the rice, mixing well. You are done. Add to your serving bowl, sprinkle with the remaining garlic chips, and garnish with chopped chives.	1. Begin by beating your eggs in a small bowl. To a small skillet, add about 1 tbsp of oil, and add in your eggs, cooking on both sides. Once cooked, remove to a cutting board and let cool. 2. To a large skillet, add the 3 tbsp of oil, and bring to a medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, and cook for a minute or two, until it becomes a light golden brown. Once it is browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on some paper towel. 3. Add the rice to the oil, and begin to break it down, mixing it well, so the oil gets on all of the rice, and begins to fry. 4. Lower the heat to medium-low. Slice the cooked eggs, and get a nice dice on them. Add them to the rice, and mix well. Add slices of ham to your fried rice, or use your optional items as well. Mix well. Add the soy sauce, and mix well. The soy sauce adds a bit of flavor, but is nice for the coloring. 5. Take half of your garlic chips and add to the rice, mixing well. You are done. Add to your serving bowl, sprinkle with the remaining garlic chips, and garnish with chopped chives. 6. Fry the eggs and tocino. 7. Serve together, like picture.
VIDEO: LOST ALL MY FOOTAGE for this week!
Video Commentary: Next: Biko Sticky rice

Update! update!

Okay so I started to slack (not on my cooking) but my blogging. I kept all of my footage in my camera for the whole week's recipes and cooking experience. As I started to import them today, I somehow LOST ALL of the footage (what good is a 16GB memory stick if it can only keep 2 GB of it's footage???!!!!!!!!!!) Un-effin' believable. Most of the recipes (especially the sticky rice one) didn't turn out so well and shouldn't be noted or shown anyways. Maybe this was an indication for me to only document and put a video up for the SUCCESSFUL recipes and not my failures because what good would that do for anyone? I'll just look foolish and while foolishness does get a lot of audience (mostly critiques), but that's not helping anyone.

Day 10- Yema (candy) balls

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Yema Candy Balls
Blog Commentary: I went to the dentist today. This was my first check up in about a year and a half. Before then, I still had to get some things done to my teeth (I'm not a good flosser). Suffice it to say that the check up didn't go well. Basically throughout the whole process as Dr. Lee was naming teeth numbers and acronyms that I think he made up because I've never heard anyone say those acronyms before, I was cringing with every deep as he made as we was looking at my teeth and looking back at the x-rays. At the end of the visit, he basically told me to "hang in there." haha. I don't know whether he was talking to me or my teeth (as some might fall out any second). I'm only 26 years old and this should not happen. Now you would think that after hearing that news about my teeth I would swore off sweets forever. Well, the masochist in me, I guess, decided to cook some Yema Candy! Ow! Yema candy is basically this sweet candy, resambling an Irish potato, but sweet and much softer and airy (maybe less calories) than an Irish potato. It's good (if you make it right), but knowing me and deserts, my fingers are crossed for this one as I am REALLY craving this. I'll just brush and floss twice tonight :-).
Reference: http://www.best-recipe.net/recipedetail.aspx?id=1359
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
YEMA BALLS CANDY Ingredients	YEMA BALLS CANDY Ingredients
1/2 can CARNATION Condense Milk 6 egg yolks 1 tbsp. calamansi juice 1 cup sugar	1/2 can Condensed Milk 6 egg yolks 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. of butter 1 cup sugar
YEMA BALLS CANDY Procedures:	YEMA BALLS CANDY Procedures:
1. Combine all ingredients except sugar in a kawali. Cook stirring constantly over low fire until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Cool thoroughly then shape into 1/2-inch diameter balls. Let stand for about 10 min. 2. Caramelize sugar. Dip yema balls in caramel using a toothpick. Make sure the whole ball is coated. Arrange in a greased tray and cool. Wrap in cellophane.	1. Melt the butter. Combine all ingredients (except sugar). Cook stirring constantly over low fire until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Cool thoroughly then shape into 1/2-inch diameter balls. Let stand for about 10 min. 2. Caramelize sugar. Dip yema balls in caramel using a toothpick. Make sure the whole ball is coated. Arrange in a greased tray and cool. Place in a small baking cups.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: Ahhh! I took the mixture out too soon. The balls ended up being too soft and the caramel hardened before I could dip it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Next: Tocilog Breakfast!

Day 9- Bistek

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Bistek (Beef Steak)
Blog Commentary: I was in the mood for some onions. So I decided to cook a dish that had A LOT of onions, Bistek! Even though we had red meat the day before, I was REALLY craving the onions. :-). I noticed that the recipe below was like the recipe for the marinade for the pork (w/o the vinegar).Without the vinegar, it gave a little bit of a sweeter taste. This recipe was a SUCCESS! The only thing I changed (from the original recipe) was the last couple of steps where I put the onions in with the sauce. It just looked too good to not give them a quick dip. Good stuff. Good stuff! Enjoy! I did.
Reference: http://www.recipezaar.com/Filipino-Beef-Steak-or-Bistek-243835
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
BISTEK Ingredients	BISTEK Ingredients
1 lb beef round steak or beef sirloin or beef tenderloin, sliced 1/4-inch thick 8 tablespoons kalamansi juice (native lemon) 1/2 cup dark soy sauce (regular kikkoman's) freshly-ground pepper 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 large onions, cut into rings 2 tablespoons cooking oil water	1 lb beef round steak or beef sirloin or beef tenderloin, sliced 1/4-inch thick 8 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup dark soy sauce freshly-ground pepper 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 large onions, cut into rings 2 tablespoons cooking oil water
BISTEK Procedures:	BISTEK Procedures:
1. In a nonreactive bowl (non-metal), mix kalamansi juice, soy sauce, and garlic. Taste it, if it's too sour, add soy sauce; if it's too salty, add more juice. Balance out the flavors. Remember you can also adjust near the end of cooking the beef. 2. Cut up the beef into about 1/4" strips. Pound it with a meat tenderizer (optional). 3. Season the meat with gound pepper. Add meat to soy sauce mixture and stir to let it soak up the marinade evenly. Let sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. 4. Heat a (non-reactive) skillet. Add one tablespoon of oil. Stir fry the onion rings until translucent and a tiny bit brown on the edges but still with a bit of a crunch. Remove from skillet and set aside. 5. In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of oil. Pan-fry the beef working in batches, remove after browning on both sides. When all the beef has been browned, pour the marinade into the skillet and bring to a slow boil and simmer for a few minutes or until cooked through. Adjust the sauce with more soy sauce or juice, or some water, to suit your taste. After adding soy sauce always let it cook a little. 6. Slide the beef slices onto a serving plate, arrange the onion rings on top. Make sure to pour all the rest of the cooking liquid on top (this is great on rice). 7. The leftovers freeze well.	1. In a glass bowl, mix lemon juice, soy sauce, and garlic. Taste it, if it's too sour, add soy sauce; if it's too salty, add more juice. Balance out the flavors. Remember you can also adjust near the end of cooking the beef. 2. Cut up the beef into about 1/4" strips. 3. Season the meat with gound pepper. Add meat to soy sauce mixture and stir to let it soak up the marinade evenly. Let sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. 4. Heat a (non-reactive) skillet. Add one tablespoon of oil. Stir fry the onion rings until translucent and a tiny bit brown on the edges but still with a bit of a crunch. Remove from skillet and set aside. 5. In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of oil. Pan-fry the beef working in batches, remove after browning on both sides. When all the beef has been browned, pour the marinade into the skillet and bring to a slow boil and simmer for a few minutes or until cooked through. Adjust the sauce with more soy sauce or juice, or some water, to suit your taste. After adding soy sauce always let it cook a little. 6. Slide the beef slices onto a serving plate. 7. Quickly throw the onion rings in the frying pan. Then arrange on top of the beef slices. Awesome with rice! 7. Leftovers? What leftovers?
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: I finally got to take a pic of the food! It's yummy. Hope you all like. Next: Yema Balls

Day 8- Pork BBQ

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Pork Barbeque
Blog Commentary: So I woke up hoping to find a macapuno candy that looked better than it did last night (I dunno, maybe it got better overnight as some dessert tend to do when they've settled and cooled off). No luck. It was still a gooey mess. So, I decided to make some bbq since we were going to a pool bbq later on that day anyway. I took the "?" in the ingredients as an indication of freedom. Actually, at first I thought it was supposed to be a 1 but then I started adding more to soak all the meat. I didn't have calamansi juice and used lemon juice as a sub. Instead of pork chop slices, I got some pork butt, which I struggled to cut but no problem. It was still cut. I got the hang of it towards the end whe I decided to use the butterfly technique on it. Also, I bought vinegar that already had peppers and some spice to the flavor so I left out the chillies out of my recipe. We took the pork to an outside grill but you can use a George Forman grill if you don't have access to an outside grill. Don't forget the salt and peppa!!! (<--- which I did...)
Reference: http://www.topvotedrecipes.com/Pork_Barbeque/456.html
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
PORK BBQ Ingredients	PORK BBQ Ingredients
1 kilo pork chop slices 1 head of garlic (minced) 2 pieces hot chili pepper (minced) 1 tablespoon brown sugar ? cup vinegar ? cup soy sauce Pinch of salt & pepper 2 teaspoons calamansi juice	2 lbs of pork butt 1 head of garlic (minced) 2 pieces hot chili pepper (minced) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 and a half cups vinegar 1 and a half cups soy sauce Pinch of salt & pepper 2 teaspoons lemon juice
PORK BBQ Procedures:	PORK BBQ Procedures:
1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together except for the pork chops. 2. Marinate the chops for two hours or over night. 3. Grill until well cooked. 4. In a saucepan, heat marinade mixture and strain. 5. Serve chops with the sauce.	1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together except for the pork chops. 2. Marinate the chops for two hours or over night. 3. Grill until well cooked. 4. In a saucepan, heat marinade mixture and strain. 5. Serve chops with the sauce.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: I knew I shouldn't have gotten a manicure. So messy! And I also just wanted to go in the pool (it was freaking hot out), I was kinda rushing this bbq-ing process that I still have my rings on (in the vid) .... oopsies. The hubby wasn't too pleased about that. Oh yea, I would have salted and peppered the meat (while it was in grilling too). Would've been better. I think I'm gonna try to add some 7-up or sprite to this marinade in the future. Tip: Good to serve with hot sauce! :-) Next: Bistek

Day 7- Turrón

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Turrón (sweet fried bananas)
Blog Commentary: I was in a sweet banana, frying type of mood. The hubs and I decided to go grocery shopping to stock up on the filipino ingredients and actually asked someone who knew how to make a bananaque. You might remember my disastrous attempt to make a bananaque. I asked my mom what she used and she told me she used plantains. I guess you can use those too, but the recipe didn't require the plantains so I tried to find something that resembled a banana in the saba variety (not plantains). It was a little hard to cut. (I gotta get my Cutco chef's knife from back home). It was a little slippery. However, this turned out pretty well. It was a lumpia, part II type of experience.I'm think I'm good w/ the frying now. As you can see from below, the original author's recipe doesn't have measurements. I just tried to guess how much I needed when I made this. Oh, and I pan friend, instead of deep. A little longer, but I liked saving the oil.
Reference:http://www.nibbledish.com/people/lealea/recipes/classic-filipino-turon
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
TURRON Ingredients	TURRON Ingredients
ripe bananas water mixture of brown and white sugar spring roll wrapping	bunch of ripe bananas (saba variety) 2 cups of water 1/4 cup mixture of brown and white sugar pack of spring roll wrapping
TURRON Procedures:	TURRON Procedures:
1.Quarter long bananas, by cutting them in half, then cut them lengthwise. 2. Dip them in water. 3. Mix a little golden brown sugar and white sugar together and sprinkle over top wet bananas. 4. Wrap in spring roll wrapping. 5. (Optional) Tap some water on spring roll and sprinkle sugar mixture over top. This will create less "clean" but sugary tops. 6. Deep fry until golden and transfer to paper towel on a plate to absorb oil.	1.Quarter long bananas, by cutting them in half, then cut them lengthwise. 2. Dip them in water. 3. Mix a little golden brown sugar and white sugar together and sprinkle over top wet bananas. 4. Wrap in spring roll wrapping. 5. (Optional) Tap some water on spring roll and sprinkle sugar mixture over top. This will create less "clean" but sugary tops. 6. Heat the pan under meadium heat and fry sides (4-5 mins on each flattened side, about 2 mins for the 2 smaller sides) , on theuntil golden and transfer to paper towel on a plate to absorb oil.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: This was such a fast cooking experience that I tried to doing ANOTHER dish afterwards as a bonus. a macapuno ball candy. The only recipe that I found was this one: http://www.filipinovegetarianrecipe.com/fruit_preserves/macapuno_balls.php which wasn't too helpful because I basically got a mush of sweetness in a big pot. So mad. So anyone out there that has a good step by step recipe, please comment!. Next: Pork BBQ

Day 6- Pancit Bihon

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Pancit Bihon
Blog Commentary: I tried making this dish because it seemed easy enough. This was my easy (and lazy) week so I decided to do a fairly simple recipe with A LOT of ingredients. As you will see in the video, I have no idea how to cut a cabbage. Looks easy, right? Wow. I said "easy" about 10 times already. Who am I trying to convince? No really, it's easy. Maybe I had the wrong knife or I'm just horrible at cutting. There are some premade mix (of cabbage and carrots) at your local grocery store, but I found this (even though it was poorly cut) cabbage and carrots mix very fresh and way better than any pre-made mix of these two veggies. So, I guess you can either take the hit (in the cuts) and you'll have a more flavorful dish. I liked it, but that's just me.
Reference: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pancit/Detail.aspx
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
PANCIT BIHON Ingredients	PANCIT BIHON Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package thin rice noodles 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken legs, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 cup soy sauce ground black pepper to taste 1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded 2 carrots, shredded 2 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined	1 (8 ounce) package thin rice noodles 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken legs, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 cup soy sauce ground black pepper to taste 1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded 2 carrots, shredded 2 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
PANCIT BIHON Procedures:	PANCIT BIHON Procedures:
1.Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover with warm water. When soft, cut into 4 inch lengths, drain, and set aside. 2. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken and pork until no pink shows. Season with soy sauce and pepper. Remove from skillet and set aside. Saute the cabbage and carrots until tender. Stir in the noodles, green onions and shrimp. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stir in the chicken and pork, and cook for 5 more minutes.	1.Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover with warm water. When soft, cut into 4 inch lengths, drain, and set aside. 2. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken and pork until no pink shows. Season with a half of the soy sauce and pepper. Remove from skillet and set aside. Saute the cabbage and carrots until tender. Stir in the noodles, green onions and shrimp. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stir in the chicken and pork, and cook for 5 more minutes. 3. Drizzle the rest of the soy sauce over the noodles.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: You probably notice the slight change of the use for the soy sauce. Truth be told, I forgot (whoa how about that, ME, FORGOT AGAIN) to drizzle the whole 1/2 cup of soy sauce unto the mix. This filming and cooking thing is harder than I thought. You tend to forget things when multitasking. ;-p. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Anyways, I've seen my mom drizzle the sauce soy over the noodles as she was cooking it so I figured it be okay. Although, I did notice how dry the chicken and pork got without that extra sauce. Not too dry, just a little dry. However, the noodles did get more flavor though...You can add more sauce soy sauce within the recipe if you want. Your call. Next: Banana Turon

Day 5- Leche Flan

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Leche Flan
Blog Commentary: You may be wondering why I've been cooking deserts. Well, we're still working on the spaghetti that was cooked 3 days ago and I'm saving up for the other BIG meal tomorrow, pancit bihon! Weee. Flan wasn't too bad to make. It was pretty easy and there were a lot of videos that were already made. Didn't use aluminum mold but a baking dish and didn't place the pan on a larger baking dish filled with hot water. Also, the recipe called for water and sugar to make caramel but you don't really need water to make the syrup. I forgot to use foil until 10 mins into the baking. oops! However, I think it came out well! Still tasty.
Reference:http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/leche-flan.htm
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
LECHE FLAN Ingredients	LECHE FLAN Ingredients
1 can (390g) evaporated milk 1 can (390g) condensed milk 10 egg yolks 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence For caramel: 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup water	1 can (390g) evaporated milk 1 can (390g) condensed milk 10 egg yolks 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence For caramel: 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup water
LECHE FLAN Procedures:	LECHE FLAN Procedures:
1.In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize. 2. Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds. 3. Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender. 4.Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick. 5.Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil. 6. Steam for about 20 minutes OR Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking. 7. Let cool then refrigerate. 8. To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.	1.In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a about 10-15 minutes until the sugar caramelize. 2. Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds. 3. Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender. 4.Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick. 5.Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil. 6. Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking. 7. Let cool then refrigerate for about 10 mins. 8. To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: Nothing really to commentate with the video. It's a pretty straight forward recipe.As you can see, I didn't flip over the flan. However, the caramel did rise to the top. It's probably prettier when flipped. Next: Pancit Bihon

Day 4- Puto

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Puto
Blog Commentary: Puto has always been my favorite morning treat. I remember visiting the Philippines about 10 years ago (that's the furthest my memory can go back) and waking up early in the morning to have the Puto person deliver the freshly steamed putos on banana leafs. Ahhh... that's a sigh not a frightened sound... I can still smell the freshness when I think about it. So I called my mom this morning to see if she could help me out in trying to get that flavor back. Basically, she just laughed at me (apparently, me trying to cook is pretty funny) and told me that she throws stuff in the pot, that she didn't use any recipe... psshhh, what a ridiculous concept. Oh mom... Back to the puto. No steamer so I decided to use the oven method they suggested on the website. Also, I didn't use the Edam cheese because I thought cheddar was better. I've always topped off my puto with cheddar so I figured it would work out. Also, I forgot to change the servings (yea, you can do that in the allrecipes.com website... I guess I was in a hurry).
Reference:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Puto/Detail.aspx
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
PUTO Ingredients	PUTO Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups white sugar 1/2 cup chopped onions 1 tablespoon baking powder 6 eggs 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk 1 1/2 cups water 2 1/4 cups Edam cheese, shredded	4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups white sugar 1/2 cup chopped onions 1 tablespoon baking powder 6 eggs 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk 1 1/2 cups water 2 1/4 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
PUTO Procedures:	PUTO Procedures:
1.Grease small cake, puto molds, or ramekins for use in a steamer. Mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a bowl. In a separate, large bowl, scramble the eggs with the evaporated milk and water. Fold the dry mixture into the eggs until evenly blended. Fill the prepared molds 2/3 of the way up with the batter and top with shredded cheese. 2. Fill a wok or a sauce pan that will hold a steamer basket with a few inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the molds into a steamer basket and place over the boiling water and cover. 3. Steam until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the putos comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.	1.Grease small cake, puto molds, or ramekins for use in a steamer. Mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a bowl. In a separate, large bowl, scramble the eggs with the evaporated milk and water. Fold the dry mixture into the eggs until evenly blended. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven. Pour your batter into greased muffin tins and place the tins into a large high sided pan; place onto the rack of the preheated oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the large pan, so that it reaches half way up the sides of the muffin tin. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
VIDEO:Okay, so I think I was supposed to just get the egg whites because the puto turned pretty yellowish and muffinish. It was not the puto that I remember. I mean the flavor wasn't bad at all, but it's just I didn't ask for a muffin. Maybe next time, I'll try another recipe and actually use a steamer...
Video Commentary: Next: Pancit

Day 3- Lumpia

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Lumpia
Blog Commentary: After seeing how much the blogger's emphasized on patience, I was a little hesitant to try this out. Patience has never been my strong suit. How can you go wrong with an eggroll? I've seen my mom do this a couple of times but I didn't get the recipe from her. Although, I do remember cabbage being one of the ingredients, I didn't use... saving that for the bihon. As you can see (below), this is the first time I didn't change the recipe!
Reference: http://hubpages.com/hub/Lumpia-Filipino-Egg-Rolls
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
LUMPIA Ingredients	LUMPIA Ingredients
1 pound ground beef 3/4 cup shredded carrots 1/2 cup chopped onions 1 teaspoon or 2 cloves minced garlic 3/4 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons season salt 1 package of 50 Lumpia Wrappers or 2 packages of 25 individually separated Lumpia Wrappers 1-1 1/2 cup(s) vegetable or olive oil Small bowl of water	1 pound ground beef 3/4 cup shredded carrots 1/2 cup chopped onions 1 teaspoon or 2 cloves minced garlic 3/4 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons season salt 1 package of 50 Lumpia Wrappers or 2 packages of 25 individually separated Lumpia Wrappers 1-1 1/2 cup(s) vegetable or olive oil Small bowl of water
LUMPIA Procedures:	LUMPIA Procedures:
1.First, you'll want to brown your ground beef with your chopped onions, shredded carrots, garlic, pepper, and season salt, over medium high heat in a skillet or frying pan. 2. Separate the Lumpia wrappers. 3.Take 1 of the Lumpia wrappers and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of your ground beef mixture into a line near the edge on the Lumpia wrapper. 4. Fold Lumpia wrapper over the line of meat you just spooned. 5. Now, you will begin to roll the meat into a tube. Stop rolling when you are to the middle of the wrapper. 6. Fold the right and left sides of the lumpia wrapper to the center. 7. Continue to roll to the end of the wrapper. 8. Dip your fingers in the small bowl of water and lightly moisten the exposed edge of the lumpia wrapper. 9. Fold wrapper edge onto itself pressing it down gently. So it seems to glue itself down. 10. Place to the side for now and repeat, repeat, repeat! Until there isn't anymore wrappers or meat left.	1.First, you'll want to brown your ground beef with your chopped onions, shredded carrots, garlic, pepper, and season salt, over medium high heat in a skillet or frying pan. 2. Separate the Lumpia wrappers. 3.Take 1 of the Lumpia wrappers and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of your ground beef mixture into a line near the edge on the Lumpia wrapper. 4. Fold Lumpia wrapper over the line of meat you just spooned. 5. Now, you will begin to roll the meat into a tube. Stop rolling when you are to the middle of the wrapper. 6. Fold the right and left sides of the lumpia wrapper to the center. 7. Continue to roll to the end of the wrapper. 8. Dip your fingers in the small bowl of water and lightly moisten the exposed edge of the lumpia wrapper. 9. Fold wrapper edge onto itself pressing it down gently. So it seems to glue itself down. 10. Place to the side for now and repeat, repeat, repeat! Until there isn't anymore wrappers or meat left.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: SUCCESS! Approved by a 4 men taste testing. I'm getting momentum... keep it up! Yep, I like motivating myself out loud.Next: Puto

Day 2- Filipino Style Spaghetti

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Filipino Style Spaghetti
Blog Commentary: I decided to go with spaghetti since, spaghetti is probably the second easiest thing you can make and it would be really hard to screw up. It was a full proof way to get myself out of the the rut from the first recipe. I was half right. The recipe wasn't really too hard to follow as I've made spaghetti before. The only mistake I made, I think is that I got the whole wheat spaghetti (we had some leftover from a previous shopping trip). Hey! I'm trying to be healthy here. The sauce flavor was pretty good. The only downside to this was that the recipe was for a whole filipino family (including extended fam), plus our neighbors. I changed the recipe a little as the pot and wok were too small to hold that much sauce and water. Still, we had A LOT of sauce leftover. That's alright, I'll just use it for a sloppy joe (filipino style). Below are the ingredients from the site as well as mine. You can follow mine if you'd like to have leftovers (and forgot the cheese) or stick to the original recipe. Whatevs. I'll have another shot tomorrow: It's LUMPIA TIME!
Reference: http://www.grouprecipes.com/29993/filipino-style-spaghetti.html
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
SPAGHETTI Ingredients	SPAGHETTI Ingredients
1 kilo (2.2 lbs) spaghetti noodles 1 cup minced onion 1 head of garlic finely minced 3/4 kilo (1.65 lbs) ground beef 3/4 kilo (1.65 lbs) hot dogs 1/4 cup sugar Spaghetti sauce (used 750g (26.5 ounce) pouch in this recipe) 1 bottle banana ketchup 1 box quick melt cheese 1/2 cup water salt and pepper to taste	1 packet spaghetti noodles 1 cup minced onion 1 head of garlic finely minced 1 lb. ground beef 1 packet hot dogs 1/4 cup sugar 680 g of spaghetti sauce 1 bottle banana ketchup 1 box quick melt cheese 1/2 cup water salt and pepper to taste
SPAGHETTI Procedures:	SPAGHETTI Procedures:
1. Cook the noodles as per package direction. 2. Slice the hot dogs in wedges. Better do this when their still in a slightly frozen state. Split them in half then just do slanting cuts like in the picture. 3. Heat some oil. Saute garlic and onions. Then add in the meat. Cook till brown. Season with some salt and pepper. 4. Pour in the spaghetti sauce, ketchup, sugar and water. 5. Mix and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until it gets thick and red. 6. Add in the hot dogs last. 7. Mix and just let the hot dogs heat through. Sauce is done! 8. This is just a personal preference. Since I'm not mixing my sauce with the pasta I make sure to give the noodles a quick rinse after their cooked and strained them. Just to remove the excess starch. 9.Top the noodles with the warm sauce. Sprinkle with quick melt cheese!	1. Cook the noodles as per package direction. 2. Slice the hot dogs in wedges. Better do this when their still in a slightly frozen state. Split them in half then just do slanting cuts like in the picture. 3. Heat some oil. Saute garlic and onions. Then add in the meat. Cook till brown. Season with some salt and pepper. 4. Pour in the spaghetti sauce, ketchup, sugar and water. 5. Mix and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until it gets thick and red. 6. Add in the hot dogs last. 7. Mix and just let the hot dogs heat through. Sauce is done! 8.This is just a personal preference. Since I'm not mixing my sauce with the pasta I make sure to give the noodles a quick rinse after their cooked and strained them. Just to remove the excess starch. 9. Top the noodles with the warm sauce.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: I don't know what to say. The hot dogs could've been in there for a little longer, maybe I could've turned up the heat and check on the hot dogs. I think we need more sugar too. It wasn't as sweet as i would've wanted it to be. Tip: taste the sauce and check on the hot dogs before serving.

Day 1 - Bananaque...sorta

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TODAY'S RECIPE: Bananaque
Blog Commentary: I figured I'd start with something easy, something small, with the fewest ingredients. This was the perfect dish. You may be wondering why there are 2 recipes on here. Well, I couldn't actually follow all the steps (even though there weren't that many), see explanation below. Forgot the skewers and got the wrong type of banana and filming got in the way so I ended up burning my first batch. Take 2, my take on the recipe.
Reference: http://lutongpinoy.info/bananaque/
ORIGINAL RECIPE:	JO'S RECIPE:
BANANAQUE Ingredients	BANANAQUE Ingredients
16 pcs. ripe banana (saba variety) 1/4 c. brown sugar 1/2 lit. cooking oil bamboo skewers	16 pcs. ripe banana (saba variety) 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/2 lit. cooking oil
BANANAQUE Procedures:	BANANAQUE Procedures:
1.Trim both ends of each banana and peel off skin. 2. In a large wok at high flame heat cooking oil put all the bananas in the wok and deep fry for 3-5 minutes or until color change to golden brown. 3. Sprinkle brown sugar over the bananas and continue to fry and stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until sugar has melted and have infused to the bananas. 4. Do not overcook, remove bananas from wok and drain excess oil. 5. Using large bamboo skewer string 2 bananas together.	1.Trim both ends of each banana and peel off skin. 2.Quarter the bananas (length wise). 3.In a large wok at medium flame heat cooking oil put all the bananas in the wok and deep fry for 3- minutes or until color change to golden brown. 4. Sprinkle brown sugar over the bananas and continue to fry and stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until sugar has melted and have infused to the bananas. 5. DO NOT overcook, remove bananas from wok and drain excess oil.
VIDEO:
Video Commentary: Wow. This was NOT a good start to this blog. I think there's a big emphasis on the type of banana to get. Should be ripe and of the saba variety. Hey! I picked the only semi-ripe (which some recipes said you can use.... although judging by my result, is NOT recommended) banana I saw in the asian supermarket. I'll make sure to ask next time. Also forgot the skewers. I brought them to a bbq 2 weeks ago and forgot to bring 'em home. Since I didn't have the skewers, I dunno if I could call this a bananaque, but as you can tell by my directions, I did a little of improvising based on the many times I've seen my mom do this deep fried banana recipe (I never knew what she called it). I found the term, bananaque, on the internet. I think she just called them sweet/sugar saging (banana). haha. I dunno, something was lost in translation. Also, everything ended up cooking the outside and the banana was very undercooked inside. That's why I changed the instructions to Medium flame. Live and learn. Next: Filipino Spaghetti

Introduction

I'm starting this blog for a couple of reasons. Recently, I got married, quit my job, and moved across the country to finally be with my hubby after a year of flying back and forth (at least 1,000 mins a month on the phone and 3,o00 miles a month, to see each other for a short amount of time). It's been a month since my move here and I figured, while looking for a job (or trying to create some of my own), I would try to do something that I've wanted to for a LONNNNG time. After our move here, we took most of our wedding gifts, which were mostly kitchenware, and I freaking finally learned how to cook! First attempt, a chicken curry (famous Indian cuisine) from a video from videojug (http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-cook-a-chicken-curry-in-ten-minutes), wasn't too bad and encouraged me to keep trying and trying. Of course, not all of my dishes were as successful. The meringue didn't harden and the waffles got a little too much batter on them and didn't form the perfect circle (more like a cross between a circle and a square, a cirquare or a squircle). Anyways, that's when I realized I needed a hand mixer. Waffles are much better now... (still using Bisquick though, only recipe I know), but I think I'm gonna try a new recipe soon probably from allrecipes.com. Haven't tried to re-do the meringue again yet, but I'm ready for something new, something that's been daunting me for a long long time, filipino cuisine. I think it's ironic that making cuisine from my own country and culture, which I've eaten all my life, brings out more FEAR in me than anything else. I guess it's the pressure of screwing it up and embarrasing myself. Well, I think it's a good thing that I'm 3,000 miles away from family judgements and criticisms. With that positive thought in my mind, I decided to go for it and committed myself to cooking 30 recipes in 30 days to go back to my roots and become (or at least try to) cook like a filipino. Two things will either happen a) I'll FINALLY learn to cook like a filipino and will have videos and recipes to pass down to my children as well as the WWW community b) I'll be reassured that even though I'm filipino, I'm better off cooking other cuisines in the world. So here goes...