Chefy's Food Creations...

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As promised, I am posting here the creations of our soon to be Chef cousin.. starting with the Spaghetti Carbonara 

Then this appetizer that I forgot the name of.. hahahaha.  All I know is that, it was good.. It had this tangy, pimiento goodness, that's cheesy and just right for the crisp baguettes.. 

Another appetizer prepared was this Sweet Spicy Mushroom on the crispy Baguettes.. I also forgot the name of this dish, hehehehe

Then the salad where she used two kinds of Romaine lettuce, and some cubed ripe mangoes, with Caesar salad dressing and   Balsamic vinegar.. It was a glorious refreshing experience. 

Then there was the Pork Cordon Bleu that got all of us busy, assisting our cheffy, hehehe.. Some were baked, some were fried.. 

Then plating....

And of course, eating... 

See the cheese as it oozed out of the pork.. Yum! Of course, we had it paired with mashed potatoes.. A heavenly concoction.. 

Then the next day, she baked Banana Bread..

And Carrot Cake..

All I can say is YUM! Thanks Chef Kyna, till next time..



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After All These Years...

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It was one of those rare moments that we Aguilar cousins have been together again. Two weekends ago, we spent time at my aunt's place, and well, we had bonding sessions again. 

We all did some share in the cooking... 

Our baby cousin, now almost to graduate from Culinary school, did some of her recipes to wow all of us.. I will do a separate post for her food preparations.. 

We did lots of pictorials in between food takes and eats.. hahahaha..

Some resting, some laughs and more pics.. 

And more cooking and eating.. hahahaha.. after all these years, we excel in that field of food and eats.. and bonding and family time in between.. 

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Malawi's Pizza: Pizza with a Purpose

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I have heard of so many strategies to raise funds for the needy. But here's a delicious idea that I have seen online. And I salute the owner of Malawi's in Provo for this really generous kindness. Imagine, every time one orders pizza, or for every meal one would buy, they will provide a nutritious meal to a child in Malawi, Africa. I guess that's how they got the cafe's name too.

So whether you order pizza, pasta, salads or desserts, it's a one-to-one donation that goes a long way. I wish we have that here too, so that many people can partake of the delicious food, all with fresh ingredients, and help the children in Malawi, Africa as well. That's not just doing good business but also building good karma.

Maybe this idea can also be applied here in our country. What with the many children that are hungry in the far flung barangays. What with the many school children who go to school with nothing in their stomachs to help them absorb the lessons at school. What with the many hungry mouths, too many to feed, for a father with a meager income. Ah.. This is indeed a very good idea. But not too appealing for many restaurant-owners, concessionaires and businessmen. If I will see a store or cafe or restaurant who will do this same thing, I would truly be thankful. 

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Choosing Cutlery

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Perhaps you need a chef knife or some other piece of cutlery – it’s fun to shop for new things but when it comes to choosing the right cutlery the decision making process can be daunting. All new knives look shiny and sharp but they don’t all hold an edge or perform well over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to go with brand name cutlery by top makers – JA Henckels and Wüsthof® cutlery come to mind as they have both been around for a very long time.

The JA Henckels brand originated in 1895 so they have had over a century to develop the most efficient designs and the best quality goods; in fact they are known as the value for money brand of cutlery and one of the leading manufacturers of high quality knives. Value conscious customers along with amateur and professional cooks appreciate a good quality knife and an educated consumer will look for some specific features which can help to determine quality and craftsmanship. 

Precise workmanship is essential – the parts of the knife should be joined seamlessly with no transition between the bolster and handle which could harbor germs and bacteria. The surface finish of the blade should be finely ground and refined to get its compressed surface. The handle and bolster should be ergonomically designed to ensure a safe grip and reduce the chance of slippage. Cutting edge retention is important – it means a knife will be sharp for a longer period of time. Corrosion resistance is another important factor and a by-product of how finely the surface of the blade is ground or polished.

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Food For Free, No Advertising Necessary..

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We received a few goodies this week and last week.. My sister arrived from Singapore and she brought home a few goodies courtesy of my mother's funds given to her to buy chocolates and coffee.. She studies there and my mom sends her money from time to time for goodies like these.. Of course, that's for us to share here at the apartment.. 

My brother came home last week with the goodies below. Goodies from Malaysia given to him by a friend of his.

But the kids loved the one that isn't fully free.. Bought Jumbo Hotdogs and the 1 Kilogram pack has 1 pack of large marshmallows for free.. 

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Chef Tony's Sugar Free Popcorn: Premium Original Organic Corn

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This is a long overdue post, but is actually timely for Father's day. Why? Because this is my father's favorite Chef Tony's Popcorn because it's Sugar Free. Anyway, this photo was taken last January 31, 2012 and I got really busy, I forgot to post about this here.  Fresh from his Sendong experience, two weeks to be exact, my sister and I bought a tub when we saw that it was sugar free. In those two weeks, my father had been silent and didn't talk much. Nor did he eat much. Seeing him eat the popcorn made me think that somehow it has become comfort food for him. 

With my father's health, a lot of food are simply not allowed or should be taken in moderation. And since this was sweetened using Splenda, I thought it was better than all the other gourmet popcorn. It wasn't sweet at all, nor was it salty. But just the same, it had that melt-in-your-mouth goodness. 

It was just right for my father, and he told us that he really liked Chef Tony's Sugar Free Popcorn: Premium Original Organic Corn. And so, every time we find that there is a tub of the said flavor, or any other sugar free popcorn at the display area, we buy one for him. Chef Tony's Sugar Free Popcorn: Premium Original Organic Corn is even cheaper  than all others. Imagine this large tub is only P 120 while the small tub of other flavors will cost P 110-140.

Unfortunately, when we bought Chef Tony's Gourmet Popcorn: White Chocolate Parmesan the other day, we didn't find any Sugar Free Popcorn there.. 

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Chef Tony's Gourmet Popcorn: White Chocolate Parmesan

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It's been a long time since we bought our last tub of Chef Tony's Popcorn. My sister and I were craving for the impeccable taste of Chef Tony's and sure thing, when we passed by the display area at Lim Ket Kai Mall, we couldn't help but stop and see what flavors are available and what flavor we'd end up buying...

So we ended up buying this tub of Chef Tony's White Chocolate Parmesan.

We noticed that it had been packaged much differently than our previous purchases. But then, when we looked for the price, we noticed that it was much less than previous. 

Oh well, when we started eating  Chef Tony's White Chocolate Parmesan we didn't really notice any change. We still love the crunch. We still love that wonderful explosion of flavors in the mouth.. And we so love how the taste of white chocolate and Parmesan blends perfectly..  

We may be on budget right now, but giving ourselves a chance to enjoy life in the simplest form, eating Chef Tony's Gourmet Popcorn, Chef Tony's White Chocolate Parmesan enjoying the company of my sister and daughter, is surely the most relaxing thing ever.. 

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Curried Pork & Eggplant in Coconut Milk

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I love curried food. Chicken Curry has always been a favorite, and Beef Curry too. When I was in Singapore two years ago, I had a chance to try Lamb Curry, and it was oh so good. I also tried curried vegetables at the Indian Cafe, and loved it too. Yesterday, I was craving for curry, but I seem to have imagined curry, right after I saw the tanning supply of my sister. All those brownish liquid and spray that she kept locked in her closet. Anyway, what we had was pork, and some eggplants available. All the rest of the meat in the fridge were either marinated already or cut differently for specific usage.

So my version of curry comes in the form of Curried Pork & Eggplant in Coconut Milk. At least that's how I want to call it. I always start by having the garlic, onions and ginger heated with no oil in a dry pan. According to a friend of mine who cooks a really delicious curry, this process brings out the flavors in the dish. But unlike her, I only heated the three while the rest of the spices I placed after the pork.

I didn't use any oil because the fat of the pork somehow came out while it was cooking. And I didn't use fresh coconut for the coconut milk because we didn't want to go out just to buy it. Good thing we always have a ready mix for Ginataang Gulay, or Vegetables in Coconut Milk. 

What I did was dissolve the coconut mix in water, together with the curry powder. And before adding the eggplant to the pork, I seasoned it and added chili powder. 

After that, I poured the coconut milk/curry and left it for awhile to simmer.

I added the rest of my ingredients, mostly spices. We didn't have basil leaves, so I used Laurel Leaves instead. When it came to a second boil, I transferred it to a glass pot which also served as our serving dish later on.  

After the last boil, I tasted the Curried Pork & Eggplant in Coconut Milk and when I got the taste perfectly to my liking, turned the stove off, and prepared the table. 

Everyone had a happy hot hot hot lunch yesterday.. Thank God everyone love my Curried Pork & Eggplant in Coconut Milk...

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Vegie Pastel

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I think I have not posted about this yet. Well this has been a long over due post. Have you ever tried pastillas that's carrot flavored? My brother brought this from one of his trips to Davao City.  

It was actually good. Milky and of course, carrot flavored. Kids loved them..


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Curly Tops

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You could say that I grew up with this Chocolate brand. I love this especially when it's taken directly out from the refrigerator. It's not impossible that my daughter loves it the same was as I do.. 

Love this as a simple dessert, or a pastime chocolate treat..



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Notes While Making Maja Blanca

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In this post, I will not be sharing any recipe for Maja Blanca because it is easy to find. You may even have your own recipe. What I will share though, are some pointers I learned while my aunt, cousin and even my mom while they cooked Maja Blanca..  

Of course, to top the list is using clean utensils and a clean, well ventilated kitchen environment. Best of all, energy to continuously stir the mixture, lol.. Seriously!!!

Of course, some molders.. Clean and easy to use..

My mom says that we should use a wooden spoon or ladle to stir, instead of those metal ones. Why? Metal when used to stir is quite harmful in the sense that metal, with direct contact to food, and heated, may bring about some unwanted reactions. It easily becomes warm and hard to handle as one stirs.. Lastly, one can create a variety of flavors for the maja blanca, but should stick with the basic recipe as base. 

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