RECIPE: Cheesy Egg Turnover Omelette

Noooo, you haven't seen the last of the kesong puti experiments. And here's another one--a new twist to an old recipe: the omelette (aka Pinoy torta).

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You will need: eggs, milk, kesong puti, mozzarella (or any quick-melt) cheese, parmesan cheese, ground lean beef, eggplant, ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic, alagau (or any other herbs like basil, rosemary, or tarragon), vegetable oil, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste

Slice the eggplants into diagonal strips, about a quarter of an inch thick. Do the same with the tomatoes. Chop the onions and garlic (cut for sauteeing) and your herb of choice (leave some for topping later). Sautee all ingredients (except the first five) in a hot Teflon pan using some vegetable oil and sesame oil (for taste) until tomatoes and eggplants are almost wilted and the beef brown. Set aside.

Beat eggs and milk until fluffy. Pour mixture into pan and cook until one side is golden brown. Flip. As the other side is cooking, layer all the ingredients in the middle part of the scrambled egg. Top with kesong puti, mozzarella and the remaining herbs. "Tuck" the filling inside the eggs by folding both ends--one over the other--and pressing tight to the pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Serve hot with my ice-blended apple-and-calamansi (How to make it? Blend apple slices and calamansi juice with shaved ice in a blender. Serve in tall glasses and swig until you get brainfreeze!). 

Use either ketchup or sweet chili as dipping sauce. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Baked Eggplant with Kesong Puti

Drove to Lumban, Laguna with Adel, Noel and Bebe last January 2. Why? For two reasons: to look for really cheap authentic piña barong tagalog, and buy kesong puti. After about close to an hour drive from San Pablo (and nonstop laugh trip), we finally managed to make it in time before the stores closed. Adel was such a sweet one and gave us two small containers of kesong puti. I started drooling over ideas of what to possibly make out of this cheese.

This recipe is quite similar to something I ate in Crepes and Co. in Bangkok. Of course the cheese(s) used would be different--but the concept is exactly the same. So, there. I'm not claiming ownership of the original recipe...but the twists are solely mine. ;-)

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Ingredients: medium to large eggplants (preferably young), ripe tomatoes, kesong puti (preferably the spreadable variety), mozzarella (or any quick melt) cheese, olive oil, chopped fresh (or dried) basil leaves, salt and pepper to taste.

You will also need: an oven, baking sheet (or double-layered aluminum foil, greased), and some heavy duty burn ointment in case you get scalded by the Muthaf**ka hot pan.

Pre-heat the oven to 250degrees while assembling the ingredients. Slice the eggplants into round/oval shapes about 1/3 to 1/2inch. Do the same with the tomatoes.

Place the sliced eggplants on a baking sheet/foil. Add kesong puti. Add the tomato slice. Top with all the remaining ingredients (mozzarella, basil, pepper/salt) and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for about 10minutes or until cheese has melted beautifully.

Keep in warmer till it's time to serve. Best served hot!

Variation: Turn this into a bruschetta by slicing a baguette (or pandesal) into round, 1 to 1.5inch-thick pieces. Toast lightly. Use this as the "crust" of the eggplant before putting everything in the oven. Use of tomato sauce and olives/capers optional.

Aysus, Antukin!

Para sayo na walang ginawa kundi matulog ng matulog sa tabi ko...at manggising ng madaling-araw...  ;-)

SLEEP

by BigBadRed

At this very moment

I am watching you sleep.

Lovingly. Quietly.

You-

Sleeping like a child;

Your fetal curl appealing for security.And love.

I look at you

All so calm and worry-free;

Not mindful of our chores tomorrow morning.

You dreamily, almost inaudibly

Mumbled something in your sleep.

It sounded like a name.

What was that?

Oh.

Mine.

All of a sudden your eyes start to flutter

Almost as if about to wake up from a dream.

I stroke your short, almost-boyish hair;

Gently kiss you on the forehead

And you instantly get pacified.

Ah--My beautiful little angel.

I can watch you sleep forever.

Oh, Pee 'Em Muna

Tamang OPM itu.... para sa inyo... Sir Edu, wag pooooooooooo!!!!! Hehe...buy the original CDs kung may extrang moolah, hokey? Naman. Click the links to download the files

Charlie Green. Kekyut at kehusay na bata! At magalang pa. Goood boy! This boy's got a future--it's so clear, it's crystal. ;-)  Personal favorite: Smile...and Dahil Sa Yo (hehehehe)

Download HERE

Ella May Saison.  Where Jaya Ramsey is now (or was) is where Ella should've been. Kegaling na singer...bad management, though. Nawalan ng career. Ngek.  I love Now That You're Gone, and of course the classic Till My Heartaches End. Hehehehehe

Download HERE

Kyla.  This girl is HOT. And I'm not just talking about her body. Hehehehe...may manyak moment itu. This CD has good remakes. I particularly like Old Friend and Ribbon in the Sky.

Download Part 1 HERE

Download Part 2 HERE

Enjoy!!!

Yon Lang!

...or directly translated in english, That's All.

Yep. This 1959 Bob Haymes-Alan Brandt-Johnny Mathis original (and cover na rin hehe) has been covered many times, and these are just some of the versions:

• Anders Vercelli Quartet, That's All
• Dina Blade, That's All
• Fred Viquela, That's All
• George Graham, That's All
• Jessica Williams, That's All
• KT Sullivan, That's All
• Leif Garrett, That's All
• Michael Buble, That's All
• Nancy Kelly, That's All
• Nicole Henry, Thats All
• Olive, That's All
• Paolo Di Sabitino, That's All
• Rick Nelson, That's All
• that's all cover.jpg
• Thee Midniters, That's All

Pssst, para sayo to. Uhm....that's all. ;-)

DOWNLOAD LINK

Tag-ina Mo Rin!

Tagged by Davey.

Rules:
1. List the names that you are called by and name the people who call you by these names.
2. Tag ten others to do the same thing, paste the link of your entry on their guestbooks.

• Ben - my officemates, (new) acquaintances, any business contacts
• Dek (or Dick...ugh) - my Mom, Dad, sister, Tita Lita <--- though they're "migrating" to Ben
• Bentot - Perry Gurl, Dennis, Chrissie, Dinggoy, Klat and most Astrokids
• Bentong - Angko, Burns, Moimoi
• Benny - Davey, Badang, Jong
• Benito - InternalComm gurls
• Bench - Ned Legs, Vevey, Ging
• Sweetie - Sheila, Casy
• Masanting - Erik
• Idol - Dondi, Arvin
• B**s - Adel, Alexis, Dada
• Pechay - E-nal
• Munchkin - Harry Ford
• Daddy B/Hubby - model friends
• Mister Red - students from the US
• Bebe - si Bebe
• Benedict - mga pormal-pormalang tao
• BigBadRed - most online sites
• Tanginamo - yong kaaway ko sa kanto

Now....I'm tagging Allan, Perry, Bon, Chrissie, Davey, Erik, Ira, Jaybee, JM, and Lara!

Putukan Na!!!!!!

Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy New Year To All!

Wow...New year, new life, new opportunities, new beginnings.

And here are two of the best new year "forwards" that I got hours or minutes before the putukan started...

My Wishes for you for d year 2009:
1. Sunrise after the darkest of nights.
2. Friends who bring out the best in you.
3. A love that makes you smile.
4. Belief that anything is possible.
5. Courage to finally do what u've been putting off.
6. Time for yourself.
7. Promises that are kept.
8. An answered prayer.
9. A heart that forgives.
10. A happy feeling everyday.
11. A soul that heals &
12. A wonderful life & perfect health.

and of course.....and pinakapanalo sa lahat.....

Para di malasin ang ,NEW YEAR hwag mo isali sa handa ang bilog na prutas na may itim na buto tulad ng pakwan, chico atbp. Wag ka rin maghanda ng ice cream pra di matunaw ang swerte at higit sa lahat hwag maghanda ng apat ang paa, baboy, baka, at kambing, at baka tumakbo ang swerte. Wag din mga isda at laman dagat at baka malunod ang swerte. Wag ka maghanda ng my pakpak 2lad ng manok o pabo at baka lumipad ang swerte. Wag k n kayang maghanda!

Hehehehehehe. Cheers 2009!

RECIPE: Über-Cheesy Pan de Pizza

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese! Who doesn't love 'em chiz? Be it soft, hard, tangy, moldy, smelly, wedged, balled, cheap, gourmet, or anything in between, one can't help but love it down to the last bite.
This recipe is a great "left-over goodie"...Why? Well, because my Momma taught me well not to waste anything (yep...she and me are the nightmares of 5S gurus--we save everything and recycle when we can!)...and this recipe calls for left-overs as ingredients. Of course, if you don't have left-overs, you can start fresh--buy 'em new! So...let's start cookin'!!!
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Ingredients: burger buns (cut into three equal slices), cream cheese, olives, onion rings, thinly-sliced tomatoes, quick-melt cheese, left-over (or ready-made, off the supermarket shelves) tomato-based spaghetti sauce, freshly-ground pepper, feta cheese (optional), chopped basil (optional)

You will also need: an oven (or broiler), cheese grater, and an iPod playing in the background, preferably some Italian dude
Pre-heat the oven to 250degrees as you're preparing (er..."assembling") the ingredients (i.e. while slicing the onions, olives and tomatoes). Dunk the buns into the oven for a good 3-5 minutes or until it's somewhat crispy. Take out to cool.

Spread the buns with the cream cheese (OK, that sounded sleazy...so let's call it bread from now on). Then top the cheese layer with the tomato-based sauce. If you opted to put feta and basil, now's the time to do that, too, champ. Spread the sliced tomatoes, olives, and onion rings all over the bread.

Finally, top with grated quick-melt cheese (or use mozarella if you're feeling more sosi...hehehe) and the freshly-ground pepper.

Put in the oven for about 10 minutes at around 175-200degrees, or until the cheese toppings melt like crazy. Serve on a kerengkeng plate together with some Ice-blended Chamomile-Pear smoothie. How to do that? OK, OK...here's how...

Make cold chamomile tea using off-the-supermarket-shelves varieties of them tea bags. Set aside. Core and peel fresh pears. Dunk the fruit, the tea, some milk, and lotsa ice cubes in a blender. Add Splenda if needed. Then blend like crazy. Pour in a tall glass and top with those totally-useless cocktail drink embellishments.

Enjoy like there's no tomorrow.

RECIPE: Oven-Baked Cream Dory with Alagau

Here's a no-brainer recipe. All you need is an oven (or turbo broiler or anything that can bake for at least 250degrees), some herbs, and Finding Nemo's Dory...and your all set!
I used a local herb called alagau. I grew up in Bataan eating another local dish called Talibubu (I'll make that some day, and I'll post it here, too), and this herb was its main ingredient. My mom would make me go to the neighbor (with a nasty askal) and ask for young leaves ("talbos"), which was really the only part you'd need--use the matured leaves and the dish turns out a bit bitter. To read more about this herb, click HERE. And since I particularly liked the taste of alagau in Talibubu, I thought of experimenting on it on a different dish.
Nuff said. Let's start cookin'!
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First, you will need the following ingredients: fresh cream dory fillets (buy this at your local wet market and ask that they filleted it for you, or you could always run to your supermarket and get the frozen ones...just make sure you thaw it first before cooking [duh]), onion rings (your choice of either local red or white), chopped garlic cloves, thinly-sliced ripe tomatoes, finely-chopped young alagaw leaves, finely-chopped basil, olive oil, sesame oil, chili powder (optional), and freshly-ground salt and pepper.
For the dipping sauce: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or calamansi.

And make sure you have these non-food items: oven, Pam spray can, aluminum foil, metal wire plate, baking spatula, and a whole lot of presence of mind--you'll need it later!
(Remember to pre-heat the oven to 250degrees while you're doing this, OK?) Cut some aluminum foil (careful not to cut yourself, you little baby!) big enough to wrap two to three medium-to-large fish fillets. Spray the matte side of the foil with Pam spray, and drizzle with some olive oil. Spread all over the foil with the spatula till it's covered all over. Think sunblock on someone else's back...that's the idea! ;-) Put the fish side by side.

Drizzle the fillets with more olive oil, and some sesame oil. Layer it with the onion rings, garlic, alagau leaves, basil, tomatoes, and the optional chili powder or flakes. You know how to design a home-made pizza? That's the general idea. Season with enough salt, and pepper. Wrap the fillets in the foil and make sure it's sealed enough to prevent it from bursting or leaking.

With the pre-heated oven (You did pre-heat it, didn't you? Tsk!) ready, carefully set the wrapped fillets on those nifty metal wire plates so it's right smack in the middle of the oven or broiler. Set the oven to 250degrees or higher for 30 minutes. Let it cook and go do your other chores so you're more useful in the house!


When you hear your oven's "TING!", then it's time to open up the foil wrap. Careful now, careful now...you don't want your perky porcelain skin burnt, do you? Poke the fish with a salad fork and check whether it's already good for you...otherwise, bake it some more, this time with the foil already unsealed.

Serve on a plate with its dipping sauce on the side. How to make the sauce? Just combine all the ingredients and mix till it's already good for your discriminating taste buds.

Enjoy!

Cooking ng Ina Mo

Unbeknownst to most people, I love to cook. It's actually a new-found passion. It is in the kitchen where I feel my most comfortable and...at home. I always look forward to snatching my apron off the hook, chopping up my onions, garlic, and basil, and heating up my gas stove to High...and filling up the dirty kitchen space with the heavenly aroma of my cooking. Of course, the occasional blisters, cuts, and burns usually round up the experience of feeling gourmet chef. And the experience of the first bite is usally either mouth-watering or simply...ethereal.

I grew up to a family of cooks--my Lola being the Grand Momma of Cooks in my town. She was called Justinang Baboy...because she sidelined as a slaughterhouse employee. All but two of her seven children were amazing cooks--each specializing in their own cuisines. So you can just imagine the feast my aunts and uncles would whip up during our town fiestas. They'd cook days before the actual event. And my role in all this? I was the official taster. Yes. They'd cook, and I'd taste. I'd judge whether a dish was lacking (or exceeding) in saltiness, sweetness, sourness, etc. So I was literally their food critic...and it served me well to actually know how to perfect the tastes of dishes--because it helped me to this day how to make my cooking close to umami, as the Japs would call it. =)

I remember leaving the Philippines more than five years ago knowing nothing about cooking except for the occasional sunny sideup (which always ended up being sunog), scrambled egg (which also was either too salty or sunog as well), and the staple sinangag. Of course, there were hotdogs, and Ma-Ling (yum!), and other quick-no-brainer fried straight-from-the-can fried meats. Remember, I said I was a food critic/taster...but never a cook!

But born out of necessity...and the predilection for actually living longer than 35 years old (read: living in the States made me eat McDonald's, Long John Silver, Wendy's, and Whattaburger for every freaking meal of the day), I decided to finally heed the call of the kitchen. It was two days after Thanksgiving, when I've reached my threshold of eating turkey sandwiches, that I decided to cook my very first dish. I called my sister and she literally guided me de numero with my recipe. What was my first recipe? Lechon Paksiw ala Turkey Meat. Haha! That turned out to be a very expensive dish...that is, if you factor in the overseas call minutes that I've spent while being coached by Taba on the step-by-step procedures of the dish. Everybody loved it! They actually thought it was the most yummy and unique "Teriyaki Turkey". I was like, "Duh. Whatever." ;-)

Coming back from the US, I've literally left everything there except for my passport, my few essential belongings, and of course, my kitchen savvy-ness. And boy, let me tell you, my friends and family actually get a kick out of my cooking, that they actually gimik at my house just to make me cook for them. Cheapskates! LOL

So...I've decided to let some of my "top secret" and family-kept recipes...and even my own personal concoctions. ABANGAN!