A time to let go...

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1




I'm in a reflective mood for the past few days. This was largely brought on by my son's first venture into travel by himself.




And I'm not referring to commuting from home to school. He's travelling farther away albeit in his school uniform.

Part of the curriculum this year is a visit to Canberra (a 3-hour flight from our home base) and a side trip to Sydney. It's quite an auspicious time to be in the country's capital with the federal election happening in a few weeks time. It adds more excitement to the otherwise sedate metropolis.

Kiko is 11 and the air travels he's been on were always with the whole family. I guess it's just natural (especially for my dear wife) to be a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. Kiko must have had an information/instruction/reminder overload courtesy of his anxious parents dumped on him as we got closer to the airport.

He's normally quiet but the house feels especially still now that he's not home. We miss him. And by "we" I mean all of us including his "annoying" sisters. Chichay, my oldest daughter, expressed this by offering food to an empty chair while we were having dinner. Cute...and very touching.

The season of letting go has begun for us...

But I'm glad that there is also a time to embrace (Ecclesiastes 3:5)... We're all looking forward to his return tomorrow!

French Toast Sandwich

The dilemma of figuring out what to put in the kids' lunch boxes has now turned into what to feed them while they are enjoying their short winter break.

Pancakes are great and all but there's only so much the kids could handle before they start loathing the stuff. Solution - French toast! And to make it a bit more exciting - French toast sandwich!

It's easier to cook than ye old griddle cakes but is by no means less tasty. Although the one I made for this blog is ham & cheese this should not limit you from trying other combinations be it savoury or sweet (peanut butter, nuttela & banana anyone?!?!?!?!)

Essential to my French toast is good sliced white bread. Yes, I said white! it has to be thick enough to handle being soaked in the egg mixture. The other important ingredient is butter. Yes, butter! Full fat yummy butter!

Ham & Cheese French Toast

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Ham slices

Cheese slices

4 slices of white bread

Salt (optional)

Real butter

1. In a large bowl beat the eggs and milk together. Season with salt (if you like).

2 Prepare your ham & cheese sandwiches as per usual. Add whatever sauces/seasonings you prefer.

3 . Soak your sandwiches in the egg mixture making sure all sides are well coated.

4. Heat up a large pan using low to medium heat. Melt the butter (enough to cover the pan) and wait for it to bubble.

5. Fry your soaked ham & cheese sandwiches in the butter. You probably need 5 minutes on each side or until the cheese starts to ooze.

6. Slice your French toast sandwiches in half and serve hot for breakfast (or any time of the day!).

Ron Mueck's Works at the GoMA

Done the theme parks!

Watched the requisite school holiday movies!

For something more cerebral the kids will also enjoy this winter break I suggest you drop by Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA).

The highlight of GoMA's 2010 winter program is an exibition of works by Australian-born, London-based sculptor Ron Mueck.

A bit of a warning though, the exhibit features some graphic materials some audience might find offensive.

One of my kids described the displays as "creepy" but enjoyed the visit nonetheless.

You be the judge. Don't miss the event if ever his works are in your area.

Cherry's Cake

This is a shout out for my dear wife who created the most beautiful cake for mom's 60th birthday.





It took a total of fourteen man hours over three days to complete the cake and it came out beautifully! Fantastic effort indeed!

Inspired by a photo from a book I actually think her creation is far better and more fitting for the occasion.





Instead of the usual dense cake as the base she managed to pull it off using a light marble sponge. The delicate nature of the cake made it difficult to ganache but she made it work with her gentle hands and technique.





This was only her second attempt at making cakes like this. She has no "formal" training to speak of.

Saying I'm impressed is a gross understatement. I salute you Cherry! You always had it in you!

Mung Bean Soup (Monggo Guisado)

Filipinos are not big on pulses. By that I mean dried beans are not that prominent in Philippine gastronomy. We prefer to use legumes/beans fresh rather than dried. But one common pulse dish that is found all over the country is Monggo Guisado (Mung Bean Soup). Different regions have different versions, of course, and this is mine.

Before we move further I think I need to explain what guisa/gisa/guisado is. It is the Filipino cooking style of sauteing garlic, onion, and/or tomato in oil to form the base of a lot of its dishes. I say "and/or tomato" as it is sometimes not required. Ginger, lemongrass, and chillies are also added to vary the base but most if not 100% of the time garlic and onions are present.





I couldn't help but compare this with the Subcontinent's dal/dahl/dhal. The name refers to both the pulse (dried lentils, peas or beans) and the cooked pulse dish which has very similar qualities to the monggo guisado. With that in mind I use the Indian cooking technique called chaunk or tarka (please follow the link for a detailed explanation) to differentiate my version from the rest. It's more for convenience rather than radical innovation on my part that is why I chose to do it this way.



Mung bean is tough and needs to be boiled in water before it can be used. rather than taking out another large pot to cook my soup I keep the softened mung bean in its original pot and make my Pinoy version of the tarka (sauteed garlic, onion and tomato) in a small frying pan instead. I then pour it in the same pot to simmer for a few more minutes.

I add some home made chicharon and chilli leaves as final touches to this much loved soup.

Monggo Guisado (Mung Bean Soup)

1/2 cup dried mung beans

2 cups water (to soften the beans)

Chicken stock

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

1/2 cup minced meat (chicken or pork) or prawns

Chilli leaves (or some spinach)

Chicharon (pork crackling)

A bit of oil for sauteing

Fish sauce or sea salt to taste

1. Begin by boiling the mung beans in water until they're soft. Add more water as needed.

2. Once you're happy with the softness of the beans add just enough chicken stock to the soup consistency you prefer. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer while you prepare your tarka.

3. If you're using meat brown it in some oil then set aside.

4. Otherwise, start preparing your Pinoy tarka by heating up a bit of oil in a small pan. saute the garlic until golden brown.

5. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.

6. Add the tomatoes and cook until virtually all the moisture has disappeared.

7. Add the pre-cooked meat or the prawns and cook for another minute or so.

8. Pour the mixture in the pot of the softened mung bean. Simmer for another five minutes. Adjust the taste using fish sauce or salt.

9. Add the chilli leaves and the chicharon.

10. Serve hot with some adobo/fried fish and steamed rice.

Braised Beef Brisket (Beef Pares/Chinese Adobo)

We've never cooked this at home when I was growing up. I assumed as a young boy that this was difficult to make. It was a special dish we could only get at Chinese restaurants. It tasted delicious and exotic I was very sure my convictions were nothing but correct. I was wrong, of course, and I'm glad I was...

What I did not realise about this dish is the fact that it has long been "Filipinised." It has an unmistakably Chinese origin but Filipinos have adopted it as their own. "Pares" (literally means "pair") eateries found all over Manila pair this rich beef stew with either rice or noodles for a satisfying meal any time of the day.

Some affectionately refer to this as Chinese adobo. It is easy to see why. It looks like adobo but a slight whiff of this dish tells you it is anything but. What sets it apart is the use of spices not commonly found in Filipino cuisine. Star anise is literally the star here. Leave it out and you'll be left with nothing but chunks of bland boiled beef.






One other very important consideration when cooking this is the right cut of meat. Beef brisket braises the best, I find. But you could probably get away with any highly marbled cut of beef. So, if you feel queasy at the thought of "fat" just do a stir fry. This is why it also makes for the perfect winter meal.





Braised Beef Brisket (Beef Pares/Chinese Adobo)

2kg beef brisket cut in large chunks
1 cup light soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
6 garlic cloves
6 slices ginger
4 stalks spring onion
3 tbsp Chinese wine
3-4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Water
Black pepper corns
A bit of oil for sauteing



1. Blanch the beef in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot heat up a bit of oil. Saute the ginger, spring onion and garlic for about a minute.
3. Add the meat in the pot and fry for a few minutes.
4. Add the sugar, soy sauce, wine and all the spices. Add water just enough to cover the meat and bring to the boil.
5. Simmer for an hour or so or until the meat is tender.
6. Serve hot with some greens and steamed rice.

Roast Rib of Beef

Although Filipino cuisine has got a lot to offer even in winter (with its rich soups and stews) I find nothing more comforting than traditional English roast beef to counter the cold.



Roasting used to intimidate me. Growing up in a home with no "real oven" to speak of the concept of "oven roasting" was an entirely new arena for me. My early ventures into this style of cooking resulted in mini disasters but nothing big enough to stop me altogether.



Although your choice cut of meat it vital, roasting is more about getting the combination of the temperature and cooking time right. Once you've mastered this roasting is pretty much fool proof. Always bear in mind though that recipes are simply guides. It is important for you to get to know your oven well. There's no better way to do this than to keep watch as you cook. Half an hour in a recipe might mean 35 minutes using your oven...




I prefer to use beef rib roast for this recipe. Not only is it more tender and juicier it also looks more elegant and more sophisticated than other cuts. I like mine "pink" but living in a household dominated by young palates we've reached a compromise as evidenced by my photos.

Roast Rib of Beef

1kg Beef Rib Roast

Butter

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.

2. Rub the salt and pepper liberally over the surface of the meat.

3. To keep the meat moist during the roasting process place bits of softened butter all over the meat (a tip from Inay Carmen)

4. Stand the beef rib in a roasting tray and roast for 15 minutes or until the meat starts to brown on the outside.

5. Lower the heat to 180C and continue roasting for about an hour (Approximately 30 minutes for every 500g. Reduce it to 20 minutes if you want it more pink.).

6. Take the meat out of the oven and rest for approximately 10-15 minutes before carving.

7. Serve with some Yorkshire puddings and roasted vegetables.

Sopas ala Beancounter (Filipino Chicken Soup with Pasta)

Sopas literally means soup. But for the Filipino it is so much more. Sopas is chicken soup with pasta which makes it a lot heartier. On top of that milk/cream is usually added which makes it far richer than ordinary chicken soup.

I've had my share of 'bad Sopas' as a youngster if you like. It has therefore failed to endear itself to me. I did not begin to like it again until much later when I started cooking it myself (at the prompting of my dear wife). 'Bad Sopas' for me means soggy pasta and extremely milky broth. Both of which are not that difficult to correct.

I substitute 'broken spaghetti' for the more commonly used shell pasta. I find that it keeps its shape and texture better than all the others (much like Royco Chicken Noodle Soup for anyone of you old enough to remember).




And instead of adding milk/cream at the end of the cooking process I leave it out altogether. It's available on the side after the soup has been served (again, an inspiration brought on by my lovely wife who prefers hers without cream).


Sopas ala Beancounter

3 cloves garlic chopped
1 large onion chopped
12 cups chicken stock
Half a poached chicken shredded
250g spaghetti broken into approximately 1 inch sticks
1 large carrot diced finely
1/4 cabbage shredded
Fish sauce/salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
A bit of oil of sauteing

1. Heat up a bit of oil in a large pot.
2. Saute the garlic until golden brown.
3. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent.
4. Add the chicken and stir fry for about a minute.
5. Pour in all the stock and bring to a boil.
6. Adjust the taste by adding fish sauce/salt and black pepper.
7. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
8. Add the vegetables and cook to your liking.
9. Dress with some hard boiled eggs (totally optional) and serve hot with freshly baked pan de sal.