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Goto Kind of Day

It’s a goto kind of day. By that I mean I’m indoors. Let me further qualify that. Apart from the occasional heavy lifting (move the washing machine on higher ground and keep it above water, for example) it’s the sort of day you’re stuck in the house. It’s an opportune time to get back into blogging. It’s nearly 10 months since my last post after all.

Queensland is experiencing another major summer storm right this very moment. It been raining non-stop for a week now. People are on the edge but hopeful the events of 2011 won’t be repeated.  We’re pretty blessed to be near the top of the hill but still a sudden surge of water causes our basement to flood.

Goto is the Tagalog word for tripe. It is also the street name for the Pinoy tripe congee (rice porridge with tripe). It’s perfect for a day like today...for me anyway.

I realise that not everyone is a fan of tripe. It’s probably safe to assume that there are lots more haters than lovers of this divisive ingredient. It’s synonymous to rubbish in the English language for a reason.

No matter how much you try tripe is tripe. It will never taste like chicken. But everybody loves chicken. To get around the dilemma of being the solo tripe lover in my household I make a chicken arroz caldo (chicken rice porridge) as a base for my goto. The goto then becomes more like a side dish/a topping/a condiment rather than being the main event....everybody happy.

The recipe below is basically how to make chicken congee and a side dish of tripe.

There are at least 3 types of tripe I’m aware of. There’s the ‘honeycomb’, the ‘towel’ and the ‘book’ descriptive of how they each look like. Be mindful of what you buy as it would determine how long you’re going to cook it for. I used the ‘towel’ for this dish. It’s meatier than the ‘book’ and texturally better than the ‘honeycomb’.

I highly recommend using a pressure cooker (for the tripe – to at least halve the cooking time) and a thick based pot (for the porridge – to avoid sticking to the bottom) for this dish.

I usually make my congee as basic as possible. I allow the diner to finish the dish by dressing it up to suit his/her taste. Apart from goto there are plenty of other additions to the Pinoy congee:

Tokwa’t baboy (deep fried tofu and pork)

Chicharon (deep fried pork rind)

Egg (hard boiled or soft boiled or even fresh)

Century egg

Spring onions

Coriander

Calamansi/lemon/lime

Cooked garlic in oil

Fish sauce

Soy sauce

White pepper/black pepper

Chillies

And a lot more…

The possibilities are limitless (almost).

Chicken Congee ala Beancounter

2 cups of jasmine rice

1 teaspoon salt

Slivers of ginger

2-3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 medium sized onion chopped

1 dozen chicken wingettes

Peanut oil

At least 6 cups of Chicken stock (more if you want thinner congee)

1. First wash the rice. Mix in the salt and about 1 tablespoon of oil after washing. Straing to get rid of excess water. From experience this helps in breaking down the rice quicker to reach my preferred consistency.

2. In a large stockpot with a thick base (this prevents the rice from sticking and burning quickly) heat up a bit of oil.

3. Sauté the ginger first then the garlic and then the onion.

4. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes.

5. Add the rice and stir continuously for about 2 minutes. (If the base of your pot is not thick enough the rice will be sticking to the bottom like crazy. So invest in good pots and pans.)

6. Add half the stock. You’ll notice that as the rice cooks it will absorb the stock. You’ll need to keep adding more stock to achieve the consistency that you like. The rice will soon have enough and will start breaking down. I like my congee almost soup like not overcooked rice. There’s nothing worse than congee with still recognisable rice grains

7. Serve steaming hot with your preferred condiments and the goto of course!

Goto

500g tripe (towel/blanket)

Slivers of ginger

2-3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 medium sized onion chopped

Black pepper to taste

Fish sauce to taste

Peanut oil

Water

1. Heat up a bit of oil using a a pressure cooker.

2. Sauté the ginger first then the garlic and then the onion.

3. Add the tripe and cook for a couple of minutes. Add fish sauce and black pepper to taste.

4. Add just enough water to cover the tripe. Pressure cook for about half an hour.

5. Set aside while you finish off cooking the congee.

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!).

Greenhouse, Perth WA

I'm not in the position to give Greenhouse a proper critique. I've only dined there once. And it was only for breakfast. The restaurant's lunch and dinner menus look a lot more exciting. Unfortunately for me I got to sample neither.





I intended to go a few more times after my first visit but the opportunity just did not come up. My dinner plans were already set even before I boarded the plane for Perth. Lunch at the restaurant was virtually impossible as my office in WA is a few suburbs away from its location (unlike Dave, of Don't Do What Dave Does, who works in the same building. I greatly appreciate the recommendation though...).

Furniture designed by Joost Bakker using recycled wooden palettes

Back to the breakfast. I ordered scrambled eggs on toast with a side of bacon and a latte. It's pretty pedestrian I know. I'm kicking myself now for not choosing something more exciting. A brekkie pizza perhaps...anyway, I'm sure there'll be a next time. The eggs were excellent though. The bacon was a bit burnt on the edges (look at the photo) but was still tasty. And the coffee...it's something to rave about. It's one of the best I've had.

Greenhouse was constructed from nothing but recycled and other earth-friendly materials. This fact sets it apart from the other structures in the CBD. The restaurant is difficult not to notice with its exterior covered in terracotta pots planted with wild strawberries. The interior is equally impressive continuing the green theme.

these look a bit parched

I should also mention that I really like the fact that they serve water without me asking. Nice touch!

My next trip to the west is still a while away but I know where I'll be dining! Pig head and trotter terrine here I come!

Saturday Pancakes ala Beancounter

I call them Saturday pancakes for the simple reason that I only get to make them on Saturdays. It is the only day of the week when I get to sit down and have breakfast with the whole family. So for me it is a special time that calls for a special meal.




My kids are still in bed when I leave for work in the morning. I appreciate it very much when they purposely get up to kiss me goodbye. But having breakfast together is a bit of a luxury...for all of us. Three of them are now in school. They also have their own "morning" things to sort out.



If I'm up early enough I'll bake pan de sal. But most Saturdays I sleep in so we go for the next best thing. Pancakes! Who doesn't like pancakes?




We like them hot and fluffy served with real butter and maple syrup. I also cook sausages and cheesy scrambled eggs to complete the weekend's first meal!





Saturday Fluffy Pancakes ala Beancounter

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2-3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks.

2. Add the milk and the melted butter to the egg yolks.

3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl and mix well. It's fine even if it may be a bit lumpy.

5. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

6. Mix the egg whites gently with the batter a ladle at a time to prevent the tiny bubbles from bursting.

7. Heat up a lightly greased pan.

8. Pour a ladle spoon of batter into the pan. Once bubbles start forming you can flip it to cook the other side.

9. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Variation(s) to Pan de Sal

Before I delve into this variation to my pan de sal I just would like to tell you that the frozen ensaymada dough worked really well. It worked so well it gave me an idea for a “new product” to rival canned cinnamon rolls… well, to Filipinos at least. I can make millions out of this…



Enough of that dreaming…

The great thing about making your own pan de sal is the fact that you can vary the recipe to suit what you like and what you need at that time. And I’m not talking ‘bout just adding more sugar for a sweeter variety or salt if you feel like salty bread (the sal, by the way, of Pan de sal is actually the word salt in Spanish).

Tonight, as we were preparing for another new week ahead my wife and I were wondering what to put in the kids lunch boxes? Well, they’re fond of hot dogs and they like pan de sal a lot. Why not combine the two together?! It’s neither gourmet nor very original but it is a variation that we’re all excited about at home. The possibilities seem limitless. Next would be cheese. Then ham… Then ham and cheese. Maybe pan de sal cheese dogs after that. Then we’ll go for something sweet like nuttella. Then…who knows!

It’s not hard at all. To make hotdog pan de sal all I did was put a piece of hotdog in the middle of each piece of dough (refer to the previous post for the pan de sal recipe). Bake it for the same amount of time as the plain variety and voila, instant lunch (or breakfast!)

Ensaymada

This would have to be one of my proudest moments as a home cook! I made Ensaymada for the first time and the final result was just what I wanted!

Ensaymada is the Filipino version of the Spanish Ensaimada, a pastry distinguished by its use of pork lard. Instead of using lard the Filipino Ensaymada substitutes butter and adds aged Edam cheese as a final touch. What results is a far richer and tastier product (in my opinion!).

I actually made Ensaymada two days in a row. My first attempt was a bit of a disaster but my second one was close to perfect if I say so myself.

I used two different recipes. The failure of my first try I partly (mostly) attribute to the recipe I got from this lame excuse for a Filipino cookbook. I knew something was seriously wrong with this book of supposedly “Favourite Filipino Recipes” that includes French Onion Soup, Lobster Thermidor, and Katsudon, just to name a few!

But anyway, I’ve been saved by another Filipino cookbook titled, Baking Made EC: 70 Family Favourites, by Eufemia C Estrada. I feel that this book is a lot more honest and “real”. It has no pretension that is quite rampant in the other one. It saved me from another disappointment. As a matter of fact it unleashed in me a brand new interest in baking! Thanks Miss Eufemia!

Miss Eufemia’s recipe, which I copied below, was relatively easy to follow and results is an Ensaymada that is both tasty and reminiscent of my childhood.

Ensaymada

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup evaporated milk, scalded
8 egg yolks, beaten
6 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup butter
¼ cup grated cheese
More butter for brushing tops
More sugar and grated cheese for dusting

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup lukewarm water. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes to grow. Add butter, sugar, salt and scalded milk. Add the beaten egg yolks. Beat in flour and knead until smooth and elastic. (You can throw the dough onto a lightly floured surface as part of your kneading).

2. Form into a smooth ball, place on lightly greased bowl, flip over so top is oiled, cover with dry cloth and let rise until double in bulk.
Cut dough into half and form 12 balls from each half to make a dozen. Roll each ball real thin, brush with softened butter, dust with grated cheese, roll with the help or a thin skewer and form into rings right onto slightly greased sheets. Cover lightly with cloth and let rise until triple in bulk

3. Preheat oven to 400°F while dough is rising. Bake about 15 minutes.
Brush tops with butter while hot. Let cool, then brush with butter once more and sprinkle with sugar and grated cheese. Wrap individually with greaseproof paper, if desired.

Note: Dough rings can be frozen to let rise and bake when needed.

Breakfast at Work

From personal observation I’m quite saddened by the fact that breakfast, which is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, is largely neglected. The most preparation people do in the morning is “open a box”. I suppose they are comforted by the “health promises” printed on these boxes. Makes you wonder though why society is getting fatter and fatter.

Everyday of the working week I have my breakfast at work. Anytime before 8am is just too early for me to eat anything.

Cold breakfast was never my thing (as mentioned in a previous post). But thankfully at work we’re provided with a pretty well equipped kitchen. There is no stove but I have managed to make the sandwich press work beyond “what the box” says (as you can see in the photos).

One of my other dislikes is the drip/filtered coffee. It features prominently in Hollywood movies and when I was young I couldn’t wait to grow up and start drinking this stuff. How wrong was I? It’s actually quite horrible in my opinion. But thankfully at work were also supplied with an Italian espresso machine (De’Longhi Magnifica) that makes really good coffee.

Here are some samples of my breakfast in the office:

1. Ham & Cheese omelette

2. Roti Paratha (with Nutella)

3. Eggs & Toast

4. Pancakes

5. Arroz Caldo (Rice Porridge)

Corporate Breakfast - Andavanth

It’s very rarely for me to go out to have breakfast. And when I do it’s normally something quick and nasty from Subway, McDonald’s, or Hungry Jacks (yes, in that order). So, it is always a treat to have a proper hot breakfast not from a fast food restaurant.


the restaurant menu

For this month’s “corporate” breakfast we were booked at Andavanth located in Milton. My choice is always either pancakes or omelette. Unless there is something really interesting on the menu (or if there are no pancakes or omelettes on the menu) I would rarely deviate from my favourites.

someone else's tea

Andavanth has got a menu online. The breakfast selection sounded very interesting. They’ve got the usual plus some more appetising sounding items like brioche French toast and ricotta omelette. I already knew what I wanted before that morning came around. I was going to have the omelette made with ricotta, chorizo and spinach. This was to be served with sourdough bread. Yum!

my soy latte

Unfortunately though, the menu in the restaurant was quite different from what’s online. I was indeed disappointed (shattered, felt deceived, etc…! My heart was already set on having an omelette that morning. I had to settle for a “traditional” ham and mushroom omelette served with white bread toast. It was alright.

the omelette

Lesson learnt: DO NOT TRUST ONLINE MENUS! To avoid disappointment it’s better to ring the restaurant to confirm!

Pan de Sal

What could be so difficult about mixing flour, water and a bit of yeast together? OK, there are more than three ingredients in making Pan de Sal but my point is there is nothing extraordinary about what goes into making it. It is not like you need to swim to the bottom of the ocean to get this unique ingredient that would make the perfect pan de sal. Or maybe you do?!?!?! That is why my pan de sal is never like bakery bought!

basic dough

Everything you need you could probably find in most people’s pantry. But for some peculiar reason the pan de sal, in the style of typical Pinoy bakery, I have found very difficult to copy. I’ve tried all sorts of recipes. I’ve searched books. I Googled for recipes! But NOTHING! I still get the same result!

Is it in the flour? Should I get the same brand as the bakers? I’ve read somewhere that to make bread it is best to use a “strong bakers flour”? What is it? How is it different from ordinary flour? In what sense is it “strong?

Is it the yeast? Which is better? Dry? Wet? What?

Is it the oven I’m using? Does it have to be brick one fuelled by wood? Is fan forced not good enough? Should I not use the fan force option?

What kind of shortening? Is sunflower oil not good? Should I be using lard?

ready for baking

Teka, when you really think about making pan de sal it is not that simple. There are so many factors that could make or break the deal!

What, in my opinion, then is the perfect pan de sal? Well, since you asked, the perfect pan de sal for me is very much like the pan de sal of my childhood.

Since the Pinoy of late have been complaining about the size of the pan de sal today I can therefore safely assume that size wise it has to be bigger than what is currently in the market.

Although the sal in the name of this bread is referring to salt my perfect pan de sal is more on the sweet side. Some pan de sal purist might be horrified at this but I don’t care!

Texture wise it has to be more stretchy than spongy. The frozen pan de sal sold in most Pinoy stores in Australia are more sponge cake like. This is not what I want. This kind of consistency Is what the pan de sal I make are mostly like. Parang mamon ang texture!

here's one I prepared earlier

The photos show my failed attempt to copy. They were all pretty good, don’t get me wrong. They also look like the real deal. Pero in the end, iba pa rin.