Momofuku's marinated hanger steak ssam (Korean wrap)

via http://www.lechefsblog.com/2010/03/25/momofuku-cookbook-hanger-steak-ssam/#more-1074
http://gourmettraveller.com.au/momofukus-marinated-hanger-steak-ssam.htm

Momofuku's marinated hanger steak ssäm

Serves 6 

Hanger steak
2 cups	apple juice
½ cup	usukuchi (light soy sauce)
½	yellow onion, thinly sliced
5-6	garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp	Asian sesame oil
1 tsp	freshly ground black pepper
4	hanger steaks (225gm each)

1	Make the marinade: Combine the apple juice, soy, onion, garlic, sesame oil and pepper in a large freezer bag (or another container that will snugly accommodate the steaks and marinade) and seal and shake (or stir or whisk) to combine. Add the steaks, seal or cover tightly, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2	Light a good hot fire in your grill.
3	Remove the steaks from the marinade (discard the marinade). Grill for 6-10 minutes total for medium-rare, taking care to first char the two flattest sides of the steaks, which should take about 2 minutes per side. Monitor the doneness closely after that – depending on how hot your fire is, they could be cooked in 6-8 minutes. When they’re ready, remove the steaks to a platter and let them rest for at least 5 minutes. More resting time won’t hurt: you can’t overrest steak.
4	When ready to serve – sauces are made, lettuce is washed, etc – cut the steaks into 6mm-thick slices, cutting on a slight bias (i.e., your knife at a 15- to 30-degree angle to the cutting board). Serve the steaks flanked by the accompaniments.

Ginger Spring Onion Sauce

 Serves 12

2½ cups	thinly sliced spring onions (greens and whites; from 1-2 large bunches)
½ cup	finely minced peeled fresh ginger
¼ cup	grapeseed or other neutral oil (I used soya oil)
1½ tsp	usukuchi (light soy sauce)
¾ tsp	sherry vinegar
¾ tsp	kosher salt, or more to taste

1

Combine the spring onions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed. Though it’s best after 15 or 20 minutes of sitting, ginger spring onion sauce is good from the minute it’s stirred together up to a day or two in the fridge. Use as directed, or apply as needed. Ssam Sauce: ·         1 T ssamjang (green container) ·         1/2 T gochujang (red container) ·         1/4 cup sherry vinegar ·         1/4 cup neutral oil Combine and serve. Accompaniments: Kimchi, pureed (Dae Jang Gum Kimchi) Ginger spring onion sauce Ssam sauce Lettuce leaves Rice Sesame seeds, roasted My Notes: I used Sukiyaki Cut Rib Eye for this recipe since the Supermarket did not carry Hanger Steak. I only used 1 cup of apple juice instead of 2 and 1/4 cup soy sauce. I also used 6 garlic cloves.  I thought that the meat needed more flavor but my son said that the accompaniments added the heat to the dish.  I served this with sesame (Perilla) leaves which my family prefers to lettuce. The Korean store on Annapolis carries all the ingredients for this dish. For my Kimchi, I prefer the one sold in the vegetable section of the Supermarket in a Tetra pak (Dae Jang Gum Kimchi) or found in the chiller section together with the bacons in Unimart (don't ask me why?). The Kimchi they sell in the Korean stores is just too spicy for my family.

Baked Fish

http://www.aquaticfilipinorecipes.filipinovegetarianrecipe.com/fish_recipe/royal_apahap_au_gratin.php

Royal Apahap / Company Lapu-Lapu
Ingredients:

1 Large onion, sliced into rings
1 large (1/2 kilo) sea bass (apahap) or grouper (lapu-lapu)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon or calamansi juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 quart mayonnaise

For the sauce:

1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
3/4 kilo tomatoes. peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/8 tteaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

How to cook Royal Apahap Au Gratin:

• Arrange onion rings in baking dish. Rub with sea salt and lemon or calamansi juice. Place fish in baking dish on top of onion rings. Drizzle with olive oil and water. Bake in 350 deg Farenheit oven for 10 minutes.
• Spoon sauce over fish and bake for another 15 minutes. Top with mayonnaise, bake for another 5 minutes, then serve.

How to make the sauce:

• Over low-medium heat, saute garlic in oil until light golden brown, Add onions and saute until wilted. Add tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, then add oregano , thyme, salt, pepper,and simmer for another 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste, then add parsley.

 My Notes:

For everyday cooking, I use cream dory instead of lapu-lapu and lessen the amount of tomatoes,olive oil and mayonnaise in the recipe. I also add basil which I grow in my "herb garden". Some sliced black olives also adds additional flavor to this dish. 

It's funny that I've had this recipe for a long time but I was just too lazy to type it out. I typed in the basic ingredients and voila the same recipe has been posted except my recipe had 1 cup mayonnaise.

This recipe is great not only for family meals but also when we have invited guests for dinner.

Ampalaya con Tinapang Bangus

Ampalaya con Tinapang bangus

Ampalaya (Bitter gourd) with Shrimps


lifestyle.inquirer.net/tag/ampalaya-con-tinapang-bangus -

This recipe appeared together with the above article in the PDI, lifestyle, July 21, 2011.

Ampalaya con Tinapang Bangus 
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized ampalaya (bitter gourd); cut diagonally
2 tbsp butter
1 cup whole milk
2 pcs garlic
1 medium onion
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup flaked tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish)
2 eggs, scrambled, cooked and cut into ribbons.

Procedure:
Set aside ampalaya slices in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Smash ampalaya to squeeze some of the bitterness out of it.
Heat some oil in a wok and saute chopped garlic and onion. Add ampalaya and saute for a few minutes. Pour milk and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then add bangus flakes.
Cook for another five minutes then serve with egg ribbons on top.

My Notes:
I only used 1 bitter gourd instead of 2. I sliced the gourd in half lengthwise. I removed the pith, the seeds and the white stuff from the gourd. Then, I sliced it as thinly as possible to look like half moons. I sprinkled coarse salt all over and covered with tap water. After 30 min., I drained the salted water, smashed the ampalaya to squeeze the bitterness out of the gourd and rinsed it in running water. I covered it again with tap water for another 30 min.,drained, and covered with water again for another 30 min. Drain. Set aside.Total soaking time 1 1/2 hrs.

I heated the butter and sauteed 2 garlic cloves and half an onion. I added the bitter gourd and sauteed for a few minutes. I used 1/2 cup of coconut milk instead of whole milk and let it come to a boil. I added the Saranggani bangus flakes. I added the 2 scrambled eggs.

Verdict:
Next time, I'll just use 1 egg instead of 2. The process of covering and draining the gourd in water removed all the bitterness from the gourd leaving only the taste of the coconut milk after it cooked.

My husband and I enjoyed this dish.

PSS
The second time around, I used shrimps instead of smoked fish and it was delicious. I also used one egg instead of two which gave it the right balance. Having two eggs made it more like an omelette.

Momofuku Fried Chicken with Octo Vinaigrette Sauce

by David Chang via http://newyork.timeout.com/sites/default/files/static_content/downloads/726/Chan_frychick_pg88-89.pdf

Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken
4 c lukewarm water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c salt

Octo Vinaigrette
2 T finely chopped garlic
2 T fresh ginger
1 fresh chili, seeded and chopped
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c light soy sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 t sesame oil
1 1/2 T sugar
black pepper

Procedure:
1.  Combine and mix all the Octo Vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.
2.  Brine the chicken in 4 c lukewarm water, 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hr but not more than 6 hrs.
3.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place in a steamer. Steam in medium heat for 40 min. Remove from steamer and cool in rack for at least 2 hrs.
4.  Deep fry in 4 c oil. Remove when brown and toss in Octo Vinaigrette.
5.  Serve immediately with Octo Vinaigrette.

My Notes:
1. I used thighs and soaked it in the brine solution for an hour. I only used 1/4 c sugar and 1/4 c salt in my brine solution.
 2. I prepared the Octo Vinaigrette sauce by finely chopping the garlic, grating the ginger and deseeding and slicing 1 red chili (siling labuyo). I used Sinsin Superior Light Soya Sauce Reduced Salt for this recipe (available at Unimart for 71 pesos).
3.  I steamed the chicken in the wok for 40 min. and let it cool for 2 hrs.
4. I wiped the chicken in a paper towel and dredged it in a flour mixture (2 T all purpose flour, 2 T rice flour, 2 T cornstarch) since my family likes the chicken crispy.
5.  I placed the chicken pieces in the turbo oven at 200C until brown (around 30 min) since I never deep fry.
6.  I tossed the chicken pieces in the Octo Vinaigrette sauce.
7.  I served the Octo Vinaigrette as a dipping sauce but removed the red chili pieces before serving.

My family went gaga over this chicken. Brining and steaming made the meat of the chicken moist and tender. Dredging it in the flour mixture gave the skin an extra crispness. This recipe is a keeper. I think that the Octo Vinaigrette would go well with the Crispy Pata and Lechon Kawali too.

Chicken Marinated in Garlic Oil

Chicken Marinated in Garlic Oil from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, July 2011 via http://www.takingonmagazines.com/2011/07/chicken-marinated-in-garlic-oil-from.html  1/2 cup Garlic Oil with some cloves 2 lemons, cut into thin rounds 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 whole chicken cut into 8-10 pieces Coarse salt and ground pepper Combine garlic oil and cloves, lemons, and parsley in a large zip top bag. Mix well. Add chicken and seal bag. Toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate 8 hours. Preheat oven to 450. Pour bag contents onto a rimmed baking sheet, spreading chicken pieces into a single layer. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Roast until the skin is golden and chicken is cooked, 30-35 minutes.

Garlic Oil from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine, July 2011 1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled and lightly smashed 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Add the garlic and a cup of extra virgin olive oil to a saucepan. Heat the oil to a very gentle simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes. Let it cool, then jar it and refrigerate it. My Notes: I added 5 pieces of the cloves from the garlic oil to my marinade. I also rubbed the chicken pieces with Texas Jack No. 2 Seasoning** before marinating. Since I had some fresh thyme and potatoes, I added these to my roast. Some of my lemon slices turned black and so next time I will lay my lemons in the pan and top it with the chicken pieces. I also made some gravy from my drippings. I am a citrus fan and so I liked this dish. My son thought that it had too much lemon and did not really care for it. My husband said that it was just ok. **You can buy Texas Jack No. 2 at Santi's. I rub it on my steaks and lamb chops before grilling.

Thuk Thai Restaurant

We finally made our way to Thuk Thai Restaurant on Ortigas Avenue. This resto is so hard to find because it is literally located at the back of the Tower 2 building in the Rockwell Business Center near Medical City. My husband and son kept mumbling that the food better be good since we were so drenched from the strong rain. When we got there, we were the only customers. Oops, that didn't look good.

This is the Mixed Fried Rice at 115 pesos. This was a good serving for 3 persons. This had bits of beef, pork and egg on it. We liked this dish.

We ordered the Sauteed Chicken and Cashew Nuts in Chili Oil as our main entree. This was an excellent choice as in yum, yum, yum... The dish was spicy but not overpowering. My son was able to bear the heat of the chilis. It also went well with the Fried Rice which had a tad of sweetness in it. This costs 205 pesos.

We didn't really need the large order of Phad Thai which costs 390 pesos. The Fried Rice and the Chicken dish were sufficient for us since we're not heavy eaters. But eating in a Thai restaurant without trying their Phad Thai just doesn't seem right. They also had a smaller portion of this dish for 190 pesos but the server told us that it was only good for one person. In retrospect, we should have ordered that instead because by the time this was served, we were quite full. Anyway, this dish was such a let-down. The noodles and vegetables were overcooked to the max. There was no play in texture at all. It lacked the crispiness of the beansprouts, the crunchiness of the peanuts, the balance of the sweet, sour, spicy taste I always look for in a good Phad Thai.

This was the best part of the meal, waterchestnuts with macapuno strips and coconut cream on ice. My mouth still salivates just thinking of the crunchy waterchestnuts, the tender macapuno strips and the coconut cream that was so thick. So, so perfect at 95 pesos.

I think that Thuk Thai can best be described as serving good, reasonably priced, home cooked Thai cuisine. Yes, my family would keep coming back since all their dishes are msg free too. My husband and son both agreed that we had a great Sunday lunch.

Thuk Thai Restaurant
Tower 2, Rockwell Business Center
Ortigas Avenue

Farm Living in Batangas - 1784

This is my idea of how to retire gracefully. I wouldn't mind doing some gardening, harvesting home grown vegetables and swimming in clear river water. What a life.
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1784: Welcome

1784: Welcome: "Welcome to 1784 ! This blog is about my country home-in-progress and my continuing love affair with, of all things, a farm. I did not me..."

Mr. Jones, Greenbelt 5

We finally made it to Mr. Jones. I bought the 50% discount promo three months ago but the thought of waiting for an hour to be seated just made us procrastinate to avail of our coupon. Since the Azkals were playing that day, I thought that the crowd would not be so bad. We arrived at 12:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon and lo and behold there were 2 available tables outside. Great. Just as we were about to be seated, an inside table became available. It must be our lucky day.

We ordered the Mac and Cheese as everyone suggested. This dish was made up of macaroni, penne and rigatoni noodles, portabello mushrooms, bacon and peas. It was drizzled with truffle oil and topped with shavings of parmesan cheese. It was loaded with cheese and was very creamy. My family gobbled this up. At 395 pesos, they should have served it with garlic bread.

We decided to try their Honey Drizzled Fried Chicken with homemade biscuits. This was a half boneless almond crusted chicken which was deep fried. It was served with cranberry sauce, two pieces of homemade biscuits which were so delicious, mashed potatoes with cream gravy and the tiniest carrots I've ever seen (the size of my little finger) and baby french beans. The chicken was moist but a bit oily. I couldn't really taste the almond on the crust and so I thought that the kitchen could do without this to lessen the price of this dish. The carrots and the beans were so crunchy and delicious. I could eat a whole plate of this. My son wanted more homemade biscuits and asked me to bake some at home. I wish I could. This dish cost 450 pesos.

We really wanted to try their Superman Burger but since it was our maid's day off and we were having the Big Brother's Burger for dinner which is also at a 50% discount at Brother's Burger (Php 97.50 instead of Php 195), we opted for the Hapa Howly of  Kahlua and White Chocolate Milkshake instead. This was so good; not sweet at all. This was way better than Johnny Rocket's milkshakes. Now I know where to go for my milkshake fix when I have 250 pesos to spare.