Truffle Oil Tricks

March 30, 2012 By 10 Comments

Foie gras, chanterelles, porcini, truffles—sound familiar? Who wouldn’t recognize them? If you’re a foodie at heart, you’ll know that these are some of the things you commonly see in a fancy restaurant’s menu. What makes them fancy? They’re expensive! But once you taste them, they are just so wonderful that you can’t resist having them over and over again. If you ask me what’s the best among them, I wouldn’t think twice—it’s truffles!

Believe it or not, the high-regarded truffle is actually a fungus. Yes, you read that right. A FUNGUS. Because of its high cost, it is known as the “diamond of the kitchen.” There are many species of truffles, but the two most popular ones are the Black Truffle and the White Truffle. They are so expensive that we only use a small amount of them in food. If you haven’t tasted truffles yet, don’t get too excited. They taste like grease or for some, dirt. But once you get used to the taste, you will want to put it in every food you eat.

Truffle oil is the inexpensive alternative to truffles, and not to mention, my most favorite pantry item. It’s basically olive oil flavored with truffles. What can you do with it? Here are some of the tricks and wonders that truffle oil does:

  • Drizzle it over your favorite egg dish, may it be a sunny side up or a frittata. I also usually drizzle it over my Sausage Fritata.
  • Add a bit into your pasta sauces and steak sauces. Trust me, it works like magic.
  • Make a Truffled Mashed Potato. Transform that classic American dish into a gourmet favorite.

Truffle oil may work wonders, but there’s something you must always remember when working with them. Only use them as a finishing touch to your food and use them moderately. After all, you wouldn’t want to use up all those precious gems in just one dish.

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Cooking With Booze

March 28, 2012 By 17 Comments

Adding some booze to your food is not something new when it comes to cooking. Let me share with you the top five alcoholic drinks I usually use in cooking. It might help you get an idea on how to spice up your next dish.

   

  1. BRANDY. Ever heard of flambéed fruits? Brandy is what’s responsible for the wonderful Flambeed Peaches you have for dessert. Brandy is very easy to work with. You can use it for desserts, meat, seafood and sauces. And of course, you’ll never go wrong with a mix of brandy and chocolates.
  2. COGNAC. Cognac is basically a variation of brandy. It got its name from its place of origin—Cognac, France. Use it as you would use brandy. It is best paired with apples, chicken, mushrooms and foie gras.
  3. GRAND MARNIER. It’s not wine. It’s a liqueur. It’s made from a mix of cognac and bitter orange. This is commonly used in pastries and desserts. How about adding a splash of Grand Marnier to your old recipe of crème brulee and crepe suzette?
  4. RED WINE. Red wine is one of the most basic alcohol to cook with. Use it in sauces for steaks or even as a marinade, like what we usually do with Coq Au Vin and Beef Bourguignon.
  5. TEQUILA. When life gives you lemons, ask for some salt and a shot of tequila. True, tequila is best with lemons, but it can also transform your classic seafood recipe into one mouthwatering Mexican-inspired one.

When it comes to Halal cooking, where using alcohol in cooking is strictly prohibited, might as well omit it to avoid clashing with the religious beliefs. The wine or liqueur need not be expensive or branded. Just always remember that when cooking with alcohol, if it’s good enough to drink, then it’s definitely the type of alcohol to cook with.

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How Do You Like Your Eggs?

March 27, 2012 By 13 Comments

Whether you’re a good cook or not, it all boils down to one thing—how well you can cook an egg. I was always told that one can tell if someone is a good cook only if he knows how to cook an egg properly. And by properly, I mean neither overcooked nor undercooked. But the question is, why does it always have to be an egg? Why not onions? Or fish? Or chicken? Well, it’s simple. Egg is considered one of the most versatile and most delicate ingredients. You can play around with it, but you have to be perfect when doing it. So, just to give you an idea on how versatile an egg is, here are some things you can make out of it:

  1. Sunny Side Up The simplest of all egg dishes. The two secrets to a nicely-cooked sunny side up egg is to have a very good non-stick pan and to cook it on low fire. You may or may not season your sunny side up egg, depending on your preference.
  2. Over Easy It’s no special egg dish. It’s actually a variation of the sunny side up egg. The only difference is here, we flip the egg. Once the egg has been flipped over, a slightly opaque white skin forms over the yolk, which is a sign of a cooked protein. But the yolk should still be a bit runny.
  3. Scrambled Egg It’s basically beaten egg combined with milk and seasonings. It should be cooked over low heat. The secret to a perfectly scrambled egg is you first let the egg set slightly, then stir.
  4. Omelette There are two ways of making an omelette—the French style and the American style. What makes these two different is the way the omelette is folded. In a French omelette, we use the half moon fold, while in an American omelette, we use the trifold style.
  5. Poached Egg Here, egg is poached in water with vinegar. The vinegar allows the egg white to form and envelope the egg yolk. The secret to a perfect poached egg? FRESH EGGS! The fresher the eggs are, the better the formation of the egg whites. From a simple poached egg, you can make derivations, such as Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine and Eggs St. Denise.
  6. Fritata Italians like their eggs baked. Fritata, like scrambled eggs and omelettes, is a very flexible dish. You can use lots of different ingredients in this such as varieties of vegetables, meat, herbs and seasonings. You can also mix either milk or cream with the beaten egg.  This is commonly done in an oven using an ovenproof non-stick pan or a cast iron pan.

My most favorite egg dish is Sausage Fritata. It’s just a basic frittata, but what makes it special are the additional ingredients I add to it. Instead of using just one kind of sausage, I use three kinds: Hungarian, Italian and the classic Filipino longganisa. And since it’s for me to enjoy, I don’t mind overspending a bit by drizzling it with some truffle oil and sprinkling it with some sea salt. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure. Yum! How about you? How do you like your eggs?

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Face-off: Italian vs French Cuisine

March 24, 2012 By 3 Comments

When it comes to gastronomy, two cuisines are continuously racing to be considered the most favorite cuisine—the Italian and the French. This debate even dates as far back as the kings and queens. Both have very diverse culinary backgrounds. People all over the world have grown to like both cuisines, but still, one gets an edge over the other on which is really the more popular and the more favored. And so, the face-off continues between the Italians and the French.

Italian vs french cuisine

If I will compare the two cuisines, I will definitely come up with the following observations:

  • French cuisine is more labor-intensive, while Italian cuisine is more straightforward. The French like to tinker with their food more than the Italians do. The latter like to attack food in a simpler manner.
  • French cuisine uses more ingredients, while Italian cuisine tends to use less. Sure, Italians use lots of different herbs and seasonings, but nothing beats the French when it comes to the number of ingredients they put in their food to add flavor.
  • The French add a wide array of booze in their food, while the Italians use less. Italians love it simple. Yes, we add alcohol in our Italian dishes too, but a good white or red wine can already do the trick with that. With French cuisine, however, there is a wide variety of wines, spirits and liqueurs to choose from and cook with. Take beef bourguignon for example. It’s not really authentic beef bourguignon if you don’t use Burgundy wine.

With all the points I raised, I’m pretty sure you have an idea on what I prefer. Of course, I am a big fan of French cuisine. I find it very sophisticated. Maybe their methods of preparing their dishes are a bit challenging, but it’s nothing compared to the rewarding feeling I get once the food is completed. However, with Italian food becoming more popular and more mainstream, I guess the food fight isn’t over yet!

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Plated Food Like A Pro

March 22, 2012 By 1 Comment

 

“You eat with your eyes”—yes a cliché, but true, indeed. In eating, we use not just our sense of taste and touch. The very first sense that comes in contact with our food is our sense of sight. We get excited when we see well-presented food on our plate. A delicately plated dish awakens our food cravings. Let’s face it. Food is not just all about taste, but also about presentation.

You don’t have to be a chef or a culinary student to plate your food with style and finesse. Here are some tips on how to plate food to make it look presentable, may it be for a la carte, banquet or household use:

- Make your plate colorful. Don’t be afraid to play with colors. Imagine your plate as your canvass. Every component of your dish is your paint. And paintings are more attractive if they are colorful and not monochromatic. The same goes with food.

- Use low-cost garnishes. Don’t spend too much on your garnishes. Remember, your food should be the star of your plate, not your garnish.

- Use edible garnishes and keep them simple. Chopped herbs or fried shallots are enough. No need for roses made from tomato skins and fans made from cucumbers because they’re not just time consuming, but there’s also a tendency they’ll end up in the trash bin.

- When in doubt, use the clock method. You can never go wrong with the clock method. Imagine your plate as a clock. Place your meat at 2 o’clock, your starch at 10 o’clock and your vegetables at 6 o’clock. Trust me, it’s tried and tested.

I am a minimalist when it comes to plating food. I tend to keep things on my plate as simple as possible. But I always make sure everything on the plate complements one another. Once you’ve mastered the art of plating food, you can create your own style in food presentation. Always remember, practice makes perfect.

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Reinventing the Classics

March 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

Most Filipino families are very traditional. Traditional even in the food we eat, that we tend to stick to the tastes we are used to. We want our mom’s adobo, our lola’s kare-kare, or our dad’s bulalo—we want something homey, comforting, and yes, something classic. But with the fast changing environment we live in today, our old favorites must be upgraded to be up-to-date. And so we are faced with the challenge of recreating these classic dishes to make it look more modern without losing the taste.

With my mom’s recipe of Kare-Kare, I used the old practice of “taste it then make it.” I tasted it and without my mom revealing the secret recipe to me, I did it. And no offense to my mom, I did better! But even if it’s a traditional family recipe, I didn’t hesitate when giving it a twist to make it more modern.

Reinventing the classics

The classic Kare-Kare is oxtail and vegetables stewed in peanut sauce, but you can give it a different approach by deboning the oxtail, stuffing it with shredded meat, braising it in peanut sauce and serving it as a roulade.

The same goes for one of my all-time favorites, Chicken Pork Adobo, or CPA, for most of us. Stuff a chicken breast fillet with pork, roll it up, simmer in soy sauce and vinegar, bay leaf and black peppercorns, and voila! You just turned your CPA into CPA Roulade.

Try reinventing the classics. In cooking, there’s no rule that you can’t play with any dish. Put your own touches to a dish, tweak a recipe, play with the presentation, or even add new ingredients to recreate a classic.

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Beating the Heat with Buko Pandan

March 18, 2012 By 9 Comments

The coconut is not just a giant nut, but also a meaty one! What’s best to do with the fruit of the tree of life? Make a mouthwatering dessert out of it! And since summer is already here, why not make one of our best Filipino desserts, the Buko Pandan.

Buko PandanBuko Pandan has always been present in Filipino gatherings, may it be birthdays, weddings or town fiesta. This yummy dessert is very easy to do and can be made with just more or less five ingredients—shredded coconut meat, condensed milk, pandan leaves or flavoring, unflavored gelatin powder, and evaporated milk. Josiah’s Catering has always had this dessert as our bestseller. What makes it different and special is we add coco flan to our Buko Pandan instead of plain shredded coconut meat. Too bad I cannot tell you how to make the flan, as it has always remained our secret family recipe. If I tell you, it won’t be our secret anymore!

But don’t you worry, just follow these easy steps and you’re one step closer to enjoying this delectable dessert.

• Dissolve gelatin powder in water as instructed in the package.
• Add pandan flavoring to the gelatin mixture. If using pandan leaves, add the leaves in the water. Cool the gelatin. Once the gelatin has set, cut into cubes.
• Combine all the ingredients. Chill, serve and ENJOY!

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Making a Marketing Event Experiential

March 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I believe that one of the best marketing strategies to introduce or demonstrate a branded product is through Experiential Marketing. When a guest can touch, ask questions and interact with your product and sales team, then it becomes a more powerful and effective way to create a market.

Marketing Event

I have worked with several corporations in putting together their corporate events, like product launch, award functions, conferences, etc.

The menu, beverage, table arrangements and venue décor are all themed to present the brand in a relevant way. I partner with corporate clients in building a long term impact in the minds of their clients, or should I say, prospective clients. I coordinate various aspects of the event to make sure the message of the brand reaches the audience correctly, convincingly and effectively.

I start with the vision and mission of a company. An example is Universal Robina Corporation (URC). URC aims to delight consumers with its trusted brands of exceptional quality and value, making lives a truly fun experience. I created a Blend 45 Crème Brulee with Smashed Nips Chocolate Candies and Walnuts. I turned this classic French recipe, flavored it with Blend 45 coffee, and served it with Nips and toasted walnuts for a tasty and vibrant dessert.

Now, how do you translate a telecoms brand into something edible? For SMART Communications with “limitless possibilities,” I made a paté station with an assortment of breads and spreads. This recipe is a flavorful presentation of SMART Communication’s vision of providing limitless possibilities to every Filipino. Savor an assortment of patés, like herb cheese, chicken liver, ham and smoked salmon cream, together with a variety of spreads with different bread varieties.

I can confidently provide innovative and creative ideas, and translate them into long term brand building strategies.

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Unique Styling Techniques

March 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

Unique Styling Techniques

I would always have goosebumps whenever a guest would walk into a reception and say, “Wow!,” take out their cameras, and start clicking away.

Months of preparations and planning all lead to this day. And every detail counts, from the table linen, flowers, lighting concept, furniture, chinaware, cutlery, centerpieces, wall décor and ceiling treatment to the themed food, beverage and entertainment—a major production indeed.

However, some event stylists make the common mistake of matching the table linen with the color theme of the wedding party. It’s like walking into a monochromatic room, wherein the wedding party might feel like the table napkins were leftover fabric from their gowns.

I also don’t understand why some brides turn their wedding reception into a fruit stand. Decorating the grand stairway with grapes and oranges is quite unreasonable, considering guests only spend a few minutes going up and down the steps.

Finally, using gold fish as a centerpiece is a nice and soothing décor, but we must remember that they need oxygen! Some stylists prepare their centerpieces hours before the wedding reception. I remember one client sharing a story of attending a wedding and seeing a floating gold fish in the centerpiece of her table!

We all want a unique wedding guests will remember. The WOW factor can be achieved without animal cruelty or excessive expenses. Unique event styling is about sophistication and style.

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My Wedding Day Emergency Kit

March 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Getting married is one of the most special days in anyone’s life. However, wedding-day mishaps can happen to any bride. You can avoid disaster with a well-stocked emergency kit. A carefully packed kit includes simple, everyday items and wedding-specific items, all of which can be a lifesaver to you or your guests when the time comes.

My Wedding Day Emergency Kit includes:

Wedding Day Emergency Kit

Tissue It will definitely be an emotional day! And if it’s an outdoor wedding, it’ll help wipe off sweat.

Make up and face powder To re-touch yourself during the celebration.

Band aid New wedding shoes can cause blisters.

Extra bobby pins To keep your hair neat.

Gum or breath mint Because you would not want dragon breath when small talking with all your guests!

Anti-bacterial or hand sanitizer After shaking hands with some of your guests.

Small sewing kit In case of a wardrobe malfunction.

Antacid You will never know when indigestion attacks.

Comb To fix unruly hair.

Small mirror To check on your make-up and hair once in awhile.

Contact lens lubricant/ solution (if you wear contacts). Dry eyes can be painful and irritating on such an important day.

Mosquito repellant (if you’re outdoors) Simply because you don’t want to be feasted on.

Sanitary napkin If it arrives unexpectedly.

The best type of maid of honor is one like a boy scout—always prepared. Have her keep your emergency kit within arm’s reach. I also suggest preparing a smaller one for your groom, in case he has his own emergency.

It’s always good to be prepared when you get hitched…so your wedding day can run smoothly without a “hitch.”

 

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