Salsa verde carnitas

Carnitas are the Mexican version of pulled pork. Braised first in a spicy sauce, pork shoulder is slow cooked until so tender the meat just shreds easily with a fork, then it's roasted at high heat to make crispy browned bits full of flavor. It's taco meat, burrito meat, or just stewy meat served with rice and beans. This version of carnitas is cooked first in a braise of tomatilla salsa verde, or green salsa. It's delicious served with fresh corn tortillas and topped with a shredded cabbage slaw, Cotija cheese, avocado, and Mexican sour cream.

3 1/2 pounds pork butt (pork shoulder)

2 cups salsa verde, bottled, canned, or homemade

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano (or 1 teas dried)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt

12 to 16 corn tortillas, heated and softened

1/4 head of cabbage, very thinly sliced

1 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar (if you only have unseasoned, add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to it)

Salt and pepper

1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/2 cup crumbled Cotija Mexican farmer's cheese, or some grated Monterey Jack cheese

Crema fresca, crema Mexican, or sour cream

Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

1 Trim the excess fat from the roast. Put the meat in a large casserole or Dutch oven with salsa verde, onion, stock, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, about 3 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove meat from liquid in pot and put the meat into a roasting pan. With 2 forks, tear meat into large shreds. Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until parts are brown and crispy.

3. While the meat is roasting, skim and discard fat from liquid in the casserole pan. Boil juices, stirring, until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.

4 Return the meat to the Dutch oven. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season with salt.

Serve with heated and softened corn tortillas (20 seconds each in the microwave spread out over a paper towel will heat and softened packaged tortillas sufficiently), diced avocado, crumbed Cotija or grated Monterey jack cheese, sour cream (or crema fresca), and seasoned cabbage slaw.

Seasoned Cabbage Slaw

Place thinly sliced cabbage in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle on olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, salt and pepper. You can substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar, if you do, sprinkle on some sugar to help balance the acidity of the vinegar. Toss. Adjust seasonings. Let sit for 10 minutes for the cabbage to absorb some of the dressing.

Serves 6.

SimplyRecipes.com

Fried tempura ice cream

By Vangie Baga-Reyes/Philippine Daily Inquirer
Ever wondered how fried tempura ice cream is made?
Tempura is a Japanese specialty that means batter-dipped. For this recipe, instead of using typical pieces of seafood or vegetables dipped in soy sauce and wasabi, delightful scoops of ice cream are used, drizzled with chocolate syrup, cherries and slivers of almonds—quite a dessert to impress family and friends.
“Batter-dipped ice cream is usually deep-fried,” says Boyet Llamador, head chef of Tempura Japanese Grill (tel. 3747460) on Thompson Square, Tomas Morato St., Quezon City. “This recipe, however, requires timing and a good deep-fryer to fry the tempura ice cream. The warm crunchy tempura perfectly pairs with the cold creaminess of the underlying ice cream.”
If you heed some tips, this fried dessert, one of the bestsellers at Tempura in Quezon City, is not so hard to make at home. All its ingredients are in grocery stores. The batter is basic pancake batter with a pinch of salt.
Make sure to serve the tempura ice cream immediately after frying. It is best that, while the tempura ice cream is frozen, you pour the oil into a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
You can either use slices of loaf bread or taisan to bind the ice cream. And as optional toppings, wafer cookie, whipped cream, strawberry sauce, fresh fruit and powdered sugar are also ideal.
You can also try different flavors of ice cream.

Ingredients:
Slices of bread
Ice cream, any flavor
Cooking oil
Chocolate syrup
Cherry
Cornstarch for dusting

For batter mix:

150 g cake flour
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
8 oz cold water

1. IN A MIXING bowl, combine flour, egg and ice-cold water. Whisk well. Set aside.
2. REMOVE the outer layer of the bread. Place bread on a flat surface with aluminum foil. Press bread firmly using your fingers.
3. PLACE three scoops of ice cream in the middle of the bread.
4. ROLL bread tightly. Then place in freezer, and let sit until completely frozen.
5. REMOVE wrap and roll frozen tempura in cornstarch.
6. DIP TEMPURA into the batter mixture. Cover tempura with the batter evenly.
7. MEANWHILE, heat oil in deep-fryer to 375°F. If you do not have a deep-fryer, you can use a hot pot of oil. Carefully drop the battered ice cream into the hot oil by using kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon.
8. QUICKLY fry tempura for approximately 5 to 10 seconds, until the tempura batter has turned golden.
9. LET COOL for a few seconds. Cut into four pieces. Transfer in a platter. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Add cherry.
Enjoy!

Sorbetes, the Filipino ice cream

Sorbetes is a Filipino version of ice cream usually peddled from street carts in the Philippines. It is distinct from the similarly-named sorbet. It is usually served with small wafer or sugar cones and recently, bread buns.

Ice cream was introduced in the Philippines during the time of the American invasion when refrigerators and other cooling devices were introduced. While American ice cream was made with cow's milk, using the milk of the carabao, a kind of water buffalo, resulted in a cheaper product which became known as "sorbetes." Both kinds of milk are widely used today. Coconut milk and cassava flour are two other ingredients used that make sorbetes unique from ice cream made in other countries. Flavors also varied from the usual natural fruits such as mango, avocado, coconut to flavors imitating commercial ice cream such as chocolate, cookies and cream, cheese, mocha, etc.
The sorbetes industry competes with commercially available ice cream from giant companies operating in the Philippines such as Magnolia and Selecta, which also started peddling their product in the streets in more sanitized carts.

Sorbetes is peddled by sorbeteros using colorfully painted wooden carts which usually can accommodate three flavors, each in a large metal canister. Peddlers get their carts from makers scattered around the cities of the Philippines in the morning and walk the streets the whole day, calling consumers from their houses by ringing a small handheld bell.
The wooden cart has two large wooden wheels at the front part to easily push the cart though latest carts are already attached to bicycles.
The cart is stuffed with shaved ice sprinkled with salt to produce a lower temperature around the metal canisters and keep the sorbetes frozen longer.
The whole sorbetes cart is also available for private gatherings when negotiated with the sorbetero. It is usually cheaper that buying gallons of ice cream to be served to guests.

Peddlers of sorbetes provide several serving options. It may be served in a small plastic cup, a wafer cone, a sugar cone or a bread bun, at varying prices. A serving can include one flavor or, for no extra charge, a mixture of available flavors.
Sorbetes is usually consumed as a snack while travelling. It can also be served as dessert.

Wikipedia.org

Kani wasabi salad

This was delish! At first, I dreaded the thought of having to squeeze out the cucumber liquid. But, it was actually not hard to do and not time consuming at all. My friends that ate it, loved it and took some home with them.

Ingredients:

1/2 iceberg lettuce

4 sticks kani (boiled crab meat)

wakame (softened seaweed)

1 small carrots (julienned)

1 medium cucumber (julienned)

tuna flakes

ebiko (shrimp roe)

sesame seeds

Dressing:

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp wasabi (Japanese horseradish) paste

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Preparation:

Mix soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl. Add sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add sesame oil and wasabi paste and wisk well. Cool the dressing in the fridge until ready to serve. Adjust the amount of wasabi and sugar, depending on your preference.
This recipe's amount seasons four small salads. Enjoy!

Sweet, nutty green soybean

Many people are familiar with the soybean, but few have experienced the sweet, nutty taste of the “green soybean” known as edamame. This tasty bean is growing in popularity as a healthy and nutritious snack, particularly among the college crowd – and for good reason. When compared to other snacks, edamame leads the pack in terms of nutritional value. What are the health benefits of edamame?

Edamame refers to soybeans that are harvested and collected when the plant is still young and green. To prepare this tasty vegetable, they’re usually boiled in salt water while still in the pods and served as a snack or side dish. They can also be removed from the pods and added to soups and salads. When eaten as a snack, the pods are usually placed in the mouth and the beans gently squeezed onto the tongue. The pod is then discarded. You can find them served in some vegetarian restaurants on college campuses and in some Japanese restaurants. Unlike mature soybeans that are firm, these young, green soybeans are soft in texture and have more pleasing taste.

Edamame is an excellent source of low-calorie protein which makes it a popular snack among vegetarian athletes. A half-cup of these young beans has eleven grams of protein and is one of the few vegetarian protein sources that have all nine of the essential amino acids the body can’t make. The fat in edamame is the heart-healthy kind, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Plus, they’re a caloric bargain at only125 calories.

Each half-cup of edamame has four grams of heart-healthy fiber to help lower cholesterol levels and keep you satiated so you won’t reach for a candy bar later on. If you’re like most Americans, you can use the additional fiber boost.

The isoflavones found in edamame and other soy products can help to lower the risk of heart disease according to some studies and may also lower blood cholesterol levels. When edamame is used as a protein source in place of meat, the cardiovascular benefits are further enhanced. The issue of whether isoflavones lower the risk of breast cancer is still under debate, so soy products should be eaten in limited quantity in anyone with a history of breast cancer. Edamame is also a good source of folate and vitamin K which are important for heart health.

The isoflavones in edamame help to maintain bone density by exerting estrogen-like effects on bone tissue. It’s also a good source of calcium which is important for strong teeth and bones.

Edamame used to be sold almost exclusively through natural food markets and Oriental grocery stores, but can now be found in the frozen section of many mainstream grocery stores. Why not give them a try?

Delicious, easy pork roast that everyone raves about

1 kg. pork

1 cup soy sauce

1 head garlic, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup of calamansi juice or lemon juice

1/2 cup of 7up, sprite or beer (optional)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons of brown or white sugar

1/2 cup of banana or tomato catsup

In a mixing bowl, marinate the cut pork with the soy sauce, minced garlic, chopped onions, calamansi juice, ground pepper, sugar, banana catsup and the soda or beer (this tenderizes and adds flavour to the pork)

Mix well and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (turning occasionally).

Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 2-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160-170 degrees. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate or freeze remaining pork (may be frozen for up to 3 months).

Vegetarian broccoli salad

A follow-up recipe for my post last September 3 to add a healthy menu on everyone's diet. I found this recipe at Recipezaar.com and also tried it, it's perfectly good! Thanks to Mommy chef 27.

Here are the ingredients:
1/2 cup Miracle Whip or vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar (use less if you prefer less sweet taste)
4 cups broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup craisins

Directions
1Combine miracle whip, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl.
2Mix broccoli, walnuts, and craisins.
3Pour dressing over broccoli mixture, mix to combine.
4Chill one hour or overnight.

From Mommy chef 27 @recipezaar.com

Fettucine with Longanisa Clam Sauce

By Chef Nino Logarta

3 Bears Restaurant

Ingredients:

500 g uncooked fettucine noodles

1 c sliced Vigan longanisa

1/2 c olive oil

1 c diced onion

2 tbsp minced garlic

8 g pack secret sangkap

Pepper to taste

1 large bell pepper diced

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 c beer

1 can diced tomatoes

500 g littleneck clams, scrubbed clean and picked over

3 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

Parmesan cheese

Set a large one-gallon pot of salted water with a pasta insert over high heat. Bring to a boil and add 2 tbsp salts.

Add the uncooked pasta to the water and cook for 7 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander and reserve.

Begin making the sauce while the pasta is cooking. Set a large 14-inch saute pan over medium high heat.

Add the olive oil to the pan and longanisa, add the onions and saute until light caramelized and translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 second.

Add the beer, stir to combine well and cook until the beer has been reduced to half.

Add the diced tomatoes and clams and season with Secret Sangkap and pepper then cover and simmer until the clams open.

Toss in the noodles. Top with chopped basil and parmesan cheese before serving.

What wine to serve with spicy food

You don't have to forgo wine while eating a hot ethnic dish. The rules around wine and spicy food have relaxed. It used to be that people would drink anything but wine while eating a hot curry or a spicy chicken jerk. But now even connoisseurs of good taste like Food and Wine magazine are featuring stories on what to serve with which spicy dish. Below are several strategies for figuring out what wine to drink with spicy food and which types of wines should be avoided if you're having a spicy meal tonight.

Seek out low-alcohol, fruity white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or rose. These won't compete with your food and, instead, will act as a foil and a good backdrop.

Avoid high-alcoholic, tannic reds or high-powered whites like "oaky" Chardonnay. A big wine will battle with your hot food in a taste war and you won't be a winner in this fight. In addition, the spice in the food will make tannins in a strong red wine more pronounced and will make an okay oaky wine taste too oaky.

Try a slightly sweet wine to offset the spice in your food. Off-dry whites such as Rieslings and Chenin Blancs (as well many sweeter roses) will balance well with hot dishes.

Pair a spicy dish with a spicy wine. Some wine sommeliers recommend spicy red wines like Zinfandels or Rhones which can blend with the spice in your dish. This particularly true for red meat dishes.

Forget subtle wines which will be knocked out by the flavor in your hot food. If nothing else, a hot dish will numb your taste buds making it difficult to really take in the subtle flavor of a mellow wine.

When in doubt, head for bubbles. Champagne or other sparkling wines will contrast favorably with a hot dish. The acidity of the wine will balance the alkanity of the capsaicin in your dish.

Dinner party gifts

By Ed Biado@Manila Standard Today
Dinner parties are among the best parties there are. They’re intimate and a great host will make sure everyone is properly fed and entertained. As a guest, you have to do your part and thank the host for the cordial invitation—not just by saying the words or writing a note—but by bringing them a gift. Flowers are good; bespoke coasters are, too; but premium food items are better because they blend in with the theme of the evening (which is feasting) and they signify a high level of taste and thoughtfulness. We’ve got some ideas for you.

1. Wine is the safest and most convenient item to bring to dinner parties. Red, white, champagne—it doesn’t really matter. The only thing to consider is the price of the wine. Is it a casual dinner with friends? Bottles that cost less than a thousand pesos will do. For more formal affairs, a Moet is always impressive.

2. Chocolates, especially minted ones for a nice after-dinner treat, are a great gift to the host/hostess. Truffles, Belgian and premium dark are also good choices. As long as they’re packaged beautifully, they will definitely be appreciated. It is best to bring enough for all the guests as your host may likely want to pass them around over coffee.

3. Gourmet cheese is a very versatile gift idea. You can opt to bring one big slab of Monterey Jack or a gift box containing different cheeses in any combination. Some of the more common cheeses to choose from include cheddar (but not the supermarket kind), Muenster, double Gloucester, feta and Gouda. And maybe throw in a jar of mustard, while you’re at it.

4. High-grade jam and fruit preserves make for a considerate and almost personalized token if you know your host’s favorite flavor. You can make them yourself, if you have the time. Otherwise, go to a good gourmet place and get a big jar or three small jars of premium old-fashioned jam.

5. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar is a great combo because almost everybody uses them. In fact, it’s one of the most recommended gift sets to give at any occasion. Again, gourmet shops are the best places to purchase them because that’s where you can find quality products that are not always available at your local grocery.

6. Herbs in a pot add a nice countryside feel to any kitchen. Gifting your host with one will almost guarantee you an invitation to their next dinner party and they’ll be excited to tell you that the basil in your dish came from the pot you gave them. Other herbs you can gift include rosemary, thyme, sage and mint.

7. Olives are quite an unusual gift idea in the Philippines, but they don’t have to be. Seasoned olives are a great appetizer and martinis wouldn’t be complete without gourmet olives. So, you actually have two kinds of olive preparations to choose from. But since they’re really inexpensive, buy them both. Or, you can pair a jar of martini olives with a jar of maraschino cherries if your host loves cocktail hour.

8. Pickled vegetables, by themselves, are great to nibble on. They’re even better as a side dish. Therefore, pickled veggies are a fantastic gift idea. Here, we have achara. But you can select from a variety of pickle preparations ranging from the familiar—cucumbers, gherkins and onions—to the exotic—cauliflower (a Romanian recipe), eggplant (Russia) and kimchi.

9. Dried fruit, like raisins, prunes and dates, are popular and can be enjoyed a variety of ways. There are many brands of mixed dried fruit that include those, and also apples, apricot, berries, peaches and mangoes. Although the local dried mangoes aren’t the ideal dinner party offering, a good brand of gourmet dried fruit is an excellent option.

10. Premium nuts are just like dried fruit. You can purchase a single nut kind like pistachio or walnut or a big package of snacking mix. Better yet, get the nuts and the dried fruit. Remember to bring a lot because your host may want to serve them as a trail mix for cocktails.

Festive luau

by Michelle Simone

Beat the wet August blues with a luau party filled with tropical vibe.

Ingredients of a great party

PLAN The most important aspect of the party is that you, the hostess, have a good time. The most stress-free parties I've hosted are those that are well-planned. Think of everything that could possibly go wrong beforehand and have a solution prepared. Make an endless number of lists for your stuff, or the people who are helping you, to follow so that things go smoothly.

ACTIVITY At any party, there will always be people who don't know each other, so plan an activity or game that will break the ice. With games, you create the opportunity for people to be silly, be funny, and have something common to talk about with strangers. Your guests won't always remember the food you served, or what favors you gave away but they'll always remember how silly someone's drawing is in a game of Pictionary.

RECIPE Make sure you have one signature dish that everyone will swoon about and remember. Try out your recipes beforehand, like during your regular family dinners. Practice makes perfect, after all.

THEME Create a theme for your party to give yourself some direction and your guests something to remember. When you pick a theme, carry it out from the food and decorations to the costumes, games, and prizes!

YARDSTICK Measure your results. A simple way to measure is if your parties become legendary and your friends can't stop raving about it. keep a journal of your successes. Record your menus. Take pictures of your decorations, guests, and other important mementos.

PARTY CHECKLIST

2 Weeks before

Decide on your theme

Brainstorm

Research

1 Week before

Make a menu

Make a lists: guest list, to-buy list, to-make list

Send out your invitations

Make your budget!

3 Days before

Craft projects done!

Prepare tip envelopes

2 Days before

Begin cooking

Buy flowers and prepare your arrangements

Clean your house

1 Day before

Set your table

Set your decorations

Keep cooking

The day off

Run through tasks with your staff

Finish all your cooking in the morning

Set up your guest bathroom

Layout your games and favors

Do a last check on your decorations

Take a bubble bath

Get ready to party!