Wine

I was never fond of alcohol. But travelling and socializing puts me in a room with alcohol time and again. Cold weather in Europe makes drinking acceptable, wine, beer or coffee. I tried a few and found that I prefer wine rather than beer and sparkling wine is much better. Lieblich is my fave or sweet wine. A good friend said sweet wines tend to make you under the influence much faster for the sweetness will make you forget that you have drank too much already. Hmmm. Maybe so, but I have always been a sweet tooth. Asti Martini became a favorite with it being less than 3 euro in Germany. But Canadian alcohol tax and restrictions make asti here way too expensive. The husband of my friend and co worker, then my carpool as well, introduced me to the idea of wine making. No need to plant the green wine grapes as what someone I know did in Bonn Germany, but to buy the wine kit, equipment, provide space and time plus patience, then viola! You can have your drink anytime you want. We have tried a number of wine kits and the fave so far has been the sweet red wine of Diablo Rojo, sparkling pink wine of Island Mist Strawberry Watermelon Chiraz, and currently, Island Mist Green Apple Riesling.



Never mistake sparkling wine to be called as champagne. In a way yes, they are the same. But to say that is champagne would mean that particular wine came from the region of Champagne, France. So if its from Napa Valley or anywhere else either than Champagne France, lets stick to the term sparkling wine.

Sparkling wine is made by taking the simple formula for fermentation (sugar + yeast = alcohol and CO2), plus not allowing the resulting gas to escape. When you ferment wine in a closed or selaed environment, the CO2 return to the wine, only to be released in the form of bubbles after opening.

Be it red wine, white, beer or vodka, make sure you pair it with a yummy pica pica. Fridays are special for us couple. Ending the week with a wine glass infront of the fireplace and just relaxing and enjoying a good movie. Thats life.

Ginataang Bilo bilo

A sweet dessert eaten warm or cold. For me, I prefer it as a cold snack. Jackfruit slices, banana, tapioca are nice additionals in making this a hit.

Ingredients:

2 cans Coconut Milk (250ml each)
3/4 cup sugar
purple yam
Gabi
Banana
Glutinous Flour
5 cups water
Slices of jack fruit
Tapioca pearls

Procedure:

1. In a separate bowl, mix glutinous flour with small amount of water. Mix and knead until you form a soft dough. Pinch a small portion to shape into a ball. Finish all and set aside,

2. Put coconut milk and water in a pan and let boil.

3. Add purple yam and gabi and lower the heat. Leave for 10 minutes then add tapioca pearls.

4. Drop the balled glutinous flour in the mixture and slowly mix. Drop the made balled glutinous flour one at at time to prevent it from clumping up.

5. Add the jackfruit and sliced banana plus sugar.

6. Let it boil for 5 minutes or until glutinous balls are done. Add hot water if too sticky.

Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!

Chili Con Carne

A good friend and client from Germany taught me this recipe. They had it for dinner with me using soft tortilla wrap instead of tacos. It worked well and with their version of adding crumbed spicy tortilla chips. Im allergic to spicy foods so I make this version on the light sweet side and you can just spike it up with chili when served.

Ingredients:

1 can kidney bohnen or red kidney beans
1 can tomato paste
1 can corn
lettuce
Tortilla wrap
1 kilo ground pork
2 big onions
Maggi Mexican Salsa Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp sugar
Garlic Powder
Pepper
4 slices of cheese
**optional: cut up tomato
**optional: crumbed spicy tortilla chips

Procedure:

1. Saute onion and ground pork using small amount of oil. Once light brown and watery, drain the pork of water using a colander and put the pork back to the pan to continue browning.

2. Add garlic powder, pepper and worcestershire sauce.

3. Add kidney bohnen (red kidney beans), corn, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup salsa sauce.

4. Prepare the lettuce by washing them and cutting the bottom stems. Drip / dry.

5. Lower heat of pan and simmer until pork is properly cooked.

6. Add 2 tbsp of sugar and 4 slices of cheese. Continue stirring until all cheese are completely melted.

7. Taste test if need more salsa sauce or pepper.

8. Lay flat tortilla wrap on a plate. Put 1 to 2 lettuce leaves on the middle, (optional) cut up tomato, chili con carne, and (optional) crumbed spicy tortilla chips. Wrap it up with tortilla and have fun eating!

Can be served as chili con carne per se with rice or with tacos, tortilla wrap and even as fillings for stuffed bell pepper.

Kutsinta

Sunday markets back home have the backlane teaming with glutinous desserts one of which is kutsinta. A rare treat that we make at home for the idea that it was hard to do and handling the lye water is crucial to its taste. We always order it from one of the ladies selling it in the market or just have a taste of it during special occasions. Now being far from home, we all need to be on our own to learn how to make this dessert. A few friends have tried it and its either gooey, bitter or pale. Here is a recipe perfected by my aunt and been passed on to me.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3 1/2 cup cold water
3/4 tbsp lye water

Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients at night and leave covered overnight in the fridge.

2. Mix 20 minutes before steaming the following morning.\

3. Steam on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Make sure the water is not briskly boiling or else you will have bubbles on the kutsinta. I don't use mixer in this recipe but just a sturdy wooden spatula. I spray the muffin moulds that I use with butter flavored oil spray and use the smallest spatula in getting it out of the mould. After steaming, leave tye moulds to cool for 5-8 minutes before getting the kutsinta out so that it will have time to hold the shape.

Brazo De Mercedes

A rare treat back home was this sweet soft meringue with custard filling. a sinful delight for cake lovers. Missing home made me brave this recipe and proud to have made this a hit in family gatherings.

Ingredients:

8 eggs, separated
12 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 can condensed milk
1/2 tsp cornstarch
oil spray
mixed 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup icing sugar

Procedure:

1. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat using electric mixer until soft peaks form.

2. Make the meringue by gradually adding the granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp cornstarch. Continue mixing until texture is semi-firm.

3. Preheat oven to 350deg F.

4. Put parchment paper on flat baking tray. Spray with baking oil and spread meringue evenly. Serrate with fork on all surface.

5. Bake for 21 minutes or until color turns into light brown.

6. While baking meringue, make the filling by combining condensed milk and egg yolks on a small pot. Apply medium heat and continue stirring until texture becomes thick.

7. Once semi-thick, turn off heat and add the vanilla extract to the filling mixture. Mix thoroughly and set aside to cool.

8. Remove meringue from oven. Prepare a larger tray with parchment paper.

9. Let the meringue cool off for 5 minutes.

10. Sprinkle the cornstarch and icing sugar mix on top of meringue. Place the parchment paper on top of the meringue followed by the tray. The meringue should be sandwiched between two trays by now.

11. Flip the trays. The new parchment paper and larger tray should now be in the bottom.

12. Remove the first baking tray and parchment paper. You should now see the white bottom part of the meringue.

13. Spread the filling over the meringue. Cut out any burnt sides.

14. Roll the meringue lengthwise securing it with the parchment paper.

15. Transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle additional cornstarch and icing sugar mix on top.

Strawberry Torte

One of the easiest dessert I like whipping atthe last minute provided strawberries are in season. Make sure to make this the day or two upon purchasing strawberries for they may easily bruise and be soft. 

Ingredients:

Fresh ripe strawberries

Ready made Torte

Jello

water

Procedure:

1. Wash strawberries and cut top part of crown to flatten it. 

2. Prepare red jello as per box instructions.

3. Line top of ready made torte with cut up strawberries, crown facing down. 

4. Pour cooled red jello on top and of torte / strawberries and leave in fridge to set.

Serve with whipped cream on top. 

You can adapt this same recipe using different fruits but using clear jello.

Cheese Puto

I miss this soft sweet yummy treat that I always associate with dinuguan (chocolate meat). It is an easy treat to make for potlucks and colourful as well if you add drop food coloring or flavocol (flavor colouring) to make it better.

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3 tbsp baking powder
3 cups water
2 medium eggs
cheese / salted egg
** optional - food coloring

Procedure:

1. Prepare steamer and let water boil.

2.  Combine all dry ingredients and sift 3x.

3. Add water and eggs.

4. Put on cups for steaming. Add slice of cheese and salted egg on top.

5. Steam for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

I prefer using silicone muffin cups in making my puto. A spray of butter flavored oil spray per muffin cup is preferred and will add to that yummy goodness. You can add food coloring to make your puto enticing like make a batch of purple puto or better, use a ube flavocol (flavour coloring) that will give it that home taste kick. Green puto is also a rave denoting pandan flavor.