tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51218739059264576242024-03-14T16:01:50.698+08:00The Palacios KitchenA culinary blog from a young Filipino couple.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-78494306654536565552011-02-19T19:42:00.004+08:002011-02-21T19:44:31.361+08:00Spinach soup, attempt number 1.Spinach soup! Yum yum! And such an easy way to eat all of the spinach in our fridge, in one sitting.<br /><br />Inspired by <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1571/creamy-spinach-soup">this recipe</a>, I took the spinach leaves off the stalks and put them in our food processor. Then I made three cups of chicken broth (using a chicken cube). While the chicken broth was boiling, I sauteed 2 cloves of garlic and some chopped leeks (I had some leftover from a previous dish) in a tablespoon of butter, and after a few minutes, added some chopped potatoes. I added the chicken broth and simmered until the potatoes were cooked. Then I threw in two-thirds of the spinach leaves, added a cup of fat-free milk, and simmered for 10 minutes. <br /><br />I seasoned the soup with nutmeg and lemon pepper. When that was done, I put our handheld blender in the soup and blended the soup for a short while. When that was done, I poured the soup into bowls, and garnished with the remaining spinach.<br /><br />The soup came out tasting quite yummy, but the consistency was too thin. I guess going totally fat-free has its drawbacks. The next time, I might add a tablespoon of cream just to thicken the soup a little.<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cooking+tips" rel="tag" target="_blank">cooking+tips</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-66397041333038606812011-02-19T19:40:00.000+08:002011-02-19T19:41:38.037+08:00Eating well, doing good.<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/dinnertable.jpg" width="160" align="right" hspace=10>I have a confession to make. Our family aren't the healthiest eaters. Well, we aren't the most unhealthy eaters either: we consume very little processed food (thank goodness my husband loves to cook), and we try to choose high-quality ingredients. But we're very carnivorous, and we definitely don't eat enough vegetables.<br /><br />But as my son grows up, I've become more concerned about trying to make sure our family has healthier meals. So when some friends of mine told them about their organic vegetables venture, it didn't take a lot of convincing for me to sign on.<br /><br />My friends put up Good Food Co. as a social enterprise apostolate for their small Catholic prayer group. While the number of organic vegetable suppliers are increasing in Metro Manila, what sets Good Foods Co. apart from most other vegetable suppliers is that it is inspired by the spirit of Community Supported Agriculture. <br /><br />For the last five decades, Community Supported Agriculture has been an alternative model of food production/distribution in many parts of the world. Unlike normal market-driven models of food production/distribution, Community Supported Agriculture emphasizes ecological sustainabiity and fair trade. Customers (who comprise the community) commit to purchasing an entire season's worth of food, thereby assuring farmers of a market. In turn, the farmers produce high-quality food for the community, often using organic methods. <br /><br />The risk and reward of the farmers' hard work is shared by the whole community. Every week, the consumers receive a box's worth of whatever produce is ripe, and everyone benefits from a good harvest. And should anything go wrong--if the harvest is lean or if a typhoon destroys some of the crops--everyone shares the risk too. This liberates the farmers to focus on growing quality produce and practising sustainable farming practices that are gentler to the soil/animals.<br /><br />In the case of Good Food Co., I as a consumer "subscribe" to three months' worth of vegetables from their partner-farm. For P400 per week, each consumer receives 3 to 4 kilos of a nice variety of vegetables: lettuce, tomatoes, <i>malunggay</i>, green beans, spinach, <i>saluyot</i>, <i>gabi</i>, ginger, squash, etc. <br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/spinach.jpg" width="160" align="left" hspace=10>The amount of veggies we're projected to receive is so much that in my family's case, we actually split our weekly box of veggies with a friend. We pay P200 and they pay the other P200, and the veggies are still enough to make sure that every meal we eat at home has a generous serving of veggies.<br /><br />The amount might be a little more than what I would normally spend on veggies in a supermarket, but unlike supermarket vegetables, the vegetables I get are guaranteed fresh (having just been harvested: the roots are still on them!), they're organically grown, and best of all, I know that the money is going straight to the farmers who worked hard on them. With this in mind, I don't mind at all sharing the farmers' risk.<br /><br />And taking the long view, P200 -- or even P400 -- is just the price of one meal at a restaurant these days. It's a small price to pay to support what I believe to be a very good enterprise.<br /><br />Two weeks into this cycle of veggie subscription, my family is already eating much more healthily than we used to. We've gone beyond our old salad repertoire and now know how to make a greater variety of vegetable dishes. Just last night, I successfully made a spinach soup, and surprised myself at the amount of healthy green leaves that could be consumed in just one bowl of soup!<br /><br />=====<br /><br /><small>Good Food Co. won the I Am a Changemaker competition sponsored by the British Council last year. Read more about Good Food Co. <a href="http://goodfoodco.wordpress.com/">here</a>.<br /><br />Information on CSA is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture">here</a>.<br /><br /><i>Photo by Joel R. Terrell</i></small><br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/organic+vegetables" rel="tag" target="_blank">organic+vegetables</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-65619726602860570372009-01-07T11:17:00.000+08:002009-01-07T11:19:00.214+08:00The Ultimate Chopper<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/?action=view¤t=ultimatechopper.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/ultimatechopper.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Apologies for the looooong absence. I stopped cooking in the latter part of my pregnancy and left all the cooking to Mike. Mike on the other hand started cooking everyday, but since he never writes anything down and just makes things up as he goes along, it wasn't easy to record his recipes for posting here.<br /><br />I'll start of the year, however, by raving about Mike's second favorite kitchen gadget (next to the <A href="http://thepalacioskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/11/9-minute-marinator.html">9-Minute Marinator</a>), <a href="http://www.ultimatechopper.com/">the Ultimate Chopper</a>. (Yes, we have become TV shopping fans!) I ought to mention that the product was actually recalled in the US because when the locking mechanism ceases to work, the product is no longer safe. But we figured that as long as the locking mechanism is still working, there ought not to be any reason to worry.<br /><br />Just like the infomercial suggests, we've used the Ultimate Chopper for various things. We tried making ice cream once, and it was cool to eat our own ice cream! But our regular uses for the Ultimate Chopper are: grinding coffee beans, chopping onions (no more tears!), and making cream cheese-based spreads. As the infomercial says, because the device is small enough to sit on your counter, you actually use it (unlike a complex food processor which you need to take out of its storage cabinet). Our only complaint is that the chopper bowl really is on the small side, so you can only put in a little bit of food at a time.<br /><br />How often do we use the Ultimate Chopper? At least twice a week. I guess that's proof enough of how happy we are with this kitchen gadget.<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kitchen+gadgets" rel="tag" target="_blank">kitchen gadgets</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-61067132686611230352008-08-19T22:59:00.000+08:002008-08-19T23:00:23.906+08:00Teriyaki Chicken RiceMike made a really yummy chicken dish yesterday. He never takes measurements, so I'll just describe what he did.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />teriyaki sauce<br />honey<br />1 onion<br />4 chicken breasts, deboned and deskinned<br />steamed rice (cooled)<br />1 egg, beaten<br />cooking oil<br /><br />Methodology:<br /><br />Marinde the chicken breasts in the teriyaki sauce and honey. In a wok, sautee the onions until translucent. Add the chicken and fry until cooked through. Add the rice and egg, mix well, and continue to fry.<br /><br />Serves 2. <br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/teriyaki+chicken" rel="tag" target="_blank"> teriyaki+chicken </a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-74933079580969668602008-08-16T14:53:00.003+08:002008-08-17T15:05:12.698+08:00Saving money in the kitchen.Saving money in the kitchen.<br /><br />In this age of high prices, I'm always on the lookout for ways to save money in the kitchen.<br /><br />One thing I'm thrilled about is the rise in the number of home-based businesses that either sell or manufacture dishwashing and detergent chemicals. The prices are often amazingly cheap.<br /><br />I usually buy from Speedy Clean which sells dishwashing liquid a P50.50 per liter, fabric softener at P68 per liter or P149.50 per gallon, 2-ply bathroom tissue at P340 for 48 rolls, and detergent powder at P30 per kilo. All of this is less than half the price of what you would spend on Unilever or P&G products in the supermarket. They deliver to certain parts of the metropolis. (Tel. 6355719 to 23).<br /><br />Sabon Express sells detergent powder at P21 to P50 per kilo, depending on the amount of lather (i.e., how bubbly it is: the more lather, the more expensive), whether you intend to use it for washing machine or handwash, and whether the detergent incldes bleach and antibacterial formula. They also sell fabric softener at P160/gallon, bleach at P80 per gallon, multipurpose liquid cleaner at P160/gallon, glass cleaner at P120/gallon, liquid handsoap at P160/gallon, and mild liquid laundry detergent at P160/gallon. They deliver too, and you can contact them at tel. 994-8853.<br /><br />Soap on Whells sells detergent powder at P27/kilo, dishwashing liquid at P33.75/liter or P135/gallon, and fabric conditioner at P35/liter or P140/gallon. They deliver for a minimum order of P300. Telephone numbers: 4225308 and 9125645.<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kitchen+tips" rel="tag" target="_blank">kitchen+tips</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-49556227811243595022008-08-16T01:32:00.004+08:002008-08-16T01:41:58.776+08:00Learning to cookAn friend of mine sent me a flyer for something which I think is a really cool idea: home cooking lessons.<br /><br />A group of Metro Manila-based chefs is now offering professional culinary lessons right in your home. They've taught cooking to individuals, couples, entire families, children, et cetera, et cetera.<br /><br />For more details, email Chef Jonas Ng at jonasng[at]gmail[dot]com<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cooking+lessons" rel="tag" target="_blank"> cooking+lessons </a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-22243359774095118802008-08-12T17:54:00.003+08:002008-08-12T18:02:04.967+08:00Meat thermometer madness.A couple of weeks ago, my husband bought a meat thermometer.<br /><br />Not just any thermometer, but a deluxe kind, with a metal probe that you insert into the meat, attached by wire to a digital read-out that you can keep outside the oven.<br /><br />With our brand new meat thermometer, we experimented on some steaks that we cooked on our electric grill. The meat came out <i>perfectly</i> done: perfectly medium rare for Mike, and well-done (the only meat--sniff! sniff!--I can eat until I give birth, sigh!). <br /><br />The following day, we brought the meat thermometer to our friend's house and made a beef roast.<br /><br />Again, perfect.<br /><br />The center was an exquisite medium rare, and the ends just hit well-done.<br /><br />Since then, we've become meat thermometer addicts.<br /><br />Mike and I eat a lot of steak, and we used to always just rely on the second hand of our kitchen clock and guesswork. We had gotten good at estimating cooking time for medium rare (which, when I'm not pregnant, is the kind of meat I eat), but when we'd have friends over who would want their steaks medium or well-done, or when we cut the steaks slightly thicker or slightly thinner than usual, we'd often get it wrong, having to throw back the slab of beef onto the grill or into the pan to cook out more of the blood.<br /><br />But having a thermometer takes all the guesswork out of making roasts and steak. Pop the meat in, check the chart for the correct temperature, and a few degrees before the thermometer reads that temperature, take the meat out and let it rest. (It continues to cook while resting, so you want to take it out slightly before it hits target temperature.)<br /><br />Result? Perfectly cooked roasts/steak every single time.<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cooking+tips" rel="tag" target="_blank">cooking+tips</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-17868768633959681152008-07-07T20:38:00.005+08:002008-07-07T21:00:01.079+08:00American Goulash, attempt #1The following is recipe based on one from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36300,00.html">FoodNetwork.com</a>.<br /><br /><img width="160" height="120" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/07072008.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /><small>Sorry for the blurred photo. This is just 1 serving, by the way. The recipe is double this.</small><br /><br />250 g lean ground beef <br />1 native onion, chopped <br />2 cloves garlic, chopped <br />1 cup water <br />1 (15-ounce) can tomatoes, diced, together with the tomato juice<br />1/2 cup tomato sauce<br />dried basil<br />dried oregano<br />dried parsley<br />garlic powder<br />dried thyme<br />dried rosemary<br />garlic powder<br />salt <br />pepper<br />Tabasco<br />1 tsp soy sauce <br />1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked <br />parmesan cheese<br /><br />In a deep pot, saute the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains. (We sauteed ours in olive oil because our ground beef was very very lean.) Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until they are tender (about 3 minutes). Add water, along with the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, soy sauce. Season with dried herbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. <br /><br />Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Top with parmesan cheese when serving.<br /><br />Serves 2. <br /><br /><i>Not bad, but it needed more kick. Next time we'll try to put more spiciness--more Tabasco, or chilli flakes perhaps. And maybe more garlic. Before I poured in the elbow macaroni, the dish looked a little watery to me, and I made the mistake of leaving the lid slightly ajar. Twenty-five minutes later, the water was all gone and the macaroni almost burned, so I realize I should've followed the recipe and left the lid on, as instructed. The resulting dish was also a little "bitin" -- I think I'll add more macaroni next time.</i> <br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/American+goulash" rel="tag" target="_blank">American+goulash</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-51768867478755333862008-06-03T23:47:00.005+08:002008-06-04T00:04:26.253+08:00Korean chicken rice<i>There's actually no such dish, but I didn't know what to call our latest concoction. We found some Korean bean paste in Shopwise but when we opened it, it wasn't the black bean paste we'd been expecting, but the red kind (ssamjang). It looks like the red chili paste kind you find in bibimbap, and apparently, the red chili paste is one of the main ingredients of ssamjang (I looked this all up on the Internet. <br /><br />It's actually a dipping paste, but Mike and I decided to throw something a little different together and here's what we came up with.</i><br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />sesame oil<br />5 chicken thighs, deboned and deskinned<br />2 tbsp rice wine<br />1 tsp minced ginger<br />1 tbsp minced garlic<br />1 tbsp soy sauce<br />1 tbsp sugar<br />1 tsp pepper<br />1/2 onion, finely chopped<br />Korean red bean paste (ssamjang)<br />kim (Korean nori), cut into sheets measuring approximately 4" x 5" <br />steamed rice (one bowl per person)<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />Slice the chicken into strips. Marinate in rice wine, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, pepper and onion for about half an hour.<br /><br />Stir-fry chicken in sesame oil until brown. Add 1 heaping tbsp of red bean paste (or to taste, depending on desired level of spiciness). When chicken is cooked through, add rice and 1 additional heaping tbsp of red bean paste. Fry, mixing well until flavors blend.<br /><br />Transfer to serving bowl. Shred some kim on top. Serve with additional kim on the side.<br /><br />Serves 2. <br /><br /><i>Verdict: Yummy, and super-easy.</i><br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/korean+dishes" rel="tag" target="_blank">korean+dishes</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-54779165432248967152008-04-22T20:12:00.006+08:002008-04-22T21:03:41.929+08:00The joys of online shoppingThis isn't exactly a kitchen post, but it does have something to do with appliances, which in turn have something to do with the home, which is sufficiently related to the kitchen to merit a post on this blog.<br /><br />I'm on leave this summer (one of the perks of my job is that we get summer leaves every three years), so I've been spending time doing all the home-related tasks and house-related errands I've been putting off all year. I had a plumber come a few weeks ago to fix our leaky kitchen faucets; I had a carpenter come to install some new bookshelves; and (as you know) my husband and I went and bought ourselves a new fridge .... And among the many home improvements I've been doing is making a list of new appliances we need.<br /><br />And in the midst of all of that ... I've discovered the joys of online shopping.<br /><br />See, I don't drive. Last week, in the 35-degree heat, I decided that our house needed 2 additional electric fans ... but I was dreading the thought of taking a cab to the mall in the middle of a hot day, buying 2 bulky stand fans, and lugging them all the way to the taxi stand. So I asked my husband if we could just go to the mall one day after he was done with work so we could buy the electric fans. His reply (so obvious to him, because he works in the web industry, but strangely, so <i>un-</i>obvious to me, even if I'm online the whole day), was, "Why don't you just buy it online?"<br /><br />See, a part of my brain is still stuck in the 1990s, when you couldn't buy anything online in the Philippines. Since then, I actually have done quite a bit of online shopping, but only: (1) on Amazon, when I have relatives flying home from the US and I have <i>padala</i> shipped to them for them to bring here, and (2) to buy airplane tickets.<br /><br />But, as I've found out these past few days, Philippine e-commerce has really improved in leaps and bounds these past few years, and while we aren't quite at Amazon.com level yet, there are a lot of things we Pinoys can buy online.<br /><br />So these past several days alone, I've either bought or intend to buy:<br /><br /><ul><li>a Mass card for a family friend who's father passed away (<A href="http://www.myayala.com">MyAyala.com</a> [which I ought to mention, in the interest of journalistic ethics, is the sister company of my husband's company] -- and they delivered it to the recipient as well)</li><br /><li>the 2 electric fans (both <a href="http://www.abenson.com.ph">Abenson</a> and SM Appliance Center have online stores; Abenson has much cheaper delivery within Metro Manila, but when I checked <A href="http://www.smappliance.com">SM Appliance Center</a> had more choices, at least when it came to electric fans [Abenson has more computer stuff, though, which SM doesn't have])</li><br /><li>a paper shredder, something I've been meaning to buy for ages (<A href="http://nationalbookstore.com.ph">National Bookstore</a> -- I plan to make this purchase tonight and I'll probably throw in some school supplies and summer reading while I'm at it, to make the most of the delivery charge)</li></ul><br /><br />The thing is, I could go to a mall and buy all that, but the cab ride to and from the mall will cost just as much as the delivery charge (the cheapest delivery fee from the above sites is P150), so why bother? Especially since riding around in cabs in this heat would probably give me a migraine.<br /><br />So there. Now I think I'm getting a bit addicted to the idea that I can buy things online so easily. I've been browsing the local e-commerce websites, wondering what else I can buy .... Hehehe! Ah, yes, online or in a brick-and-mortar mall, girls will always love shopping. :)<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kitchen" rel="tag" target="_blank">kitchen</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-89581067393394122782008-04-21T21:05:00.005+08:002008-04-21T21:26:13.590+08:00Chicken with tarragon and mustard cream sauce<i>After a long while, I decided to try something new (for the last few months we've just been cooking old favorites.<br /><br />I went online for some ideas and finally adapted a recipe and came up with this:</i><br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />4 chicken thighs, deboned and deskinned<br />salt<br />pepper<br />olive oil or unsalted butter<br />1 small native onion<br />1/2 chicken cube dissolved in 3/4 cup water<br />1 tsp mustard<br />1 tsp dried tarragon<br />1/4 cup cream<br /><br />Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken thighs in olive oil, 2 min each side, over medium flame. Remove the chicken and set aside. Reduce flame to low. Saute onions until translucent. Add chicken broth, scraping off browned bits. Return chicken to the pan. Bring to a boil then cover, lower flame, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove chicken. Add cream, mustard, and tarragon. Mix well and heat until sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.<br /><br />Serves 2.<br /><br /><i>Verdict: Tasty; a little on the salty side, so next time I won't bother adding salt, or maybe I'll put less chicken cube. The broth almost dried out, so it might be good to double check when you're simmering and add water if necessary. Mike said he thought the sauce would go better on pasta instead of rice. The <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/107932">original recipe</a> has brandy in it, and I'm sure the brandy would add a marvelous touch, but I had neither brandy nor white wine on hand, so I simply did without.</i><br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/chicken+recipes" rel="tag" target="_blank"> chicken+recipes </a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-66572314016073953022008-04-18T10:00:00.004+08:002008-04-20T22:07:02.068+08:00Storing vegetables (and some fruits) properlyWith a new appliance, I'm fired up to learn to use it properly. So I did a little bit of research about how to store veggies in the vegetable drawer properly ... and found out, to my astonishment, that I've been making some big mistakes all these years! For example, I've always unthinkingly thrown tomatoes into the vegetable drawer ... but apparently, tomatoes ideally aren't supposed to be refrigerated (unless you really intend to keep them longer), because refrigeration changes the taste.<br /><br />Unfortunately, all the websites I've found regarding vegetable storage were made in the West; I haven't found a website that talks specifically about fruits available in Southeast Asia, or that takes Southeast Asian tropical weather into consideration, but I compiled whatever I found helpful and here's my list. (I changed the name of the veggies to their Tagalog equivalents when appropriate.)<br /><br /><B>FOR STORING IN THE VEGETABLE DRAWER</B><br /><ul><li><b>Carrots</b> - Remove greens, put in a Ziplock bag, keep in vegetable drawer. Lasts 2 to 4 weeks.</li> <br /><li><b>Lettuce</b> - I got different advice for lettuce. Two websites said to make the lettuce a little damp (either by wrapping the lettuce in a damp paper towel or sprinkling a teeny bit of water on the leaves), put it in a Ziplock bag, and place it in the vegetable drawer. Another said that the lettuce should be as dry as possible before putting it in the Ziplock bag. Some said the bag should have breathing holes; others said the bag should be completely sealed. Lasts a week to a week and a half.</li> <br /><li><b>Cabbage</b> - Wrap in Clingwrap, keep in vegetable drawer. Lasts 2 weeks.</li><br /><li><b>Sayote</b> - Keep in vegetable drawer. Lasts 1 to 2 weeks.</li> <br /><li><b>Chili peppers</b> - Put in a Ziplock bag to prevent aroma from spreading to other vegetables, keep in vegetable drawer. Lasts a week.</li> <br /><li><b>Spring onions</b> - Don't wash. Put in open plastic bag, keep in vegetable drawer. Lasts a week. </li> <br /><li><b>Ginger root</b> - Wrap in paper bag or newspaper. Store in vegetable drawer.</li><br /><li><b>Sitaw</b> - Place in open plastic bag. Store in vegetable drawer.</li> </ul><br /><br /><B>FOR STORING ON THE REFRIGERATOR SHELF</B><br /><ul><li><b>Cauliflower and broccoli</b> - Wrap the head in plastic wrapper. Store near the back of the refrigerator (where it's colder). Lasts a week. </li> <br /><li><b>Calamansi and lemons</b> - Don't wrap. Store near the front of the refrigerator. Before using, allow to warm to room temperature. Lasts 1.5 to 3 weeks.</li> <br /><li><b>Squash (opened)</b> - When opened, shop into pieces, wrap each piece well in Clingwrap and keep in the vegetable drawer. Lasts 5 days when opened and stored in the refrigerator.</li><br /><li><b>Tomatoes (ripe)</b> - Wrap loosely in paper bag or newspaper. Store on refrigerator shelf. Lasts from 2 days to a week.</li> <br /><li><b>Kangkong</b> - Put in open plastic bag, keep on refrigerator shelf. Lasts 3 days.</li> <br /><li><b>Eggplant</b> - Store unwrapped on refrigerator shelf. Lasts 7 to 10 days.</li> <br /><li><b>Grapes</b> - Don't wash until you're about to eat it. Put in Ziplock bag. Store on refrigerator shelf, near the back. Lasts 2 - 3 weeks.</li> <br /><li><b>All fruits</b> - As a general rule, don't keep fruits in the same drawer as vegetables. Many fruits need good air circulation and if they need to be refrigerated those fruits are better kept on the refrigerator shelf.</li> </ul><br /><br /><b>NOT TO BE REFRIGERATED</B><br /><ul><li><b>Squash (unopened)</b> - When unopened, store outside of the refrigerator in a cool dry place. Lasts a month when unopened.</li><br /><li><b>Tomatoes (not yet ripe)</b> - Wrap loosely in paper bag or newspaper. Store in a cool dry place. Lasts from 2 days to a week.</li> <br /><li>The obvious ones: onions, garlic, potatoes.</li></ul><br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/storing+vegetables" rel="tag" target="_blank"> storing+vegetables </a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-27497323577649496902008-04-17T14:38:00.003+08:002008-04-17T15:06:29.443+08:00Our new refrigeratorLast week, Mike and I went out and bought a new refrigerator. The old refrigerator in our house was a tiny 7 (maybe even 6) cubic-foot single-door fridge, which we would have to cram like crazy. It still worked, but it no longer cooled our food as well as refrigerators should, especially because it was always so stuffed.<br /><br />So we took a trip to our friendly neighborhood SM appliance center with a budget of P20,000. <br /><br />We ended up getting an 11-cubic-foot Whirlpool, a teeny bit over our budget, but pretty much exactly what we needed. We didn't need a big freezer because we have a separate stand-alone freezer, but we did need space for all our bottles (because of all the water one needs to drink in this hot and humid country), and the Whirlpool has nice big door racks for big 1.5-liter bottles, leaving the main chamber free for everything else.<br /><br />Some happy plusses were a built-in deodorizer, built-in twist ice trays, and Canadian no-CFC technology (good for the environment).<br /><br />The only disappointment was that the vegetable drawer wasn't much bigger than the vegetable drawer of our old refrigerator. <br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kitchen" rel="tag" target="_blank"> kitchen </a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-75190728206172380592008-04-17T14:24:00.002+08:002008-04-17T14:29:14.118+08:00What to do with leftover lambMike brought home some leftover leg of lamb after a big business-related dinner at Cyma. So the other day we had a tweaked version of our <a href="http://thepalacioskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/05/lamb-stew-with-chorizo.html">lamb stew</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/04132008.jpg" width=160 height=120></img><br /><br />leftover lamb, chopped into small pieces<br />1 onion, finely chopped<br />3 slices bacon, chopped<br />1 can whole tomato, including the tomato sauce<br />garlic salt<br />pepper<br />1/2 tsp thyme<br />1/2 tsp basil<br />olive oil<br /><br />We cooked the onion and bacon first, in a large pot, until the onion was transparent, then we threw everything else in, brought it to a boil, then let it simmer.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/04132008001.jpg" width=160 height=120></img><br /><br />Yum, it was delicious ...!<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/lamb+recipes" rel="tag" target="_blank">lamb+recipes</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-83493250053009412682007-11-25T21:30:00.000+08:002007-11-25T21:32:57.778+08:00Grilled Tuna with Honey Pepper SauceWe had some tuna steak in the refrigerator that I wanted to cook already, and a recipe for honey grilled salmon by Sarina Fores in the Assumption Cookbook. I tweaked the recipe a little bit (we didn't have pineapple juice so I brought out a small can of tuna chunks instead), and this is what I came up with.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 slab tuna fillet (good for two)<br />vegetable oil<br />salt and pepper<br /><br />Honey Pepper Sauce:<br />3/4 cup honey<br />1/3 cup soy sauce<br />1/4 cup dark brown sugar<br />a small can pineapple chunks<br />juice of 1 lemon<br />2 tbsp vinegar<br />2 tsp olive oil<br />2 tsp ground black pepper<br />1/2 tsp paprika (we actually didn't have any paprika on hand so I used a steak rub that had pepper and paprika in it)<br />1/4 tsp garlic powder<br /><br />1. Rub the tuna fillet with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill around 2 - 3 minutes on each side. <br /><br />2. In a saucepan combine al ingredients for honey pepper sauce and cook over low-medium heat. Stir occasionally until sauce begins to boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 13 minutes or until slightly thick.<br /><br />3. Pour some of the honey pepper sauce and the pineapple chunks over grilled tuna and serve with extra sauce on the side.<br /><br /><i>The sauce was yummy, although it would've been okay with less sugar (it was quite sweet!). We also had a lot of sauce left over, so the sauce is probably good enough for 3 or 4 people.</i><br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tuna+recipes" rel="tag" target="_blank">tuna+recipes</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-89950603153862581462007-11-14T19:27:00.000+08:002007-11-14T19:32:54.272+08:00Chinese Panfried Chicken FilletsSorry for the uncreative title. This dish started out as a craving for Hainanese chicken. True Hainanese chicken, however, takes a couple of hours to prepare and cook, and we were already hungry, so that was out of the question. Meanwhile, Mike wanted to do something with the 9-Minute Marinator. And this is what we ended up making.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 pieces filleted chicken breast (total of 350 g)<br />pinch of salt<br />1 tbsp light soy sauce<br />1 tsp rice wine<br />.5 inch piece ginger, bruised<br />1 garlic clove, finely chopped<br />1/4 onion (we should've used spring onion, but we didn't have any)<br />sesame oil<br /><br />We put the first seven ingredients plus 1 tsp sesame oil in the marinator and allowed it to marinate. After that, we pan-fried the chicken in a generous amount of sesame oil on a low-medium flame, five minutes uncovered on each side. Then we turned the fire to low and covered the pan, frying it for an additional 6 minutes, turning once.<br /><br />After that we set the chicken aside, and we poured about 3 tbsp of water into the pan and scraped up all the chicken fat into it to make a sauce. We poured the sauce over the chicken fillets. <br /><br />We served it with a dipping sauce of minced ginger, chili garlic paste, a drop of sesame oil and light soy sauce.<br /><br />The dish was quite yummy and was gone in about 5 minutes. :) The thinner parts of the fillet were slightly dry, though, so the next time we'll take the chicken out of the pan a little earlier. Mike also suggested we try adding a teaspoon of Chinese black vinegar to the marinade. <br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Chinese+food" rel="tag" target="_blank">Chinese+food</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-23168879711652377102007-11-13T19:31:00.000+08:002007-11-13T19:46:44.064+08:00The 9-minute MarinatorI have a confession to make. I really get a kick out of watching Infomercials, especially the ones about products that have to do with the home (kitchen gadgets, cleaning gadgets, and furniture-related items).<br /><br />Mike doesn't share my enthusiasm for Infomercials (I suppose few people do) ... except for ... the Infomercial on the 9-minute Marinator! <br /><br />So last weekend, I decided to bite the bullet and shell out the money for an early boyfriend-girlfriend anniversary gift for my husband. And I ordered it. It was the first time I'd ever ordered something from an Infomercial.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/Picture1.png"></img><br /><br />(While looking for the above picture, I got jealous when I found out that the Canadian company that sells it offers a chopper and two vacuum-seal food canisters along with the marinator! The only thing that comes after "And wait, there's more!" on the Philippine version of the Infomercial is a pair of bendable chopping boards. Grrr.)<br /><br />It arrived at home yesterday.<br /><br />So last night we made tuna steaks. We threw in some lemon juice, butter, salt, and pepper along with the tuna, in the Marinator for 5 minutes, and grilled the tuna on our electric grille.<br /><br />Tonight we'll try real steaks. <br /><br />Yummm ..... I can't wait to get home.<br /> <br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cooking+gadgets" rel="tag" target="_blank">cooking+gadgets</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-24701593420862742772007-11-04T16:59:00.000+08:002007-11-04T17:24:35.854+08:00Restaurant reviews: In-yo and GalileoIt was my birthday last week, so in a span of a few days, we got to celebrate at two supremely delicious restaurants.<br /><br />Restaurant number 1 was In-yo, a house converted into a restaurant along Esteban Abada, parallel to the part of Katipunan Avenue fronting Ateneo. I'd passed by there several times before and had heard good reviews about it, but given that it's priced out of our normal everyday-fare range, I'd never stopped to eat there. Until last week.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/10302007004.jpg" width=160 height=120><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/10302007003.jpg" width=160 height=120><br /><br />The place is very nicely decorated, classy and cosy, but it's the food--fusion--that you'll be writing home about. My husband was skeptical at first: "At these prices, the food had better be good," but he was definitely not disappointed, and the food in fact exceeded his expectations.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/10302007001.jpg" width=160 height=120><br /><br />The prices are close to hotel prices: P1000 for the degustacion (a set meal where you get to taste several different courses), and around P400 for an entree, but to be quite frank, the food was better than I'd eaten at many hotels. The pumpkin soup was the best I'd ever eaten, the halibut pasta was divine, and the lamb shanks made our eyes grow big with delight at the first bite.<br /><br />Needless to say, we were raving about In-yo for days after, and we'll definitely be back.<br /><br />=====<br /><br />Restaurant number 2 was Galileo, a little Italian deli and restaurant along Calbayog Street in Mandaluyong. The restaurant is decorated to make guests feel like they're walking into the wine cellar of a monastery, with ceiling-to-floor bottles of Italian wine, and simple wooden benches to sit on.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/11042007.jpg" width=160 height=120><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/11042007003.jpg" width=160 height=120><br /><br />For what you get, the food is quite reasonable. The set meal is P450 (VAT included), for which you get a glass of house wine, antipasto (a platter of cheese and cold cuts), pasta (your choice among the day's specials), and a cup of coffee or tea. We each got a set meal and also shared a salad and an order of bruschetta and with all that, plus the bread basket we'd started with, we were absolutely stuffed. The a la carte entrees are less than P300.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v113/therowster/11042007002.jpg" width=160 height=120><br /><br />The food is scrumptious!<br /><br /><i><b>In-yo Fusion Cuisine</b>: Estaban Abada St., Loyola Heights, QC, 9286459, closed on Mondays. <b>Galileo Enoteca</b>: 80 Calbayog corner Malinao St., Mandaluyong, 5344633 or 5320482.</i> <br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Philippine+restaurants" rel="tag" target="_blank">Philippine+restaurants</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-43236924134081375062007-08-18T20:32:00.000+08:002007-08-18T20:39:41.888+08:00Baked orange chickenI got a recipe from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/15413">Epucurious.com</a> and adapted it a little. Here it is:<br /><br />1 pack chicken drumsticks (8 pieces)<br />salt and pepper<br />1 tsp dried thyme<br /><br />Citrus Mix:<br />2 tbsp calamansi juice from concentrate (mixed)<br />1/4 cup fresh orange juice<br />1-1/2 tbsp honey<br />1 tbsp ginger root, crushed<br />2 tbsp melted butter/margarine or olive oil<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2. Combine the ingredients for the citrus mix and mix well. Baste chicken pieces generously with the citrus mix. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and thyme. <br />3. Bake chicken uncovered in a baking dish for 30 minutes.<br />4. Remove from oven. Turn over chicken pieces and baste generously again, with the rest of the mix.<br />5. Return chicken to oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.<br /><br />Serves 3.<br /><br />(For a slightly healthier dish, remove the chicken pieces from the sauce when cooked, and just pour a little of the sauce over the chicken to serve.)<br /><br /><i>The dish was okay, except it was a little difficult to get the chicken cooked just right (I had to put it back in twice). Also, Mike said it was a little too gingery.</i><br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/chicken+dish" rel="tag" target="_blank">chicken+dish</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-22055886916080175812007-08-13T01:28:00.000+08:002007-08-13T01:48:41.999+08:00Breakfast.Via was asking what Mike and I eat for breakfast .... I find it funny that I've written so little about breakfast, considering that Mike and I take our breakfasts quite seriously! When we go grocery-shopping, choosing our breakfast food is often a high point of the trip.<br /><br />I like heavy breakfasts, since I need to have a lot of energy when I'm in the classroom, so a traditional Filipino breakfast--i.e., a <b>rice</b> breakfast--makes me very happy. The rice is usually either <i>sinangag</i> (last night's leftover rice, fried with lots of garlic) or freshly steamed. I grew up in a Batanguenyo household, where we poured <i>tsokolate</i> on our steamed rice in the morning (I learned from my friend Jan that Ilonggos do this too), so sometimes I do that as well. (Mike thinks it's strange, but then, he's not Batanguenyo.) Alternately, I sprinkle <i>furikake</i> (rice seasoning--one of the best Japanese inventions!) on my rice for some extra flavor. (You can sometimes find <i>furikake</i> in the Japanese aisle of big supermarkets.)<br /><br />Our <i>ulam</i> for rice breakfast meals is usually something easy to cook, with zero preparation. Sometimes we have pre-marinated beef <i>tapa</i> (our favorite is the one from Lapid's--yes, they do tapa too!), sausages or cold cuts (we are fans of the very affordable but very yummy products from Earl's delicatessen), tuyo or daing out of a jar (we like Connie's Kitchen), chicken nuggets, beef franks, or something out of a can like corned beef or Spam Lite. Another favorite breakfast <i>ulam</i> of ours is Sarangani's <i>tinapang</i> bangus. It just needs to defrost a little after you pull it out of the freezer, then you just heat in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. <br /><br />And of course, it isn't a true Filipino breakfast without egg. I love scrambled eggs the way my mom taught me to make them: I beat them very well with a generous amount of milk, and I <i>continue</i> to beat them (or more like mix them) in the pan so they get as fluffy as possible. <br /><br />Sometimes, instead of rice, we have bagels with ham and cream cheese. Yummy and quite heavy.<br /><br />When we're in a rush and we don't have time for a heavy breakfast, we each have a bowl of cereal and milk. Shopwise has wonderful cheap cereals (P80 to P120 a box). Sometimes we each chop a banana into our cereal bowls so it isn't too light.<br /><br />On weekend mornings when we have more time to cook, we make ourselves a generous, sinful omelette oozing with cheese and either bacon or ham. Other times, we'll have pancakes or French toast.<br /> <br />And finally, on really <i>lazy</i> weekend mornings, when we wake up late, I'll sometimes just make a banana smoothie for each of us, then we save our appetite for brunch. :)<br /><br />I promise to give more details about our breakfast meals in future posts. :)<br /><br />Thanks for the idea, Via!<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/breakfast" rel="tag" target="_blank">breakfast</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-21484106723979334792007-08-12T16:56:00.000+08:002007-08-13T01:51:05.086+08:00Beef Stroganoff, 2We made another beef stroganoff for lunch today, tihs time following a recipe from an excellent cookbook: Mike's parents' compilation of recipes. We made a few adjustments, and here it is:<br /><br />250g beef stroganoff, seasoned with salt (or meat tenderizer) and pepper<br />1 tbsp butter<br />1/2 onion, chopped finally<br />1/2 cup beef broth thicketned with 1-1/2 tbsp flour<br />1 tbsp dijon mustard<br />2 tbsp red wine <br />1 tsp Worcestorshire sauce<br />1/2 can mushrooms, chopped<br />1/2 cup sour cream, yogurt, or cream<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Sautree onions in butter. Add beef and sautee until brown. Add beef broth, mustard, wine, and Worcestorshire sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes (longer to tenderize beef). Five minutes before serving add mushrooms, sour cream, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve on spaghetti pasta or rice.<br /><br />Serves 2.<br /><br /><i>Yum! This version was a lot thicker than my last attempt, because of the flour; I realize that when serving the stogranoff with pasta (which is what we did), it's important to have thick sauce, so that the sauce coats the pasta properly. With rice, the flour isn't necessary, methinks.</i><br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/beef+stroganoff" rel="tag" target="_blank">beef+stroganoff</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-49830930232079693192007-08-05T13:08:00.000+08:002007-08-27T14:44:25.938+08:00Moussaka, with eggplant<s>We tried to put together a moussaka again today, this time with the eggplant. Here's what we did.</s> Updated on August 27th. We tried it again, this time with a bechamel sauce. It's optional, though, and you can just do it with a regular cheese mix. I've listed both options below.<br /><br /><b>Ingredients:</b><br /><br />250 g lean ground beef<br />garlic salt <br />pepper<br />1/4 cup tomato sauce<br />1/8 cup red wine<br />2 tbsp English brown sauce (ketchup will also do)<br />2 tomatoes, diced<br />olive oil<br />1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />1/8 tsp cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp allspice<br />dash of Tabasco<br />1 onion, finely chopped<br />1/2 an eggplant (we don't like eggplants much, so we kept it to a minimum), sliced<br /><br /><i>Cheese Mix/Bechamel Sauce:</i><br /><br />For an easy cheese mix: 1 egg, beaten and 1-1/2 cups quickmelt cheese, grated<br /><br />For bechamel sauce, also add:<br />1/2 cup milk<br />1/2 tbsp flour<br />1 additional egg, beaten<br /><br />1. Chop eggplant into small pieces and put in a cup with salt water. Allow to sit.<br /><br />2. Mix the tomato sauce, brown sauce, red wine, garlic salt (to taste) and pepper (to taste) into the beef. <br /><br />3. Caramelize the onions in olive oil. Add the beef until brown. Simmer until dry. <br /><br />4. While beef is simmering, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Celsius. <br /><br />5. Rinse the eggplant pieces, then fry the eggplant in olive oil in a separate pan.<br /><br />6. Prepare the easy cheese mix by beating the egg and mix in the grated cheese. To make the bechamel sauce instead, heat the milk and add the flour little by little, stirring constantly. Mix in the cheese and eggs, stirring until sauce has thickened. Remove from fire and allow to rest.<br /><br />7. When beef is done, season with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and Tabasco. Mix in the tomatoes.<br /><br />8. Place a layer of the eggplant on the bottom of a baking pan. Pour beef as the second layer. Top with the cheese mix/bechamel sauce.<br /><br />9. Bake for 20 minutes.<br /><br /><s>Yummy! Tastier than our last attempt, and cheesier. We didn't simmer the beef enough, though, so next time we'll dry the beef better.</s> It took more work, but this is probably more authentic because it has a proper sauce. Nonetheless, it's also good with just the simple cheese mix. <br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Greek+food" rel="tag" target="_blank">Greek+food</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-33412757093589568572007-08-05T10:24:00.002+08:002008-08-16T15:41:53.090+08:00Composting.The village where we live has implemented a composting policy. The garbage men who come to our village will no longer collect our biodegradable garbage: residents are encouraged, instead, to compost all of our biodegradable trash.<br /><br />For P600 each of us can buy a composting bin and 25-kilo sack of special composting soil. The composting bin is a plastic drum with the bottom cut out and holes drilled into the body, meant to be placed in the garden. However, any container can actually take its place; some people just use a circle of wiremesh (the wire improves air circulation) in their garden. The soil has some fertilizer and microorganisms in it already, to make the decomposition process happen more quickly, but again, regular soil can also be used. Some people don't use soil at all, but without soil, it might be slightly more difficult to find the right mix of organic trash to activate the decomposition process; moreover, one has to be a little more judicious about what kind of organic waste to compost (see below). <br /><br /><b>What can be composted?</b> Technically, anything that's organic, although websites I consulted recommend that manure and urine from carnivorous animals (such as dogs and cats), diseased plants, and ash from charcoal <i>not</i> be home-composted, because the heat of home composting piles rarely reaches the intensity necessary to kill pathogens that can spread disease and illness to other plants or, if the waste seeps into water sources, to humans. When soil <i>isn't</i> used, it's also a good idea to avoid using meat, milk, dairy and fish products, as rodents and other animals may come and try to dig these out of the composting heap. Those planning to use the compost to fertilize vegetable patches might also want to avoid adding weeds to their compost pile, so the weeds don't spread to their vegetable patches. Wood scraps (from untreated wood), ash from untreated wood, food scraps, fruits and vegetables, garden trimmings, shredded black and white newspaper, shredded clean (unwaxed) paper, shredded toilet paper, manure from vegetarian animals, shredded cardboard rolls, shredded cardboard cereal boxes (if unwaxed), coffee grounds and filters, cotton or wool (i.e., natural) rags, lint from driers and vacuum cleaners, crushed eggshells, hair and fur, nut shells, tea bags, sawdust, and dead leaves all can be composted without problems.<br /><br /><b>The composting process is simple.</b> First, organic trash needs to be cut into small pieces to hasten decomposition. It is best if the bottom of the composting heap is well-aerated, either by using a composting bin with holes in the bottom, or by putting an initial layer of wood materials and scraps that can allow air to pass through. After this, the bottom layer of the heap should be a two-inch layer of soil or nitrogen-rich garbage ("green stuff" such as fresh grass clippings, kitchen vegetable scraps, manure from vegetarian animals, or [brace yourself for this] a bit of human urine). The next layer (no thicker than two inches) can be any kind of organic garbage (this is the layer where carbon-rich waste is concentrated: "brown garbage" such as dead leaves, newspaper, and wood scraps), followed again by a two-inch layer of soil or nitrogen-rich garbage. As trash accumulates, this process of layering continues. It is helpful to keep the heap covered so it doesn't get too wet with rain, and so rodents or animals will not try to dig through the composting heap.<br /> <br />If your compost bin is made up of a lot of food, watering the compost heap isn't necessary, because kitchen scraps contain a lot of water. (I think the humidity of the Philippines also helps to keep the composting heap moist.) Compost bins composed of very dry materials, however, need to be watered a little until damp (not too much!) as each layer is added.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/composting/the_look_of.html">In ideal conditions, composting takes just three to six weeks.</a> The compost heap will first warm up then will begin to cool. In ideal conditions, it should emit a sweet, earthy aroma. When conditions are less than ideal (e.g., heap is too dry, too wet, or has too little nitrogen-rich materials), decomposition may take a bit longer. You can correct this easily, depending on the problem. If the pile is not warming up, add more nitrogen-rich materials, sprinkle with water, and turn the pile a little with a rake or shovel. If the pile has a foul garbage-like odor, add more nitrogen-rich materials. If the pile is too wet and soggy, add more dry materials (such as dried leaves), and turn the pile.<br /><br />After the compost heap is warmed up and then cooled, the compost heap is almost ready! Turn over the pile, to allow the bottom to dry. When done, the compost can be used as a thin layer of fertilizer for the garden and for house plants. <br /><br />=======<br /><br />Our homeowners' association in our village resells composting soil, but if you're interested you can contact Lacto Asia Pacific Corporation, the suppliers of Happy Soil at 7761511 or email address lactoasia[at]yahoo[dot]com.<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/composting" rel="tag" target="_blank">composting</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-1236330856961335582007-07-22T15:15:00.000+08:002007-07-22T15:20:11.772+08:00Deep-fried tofu with teriyaki sauce1 block firm tofu, chopped into 4 cubes<br />Japanese breadcrumbs<br />1 large egg, beaten<br />salt<br />chili powder<br />teriyaki sauce<br />vegetable oil<br /><br />Mix 1/2 tsp chili powder and a pinch of salt with the breadcrumbs. Dip each cube of tofu into the egg, and then coat well with breadcrumbs. Heat the oil, and when sufficiently hot, deep fry the tofu cubes in the oil until well-browned. Allow to dry on a paper towel before moving to a service dish.<br /><br />In a separate pan, heat some teriyaki sauce. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the tofu cubes. Serve.<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tofu" rel="tag" target="_blank">tofu</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121873905926457624.post-24886174406341470052007-07-22T14:17:00.000+08:002007-07-22T15:23:30.374+08:00Moussaka, without the eggplantWe tried to put together a moussaka yesterday, but we didn't have eggplant, so it became a moussaka without eggplant.<br /><br />Here's what we did.<br /><br />250 g lean ground beef<br />1 egg<br />1 cup quickmelt cheese, grated<br />salt and pepper<br />2 potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch<br />1/4 cup tomato sauce<br />1/4 cup red wine<br />1 tomato, diced<br />olive oil<br />1/2 tsp oregano<br />1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />1/4 tsp cinnamon<br />1 onion, finely chopped<br /><br />1. Fry the potatoes slices in vegetable oil. When done, allow oil to drain on a paper towel.<br /><br />2. In a separate pan, cook the beef and onions in olive oil, until beef is brown. Season with oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. <br /><br />3. When beef is brown, add tomato sauce and red wine. Simmer until dry, mixing in the tomatoes towards the end. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br />4. Beat the egg and mix in the grated cheese.<br /><br />5. Place a layer of potato slices on the bottom of a baking pan. Pour beef as the second layer. Top with the cheese mix.<br /><br />6. Bake for 20 minutes.<br /><br />The dish was yummy, but next time we'll add more cheese (around half a cup more) and do something more with the sauce. We'll also probably add some Tabasco to spice it up a little. And next time, we'll do it with the eggplant. :)<br /><br /><small>Find other people blogging about: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Greek+food" rel="tag" target="_blank">Greek+food</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0