Junblog

April 7, 2010

How to Make Tortilla Soup

Why do I love a bowl of tortilla soup? There’s plenty of reasons: the crunchy tortilla strips, the hot salty chicken soup, and the endless garnish possibilities that add texture and flavor to this wonderful comfort food. Squeeze some lime to add a little tang. Throw in some jicama to add a little sweetness, some…

April 5, 2010

Starting an Herb Garden: How to Grow Herbs in Pots at Home

I’ve been putting it off and I’m blaming the cold and not procrastination for it. But since Spring is here, or at least I hope it is, I have no more excuse but to finally commit to growing my own herb garden. Ever since we moved to the Dogpatch last year, Dennis and I have…

April 2, 2010

Ube Ice Cream Sandwiches with Mitchell’s Ice Cream and Homemade Pan de Sal

Even after twelve years living in the Bay Area, Good Fridays here still feel strange. Back in the Philippines, everything comes to a halt. Everything slows down and everyone gets to spend a four-day holiday with family and friends. Well, technically it’s more like a four-day retreat from the world. Here it’s different. The hustle…

March 31, 2010

How to Make Decadent Brownies

With still a lot of Venezuelan chocolate left from my strawberry and marshmallow dipping craze and with a dessert task at hand for a dinner party we were invited to, I decided to make brownies from Ad Hoc at Home. I like my brownies super moist and rich. Thomas Keller has a great simple recipe…

March 29, 2010

Inventive Filipino Street Food at San Francisco’s Outside In 3 Event

The reason I started a Twitter account not too long ago wasn’t that I wanted to tweet incessantly about what I’m eating (although I must admit that I do this more often now). The reason was that I wanted to follow the burgeoning San Francisco street food scene. What are they cooking? What are they…

March 27, 2010

How to Make Chocolate-Dipped Peeps Marshmallow Bunnies and Chicks

Peeps are adorable. The soft sugary crunch. Bright yellow and blue. Long soft bunny ears. Brown eyes and nose. And those often-flattened chick beaks. But how do you take these delightful marshmallows up to the next level? I love them just the way they are, straight out of cellophane-covered boxes, but I love them even…

March 25, 2010

How to Make Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Hello Gorgeous! as the great Barbra would say. Gorgeous sunny weather. Gorgeous fresh produce. Gorgeous sweet strawberries. What’s the best way to celebrate the arrival of Spring? By dipping gorgeous sweet strawberries in tasty Venezuelan chocolate. Making Chocolate Dipped Strawberries 6 oz unsweetened chocolate 1 lb fresh sweet strawberries, rinsed and patted dry Coarsely chop…

March 24, 2010

How to Make Pan de Sal (Filipino Bread Rolls) at Home

As I was making corned beef hash the other day, I wistfully realized that I would have to drive over 12 miles outside the city, toward the coast, to the city of Pacifica if I wanted fresh-out-of-the-oven hot pan de sal to go with my corned beef. I suddenly missed home. Pan de sal is…

March 22, 2010

How to Make Canned Corned Beef Hash, Filipino-Style

I am a huge fan of slow cooking and making things from scratch at home but I have to admit I have one guilty pleasure, among many others, that I certainly cannot live without. I have an indescribable affection for canned corned beef. It’s my comfort food in a can. Once the delightful aroma of…

March 18, 2010

How to Make Corned Beef Hash with Eggs

Corned beef hash with eggs is one of my all-time favorite breakfasts. I love my hash chunky and crusty with a good 2-to-1 corned beef-to-potatoes ratio. Some people add red and green bell peppers and spring onions but I like them plain and simple: corned beef sautéed in olive oil and butter with onions and…

March 17, 2010

Best Corned Beef Sandwich in the City

Sentinel serves corned beef at its finest with cabbage, Russian dressing and Swiss on tasty focacia. Their lunch menu consists of hot and cold sandwiches, salads and soups with specials that change everyday. Sentinel is lunch-to-go in the Financial District at New Montgomery Street and Stevenson Alley, a block away Market Street. On a lovely…

March 16, 2010

How to Make a Reuben Sandwich

There are so many reasons why making your own corned beef brisket is so cool. One of them is being able to make Reuben sandwiches at home anytime of the year, Saint Paddy’s Day or not. Reuben Sandwich Recipe rye bread, sliced butter Swiss cheese sauerkraut Russian or Thousand Island dressing corned beef (here is…

March 15, 2010

How to Make Corned Beef Brisket, Nitrate-Free at Home

I was going through the list of things I need for making corned beef brisket and was surprised to discover one odd ingredient: salt peter, the form of potassium nitrate, KNO3, that occurs naturally, used in the manufacture of fireworks, fluxes, and gunpowder. I checked the recipe twice and thought I read it right. Salt…

March 12, 2010

How to Make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Now that I’ve introduced you to Filipino roadside fruit stands overflowing with pineapples and produce and I’ve showed you how to cut a pineapple fresh from the farm, I’m going to share with you how to make one of my all-time favorites: pineapple upside-down cake. Thomas Keller has an amazingly simple recipe that uses fresh…

March 10, 2010

How to Peel and Cut a Fresh Pineapple

Ever since I moved to California I longingly crave for fresh Philippine pineapples every now and then. Of course there are Hawaiian pineapples readily available and the canned ones are absolutely not bad at all but sometimes I miss those sweet golden pineapples freshly picked from the farm and peeled and cut at home. They…

March 8, 2010

Filipino Roadside Fruit Stands

A road trip in the Filipino countryside will not be complete without pulling off the road and shopping for the freshest and sweetest fruits. These roadside markets offer the very best deals on the freshest produce that may have probably been picked that same day from a farm not too far away. For example: sweet…