Uncategorized
April 21, 2024 Leave a comment In Uncategorized

Ingredients

  • 1⅔ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstarch
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt – omit if using salted butter
  • ⅓ cup (80 g) unsalted butter – room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (70 g) unflavored vegetable oil – I use canola/avocado oil
  • ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (150 g) soft brown sugar – in the US use light soft brown sugar
  • ⅔ cups (150 g) black sesame paste
  • 3 large eggs – room temperature
  • 1½ tsps vanilla extract/essence
  • 1 cup (225 g) buttermilk – room temperature

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees without fan on for even slow heating.
  • Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • Cream the white sugar, brown sugar, black sesame and oil until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg, one at a time, slowly incorporating for about 15 seconds.
  • Add the Vanilla and Buttermilk.
  • Fold in your dry ingredients.
  • Put in 3x 6″ pans of 2x 8″ pans. Cooking times will vary depending on size of pan.
  • Bake 6″ pans for 37 minutes. 8″ pans for 30-35 minutes. Use cake tester.

Note: Can reduce the sugar. I would use 1/2 cup of white and brown sugar to reduce sweetness.

Uncategorized
February 19, 2024 Leave a comment In Uncategorized

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of Chuck Roast
  • 1 cup of Soy Sauce
  • 3/4 cup of Calamansi Juice
  • Water*
  • Cornstarch Slurry
  • 6 Garlic Cloves
  • 1-2 White Onions

      Directions

      • Brown your chuck roast (optional) but leave it whole. Add the soy sauce, calamansi juice, garlic cloves (you can mince or leave it whole) and the white onions (cut into rings or diced, your preference) into the slow cooker.
      • Slow cook for 12 hours until the meat can be shredded apart. Take the meat out of the sauce, increase the heat of the sauce and adjust the taste with water/soy sauce or more acidity. Once you’re happy with the sauce, add a cornstarch slurry of 2 Tbsp of cornstarch and cold water mixed in. Let it simmer or boil until the sauce thickens.
      • Shred the meat and pour sauce onto the meat.

      *NOTE: This makes more sauce than what I’ve used so you can reduce the sauce to 3/4 cup of soy sauce and 1/2 cup of Calamansi juice probably. I used the Calamansi bottled concentrate but can use lemon.

      Uncategorized
      November 10, 2023 Leave a comment In Uncategorized

      Ingredients

      • 6 Sticks Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
      • 15 Cloves of Garlic
      • 1/4 cup of soy sauce

      Directions

      • Put unwrapped butter in a bowl and let it come to room temperature for 1-2 hours
      • Cut off the stems off of 15 garlic cloves, place in a food processor
      • Add the soy sauce to the food processor and mix until smooth.
      • Slowly mix it into the butter

      Keep in the refrigerator for a week or freezer for 6 months.

      Dessert
      July 18, 2023 Leave a comment In Dessert

      Ingredients

      • 2 pints of whipping cream
      • 7 oz of Condensed Milk (half of a 14 oz can – original recipe calls for the full can, too sweet)
      • 1.5 cups of Water (cold)
      • 1 3.4 oz package of instant Vanilla Pudding (Jell-O, NOT the cook kind) or the Banana Pudding
      • 5-6 Bananas (entirely yellow, no speck of brown yet)
      • Graham Crackers or Nilla Wafers (~1 box – original recipe calls for Nilla Wafers)

      Directions

      • Mix the milk with the water and vanilla pudding; set overnight
      • Whip whipping cream until stiff peaks
      • Combine the whipped cream with the pudding mixture
      • Layer with a bit of the cream + banana + wafers + cream + banana + wafers etc.
      • Let set for 5 hours or overnight

      Note: If you don’t have time to have it set, do a quick dip of the graham crackers / wafers into milk to soften prior to layering. Enough to make 3 layers in a 9×13 foil pan.

      Meats
      July 18, 2023 Leave a comment In Meats

      Ingredients

      • 2 Tbsp of Oil
      • 2 Tbsp of minced Garlic
      • 1 cup of Gochuchang (mild) OR Ssamjang if you don’t want it as spicy
      • 3/4 cup of Mirin
      • 3/4 cup Rice Vinegar
      • 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce (light or dark or regular)
      • 1/3 cup of Sugar (brown sugar for added depth if desired)
      • 3/4 cup Ketchup
      • 1 1/2 cup of water (or bone broth/stock for more flavor)
      • 3-4 lbs of boneless Short Rib OR ~6 lbs if with bone
      • Pepper to taste

      Directions

      • Preheat oven to 350F
      • Whisk all the ingredients together *except* the meat to make sauce
      • Put meat in dutch oven, pour sauce on top and cover
      • Bake for 3-4 hours (~3 hours if no bones, 4 hours if with bones) covered
      • Remove cover and bake for another 30-45 minutes or until sauce thickness desired is achieved
      • Skim off fat from the surface
      Salads, Sides & Starters, To Try, Vegetable Dishes
      July 12, 2023 Leave a comment

      Ingredients

      Roasted Mushrooms

      • 700g/ 1.4 lb small whole white mushrooms or halved larger ones
      • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
      • 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
      • 1/2 tsp black pepper
      • 5 sprigs fresh thyme (sub 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
      • 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
      • 2 garlic cloves, smashed

        Balsamic Marinade

        • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
          • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

          Directions

          • Preheat oven to 200°C/375°F (180°C fan).
          • Season – Put mushrooms into a roasting pan (not tray, easier to mix well in pan). They can be snug but should be in a single layer (mushrooms shrink ~25-30%). Toss with olive oil first. Then add salt, pepper, thyme and garlic (minced & whole), then toss again.
          • Roast 35 minutes, tossing well at the 20 minute mark, or until the mushrooms are browned and soft.
          • Marinade – While hot, transfer mushrooms into a bowl (including all the juices). Add balsamic and olive oil. Toss well.
          • Marinate 2 to 24 hrs – Let the mushrooms cool and marinate for 2 hours (uncovered), tossing once or twice, or for even better flavour, marinate overnight (covered in fridge once cool).
          • Serving – Always serve at room temperature or slightly warmed, for best flavour. And don’t waste the juices – it’s full of flavour!

          Note: Serving options – As part of a grazing board, on polenta or mash as a meal, on toast slathered with goats cheese or cream cheese, on the side of fried eggs, on creamy risotto or risoni/orzo.

          Dessert, Snack, Tips and Tricks
          June 6, 2023 Leave a comment In Dessert, Snack, Tips and Tricks

          Ingredients

          • 8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter
          • 1 cup (4 oz) non-fat milk powder

          Directions

          • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
          • Stir in the milk powder and let it cook low and slow until the powder is browned to a toasty hazelnut color.
          • Pour through a sieve over a bowl.
          • Reserve the clarified brown butter. Store in separate air-tight containers in the freezer or fridge.
          Meats
          May 30, 2023 Leave a comment In Meats

          Ingredients

          • 8 x 10-12 oz (about 6lb total) Beef Short Ribs
          • 2 tbsp Canola Oil or Avocado Oil
          • 2 Tbsp finely minced Garlic (5-6 cloves)
          • 1 c Gochuchang (mild)
          • 3/4 cup Mirin
          • 3/4 cup Rice Vinegar
          • 3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
          • 1/3 c Sugar
          • 3/4 cup Ketchup
          • 1 1/2 c Water or Broth
          • Optional: Sesame Seeds & Green Onions to Garnish

          Directions

          • Preheat the oven to 350F
          • Korean BBQ sauce: Mix the ingredients in a bowl then pour into a 13×9 inch metal or ceramic roasting pan. Add the beef ribs, turn to coat in the sauce, then position meat-side down in the sauce (bone facing up). Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
          • Bake for 4 hours. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.
          • Turn the ribs so the meat is facing up and spoon the sauce over the ribs and bake for another 30 minutes until the surface of the ribs is caramelized and meat is fall-apart tender.
          • Transfer the ribs onto a serving platter.
          • Finish the sauce: Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce in the pan, then mix until smooth and serve on the side or on top of the ribs.

          Yield: Serves 8.

          Seafood
          May 30, 2023 Leave a comment In Seafood

          Fish Seasoning Ingredients

          • 4 firm white fish fillets, about 6 inches long, 1-inch thickness throughout (cod, halibut, or mahi mahi are great, salmon)
          • Salt and Pepper to taste
          • 1 tsp paprika
          • 1 tsp garlic powder
          • 1 tsp onion powder
          • Olive or Avocado Oil

          Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients

          • 3 Tbsp of butter
          • Juice and zest from 1 medium lemon
          • ½ tsp kosher salt, plus extra to taste
          • 1 Tbsp of dried parsley or a small handful of chopped, fresh parsley
          • Black pepper to taste
          • 4-6 cloves of minced garlic

          Directions

          • Coat the fish with oil and season with salt, pepper, and all the fish seasonings.
          • Broil the filets until cooked through
          • To make the sauce, melt the butter and add the remaining ingredients until the garlic is softly cooked; you can also choose to brown the butter first, for added flavor.

          Optional: freshly chopped basil or parsley leaves, for garnish and flavor and extra lemon slices to put on the fish or squeeze

          I also recommend marinating the fish in full-fat milk for at least 30 minutes to get rid of the fishy smell.

          Dessert, Snack
          May 20, 2023 Leave a comment In Dessert, Snack

          Ingredients

          • 1/4 cup (56 g) salted butter softened
          • 1/4 cup (59 ml or 75 g) full-fat sweetened condensed milk (flavored condensed milk works beautifully)
          • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (105 g) cornstarch

          Directions

          • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
          • In a large mixing bowl, mix together softened butter and condensed milk until butter is completely incorporated and your mixture is smooth.
          • Add cornstarch. Mix in the cornstarch until a soft dough forms. If your dough is too sticky, add in 1 tbsp of cornstarch and stir only until the cornstarch is incorporated.
          • Measure out 1/2 tbsp of dough (or use a small melon baller) and roll into a ball between the palm of your hands. Place onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies at least one inch apart. Press down very lightly on each dough ball with the palm of your hand (or a fork if you want to be fancy), so that it forms a thick round disk. Your disks should be quite thick (about 7/16 inch) because the cookies spread during baking.
          • Bake cookies for about 15 minutes or until the edges turn lightly brown. Let cookies cool before serving. If desired, you can dust the tops with powdered sugar as they are only lightly sweet.

          Notes

          I typically double this recipe and recommend to chill the cookies before baking.

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