Wipe Away The Stresses Of Today

ryeness finds profound satisfaction in making dinner for his beloved T.

Moong ki dhal and basic chicken adobo to wipe away the stresses of today.

--via Twitter

Moong Ki Dhal

1 cup Moong Dhal (picked, washed, soaked for 1/2 hour)

1 pc onion (medium sliced finely)

1 tsp Nigella

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ground fenugreek

1 tsp (each) chopped ginger and garlic

1/2 tsp (each) cumin and mustard seeds

2 pcs chopped tomatoes

10 pcs curry leaves (optional)

water

oil

fresh coriander

red chillies

Salt & pepper to taste

• Brown onions in oil on medium heat.
• Add ginger, garlic, spice, and fry a bit
• Drain dhal, add to pot. Mix
• Add 2 cups of water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer.
• Add tomatoes. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander.

Happy Birthday Meal

The pansit guisado (Chinese-style Filipino noodles) is a very customary birthday grub for Filipino families. Our superstitious grandparents believe it symbolizes (and spawns) good health and long life. It is usually paired with a deep-fried dish, like lumpiang shanghai (Filipino ground pork spring rolls) or, even more popular with kids, fried chicken.

Tonight, I served this very simple yet very comforting birthday meal to celebrate the Second Year Anniversary of my Smoking Cessation. I am turning 31 this year and I have smoked for 17 years. That's more than half of my life! Two years, I believe, is a remarkable achievement in itself.

Happy 2nd Rebirth-day, Lungs!

Cheat Day Sunday

For this week's cheat day, I had planned to cook crabs in coconut milk. But because it took me and Enan until past 6 in the evening to haul my lazy brown ass to the wet market, we didn't manage to find nice crabs. What's left from the day's affordable lot were the malnourished rejects. And what's left of what we would have loved to purchase, was priced at $98 each! So including all the other minor ingredients, we would've shelled out more than $400 for our household dinner tonight. A change of plans was in order.

After fifteen minutes of mincing around the wet market and an additional half an hour in the supermarket, Enan and I finally decided to go for

Baked Ground Pork-Stuffed Squid*

served with sinful steamed white rice, of course

Just as delectable, but a lot less pricey. We even had some more money left to pick up some stuff to make this with--

Homemade Chocolate SoyMilkshake

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*original recipe from La Rems (my mom), recreated from memory

The Nerve!

Tomorrow, my ballet kids will go into their RAD Examination. They're kids and it should be easy. It would take them a great deal of effing up to not be given a certificate. They're bright, adorable and they've been really good students. I shouldn't be worried.

But I am. And only because this is the first time I am entering students for exams. They're my first. And tomorrow's RAD Exam is just the beginning of this week's examathon. In a few days, my Speech & Drama and Musical Theatre kids will be doing their Trinity Guildhall Young Performers' certification. Nerves, nerves galore! And I joked about it, but part of me means it. I know that back in my youth and days as a student-- academic, or otherwise-- I've been a nightmare to my teachers. I am praying to the Universe that my kids don't get dragged into my karma.

To calm myself a little bit, I decided to putter a little bit in the kitchen, and make my T dinner. Thanks for teaching me the technique, Tita Mike!

Pinaupong manok

(Traditional Filipino whole chicken pot roast)

served with mixed greens and Hainanese dip

Celebration and Frustration

Vegan lunch in honor of Remi La Mama for Mother's Day.

Masoor Dal Baghar

Greens and Beetroot salad

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Went to the mall to get myself an iPad2, but they were out of stocks. So I headed to the supermarket and picked up stuff for dinner, just so I don't go home empty-handed.

Carrot, Pumpkin & Ginger Soup

Blanched Spinach with Spring Onions, Pineapple Juice & Bagoong

Assorted Grilled Meats

Apres-Batis Late Lunch

Late lunch.

Leftover Salad, Red Dhal in Garam Masala and Tamarind Soup and Jamie Oliver-Inspired Chorizo Omelette

Happy Labour Day! Goodbye Osama!

Pasta Moira

Sunday, 01 May 2011

Moira Sauce:

Pre-fried capsicum & shitake mushrooms

Garlic

Fresh tomatoes

Salt & pepper

Tuna chunks

Black olives

Dried Cloves

Capers

Chorizo

Fresh basil

Salad:

Tomatoes

Chopped coriander

Blanched broccoli

Spring onions

Potatoes

Black olives

Roasted garlic

Sesame oil

Fish sauce

Balsamic vinegar

Parmesan

Chicken Shitake in White Wine

Monday, 25 April 2011, Kitchen Experiment:

Chicken Shitake in White Wine

Chicken, shitake & capsicum in white wine, olive oil & fresh sweet basil, served with Thai-inspired broccoli salad salad. Bon appe- T!

Saute garlic.

Pre-fry capsicum. Pre-fry shitake mushrooms.

Fry shallots in olive oil.

Add chicken.

Pour in white wine. Simmer and reduce.

Add olives.

Add capers.

Add coarsely chopped sweet basil.

Simmer.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Toss:

Roasted Garlic

Tomatoes

Chopped coriander

Blanched Broccoli

Spring Onions

Back For Seconds

So I've decided to give it a second chance. This blog, I mean. Give this blog a second chance. My objective has changed, so I'm hoping I won't just abandon it anymore the way I did, almost two years ago.

The recipes will come soon, but for now, here's Swiss Chef Noelito, to re-preheat this blog.

My Boyfriend Is Cheating

I never saw it coming. Ever.

But often, I found myself wondering why and how. Why it was always peculiarly perfect, and how managed to make it so. I never found the answer. Or a clue to the answer.

So I started questioning myself. Maybe it was I who had the problem. Who was the problem. And then I started punishing myself for not being able to measure up.

Today, as I opened the door that only last night, he had shut, I found the answer. It has been right there all along, waiting to face me.

CleverRice. It's for people like T, who grew up never having to worry about cooking rice, because they really didn't eat it much. And for people like me, who grew up in a country that eats rice at least 3 times a day, we never had to worry about cooking rice manually because every household has a rice cooker.

Hard to overcook. Perfect. Always.