Rainbow Cupcakes

Christmas is just around the corner and I am already planning of what to bake to give away or sell (if there are orders). For sure I will be baking Red Velvet cupcakes.  Today, I experimented on Rainbow Cupcakes which I picked from the internet.  Instead of buttercream or marshmallow icing, I used the same Cream Cheese Frosting that I use for the Red Velvet Cupcakes. (refer to Cream Cheese frosting posted with the Red Velvet Cupcakes)  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:  (makes 24 cupcakes)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1.2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

3 eggs

red, blue, green, yellow food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper baking cups. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until evenly blended; set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
3. Divide the cake batter into four separate bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring into one bowl of batter and stir; add more food coloring, if necessary, to reach the desired shade. Repeat with the remaining colors and bowls of batter.
4. Using a different spoon for each color batter, spoon a small spoonful of each color into the cupcake liners, until 1/2 to 3/4 full. Do not mix the batter once it is in the cupcake liner. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Bibimbap Run

Dolsot bibimbap with squid

The first time ever for me to try bibimbap was during my visit to Korea last September.  I ate bibimbaps five times during my four-day stay!  Bibimbap is a Korean dish that literally means "mixed rice".  It is warm white rice topped with namul (sauteed vegetable) and gochujang (chili pepper paste).  A raw or fried egg and slivers of meat are common additions.  The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. 

Dolsot version already mixed up

Vegetables used in bibimbap include cucumber, zucchini, mu (daikon), mushrooms, doraji (bellflower root), gim, spinach, soybean sprouts, and gosari (black fern stems).  Dubu (tofu) and lettuce may be added.  Chicken or seafood may be substitited for beef.

A variation of this dish, dolsot bibimbap, is served in a very hot stone bowl in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl.

The unglamorous  looking bibimbap served in an aluminum bowl was the cheapest but yummiest we have tried!

Beautiful bibimbap served at the museum coffee shop : so-so...

Night Out: The French Concession, Shanghai

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:  The Shanghai French Concession (Chinese: 上海法租界; pinyin: Shànghǎi Fǎ Zūjiè, French: La concession française de Shanghaï) was a French concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1946, and it was progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in practice in 1943 when the Vichy French government signed it over to the pro-Japanese puppet government in Nanking. The area covered by the former French Concession was, for much of the 20th century, the premier residential and retail districts of Shanghai, and was also the centre of Catholicism in Shanghai. Despite rampant re-development over the last few decades, the area retains a distinct character, and is a popular tourist destination.

My friends and I were lucky to be brought to this place on our first day in Shanghai.  It is a quaint place with cute shops selling various knick knacks.  There are various discoveries in every alley.  Here are some of our photos:

Nanxiang Steamed Bun

One of the xaiolongbao places to be checked out in Shanghai we were told was Nanxiang Steamed Bun restaurant.  We were warned about the long queue but is surely worth the wait-  food is good and reasonably priced.  

View from inside the restaurant

On our visit to Yuyuan Garden, we saw a long line of people waiting to buy xaiolongbaos to go.  There were a lot of food shops in the place but we were intrigued of the queue.  We completely forgot that this was the xialongbao place our friend described to us days before.  After going around the garden and the shops, we decided to dine-in (queue was much shorter!). 

The ambiance may not be like Din Tai Fung's.  The steam baskets were a bit greasy. The xialongbaos were not as delectable  as Din Tai Fung's but Nanxiang is a good place to fill stomachs of hungry tourists like us.

But be forewarned - just beside Nanxiang is a place with quite a queue of people waiting to buy stinky tofu!

Matt Does It Again

Matt never ceases to amaze me.  While I was "away," I had come across his new video "Where the Hell is Matt 2012."  His videos always inspire me, I keep watching them over and over.  Not only are the videos amazing, the songs that he dances to are inspiring as well.  

Trip the Light

If all the days that come to pass
Are behind these walls
I’ll be left at the end of things
In a world kept small
Travel far from what I know
I’ll be swept away
I need to know
I can be lost and not afraid
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
When we trip the light
Remember we’re lost together
Remember we’re the same
We hold the burning rhythm in our hearts
I'll find my way home
On the Western wind
To a place that was once my world
Back from where I’ve been
And in the morning light I’ll remember
As the sun will rise
We are all the glowing embers
Of a distant fire
We’re gonna trip the light
We’re gonna break the night
And we’ll see with new eyes
When we trip the light
Come on and trip the light
Music: Garry Schyman ©
Lyrics: Alicia Lemke and Matt Harding ©

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I love Red Velvet cakes and was thinking of giveaways when cupcakes came up.  I researched and found a good recipe from Portuguese Girl Cooks.  She shared Georgetown Cupcake's Red Velvet recipe.  For TLC viewers, DC Cupcakes stars two sisters who own Georgetown Cupcake.

Here's the recipe:

Red Velvet Cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake
Makes about 24 Cupcakes   
3 1/4 cups all-purpose 
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons liquid food colour, preferably no taste food colour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons natural cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Cream Cheese Icing
Makes enough to generously frost 24 cupcakes or one 2 layer 9” cake
16 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners sugar
16 ounces cream cheese (2 bars), cold and cut into 8 pieces
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the cupcakes:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffins tins with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and the sugar together and cream on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the food colouring, cocoa powder, and vanilla together until throughly combined and no lumps remain. Very slowly add to the mixer, and mix at low speed until well combined.
6. Add in one third of the flour mixture, mix until combined, then add in one third of the milk. Mix until combined and repeat adding in the flour then milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
7. In a small bowl, add the baking soda to the vinegar. Mix well and add to the batter. Mix until just incorporated, about 10 seconds.
8. Scoop batter into the muffin tin, filling them two-thirds full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost when completely cool.
For the icing:1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and confectioners sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add in the cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, until well blended, about 30 seconds. You may need to scrape the bowl after every other addition. Add in the salt and vanilla extract. Whip the icing on high speed for about 1 minutes to make it light and fluffy.
3. Use immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.
Cupcakes from The Cupcake Diaries: Recipes and Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake and frosting from Cooks Illustrated; Holiday Baking 2010

Trick Art Museum with the Kids

Nina was in town last summer and I decided to take her and her cousins to the Seriland Trick Art Museum at the Manila Ocean Park.  The Trick Art Museum creates the optical illusion that depicted objects really exist, instead of being just two-dimensional paintings.   It is a gallery of 3-dimensional painted on the wall and the floor. It may be surprising but a number of things that are discouraged at museums are allowed at the Trick Art Museum.  Taking pictures and coming in contact with the works on display, talking aloud and feeling free to make noise are accepted ways of enjoying the museum. How to get there:  Trick Art Museum is one of the attractions in Seriland.  It opened its doors to the public last November 2010 only. It is located at the 2nd level, South Wing of the Manila Ocean Park. And oh, don't ever forget to bring your camera!  Go ahead and become your own movie director!

Cebu Style Pork Belly

I have been craving for Cebu style lechon for the longest time and decided to recreate the Cebu flavor at home instead of buying lechon.  I researched and experimented until I finally came up with the taste that is quite similar and easy to make anytime, anywhere.

The three basic ingredients of the belly are tanglad leaves, sampaloc and green onions.  The first time I made the belly roll, I baked it all throughout.  It took more than four hours to finish (I had gone to the mall by then!) until it came out done.  The belly was good but a bit tough.  The second time I tried it, I boiled the pork belly in tanglad leaves, sampaloc powder, green onions in water with lots of salt.  This came out better and a lot more tender.  However, just make sure that the belly has generous layers of fat (don't worry, it will melt while boiling and baking!) so as it comes out juicy and tender.  There were times that my lechon came out dry because my mom always insists on using belly without too much fat.

You may roll the belly before boiling it.  Just spread a layer of the stuffing, roll the belly and tie it all up.  Another method (easier to bake too) is boiling the whole belly, cooling it off, making some slits and stuffing them with the tanglad, sampaloc, onion green onion mixture.  The trick to making the skin crispy is putting the belly in the freezer just before baking it.

Here's my recipe:

3 kilo boneless belly (liempo)

salt

tanglad (lemongrass)

sibuyas na mura (spring onions)

4 garlic segments

pepper

1 pack sinigang mix

water

Procedure 1:  Wash liempo and put in a pot.  Cover with enough water.  Throw in the tanglad leaves (leave the tender parts for the stuffing), a bunch of spring onions, half pack of singang mix, garlic and lots of salt and pepper.  Boil until tender.  Meanwhile, chop the tanglad and a bunch of green onions.  Mix in some salt, pepper and the rest of the sinigang powder.  Once the belly is cool enough, make some slits and stuff with the mixture.  Put the belly in the freezer for at last 2 hours.  Bake  for 1 hour in 350ºF.  Cool, chop and serve.

Procedure 2: (Rolled Belly): Wash liempo, put in mixture of tanglad, sinigang mix, green onions, salt and pepper and roll.  Tie securely.  Put in the pot, cover with water, throw in tanglad leaves, a bunch of spring onions, garlic, sinigang mix, salt and pepper.  Boil until tender. Put the belly in the freezer for at last 2 hours.  Bake  for 1 hour in 350ºF.  Cool, slice and serve.

Christmas Breakfast with Friends

This coming Christmas will be our 3rd  traditional Christmas Eve's breakfast at Cafe 1771 at El Pueblo, Ortigas.  This is our time to  wish dearest friends a happy Christmas before all the frenzy sets in.  Yearly, we order the yummy Pan de Sal with fried Kesong Puti served with the thickest, yummiest hot chocolate this side of the city.  Some go for the Tapa with Sinagag and Egg, Omelets and Eggs Benedict.  I go for the good old Pinoy almusal- and am looking forward to this year's breakfast.

Night Out: Xintiandi and The Bund, Shanghai

After a day long tour of the Bund and East Nanjing area, my friends and I decided to eat, a lot, at Xintiandi. We were so tired and had skipped our lunch because of the River cruise and the walk around the Bund.  We were a mighty hungry group so we walked around the crowded Xintiandi looking for a place to sit down, relax and eat.
We chanced upon Harbour Plaza,  a quite peaceful place and looked at the menu outside.  The ladies waiting outside said the RMB468 is a 9-course dinner enough to feed a group of four.  And RMB468 already included a whole Peking duck!  

We sat down and ordered.  We threw in a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice (at RMB100+!!).  The juice was so thick it made us even more thirsty.  We asked for ice cubes and there was a commotion as nobody spoke English; they sent three waiters to our table until they finally figured out we wanted ice cubes to go with our thick, mushy orange juice!  Ping!!  Finally, our orders started to come in.  It was a guessing game, each trying to figure out what fruit or veggie was being served.  Everything was picture perfect- pretty and not to mention, yummy.  We waited for the duck, one of the few recognizable entree (except perhaps the prawns with broccoli and the mixed fruit bowl!).  Yummy!  We pretended not the eat much because of the cholesterol but what the heck!  By the time the 6th entree was presented, we were already full and were no longer excited.  Actually, we wanted them to stop brining in the food as we were all stuffed to the brim!  We wanted to cancel dessert- the fruit bowl.  Here are some photos of the beautiful and yummy food we had that night.... and no, it was not just for 4 hungry people, it was good enough for 10! 

Chicken in Shaoxing Wine

So here's the recipe for the simple and yet delicious chicken dish which I fell in love with during a short trip to Shanghai:


Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken, dark meat preferably
2 Tbsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
0.5 oz. ginger, thinly sliced
4 – 6 green onion, white parts only, sliced lengthwise
1 1/2 C Shaoxing rice wine2 tsp white sugar

Ice cubes and water

Mix the salt with the two peppers. Rub the chicken all over with the salt and pepper and let it sit for an hour.

Now chose between poaching or steaming the chicken:

Steaming Method:  Bring water to a boil in the steamer. Place the chicken in an even layer, scatter the green onion and ginger all over and steam over medium heat for 30 – 40 minutes or until the internal temperature near the bone reaches 165 – 170 degrees F. If the chicken pieces are larger, they will take longer to steam. If any of the pieces are touching make sure to redistribute them in the middle of cooking so they cook evenly. Mix the ice cubes and water and shock the chicken in ice cold water for 2 minutes. If you poached the chicken, shock it after the chicken has cooled to room temperature. If you steamed the chicken, shock it immediately after steaming.


Poaching Method:  Bring 1.5 liters  of water to a boil in a  large pot, add the green onion bottoms and ginger. Add the chicken, make sure there is enough water to cover the chicken, and return to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer for 10 minutes. If you’re using a whole chicken, when the water is simmering for 10 minutes, lift the chicken out of the water and make sure the stock in the cavity empties back into the pot. Do that 3 times for a whole chicken. For chicken pieces or leg quarters, gently stir the pot once or redistribute the leg quarters so they cook evenly. After 10 minutes, cover, turn off the heat, and allow the chicken to poach undisturbed until the water cools almost to room temperature.

Serving: After cooking, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, or score the chicken meat with a knife. Put the chicken pieces into a large container. Mix 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the chicken stock (the liquid you poached the chicken in or the liquid that comes out of the chicken after steaming) with the sugar and rice wine. Taste the marinade and add salt if needed. Pour it over the chicken pieces and let this sit in the fridge at least overnight before serving. Serve cold.

Night Out: Din Tai Fung, Shanghai

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Din Tai Fung is an award-winning restaurant originating in Taiwan, specialising in xiaolongbao (small steamed buns).^[1] Outside its native Taiwan, Din Tai Fung also has branches in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United States and Thailand.

The characters in the name mean: 鼎, a type of cooking cauldron; 泰, peaceful; and 豐, abundant.

During my short visit to Shanghai, my friends and I saw to it that a visit to Din Tai Fung is on our itinerary.  And we were just so lucky to have the resto just down our hotel complex!  So on our first dinner in Shanghai, we all trooped down to Din Tai Fung at the Shanghai Centre.  We ordered a basket of their excellent xiaolongbaos, whose delicate folds and succulent skin make them arguably the best in Shanghai (regardless of shelling  out ten times the going rate of a stall on the street).  We ordered some fried rice, mushroom xiaolongbaos, some sweet and sour thing and the chicken in Shaoxing wine (which I later on recreated back in Manila- recipe to follow).  One of the best food finds in Shanghai!