Food articles posted in Feb 2008

Valentine’s Day cheesecake

Because my kids have fallen in love with streusel topping (see the blueberry streusel cupcakes and strawberry streusel cake entries), I wondered if I could create a cheesecake crust with a similar feel and taste. Of course, it would have to be more dense and compact, not light and crumbly. I also wondered if cream cheese and mascarpone are the only varieties of cheese that can be used for French-type cheesecakes. I did a little experiment and this cheesecake was the result.

Powdered dashi

This is Hon Dashi, Ajinomoto’s flagship product. I’ve been looking for dashi everywhere and these dashi granules (8 packets per bag) seemed most practical in terms of storage. Bought them at the Antipolo branch of Shopwise.
For the uninitiated, dashi is a soup stock which is the base for many Japanese soups and stews, including the [...]

Shaoxing rice wine

Named after a city that became famous for its rice wine, Shaoxing is a superior Chinese rice wine that should not be confused with the Japanese sake or mirin. Shaoxing wine is low in alcohol and is good for drinking and cooking. In non-Asian countries, dry sherry is often the recommended substitute.
Bought the bottle of [...]

Valentine’s Day breakfast 1: German corned beef, cabbage and mushroom soup

Going out for Valentine’s Day? We rarely do. It’s just too crowded everywhere and crowded places aren’t my idea of fun nor romance. Besides, it’s a regular working day and school day and mothers aren’t exempt from chores just because it’s Valentine’s Day. BUT that doesn’t mean we can’t have a few special things in the house. Finally bought a kilo of German corned beef…

Mango custard

This is my second attempt at making mango custard. The first one, a couple of months ago, was a total disaster and it took me a long time to muster the guts to try again. Yes, the first attempt was that bad. Traumatic. Terribly traumatic. It’s the kind of failure that makes me ask myself if I can really cook at all.

Jams and jellies

We used to keep a variety of jams, jellies and marmalades in the fridge — strawberry, guava, apricot, grape… Maybe we suffered from an overload and no one seems to hot over jams and jellies these days. In fact, it’s been ages since I last bought a jar or jam or jelly. The jars of [...]

Extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil is something you can’t do without if you have kids who love pasta almost as much as they love rice. I used to keep two bottles at any give time — extra virgin olive oil (for salads) and olive oil (for cooking) — but I only use extra virgin olive oil these days [...]

Oyster sauce

I’m partial to Lee Kum Kee but, sometimes, the cheaper prices of the other brands are too much to resist. Lee Kum Kee’s oyster sauce is still my favorite.

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Amateur baker

• Strawberry streusel cake
• Corn muffins a la Kenny Rogers
• Food for the gods
• Martha Stewart’s plum coffee muffins
• Heavenly lemon-orange cheesecake
• Oatmeal, mango and cheese pie
• Chocolate and mango tart
• Lemon squares
• Corn bread
• My first apple pie

Oh, so sweet!

• Mango and jelly (jango) dessert
• Mango-rum sorbet
• Mandarin Orange Royale
• Midnight snack: crepes, bananas and guava jelly
• Crepes a la mode
• Peaches and cream
• Mocha pudding
• Chocolate coated gummy bears
• Refrigerator cake
• Easy dessert crepes

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