Whatever, Forever

We just got back from a family trip to Hong Kong, and while inside the plane on our way to Manila, Trixie and I had this mother-daughter conversation.   I can say this is quite a cheesy conversation, but it's very memorable.

Trixie:  Mama, will you still love me if I'm bad like Tatay Ben?  (Tatay Ben was one of the characters in the Kapamilya teleserye "May Bukas Pa."  She saw this episode where Tatay Ben played by the late Johnny Delgado kidnapped little children and made them into beggars in the streets.)

Me:  Yup, I will still love you.

Trixie:  Will you still love me if I become a mirror?

Me:  Yup, I will still love you.

Trixie:  But you will be sad if I become a mirror?

Me:  Yup, I'll be very sad because you'll be so hard I cannot hug you.

Trixie:  Will you still love me if I become a statue?

Me:  Yes, I will still love you.  (I'm now thinking, where does she get such silly ideas??)

Trixie:  But you will be sad again?

Me:  Yup, I'll be sad because I cannot kiss you.

Me:  Trix, Mama will love you whatever and forever.

Trixie:  ______ (She said nothing at this point, but she flashed a big smile.)


Sigh.  I just love being a mom. :)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Description:
The kids loved this! Perfect with steaks and gravy! I got the recipe at the back of the box of Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Ingredients:
7 pcs. medium potatoes (around 1 kilo), peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic
1 box 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, cubed and softened at room temperature
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Boil potatoes and garlic in a large stock pot until the potatoes are cooked through, around 20 minutes.
Drain and return to pan (You may opt to reserve the liquid for future use as vegetable stock).
Add the cream cheese, butter and salt and mash away.

Mushroom Gravy

Description:
From the pan drippings from cooking the steak, you can make a most delightful gravy.

Ingredients:
Oil and drippings from cooking steak
2 Tbsps. butter, unsalted
3 cups fresh mushrooms, chopped (I used button and portabella)
2 Tbsps. flour
2 cups beef broth, hot (You can make instant beef broth by dissolving 1 beef bouillon cube in a liter of boiling water.)

Directions:
Using the same pan from cooking the steaks, add the butter and swirl until it melts. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the flavorful brown bits from the beef. Add the mushroom and cook until soft. Add the flour and cook until it turns light brown. Gradually add the beef broth while continually stirring. Season as you like. Cook until smooth and thick.

Tenderloin Steaks

Description:
The key to making superb steaks is getting the freshest beef you can find. I got these US Angus tenderloin steaks from Santi's.

Ingredients:
Tenderloin steaks, around 180-200 grams a piece
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Olive oil

Directions:
Let the steaks rest at room temperature before cooking. Generously season the steaks with salt and pepper at both sides right before cooking. Heat up a large saute pan, then add olive oil to coat the pan, and let it heat up until almost smoking. Sear the steaks, turning only once and not pressing the steaks down. I cooked the steaks for 2.5 minutes per side, and they came out medium rare. Set aside to rest before serving. Reserve the pan and drippings to make the gravy.

Father's Day Steak Dinner

We celebrated Father's Day yesterday with a steak dinner at home. Brandon's remark at dinner, "Panalo!" I've been reading a lot on how to sear a steak and you-tube was a big help too. I served the tenderloin steaks with garlic mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, plus organic salad to start off the meal. This is one of the best meals I've ever prepared, truly cooked with a lot of love.

Giada's Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Description:
This is by far the tastiest roast chicken I've ever made (and I've made a lot). I recently got Giada de Laurentiis' cookbook "Everyday Italian" and with this fantastic recipe from the book, I am officially a Giada fan. This is really easy to make and it's delish, trust me. In fact, I'm cooking this chicken dish again this week.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves


Directions:
Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Chinese Birthday Noodles (Cha Misua)

Description:
I've always wanted to make my friends and family feel special on their birthdays and I now have another way to do that--- by cooking this special Chinese birthday noodles. I've made this twice already, and with wonderful results. This is my version--- light because of the all-seafood toppings, but hearty since this is always cooked with love. Thanks to my mother-in-law and baker friend Johanna for the pointers.

Ingredients:
1 pack egg misua (the one in the red carton)
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 kilo small scallops
1/2 kilo suahe or small shrimps, shelled
6 large fresh shiitake mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 cup good broth, chicken or pork
Onion and garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper

Garnish:
3 eggs, beaten
6 pcs shallots, sliced into small rings
Cilantro

Directions:
First, prepare the noodles. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the egg misua until it softens. Drain and set aside.

In a large wok or skillet, saute the onions and garlic in oil. Add the carrots, cook for a minute, then add the mushrooms. Add the scallops and shrimps and cook until just done. Do not overcook or the scallops will become tough. Remove everything from the wok, leaving any liquids, and set aside.

In the same wok, add the broth, oyster sauce and soy sauce. Season to taste. Add the egg misua. Mix thoroughly. If noodles appear too dry, add a little broth, being careful not to add too much or the noodles will become too wet. Add back the seafood mix then make a quick stir. Top with garnish.

To make garnish:
In a small skillet, fry the shallots until light brown. Fry until it becomes light brown; don't wait for everything to be brown and crispy before removing from heat or it will be bitter. Set aside.

In the same skillet, make scrambled eggs. Remove from heat then cut into strips.