Radioactive Chili Project

I am convinced. Chili will never come out appetizing in photos. The other day, I made chili for the very first time and with my hi-tech 5 mega pixel camera (I'm trying to be sarcastic here because clearly, my camera stinks), I took a shot.

I have no idea why this photo is sideways, but it's not my fault. Wake up Blogger.com. Going back to the chili, I call it my "Radioactive Chili Project." My greatest fan, my 12-year old son Zach absolutely loved it. He loved it so much that he wanted to swim in it. But of course, with the small bowl, that's not possible -- and I'm being silly.

It was actually pretty easy making the chili. I have like a secret ingredient that I won't divulge, just because I'm a selfish, self-centered cook, but if you have ground beef, onions, fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, fresh chili (whatever you have in the house), beef stock, salt and pepper to taste, and gorgeous red beans -- you're good to go. All you have to do is cook the beans first, bring to boil, maybe 1 1/2 hours of cooking will do until tender. Saute the ground beef with the onions, garlic, and spices and add to the cooked beans. Add the tomato paste, stock, a bit of water, and season. Voila, radioactive chili is ready to serve.

I don't know about you folks, but cooking for me is not really all about the measurements and how anal you are about how much of this and that you have to put in the dish you're cooking. Aside from the basic techniques that you should master as a cook, it's also about your taste buds telling you that you either suck or rock. I've been cooking for a few years now and the first years were the most challenging. Now, I'm pretty comfortable in the kitchen and can whip up dishes in a jiffy based on what's in the ref or my cupboard.

Now, here's my question: can you call yourself a chef or, say, put up a culinary business just because you claim to have studied in some obscure culinary school after being "inspired" by cooking shows on TV?

Are cooks or chefs made (overnight after an epiphany while watching Mr. Ramsay say, "This looks like what's in my grandpa's colostomy bag!") or are they born with that innate talent to cook? Of course, when I say "born with it," I don't mean that you should come out of your mom's stomach with a spatula and a toque. What I mean is, you don't have to have a fancy degree in culinary arts. You should, however, maybe from a young age, have that genuine interest in cooking (I made my first muffin at the age of 8) along with that effortless something that allows you to create delicious dishes. "Effortless" being the operative word.

Some cook from the heart, and to me, they're the ones who really succeed in the culinary industry. In the same way that writers, to me, are born, not made. Case closed.

Bluejay Coffee's cheese roll, possibly the best cheese roll in Iloilo. Cheesy, sweet, soft. Heat it in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy. And my camera is possibly, the worst digital camera ever. I need to upgrade. Fast.

taking a breather

I just finished two articles for the newspaper and all that food writing has made me hungry. Had ibos (sticky rice) in the ref, so I fried them and sliced some mangoes to go with the delicacy. Ibos and mangoes -- comfort food for us Pinoys (particularly for Ilonggos) -- a delicious way to satisfy our starch and sugar craving without breaking the bank. To add to the yum factor, I slathered some butter and sprinkled sugar on the ibos -- fattening!

Anyway, this weekend, I'll be taking a breather. I had such a busy week. The kids are sleeping over at their grandpa's house, so hubby and I are catching the last Valkyrie show at the mall. Nothing like Tom Cruise, the Führer, and some addle-brained Nazis to complete my hectic, cuckoo week!

Marathon dining: Date night at Amalfi

Chef Miner with his kitchen staff at Amalfi

Manzo alla Griglia, Foie Gras with Salsa di Funghi and
Crema di Carrota e Patate

"Miner del Mundo, the infallible chef of AMALFI, Iloilo City’s newest and hottest Italian restaurant, has put together an unforgettable Valentine menu. The dinner will start out with Italian Bruschetta and U.S. Angus Carpaccio de Manzo. Then it will be followed by Zuppa de Asparagi (Asparagus soup), Insalata di Scampi e Salmone and Mescluno e Frutta del Giornio (shrimp, salmon, strawberry, and grape salad). If that won’t impress your date, then maybe the entrees will. Chef Miner will be preparing three sets of delectable dishes for you to choose from. There’s the luxuriously juicy Manzo alla Griglia (grilled tenderloin steak) topped with Foie Gras for those with sophisticated palates; the tasty Stuffato al Frutta di Mare (stewed seafood) and Scampi ala Griglia (grilled prawns) with Insalata del Giorno (salad of the day); and the deliciously comforting Rosemarino di Maiale (Rosemary pork chops) with Calamari Fritti (fried squid) and Salsa di Tartare. After your chosen entrata, a plate of perfectly cooked Pasta al Tutti di Mare (shrimp, squid, and salmon pasta) will be served. Got room for dessert? You better, what with the sinfully rich Cioccolato Salami e Panna Cotta to cap your memorable date." -- excerpt from my article in The News Today

Who wouldn’t be moved and wooed by such a feast? Well, nobody I guess. Three nights of degustacion made my head (and stomach) spin. I had to go out for 3 consecutive evenings to sample Bauhinia's, Mojave's, and Amalfi's Valentine Menu. Everything was so delicious! (Especially the Tenderloin Steak topped with Foie Gras at Amalfi and the Angus Steak at Mojave) I'm planning to spend V-day at home but after sampling the food at those restaurants, I'm thinking of splurging.

Zuppa de Asparagi, Insalata di Scampi e Salmone, Mescluno e Frutta del Giorno

marathon dining

Bauhinia at The Avenue

The degustacion gang: (l-r) Rey Ponsaran of Promenade, Chef Miner,
Marichel Teves-Magalona of TNT, moi, and RV of The Avenue

Tonight is my second night of gorging on Chef Miner del Mundo's dishes. Yesterday was Pinoy food night at Bauhinia, a Filipino restaurant and tonight I was at Mojave Grill and Steakhouse both at the newest Ilonggo resto strip -- The Avenue. I've been a bad girl what with the juicy and sinfully good Angus Steak that I've been eating for two straight nights. But since I'm naturally thin (ahem), am I complaining? Not!

In the coming days I'm expecting other invits from different restaurants and coffee shops. I like writing about food as I enjoy dining and conversations with friends over a great meal. Will clogged arteries be the result of this little eating marathon? Abangan!

squisito!

If the antipasti at Amalfi Cucina Italiana, a delicately rich and buttery duck liver with caramelized pears, is an indication of what each dish in the menu tastes like, then dining at this newly-opened Italian restaurant would be close to heaven.

Excuse my cheesiness, but there is no other way to describe the 8-course meal that Chef Miner del Mundo prepared for us. It was indeed heavenly, so much so that my deprived taste buds went berserk (in a positive way, of course) in between dishes. Each delectably refined dish that I tasted would have made me break into song, but luckily, the Spanish red wine that we were sipping was able to curb my tongue before I could embarrass myself.

How could I resist the perfectly seared and succulent scallops, encrusted with peppercorns and paired with pears and oranges? What about the Zuppa di Pomodoro (Tomato Soup) with salchicha slices (Italian sausage) that was both comforting and filling? In between the tomato soup and the roasted French duck with red wine and grape reduction, mango shooters (served in shot glasses) had to be gulped to cleanse our palates. The main course, the Manzo alla griglia con funghi or grilled tenderloin beef with mushroom dribbled with roasted tomato and potato puree made my mouth water.

Chef del Mundo must have been sent by the culinary gods to punish me because I felt like a glutton after he served the Risotto ala Milanese. In between mouthfuls, I said, “What? There’s more?” Of course there was! Who can forget the dessert, a sinfully delicious duo of Cioccolato Salami (Chocolate Salami) and Mocca Semifreddo. Squisito! (This means exquisite, by the way.)

The Amalfi experience was a gustatory delight. Yes, I know I sound trite, but it really was. The food was fantastic; the place tastefully done and almost Zen-like in its stark simplicity (black leather chairs, glass tables, muted lighting, off-white walls). The restaurant is spacious enough not to be poky, but not so huge that you need microphones to be heard. Price-wise, well, it’s a fine dining restaurant (whoopee, finally there’s one in Iloilo that’s not part of a hotel), so I think the new and old-moneyed clientele wouldn’t mind coming to Amalfi for an intimate dinner with friends and family.

I can’t wait for my next Amalfi experience. Maybe next time I’ll really break into song after my Italian dessert.

(Amalfi was named after a small town in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy)

corn pudding, etc.

I told you I'll have that corn pudding warming on the kitchen counter before my previous article (smoky eyes and lemon pie 2) goes to print in the newspaper. Aside from the delicious pudding, I tried making a blueberry cheesecake (sans the baking!) and that too came out really yummy.

my corn pudding

no-bake blueberry cheesecake

Sagaponack Corn Pudding

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish. Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.

Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

*recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa

the one with the minuscule serving

I hate small servings. There's one good reason for this -- I AM NOT A BIRD. Birds don't eat, they sort of just peck on their food with their little sharp beaks that can only hold small portions of insects, plants, or whatever stuff they love to eat. This is actually one of my nightmares, to sit in a restaurant starving and delirious from hunger and this waiter would give me a huge plate with nothing but 3 strands of pasta and a blot of sauce.

Last weekend, the whole family tried this new restaurant called Gusteau in the corner of Jalandoni and Delgado Streets. I heard from friends that the desserts were good, so the four of us trooped there with hungry stomachs and visions of Tiramisu after a satisfying lunch. Yep, the cakes and pastries looked yummy all right but we didn't even bother to order them. After a lunch of 2 lilliputian pizzas for Zak and Ripley, 4 spoonfuls of crab roe pasta for me, and my husband's roastbeef underload (the menu said 'overload' -- are you kidding me?), I didn't bother ordering dessert. I imagine they'd give me a mini cupcake the size of a peso coin, so what's the use? I did taste their dessert, a friend gave me a bite of their chocolate brownie and it was delish. I can't say much about the rest of their menu though. We left the place with grumbling stomachs and had burgers in Mc Donald's instead. Now that's what I call food!

Uppers:
great ambiance, nice seats, classy and clean, yummy desserts
Downers:
small food portions, quite expensive

Tip: If you still want to try out Gusteau's food, I suggest that you do a bit of role playing as not to be disappointed. Imagine you're a dwarf or some smaller creature like a fairy or a pixie and act as if you've been invited by a giant ogre to dine with him. The food will instantly look big -- gigantic actually! And when you're done eating Ogre's food, I still suggest that you go to the nearest fastfood joint and pig out.