whole wheat braided bread with milled flax seed

Aside for the whole seed and grain crackers I previously baked, I also tried using the milled flax seed sent to me by King Arthur Flour for this whole wheat braided bread. I replaced the half cup of harvest grains called for in the recipe with the same amount of milled flax seed. I was happy with the results. I have always been fond of this type of dark, whole grain type of healthy bread for as long as I could remember. I had a favorite whole wheat bread with lots of seeds in it that I used to buy from a local bread shop back in the Philippines. The braided bread's texture was a bit too dense for my taste but I must say the flavor was very good. I will just have to continue to experiment with other recipes next time now that I know that adding and substituting milled flax seed was so easy to do.

the healthy braided whole wheat and seedy bread was fun to make

crackers with milled flax seed project

I've read about the health benefits of flax and would like to learn more about introducing it to our diet by finding ways to cook and bake with it. Sometime ago, I signed up to receive samples of milled flax seed from my favorite baking supply store, King Arthur Flour company, for a baking and survey project that they asked consumers to participate in. Thinking that they would send me just enough samples to try, I was surprised and happy that they mailed me two 14 oz packages of the good quality stuff. The recipe for whole seed and grain crackers I was asked to make was enclosed. I found the same recipe in their website listed as Crunchy Crackers. I have always relied on King Arthur products and Baker's Catalogue online store for the best quality ingredients for my baking needs. Some of their products may be more expensive than other popular brands in the market but I have always been pleased with the excellent quality of their ingredients. As long as they remain consistent, I will not regret paying a bit more for the best quality stuff. As a fan, I was just excited to do this testing, tasting and survey project for them :-)

the ingredients all laid out on the counter

(1) kneading the dough (2) the Kitchen Aid pasta attachment was a big help in rolling out the cracker dough as thin as 1/8" to 1/16" as required in the recipe (3) the cracker dough sprinkled with harvest grains, black and white sesame seeds as shown resting and ready to bake

hot from the oven crackers

 snapped and separated to pieces while still warm, the crackers turned out crunchy, given a few more minutes in the oven, with a good nutty aroma and flavor ~ the milled flax seed blended very well with the other ingredients 

 the crackers served on a plate and shown with some sundried tomato dip

beef bourguignon

very good red wine was essential to this dish

My friend B in Manila was telling me her sister made beef bourguignon over the holidays and she said it was pretty good. I've always been curious about its taste and that it uses 3 cups of very good full bodied red wine as specified in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook. I read that traditionally burgundy is the preferred wine but my husband suggested a certain 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon in his wine cabinet. It worked quite well and we were very happy with the results. Cooking with wine is not something we're familiar with in the Philippines. Some Asian dishes require rice wine or mirin in Japanese cooking. But this was the first time I used this amount of red wine in my cooking so I was excited to try the finished dish. I followed Julia Child's recipe and after a few hours of slow braising over very low heat (I tried this instead of cooking it in oven), I was rewarded with the most flavorful deep colored sauce and chunks of very tender slow braised beef. The quartered mushrooms were sauteed in butter and olive oil then added to the beef. It was a complete comfort food served over mashed potatoes. The rich sauce served as the gravy and life is good :-)

tofu and asparagus stir fry

vegetable side dish with fresh mushrooms, asparagus and tofu

Makes me happy when it's asparagus season once again :-) They're at their peak at about this time of the year. There's nothing like the fresh taste of springtime vegetables to liven up the remaining cold winter days. The days are getting warmer and it's finally almost springtime so it was the perfect time to try this recipe. I picked up a few old issues of Yummy magazine in the Philippines and found this quick and easy recipe. Firm tofu were cut in 3/4" wide slices. The slices were drained well then allowed to sit in between papertowels to get rid of extra moisture. Then they were cut into cubes and pan-fried in canola or vegetable oil. Transfer the tofu to a serving platter. Blanch the cut-up asparagus until half-cooked and the color turns bright green. Drain and set aside. Stir fry the asparagus and sliced mushrooms together until well coated with the oil then add combine with the tofu. Meanwhile, mix a half cup of water with about 3 tablespoons oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Heat and simmer the sauce in the same skillet until bubbly. Adjust the consistency with more water as needed. Pour the sauce over the tofu and asparagus and serve hot with steamed rice or rice noodles.

steamed muffins

There are many kinds of steamed rice cakes in Asia. The Filipino version uses some kind of a sourdough made with ground rice which is allowed to sit overnight or up to 2 days in room temperature to ferment. I wish I learned this traditional method of making rice cakes from my late mother. I remember the procedure well but not the correct and exact proportion of the ingredients. I have to admit that it's one of my frustrations in the kitchen. In the Philippines, where they're popular and conveniently sold at the markets, it may not be necessary to make them. However, my mother still made them at home from scratch and as I can best recall, fresh steamed rice cakes were the best. They may be so easy to find in the Philippines but that's not always true here so when the craving for these sweet cakes sets in, I turn to a popular commercial brand of mix, White King. I've made these steamed muffins several times before but I have yet to achieve the look in the pictures above. They were extra puffy with the desirable cracked top. I just used a wire whisk to stir the mixture instead of the electric mixer. These rice cakes were made with regular wheat flour instead of the traditional rice flour.

Happy Valentine's Day!

fast food favorites in Manila

A visit to Manila is incomplete without sampling the food at the many fast food chains and local restaurants around. Here are just a few examples. Some of them have been around for many years and continue to be popular with many Filipinos.

Aristocrat's grilled chicken and java rice
The restaurant along Roxas Boulevard just across Baywalk
has remained in this exact location since the 1950's

cooking at home with family

steamed shomai with crabmeat

colorful combination of fresh vegetables
in this Chinese vegetable dish called "chop suey"



I'm lucky to have my sisters in law to share my love of cooking with. These are just some of the everyday dishes we cooked at home during my stay. I never got tired going to the big public market for fresh vegetables and ingredients while I was there. It was exciting to walk around our favorite market again and to find so many interesting items.

cooking class at Nestle

Attending cooking lessons at the Maggi culinary center is getting to be a tradition whenever I'm in Manila. I would always get a call from my cousin aG informing me of the date for the cooking class. It didn't really matter what they were cooking that day as it has always been a treat for us to attend. The lessons are usually free as part of the company's marketing plan to introduce and promote Nestle and Maggi products. The classes are always full so it's important to reserve early for a seat. The Nestle building is just a walk away from my cousin's place in Rockwell so she always reserves the seats for us. We had the opportunity to see Chef Imelda Go assisted by her daughter as she shared her tasty rice dishes to the class. She was generous with her cooking tips and we all enjoyed listening and watching as she cooked her specialties that day. Her food presentations were all outstanding. Hopefully the lessons will continue to inspire many avid and beginner cooks searching for new recipes and cooking techniques.


the spacious, bright and well organized
Maggi kitchen located at the Nestle building



Chef Imelda Go at work

8 treasure rice stuffed roasted chicken with
5 spice seasoning and a touch of hoisin sauce

beef orange rice

very colorful Thai bagoong rice ~ made with Thai shrimp paste
wrapped in egg and garnished with mango and cucumber slices
cilantro and fresh chilis

the sweet finale ~ Thai black rice served with coconut cream

some of the popular Nestle products available in the market today
that Filipinos consume everyday