Vietnamese Noodle Soup: Pho

A trip to Vietnam or a Vietnamese restaurant can't be complete without the local's staple food, Vietnamese noodle soup "Pho".  Pho is of French and Chinese influence, served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles called "banh pho" in clear broth with thin slices of meat.

Learning to cook Pho is on top of our list during our private cooking lessons at Goian, Bach Dang Street Hoi An.

Ingredients: Serve 4

200 grams rice noodles
50 grams bean sprout
2 tbsp fresh mints
2 tsp lemon juice
2 star anise
1 tsp dry coriander leaves or whole cinnamon
4 tsp vegetable stock powder (2 tsp for stock, 2 tsp for marinade)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili paste
1 inch ginger, crushed
1/2 tbsp unsalted roasted peanuts, crushed
1 liter boiling water
100 grams beef bones
200 grams beef, thinly sliced
2 shallots
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure:
1.  To make the stock, Add beef bone in a large pot of boiling water with 2 tsp stock powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, ginger, dry coriander leaves, star anise, shallots. Cook for 20 minutes at high heat  or 1 hour at low heat.
2.  Marinade beef with chili paste, 2 tsp stock powder, 1/2 tsp sugar for 30 minutes.  You may add the juice from squeezed carrots and turnip.  Set aside.
3.  In a separate pot, soften rice noodle in boiling water for 20 seconds, then transfer it to a bowl of bean sprouts.
4.  Heat oil in a pan in medium heat, add marinade beef (2) and saute for 2 minutes, until cooked.  Remove from fire and add it on the bowl with noodles(3)
5.  Add the broth (1) into the noodles (4) when ready to serve.
6.  Garnish with mint, lemon juice and peanuts.

The verdict:  It's one of the tastiest Pho we've tasted all across Vietnam.

Vietnamese Country Pancake

All across Vietnam, we were introduced to their version of the pancake.  Vietnamese cuisine is rich in green vegetables and herbs and their pancake is no exception.  They have quite a number of versions, when I participated in a private cooking class at Gioan, 94B Bach Dang Street, in Hoi An, their's was the so called "country pancake".

Ingredients: (serve 4)

4 tbsp rice flour
2 tsp tumeric powder
8 tbsp water
50 grams bean sprout
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 devined shrimps
8 pork/chicken slices
fresh mint

1.  Mixture: Mix rice flour and tumeric powder, add water little by little to avoid clumping.
2.  Heat 1 tbsp oil until medium hot in a frying pan, saute shrimp and meat until half cooked.
3.  Add mixture (1) into the pan, spread like pancake, then add bean sprout on top.
4.  Cover for a minute then uncover for another 3 minutes or until crispy.
5.  When crispy, remove from fire and fold pancake into half and serve with dipping sauce.


Dipping Sauce:
1 fresh chili, crushed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fish sauce (saltier than soy sauce)

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Chicken Terriyaki Don by Kamekichi

Kamekichi is one of my favorite casual dining when I'm craving for some good hot ramen and gyoza. The owner came up with Sunday afternoon cooking class and I signed up for it.

Serving for two.
Ingredients:

Terriyaki Sauce:
4 Tbsp shouyu (soy sauce)
4 Tbsp Sake (japanese rice wine)
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp shouga (ginger), grinded
1/2 tsp spring onion, chopped thinly
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp tomato catsup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)

1. Chop the spring onion into half, discard the all green part for other use. Slice off the top most of the spring onion, slice the head (white part) lenghtwise twice, then chop it in circles, including a little green.
2. Mix all the ingredients of the terriyaki sauce together. Instead of sake, one may use the more expensive mirin, in this case, omit the honey and tomato sauce. Set aside.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken breast with skin, deboned
1/4 cup san miguel beer pale pilsen
2 Tbsp Corn oil or canola oil

1. Remove the excess meat of the chicken breast. Discard or use for other purpose.
2. Skin down,cut the breast into half, make sure, skin is equally distributed. Avoid the spine and remove remaining bones.
3. Cut two diagonal lines onto the meat halfway and in opposite direction, to create diamonds. These cuts enable the flavirs to sip in.

4. Season with salt and pepper, rub and massage it into the meat. (onto one side, w/o the skin)
5. Place the meat on your palm and dust with cornstarch. (both sides)
6. Heat the pan, with oil upto 180 dregree centigrade.
7. Place the chicken in the pan, skin down. (shuffle to make sure it is cooked evenly)
8. Flip over when light brown.
9. When brown, add the beer, then cover to simmer for about 3 minutes.
10. Shuffle the pan to cook it evenly.
11. Switch off fire.
12. Tilt the pan and remove excess fat and sauce, wipe it with tissue paper.
13. Switch on the fire again and continue cooking by adding the Terriyaki sauce.
14. Keep the chicken moving so as not to burn the sauce. Cook for about a minute per side.
15. Remove from fire and transfer to a chopping board.
16. With skin up, slice chicken into thin bite size.
17. Serve over rice. Add the remaining sauce from the pan.

Website	http://www.cebunihongo.com/
Email	kamekichi.cooking@gmail.com
Facebook	http://facebook.com/kamekichi.cooking

Classic Tiramisu

Classic Tiramisu


I'm discovering the use of Mascarpone cheese; and I'm surprised to know that a 250 gram tub costs almost P500 at Tinder Box.  Let's see how good this cheese is.

1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
1/3 cup (75 mL) water
1 1/4 cups (300 mL)strong coffee or espresso
1/4 cup (50 mL)almond or coffee flavoured liqueur
2 tbsp (25 mL)custard powder
3/4 cup (175mL) milk
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1 tub (475 g) Tre Stelle® Mascarpone
8 egg whites
2 packages (150 g) ladyfingers
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder

Sprinkle gelatin over water to soften. Heat until dissolved. Combine coffee and liqueur; set aside. In a large bowl stir custard powder into milk. Add sugar and Tre Stelle® Mascarpone. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat dissolved gelatin mixture into Mascarpone mixture until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. One at a time, dip ladyfingers into coffee mixture and place fingers in bottom of a serving pan. Spoon 1/3 of Mascarpone mixture evenly over. Repeat with 2 more layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone. Sift cocoa over top and refrigerate overnight. Makes 10 servings.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

It's actually a mistake, I was craving for red velvet like the one I had at Cheesecake Factory.  Browsing through my photos, I realized it was not just any ordinary red velvet, twas a red velvet cheesecake.  Cheesecake Factory's red velvet cheesecake was definitely to die for.  It's their second best seller next to the classic new york cheesecake and the only one flavor that's not classic that remained on the shelf after several years.  Who introduced me to red velvet?  Oh, no less than Oprah Winrey :)

Red Velvet Cheesecake

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Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 11-13 pieces

Crust Ingredients:
32 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt

Ganache Ingredients:
3/4 cups heavy cream
10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used half semisweet and half bittersweet)

Cake Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 ounce red food coloring

Filling Ingredients:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Decorative Toppings (optional):
2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
white chocolate for drizzling
strawberries

Directions:
Note on cheesecake making: Cheesecakes are simple and super customizable. New to cheesecake making? Watch my 6 minute Cheesecake Video Tutorial for visual assistance!

Note on scheduling: This cake is easily separated into two days of preparation, and can be prepared ahead of time. On day one, prepare the red velvet cake, cool it, and freeze it. On day two, prepare the cheesecake. You can then assemble and decorate right away, or leave this for day three.

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and the sides of an 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan when it’s done. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Make a paste of the cocoa and coloring and add to the shortening mixture. Add salt and vanilla. Add buttermilk alternately with the flour, beginning and ending with flour. Mix vinegar and soda right before using and add to mixture by folding in. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely, cover in wax paper, and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Make the cheesecake: To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).

Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed. Pour 1 – 1.5 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust. Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. Beat in the flour. Add in the vanilla and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.

Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set.

Assemble topping: Whip room temperature ganache to create a fluffy texture perfect for piping. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar to make a small amount of cream cheese frosting for decorating.

Assemble the cheesecake: Wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides. Carefully remove the springform. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Place cake layer on top of cheesecake (right side up). Decorate top of cake with drizzled white chocolate, piped cream cheese frosting, whipped ganache, and strawberries.

How to make Red Velvet Cake

I was craving for some sweets today,  I came home early from work so I dropped by Leona.  Often mistakenly called as Leona's, Leona Cake and Pastries Company serves one of the best breads and cakes in Cebu, ideal for home or for give aways.  Their price is fairly reasonable for good quality stuff.   I particularly like their moist chocolate cake, guava chiffon cake, their mamon comes close to Goldilocks, their wheat bread is an everyday bestseller.  I grabbed a few slices of banana carrot loaf, mamon, moist chocolate cake and was dumbfounded seeing a four inch red velvet cupcake selling for P50.  It looked so tasty, I can't wait to get a bite.  Except for the white sprinkles on the icing, although less cheesy than Los Angeles' Cheese cake Factory version, I was totally satisfied with this one.  Aaah, heavenly!

I'm off to the grocery since I'll be trying out this recipe:

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Red Velvet Cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside. 
2. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. 
3. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. 
4. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. 
5. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 
   Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: 

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. 
2. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. 
3. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. 
4. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Serves 10 - 12 people.

Source: http://www.joyofbaking.com/

Location Map of Leona Bakery in red star

Leona Cakes and Pastries Company
Juan Luna Avenue, Cebu City
Contact number (032) 233 0386

Door #5 GQS Plaza, Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad

232-4450  () ‎

Substitution of Ingredients

Although recommended ingredients is still best for any recipe, circumstances dictate you need to substitute some ingredients.  I often resort to this when ingredients are not available in the market or need very little when I have ready substitute on hand.  Here's a helpful guide:

For 1c butter, substitute with:
1c margarine
7/8c lard plus 1/2 tsp salt
7/8 to 1c hydrogenated shortening plus 1/2 tsp salt

For 1 square oz of unsweetened chocolate, substitute with:
3Tbsp cocoa plus 1 Tbsp fat

For 3 native eggs, substitute with:
2 regular sized eggs

For 1c cake flour, substitute with:
7/8 c all purpose flour (sift it several times)

For 1c buttermilk or sour milk, substitute with:
1Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus enough fresh whole milk to make 1 cup
or 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus half cup evaporated milk and half cup hot water.

For 1c fresh whole milk, substitute with:
1/2c evaporated milk plus 1/2c water

For 2 1/2tsp or 1pkg active dry yeast, substitute with:
1 cake compressed fresh yeast