to the farmer's market

“We very strongly hope that the traditional will not be lost. One really worries, because our mothers all cooked but I doubt if our children will. Our grandchildren? Who knows? Maybe they’ll open packages for dinners. There is a real danger of cultural loss if you lose food, just like when you lose a language.” -Doreen G. Fernandez

project : recipe journal

I love cooking, and I'm trying to be good at baking as well. One of the most joyful things about living on my own is having my own kitchen and being able to design and stock it the way I want to cook.

I have a growing bookshelf of cookbooks and I am also subscribed to a number of cooking sites. I also pounce on second-hand food magazines. On my own I have adapted, re-invented, created, redefined many recipes. I have also come to know myself better on the kinds of food I enjoy and the kinds I could live without.

I have accumulated many recipes through the years, some I've tried, some I haven't, some have become standard favorites and specialties. Thing is, I never really put them together in one place and in the process I have lost some. I also have recipes handed down by my grandmother and my aunt.

So I feel it's time to put them all together in a recipe journal, plus my musings on food and eating. Weaving my love for food and cooking into an artful activity is one great way to spend a few happy hours.

what's on your refrigerator?

This is in response to and inspired by an interesting post by Chrystina.

So here is how my refrigerator door looks like:

It's like a mini-collage in itself with images meant to inspire me.  My magnets are adorable pieces made of painted wood which I got on sale. I have one magnet of a small sack of beans that I could not resist simply because it was too cute.

I have a functional magnetic green board where I list shopping items as soon as I run out of them.  And there is a magnetic green measuring spoon that was gifted to me last Christmas.

Then there are a lot of photos : one of me holding my first ever batch of baked bread pudding. I have photos of Jamie Oliver because I absolutely love him and his books and his cooking and his food revolution projects. I love his herb gardens and his unwavering enthusiasm to make a difference through his craft. I have photos of plenty and pretty food to instill in me the spirit of abundance even during the worst days. I have a photo of Emma from foodcoma because she is sort of my benchmark in becoming a very good baker and maybe even be lucky enough like her to have a small bakeshop.

What does your refrigerator say about you?

time for some cupcakes

It's a bit costly to bake. The bulk of the cost comes from the butter and eggs. I would love do it more often but the side effects of inflated hips and deflated wallet temper my enthusiasm.

Last week I decided to bake so I could bring cupcakes for my mom who was in the hospital at that time. They would also serve as snack foods for my dad and sister for whom I have been temporarily playing the role of home cook since my mom was sick.

As always, the joy of creating something delicious and pretty from a bunch of raw ingredients never fails to lift my spirits.

pasta for lunch

I was watching Criminal Minds and saw the episode where Agent Rossi had the team over for cooking lessons in his home and he cooked pasta. That made me want pasta so I hunted in my refrigerator and kitchen cabinets for anything I could throw together into a pasta dish.

I am so sorry that I totally forgot to take a photo of the cooked dish because the moment I smelled/saw/tasted it, I lost all control and just gobbled it all up.

But here is the recipe in case you want to see and taste for yourself:

1. Cook bacon until crisp then set aside.
2. Saute in olive oil some garlic, then add fresh mushrooms.
3. Add the tomatoes (I use whole canned tomatoes.)
4. Let simmer for a minute or two.
5. Add bacon.
6. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano. and basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings as preferred.

By this time you should have cooked the pasta al dente.

Serve the sauce over pasta.

days 3-4

I had a client presentation yesterday and a last-minute cram preparation the day before that so I did not get to post my days 3 and 4 drawing challenge. So here they are:

Day 3 - Favorite Food

This was a tough choice but I picked something that I would eat at any time, regardless of moods or cravings. Fruits. I love fruits. They are healthy, light, and refreshing. They are the most natural foods ever and they are sweet in the way that only fruits can be. To represent fruits I chose watermelon, and here I show the red and yellow variety both of which I love. The yellow tends to be sweeter and is more expensive than the more common red. Watermelons remind me of summer and beach trips and childhood.

Day 4 : Favorite Place

My favorite place is by the sea. And my most favorite place is having a writing/reading/creative desk by the sea. With endless supply of fresh coffee. Piles of books and Moleskine and a bottle of ink and a fountain pen. A typewriter. And the sea swishing and splashing a short distance away. The sand scratchy beneath my feet and between my toes. The wind gentle and refreshing. The sun shielded by a printed cloth umbrella. And a soft pile of pillows nearby for quick naps.

dinner from an almost empty kitchen

It's one of those days again! Almost out of many things and I make do with what's available. I am putting off going to the supermarket because I will be out of the country by next week and it would not do to have too many things stocked in the refrigerator.

Tonight I was wanting some soup because the day has been gray and rainy.

Mushroom Noodle Soup

I found:

Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water to soften and then sliced - I kept a few tablespoons of the water for flavoring later on
2 small poor-looking carrots forgotten in the corner of the veggie bin
3 small bundles of egg noodles
1 medium onion, chopped
2 big cloves of garlic, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs for serving with later
A little canola oil
A splash of sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Then I:

Stir-fried the garlic and onion in the combined oils until translucent.
Added the carrots and stirred until coated.
Added the sliced mushrooms and mixed them all up until the mushrooms are glistening.
Seasoned with salt and pepper.
Added 3 cups of water. Added the mushroom juice I had set aside. Brought to a simmer.
Tasted the soup and adjusted by adding salt, pepper, or mushroom juice.
Just before it got to a boil I dropped the egg noodles.
Waited for 3-5 minutes while the noodles cooked.
Served myself a generous helping in a bowl topped with slices of hard-boiled eggs.

Lovely and filling!

What did you have for dinner tonight?

paprika and paper

Yes! I am finally seriously fixing my meal plan so I will eat well and on time for the rest of the year.

I was derailed for the past four or five days because of projects (from the Other Business) that came and needed to be attended to. Meetings alone ate up a lot of time and I had to postpone the grocery shopping many times. On the other hand, it also made me think even more seriously about having a meal plan that can withstand work loads and lazy modes.

Last night I found myself organizing my digital files (trying to find old work files) and realized that my digital clutter is more horrible than my physical clutter (which, I am rather proud to say, has been managed not too badly since the start of the new year).

So I made a craft file-book where I collated important articles, e-courses, references -- everything I will need and use over and over again as I move forward with my creative pursuits. I (re)discovered articles I had saved for reading at a later date. I un-bookmarked old articles that are no longer relevant. Basically I cleaned up and organized. And no matter what app or software comes out there, nothing yet can match the tangible order and versatility and flexibility of folders and paper. Yes I printed on paper but I was selective and the file-book itself is promising to grow into a beautiful collage and collection. I  have blank pages where I can write and draw as my notes and comments to the articles.

This led me to the idea of doing the same for my meal plan and recipe collection. I have lots of cookbooks and food magazines and I subscribe to a lot of online food blogs and websites yet it is such an effort to find something to cook for dinner. It really is time to have a system so I also get to cook or bake something new at least every week. I also want to keep vegetables as regular mainstays in every meal.

Paprika is an iPad app that I am finding to be very useful in collating all my online recipes from across all the blogs and websites. It is accessible offline and it has a wonderful amazing system for capturing recipes. From my physical cookbooks I intend to put together a recipe file-book (or file-box!) just like what I did with the crafts and re-write the recipes in my own kitchen shorthand so it is also easier to use and refer to. Then I will also turn it into a kitchen diary of sorts and paste photos of what I have cooked or baked. This way I can also easily check ingredients.

I am now wondering if there are printing papers out there that are made of recycled materials? I think I will be using a bit as I do more organizing. Perhaps I should check the bookstores thoroughly. I am sure something is bound to turn up.

:)

a quick-cook lunch

I should have completed my meal plan and gone to the supermarket about, oh, four days ago. But I got busy (and distracted) and then also beaten up at kendo so I am almost out of food.

Brunch today was a result of digging through an almost empty pantry.

I found:
1 can of whole tomatoes
bacon (sliced in small pieces, about 4 strips equivalent I think because I got the kilo of bits and ends which comes out cheaper)
garlic (I used about 4 cloves, sliced thinly and in small pieces)
dried shiitake mushrooms (the last straggling pieces which barely filled half a cup, soaked in water
olive oil
fresh basil picked from the plant that I bought last night 
pasta

Saute the garlic briefly in olive oil then add the bacon and let it fry a bit until the edges are crispy.
Add the mushrooms (excess water squeezed out). Stir them around a bit.
Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.
When it's simmering, throw in the fresh basil leaves.

And it's done! Don't forget to cook your pasta ahead and have it ready to be topped with sauce!

simple dinner and planning a meal plan

I realized today that I need meal plan. My problem is I tend to miss proper meal times, and worse is when I get too lazy or harassed to prepare a proper one. So I often eat late and not too well. Worst is I totally miss a meal.

Like today, I had oatmeal for breakfast at around 830AM, then I missed lunch in the midst of errands and instead had a light meal of butter and jam sandwiches at around 2PM. I did have dinner on time at 7PM but I only prepared a quick (but delicious!) meal of onion and mushrooms in scrambled eggs eaten with bread.

I am considering what others do which is to cook a week's worth of meals in one day and freeze them and heat them when it's time to eat. Or at least have everything marinated and ready to fry or pop into the oven. The point is to make meal preparation quick and easy and not left to chance (like whatever is left in the refrigerator). If I also know ahead what's to eat and to prepare I can pace my time better.

I am also thinking of good ways to make the kitchen chores be more of a productive ritual than a chore that takes up precious time. Sometimes I am discouraged from going through the whole meal preparation because of the all the washing afterwards. This often happens in the evening when I have already put in a lot of work throughout the day and would sometimes just like to sit down to a nice meal and wind down afterwards without having to be disrupted by dirty dishes.

Any thoughts on efficient meal planning and turning kitchen chores to positive rituals will be appreciated! :)

the golden arches have arrived!

This is one of my very few guilty pleasures. It's one of my ultimate comfort food and had been staple in my teen years, as well as overtime treat when I was employed. A new branch is opening right beside my condo building around the last week of December. That means (I hope!) a McCafe in my backyard. And I hear it's going to be one of those 24-hour stores. Yay!

nostalgia

Last Thursday, my sis and I went to the old neighborhood where we grew up to check out the local market for supplies and fabrics. Our aunt promised really low prices (and we got them!)

It was literally like time travel as we found ourselves in a fully physically renovated but culturally intact place of our past. We had lunch in one of the market stalls and to cap the day off I had traditional iced dessert at a nearby fastfood.

rice porridge (lugaw) with bits of egg, pork, garlic, spring onion, tofu. paired with tofu and pork cubes swimming in a soy and vinegar dip. our aunt had the palabok noodles with egg and shrimp.

iced dessert (halo-halo) of mixed preserved fruits, jelly, leche flan (custard) and ice cream

off the routines

I haven't been feeling too well the past few days. I could use a few more hours of sleep, a lot more exercise and a lot less of stress.

I didn't practice kendo today because I just felt too blah and out of it that if I had practiced I would have cried at the slightest provocation.

Instead I read and studied and made notes and lists. I did some chores. I checked some recipes. I started cleaning and clearing my computer files. Then I stepped out to the mall to pay some bills in the payment center and to pick up a few items from the supermarket. I also went to the bookstore to get M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled -- a book highly recommended by my best friend when we chatted online recently and I was seeking her advice on something important. My mom went with me and we had some quiet time together.

When I got back home I started to prepare dinner -- pork marinated in lemon, pepper and soy sauce. Then fried with onions and sauced with more soy sauce. I matched it with potato-carrot salad.

My sister arrived from kendo practice at almost 8pm. Our friends Peter Paul and Dave showed up at almost 10pm bearing cupcakes and cinnamon rolls and immediately asking how I was feeling.

I certainly felt much better by the time everyone left at around 11pm. I was cheered up and I felt taken care of and I felt calmed all at the same time.

I will sleep now. It's really late. Will see you again tomorrow.

travel story : hong kong, day 2

This was on the 25th of October. Breakfast was at the hotel from the stash we bought from 7-eleven the night before.

I mapped out our walking path to Kowloon Park, with every intention of spending the whole morning there. An effective way to avoid shopping was to avoid going into the shopping malls. We were reserving whatever little we had for the street markets. Besides, we were never really patrons of popular (often expensive) branded products.

Kowloon Park turned out to be a very enjoyable and pleasant surprise. I love the idea of so much greenery and nature in the midst of a bustling city.

Lunch was at McDonald's because we wanted to try how its food tasted in other countries. In Hong Kong, everything was less salty and more flavorful. It also had more ice cream flavors. And bigger regular sizes.

We took a peek at Muji just to see if it sold the same stuff as back home. It sold a lot more.

We went inside the mall that sold only Chinese products and we almost drooled over the handmade tablecloths and pillow cases and bags - basically anything cloth and embroidered. But they were also very expensive.

We walked along the rest of Nathan Road from Kowloon Park to our hotel at Eaton, checking out all most of the Sasa, Watsons and Mannings stores. In the Philippines, Burt's Bees is exclusively sold in a high-end beauty store. In Hong Kong it is just part of the regular inventory of Watson's.

We took a quick rest in the hotel in the late afternoon before taking on the Temple Street Night Market. My sister dropped by 7-eleven to get a bowl of fish ball curry udon to tide her over.

Dinner was rice topped with chicken cooked in a claypot.

My biggest splurge for the trip was a leather covered blank notebook (HK$98) that I intend to make into a photo and text journal about this trip and all future trips to Hong Kong. The kanji means "Smooth Sailing".

The night was concluded along Kansu Street with a fortune teller who gave us only good predictions and an amulet. She also took a bit of our money. That was the only thing that went off the plan in that whole trip. It was a purely impulsive thing and I guess I was looking for a bit of magic amidst all the scrimping and emerging questions in my head (and heart) and all the other things that were hovering over me even as I tried to forget about them for a while.

She said I would get married next year and that I will have two sons and that I will not lack for money and my husband will be very tall. She also said I have an honest heart and that really, really made me think and wonder because one of the main things I am bothered about now had to do with it. Well, I did ask for some sort of message from the Universe. Maybe this is one.

a quick sign off

I just came home from dinner and dessert. It's Mao's birthday and he treated the group at the banchetto in Metrowalk. Then we capped the night with dessert and coffee at Poco Deli, an Italian restaurant that serves the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted.

Will post more photos and stories tomorrow. Or rather, later today. Or maybe Monday if I get too busy doing Sunday stuff like family and water spa and lunch.

little gifts

Sadly I could not practice kendo today because of the pain in my left leg. I consoled myself with preparing the little gifts for our friends -- we bought a box of different-flavored mochi in Hong Kong and divided them by three and I packaged them nicely. I used small designed cookie plastic packs and leftover gold string from last Christmas. Inexpensive but thoughtful. :)

travel story : hong kong, day 1

My sister and I went to Hong Kong on the 24th of October for a 3-night stay. It was a last-minute decision aided by unexpected help.

Flight to Hong Kong was around 5:45am so I hardly slept cramming my packing. Very bleary-eyed on the way to the airport and could barely keep myself awake through check-in.

At the Eaton Smart Hotel before 9am but we had to wait for our room to become available. The wait was worth it and we caught up on some sleep until noon.

When we were more sober then we had a better look around the room. A printed guide advised us about the earth-friendly effort of Hong Kong to reduce plastic usage so bringing one's own shopping bags would be the best way to go. The stores will provide shopping bags but for a small fee. Fortunately I have already made it a habit to bring my own bags so there was no problem. The hotel itself also had earth-friendly practices in place.

We had a good view of Nathan Road from our window. I had a cup of free tea as I slowly absorbed being in Hong Kong.

A 7-eleven was right across the hotel so we stocked up on breakfast and snack foods to save on money.

There were a few treats from the hotel but we don't drink and the other offers could only be claimed by a purchase which we could barely afford so we passed on those.

In the evening we went to the Temple Night Market which was just two streets away. I had a roasted chicken and duck rice topping. Then we scanned the goods for sale and indulged in a bracelet each (costing HK$15 apiece).

We were still not fully recovered from the previous night so we also decided to rest early and plan the next day.

a little freshening up, a dozen donuts and making lists

If you haven't noticed yet, I've changed some fonts and colors and even put up a header with an image! The header is still a work in progress but I think it is much better than a plain scrawl of text, don't you?

My sister and I swam today and then I had a donut and a cheese sandwich for breakfast. The donut was from a lucky purchase last night -- I dropped by the supermarket to pick up a couple of items and Dunkin Donuts (a favorite) just opened up a stall in the supermarket on the same day. As a treat to opening-day-customers, they offered a dozen donuts for the price of six. How could I resist? I shared the dozen with my parents and my sister and took home some for my own.

Today I have to make preparations for a project I will do tomorrow. It's a one-off thing -- I show up and facilitate some group discussions and then I am done. I am being paid for my expertise in interviewing, a skill I have developed and honed while I was working as a consumer research expert.

Today I also update my lists as part of my practice in organizing and prioritizing. I have always been a list maniac but even lists have to have some semblance of art and science to it or they will just be another source of clutter. As a freelancer I also have to keep track of more things so random post-its won't cut it. My calendar planner sometimes looks more like a collage than a calendar but that's the way it works for me.

Be back in a bit.