New Sandwiches for Cafe Zoe

I recently started working at a Spa across around the corner. It's about a 10 minute walk from where I'm staying on Woodland Avenue. I have a 15 minute coffee break and a 30 minute lunch break. I could walk home but often, in the interest of time, I decide to go to the cafe across the street called Cafe Zoe. It's an independent cafe selling good organic coffee, fresh deli sandwiches and gelato from Ciao Bella. They also exhibit art work from independent artists. On some days, an acoustic jazz band also plays.

Just yesterday, I went there to get a latte and a turkey sandwich. The owner served the sandwich and mentioned that she's experimenting on a new bread. But her problem is she might not be able to make it regularly. She made me a special turkey sandwich with cranberry bread from Brioche Bakery. She mentioned that they have problems sourcing bread. And unfortunately, Acme which has very good artisan bread could not service them as well.

Kathleen, the owner, and I just started chatting until we decided to play with her sandwiches. I just used what they already have so she doesn't have to spend for addition inventory, not to mention limited storage space.

I went through their refrigerator the other day and made a list of what I can make. I came in early this morning, made some sandwiches and offered them to the cafe regulars to sample. I made a couple vegetarian option as well for the yogis next door (it's right next to Be Yoga).

When I came in, they only have 4 basic deli sandwiches. I thought I would throw in a couple more and add some items for kids too since the cafe is also close to the German International School where they hold Atherton Little League Baseball on weekends.

Kathleen was happy and excited about the new menu. And it looks like I have a new job too.

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New Menu Items as of today 07/06/08:
Basic Sandwiches
*Grilled, optional
1. Turkey
2. Ham
3. Salami
4. Vegetarian

Bread option:
Dutch Crunch, Seeded Parisian, Hearty Harvest Multigrain bread

Garnishes:
Tomatoes, Pickles, Red Onions, Romain Lettuce

Dressing and Seasoning:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grey Poupon Mustard, Salt and Pepper

Specialty Sandwiches:
*Goes on Artisan Breads
1. Caprese Panini - Mozarella, Fresh Tomatoes, Sundried Tomatoes, Basil and Pesto on Ciabatta or Baguette

2. Ham, Pears and Brie - with Mixed greens and viniagrette on Ciabatta or Baguette

3. Grilled Vegetables - Grilled Marinated Vegetables (Portabello Mushrooms, Eggplant and Peppers) with Feta on Ciabatta or Baguette

4. Turkey and Cranberry - Smoked Turkey, Greens, Brie with Pomegranate Cranberry dressing on Cranberry Bread or Baguette

5. Salad Sandwich - Pear, Arugula and Spinach Salad with Pear viniagrette on Ciabatta (Potentially a vegan option but we have yet to source vegan bread, wrap?)

Kids Meal
1- PB & J - organic peanut butter and artisan jelly (seasonal fruit preserves) on Dutch Crunch bread

2 - Grilled Double Cheese - Double double cheese cheese, cheddar cheddar swiss swiss on sliced whole wheat.

*We also sampled the Great Grilled Cheese sandwich with 4 cheeses (Brie, Provolone, Monterey Jack and Pecorino Romano) with Arugula. It was a hit too but the menu was becoming too big. But it was a GREAT grilled cheese sandwich treat.

4th of July at Sausalito

I spent the day with the Abads. In the morning, we went to the Park to play Tennis. I died. We went home to eat brunch and get ready. We went to Sausolito! Finally, I got to go! I've been telling my friends that I've been here for a long time and I've never been to that quaint little city by the river. It was nice to spend the 4th of July holiday with Kyle a.k.a Kulit. We had seafood dinner at Scoma, then we walked around, bought ice cream and found our spot, right by the water. We had seats at the 'roof deck'! Best view ever!

Kyle and Tita Namee
a.k.a Kulit Jr, and Ms. Kulit

Kyle loves fish and chips and fried prawns.
But he loves Lobsters more!!!

The Abads

Top Load.

Happy 4th of July!

More Fruits To Look Forward To

Loquats. So Sweet!

I can hardly wait for these Apricots!

Is that a Plum?
Pears.

The Peaches Are Red-y

I'm so lucky to be staying at a place surrounded by fruit bearing trees! We never had to buy lemons and oranges. The ones we have a really good. I just pick one fresh from the tree whenever I need some for cooking or seasoning.

I would always stare at the peach tree and wonder how sweet the fruits will be. I walked around the yard this morning and the tree surprised me with delicious ripe peaches! Their skin was bright red. They felt just right, not too firm and not too tender.

I picked one and bit into it. No bruised spots. The peach I had in my hand was ripened on the tree. It was very sweet and delicious. Now I know how good it is, to have eaten a perfectly tree ripened peach. Delightful!

Beautiful Plates!

Beautiful Plates at Chez Tj

Chef's Pre-Service Briefing
Henry, Andrew, Bruno

Lamb being plated.

Squab being plated.

Squab Terrine with Frisee

Boeuf.

Veg Terrine.
Carrots, Asparagus, Cauliflower with Herb Salad

Foie Plate.
Missing Seared, Mousse stuffed Morel, Torchon

Bon Bons

Hali

Cheese Plate.
Missing Brillat Savarin and Tete de Moine

Marinated Scallop
(Lemoin Oil, Wakame, Sake, Aged Soy, Passion Fruit Gastrique, Espilette)

Lobo. On Cuc and Mango

Lobo. Top view

I liked it over there. I learned a lot. Thank you, Chefs!

Fried Parsley

One of the most common garnishes... typically thrown in a deep fryer for a couple of seconds then sprinkled with salt and allowed to crisp under the sally or on top of the oven. At Chez TJ, I learned hot to keep them flat and green and crisp! It's a trick on the microwave!

The perfectly fried parsley and the shaved truffle on a brick dough will cap a delicious bowl of squab consomme.

Stagerie at Chez TJ

I've been feeling rusty since I stopped cooking. I was off from my spa work today so I decided to call my friend who's a sous chef at Chez Tj, a french restaurant in Mountain View, CA.

I spent the entire day just helping out the cooks. I did a lot of knife work and help prepare the little details on the plate that a lot of people don't like doing... like fried parsley, brunois shallots and chive rings.

I had a lot of fun! I'm so amazed at how the system in the kitchen works so well. They only have 4 cooks. The Chef de Cuisine expedites at the pass. At the beginning of the line is the Garde Mange cook, followed by the Sous Chef, then the Entremet then the Saute Cook. The Entremet plates everything. He stands in between the Sous Chef and the Saute Cook. Saute cooks most of the protein. The Sous Chef helps supervise the line and cooks some of the vegetables and sauces too. As the Entremet plates, the Chef de Cuisine takes them at the pass and finishes them with oils, salt, pepper, fried herbs, chives, creme fraiche or truffle shavings.

It was amazing how much food comes out of that kitchen. The plates and beautiful and fairly complex and yet service runs very smoothly.

I was only there for a day and I already learned so much. Thanks Chef Bruno and Chef Henry! I would love to come by and help again sometime soon.

Some tips and tricks and photos on my next post.

My Job At The Spa

One business I want to have one day is a Salon Spa. Recently, as I have been bored, I decided to walk into one that's across the street from my cousin's house in Menlo Park, CA. I just wanted to see what services they have and what special stuff they offer.

It occurred to me that perhaps the best way to learn the business is to be in it. It so happened that they had an opening. They just needed a part time manager on duty (basically take care of transactions, booking, opening and closing the registers and creating the reports). I applied and got the job.

My first day was so far fun. I learned how to book appointments and how to sell their services. Plus, I got to sample a lot of their beauty products for free!

And the best part is, they started scheduling me for facial and massage. It's sort of an orientation. The goal is to give me the experience that will allow me to sell their services better.

Spa extravaganza! Not bad at all!

-------
Thermae

So much fun!

It was just so much fun! I'm still not over it! I don't think I'll ever get over it. Thanks Er, Michelle, Bembong and Alexei!

Ang Nilaga Ni Erika!

I'm used to making Nilaga (Boiled meat, usually boiled beef) the way my Lolo Bito does it. Although, I don't think mine ever tasted like his. His was just really flavorful. He uses soup bones that will simmer for hours with onions and black peppercorns. Then he will later garnish it with cooked Garbanzos, Cabbage, Corn, Potatoes and sometimes Chorizo de Bilbao. It's something I always crave for. My grandparents who are great cooks died a few years ago, leaving behind a culinary tradition at our family restaurant. So whenever I want the old school Nilaga, I simply request for it. Our cooks know perfectly how to season it. They even strain the soup as it's poured over the meat and the vegetables to have a rich clear broth. It's like the French Pot Au Feu minus the wine. The deep rich flavor comes from simmering the ingredients for hours and hours.

When we have this at home (in the Philippines), I do the 'ambula'. Instead of putting the dish on my plate with rice. I just pour the rice in the soup bowl and eat it in the bowl with my rice floating in the soup. It's even better with Calamansi, Soy sauce and Chili. But that's back home!

My friend Erika made me some Nilaga this weekend. I don't even know if I'm allowed to disclose her secret ingredient(s) that bring(s) out that deep flavor in the meat. It was soooo good I was slurping the soup! I must say it's the best Nilaga I've ever had in America. She turned the Phil-Am Nilaga from ho-hum to Holy Cow! Ang nilaga ni Erika...brings-me-back-to-my-childhood good! The Best!

Fun Jobs!

While waiting for October to come (basically for my life to start again)... I thought I'd do some fun jobs, so far I have the ff:

1. MOD at a Salon Spa. I must admit it IS fun! And I get free treatments ;)
2. Teaching assistant at Kid's Bake Camp at Sur La Table
3. Stagerie on various restaurants! I can't believe how much I love to cook. If money didn't matter, it's all I want to do

I think I should pick up on other hobbies too. Oh, I already got into yoga. I just completed my 30 days of yoga that I committed to myself. Now I'm hooked! Yoga can make an amazing difference to ones body and mind, to ones life actually. I can't really afford to keep the hobby at this point but I think I can still practice yoga by volunteering help in the studio. I'm just about to do that too. Wooohooo! another fun job!

Noisy Girls Made It To Seattle

And in Seattle we got addicted to Rock Band! Thanks Alexei for being a gracious and generous host (and band manager)! Oh and thanks for your patience too!!

Noisy Girls Are Driving

Noisy Girls are off to Seattle

The Plan: Drive from San Francisco To Seattle (and back?)
The Noisy Girls: ET, NJ, MJ, BB

Possible Routes:
A. Interstate 5 - The Quick Route (not really) - About 810 mi, 12 hrs and 40 mins
Pass through Mt. Shasta - a beautiful snowcapped mountain by a big lake. Go through the city of Ashland, Oregon famous for its Shakespeare Festival in the Summer. The city boasts of its beautiful Elizabethan type outdoor theater. Detour off of I-5 to see Crater Lake National Park in Oregon then go to Portland for some shopping? Why? Oregon state has NO SALES TAX! Nice! Then enter Washington and visit Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Ranier National Parks. There might be restricted access though due to snow, even in the Summer months so it's always good to check. Drive to Seattle and visit the monumental Casa de Alexei

B. Highway 101 - The Scenic Route - About 940 mi, 20 hrs and 7 mins
This highway is closer to the coast. It passes through Humboldt Redwoods State Park and the Redwoods National Park. The Avenue of the Giants is a beautiful short drive in the Humboldt that shouldn't be missed. This is the land of the oldest and biggest trees. It would be nice to DRIVE THRU some of them. Same highway goes to Oregon. Oregon 101 is famous for its beautiful coastal drive as well as the little towns around the area. Check out the little towns then drive to Seattle and visit the monumental Casa de Alexei

101 is A LOT slower than I-5. But the good news is, there are a number of small that crosses over from one to the other.

Other Small Towns of Interest:
Eureka, CA
Ukiah, CA - the largest in the Mendocino County
Willits, CA - gateway to the Redwood Forest
Little River, CA - the site of Van Damme State Park
Point Arena, CA - little fishing village by the coast
Yachats, OR
Lincoln City, OR
Florence, OR
Bellingham, WA

Too many places to see! Shall we just wing it?
Bahala na si Batman... I mean si Sharon!

Berries and Balsamic

I learned how to make fresh berry compotes from my internship at Chez Panisse. I remember how good berries tasted like. They use only the freshest and the finest. I always refer to my internship notes A LOT! I feel very privileged to have had that opportunity.

About 2 weeks ago, Mj and Bemong visited Er in Berkeley and I volunteered to cook for them. Wait, did I volunteer or they volunteered me? I was more than glad to do it anyway. It was such a short notice, not to mention, we really didn't have a lot of time.


I made some salad with of mushrooms and mesclun greens with truffle balsamic viniagrette, white wine poached sole and some semblance of chicken saltimboca (prosciutto wrapped chicken) with parmesan and sage brodo (which turned out to be some heavy cream sauce rather than a brothy one. And for dessert... it had to be semi home made. But I was happy with it. I made a fresh berry compote. Er and I picked up berries from the farmer's market in Berkeley... Lucero organic farm produce the best, very red and very sweet strawberries). I tossed the berries in a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt to get some of the berry juices out. I zested about half a lemon over it too. Acid brightens the flavors of berries. I added about a splash of Balsamic Vinegar for some contrast. Some Eau de Vie would have been great (Kirsch or Framboise would have been delicious!) I added heavy cream in the end. I meant to whip cream and dollop it over the cake then top it with my berries. But I decided to just add the cream to the compote. Then I poured it over slices of store bought pound cake. It turned out really good! I think I'm going to do this again. It might even work with other cakes like angel cake or chocolate cake perhaps. Berries and balsamic!

Thanks for the photo, Mj!

I Love This Cook!

Can't get enough of David Cook!

Duck Liver Terrine

Speaking of ducks, who doesn't love Duck Liver Mousse? It's one of the best liver products from ducks (maybe next to Foie Gras, which I have to admit, is a real pleasure to the palate)

Yield 2 terrines

TOOLS/EQUIPMENT:
1 robot coupe (food processor)
1 tamis (sieve or a mesh strainer)
1 rubber spatula
2 terrine molds with lids
Plastic wrap
1 4-in deep full size pan for bain marie.
It's always good to know what you will need!

INGREDIENTS:
2. lbs ground pork fat back
22 0z duck liver clean of sinew , fat and green spots
6 oz of finely chopped onion
2 eggs
6 oz milk (scalded, keep warm)
1 oz flour
3/4 oz salt
(optional) ¼ tsp Prague #1
1 oz brandy
1/3 oz quatre epice
1 tsp ground black pepper

PROCEDURE
1- In a pan melt the fat back until liquid under medium heat (don’t burn!)

2- Strain unmelted pieces of fat and set aside, both the melted and unmelted fat, keep warm (stays warm longer in a metal container, like a bain marie)

Have all the ingredients at the ready as well as the lined terrine before you undertake the next steps. Preheat oven to 250 degrees too.

3- Use the food processor to puree the unmelted fat until creamy. Add the fresh liver and puree again.

4- Bring the milk to a boil then pour steadily into the robot coupe while running.

5- Pour the melted the hot melted fat in the same fashion.

At that point you should have a smooth and creamy emulsion. Do not delay this entire procedure as you can not let the fat get cold when adding to the liver.

6 - Add the seasoning, eggs, flour and onion and puree again for 30 seconds.
Clean the sides of the bowl with the spatula and run the robot coupe for a few more seconds.

7- Strain the mixture thru a tamis .

8- Pour into a lined terrine mold.

9- Wipe off the spills and place lids.

10- Bake into a bain marie in a 250 oven unti internal temp reaches 145, notice that the liver mousse sets at this point, it's a little jiggly like a custard. (water bath: I suggest putting the terrine in the pan then bring it to the oven, then pour water till about a third of it's height, it's just safer to do it this way than moving a pan to the oven filled with water and terrine)

11- Remove from water bath let rest and chill overnight.

12- Unmold, slice and serve (with toasts, dijon mustard and conrichons, if you have violet mustard, even better!)

Finding Family in NYC

I went to NYC last year to work for Spice Market. I feel to be so fortunate to have found special people who became friends and eventually extended family.

I just want to share this beautiful prayer Auntie Emily sent, especially in times of existential crisis like this.

-------------------------------------------------
emelie roaquin
wrote: Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 07:33:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: emelie roaquin
Subject: Re: Hello
To: Namee
CC: Rod C Roaquin

You are always welcome to visit and if you ever want to spend your holidays in NY, come on over. If you ever want to explore Boston, Debbie can accomodate you. As life would have it, the bonds have been formed from the friendship your Grandpa had with my Uncle, then, your Dad & my brother in law as classmates in their early years. How can one not believe that God plans beautifully so we are able to take care of one another. Who would think that with the 8 million people in NY, you would wind up with us as an extended family! Some time ago, friends sent me this prayer and may you find strength in it.

May there be peace within you today. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

love & peace,
Auntie Emelie

Duck Confit

Since the Mangan Yaman Festival, my mom has been bugging me to send her a recipe for Duck Confit. It's not one of the common preparation we do at Everybody's Cafe. We typically cook duck adobo style. But then we've been using wild duck too rather than the farmed ones. I remember growing up the hunters in the early morning will bring their prize game at the restaurant so we can cook it. Wild ducks are tougher and more gamey and thus require more acid in cooking. Acide breaks the tough protein particles so Adobo is the way to go.

My mom recently tasted Claude Tayag's Duck Confit and asked me how to do it. I'm sure Claude Tayag, an excellent chef and artist himself, has his own special recipe. But I sent my mom the one that I've been using. I usually keep it simple since I use the confit meat for other preparations (stuff them in dumplings, or spring rolls or make them into a rillete).

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Namee <nameejorolan@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, May 18, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Subject: The Jorolans - SFP - Duck Confit Recipe
To: The-Jorolans-SFP <The-Jorolans-SFP@googlegroups.com>

Hi Ma,

Here's a quick recipe that works for me. I've seen it done just cured in salt over night then cooked in fat the next day. That's the simplest too and it still works!

Duck Confit
- Thighs from 6 ducks, trimmed of all fat (you can render the fat so you'll have more to use for the confit process
- Curing mixture (1/2 cup of salt and sugar, chopped parsley, rosemary, and thyme- 1 tbl of each)

Toss the duck thighs in the curing mixture then store them in a pan skin side up. Recipes from colder countries would say keep it at room temp but it's too hot over there so I recommend you refrigerate it cure.

Confit is a process of preservation which is basically done by cooking a product (meat or vegetable) in fat or really low heat. I confit potatoes or leaks, sometimes salmon and tuna too, except that I don't cure those anymore, I just cook them in fat. I'll make you try them when I come home.

Crust the thighs and allow to dry overnight before confit process begins.
- 1 gal duck fat
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- Salt tt
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns

Brush the crust mixture off of the ducks and put them into a hotel pan. Add fat, and all aromatics and cover. Cook in oven @ 300 F until tender and falling apart. Cool in fat and use as needed, storing unused in fat. If covered with enough fat, refrigerated, confit can keep for 6 months.

You can also do this stove top under very very very low heat. It will take about 2 to 3 hours. If the fat is 'tulog' you can just put the paste on top of the meat and it will still melt in the oven. The danger of melting the pot prior to putting it on heat is that the fat might be too hot and it will sear the duck. You want everything to come up to temperature at the same time so using cold fat is fine.

You can use dried herbs if you can't find fresh ones. If you don't have any of the herbs, just use salt and garlic and it will still taste good good.

Have fun!

Love,
Namee

Mangan Yaman Festival

I'm so proud of my mom and my brother for getting Everybody's Cafe to where it is now. I can't wait to go home and join their team. In the mean time, I'll be applauding from my side of the Pacific Ocean (currently cooking in the Bay Area).

Chefs and CEO's, Chefs are CEO's

"...With kitchen turned into metaphor and BECOMING A CHEF the roadmap, it's easy to chart parallels to success in more traditional business milieus. Looked at from that angle, the professional skills of chefs become more complex, instructive and fascinating — putting them on par with those of business titans and mavericks. For anyone who undervalues the deep pool of talent that resides in the back of the house, perhaps it's time to look more closely and glean tips that can be used in any setting.

• Like the best CEOs, chefs are driven by attitude and moxie. They're loath to accept mediocrity and rarely are undecided about the best approach to accomplish their goals.

• They live by numbers, constantly working them through in their head. They know the inputs and the impact. Whether dollars, gallons or degrees, the math must always work.

• Chefs understand with absolute certainty the importance of paying attention to everything — the big picture as well as the smallest detail. A single thing can bring down the house-even one bad clam or a bunch of unwashed green onions.

• The kitchen is their world and they know it intuitively, experientially and completely. With one glance, a chef can gauge and respond to the landscape of the day.

• Results are measurable and readily apparent. If it's working and the marketplace responds, gratification is nearly instantaneous.

• In the end, execution is all that really matters. If the plan can't be carried out, even the most brilliant ideas and business proposals will collapse like a cold soufflé.

• And finally, a chef's success — like that of a CEO — is an elusive goal and it's not easy to reach. Says Edna Lewis inBECOMING A CHEF: "Restaurant work is hard work. But you don't give up-you try to improve every day, even on the old things you do. It's a never-ending learning process."
  — Patricia Dailey, RESTAURANTS & INSTITUTIONS(3/1/04)

Grace and Knife Work

"Grace, believe me is necessary when handling a knife. I can always tell a professional chef from a home-cook. The knife work gives them away. There's an ECONOMY OF MOVEMENT and WARRIORLIKE AGGRESSIVENESS that immediately identifies a chef." - Bin from A Book of Salt by Monique Truong

I Want To Pull My Apron and Throw It Away!

It's one of those days when I just want to throw pans and post everywhere. Pull my apron. Walk out and say, I quit!

But I'm a better person than that. I don't walk out of fallen souffles or overcooked fish. I deal with the problem and fix it.

So I got over it and stayed. Besides, it will reflect on me as a person, more than just as a cook, to not be able to deal with, in kitchen terms, 'crap.' I just try to make the most out of the situation by making the best plate I've ever made one after the other... the tallest souffle that has ever risen in the oven one after the other, the most perfectly cooked scallop they ever tasted, the best seared foie I ever threw in a smoking hot pan.

I'm a cook! Not a quitter! That to some is an entire profession.

Quick Treat For Kids - Spaghetti Ice Cream

It's always tricky to come up with something kids will love. But kids love spaghetti. And they LOVE ice cream too! So, how about some Spaghetti Ice Cream
Marinara Sauce => Raspberry or Strawberry Preserve / Jam / Compote
Spaghetti => Vanilla Ice Cream passed through a ricer (keep the ricer cold before use)
Basil => Chopped Mint
Parmesan => Shaved White Chocolate

Yum!

Langues de Chat

One of my favorite cookies! Nice to nibble with coffee or tea. They make good garnish to custard and ice cream desserts too.

The recipe? Same as the Tuile!
1# Butter
1# Sugar
1# Egg Whites
1# Sifted Flour
Pinch of Salt
Method: Cream, Add whites in increments. Pulse the paddle briefly after adding the flour

Using a round #3 or #4 tip, pipe batter out a silpat and bake at 350 for 12 minutes, rotate every 4 to 6 minutes for even browning.

Slide metal spatula immediately after they come out of the oven, otherwise, they crisp up and will break when released from the silpat. Sprinkle powdered sugar when cooling. Allow to cool at room temp then store in airtight containers.

Variations: Sprinkle with nuts, sprinkle with coco nibs, flavor with chocolate (replace 20% of the flour with coco powder.

By the way, batter works best at room temp!

Tuile

A French word used in reference to a thin, sweet, crisp cookie that is in the shape of a curved tile. The hot cookie is place on a round object after it is baked and left there until cooled. It holds the shape of the round object, resulting in a cookie shaped like a curved tile. There are special molds for shaping the cookie or a rolling pin can also be used. Traditionally these cookies are flavored with almonds but can also be found in vanilla, lemon and orange.

Recipe
1# Butter
1# Sugar
1# Egg Whites
1# Sifted Flour
Pinch of Salt
*Prepare a stencil for the desired shape of the cookie
Method: Creaming (use a paddle)

Stencil batter on a silpat and bake at 350-375F

Chocolate Tuile - For a chocolate Tuile, coco powder may be substituted with flour for 25-37% but flexibility may be compromised because coco powder does not have gluten.
Butter and Egg whites may break. Why? Unlike egg yolks, egg whites do not contain lecithin which is the emulsifying agent.

Vegetarian Option for Gelatine?

Gelatin is one of the most commonly used thickeners especially in bakeshops. It is a natural product from collagen, an animal protein. To use gelatin, two step process is followed, namely: “blooming” or softening of gelatin in cold water without melting it, and dissolution in hot liquid. It is available in two forms: granulated gelatin and sheet or leaf gelatin

Sheet or Leaf Gelatin – Most of the time derived from cow; Average weight is 1/10 oz or 3 grams per sheet; Preferred over granulated gelatin because of lack of flavor and color; Tends to dissolve more readily and evenly; has a longer shelf life; Each sheet can only absorb 1/2 oz of water

Powdered or Granulated Gelatin – Most of the time derived from pig; Average weight of 1 tsp is 1/10 oz; Should be softened in water in 5x its weight; Should also be heated gently to dissolve; amount of water needed to dissolve gelatin should always be specified in the recipe, especially when using granulated gelatin, as this may contribute to scaling issues. Any type of gelatin is NOT vegetarian-friendly.

Gelatin Substitutes for Vegetarians
1-Kosher Gelatin - comes from fish bones

2-Agar-agar comes from seaweed.
It is used widely in asian cuisine but must be used sparingly. It has 9x tightening power more than ordinary gelatin

3-Carageena - comes from moss

4-Pectin- also an alternative stabilizer but is heat activated. This may be used for heated / cooked products such as pies. It may not work however with souffle as it becomes too hot

There are a lot of other stabilizers in the market nowadays but they may not be natural.

How Much Gelatine Do I Need?

When using gelatin, use only enough amount to stabilize product; excessive amounts will alter the product’s taste.

Blooming: Allowing gelatin to absorb water; Cold water allows pearls to swell

Gelatin melts at 86F and solidifies at 68F.

1t powdered gelatin = 1 sheet of gelatin
1 sheet of gelatin = 1/10 of an oz
10 sheets of gelatin = 1 oz
1 sheet of gelatin absorbs 1/2 oz water during the bloom
(*water, milk and eggs are equal part by weight and volume, the difference in specific gravity is the same)

As long as cream or meringue is not added into the gelatin mixture, we can still reheat gelatin mixture again and again to dissolve the gelatin.

Papain: Enzyme in fruits which inhibits gelatinization. To counter this, heat puree to 175F

Ratios:
3 sheets (or 3t or 1/3 oz) to 1 quart to STABILIZE
5 sheets (or 1T + 2t 1/2 oz ) to 1 quart to SET

Meringue Math

It's all about ratio!

A. Common Meringue:
Proportion: 2 parts whites : 1 part sugar (or equal to egg whites)
Uses: Leavener for baked goods like mousses or lady fingers
Method of Production:
1 - Whip egg whites until it’s 4x its volume and no liquid is visible
2 - Steam-in sugar
3 - Whip the mixture until soft peak and sugar is dissolved

B. Italian Meringue
Proportion: 1 part whites : 2 parts sugar
Uses: Emulsion like mousses, butter cream
Method of Production:
1 - Whip egg whites until it’s 4x its volume and no liquid is visible
2 - Stream-in sugar melted at 240 degrees or ‘soft ball’ stage
3 - Whip to desired peak or temperature
* the longer egg white is whipped, the denser it becomes
4 - Add flavoring agents (or gelatin) as necessary

C. Swiss Meringue
Proportion: 2 parts sugar : 1 part whites
Uses: Cookies or Baked Alaska, may be used as topping or mouses but since the egg is not cooked, it may be unsafe
Method of Production:
1 - Heat together egg whites and sugar in a double broiler until 100-140 degrees until the sugar is melted
2 - Whip until cool and thick in a mixer
It should look fluffy like marshmallows
* If eggs will not be heated, the use of pasteurized eggs is appropriate

Meringue Making

1 - Eggs foam at 70 degrees F

2 - Mild Acids Aid in foaming
Acid in forms of cream of tartar, lime or lemon juice or vinegar will do. There’s no need to add acid to the recipe, wiping the bowl with vinegar to clean it is good enough.

Cream of Tartar is a by product of the fermentation process of tannin scraped out of oak barrels. It feels really really dry to the mouth. It taste like dry acid. Well, it IS dry acid.

3 - Fat inhibits foaming
Ensure that the bowl to be used is clean. Any amount of fat left on the bowl may inhibit foaming. Egg yolks contain fat too so the mixing bowl as well as the separated egg whites should be free of any remnants of egg yolks

Ensure also that in separating eggs, especially in bigger batches, clean hands are used instead of the egg shells because salmonella resides in the egg shells

4 - Sugar stabilizes egg foams
Sugar functions as stiffener, stabilizer and preservative in meringue

5 - Do not over-whip
Over-whipping the egg whites causes synersis, also known as curdling. This is the point at which protein strands are stretched too much and they begin snapping. The protein web is broken and the water stored in each protein cell walls are released producing a liquid mixture that resembles curds and whey.

NM Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe - The Real Deal!

An urban myth is a modern folk tale, its origins unknown, its believability enhanced simply by the frequency with which it is repeated.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds) 2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. 4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie. Yield: 2 dozen cookies

$250 NM Cookie Recipe - An Urban Legend

I guess it is!

$250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe

It's one of those forwards that I hardly ever read... but it sounded like a good chocolate chip cookie recipe!

-----------------------
When decent people get screwed over, this is the result!

A little background: Neiman-Marcus, if you don't know already,
is a very expensive store; I..e., they sell your typical $8.00
T-shirt for $50.00.

Let's let them have it! THIS IS A TRUE STORY!

My daughter and I had just finished a salad at a Neiman-Marcus
Cafe In Dallas, and we decided to have a small dessert. Because both of us are such cookie lovers, we decided to try the 'Neiman-Marcus cookie.' It was So excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe, and the waitress said with a small frown, 'I'm afraid not, but you can buy The Recipe.' Well, I asked how much, and she responded, ' Only two fifty - it's a Great deal!' I agreed to that, and told her to just add it to my tab.

Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement, and the
Neiman-Marcus Charge was $285.00! I looked again, and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20.00 for a scarf.

As I glanced at the bottom of the statement, it said,
'Cookie Recipe-$250.00.' That was Outrageous! I called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the waitress said it was 'two fifty', which clearly does not mean 'two hundred and fifty dollars' by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase.

Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money because, according to them, 'What the waitress told you is not our problem. You have already seen the Recipe. We absolutely will not refund your money at this point.' I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes which govern fraud in the State of Texas I threatened to report them to the Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office for engaging in fraud.

I was basically told, 'Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back.

I just said, Okay, you folks got my $250, and now I'm going to
have $250 worth of fun. I told her that I was going to see to it
that every Cookie Lover in the United States with an e-mail account has a $250 cookie recipe From Neiman-Marcus...for free. She replied, 'I wish you wouldn't do this.' I said, 'Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you ripped me off!' and slammed down the phone.

So here it is!

I paid $250 for this, and I don't want Neiman-Marcus to EVER
make another penny off of this recipe!

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)

2 cups butter
24 oz. Chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda . Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie Sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

Makes 112 cookies.

Finally, Called To The Stove

Recently, I was assigned to move to the H/A station (Hot Appetizers). It's the first step to getting on the line from Garde Manger (Cold Station). It's like... being called to the stove.

Much as I couldn't wait to be on the line, I must admit that I'm not a very big fan of this station.

I was on Garde Manger for the longest time now (here in California, back in New York, I was working on the line) and I was just getting bored. I needed something new to do. I needed to learn how to cook on the line.

I must say that there's a huge difference between cooking AND cooking on the line. I'll expound on that later. And, there's an even bigger difference between cooking on the line from my job in New York and cooking on the line on my job now in California.

Cooking is pretty intuitive. Or at least to me it is. Taste it, smell it, taste it, smell it and cook it till it's done, till it's right. Till it's perfect. Till I like it, just until I love it.

Cooking on the line is a whole different ball game. There's a logistical strategy in play when you think about it.

1 - Prepping - a lot of the items may take a long time to cook. The sauces especially. But that's the beauty of it. It takes time for the sauces to cook down. It develops flavor as it cooks. And while sauces are cooking, cream has to be reduced for fondue, Wine and Shallots are reducing for Beurre Blanc, Potatoes are in the pot for Papas, Greens are blanched for building pots and making purees and I have to do my knife work while I have everything going on the stove.

2 - Setting up - I have to heat up my soups and sauces, just around that time in the afternoon when every single pot is occupied, if not in the sink with some crust stuck on it. We don't really have dishwashers in the kitchen until later in the afternoon so I have to was my own pots so I can heat up my soups. Taste it, season it, stretch it, too thin, fix it, too salty, fix it. Do I add water or stock? Do I use veg or chicken? Do I add cream or butter to keep it together. More salt? More salt! And oh the beurre blanc needs to be finished. The foam has to be set up. The artichoke has to be pureed. And I have custards in the oven that needs to be pulled out and cooled! How about my chips? Can Garde Mange fry them for me? And the grapes need to be peeled! This is a one-man station! I should be able to do it!

3 - Service - I'm not even going to elaborate on this. It's bad enough that I only have 3 burners when one plate already uses 2 out of the 3. And when there are orders fired one after the other, back to back with souffles and scallops that need to come out with an Abalone and Papas followed by a Duck Soup and a Porcini soup and 7 tasting foie steaks... I just don't know where to turn anymore. I have to get the pan down, run to the walk in, then run to the oven at the back, then fire what ever has to go out and set the plates while the proteins are on the pan, hopefully not burning if not overcooking, and make sure that the sauces are out on the window before the plate is finished.

And this is a one person station. The good thing about Hot Apps is that there's 2 or 3 other people on the line for fish and meat stations that are usually not too busy yet while the appetizers are going out. So if I holler, help comes.

So far, I've been able to get by. With a little help from my friends on the line of course, assuming they're not hardly slammed with fire tickets.

Ok, There are a few good reasons why I moved:

1 - I did like working with Chef Peter. I consider him my first chef out of culinary school... well next to my mom and my grand mother of course who were my chefs in my lifetime. I must admit I learned a lot during my internship with Chef Peter. In his kitchen, you have to run as fast as you can and get a plate up or his bullet will hit you right in the head. Ok, I'll get on that later.

2 - I'll get to work with Acacia and Brian, people I loved working with at Aqua. I learned so much from them

3 - I miss fine dining. After working at 2 other restaurants that are just as fast paced but are not really fine dining restaurants, I started missing the logistical nightmare of working in a fine dining kitchen... coordinating plates, timing everything fired at the same time, fine chiffonades and perfect micro brunois.

4 - I miss the seasonal menu of California Cuisine. I like witnessing the season change with the menu change. It's exciting!

So meet Brian Starky. He's a cool cook!
I respect his opinion when it comes to how food should taste.
If he says it's delicious. It's DELICIOUS!

And the crazy lady below is Acacia O'boyle. O boy O'boyle!

She's the craziest and probably the fastest person I've ever worked with.

You turn around and the next minute she got a sturgeon mousse together, ready to be piped in fragile fried canolis. Not to mention she sneaked out and smoked a cigarette in between prep work.

We got along well and worked very well together too! We set up a station without really talking. We can mentally communicate! She's half Filipina so sometimes we I call her my other half.

We seem to be like 2 people with the same person. Well, we were born on the same day, 5 years and 50,000 miles apart.

We're planning on getting our own thing going.
Frenchy Filipino cuisine and we'll call it Chez Pinay!

Meet Chef Peter. I don't have to say much...

In Between Blog Backlogs

So what happened between New York and California.

To make the long story short, I did love working at the Spice Market. I got to cook fish which I really enjoyed. I was able to work the Saute station, which used to be an all-man station until moi. That was really fun too. I've encountered a few sexist remarks but, it comes with it.

I enjoyed New York, a lot! But for some reason, I just had to do this. I just had to go to California and work with Chef P. I've been asking myself what the compelling reason for the move is, I really couldn't find anything concrete. Somehow, I just have to.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I'm one to follow my heart. So I did.

The transition was pretty sharp too. I had to go to work on my last day in New York. And I had to go to work almost immediately after arriving in California.

I felt like I just broke down my station in New York and woke up working another station, except it's across the country rather than simply across the kitchen.

And then it just got too busy, too busy to write a line or two to share my day to my friends and family abroad that I hardly get to talk to. The only way they find out what's going on with me is through my ramblings on my blog.

So now I'm back, catching up on blog backlogs. This time though, I'll share more recipes, tips and tricks and a few food trivia that I picked up here and there.

Documenting Recipes

I've worked in a few kitchens in the US and some of them have explicitly written instructions on a dish from preparation to plating. I can't believe how much work goes into one dish. I guess all that love makes it worth all the money. I tried documenting the Abalone and Pork Belly. It seems simple but there's quite a bit of work AND love.

ABALONE AND PORK BELLY
Mise:
Pork belly jus
Abalone (2 per order)
Artichoke puree
Pork belly (1/order)
Artichoke section (1/order)
Flour to dredge
Fried parsley leaves, artichokes, garlic


Prep:
1. Pork Belly Jus
Reduce Pork Belly Braising Liquid
Adjust with Brown Chicken Jus
Season and strain

2. Artichoke Section:
Cook Artichoke in Barigoule Liquid

Artichoke a la barigoule
4 oz smoked bacon scrap
1c carrot flower
1c celery sliced
1c sliced onion
1c sliced leek rings
Herb satchet: Basil stems, tarragon, thyme
1 tsp cracked coriander, black pepper, fennel seed
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
10oz extra virgin olive oil
10oz white wine
10oz chicken stock
Artichoke cleaned

Bring olive oil and bacon scrap, sachet and cracked spices together. Cook for 5 minutes. Add artichokes and sliced vegetables. Season a little bit and stir carefully. Cook for 4 minutes and add wine. Cook for another 5 minutes and add chicken stock. Check frequently for doneness. Cool in its own liquid.
***Puree for artichoke puree on abalone dish

3. Artichoke Puree:
Take the cooked artichoke and put into high speed blender with just enough of the liquid it was cooked in to get the pureeing started. As it gets smooth, add whole butter and/or olive oil to tighten the puree. Season. Consistency should be tight so be careful with the amount of liquid you start with.

4. Fried Parsley
Pick parley leaves and fry them in the deep fryer. Season with salt immediately

5. Fried Artichoke Chips
Shave raw artichokes with a mandolin. Keep them in acidulated water if they will not be fried immediately. Fry until crispy. Season with Salt immediately.

6. Fried Garlic Chips
Shave Garlic lengthwise, about an 1/16 of an inch. Make sure the butts are taken off before shaving. Blanch shaved garlic, 2x in water then once in milk. Pat dry. Fry in a pot of oil at 300-325 degrees. Fry until crispy NOT until brown

7. Parsley Puree
Blanch Parsley in salted blanching water. Drain and puree. A batch (2qts) can be made ahead of time and frozen in a paco jet canister.

8. Pork Belly
Cured, roasted and pressed. Slice to ½in x 2in for service.

Set-up reminders:
1. Have Mise in the drawer: Sliced Artichoke, Sliced Pork Belly, Abalone
2. Paco Jet Parsley puree and keep at room temp. 1cup is enough for service.
3. Warm Artichoke puree and hold it in a pint container on the piano

On order
1. Sear Pork belly with a little clarified butter, it will render its own fat.
2. Brown artichoke with the Pork Belly
3. Hold them warm under the salamander or in the 250 oven

On fire/pick up
1. Start melting and browning butter in a pan
2. Set the plate: Tear drop
3. Make a swoosh of parsley puree and artichoke puree across the plate
4. Season 2 Abalone and dredge with flour
5. Drop the Abalone in the pan with brown butter. It cooks in 2 seconds
6. Keep the abalone warm with the Pork Belly and Artichoke Section
7. Make the pan sauce. Deglaze pan used to cook abalone with Pork Belly Jus
8. Plate the dish:
a. Across the plate, lay down in this order: Abalone, Pork Belly, Abalone, Artichoke section.
b. Sauce the Abalone with pan sauce across and around.
c. Garnish on top with Artichoke Chips, Parsley Chips and Garlic chips.

Frogs Legs? How About Stuffed Frogs

Stuffed Frogs got Everybody's Cafe on International TV! Andrew Zimmern loved them! He even took one for baon!


Exotic indeed! Yet elegant on the plate. For a regional food festival, Everybody's Cafe prepared Sisig Tarts (Chopped Grilled Pork Cheeks, seasoned with onions, vinegar, salt and pepper) and some Tapang Kalabaw (Cured Buffalo Meat).