Homemade Rolo Chocolates

The Dot Com Gift Shop sent me these two chocolate moulds to review. If you haven't been to their website before, I urge you to check it out. The Dot Com Gift shop has a range of items for the home and garden ranging from cake stands and chocolate moulds to lunch boxes to candles and cushions. I've bought several things from the site before both for myself and as gifts, and last summer was invited to preview their Christmas range.



It took me a little while to get around to using the moulds as I had a particular project in mind, which you will hear more about later. I found the moulds so easy to use and I love the way they are packaged (above) - I think these would make a really nice gift.



I decided to use the round moulds to make homemade Rolos. I melted some chocolate and poured a little into each mould so it just covered the bottom, and used the back of a spoon to spread it around the sides. Don't make the layer on the bottom too thin as you want it to hold, but you need to leave yourself plenty of space inside the mould for the filling. Place the mould in the fridge for the chocolate to set.

I used a tin of Carnation Caramel for the filling; it is thick and not too runny and perfect for making these. You need about half a teaspoon or even a little less in each mould.

Melt some more chocolate and allow it to cool so it is still runny but not too hot. Pour into the chocolate moulds until they are filled and place again in the fridge to set.

When set, turn out of the mould. The mould is silicon so you can easily bend it to push the chocolates out.

When you bite into one, the caramel inside is still runny. These are perfect and remind me a lot of Rolo chocolates. They would make a lovely gift; I used them on top of a cake!

Read More

Restaurant Review: Burger And Shake

Restaurant name: Burger & Shake

Location: Marchmont Street, London - between Russell Square and Euston

Description: Diner style with casual tables in booths and tiles on the walls with and a varied but meat-heavy and not particularly diet-friendly menu ranging from jalapeno burgers to buffalo wings to chilli dogs and pulled pork sandwiches. Oh, and there's a salad. The restaurant is quite small, nestled among boutiques and cafes on London's trendy Marchmont Street.

Reason for visit: Dinner with a friend who lives near here; she recently moved so we wanted to try somewhere new and local.

I ate: pulled pork burger, £8.50. I love pulled pork but have never tried it in a burger before so couldn't resist.

My companions ate: Cheeseburger, £7.50, and vegetarian burger, £7.75, which consists of a large portobellow mushroom, halloumi cheese (though she is vegan so skipped this), plus lettuce, tomato, cucumber, coriander oil and mayo (again not for the vegans). The only other vegetarian dishes on the menu are side orders- mac and cheese, jalapeno peppers, fries and coleslaw, all of which together would make a meal, but other than the fries none of them are suitable for vegans.

The food was: My burger was excellent, from the brioche bun to the shredded pork in BBQ sauce - the taste complemented the juicy burger perfectly. My friends enjoyed their meals too. None of us ordered the milkshakes though, which given the name I imagine is a speciality here.

The atmosphere/service was: There was a nice level of bustle which comes from being a relatively small restaurant with people coming and going - it's not the sort of place you linger after a meal, and we were going on to the cinema afterwards - so it is the perfect place to grab dinner first. The waitress was friendly and we didn't have to wait long for our food.

Price range/value for money: Good; while the fries cost extra, there are two sizes - £1.95 for small and £2.95 for large, so for an extra two quid you can't really complain, and the burgers are large and very filling. A standard burger is £6.50 which is pretty good for a burger bar like this in central London.

Would I recommend it? Yes, it was a nice place- my first visit and it would be nice to see a couple more of these open in other parts of London. I definitely recommend the pulled pork burger which you don't see on menus very often.

Read More

Adobong Pusit at Baboy, Squid and Pork Adobo

Adobong Pusit at Baboy, Squid and Pork Adobo. I first tasted this adobo squid and pork combination at a specialty restaurant at Resorts World in Manila right across NAI Terminal 3 and Nichols. Sine then, I just could not forget about it, it is a fusion of taste of my two favorite adobo, Adobong Baboy and Adobong Pusit. Cooking Adobong Pusit at Baboy, Squid and Pork Adobo is a bit tricky, cooking time of squid and pork are mile apart. Squid when overcooked tend to become rubbery and in contrast when undercooked the fishiness of a raw squid remains. To get away with a rubbery squid, it has to be slow cooked for a long time, but this cooking method makes the squids meat to be on the dry side and size reduced significantly.

To compensate for the different cooking times the squid was added at the final stages of cooking. It is also advice to use a larger size squid or the cut are larger, the squid shrinks significantly during cooking.

Here is the recipe of my version of Adobong Pusit at Baboy, Squid and Pork Adobo.





Ingredients:



1/2 kilo medium size squid

1/2 kilo pork belly cut into large cubes

1 head garlic, peeled, crushed

1/2-3/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. peppercorns

3-5 pieces bay leaf

1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, crushed

salt

cooking oil

Cooking procedure:



To clean the squid, partially pull out the head and the innards will come out with it. Remove and discard the ink sack and entrails. Remove the membrane from the body and wash out entrails. Final wash squid and drain. Keep aside. Put in pork first in a sauce pan, pour in 1/2 cup of water. Add in the lemongrass, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf bring to a boil and simmer at medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes add more water if required. Add in the chicken and continue to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until almost all the liquid has evaporated and has turn to an oily sauce. Correct saltines if required. Serve with a lot of rice.





See other adobo recipes:



Adobong Ilocano, Chicken Adobo

Adobong Atay at Balunbalunan ng Manok sa Pinya

Adobong Puti

Adobong Manok sa Gata

Adobong Isaw, Adobong Bituka

Adobong Baboy sa Asin

Adobong Baboy sa Gata, Pork Adobo in Coconut Milk

Adobong Baka

Adobong Kambing

Adobong Puti, No Soy Sauce Adobo

Beef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce

Batangas Adobong Dilaw

Batangas Adobo

Bohol Adobo?

Chicken Adobo, Food Safari Chef Ricky Ocampo's Recipe

Humba, Adobong Bisaya

Pork Adobo sa Pinakurat

Pork and Chicken Adobo

Pork Adobo with Pineapple

Pork Adobo with Chunky Chicken Liver Sauce

Pork Humba with Pineapple

Duck Breast Adobo, Adobong Pato

Lamb Adobo

Special Adobo

Read More

Ginataang Sugpo at Kalabasa, Prawn and Pumpkin in Coconut Milk

Ginataang Sugpo at Kalabasa, Prawn and Pumpkin in Coconut Milk. Using kalabasa on most of our seafood ginataan dish is not new. Kalabasa adds a creaminess and color to seafood ginataang dish. Today I used kalabasa to my ginataang sugpo the result was great, I did not only created a yummy dish, I did also cooked a colorful and visually appealing ginataang dish. To break the monotone of orange color I have also added some eggplant which is equally great for ginaataang dish. For the coconut milk I used canned coconut cream.

Cooking is straight forward if you have already cooked ginataang dish before this one is fairly easy. Here is the recipe of my Ginataang Sugpo at Kalabasa, Prawn and Pumpkin in Coconut Milk.

Ingredients:



1 kilo medium size small or medium sized prawns, shelled, leave tails

1/4 small sized pumpkin or squash, skinned, de-seeded, sliced thinly into small triangles

1-2 medium sized eggplant, cut into thin slices

2-3 pieces red or green chili, cut crosswise

1 large can coconut cream

1 large onion, peeled, chopped

1/2 garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped

2 thumb size ginger, skinned, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp. salted shrimp paste

salt

cooking oil

Cooking procedure:



In a wok heat some cooking oil, add in the ginger and garlic, stir cook for about a minute. Then add in the onion and stir cook for another minute or until translucent. Add in half of the coconut milk and about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent from curdling. Add in the shrimp paste and eggplant and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes then add in the pumpkin and continue to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, season with salt to taste. Now add in the remaining coconut cream and the prawns, continue to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the prawn are just cooked. Serve with a lot of rice.





See other related Ginataang recipe:



Ginataang Tabagwang at Puso ng Saging

Ginataang Kuhol with Kangkong

Ginataang Pitik with Spinach, Slipper Lobster in Coconut Milk with Spinach

Ginataang Alimango with Malungay

Ginataang King Crab, King Crab in Coconut Milk

Ginataang Susong Pilipit with Banana Blossom

Ginataang Puso ng Saging at Saang

Ginataang Puso ng Saging at Hipon

Ginataang Sugpo at Kamias

Ginataang Alimasag at Malungay

Ginataang Tahong, Mussels in Coconut Milk

Ginataang Pitik, Slipper Lobsters

Ginataang Langka na may Alimasag

Ginataang Halaan

Ginataang Kuhol

Ginataang Hipon Tabang at Bulaklak ng Kalabasa

Ginataang Hipon

Green Mussels and Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Kinunot na Alimasag

Read More

Ginataang Canned Smoked Tuna with Spinach

Ginataang Canned Smoked Tuna with Spinach. This dish may not look as colorful or not visually appealing but mind you it is as good as any Vegetable Ginataang dish. I have been using baby spinach as an alternative vegetable on a lot of my vegetable dishes that I have cooked here in Australia. Baby spinach are readily available in most supermarkets even on remote mining Town where I am now located. Ginataang Canned Smoked Tuna with Spinach came about when I was looking for something that require less ingredient, easy to prepare and can be cook in less than 20 minutes.

I am sure the ingredients should be available in most supermarket where ever you are including the spinach. As I said cooking is definitely easy, here’s how I cooked my Ginataang Canned Smoked Tuna with Spinach.

Ingredients:



2 bags of 120 grams baby spinach

1 small can/140ml canned coconut cream

1 small can/125 grams canned smoked tuna slices

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped

1 thumb size ginger, skinned cut into thin slices

1 small onion, peeled, chopped

1 tbsp. salted shrimp paste

1 piece red hot chili, chopped, optional

salt

cooking oil

Cooking procedure:



Heat oil in a wok then stir in the garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute. Then add in the onion and chili, stir cook for a minute. Now add in half of the coconut cream, about 3/4 cup of water and the salted shrimp paste, bring to a boil a simmer for 5 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent the coconut cream from curdling. Now add in the spinach and continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the canned smoked tuna and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, season with salt to taste. Serve with a lot of rice.

Read More

Pork Sisig, Mama Sita’s Mix

Pork Sisig, Mama Sita’s Mix. Making sisig should be dead easy just mix all the ingredients and quickly toss in a wok or served in a hot plate. The hard part is preparing the meat ingredients which requires two stages of cooking not including the actual making of the sisig. First the meat, usually pork face and ears for pork sisig are boiled, then drained dry, the second stage is usually grilling or roasting the boiled pig face and ears, at this point you may be already considering why not just buy a sisig dish in a restaurant to save time and effort. Hold on the hardest part is yet to come, chopping the grilled meat this involves a lot of labor and especially if you are aiming for a nice uniformed diced meat.

Would Mama Sita’s sisig mix make cooking sisig easier? Not really, the mix is just a concoction of sisig spices and seasoning. You still need to pre-cook and chop your usual ingredients and cook or prepare the sisig as pet the instructions or as per your own method of making sisig.

Here is how I made my Pork Sisig using the Mama Sita’s sisig mix.





Ingredients:



1/2 pig face, cut into large grilling pieces

2 pig ears

1/4 kilo pork liver

1 pack Mama Sita’s sisig mix

2 large size onion, chopped

2-3 pcs. green sili, chopped

1-2 pcs. hot chili, optional

1/2 cup vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. liquid seasoning

1 tbsp. peppercorn

3 pcs. bay leaf

kalamansi

salt and pepper

Cooking procedure:



In a pot boil the pig face and pig ears, peppercorn, bay leaf and about 1 tbsp. of salt for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. On the last 3 to 5 minutes of boiling add in the pork liver. Remove from the pot and drain until dry or wipe with paper towels. Grill the pig face, ears and liver until brown and crispy then dice into small cubes. In a big wok stir fry diced face part and liver without oil for 5 to 10 minutes at high heat then add the Mama Sita’s sisig mix dissolved in about 1 cup of water, vinegar, soy sauce, liquid seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Stir cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add in the onions and green sili, stir cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with kalamansi or serve on a sizzling plate with kalamansi and topped with egg, and hot sauce.





See other related sisig recipe:



Tuna Sisig

Sisig with Mayonnaise

Dinakdakan

Crispy Sisig

Fish Sisig

Chicken Sisig

Pork Sisig

Read More

Pinoy Seafood Jambalaya

Pinoy Seafood Jambalaya. To my understanding Jambalaya is the Louisiana version of the Spanish Paella, cooking method is done to suite the ingredients that are available locally in Louisiana, including ingredients that are native to Louisiana, like the Andouille sausage and Tasso Ham. Cooking Jambalaya is more similar the Pinoy version of Paella or Arroz Valeciana, compared to cooking and authentic Spanish Paella which take a lot of cooking stages and off course a lot of time and using the right pan called paellera. Both Jambalaya and our Pinoy version of paella are cooked with an ordinary deep pan. To understand the origins and how Jambalaya is cooked I have included on this post a video which I thought the author have effectively explained in details and with cooking example of his version Jambalaya.

How to Make Jambalaya / What is Jambalaya?

For our version of Pinoy Seafood Jambalaya I just incorporated my cooking method of Seafood Paella. Obviously I do not have the Andouille sausage and Tasso Ham so I just used the Pinoy longanisa sausage and Pinoy sweet ham. Since this is my first time to cook Jambalaya I have opted to use the ready to cook processed longanisa sausage similar to the breakfast longanisa served on most fastfood chains instead of the garlicky Vigan or Lukban longanisa. For the ham I just used the processed sliced hams instead of the Fiesta hams. I may try to use those ingredients if I have a change to cook a second version of our Pinoy Jambalaya.

Don’t be daunted with the long list of ingredients, cooking is almost similar to our Paella recipes that we have already shared. Just make sure that all the ingredients are already at hand before starting to cook. Just remember because of the long list there is a tendency that the ingredients that you have shopped are more than what is required, just keep the excess ingredients for other dish do not try to dump it all for the sake of not wasting.

Here is the recipe of my version of Pinoy Jambalaya, try it and good luck.





Ingredients:



2 cups ordinary rice, rinsed, soaked for at least 15 minutes

1 cup glutinous rice, rinsed, soaked for at least 15 minutes

1 cup longanisa sausage, cut into thin slices crosswise

1 cup sweet ham, cut into squares

1 chicken thigh, cut into cubes

1 cup pre boiled pork, cut into cubes

1/4 kilo clams, pre boiled

1/4 kilo mussels, pre boiled

1/4 kilo medium size shrimp, shelled

1/4 kilo large squid, cut into rings

1 head garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped

2 medium size onion, peeled, chopped

2 medium size green/red bell pepper, deseeded, diced

2 small celery stalk, diced

2-3 stalks parsley, chopped

1-2 tbsp. paprika

1-2 tbsp. annatto powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2-1 tsp chili powder

2-3 tbsp. hot sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

3-5 pieces bay leaf

salt

cooking oil

Cooking procedure:



In a large sauce pan heat generous amount of cooking oil and stir fry the longanisa sausage and ham for 1 to 2 minutes, remove from pan and keep aside. Next using the same pan stir fry the chicken and pork for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from pan and keep aside. Now again using the same pan, add more cooking oil as necessary sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant then add in the parsley, celery and bell pepper, continue to stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now return to the pan the longanisa sausage, ham, chicken and pork and continue to stir cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the annatto powder diluted in 1/4 cup fo warm water, paprika, ground black pepper, chili powder and bay leaf, continue to stir cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the tomato sauce and hot sauce, continue to stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the ordinary and glutinous rice and continue to stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in about 6 to 8 cups of water, stir well and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer at low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, occasionally stirring in between. Add more water as necessary, the rice consistency should be similar to a paella. Season with salt to taste. Now stir in the clams, mussels, shrimps and squid, cove and continue to cook at low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.





See our recipe of similar Pinoy Paella dish:



Crabs and Prawns in Aligue Rice, Aligue Bringhe

Purple Seafood Bringhe, Pinoy Arroz Valenciana Style

Lechon Arroz Paella Valenciana

Seafood Bringhe Valenciana

Bringhe

Arroz Negra, Black Paella

Pinoy Arroz Paella

Seafood Rice Cooker Paella Valencianna

Read More