A SIMPLE CHEF

ARABELLA'S BARBECUE PORK RIBS RECIPE

2012-02-17T02:39:00.000-08:00

ARABELLA'S BARBECUE PORK RIBS RECIPE

Another family dish that I am very honored to share in this kitchen blog. Arabella's barbecue pork ribs has been prepared in every social gatherings in the family. There many variations in the recipe but the same taste comes out. The cooking may change but the taste remains forever. This is a sure hit in every family dining. Have a nice cooking!

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds pork spareribs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup chile sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 dash ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut spareribs into serving size portions, wrap in double thickness of foil, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap, and drain drippings. (I usually freeze the drippings to use later in soups.) Place ribs in a large roasting pan.
In a bowl, mix together brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rum, chile sauce, garlic, mustard, and pepper. Coat ribs with sauce and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
Preheat grill for medium heat. Position grate four inches above heat source.
Brush grill grate with oil. Place ribs on grill, and cook for 30 minutes, basting with marinade.

ARABELLA'S BABY BACK RIBS RECIPE

2012-02-17T02:33:00.000-08:00

ARABELLA'S BABY BACK RIBS RECIPE

This has been passed from one generation to another and still the taste never changes. The same home cook baby back ribs has become a timeless recipe in the family and I would love to share this recipe to all of you guys. You don't need to be a chef to cook this. Just follow the simple directions and that will do for you. Have a healthy eating...

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds pork baby back ribs
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil big enough to enclose each portion of ribs. Spray each piece of foil with vegetable cooking spray. Brush the ribs liberally with barbeque sauce and place each portion in its own piece of foil. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Bake ribs wrapped tightly in the foil at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from foil and add more sauce, if desired.

SPECIAL TREAT FOR THE VALENTINES DAY

2012-02-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

Its a special day today since it is Valentines day, I have decided to prepare something special for the family. I am preparing a big feast for the entire family. I already went to the market early this morning for the ingredients and I already completed it. I am going to prepare steamed fish.

For this meals, I wanted to make it all natural that is why I prepared the steamed fish meal. This is a vey healthy meal because there is no oils in it. All steamed and cooked tastefully with salt and pepper. I have been cooking this dish in my restaurant and I just enjoy the taste of my steamed fish delight.

I guess I have to start the cooking in the kitchen so that I will be done by 7 pm and the dinner will start once the family and relatives arrive. I can cook freely today since I already made some renovations in my kitchen. I have all the room in the kitchen for my cooking task. This chef is ready to cook...

DINUGUAN IS THE BEST

2012-02-03T06:05:00.000-08:00

I know the word is strange when you first hear it. Dinuguan is a dish that the main product of the dish is pig blood. The meat in this recipe is all internal organs like intestines and liver. I remembered the first time I tasted the dinuguan dish that our neighbor in the highway prepared for us. It was really great and delicious. The color of the dinuguan recipe is all black because of the blood of the pig.

Every time I dine out, I always look at the dishes that are being served if there is a dinuguan dish. It is really my favorite viand of all time. But just be cautious when eating dinuguan. it has been told that a dinuguan dish can increase uric acid to your body and may lead to rheumatism. That is why many like to eat and many are also scarred of eating dinuguan dish. For me, I just have to control my appetite and never engage too much in eating dinuguan.

BIG FISH DELIGHT

2012-01-22T20:22:00.001-08:00

Tonight, I am going to prepare and cook a big fish roast. I already went to the market and bought this huge fish that I will roast tonight, for the new year's celebration party in my house. I plan to roast the fish inside the oven. For this feast, the fish must be marinated at least 5 hours so that the spices will blend with the fish meat.

Roasting of the fish must be slow so that the skin wont get well done early. It is going to be a feast for 20 people inside the house and this huge fish delight will be just enough for all of us. The spices that I placed on the fish are: salt, pepper, garlic and tanlad or lemon grass. This is the trick that will make the taste delicious inside and outside. I can't wait to let my visitors taste this big fish delight that I am preparing.

FRUITS AND MORE VEGIES FOR ME

2012-01-20T00:52:00.000-08:00

I decided to change my eating lifestyle. I used to earn more of the meat dishes and chicken dishes. In a week, I would ate around 7 meals of pork and chicken. From steak to fried dishes, I love to eat them. But this time, I will change all of that. I will be doing a total makeover in the food that I eat.

I already prepared a week menu of dishes that I will be preparing in the house. I already removed the meats in the menu for health reasons. For this week, it will be fruits and vegetables. I am already excited because this is my fisrt attempt to change my routinary dishes that I prepare in my house. I already made tha market and I can say that this will be an exciting week for me.

ITS A HEAVY COOKING DAY

2011-12-23T15:29:00.000-08:00

We are going to celebrate the Christmas tonight and I have to prepare almost all the dishes for the house. I am expecting around 20 and more visitors in the house to night to share the celebration. For tonight, I am going to prepare several dishes for tonight. My assistant chef in the restaurant will going to celebrate the season in my house and she told me that she will be going be in the house early tonight because she will be the one to cook the the main dishes in the house.

My brother will also be in the house tonight for the celebration. I am already excited for tonight. I just hope that everything will be okay before the clock strikes 12 am. Advance Merry Christmas to all.

TURKEY SOUP DELIGHT RECIPE

2011-11-27T02:40:00.000-08:00

TURKEY SOUP DELIGHT RECIPE

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

4 cups water

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup salsa

4 cups shredded cooked turkey

1 tablespoon dried parsley

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings:

6 cups corn tortilla chips

3/4 cup chopped green onion

1 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup sour cream, any brand you prefer

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded turkey, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until bouillon cubes dissolve. Add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve soup with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onion, shredded cheese and additional cilantro and sour cream.

CHEF RELAXING MODE

2011-11-23T06:18:00.000-08:00

It relaxing time for this chef right now. I invited several chef friend to watch at the Yankees in their game. We bought yankee stadium tickets so that we can watch the game. I believe we needed to relax because it is very stressful doing the all the cooking. We also bought indianapolis colts tickets and the washington redskins tickets for their games. Sometimes when you are doing all the cooking chores in the restaurant, watching games like these really relieves the stress that we chefs experience.

Me and my chef friends are really eager to watch the games as we already bought the tickets. I am already preparing the things for cheering, not some pots and cooking trays. But things that will booze our team during the game.

KIDS CAN COOK

2011-11-19T01:43:00.000-08:00

I was doing nothing in the house last Saturday and decided to watch a show. It has been a long time since I stayed at home and watch television. I was watching this cooking show in which the chefs are kids. It was hosted by a famous celebrity and all of the kids are doing their best in the kitchen. There are also judges, master chefs and some of my friends in the cooking industry.

I was really amazed by this kids who join the cooking contest on tv for they already show their chefiness inside them. I like the word chefiness because it shows how good these kids are already. They are still around 10 to 13 years old and they can cook great dishes. They are already culinary masters in their own rights. There are 12 remaining contestants in the cooking show and I believe that this will be the show that I will be watching until the season is over. Nice job kids!

MAKE IT SIMPLE PLEASE

2011-11-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

I am not accustomed in dining outside, especially when I am new to the place. Me and my friend visited this restaurant near the city hall. The place was new and the restaurant was preparing international cuisines. We ordered a friend chicken and a fried plate of fried rice for our lunch. In my restaurant, it would only take around 20 minutes to prepare these orders. I was very surprise that we waited almost a hour for the food. I asked the manager who is their chef and he told me that the chef is not around.

In my restaurant, the chef must always be around. It would be best to close the restaurant if the chef is not around. But this restaurant, they opted to continue the daily operation without the master chef supervising the cooking in the kitchen. Immediately I told the manager to make it simple in the food preparation because they might have problems in the recipes that they will be cooking without their chef around.

GET CONNECTED AND STAY CONNECTED

2011-10-25T12:02:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The getting richer effect has expanded... by LittleBard95

I went to the chef conference last week and I met so many chefs at the convention. Our guest speaker was an Italian chef who is based in Japan. After the conference, I got the opportunity to speak to him and asked him some cooking tips. The guest speaker was very delighted when we approached him. He shared some cooking tips and some ways to save money. Being a chef, you get connected with your customers and friends most of the time. He told us to get a straight talk plan.

Two months ago, I already disconnected my phone plan with a phone company and went to subscribed the Straight Talk plan. I really Feel Richer with Android with my new android phone that was given to me along with the plan. I get to talk to my friends and customers in the restaurant as long as I want, without thinking of the cost along with it. All phones under the Straight talk are considered top of the line and the important is that The power of Android that we are using. I get to talk to my chef friends almost 24/7. I really made the right decision when I shifted to the Straight Talk plan.

Many chefs are already using the Straight talk plan. That is why I got myself one too. I can say that I really made the right decision when I shifted plan. I really recommend this plan to all chefs out there. Stay connected and get connected with the new Straight Talk plan, the plan for chefs like me.

NEW APPETITE FOR STREET FOODS

2011-10-13T02:14:00.000-07:00

Who said that chefs are just plain restaurant eaters? Not me, I am a chef and I also like to taste new foods and even street foods. Here where I grow up, street foods are almost everywhere. From barbecue to betamax(a term used for blood barbecue), I already tasted it all. Some of my chef friends are wondering about my crazy appetite for street foods. I just love new taste and delicacies that are new to me.

Just the other year, me and my friend, who happens to be a chef, went to the mysterious land of Luzon. In this town that we visited, their specialty is their dog bagnet. Dog meat are highly prized in the town. It was a strange meal for me and my friend. We tasted the meat and it tasted like goat meat. But since we knew it was a meat from a dog, we just tasted it in respect for the local folks who accommodated us during our visit.

Speaking of strange meals and delicacies, Have you heard about the dish called Soup No. 5? It is a dish that I will never forget. The dish was sticky and colored white. It was a little spicy. But never mind the taste and the physical appearance. What is important is what meat in the dish. Well, the dish is made up of intestines and balls of the cow. According to the locals, it was also an aphrodisiac food for the males. Females are restricted in eating it. The town is really a good place to learn and cook new recipes. By next week, I will be going again in another province where anther local dish will be served to me. I am already excited about it.

CHEF STAYS ONLINE ALWAYS

2011-10-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

My am a chef for about 10 years already and I enjoy what I do for a living. Cooking is a passion that I really cherish everyday. I also have a restaurant that I personally manage. This restaurant has been operating for 6 years already. In contrast to misunderstanding about chef being a kitchen geek, I also like gadgets and up to date technology hunter. I always stay online even when I am in the restaurant because most of my gadgets were acquired online, an online auction. But I always make sure that I join sites that are legitimate and has given real winners their prizes. There was one time, two years ago, I join this auction game and I won. Sad to say, the prizes that I won did not went to be. It was a dealfun.com scam that I fell into. The entire day, my cooking mood was extinct because of what happened to me. My assistant chefs really noticed my ill behavior during that day. Since then, I never just join any sites. My cellphone, I got this online, my laptop, I got this online. Now, I am bidding again for a kitchen showcase for the restaurant. I just hope I got the ride price for my bid and be lucky to get the prize at stake. I already made my offer and it back to the cooking task once again.

CHEF WISE MOVE TO SAVE

2011-09-19T07:01:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have been a chef for about 10 years already. In that span of time, I was able to make friends with other chefs not just in my location but also abroad. Conversation with my chef friends usually happens every day and mobile phones are the easiest was to communicate with then and share recipes with them. That is why a am already hook to my phone plan and it is also costly on my part. in just one month of using my phone plan, I am always paying around 5,000 to 6,000 a month for call charges. Not to mentioned the phone issued to me is not what I wanted. That is why a shifted to Straight Talk. I am now using my Android on Straight Talk and it is great. In an average, I Call a friend at least 10 times a day. If I am using my old phone plan, that can lead me to financial problems. Since I am using my Straight Talk plan, I really save a lot. A Hook, line and sinker is al I need with Straight Talk. With Straight Talk, I get to have the most modern cellular phone and I save a lot. My chef friends are already disconnecting their mobile phone plans with different telecommunication companies and has already shifted to Straight Talk because of the services and the amount than can be save. For a chef like me, this is a wise move for me.

COOKING TIMEOUT

2011-09-18T00:38:00.000-07:00

Its durian season here in our city. Last night, I ate always three whole fruits of durian and now I am starting to feel the effects of it. Durian is very reach in protein and may cause to high blood pressure once you eat it overly. I feel the blood rushing through my veins and I needed to see a doctor right now. I was not able to do my chef duties because I don't feel good this morning.

I needed to rest o else I might get a health problems when I am stressed at the restaurant. My assistant chef is now taking over my duties in the kitchen and cooking for 2 days. I guess I over ate the durian fruit. Its a cooking timeout for me right now. Oh well, I guess I have to rest and stay away from cooking for 2 days. But that durian was the best. Durian fruit is also best to be baked as durian cake and durian pie. Very delicious....yummy!

CHEF MERGING TO ONE

2011-09-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

My chef classmate in the culinary school called me this morning and offered me a good deal. He wanted our restaurant businesses to merge in one. The reason is that he will be moving to another country and he does not want to sell his business to other people. That is why he wanted to merge it with my restaurant so that his business will not be gone. Ownership will be 65-35 and that is a good deal for me since I am getting larger control over the business. Currently, I have 3 branches and his business has 5 branches. This chef is very close to me because she is like my brother and he also taught me many recipes.

I already consulted my attorney about the merger of our restaurants. By nest week, we will be ironing the papers for the formal merger. After that, my friend will go straight to London for his master's in culinary arts. I am very excited about our business plan.

TIMEOUT FROM COOKING

2011-09-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

The week was so tiring for me. Three events were held inside the restaurant and I needed a break. I had a few hours sleep this week because of the event preparations and finality in the meals to be cook. I am just lucky to have a good cooking team and my assistant chef was spectacular. She was able to assist me well in the cooking in the kitchen. We were able to cook around 100 dishes for the entire three events and that was just good enough.

Next week will be another battle in the kitchen for we have a scheduled four events and we need a good strength to make the cooking more successful. I told my assistant chef and my kitchen assistants that this weekend is a holiday for all of us. This is for a job well done this week. I already posted a note outside the restaurant that restaurant will be close for cleanup. I guess this is good night to all.

CAKE BUSINESS IS A GOOD IDEA

2011-09-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

I just arrive home from the daily cooking task in the restaurant. Today, I made a special treat to the customers who are loyal to my restaurant. I gave out some cupcakes to them. Every customer that dine in the restaurant, they are given a cupcake each person in the table. The cupcake giving is also another way of telling to my customers that aside from cooking their favorite dishes, a chef like me can also bake cakes.

Across the street where the restaurant is situated, I opened my cake shop. I really don't know the outcome of it but based on my observation, many customers are starting to notice the delicious cakes and pastries that I bake in the cake shop. There is one chef that I assigned to do the baking but I also supervise the baking operation of the shop.

STRESS AND TIRED

2011-08-04T04:20:00.000-07:00

I just got home this evening from the daily restaurant operation. This day was so freaking busy for as chef like me. I have to prepare 20 dishes in one day and not just that, I received 100 orders of my banana cake with cheese on top. I am so stress really. My assistant chef already took several orders for me that she saw that I am already stressed and out. I guess I have to make a leave tomorrow but I cannot. It's Friday and I am expecting many diners inside my restaurant. I never expected that my banana cake with cheese on top will be a huge success to my customers. I just started baking this cake last week after my mother gave me the recipe. But I still glad that my customers liked my banana cake with cheese on top for I have to bake more of this cake in the coming days.

CHEF BUSY AS A BEE

2011-08-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

I am in the culinary school right now. the dean called me this morning and told me there is going to be an emergency meeting regarding the upcoming school cooking contest. As scheduled, the cooking contest will be next week and the dean wanted the cooking contest to be canceled because there is a big even coming. It is the chef Meet and that is more important.

I already called the chefs that will be the judges of the cooking contest that it will be more in the third week of August and all of them agreed for the postponement of the event. Now the dean wanted to focus on the Chefs Meet next week because we will be going to be the host for the event. Approximately around 200 chefs will be visiting and we need to make the preparations immediately. It going to be a long weekend for me. This chef is busy as a bee.

A NEW PLACE IN TOWN

2011-07-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

A chef friend called me this morning and told me that there is a new restaurant that has opened just the other week. My friend invited me to the place ad check the dishes that are prepared and served in the restaurant. They say that the new place prepared Italian cuisines and European dishes. I confirmed the invite and we will be going tonight because the restaurant opens around 5:30 pm. I also have to make sure that the cooking equipment in the restaurant is operating well before I can go there.

I wanted to taste the dishes prepared there that is why I said yes to my friend. I was also told that the owner of the restaurant was a close friend in the culinary school who went abroad for further studies. Well, I guess I have an appointment tonight. Its gonna be a fine dining of Italian and European cuisines for tonight. I am already dying to be on the restaurant since I like Italian Cuisines.

KITCHEN TOOLS

2011-07-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

I am still working on the gas range in the kitchen of my restaurant. Good thing I have some kitchen tools in the restaurant that I can use immediately. Last week the range broke down. My assistant chef was worried because there were many orders and the cooking range was broke. When I acquired the range, I was trained by the supplier on how to repair the equipment in case it broke down. I already verified the problem and saw it. I am still figuring out on how the arrange the fire burner. But I know I can fix the problem. I am not a chef for nothing. I am reading the manual of the cooking equipment. I already contacted the supplier of the equipment and they will arrive this week. I just wish this cooking equipment will be okay because there are many cooking orders in the restaurant and the machine is a big help in the kitchen.

SPECIAL BANANA CAKE RECIPE

2011-07-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Directions

Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil and bananas.
Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

TURKEY MEAL WAS GREAT

2011-07-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

I am a avid lover of meals that has turkey on it. Turkey meals are very tasty and delicious without the chemicals that modern chicken has on their meat. Just this wee, I attended a chef meet at the national culinary building where most of my chef friends were around. The host for the meet was the Arabella's Chicken located at the downtown of the city. I was caught by surprise because we did not expect that the meals that they were going serve are all turkey meals.

Arabella's Chicken also serve crispy pata and short orders. The restaurant is still around months old in the business but the restaurant is slowly gaining popularity in the city because of their tasty and crunchy chicken and mouth watering crispy pata meals. The restaurant was owned by a close chef friend too and full support are on her. If vising the restaurant, better check their turkey meal recipe because it is the best.

HIGH PROTEIN MEAL

2011-07-13T22:57:00.001-07:00

I visited the house of a chef friend in the next city. he was cooking this high protein meal. The meal was made of goat's meat, and it was the best. Goat meat is now in demand because it contains high protein content more than beef and safer than beef. The meal was called by my chef friend as Kilawin. It is a local dish that has been handed from one generation to another because the dish was so good and a little spice in taste.

I tried the goat's meat and it tasted like lamp meat. According to my friend, the meal preparation takes a little time because they don't want that the meat to get hard. Tender and tasty. Sometimes goat meat has a little bad taste to those who are not yet accustomed to eating goat meat. But the taste was great.

NEW RECIPE PLEASE

2011-07-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

I very busy this evening because I am preparing for meal and I just can't find the right recipe that I will be cooking. I already checked the recipe books that I have but still I can't find the recipe that I am looking for. I already called some friend-chefs to assist me but I still confuse on what I will cook during the chef meet this coming Sunday.

I getting to feel the pressure because this is the first time that such event will happen in the city. The city mayor already congratulated me because he knew that I can cook the best dishes in the city. But he didn't know that I am in trouble here. Many chefs will be visiting the city and some of them will be visiting the restaurant too and see how I prepared things. I needed to scan all the recipe books that I have so that I can find the recipe that I am looking for.

COOKING DEGREE EARNED

2011-07-12T03:08:00.001-07:00

I am back again in the kitchen of my restaurant. I just completed another chef degree that the culinary school required me to have. Since I am teaching at the culinary school, I must earn more cooking units for me to be more good at teaching cooking to culinary students of the school. The chef course was about 30 hours of practical cooking and I must say that I am very happy to be able to complete the course.

I will be back again in the culinary school to complete my chef duty as a teacher. After this, I guess I have to concentrate in the restaurant operation because many customers are already looking for me. They want their favorite chef cooking their favorite meals and not just some assistant chefs in the restaurant.

CHEF CREATIVE IDEAS

2011-07-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last week was great week for my restaurant. I was able to cater around 3 events inside the restaurant. My cooking prowess was once again tested and I succeeded. But that's not it, I discovered that I have a creative mind when it comes to event. The last event that I catered was a children party. The father of the birthday celebrant told me that the souvenirs for the party did not arrive and they don't have anything to give as souvenirs for the party. The father asked me if I have somethings that I can produce to make it as the souvenir. I immediately thought about the personalized ink pens that I keep inside the restaurant.

I immediately called my assignment chef to bring the pens. The father immediately liked the idea as party souvenirs. I just place a note with a thank you card and that's it. It was a chef creative ideas and it was so nice to look at. The food was great and the party was a success because of the pens that I provided. I guess aside from cooking, maybe a party planner will also be a good move for a chef like me.

TEACHING KIDS TO COOK

2011-06-28T04:08:00.000-07:00

This summer, my friend and I were up to a new way to make a meaningful summer for the kids. We decided to teach kids how to cook basic dishes and food for desserts that they can enjoy while they are on summer. This is the first time we did this and it was a success.

In the early registration, we were able to list in around 20 kids ages from 8-12 years old. This is my first time to teach basic cooking to kids because most of my students are culinary students and this is new new to me. The cooking lesson was good for a 2 weeks and the final would be a demonstration of the cooking skills learned by the kids.

Chefs like us, were able to teach the kids the basic cooking and their parents were very happy. Maybe next summer, the cooking program might be on the second season and we hope that we will be able to accommodate more kids in the restaurant. By that time, two chefs will not be enough to teach the next batch of kids.

CHEF MOBILE IN MOTION

2011-06-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

I was in the kitchen this morning and thought about creative ideas. Its back to school again and that is my inspiration in creating the chef mobile. The chef mobile is a mobile restaurant created to cater for those people who are very busy, especially in schools and needed to have a good food for their tummy. The chef mobile is complete of the food menu just like the restaurant. Foods are easily cook inside the chef mobile. All of the foods are for takeout only.

Its a creative concept about the chef mobile. I just needed to finish the vehicle selection process because it must be big enough for a chef inside to cook without any problem of space. There will also be vehicle modifications since it will serve as a counter and a kitchen all at the same time. They color of the vehicle must also be like food because I want that once customers see the chef mobile they will immediately associate it with food, deliciously cooked foods just like inside the restaurant. What do you think?

COOKING VIDEOS MADE COOKING EASY

2011-06-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

A chef knows what he is doing, that a fact about chefs like me. As a chef, I always make sure that I have my recipe books with me always for quick reference when I am cooking. But there is a new and unique way how to learn cooking. That is by watching cooking videos. Cooking Videos are so many right now. The one doing the cooking in the cooking video is also a chef and that is really good to see.

This morning, I was in the kitchen. While resting from the busy day of cooking in the restaurant, I decided to watch tv. As I searched for my desired channel, I ended watching this cooking video. The chef in it was a Chinese chef and he was cooking an authentic Chinese cuisine. I never monitored my watch because I was enjoying watching the chef in the video. What I did was got my pencil and paper and listed the recipe and the ingredients for the dish that the Chinese chef was cooking. If I am not mistaken, it was Peking duck recipe that the chef was cooking. Later I realized that I learned something by just watching the cooking video. I guess I will be doing this watching cooking videos more often because I learned a new recipe today.

MASTERAL IN COOKING ACQUIRED

2011-05-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

I just finished the last leg of my master study in cooking. The culinary school said to me that I have to prepare for the defense for the text that I am presenting to the panel. I am very excited and a little bit scarred of what the end might be. It is because aside from the local chefs, there will also be other chef visitors that will be in the panel asking me questions. But I am confident that I will be able to answer their questions.

I opted to have a further studies so that I will be able to improve my craft as a chef and be a dean someday in the near future. The assistant culinary school dean had already congratulated me and said that the panel are very eager to see me because of my creative ideas that can help the culinary industry. Now I am more curious about the panel team that will be asking me.

RECIPE BOOKS FOR REFERENCE

2011-05-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was doing the cooking in the kitchen when realized that I miss something in the recipe that I am cooking. I was cooking Grilled Fish and I noticed that the taste of the fish is still not what I am expecting to be. Good thing I have my recipe books just beside for quick and easy reference. I check the recipe book and I realized that I miss the garlic sauce for the fish that I am cooking.

Recipe books are very helpful and useful as well. I always read my recipe books because I want to learn more recipes. I will never become a successful chef right now with the recipe books that I constantly read and practice cooking the meals that I like best. I am still collecting more recipe books for my personal use. This is the best thing to read if you want to learn how to cook, fast and easy.

SPECIAL GREEK CHICKEN RECIPE

2011-05-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

SPECIAL GREEK CHICKEN RECIPE

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 lemons, juiced
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces

Directions

In a glass dish, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice. Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and discard the marinade. Cook chicken pieces up to 15 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Smaller pieces will not take as long.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE SLAW RECIPE

2011-05-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

Red, White and Blue Slaw Recipe

Ingredients

6 cups green cabbage, coarsely shredded
1/2 cup bacon bits
3/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1 cup Marzetti® Slaw Dressing
Cherry tomatoes

Directions

Combine green cabbage, bacon bits, 1/2 cup blue cheese. Add slaw dressing and toss gently to coat well. Chill to blend flavors.

When you're ready to serve, garnish with cherry tomatoes and another 1/4 cup blue cheese.

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE

2011-05-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce

1 tablespoon salad seasoning mix (such as McCormick® Salad Supreme Seasoning)

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, combine crumbled blue cheese and Ranch-style dressing; set aside. Season cubed chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over high heat, and pour in the vegetable oil. Just before the oil starts to smoke, add the chicken. Cook to brown evenly, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add butter, hot sauce, and salad seasoning mix. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Toss together the lettuce and Ranch-style dressing mixture in a large bowl. Top salad with chicken, and serve.

COOKING FOR AN IMPORTANT PERSON

2011-05-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

I am right here in my restaurant kitchen, reviewing the recipe books that I posses as a chef. These recipe books that I have are all very important to me because I learn so much by reading and cooking the recipe that I like to cook. Aside from the review right now, I am also looking for recipes that I will be cooking because the Italian Culinary School Dean will be visiting the city and I was the one appointed by the chef experts to cook for his arrival in the city.

I am looking for a local recipe that would make a good impression of our city. I need to prepare at least 5 dishes and I must select the best because as I heard about the culinary dean, she is very particular and I don't want the entire culinary association in the city to fail. The chef visitor will be arriving in two weeks from now and I need to select the best recipe for her arrival. Some of my chef friends have volunteered to help me in the cooking an I am happy about that. I cannot do this on my own. I need chefs that will help in this big responsibility that would make a big impact to all chefs in the city.

LEMON MUSHROOM WITH HERB CHICKEN RECIPE

2011-05-12T00:02:00.000-07:00

LEMON MUSHROOM WITH HERB CHICKEN RECIPE

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Directions

In a shallow dish or bowl, combine the flour, thyme, basil, parsley, paprika, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge chicken in the mixture to coat, patting off any excess flour.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook chicken until no longer translucent. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, wine, and lemon juice; pour over chicken.

Cover skillet, and simmer 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with parsley, capers, and lemon zest.

BUEBERRY BRAN MUFFIN RECIPE

2011-05-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

BLUEBERRY BRAN MUFFIN RECIPE

Ingredients

1/2 cup oat bran

1 cup wheat bran

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 orange, juiced and zested

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

Combine the oat bran and wheat bran in a large bowl. Stir in sour cream and milk. Allow mixture to stand for 10 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, and salt in a separate bowl.

Gently stir blueberries into the flour mixture, carefully coating all the blueberries with flour. Stir vegetable oil, orange juice and zest, egg, and vanilla extract into the bran mixture.

Combine flour mixture with the wet ingredients until just blended. Drop batter into lined muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

PICKLED MEATLOAF RECIPE

2011-04-29T04:51:00.000-07:00

PICKLED MEATLOAF RECIPE

Ingredients

1 egg

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup dill pickle juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 slice bread, torn into small pieces

1 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 8x8 inch baking dish.

Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the onion, pickle juice, salt, and pepper. Stir in the bread until soggy, then mix in the ground beef until evenly combined. Form into a loaf and place into the prepared pan. Stir together the chopped pickles, ketchup, water, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce; pour over the meatloaf.

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

GRILLED CHICKEN THIGH RECIPE

2011-04-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

GRILLED CHICKEN THIGH RECIPE

Ingredients

2 (6 ounce) containers plain yogurt

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground coriander

16 chicken thighs

olive oil spray

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt, salt, pepper, cloves, and ginger. Mix in garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander. Set aside.

Rinse chicken under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn the bag over several times to distribute marinade. Place bag in a bowl, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Preheat an outdoor grill for direct medium heat. Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. With paper towels, wipe off excess marinade. Spray chicken pieces with olive oil spray.

Place chicken on the grill, and cook about 2 minutes. Turn, and cook 2 minutes more. Then arrange the chicken to receive indirect heat, and cook approximately 35 to 40 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.

CHEF PREPARING FOR THE NEW RESTAURANT

2011-04-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

My restaurant is already near its opening. Everything are already in place like the recipe for the week, equipments and the kitchen are all completed. I am just waiting for my chef friends to help me in the advertisement for the new resto. I already requested from the dean of the culinary school that I have to take at least 3 days leave from the cooking school and I am glad that my request was granted without any problem.

I would admit that I am good in cooking but not in the advertising side. Arabella, a good friend a and a chef assisted me well in the restaurant advertisements. We made streamers, posters, radio announcements and television appearances and even email direct marketing for the new restaurant. We have made a good effort here because many customers are calling already and asking about the dishes that we are about to prepare for the opening. I am excited and a little bit afraid. I know, a chef like me is already quaint with so many people but still nothing beats the first time. I just hope that my new customers would like the recipes that we have prepared in the opening day.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH SHALLOTS RECIPE

2011-04-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH SHALLOTS RECIPE

Ingredients

2 bunches fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

4 medium shallots, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Place the asparagus and shallots in a large bowl, and pour the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar over them. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Spread the asparagus spears out in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender and bright green. Shake the pan about half way through to roll the spears over so they cook evenly. Remove from the oven, and drizzle the remaining vinegar over the asparagus. Toss lightly to coat, and serve immediately.

NEW RESTAURANT READY TO BE OPEN

2011-04-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

My new restaurant is now ready to be at service in the coming days. The concept of having a branch of the restaurant was my husbands idea. Our old location of the main restaurant is already small for the functions that we are catering every week. The new branch of the restaurant is the best idea. The location is located just 20 meters away from the main restaurant. It is equipped with air conditioners, wi-fi and the place is French inspired.

The resturant logo has already been placed. It was created by web logo design and it is perfectly made for the restaurant. The branch of the restaurant has three regular chefs and 5 assistant inside the kitchen to make the cooking smoothly. The recipes that will be cooked in the restaurant has to pass by the head chef and that it me. The final business papers for the restaurant is already placed in the wall as recommend by the restaurant association in the city. Opening of the restaurant will be on Monday. I am already very excited about the opening.

GARLIC ASPARAGUS WITH EXTRA LIME RECIPE

2011-04-27T21:22:00.001-07:00

GARLIC ASPARAGUS WITH EXTRA LIME RECIPE

Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium shallot, minced

1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

1/4 lime, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and shallots, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in asparagus spears; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Squeeze lime over hot asparagus, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving plate, and garnish with lime wedges.

CHEF LEARNS A NEW THING

2011-04-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

I am here in the province right for some cooking lessons for a bunch of students that are very interested to learn how to cook. These are not culinary students or Hotel and Restaurant management students who have a culinary as part of their curriculum. These are computer students just having fun. I already requested a leave from the culinary school for the day just to teach these students how to cook the right way.

Its a 4 hours ride just to go to the location where I am right now and it is very exciting for a chef like to me roam around the country not flying on airplanes but just on bus and public utility transport services. I have already prepared the recipes that I will be teaching to these students and they also a small surprise for me regarding my recipe website, this is a great exchange of ideas. As a chef managing a website, I really have to maximize the potential of my website by allowing ppc services on my website. Fascinating.

I was completely surprise with the idea of this in my recipe blog and I just completed the steps for the services. I am home bound now. The day was a complete, I was able to teach students on how to cook and they also taught me how to use the ppc services.

EGG SALAD SANDWICH RECIPE

2011-04-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

EGG SALAD SANDWICH RECIPE

Ingredients

8 eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

1/4 cup chopped green onion

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Place egg in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.

Place the chopped eggs in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, mustard and green onion. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir and serve on your favorite bread or crackers.

TUNA WITH BROCCOLI ROLL UP CASSEROLE RECIPE

2011-04-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 cup milk
* 1 (9 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
* 1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions
* 6 (7 inch) flour tortillas
* 1 medium tomato, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream of mushroom soup and milk. Set aside. In another bowl, stir together the tuna, broccoli, 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese and half of the French fried onions. Stir in 3/4 cup of the soup.

3. Divide the tuna mixture evenly between the tortillas, and roll up. Place rolls seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour the remaining soup over the rolls, and spread evenly using the back of a spoon. It will be a thin layer. Sprinkle the rest of the French fried onions over the soup, then the tomato, and finally the remaining Cheddar cheese. Cover with nonstick or lightly greased aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the aluminum foil, and bake for 5 more minutes to allow the cheese to melt and brown slightly.

SOUR CREAM POTATO SCALLOPED

2011-04-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

* 4 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
* 1 (16 ounce) container Reduced Fat Sour Cream
* 3/4 pound VELVEETA 2% Milk Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 8 ounces Smoked Ham, chopped
* 4 green onions, sliced
* 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook potatoes in boiling water in large covered saucepan 10 to 12 minutes or just until potatoes are tender; drain. Remove 3/4 of the potatoes; place in large bowl. Add sour cream; mash until smooth. Stir in VELVEETA, ham and onions. Add remaining potato slices; stir gently.

2. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with Parmesan.

3. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

LEARNING TO COOK

2011-04-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

I was invited by a group of culinary students to help them in their final examination in cooking. They told me to guide them and teach them some pointers before the practical exam in cooking will start. As a chef and teacher of the culinary school, it is my duty to help these kids succeed in their field of expertise and that is cooking. I told the kids that I would help them for the final practical examination in cooking. The students wanted in the restaurant but I told them that my restaurant is fully booked and there are many customers dining. I suggested that we do the cooking practice in a place unique enough to entice their cooking imagination. I suggested the out of town style.

For this cooking practice, we need to bring our cooking materials like pan, spatula, spices and other things that are needed in the kitchen. Since this will be held outdoor, I suggested that we bring their rv camping items to the place. Since their will be no houses for accommodation, tents will be enough for this event with the students. I will also be bring my own tent for this matter and my recipe books for immediate references and guides to cooking. The students are very excited already and me also. I already told my assistant chef theta she will in charge of the cooking for 2 days while I am teaching the culinary students. I am just happy to teach cooking to these students. Its a chef fulfillment to be able to help culinary students in their exams and guide them to the right direction.

NO MORE CALLING CARDS

2011-04-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

I was in the business meet this evening. The meet was attended by top chefs of the country. There was an election of officers and a small feast for all chefs that attended the event. After the meeting, chefs talk to one another and exchanged numbers by giving calling cards.

One chef, asked for my personal calling card because he wanted to discuss more about the upcoming catering event in the city. I checked my wallet, sad to say, no more calling cards left to give to this chef that was asking for my calling card. Having a calling card is very important because you can easily give it to the person you wanted to have your number. I just said to the chef that i will call him rather than he calling me. I really have to reprint my calling card so that I can easily converse with other chefs around me.

BEEF BRISKET RECIPE

2011-04-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

BEEF BRISKET RECIPE

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

1 (4 pound) beef brisket

1 1/2 cups beef broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Combine the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, sugar, and seasoning salt in a medium bowl, and blend thoroughly. Apply rub to surface of brisket.

Cook brisket, uncovered, in preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and add beef broth to roasting pan.

Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), cover roasting pan tightly with foil, and cook 3 more hours. Let brisket rest 30 minutes before slicing.

INCORPORATING NEW TASTE AND FLAVOR

2011-04-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

I attended the chef meeting this morning. Instead on focusing on the meeting, my mind was floating with ideas of incorporating new taste and flavor to my list of menu in the restaurant. I don't like stereotype recipes that are commonly found in recipe books. I want change and that would mean incorporating new blends to add more flavor to the recipes that I cook in the restaurant.

Its still a plan yet. I haven't consulted my assistant chefs in the restaurant. I assume they will like the new taste and flavor that I will incorporate soon. I am thinking of incorporating Thai dishes because many people who visits my restaurant want something hot in their tongue and not just the sweet and salty tastes. There is no problem incorporating Thai dishes because I have a cooking degree in Thailand. I enrolled there just to learn how to cook Thai dishes.

CUCUMBER-STRAWBERRY SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND MINT

2011-04-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

CUCUMBER-STRAWBERRY SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND MINT

Ingredients

* 1/3 cup slivered almonds
* 2 tablespoons seedless strawberry preserves or strawberry jam
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 3 cups diced English (seedless) cucumber
* 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries (or frozen, thawed strawberries, halved)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Lettuce leaves for serving, such as Romaine, or red leaf lettuce

Directions

1. Place almonds in a small, dry skillet and set pan over medium heat. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until almonds are golden brown, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the preserves, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. Add the cucumber, strawberries, mint and toasted almonds and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve inside lettuce leaves or over chopped lettuce.

RESTAURANT RENOVATION

2011-04-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

My current restaurant is already 20 years old. this location used to be our family's restaurant before i took over the place to manage my own restaurant. When I started operating, I never made any major renovation to the restaurant because i felt that everything was in place for and the only thing I have to consider is when to start. The kitchen area for example still has the old flooring that was used by our family restaurant before. The walls are still the same. Maybe I was just afraid to make changes because of the cost of renovation. But since I have managed the operation well and business is doing good, a restaurant renovation is a must for me. I met Steve John,a rep who works for a Floor company told me that the place that I have is perfect but the floor should be renovated to look good. The old tiles are already dull to look at and the shine of the tiles is no longer there. According to Steve John, the entire floor renovation will took a couple of weeks before the place can be used again.

I already instructed my chefs in the restaurant to start packing up all the recipe books because we will be moving temporarily until the floor renovation will be complete. I also place a sign out the restaurant informing the customers that the dining area is located in the next hall of the restaurant. I just want to make sure that my customers won't be confuse with the location of the restaurant. The restaurant needs a fresh look and the flooring is the start of achieving the fresh look that i wanted for my restaurant.

PORK CHOP STEAK WITH KETCHUP

2011-04-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

This is a simple recipe that is very nice to have when friends are in the house. The good thing about this recipe is that it easy to cook and even the newest cooker can easily make this without a problem at all. The ingredients:

1/2 kilo Pork Chop

2 tbsp salt

4 tbsp garlic, chopped

3 tbsp sesame oil

ketchup

Cooking Procedure:

1. Marinate pork chop with salt and garlic for about 30 minutes.

2. Grill pork chop until desired side is achieved. Wipe the olive oil on both sides to add flavor to the pork chop.

3. Remove the grill and chop in desired sizes. Serve with ketchup.

CHEF IS OUT OF THE RESTAURANT

2011-04-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

This chef is out of the restaurant today because of influenza. I am sick today. That means I won't be able to cook in the restaurant and assign all the cooking task o my assistant chef in the restaurant. the doctor advised me to stay home and rest so that I would get better soon. It is hard being a chef and your sick because you cannot taste the food properly. My taste buds are all off right now.

I already told the chef in the kitchen to do all the cooking while I am not around. I also prepared the menu for the day and for tomorrow in case my rest would be extended. I also told the restaurant suppliers to contact me on Monday for the payment of the ingredients and spices that I ordered.

Since I am not around, there is one event in the restaurant that I won't be able to witness and that is the wedding event of the mayor's daughter in the reception area of my restaurant. This rest that I am taking is badly needed because I am too stressed from the cooking tasks that I do. But when I am already okay, this chef will make throw a feast for all.

CHICKEN AND SOUR CREAM ENCHILADAS

2011-04-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup Sour Cream

1 1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese, divided

1 cup salsa, divided

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin

10 flour tortillas

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 medium tomatoes, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix chicken, sour cream, 1 cup of the cheese, 1/4 cup of the salsa, the cilantro and cumin until well blended.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining 3/4 cup salsa; cover.

Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce and tomato just before serving.

CHEF IS A BROKER TOO

2011-03-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

I was doing the cooking in the restaurant when a chef friend called me in the phone. She told me that there is a space that is currently for sale and she asked me if I am interested about it. I visited the place and i find it very suitable for a restaurant business. The place has a ready to use building and it is very near the public market. A place like this is very ideal for a restaurant business. Immediately, I called the broker company that is handling the property that is for sale. I met the agent and asked me if I can be a broker as well, considering the people I know, I can be a very good for a broker and at the same time as a chef. All I need is to have a broker stock account and that is it.

Two years from now, I need to expand my business just to accommodate more customers. The property that is for sale right will be a good investment for a chef like me. I was also informed that many chefs called the broker agency and inquired about the property. I believed it is good and I am gonna get it. The place will be my reception area for events and big feasts. Its going to be a lot of cooking in the future.

CHEF NEEDS REST

2011-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

I woke up at the left side of the bed (opposite of the right side) this morning. My headache is back again. I have been experiencing this problem during my culinary school days and now it has come back. I remember yesterday when I was preparing for a wedding buffet meals, I got so tired that my eyes are too tired to look at the meal that I am cooking. I have always been active in events like these, but this time my eyes was so tired. I should have rested rather than push my luck too much. But the wedding event was a success in fairness to the cooking skills of my chefs.

my hubby told me that I should take a leave from the restaurant and get some rest because I have been too busy for the past few weeks. My monthly schedule is fully booked with events in the restaurant and in the places where the event will happen. I already informed my assistant chef in the restaurant that she will be the one to handle today's operation since I am not around. By tomorrow, I have to be in the restaurant to prepare for another big event. I must not be absent. The celebrant told me that I have to deliver a speech, wow! I am not just a chef but a speaker as well.

Even though I am not around today, I am very confident that operation of the restaurant will go on smoothly without any problem. I trust my chefs and my cooking crew in the restaurant so much. I would not be around this long with their support and skills and especially their dedication in the cooking task assigned to them.

FOOD FOR THE FAMILY

2011-03-14T01:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight will be a special one it is because I will be preparing a meal for everybody. My friend who is a chef in Dubai will be coming home tonight. I was told that I will be the one that will preparing the food when our friend arrives. I am planning to cook a big feast for all because I am expecting around 20 people in the house.

I plan to cook home meals and some native favorite dishes so that my friend-chef will remember the meals that she never cook abroad. 12 years in Dubai as a chef, my friend has learned many different recipes and I plan to ask her about it. According to our friend, there will be recipe books that will distributed by our friend when she arrives. That is very nice because a recipe book is all I ever wanted and I collected different kinds of recipe books. I think I have to start cooking already because in a few minutes from now, friends will be arriving.

HAPPY MEAL

2011-02-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

I just finish cooking in the kitchen. I was able to prepare around 20 dishes for today. I really need to go home because I feel so tired and drained from todays cooking activity. My apron is all stained up. I just hope that all the dishes that I prepared will be good for the wedding that will be held in the restaurant function hall.

In the restaurant functiona hall, it can accomodate around 20 guests and more. I designed the restaurant for these kind of events. For this entire month of March, the restaurant is already fully booked with events and social gatherings. In events like these, I make sure that I have friend-chefs with me.

PORK RIBS PECHAY SOUP WITH SABA BANANA

2011-02-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

This is a very simple recipe and easy to cook dish that I am about to share to all you guys. For this recipe, we will be needing the following:

1 kilo of pork ribs, cut into serving sizes
2 tablespoon salt
1 tsp ground pepper
3 stack pechay
3 ripe saba banana
6 cups water
ginger

Cooking Procedure:

1. Chop ginger and boil it with water for about 5 minutes.
2. Put the pork ribs and let it to boil until tender for about 20 minutes.
3. Add the ripe saba banana. The saba banana is very good because it adds sweetness on the pork ribs. let it cook for about 5 minutes until the banana is already cook/tender.
4. Add pechay and the salt and pepper to taste. Let it boil for about 3 minutes and turn off the fire.

This recipe is very delicious and nutritious as well. For this recipe it will serve for 4 to 6 persons.

ENOUGH SALT PLEASE

2011-02-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

I was cooking this morning in the restaurant for several people. After cooking, the customer called me and told me that they would like to have a food that has no salt i it. I thought it was weird since cooking with salt is very important. No salt no taste at all. But as the customer explained to me, I catched it that they have problems with their kidneys and that is why they want me to cook for them a dish without salt.

I was trained in the culinary school that there are foods that are not requiring salt at all. The key for this food is freshness. I told the customer that I will make sushi for them, since there is no salt in it. Japanese foods are less salt compared to other dishes. Freshness is the key ingredient in all Japanese dishes.

HOME COOK MEALS

2011-02-17T01:13:00.000-08:00

We usually receive guests in our homes and when event happens, we immediately seek the help of fast foods for the food. But actually having guests in the house is the perfect situation to show your expertise in cooking. Before I became a chef, I make sure that I cook in the house when there are people visiting. Home cook meals is still best because you get to put some love in the food that you are preparing.

I remembered before when in culinary classmates visited me in the house. I opted to the fast foods nearby but it was a disaster. The food that I bought was not what I expected to be. It looked good but it tasted the other way out. Since then I never buy foods when guests are around. I make sure that i personally cook the food because I wanted it good and delicious.

YUMMY SARDINES TO GO RECIPE

2011-02-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is the most easiest way to have breakfast without any hard cooking to do. For this recipe, we will be needing the following:

Ingredients

1 can of sardines

garlic crashed

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 leaf onion

1 tsp salt

Procedure:

1. preheat cooking pan for 3 minutes.

2. add cooking oil and stir the pan until oil has wet the surrounding of the pan.

3. fry the garlic until brown and place the sardines. Cook for about 2 minutes.

4. add onion leaf. Serve with rice.

This is the easiest recipe that I ever created and it delicious for breakfast.

PIZZA SPECIAL TREAT

2011-02-05T00:01:00.001-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I was in the culinary school, I always get the highest remark when it comes to pizza cooking. I believe that it is my forte in the cooking field. After studying culinary arts in the culinary school, I decided to open my own restaurant and pizza parlor. Its been three years now and still many customers come back to my pizza parlor and restaurant for my deliciously made pizza delight.

Many are asking me right now about my secret ingredient in all the pizza that I cook in my restaurant. Actually there is no secret when it comes to pizza cooking. As a chef, I suggest that all ingredients must be fresh and finely selected before cooking a pizza. And the most important in the pizza that I cook is that I use TABASCO® Original Red. It really brings out the best in all the pizza that I cook in the restaurant. It is a perfect match made for pizza. It is really pizza perfected using the TABASCO Original Red. It is not just hot but extremely delicious especially for the super bowl season ideal for my Game-Day Party Menu. Many of my customers are loyal to the taste of my pizza thanks to TABASCO Original Red. It is Pizza Perfected to the max.

NEW WAY OF HAVING BREAKFAST

2011-01-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As a chef, I never miss my breakfast meals. I make it sure that I prepare it myself and eat before going to the restaurant for my chef duties. I always make sure that I have a balance diet. I make sure that fruits, vegetables, meat and rice are in my meals. I wanted to make a change on the meals that I prepare for myself in the morning. I thought of having a new recipe for breakfast. Just this morning I started a new breakfast meal. All are steamed. I call it steamed breakfast.

In this meal, the major food that will be prepared will be the bacon and egg with steamed vegetables. I wanted to be healthy less oil and that is why I thought of having steamed breakfast meal this morning. For the meal here are the ingredients:

Super Breakfast Meal Recipe

1. 3 slices of bacon
2. 1 whole
3. carrots, potatoes, beans, sliced into bite sizes
4. salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. cook Bacon in a pan without oil. Use 5 table spoons of water as substitute for the oil. Cook it for about 10 minutes then place in the plate.

2. Crack the egg and place it in the pan put about 1/2 cup of water and let it cook for about 10 minutes also. It is like cooking a fried egg but no oil in it.

3. Steam cook the vegetable for about 10 minutes until tender and cook. Arrange in the plate with bacon and egg.

4. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on the meal. Serve with rice.

This is a very healthy meal for breakfast because there is no oil in it. People who love meat will also admire this recipe because of the taste of bacon and egg in the dish.

HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY IN MY RESTAURANT

2011-01-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

Kim Kardashian was in my restaurant this morning and I just can't help but noticed that her lips are swelling. I just don't have the guts to ask her about it. But I just happy that she was in my restaurant dining. Kim Kardashian is sick with flu and I prepared her a chicken soup so that she will recover faster.

There will be many celebrities going my restaurant and this chef is just happy to be at service.

INVITATION FOR A CHEF

2011-01-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

This morning when I arrived in the restaurant, my restaurant assistant told me that there was something fr me in my desk. Everyday before I start cooking, I make sure that I read my mails and emails before I start my job in the kitchen. I got this coking invitation in the province. My classmate in the culinary school invited me to participate in their annual cooking contest as their guest judge of the event. The invitation also indicates that I have to prepare something in the night when there is a feast.

My classmate has all the recipe books that I can use and I think this will be a good start for the year as a chef. My schedule for the event is clear and that means I can participate in the event in the province. But I can't stay long there because in the following day, I have a catering event in the restaurant. I need to be the chef in that event because it is a big one for the restaurant. I better prepare all my hings before I leave the house.

YEAR OF THE FOOD BUSINESS

2011-01-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

This year, the restaurant that I own will be expanding. That would mean that I need to get more chefs to work for my restaurant. At present, there are 2 chefs working with me in my restaurant. With the plans to expand my restaurant operation, chefs that are willing to work and sharpen their cooking skills in my restaurant are very much welcome to join the family.

Just the other week, several investors in my restaurant business. They told me that my business has a good potential to compete internationally and they are willing to help me in that aspect, especially the expansion side. The ideal of adding more capitalist is very good for a chef like me. This is a good break for the restaurant and I am very sure that I will have to grab this once in a lifetime opportunity. I better get my own business checks since I am planning to expand my business.

My chef friends are all excited and happy for the way things are going on right now and they plan to help me in my journey towards progress. I would really need some helping hands for this opportunity. When I first started my restaurant business, my chef friends were very supportive and they personally guided me and even made some recipes for me that I can cook in my restaurant. I just can't believe that I am already expanding internationally. With my chef friends around me, I am very sure that I can do it.

THE CHEF IS BACK

2011-01-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hello my avid kitchen visitors, please forgive for I was not able to update you with my latest kitchen adventures. It is because I was so busy for the entire month of December preparing foods for many occasions. In a week, our restaurant would cater around 3 functions and many office Christmas parties. The restaurant is always full of people having fun. I would like also to congratulate my chef team for a job well done for the entire month of December. Because of the hectic schedule that I had, I requested my culinary students to help me in the kitchen in my restaurant.

There is still one last catering function that will be held in the restaurant. It is a wedding celebration and I need to make all the preparations for the event. I already called my chef friends to help me in the event to make it successful. I also told the culinary school dean that I would at least 3 days vacation form the school because I really need to rest and I am so happy that the culinary school accepted my request for a vacation leave. This chef needs also to relax. But after the vacation leave, I need to teach right away to the students in the culinary school and thank them fore their job in the entire month of December. The chef is back in action.

ITS GOOD TO BE FRESH

2010-12-24T19:00:00.001-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was in the annual chef convention last Sunday. The chef convention is an annual event in which all chefs meet in one convention to discuss matters related to the chef profession and others. This year's chef convention was well attended because many chefs that are already based abroad went back home to attend the chef convention. In this year's convention, I was one of the lucky chefs that were selected by the board to speak in the convention. At the convention, I was the last chef speaker to deliver my inspirational message to the chefs in the convention. Upon approaching the podium, I noticed a bad smell. Immediately I knew that it was caused by bad breath. i just cannot point who was the chef that caused that because there were 20 speakers in the convention. as a chef, we must always be clean and presentable. To keep a fresh breath always, I used Tom's Of Maine products to keep me always fresh. I always make sure that I gargle and brush my teeth often so that I won't have any bad breath problems. In every event that I go to, I make sure that I bring with me my Tom's of Maine mouthwash and toothpaste always. As I always use these products, I think I can join the That's Wicked Fresh contest page for the product usage. Its good to be fresh always and chef like me must always stay in tip top fresh breath always.

TOMORROW IS A BIG DAY

2010-12-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is a big day for my little precious because it will be her christening and I need to prepare all the best recipes that I have in my restaurant for the venue will be in my restaurant. I am expecting around 100 guest that will witnessing the event. All of the little things are in place already and I need to give my last coaching to the chefs that will handling the cooking in the kitchen. Our theme in the restaurant is in the wild wild west and all of the dishes that will be cooked are all related to the wild wild west theme. I have already furnished all the slicing for the dishes that will be cooked for tomorrow's event. I guess I needed to rest right now before the big day tomorrow.

JUST HAPPY COOKING

2010-12-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Thexyz Network. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was too busy doing the teaching in the culinary school and for the past 3 weeks, I was preparing for the culinary school. The dean of the culinary school told me that I can have a mandatory leave because I needed to have a break. My restaurant is doing fine and the operation is picking up even I am not around. My assistant chefs are very cooperative in helping my in the cooking responsibilities. This chef really needs a break from teaching cooking. My chef website is handled my my chef friends. They were the ones that kept my website updated. They also told me to join the Thexyz Network so that I can Sign up as a publisher for the network. I have joined several networking clubs online before but this is far more superior with the service that I got from this site. My website is doing good and I got a good number of visitors a day. This is a great opportunity for my site to get visitors and at the same time, earn from the traffic that my site is having right now. I really have to double time in updating my site and have a good number of followers. The dean of the culinary school has already asked me when I will avail the mandatory leave so that the school can have time to find a substitute while I am on leave. This chef needs a break and I need it immediately.

CHEFS ARE IN DEMAND ABROAD

2010-11-18T05:16:00.001-08:00

My classmate in the culinary school called me this evening and asked me if I am planning to go abroad to work. Chefs are in demand right now abroad and the compensation is great. I used to be a chef in a hotel in Dubai and also in Canada before I went back home and started my restaurant business. Its true that chefs are highly needed abroad and there is still vacant slots in several hotels. I told my friend that I am not interested in going abroad and work there. I would better stay here and let my countrymen enjoy the dishes that I prepare.

CHEF KNOWS BEST

2010-11-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

Being a chef is very challenging because you get to do what you like best and that is cooking and preparing foods. When I decided to take up culinary arts, I knew that it was really meant for me and cooking and making various recipes was my forte. After graduating in the culinary school, I decided to further my studies and went to have a master degree in cooking at the same culinary school. That is why I am quite famous in the culinary school.

After two years abroad working as a head chef in Singapore, I went back home to venture into the world of cooking. It was quite exciting because many of my classmates in the culinary school were very supportive and told me that I made the right decision in opening my own restaurant business. My chef-friends contributed many recipes to me and shared their skills in cooking as well, especially when I was in my first month in the business.

I wanted to be unique and share what I love best and that is cooking. I want to share it to the world. That is why I open my own website and it was all about cooking and things related to cooking. For my web kitchen, I approached several computer experts on my web domain and web hosting for my site. I read several web hosting reviews I decided to get what I wanted. My website is all about cooking and recipe sharing. This is what makes me busy right now. You get to see my cooking demos via my website. There is also a chef corner where chefs can share to each other recipes and even their daily experiences in their own kitchen. I am still making adjustments on my time because traffic is already doing well for my website. I am encouraging all chefs out there to have their own website so that they can share more about their recipes and dishes that they can cook to the world. A chef knows that it is fun to share recipes to the world.

SPECIAL EMPANADA ALA ARABELLA

2010-11-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am making a change as I will be opening another business and the main product of this food business is the tasty empanada. I will be naming it Arabella's Empanada. This is derived from my daughter's name. I will be personally cooking the empanada that i going to be the main product of this business. I am optimistic that it will make a good impact to all of my customers. Empanada is an all time favorite for merienda because it is healthy and no junk. I am still in the marketing stage right now and I am expecting orders by the end of the month. I got several calls already for the empanada and I am very happy about it. This chef is making the most of everything that I learned in the culinary school.

THE GOLD CHEF

2010-10-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

I was recently commissioned to be the chef in a jewelry event. The said event will held at night and many are expected to come to the show as the host feature the latest jewelries and some jewelry display cases. To be a chef in this kind of event is new to me. I have been a chef for the past 10 years already and this is the first time that I will be doing a cooking job for a jewelry event of night. I was also told that I needed to submit the menu for the dishes that I will be cooking because there will be many guests from different sectors. This event is considered a high key event of the year.

A good friend of mine, also a chef, toured me in the venue where the event will be held and I can see that the boxes of jewelry are being piled already. According to my friend that we cannot touch the boxes for somethings might get lost and we will be the one to be blame. He also added that we should concentrate in the cooking of the dishes that we are commissioned to cook. Honestly, collecting jewelries is one of my passion, second to cooking.

I really cant just stop and be curious about what is inside the boxes that were transported in the venue. The organizer was very kind she showed me some of their finest collections. I was really amazed to see the valuable thing that was inside the box. I should be calling my self the Gold chef after this event because I am a chef of a jewelry event.

ADVANCE CHRISTMAS COOKING

2010-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I got a call from a chef friend and asked me if my schedule is vacant for the first week of December. It is because there is going to be a big celebration in town and he could not think of any chef except me to do this type of cooking. He added that it is going to be a marathon style of cooking and the event is expected to feed around 2000 people in one sitting. I am not new to this kind of big event cooking. I used to work for a charity foundation and feeding was the main function of that foundation. I said yes to my friend immediately.

The cooking event will happen on the 2nd up to the 5th day of December. There is going to be a feeding program of the culinary school as it celebrate its 10th year in the city. The entire feeding program will start from the breakfast up to the dinner period for the entire 4 days, it will be cooking and lots of cooking in the kitchen. The venue where the cooking will be held at the recreation area of the culinary school. This is going to be fun.

The culinary school confirmed my task and told me that there will be 10 more chefs that will participate in the huge feeding program and as the senior chef, I must meet with them to discuss the menu and the recipes that will be prepared for the 4 day long feeding program. I already started contacting the 10 chefs that will be joining in the feeding program.

I have the end of October to submit to the culinary dean the menu each day and the recipes that will be cooked in the event. The culinary school also told me that the dishes that we will be cooking must not be that expensive because chefs are very notorious for charging, especially for a big event such as this. I am very confident that my team of chefs will delivery well during the days of cooking. The recipes were already faxed to my restaurant and I need to review them one by one to avoid duplication in cooking. We plan not do recook a dish that is why I need to see to it that this won't happen. All things are set and read. Me and the chefs are very excited already for the event to happen this December. It is going to be a delicious December cooking as we chefs prove our skills in cooking.

How to Measure Sugar Precisely

2010-10-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

How to Measure Sugar Precisely:

To get exact level cup measures of sugar, spoon into dry metal or plastic measuring cups, then level by scraping excess sugar from top of cup with straight-edged knife.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

2010-10-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Raspberry Freezer Jam

Here's what you need:
3 cups prepared fruit (buy about 6 cups fully ripe red raspberries)
5-1/4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
3/4 cup water
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin

Procedure:
RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.

CRUSH raspberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. (Press half of pulp through a sieve to remove seeds, if desired.) Measure exactly 3 cups crushed raspberries into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min.or until sugar is almost dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

FILL containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Hearty Beef Chili

2010-10-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hearty Beef Chili

Here's what your need:
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (16 oz.) no-salt added tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) light red kidney beans, rinsed
1-1/2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Mild Salsa
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

Here's how:

BROWN meat; drain. Add to slow cooker with remaining ingredients except cheese; stir. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW 5 to 6 hours (or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours).

STIR just before serving. Serve topped with the cheese.

Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Risotto

2010-10-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Risotto

Here's what your need:

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided
3/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup instant white rice, uncooked
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
2 beef tenderloin steaks, (4 oz. each), 1 inch thick

Procedure:

HEAT 1 Tbsp. of the dressing in saucepan. Add zucchini, carrot and red pepper; cook until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

STIR in rice, broth, milk and mustard. Bring to boil; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 min.

MEANWHILE, cook steaks in remaining dressing in skillet on medium heat 5 min. Turn steaks over; cover. Cook an additional 5 to 8 min. for rare to medium doneness. Serve steak with rice mixture.

ADOBO IS THE BEST DISH EVER

2010-10-22T03:05:00.000-07:00

Adobo is a recipe that has been handed from generation to generation. The adobo recipe has its origin but that is hard to trace because every family has their own version of adobo. In my province, where my father grew up, they have their own creative adobo recipe that they always prepare every special occasion. In an adobo, the usual meat used would be chicken and pork. But in the province, they cook their adobo using goat meat. I visited the place once and tasted their home grown goat adobo. I find the goat adobo unique and delicious especially the taste of coco vinegar.

In an adobo dish, the vinegar that will be used always matters in the taste of the finish product. In my restaurant, I always use coco vinegar because coco vinegar brings this distinctive taste when the dish is cook. I recall during my culinary studies in the culinary school, I made an adobo recipe. it was quite unique because I used goat's meat instead of chicken and pork. I never tried cooking it because I know that the tedious preparation of the goat's meat. That Adobo recipe won a silver prize award internationally. It was healthy and taste good and judges were all amazed with the recipe that I submitted. Adobo is the best dish ever

ERICA'S LASAGNA

2010-10-22T03:01:00.001-07:00

ERICA'S LASAGNA RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
*
* 12 ounces cottage cheese
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 egg
*
* 9 lasagna noodles
* 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain. In another skillet over medium heat, cook onion until translucent. Combine beef and onion in a large saucepan with tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour.

2. While sauce is simmering, blend cottage cheese, Parmesan and egg until smooth. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

5. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover sauce with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with one-third of remaining sauce. Top with half the mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzarella; top that with the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce.

6. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and bake 15 minutes more, until golden and bubbly.

2010-10-22T03:01:00.000-07:00

CHEF IS ON THE ROAD TO TRAVEL

2010-10-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

There is a convention of chefs that will be held in the national region area. This is an annual event of chefs that must be attended because there are so many things that will be given during the convention. I attended the convention last year and I swear to come to the following year's convention. The venue of the convention is not the regular place like a hotel. It is situated in the mountain peek and the only way to get there is by car. In order to get there, I needed to drive almost 3 hours before to reach the place. I am quite familiar with the place because I was a chef in the mountain resort once and the place is very nice and ideal for a convention to happen.

I already made the adjustments and gave the instructions to my chefs while I am away and on the road. I also called my insurance agent to get me a short term insurance since I will be traveling using my vehicle. I want to be safe while I am on the road. Road accidents can happen and I want to be protected that is why I got an insurance for me and my car. The convention organizers told me that I needed to bring some reading materials and notes because there will be a recipe sharing among chefs that will participate in the convention. My things are already packed and ready to go to the convention site. I just hope that I am not forgetting anything because going there is difficult and time consuming.

CHEF HOSPITAL ADMISSION

2010-10-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

This morning in the restaurant, my assistant chef told me that I have a high temperature. She was right because I have a flu right now and still I went to the restaurant for my cooking job in the kitchen and it is hard to leave the restaurant operation just to the assistant chef. But I think it would be best to leave the cooking task to her because having a flu and cooking is not good for chefs and the restaurant as well.

After in the restaurant, I went to the hospital to check for my condition and if I could still do my culinary job as a chef in the restaurant. The doctor said that I have to take a rest in the cooking because I am not feeling well. I needed to rest. After the check up, I went back to the restaurant and said my reminders to them. I also left my recipe books for references in the kitchen. I don't want to leave a scattered menu while I am resting at home. If worst comes to worst, chef will be admitted in the hospital for faster recuperation.

The restaurant menu is already fix for the week. I needed to rest for 2 days and that is why I instructed my assistant chef to prepare the following dishes while I am not around. The recipe books are also there. I called up the culinary school and told them that I won't be coming on my first day as fondant cake making professor because I am sick and I am happy that they understood me well.

FONDANT CAKE MAKING ACCEPTED

2010-10-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

This morning I got a call from the culinary school asking me if I can teach fondant cake making because there are few chefs that can teach the culinary students on how to make a fondant cake. I now how to make a fondant cake and it is easy. I immediately accepted the offer of the culinary school to teach fondant cake making in the culinary school. I was told that by the end of the month, I have to go the school every Fridays to teach the students of the fondant cake making.

Making a fondant cake is really simple and a chef must know how to design the cake to make it fondant cake. Fondant cake is the best cake for weddings because it really looks glamorous and best for the vow. In my career as a chef, I was able to make around 20 fondant cakes in my career. This cake is usually made for weddings and for meetings. My first time to make a fondant cake was during a baking contest and cake decorations. We were about 20 chefs competing in the contest, all of them were my friends and classmates in the culinary school.

Since I will be back again in the culinary school to teach fondant cake making to students, I might as well review my notes because I don't want to teach them wrong in making fondant cake. Fondant cake making is a one semester course in the culinary school and I should really do well and teach the young chefs how to make a fondant cake.

CHEF'S NEW CAR

2010-10-12T03:07:00.000-07:00

I always drive from my house to the restaurant. It is already just normal for a chef to be driving and my car is an old one. This chef is using a Kia Cd-5 model car. I know that it is kind of out dated with the new models of vehicles that are running in the streets. During the chef meeting last Sunday, my long time car broke down along the street. Luckily, my chef friend was there to assist me in my ordeal in the road. Buying a new car is easy for a chef like me. It is a fact that chefs earn big because we are considered skilled workers. Enough of the history and lets go down to the topic. My car needs a substitution. I need a car right now.

The mechanic told me that my car will be done by the end of the week and I have to use the services of the public transport to transport me from my home to my office-restaurant. Many of my chef friends told me that I should get a new one and sell my old car. I am currently considering that idea because I don't want to experience another problem with my old car. This chef needs a new car immediately. Hopefully when the car is already fix, I will immediately display it in front of the restaurant and with the words: chef's car for sale".

TERIYAKI PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPE

2010-10-07T03:43:00.001-07:00

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 pounds pork tenderloin
* 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 3 fresh red chile pepper, finely chopped
* 1/2 large onion, sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together teriyaki sauce, chicken broth, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in garlic, red chile pepper, onion, and black pepper.

2. Put browned tenderloins into slow cooker, cover with the teriyaki sauce mixture. Cook on High for about 4 hours, turning 2 to 3 times during the cooking time to ensure even doneness.

3. Remove tenderloins from the slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. If desired, spoon liquid over slices when serving.

BLACK BEAN AND PORK TENDERLOIN SLOW CHILI RECIPE

2010-10-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

Black Bean and Pork Tenderloin Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 2 inch strips
* 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
* 1 small red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
* 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans
* 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2 teaspoons chili powder

Directions

1. Combine pork tenderloin, onion, red pepper, black beans, salsa, chicken broth, oregano, cumin, and chili powder in a slow cooker. Set to Low and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

2. Break up pieces of cooked pork to thicken the chili before serving.

CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH ZANG

2010-10-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH ZANG

Ingredients

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
* 3 tablespoons grill seasoning
* 1/2 cup barbeque sauce
* 1 teaspoon butter
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 1 green bell pepper, sliced
* 4 mushrooms, sliced
* 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
* 4 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill for low heat, and lightly oil the grate.

2. Sprinkle the chicken breasts generously on all sides with the Italian and grill seasonings. Slowly cook on the preheated grill, turning every 10 minutes; brush the chicken with the barbeque sauce each time you turn it. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Once done, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

3. While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms in the butter, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender.

4. To make the sandwiches, place a chicken breast on each hamburger bun half. Spoon the pepper and onion mixture overtop, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Cover with the hamburger bun tops.

APPLE BARS WITH BUTTER

2010-10-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

APPLE BARS WITH BUTTER

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup apple butter
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar

* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan

2. Beat butter or margarine until creamy. Add half of the flour, the brown sugar, white sugar, egg, apple butter, baking soda and the apple pie spice. Beat together until well blended. Beat in remaining flour and stir in raisins. Spread in prepared baking pan.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Drizzle with icing. Cut into bars.

4. To Make Icing: Mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and 1 - 2 tablespoons milk. Mix to drizzling consistency.

GALAXY PIZZA RECIPE

2010-10-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

GALAXY PIZZA RECIPE

Ingredients

* 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.

3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.

5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

JUST QUICK AND SIMPLE COOKING

2010-10-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

The restaurant is going to cater for a big event in the metro. My friend chefs are all tagged in by this event. They will be cooking in the restaurant kitchen for the whole day. We plan to cook around 20 dishes and some desserts after eating. The culinary school is also very supportive because they will be sending 5 student-chefs to the restaurant to help assist in the cooking and the the food preparation. I will be the head chef and I expect lots of pressure on the restaurant because this the first time that the meeting will be done in the city and the restaurant was the chosen to do the catering for the event. Thanks to my friend-chefs because they are always present when I needed them.

We already meet with the entire cooking team and we decided to prepare just quick and simple cooking. They will be bringing their own personal recipe books with them as they start the cooking in my kitchen. The restaurant will be closed for the entire day. I already informed my customers about the event and think its best and they will be cheering in the side. I always made a personal relationship my customers and they liked it that way.

The cooking will start around 7 am for the early breakfast. I already assigned the students to do the cooking of the breakfast meals while the veteran chefs will do the lunch dishes and the dinner. The merienda meals will be handled by the student chefs. I also told my kitchen assistants to help in the cooking proper. As a chef and a restaurant owner, I believe it is a great opportunity for the entire cooking team to showcase what our city is made of. I better prepare the recipes that I will be cooking for the event.

CHEF MAGIC WORKS

2010-10-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

I was attending a culinary schools contest the other day. There were 3 schools competing for the crown to be the best culinary school in the country. I was invited as chef judge of the event. The competing culinary schools had their 3 student chefs and they were assigned to cook their 3 best dishes. Being a chef and a judge of the event was very difficult because all of the students were very good in their cooking craft. Honestly, I cannot believe that the competitors are all students because their dishes that they cooked were all delicious.

Giving a verdict is very difficult because all of them are good in their cooking. But there must be one winner and that I my job to give the decision of the contest. There is one school that I was amazed by the way they cook. They were no longer using modern cooking pots and pans. They were using old things like clay pots and even their ingredients are all freshly gathered. The entire contest last around 3 hours after all schools presented their dishes prepared, a chef judge must taste it in order to determine who is the winner. I picked the third school because of the uniqueness of their dishes prepared. It was something new and tasty as well.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE RECIPE

2010-09-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE RECIPE

Ingredients

* 2 slices bread
* 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Remove the crust from the bread and cut into 1-in. cubes. Place in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle the sausage and cheese over bread cubes.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over the sausage and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until puffed and golden.