Frozen Delights

Just doing my kitchen duties when my mind started to think about frozen delights. Its so hot outside my only thoughts about it is to have something cold to chew to ease the hot hungry stomach. I  told my chef assistant to get me some ice cream in the refrigerator to start my preparation.

I really miss preparing frozen delights. I remembered the last time I prepared this when my little nephew visited me in my kitchen. The difference this time is that I will prepare this dish for myself alone. My assistant chef had some good things in mind but I guess all I can think about right now is to chew the meal that I will be preparing. 

The good thing about frozen delights is that I need not to heat anything. Cold ice cream will be my main item and the rest will follow.

OH! MY BREAD

Visiting friends can be very wonderful, especially when they are so demanding. yes, that"s right. My friends are very demanding. whenever they visit my house they always requesting different foods and dishes. But even though they are like that, I really appreciate their presence. 

Just the other day, my friends told me that they are coming. Usually they would arrive during the evening. Since it is already dinner time, I usually prepare heavy meals for them. But this time they told me that they will be at my house at 3 pm in the afternoon. And they wanted me to prepare for them my tasty breads that I bake. I was thinking of serving loaf bread. But I change my mind. Freshly baked breads are made special when you are preparing for important people.

I took my baking recipe book and looked for a French toasted bread. I saw this recipe when I was in Thailand, attending a culinary festival in 2009. French toasted bread is tasty when matched with hot chocolate drink.

Preparing for a French toasted bread is easy when all the ingredients are around. French toasted bread and hot chocolate drink, it's a match made from heaven. 

FRIED LECHON RECIPE

Holiday feast is not yet over. There are plenty of foods that need to be attended or else it will just go to the trash can as food waste. Last Christmas, I received an entire leg of lechon or roasted bore. It was so big that I can think of any recipe that I can cook for the roasted bore leg. My partner told me that it would be better to distribute it to our restaurant workers. I totally disagree since it was given to me and I have to consume it. Thinking of ways to deal to this food crisis. I decided to make a recipe out of it. 

Instead of using the microwave oven in heating the roasted bore leg, I sliced it to bite sizes and fry it. I added garlic, a little salt to taste and pepper and spring onions for added aroma in the recipe. I cooked it for about 3 minutes.

 Lechon is a delicacy that is most present in every noche buena. Since this food is big expect leftovers after the celebration. Aside from frying the lechon, it is also ideal to cook the adobong lechon of the pinakuposan or deep fried. No matter what the dish you prepare as long it is cooked with love, you will never go wrong.

SPECIAL EGG SANDWICH TO THE GO

I was driving almost an hour already going to my friend's house. I was invited to come and witness a wedding. This friend is also a chef like me. She also owns a restaurant business in the place where I am heading to. Its a long drive as I expected but I cannot see any dinners where I can stop and eat and proceed to my destination. 

I am already very hungry and I cannot drive any longer without any food to fill my empty stomach. Luckily I have prepared an egg sandwich before I drove off to the location. I immediately stopped and went back seat and check my bags. My egg sandwich was just there waiting for me to eat him. I am very hungry and this will be my food for lunch. I prepared two huge egg sandwiches and I am just happy to made them big, just enough for my hungry stomach. Bona Petit!

EXOTIC RECIPES JUST TOO MUCH FOR ME

I really consider myself as an adventurous person and willing to try anything in this world. Being a chef makes me more adventurous more than ever to try new recipes all around the world. Last week, I visited a chef friend who is now residing in Benguet province. He was a good friend and my close classmate during my culinary studies. 

Chef Sandy is a proud owner of a famous restaurant in the locality and is known for their unusual cooking. At first, I was very curious what my friend is busy cooking in the province. Here in the Philippines, there are many different provinces and this also vary in their culture. Some may consider it strange but others find it just normal, especially when you are living in the Benguet province.

As I hop off my van, I immediately called my friend, who is preparing something for me. Finally, chef Sandy greeted my and hugged me. Two chefs happy to see each other for a very long time. Chef Sandy told me that I am into a surprise to see what she has prepared for me. They call it horse tapa....or horse meat. My friend caught me by surprise to see  dish that is new to me and a strange one too. Horses are wide used as farm animals animals and use for racing. But cooking horse meat is something outrageous for me to cook. 

ITS GOOD TO HAVE FOR A CHEF

Its another day in the kitchen and I am just happy to be back to the place where I love the most and do the thing that I love the most and that is cooking. Last week, my schedule was fully booked with activities. In just a day, I have to be in two different events, preparing dishes since I am also into the catering business. My presence is really a must when I am serving events. These events are not just simple events. I am cooking for large functions and gatherings. In one occasion, I prepared around 1000 plates and served 3 viands and cakes. I can say it was a busy for a chef like me. I even called my friend chefs to help me in the events that I am catering. Thank God I have my meal planner with me. I cannot imagine doing these food preparations without my meal planner. You can checkout this meal planner more information here...

By next week, I have to be in Singapore for a wedding event of my cousin. I am also the chef assigned to do the nice work in the kitchen in this event. I will be staying there for about 5 days and will also be meeting with some Singaporean chefs that will be assisting me in the kitchen. I am starting to feel the excitement when I get there....I will be missing my kitchen again by that....

NEW RECIPES FOR THE NEW YEAR

Hello guys! Welcome 2013 and for the new year, I have prepared lots of new recipes and new cooking tips for this year. I have just completed my new recipe book that will be published by February and I am already excited about it.

Last year was a good year for me and my restaurant business. Just for December last year, I have to make shifts for the events and parties that were held in the restaurant. I even made some kitchen renovations just to widen the floor area of the dining area, to accommodate more customers in the kitchen. Basically, 2012 was a good year to a chef like me.

For 2013, more recipes will be prepared in my kitchen and more tips in cooking will be shared and that is my pledge for this year. My chef friends are also contributing to the good news in the restaurant and I am just happy and excited for these happenings.

BACON WITH SHRIMP RECIPE ON THE PROCESS

I wanted to create something new in the dishes that I prepare in the kitchen. I want to incorporate bacon and shrimps because these two would really make a perfect combination. i tried looking for shrimp-bacon recipes but I cannot find the right dish that I can cook in the kitchen.

I called my chef friend and ask her an assistance in the recipe that I am trying to cook. She said to me that I have to use my imagination in the thing/dish that I am about to cook. Honestly, I am thinking to create a shrimp-bacon roll or bacon-shrimp deep fry with sesame seeds. Have to finish this by today...This will be a big challenge for me this day. 

THE CHEF IS BACK ONCE MORE

After being away for about a month, I have returned and I would like to thank my chef friends who are very supportive to my plans. I was gone for about a month because I was busy in the school, teaching chef wanna be's and also I was having my masteral in the culinary arts. 

I was in Singapore the entire month of October and busy in my career as a chef. my restaurant was temporarily handled by my brother and my cousin who are both chefs. I am just happy to be back again. To make myself present, upon arrival, I went straight to the market and bought stocks for the restaurant. I really miss these things. I am just happy to be back again.

To my viewers, expect great dishes in the coming days for I will write all the recipes that I learned while I was in Singapore. 

TO FAST FOODS OR NOT TO

I came out from the restaurant late because there was a function that needed my presence. After the event, I decided to go straight home so that I can rest since it was already nearing morning. I thought my stomach was already full. On my way home, my stomach is already in protest of the situation.

I decided to drop by the near fast food station along the way. I ordered french fries, burger and a soda. It was a drive thru station, ordering is quick and easy. Since I was driving, I cannot munch the food in my mouth. My eyes are always on the road. Now, I am more hungry than ever.

I approached my house and I immediately went to the kitchen to feed my stomach. But when I tasted the food that I bought, it was not what I was expecting. I tasted strange. I cannot swallow that kind of food, so I decided to cook food for myself. For a quick meal, eggs and bacon will do for me. Bacon and eggs are perfect match. After cooking, I immediately ate the food without any hesitations. 

HOW TO COOK USING A PRESSURE COOKER

Having a pressure cooker really makes the cooking easier. But many of us does not know how to cook using a pressure cooker. Pressure cookers are made to make a hard meat for stew soft and tender for cooking. Usually beef, pork bones and pork legs are just some of the goodies that are cooked using the pressure cooker. This is the correct steps in using a pressure cooker:

1. Clean up the pressure cooker. Usually a pressure cooker has a rubber, a basin plate and a pounder, the one you put on top and makes the sound when it boils.
2. Chop the meat that you want to cook using the pressure cooker. 
3. Place the meat inside the pressure cooker, make sure that the rubber is place on the cover of the pressure cooker. Cover the pressure cooker.
4. place the pounder on top of the pressure cooker.
5. Set the heat gradually. The counting of the minutes usually starts when the pressure cooker starts making the pounding sounds.
6. Usually it would take around 30-45 minutes to cook a hard meat.
7. Never remove the pounder or open the pressure cooker when it is still hot. It would really cause you a lot of trouble and even injury.
8. Place the pressure cooker under the faucet and slowly open the valve to easy the hotness of the pressure cooker.
9. Slowly remove the pounder and open the pressure cooker for the meat that you are cooking.

Having a pressure cooker is really a big help and you can use it for your cooking. 

THINGS TO DO BEFORE STARTING TO COOK

Many people love to cook and they usually end up desperate. It is because they don't prepare the things to be cook. As a chef, here are my tips before starting to cook:

1. Make sure that your ingredients are already prepared.
2. Make sure that the kitchen is clean and conducive to cooking.
3. It would be best that spices be prepared in serving plate so that cooking will be fast and easy.
4. Make sure that the pan or frying pan is ready and clean.

With this tips, cooking will be easy and fast.

COOKING UNDER TIME PRESSURE

It's already 11 am and my assistant chef is nowhere to be found. I got a text from her informing me that she could not make it in the morning because she was not feeling well. What can I do, this leave me no option but to do her task in the cooking. I am not angry towards her I understand her situation. 

The restaurant usually opens at 11:30 am, in preparation for the lunch time. For today's menu, I have lined up  12 dishes. This is the first time that I am cooking alone without an assistant chef to assist me. This is cooking under pressure. Just for the start, I received 10 orders immediately and more orders are coming. My attendants informed me that the are already many customers waiting outside. This is really new for me. I must do this alone and I must. My restaurant's reputation is vital to it's success and I cannot afford to lose it.

Well my chef skills are now being tested and I know I can conquer this. Let's start the cooking process!

LEARNING NEW COOKING STYLE

Two weeks ago, I enrolled at a culinary school near my restaurant to learn a new cooking style. The culinary school is run by my chef-friend and I mam very happy to be learning once again. The culinary school is teaching Japanese dishes and this is my first time to make and prepare Japanese dishes.

Based on my observation, the secret in every Japanese dish is the freshness and it would take sometime to learn to prepare Japanese dishes. My chef-friend is a Japanese and making and preparing Japanese dishes is just like 123 for her. I joined the school because I wanted to learn to prepare Japanese dishes and I would like to incorporate it in the dishes that I prepare in the restaurant.

This new learning experience in preparing Japanese dishes would take about 1 year and I believe that I have much to learn in this Japanese dishes. I am like am kindergarten in the class. In fairness, my classmates are all master chefs in their respective fields. 

SPECIAL EGG RECIPE

Cooking eggs may seem easy but actually, chefs need to master several egg recipes before they can be called masters in the kitchen. The recipe that I am about to share is very easy to cook and even an inexperienced person can cook this special egg recipe. For the special egg recipe, we will be needing the following ingredients:

• 3 fresh eggs
• 1 cup garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato
• 3 tbs cooking oil

Procedure: 

1. Heat pan and place cooking oil. 
2. Beat the eggs and fry it along with garlic, salt and tomato.
3. Add the soy sauce and remove and serve the egg with rice.

The entire cooking of this special egg recipe is just under 5 minutes. It is fast and easy to cook very ideal for breakfast.

CHEF TALK MADE EASY

As a chef, I live a very busy life. In the morning, I have to wake up around 5 am just to prepare myself in going to the restaurant and in the evening, I have to leave the restaurant around 10 pm, during the closing of the restaurant. I can't hardly use my phone and call my chef-friends and get an update on their status. My rest period is only when I get to update my chef account in my Facebook and Twitter account. My chef-friends would call me around 10 times but I could not attend to the calls because of my busy schedule in the restaurant. In my Twitter account, my chef friends would leave some twitter smiles from myemoticons.com. The smiles that they send me really make me calm my busy nerves as a chef. Chef talk made easy this time with the smiles that I also send to them. 

By the end of the month, I will be leaving the country for a culinary event that will be happening in Singapore. It is a culinary event that my appearance is requested by the event coordinators. I already send some messages to my friends that I will be away for awhile. 

This busy schedule really make me love the profession as a chef. 

BAKE MY OWN CAKE

I was with a chef friend last night. We had a short conversation and it was held in a small cake shop in the downtown area. We were discussing about her plan of opening a pastry shop and she wanted me to join her pastry shop. 

I am a chef and my forte is really cooking and not baking. Many thought that all chef can bake and cook. But that is not the case all the time. There is a pastry chef and a meal chef and that is what I am. I think I will decline the offer ahead and I will just endorse another chef that is a pastry chef. 

QUICK AND EASY MORNING MEAL

I woke up late this morning and I have a very important meeting to attend to. Since I live alone in my house, I have nobody to blame but myself for no meals prepared. To make the my hungry tummy full, I decided to make and prepare a quick and easy morning meal for myself. 

I check the refrigerator and found these: eggs, hotdogs, butter, chocolate and bread. Well, these are just the foods that I need to make a quick and easy morning meal for myself. It only took me 5 minutes to prepare a meal for myself. They don't call me chef for nothing if I cannot make a meal for myself in quick and easy morning meal for myself.

I realized today that I must wake up early so that I will have enough time to make a morning meal for myself. I think it is already nearing 8 o clock I must go now....

FAST AND EASY WAY TO PREPARE A MEAL

The first time a tried to prepare and cook a meal was about 10 years ago. I was still in my college years in the culinary school. Our professor-chef told us that we must be prepared always for there will be a cooking demo for the school fest. Honestly that time, I really don't know how to prepare and cook meals. The chef-professor gave me an assignment to prepare and cook slow carb meals. 

It was my first test and I really don't know where to start. I research using the internet on various slow carb meals until I finally found the recipe that I am confident to prepare and cook. It was a beef dish from a Swiss chef and it was very easy to prepare and cook. I made some trial cooking before I presented it to my chef-professor in the culinary school. In the cooking proper, I was already very confident about the dish that I selected and would be cooking. After the cooking demo, my professors liked it and also gave me an award for the recipe that I made. 

As a chef, we must be resourceful enough to find the recipes that would really standout among others. A chef must also be patient and quick to think. I think these are the traits of a successful chef. 

HOW TO COOK GARLIC

Garlic is one of the spices that I like the most. Garlic adds up to the taste of every recipe there is in this world. It is said that if a recipe does not have a garlic on it, then there is something wrong in the recipe. It may seem easy to look at but cooking garlic also varies from chef to chef. 

In cooking garlic, one must know if the recipe that he is cooking requires the garlic to be brown or just the flavoring to add up to the taste. Garlic really cooks fast and overcooking it may loose the taste of garlic. Here are the tips that I believe that can be helpful for those who are learning to cook garlic:

• Chop garlic according to your desired sizes.
• Prepare the pan and heat it just in low temperature.
• Fry the garlic in just 10 seconds.

Cooking garlic is really easy. You don't have to earn a chef degree just to cook garlic. Happy cooking.