Marie Antoinette Inspired Cake

When we were in Europe, we visited the Hofburg Palace, where Maria Theresa of Austria lived and where Maria Antoinette was born and raised.
I did not think of her much back then, since the main focus of the tour was the Palace and her Majesty.
Today, I came upon a story about Marie Antoinette, and was captivated.
I think she was unjustly punished and was judged wrongly.
She may not have been the best queen, but I believe she was a great mother.
She was condemned by gossipers without knowing her.
We often find the same scenario in our ordinary life, the difference between her and of so many of us we do something about it, unlike her, she just ignored it and cost her her life.
The phrase "Let them eat cake" was supposedly said by Marie Antoinette.
But with further research, there is no evidence that she uttered the words.
Anyhow, she inspired me to make a cake that would always remind me of her.
The icing is vanilla bean buttercream.
Since she was a queen with the love of nature I thought the simple butter cream with the elegant of vanilla bean suits her.
The cake is a white vanilla cake that is so tender and crumbly.
Just like her, she was tender and clueless of what is happening around her.
I filled the layers with a four berry jelly to represent of her heartbroken heart for her husband and children.
The icing is white with the specs of vanilla beans, for my belief that she was unjustly punished.

Ingredients for the cake:

2 3/4 cups cake flour sifted
1 2/3 fine sugar (if you don't have fine sugar just blitz regular granulated sugar in the food processor until it becomes fine and powdery)
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (12 tbsp.) room temperature
4 egg whites in room temperature
1 whole egg also in room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tsp. vanilla (substitute 1 tsp. almond if you like; I just happen to think that almond flavoring is often too strong and overtake the flavor)

* Preheat the oven for 350F.
* Butter and flour two 8x2 cake pans and set aside.
* Sift the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
* In low speed mix together the dry ingredients.
* Add the butter and mix until it forms a paste or fine damp sand.
* Add the eggs one by one and mix until incorporated
* Add the milk, sour cream and vanilla and mix until the batter is well
incorporated. Scrape the side and mix until well blended.
* Divide the batter between the 2 pans.
* Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
* Let the cake cool.
Using a butter knife trace the side of the cake, carefully place the cake in the cooling rack and let it cool completely before icing.

Ingredients for the Icing:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean cut in half; scrape the mini black jewels out using a knife or spoon
4-6 cups confectioner sugar
1 cup unsalted butter in room temperature
1 tsp. really good vanilla
Four Berry Jelly (preferably HEB brand) optional

* In a small sauce pan combine the vanilla bean, vanilla seeds and heavy cream.
Let it warm up do not let it boil.
Turn it off and let the vanilla bean emulsify with the cream.
* Sift the confectioner sugar and set aside.
* Remove the vanilla bean and strain the cream.
* Using a stand mixer with a whisk in, combine the sugar and butter, beat until combine.
* Gradually add the cream, beat until really smooth and your desired consistency.

*Place one of the cake in the cake stand.
*Spread the top with the jelly evenly.

*Place the other cake on top, and slightly press it down

*Start icing from top to side.
*Ice according to your desire.

My hubby and I at Hofburg Palace

Restaurant Style Steak

We are a sucker for a great steak, especially Sirloin Steak.
I thought grilled steak is the best; but boy was I so wrong.
For me, this is the best way to cook steak.
Cooking it this way, the result would be succulent, flavorful, tender and juicy. Which I think the perfect steak. When you buy your meat make sure that is has a lot of marbling (meaning it has a lot of white strips or fat, this would make your steak juicy and flavorful). So here is my version of restaurant style steak:

Ingredients:

2 pcs. dry aged sirloin steak (trust me on this; once you've tasted it you would never go to a steak house, it is the best but expensive) or just regular
sea salt (there is just something about sea salt, that when you pair it with beef it makes it succulent)
1 lemon zest
course ground black pepper
2 tbsp. parsley butter (mix soften unsalted butter with parsley) if you don't have this just unsalted butter is fine
pan with griddle marks (important).

You want your meat to sear, the griddle marks prevent the meat to steam in it's own juices. Make sure the pan handle won't melt when you put it in the oven.

* Preheat your oven to 450 F.
* Make sure that your meat is room temperature.
I suggest to let it sit out for about 30 minutes minimum.
* Using a paper towel pat your steak dry(this is important; so that the steak does not have extra water for it to steam rather than sear)
* In high heat let your pan warm up for about 10 minutes.
Put your hands on top of the griddle if you can feel the heat the pan is ready for the meat.
* Rub your meat with salt, black pepper, and lemon zest and tap it down to let the meat soak the seasoning.
* Place your steaks in the warm griddle pan let it be.
Do not touch it and let it sear and caramelized the fat about 3- 4 minutes.

Flip it to the other side and do the same.
* Add 1 tbsp. butter on top of each steak.
* Place it in the oven for 10minutes maximum or else your steak would be dry.
Time it to be sure.
This would make your steak tender and cook through, I like mine medium well.
If you like your steak medium rare, searing it would be medium rare; what I do is just toss it in the oven for 3 minutes and it will do the job.
* Ever wonder why when you cut your steak it's bloody and the juices ran out?
That's because it did not have enough time to rest. Letting your meat rest will seal back all those wonderful juices that makes your steak perfect and flavorful.
Let your meat rest about 10minutes max before serving.
I usually let my meat rest in the griddle pan where I cook it so that it won't be too cold.

PS: I really do suggest dry aged meat, the flavor is just different and wonderful than the regular meat; this is the big factor why we think our steak is better than any steakhouse we've been.
After learning this technique I don't go to steak house anymore well, maybe when I am being lazy to cook.
Trust me my husband and I had been to a lot and by far this is the best we've had.
This is easier and you know your getting the best.
It's home cook after all! Enjoy...

My Granpa Beato's Adobo

Wow, where do I begin to describe this dish? If you are a Filipino and you grow up in the Philippines, it's possible that you have your own version of Adobo.
For me, my version is inspired by my Grandpa Beato, who's an amazing cook in our part of the province and has been cooking from one Fiesta to the next for his entire life.
He is our family cook and has always been a great cook.
While growing up, he showed me his cooking techniques on different kinds of Filipino Dishes. Most of his dishes have Spanish Influence since he is half Spanish.
We would sometimes fuss about what ingredients should be put on a certain dish; but for me it was kind of exciting and intoxicating because I absorbed all his techniques and yet put my own spin into it.
I vividly remember when I was growing up, every time we made chicken adobo, we just grabbed one of our chicken in our backyard, slit the throat, clean the chicken, sliced and make adobo, including the insides.
Well, maybe not the intestines and so forth but my uncle happened to like those clean and fried toasted.
Lol, but anyhow we usually put the liver, gizzard, neck, feet without the claws (of course) and after all that we start the cooking.
So here is our version of Chicken Adobo

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into big chunks; or if you have a picky hubby like mine get the following
1 lb. chicken thighs (important to have dark meat with bones for flavor)
1 lb. chicken tenders or breast
1/2 lb. chicken gizzards (optional, I happen to like them)
1 tbsp. sugar
2 to 3 pcs. cayenne chili or labuyo (optional, I like mine to have a bit of kick into it)
2 tbsp. soy sauce (I mix silver swan and kikkoman); Grandpa thinks bottled silver swan is the best 1 clove garlic crushed, or my technique is just grate it with your grater or zester and 1 clove pressed, and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. magic sarap (Grandpa thinks this is not necessary but for me, it gives the dish a bit of more umph; if you don't have this, half of a chicken bouillon is fine)
2 tbsp. canola oil or any flavor less oil
1 small size Spanish onion (important)
2 bay leaves
5 to 10 peppercorns
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup vinegar ( I use Datu Puti, I think the more acidic the vinegar the better for this because it dissolves the collagen of the chicken therefore releasing more flavor)
pepper

* In a big bowl combine the chicken, grated garlic, chili,soy sauce, sugar, salt, a dash of pepper, magic sarap and mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Cover with saran wrap and let it marinate for at least 2 hours, overnight is best.
My grandpa just throw everything in a skillet and doesn't marinate it; but what I noticed is that the meat is often flavorless and colorless. This method may not grasp your instant gratification of having the dish in an hour, but I guarantee you it is worth the effort and time.
* In medium high heat with a big pan or wok, add the oil and chopped garlic, stir until golden brown.
* Add the onions and saute until translucent.
* Add the chicken pieces gizzard, thighs and breast without the juice that it had been marinating with. Let it brown for about 5 to 10 minutes.
(Brown the dark meat first, they cook longer and they release flavor to flavor the white meat)
* Lower the heat to medium heat then add the juices, peppercorn, another dash of pepper and water.
Let it simmer for 20 minutes until tender and the sauce is half to it's original volume.
* Add the vinegar (the reason that I add the vinegar last is because it sometimes makes the meat dry and rubbery). Taste and season; if not enough seasoning lower the heat to the low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
You would notice that the sauce thickens, that is because the vinegar breaks those chicken collagen.
* Serve over hot steamed rice and a side of bottled coke with a glass of ice.

This is how I plate for my husband he likes just the white meat with lots of adobo sauce.

This is how I eat mine.

Marco Pierre White Mashed Potato

I absolutely adore Marco Pierre White, I think he is amazing, and the King of Culinary Arts.
Both Gordon Ramsay and Mario Batali were of his line cook/staff in the 80's or early 90's.
If, I had the money, I would gladly pay MPW to cook a 7 course meal in a heartbeat!
Anyhow, I saw this technique in one of his videos; but like he said: "in cooking there is no recipe, if there is then it's baking".
This is what I have made for my in-laws dinner.

Ingredients:

6 yukon gold potatoes (important)
1 cup milk
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
salt
white ground pepper
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

* Preheat your oven to 350F.
* Using a dinner fork, poke each potato 4 times.
* Place it in the oven and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.
* Cut each potato in half and push trough a potato smasher or vegetable mill. (shown above)
* In medium sauce pan, warm the milk: do not boil. Add the butter and a teaspoon of salt.
* Mix the milk mixture with the mashed potatoes using a whisk until it's creamy.
Sprinkle with pepper.
* Serve with Coq Au Vin. For plating, place the mashed potatoes in the plate first and make a hole in the center, scoop the Coq Au Vin into the hole and garnish with chopped chives.
Enjoy!

In Laws Pleasing Dinner

My husband decided to invite my in laws for post Thanksgiving Dinner, I was skeptic about what to cook-since Thanksgiving Day was just over and we are basically stuffed of food for the past 3 days.
I was searching and searching for the right recipes and I have finally concluded to Coq Au Vin (a french chicken stew) it's basically almost like Boeuf Bourguignon but instead of beef we use chicken.
I also, made Sour Cream Mashed Potato and for dessert I still have left over Pumpkin Cheesecake.

For the Coq Au Vin ingredients:

1 lb. chicken thighs
1 lb. chicken breast or 1 whole chicken cut up to 10 pcs. ( important to have dark meat and skin for the flavor)
5 pcs. bacon ( i used uncured and unsmoked but anything you have is just fine)diced
30 pearl onions
1 large onions quarted
4 pcs. carrots cut up thick about 1 inch
2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped ( i used my grater/zester for a fine result and no mess)
3 stalks celery cut in to 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup cognac or brandy
10 stems of fresh thyme (important)
1 bay leaf
1 bottle of burgundy wine ( i used Pinot Noir from Oregon it's my favorite wine to drink)
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 lb. button mushroom sliced

* Using a 5quart enamel pot in medium heat; brown the bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside.
* Salt and Pepper the chicken in each side. Brown the chicken pieces do not overcrowd the pot or you would end up steaming the chicken pieces instead of browning them, do in two or more batches instead. Set aside in a plate.
* Saute your pearl onion for 2minutes it's crucial to time this so your pearl onion won't be soggy. Set aside.
* Saute your large onion, carrots, celery, and garlic season with salt and pepper. * De glaze the bottom of your pan with the cognac.
* Add the chicken (arrange them in between your vegetables), bacon, wine, tomato paste and chicken stock.
* Using butchers string tie together the fresh thyme and bay leaf. Place them on top of the chicken.
* Cover the mixture and marinate over night.
* Preheat your oven at 325F and place it in the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.
* Place your Coq Au Vin in the stove in medium heat.
Melt the butter and add the flour until it makes a paste ( to burn off the flour taste) add the mixture to your Coq Au Vin to thicken the sauce.
* Saute the mushroom with butter until brown.
* Add the pearl onions and the sauteed mushroom into the Coq Au Vin and season to taste.
Simmer for 10 more minutes and serve hot!

5 Thanksgiving Spices

For me, I feel Thanksgiving is really in the air when I see pumpkins all over the grocery store, pies in one table corner to the next and unbeatable sale prices of various food products.
It makes me happy and glad to see people are scrambling from one aisle to the next, looking for their particular ingredients to prepare their perfect Thanksgiving feast for all their loved ones.
But, the one thing that really, makes me smile and gleam of excitement is the Aroma in the air.
For the last week, that I have been going into my local market, I intentionally parked and go into the bakery entrance, so I can inhale all that sweet Aroma of baking and the lingering smell of spices that had been use.
And therefore, I have come to the conclusion that these spices are most use for this time of the year.

Cinnamon... Ah that sweet, nutty smell of cinnamon, you just know that your getting something sweet or savory.

Cloves.... I can't really describe clove, it is in between Nutmeg and Cinnamon I suppose, but, when a particular dish have clove you would get that wonderful hint of something that you can't name of but you know that it's there.

Nutmeg.... This is one of my favorite spice when I make sauces, especially bechamel or carbonara. This spice for me, just liven the dish up.

All Spice.... Particularly use in pies, I think an apple pie without allspice is like an apple pie without apple. Well, for me anyway.

Vanilla... Because, it would just remind you of all the sweet goodies you would have the day and after Turkey Day.

Creamy, Rich, and Velvety Pumpkin Cheesecake

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I give Thanks for all the blessings that I have received, for my wonderful husband and a healthy family.
I may not be an American by birth, but I have adopted this tradition by heart (maybe because of the huge sales everywhere the next day hmmm?).
One thing, that I have noticed here in my new homeland, is that Thanksgiving is all about Family and Food!
Here is one of my dessert recipe adopted for this occasion.
Ehmmmm my house smells amazing, my cheesecake was in the oven and the aroma is so wonderful.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving I have made this Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Ingredients for the Crust:

~1 1/2 cups of ground Graham cookies or if you don't have any just blitz 10 Graham crackers in a food processor, this is better anyway than buying the package crumbs
~1 stick of unsalted butter melted
~1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
~ a 9inch spring form pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F

* Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix them thoroughly with fork; I prepare my hands.
* Place them in the spring form pan and pressed the cookie mixture using the back of your 1 cup measuring cup ( as pictured).
* Bake them for 8 minutes and set aside.

Ingredients for the Filling:

~1 3/4 lbs. Philadelphia Cream Cheese at room temperature very important (best way, is to leave it overnight)
~1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
~1 15oz. can Pumpkin Puree (preferably Libby's)
~1/2 tsp. cinnamon
~1/8 tsp. clove
~1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
~1 tsp. vanilla
~2 tbsp. all purpose flour
~3 eggs
~1 yolk
~1/3 cup sour cream (no half half or 2% crap)

* Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth in low speed.
* Gradually add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes.
* Add the pumpkin puree and spices, beat for 2 minutes.
* Then add the flour and eggs beat in low speed for a minute.
* Lastly add the vanilla and beat until mix well.
Using a rubber spatula scrape the bottom and side of the bowl and mix until combined.
* Fold into the crust and bake for an hour at 350 F. When you take it out the oven, the top would still wiggle; this is ok it will firm up once it had been in the fridge for sometime.
Let it rest for 1 hour, using a butter knife, use it to loosen the side of the spring pan and release.
* Wrap it in clear seran wrap and let it set in the refrigerator for atleast 4 hrs. Serve it room temperature with whipped cream on top.

And now as you can see pictured on the left, I am packing mine to take to our family in Galveston, Texas.
Don't worry about the cracks, the whipped cream would cover that up.
Enjoy and have a Wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your family and friends!