Hotel Dupont's Signature Dessert "Chocolate Napoleon"

For the next few days, I will be working in the line. Meaning I will be plating desserts for the Green Room along with the hot kitchen chefs which is one of the most beatiful dining hall of the hotel. I started working last night , from 2:00 to 10:30 pm.
I sometimes work back-to-back with my partner. He prepares garde manger (appetizers).

Chocoltae Napoleon with raspberry sauce served on a plate with cocoa powder, from bottom to top:chocolate cirle,Amaretto Mousse,chocolate circle,raspberries, chocolate circle,mousse and chocolate with chocoalte ganache rosette garnished with chocolate cigiarette. Is there any way you could still make this chocolatey. Awesome. This is good.

I highly recommend to everyone. This dessert by the way is served "A la minute"(french), meaning you have to assemble this just upon geust's order or request.

B I R T H D A Y G A L !!!

It's my day yesterday. I spent it solemnly without blogging, cooking, doing house choirs, etc. but still caught up doing my thesis for my externship. Maynard gave me surprise cake last night from work(Hotel Dupont), Swiss Chocolate Mousse Cake made by Stephanie Coleman of the Pastry Shop. Thanks, I deeply tocuhed. This my favorite, layers of moist chocolate cake, with chocolate mousse, covered dark chocolate Ganache.




As promised, we ordered chinese food from King Garden. Hello, Ni Haw Ma? chichichawwatsi! Haha. Enough of that . Fried Dumplings, General Tso's Chicken, Famous Fried Rice,
Vegetable springroll and hot & sour soup. Wonton Chips and a can of Pepso cola. It was simple, ready to eat and most of all I had no worries at all since its my day.


One of the priorities I had to accomplish was my thesis.

I just needed multi vitamins to last the day doing this. It is all about how I did everyday with my externship in Hotel Dupont here in Delaware. All the recipes I had to compile, cost and compare. Blah, blah, blah.

The rest of the day, I strolled and just felt greatful that I am still, on my 29th year.

To Die For Bagoong Rice (Barrio Fiesta's)

Yes I do have the famous Barrio Fiesta's Bagoong, also not to brag but there's one person from the owner's clan is a very good friend of mine,May Martinez back in 2003 at he Center for Culinary Arts, I remember her giving us samples of the sweet and tasty bagoong. Anyways, I just like to look back to those people who I worked with. Well, even before, I have love this and once in a while I visit the restaurant especially when we have balikbayan relative who visit the Philippines.

oil

chopped garlic

cooked pork cubes

pepper

2 teaspoonfuls of bagoong

21/2 cups of steamed rice

Just saute the garlic and onions, then add the pork. Mix in bagoong and toss in the rice. Season.

Rating: Traditional and a comfort food to many filipinos!

The picture is not that fine but hey its still Fried Daing na Bangus. I delicacy made by pinoys by marinating freshly gutted Milkfish in vinaigar, garlic,salt and pepper and I a put a little sugar. You do that overnight and fry it. This goes well with the bagoong Rice. Can't wait!

garnish: Salted egg and sliced Tomatoes

Cakes by Hotel Dupont

Beef Fritter

Remember my E-dumpling mix, well this time I have beef. Ofcourse, you will need wonton wrapper.



In a bowl:
1/4 pound of ground beef,
chopped green and red bell peppers
chopped onions
salt and pepper
2 pcs. of eggs
a little cornstarch

Just combine well . Have your wonton wraps, ready in a plate, I used the big ones so I can just slice them into small pieces for parties and picnics. On the wonton, place a spoonful of the e-dumpling mix and roll them into logs. Lock the end with water. You can even freeze this before frying to keep it tight during frying . Making this a head of time is also good, so at any time you crave for a savory snack, you just pop into your fridge, fry in little oil, for a faster result-deep-fry them, there you have a hearty snack that can be dipped in whatever you like.

Sauces:
Soy sauce+chopped garlic+Vinegar+chopped onions+chiliies+sugar,salt and pepper

Wasabe Mayonaise (now avalable in grocery stores)

Thousand Isalnd ( Mayonaise,Ketchup, optional:pickle relish, salt, pepper and sugar)

Vinaigrette(Vinegar, olive oil,chopped onions,salt , sugar and pepper) herbs are optional

Sweet & Sour Sauce

For Pinoys: Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce

Ketchup

Sour Cream

Ranch Dressing

Endless are the condiments you can pair with this dish. Happy wrapping!


Rating:Yummy, easy, make ahead and handy.

Plating Series 2-Hotel Dupont-My Externship Site

These are a few platings I am learning from Hotel Dupont here in Delaware. Left to right(Top to bottom:

Pumpkin Pie with pumkin marzipan garnish, Vanilla sauce, Cream and Berries (A thanksgiving dessert)

• Chocolate Raspberry Bombe with Acorn Chocolate, Raspberry sauce and candied pecans.
• Fruit Pound Cake Vanilla Sauce, Currants and White Chocolate
• Apple Napoleon with Genise Base in Caramel Sauce and berries

Chicken, Mushroom and Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

This time its chicken! I first caramelized 1/2 head of red onion until brown in color. Meanwhile, I am seasoning my chicken fillet slices in salt and pepper and tossed it in cornstarch to caot the meat and for a different texture. Also I am blanching my broccoli and carrots that flavored with salt for about 3 minutes till tender. Then after onions had been caramelized, I sautee in my chicken, let that brown, season with lemon pepper, salt and pepper and to make different , I added 2 tsps of Tobasco red sauce. If you want a sweeter taste, add 1 teaspoon sugar. Then the chicken, add in blanched broccoli, carrots and mushrooms. Cook further for about 3 minutes on medium flame. Then add, 1 cup water and let it simmer for 1 minute. Add slurry(mixture of 1/4 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch)to make it thick. Serve on steamed rice or fried rice. So good!


Rating: Another asian dish thats easy to follow and make. Sauce can also be sweet and sour, whatever flavor you want.

For Kids! Chocolate Cornflake Krispies

I miss my son JIGGY that is why I thought of making a simple snack for kids who want to try helping mom in the kitchen. I also dedicate this treat to my nieces (Sam and Chino) children of diychef.blogspot .com.

2 CUPS OF COATED CORN FLAKES

1 CUP OF MELTED CHOCOLATE (MICROWAVE OR DOUBLE BOILER==ask help from mom)

Just mix together. Press onto a small dish and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cut in squares or even triangles.

Try this and you don't even have to use an oven to have a chocolate dessert.

You can also wrap this in japeaneses paper or cellophane and stick a ribbon on it and givce as a gift.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp in Spinach

I first have my spinach soaked in cold water to remove the impurities and slice them. Since I am always in hurry, I bought a 1/2 pound of cooked shrimp from the grocery. So, in a hot pan with corn oil, sautee minced garlic, add shrimp pieces, and porch in the spinach for it to absorb the garlic flavor. Pour in store-bought sweet and sour sauce, season with salt and pepper. Add a little water to add texture. There you are, a 15 minute meal.

Rating: Healthy, sweet and sour, also good with steamed rice.

Avocado in Condensed Milk

A filipino favorite dessert. Its just slice of Avocado thats ripe enough, half can of condensed milk, 1/2 cup of fresh milk. Chill and serve on ice.

Rating: Refreshing, Can be a Smoothie through a blender.Exotic.

String Beans and Tofu Stirfry

Yes, obviously I love vegetables. I could live without it. A meal is not complete without a plate of salad, salsa or any veggie dish. The easiest to prepare when you want to impress some guests or friends or even your partner-stirfry is the answer!

I just have a hot pan coated with corn oil. Minced garlic, 1/4 wedge of a big red onion, sliced, red and yellow bell peppers(not necessarily assorted , but it adds to the dish),
bunch of string beans, deep fried 8 oz or 1/2 pound or tofu(there are several kinds or tofu, have the firmer for frying), salt and pepper, oyster sauce, fish sauce, beef buillon and slices of Shiitake mushrooms. Just sautee the garlic and onions and add the rest of them. Slice the fried tofu and add last. Toss in hot oil. A little water and slurry (mixture of little water and cornstarch). Season.

Tip:
For presentation: have a bowl with steamed rice and top it with this dish. Awesome.

http://google.ricebowl.com

Rating: A chinese dish that takes you less than 3o minutes to cook.

Ham and Cheese Quesadilla Garden in Duo Sauces

See, I told you I could finish a whole bag of Pita Wrapper in a week. This is very delicious and my favorite snack. I guess in every pantry or fridge you would always have breakfast item that includes any flavor of ham (smoked or sweet), cheddar singles of slices or even grated is fine. I just have a hot non-stick pan or Teflon, no oil , put the ist layer of pita wrap, lay the cheese and ham pieces, then top with another layer of wrapper. Let it cook for 3 minutes on each side. Like how did it , because you want you also want it to look appetizing as well. Sliced in quarters and you got 4 servings of quesadilla.


I call it quesadilla garden because when I am in hurry , I would usually microwave with a tablespoon of butter, my frozen peas,carrots and corn veggies, 4 Shiitake mushrooms slice. For my duo sauces: bottled barbecue sauce and sour cream.

RATING:Rich,Mexican Snack and healthy, combination of sauces balances the dish.

Hope you try it!

This can also be done in an oven/grill .Yummmy!!!

Peppered Pork Steak in Garlic Liver Sauce and Vegetable and Egg Kiampong (fried rice )

I just love the combination of steaming hot kiampong(fried rice) with a very tender pork steak. It is very simple to make. The steak was simply seasoned the lots of black pepper and salt on both sides. Pan fried in hot oil cooked until just tender. The secret to a good steak is to let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes since while you are cooking the meat the muscel tightens up and the juice is extracted, so everytime you make a steak for a simple party or even a reunion, set your meat aside to relax the proteins and retain the juice. Nothing compares to be eating a tender peice of steak, right?:) Of course with my imitation of liver sauce :the pan drippings of my steak is what I used to first saute my garlic, liver spread or pate (Reno brand in particular) , a little vinegar, sugar and lots of black pepper.

The fried is simply sauteed in lots of chopped garlice, green peas, corn and carrots, chopped chives and seasoned with my favorite flavoring lemon pepper with fluffy scrambled eggs. Another tip:always add like 2 to 3 tbsp. of fresh whole milk on your scambled eggs to make it softer and taster and look really good.

Rating: So many steps but worth it. The sauce can also be sweet and sour or simple as ketchup or vinaigrette.

Tuna and Lettuce Wrap

A very easy and healthy snack that you can do at any time. If you have time to see my personal blog: kcllera.blogspot.com, my favorite condiment is mayonaise or casually known as "mayo". I admiit that it is unhealthy but if you are trying to be on a not-so-strict diet, please, just have atleast a tablespoon or two of it because for me it makes eating any dish so spectacular. Tell me its not true. Haha.

Underneathe : as garnish:Chinese Chives

I am not really a big fan of middle eastern cuisine but I tend to like it somehow like "shawarma (wrap filled with beef/chicken/pork strips" ;Mexican food "buritto (beans,rice and ground meat filling), or simple as any Chinese snack "Lumpia or Spring roll ( vegetable,tofu,a little meat filling. Inspite all these treats, I always have on hand a bag of "pita wrapper and the like."
I am coming up with a lot of concepts on my next new postings. So wait for that.

Recipe:
1 small can of tuna (I use bumblebee)
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/4 head of Iceberg /Romaine Lettuce
1 Tablespoon of sugar
3 teaspoons of honey
Oregano spice
lemon pepper spice

Serve it cold.

Rating: Easy,healthy, for vegans~!

Lasang Pinoy 4:My Version of Quezon's Chami

When my partner said the word "Chami" the first year of our marriage, I said what is that term, never heard of it. This guy brought me to his hometown Quezon Province in Lucena City. I could not imagine that there would be such dish that is simply made of egg noodles, any meat as a component or "sahog" (in Tagalog) and vegetables seasoned with soy sauce, salt and pepper, chopped garlic and onions and sugar. The original I tasted in my in-laws house is somewhat spicy and sweet so you could imagine the impact of what a "traditional Chami" is. I could not perfect it but I will not stop until I hit the right taste of this Quezon's comfort food. My creation was made with squid balls , pork slices, carrots and cabbage. Simple but really good. I don't have precise measurements for this because its all a matter of how you want it to taste. I am happy to at least be able to make a plateful of comfort for him and who know's I come up with another version. Haha, I think cooking is endless. You keep on doing it and learning from it.

Rating: Best for snack or Merienda. Cheap and you don't have to make a meat dish to accompany it. Chami itself is the filling, nutritious and versatile by adding different flavors and their ingredients.You know what, this is soooo good with "Freshly Steamed Rice Cake or Puto". I will make you guys one day ! Try this,i bet they will like you even more.

lasangpinoy4

Lasang Pinoy 4: Traditional Concoction-Tapiocca Cooler

I am so proud to have found square jar which I used as a punch bowl for this drink. Filipinos love this usually eaten with fish balls and other street foods back home. Hmmmm, yummy!It is dark syrup using brown sugar or muscovado for a healthier version. plus banana essence or vanilla flavoring and pandan. Thats 2 parts sugar and 1 part water

Ex.: 1 part ingredient =1 cup


so: 1 part= 1c water
2 parts= 2 cups sugar

For the tapiocca: Yes I soaked that overnight to soften the pearls and to make cooking faster. Then the next day, I boiled a 1 cup amount of pearls to 3 cups water for 8 minutes until just soft not soggy.Drain and add syrup.

Concoction: 8 or 10 oz glass: Mix 1 cup pearl -syrup mix and 1 1/2 cup cold water and a lot of ice.

Rating: Sweet, Exotic, Refreshing,"filipinish"(term for filipino taste)

FYI(for your info only)

This is the real Pandan plant. Thai and Filipino cooking uses a lot of this .

http://qoogle.com

lasangpinoy4

Lasang Pinoy 4: Filipino Fetuccine in Tomato Sauce Ala Pad Thai

Herbs: Oregano, Pepper
Garnish: Chopped Salted Peanuts
Tip:In a Hurry to cook pasta?Microwave :15 minutes in water and salt.Drain. Toss in olive oil or butter.


Using pasta is just amazing because you canmy make variable dishes out of it. Well the famous spaghettii (used fetuccini)with red sauce is yummy but I think we should give that a little twist. For the components or "sahog"(in Tagalog-mother toungue), 1 medium sweet Italian sausage, 1 piece hotdog, sliced, left-over meat from yesterday's soul food blog-"barbecue pork cubes. I sauteed them in garlic and red onions. I just let it cook for 4 minutes more to brown a little and extract the flavors of the meat and I added in my dried oregano, pepper and salt. Then I added in my speedy microwaved pasta (and its al dente!:) An authentic Filipino Spaghetti is very sweet and tangy also, so I added tomato ketchup and added a little sugar to make it sweet, if I would be in the Philippines , I would simply use banana ketchup and a little tomato sauce. A la "Pad Thai" beacuse instead of Parmessan Cheese I used chopped Peanuts. You can add bellpeppers for better taste and color. To go with that, I just quartered a lemon-poppy seed bagel with Philadelphia Cream Cheese-regular and thats my version of filipino pad thai. Try it.

Rating: simple, easy to make(20 minutes), "filipinish"(ha,ha my term for filipino taste), with texture also, also good for kid's "lunch box" or "baon".Cheap cost coz you can use some leftover meats from your fridge and frankly its tastier:)

lasangpinoy4

Lasang Pinoy 4 :(Pumpkin with Baked Pork Strips in Coconut)

Pumpkin with Baked Pork Strips in Coconut )
(Herbs:Old Bay Lemon Pepper, Pepper,Edna Noronha's Curry Powder)

Garnish: Chopped Chives

I finally have my entry for "comfort food". I simply sauteed chopped garlic, onions, ground pork, pumpkin cubes, herbs and salt and let it brown a little. After that I added 2 cups of water and let it simmer to further cook the pumpkin. After simmering add in 4 oz or 1/2 cup of coconut milk or coconut cream is better for a richier taste.

Utilizing the whole Pumpkin!

The true test for me is to be able to use all of what I bought.hehe. I am a very stingy person so I feel I have to make use of both the skin and seeds. You can use these as garnish or appetizer. It is better sun-dried but what I did since I have no backyard to do that I dried it up in the oven. Then I flavored with salt and pepper and tossed in olive oil. Baked it for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F. Creating your own food is something.Try it.

Honey's Request for toningt:Pork in Hoisen Sauce

The left shot shows how I did it. Well I live in a decent apartment and I didn't want to be the cause of fire here.Kidding!

I skewered the pre-baked pork pieces and sauteed them in garlic, roasted yellow bellpepper carrots. Little bit of salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp. of Hoisen Sauce. I let it cook for 4 minutes and its that easy. Sweet and savory. The components of the plating are: Steamed rice, Steamed and shacked Chinese Broccolli sauteed in Garlic and Shrimp paste(Bagoong) and 3 skewers Pork .

Tips :

If you don't have mortar and pestle to chop your garlic or any thai condiments. Simply wrap your garlic segments in plastic wrap and moderately tap it with any wood piece. Or a rolling pin will do. Do not attempt to use glass built because it will definitely get chipped which may harm your dish.

Shacking is blanching first your sliced vegetables in boiloing water for less than 4 or 5 minutes and immersing it ice water for better texture. So the next time you guys make any vegetable dish, please do this first so people will even appreciate the tenderness of your veggies.

IF YOU ARE GRILLING ANY MEAT

Soak the barbecue sticks in water for at least 5 to 10 minutes so it will not burn will grilling and for better pressentation.

Rating: Detailed, fun, Something homestyle and more of a Filipino Comfort Food Version.

Happy Cooking!

Ways with Wraps (Continued)

Rating:Variable Texture, detailed but wise and easy. Impressive for get-togethers!

Sauteed Bean Sprout Napoleon

Ways with Wraps

This is basically what we call in the Philippines "lumpia" or more known as vegetable wrap. Above are my versions of crepe and deep fried wonton wrapper. Rather than having the usua; rolled style , stacking them in layers would have a more sophisticated style and you can even upgrade the price of your Lumpia dish because of the Napoleon-style. Isn't that true?People sometimes pay for the name or how it was done, but ofcourse quality is still important. I know somewhat so vegan , because I am, a trying hard vegan,yes! Since I have the pix of the crepes I made which is just :1 cup of flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup milk and 3 1/2 Tbsp. of buerre rouge "browned butter" for flavor. Just put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until very thin smooth. Over a hot Teflon(plugging?) pan or non-stick pan, pour a 8oz or ladleful of crepe batter. Crepes can be made in advance for any upcoming party so you will not have to cram and do them on the day itself. Have them stacked onto each piece and put foil or cut-rite paper in between. Easy and you can have your own "crepe celebration" :Crepe Suzette (Orange flavor), Pear Williams (pear), Banana-based which I have made tonight.

For the Filling:

3 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp. Langka(Jackfruit) Extract

3 pcs. Ripe Bananas, Sliced

4 Crepes

2 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream (my favorite!)