I`m a bachelorette and I cook, dude!

I love to cook and I currently have this craze about learning how to prepare Japanese food. I`m still quite a neophyte but I learn loads from the mistakes I make. I will generally be introducing food that I make/made for the day (and maybe a little sideways about "whatever").

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Im sure there’ll be people who’d go “eewww” with this, but I’d been wanting to eat this, so I tried to make one today. Too easy. No cooking involved. That means, yes, raw egg yolk, cured salmon roes and nori topped on hot rice. Just that.

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I know it's been quite a while. It's been crazy busy and stressful at work I didn't feel like posting anything here. But, today I got something to share with you. Went to this nearby restaurant where they serve 'soba' or buckwheat noodles. I was surprised when I looked at the menu and read 'soba gyudon' (buckwheat noodles topped with cooked beef and onions) because I've only eaten and heard of the usual 'gyudon' that is rice and not noodles. I came home from work today and was thinking of having the usual gyudon, but to give it a lil twist, I decided on eating it with soba. It wasn't that exact taste I'd eaten at that noodle shop but it was, well, fairly edible? :D

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Pancakes for breakfast. In the Philippines we call them ‘hotcakes’ - my dad’s favorite snack especially on Sundays.

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Mentaiko spaghetti with grated raddish & lettuce and avocado salad dressed with Japanese-style dressing for dinner! (^-^)

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But, of course, french toast for bachelorettes too!

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The Neophyte`s Marble Cake マーブルケーキー

Woaa! One of those hurdles in life when even though you followed the given instructions, you still fail in the end. And, you wonder what went wrong, so you try to  gain more wisdom and apply what you learned the second time around and boom! You get what you wanted! Not as perfect as you imagined, though. :D 

Alright, getting this straight. I practiced making a marble cake twice, today. I was heck of a failure in the morning but shone like the stars in the dark sky just tonight. For the professional bakers, it might look unconvincing, but I feel good about it, so leave me alone! :p I almost cried after seeing the result of my first trial. It was a disaster it almost made me think I discovered a new kind of bread pudding. But it was not.

What you`ll need:

1 cup sugar (brown or white will do)

1/4 cup coconut/vegetable oil (I used 80 grams soft butter)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup flour (sifted together with the baking powder)

1/3 cup sour cream (I used 1/2 cup yogurt)

5 grams baking powder

1 bar unsweetened chocolate (I used Meiji dark chocolates)

How to do it:

1. Mix sugar and butter using a spatula first, then a mixer. Add eggs and vanilla essence then mix well. Alternately add flour+baking powder with yogurt and mix thoroughly for 1~2 minutes. Set aside.

2. Get a pan and fill it with about 1/4 water. Find a tin bowl or something else (see pic below) and let  it float on the water, turn on fire. Add the chocolates and wait until it melts. (I baked a Devil`s chocolate cake before so I remembered this technique. If you wanna melt it directly in the pan, sure. See for yourself what happens.)

3. Place about 1/4 of batter(1) in another container and mix it with the melted chocolate. This will be your chocolate mixture.

4. The most difficult part was: how to show the marble streaks. I did not learn techniques or read other stuff about it. But what I did was, I placed half of (1) into my baking tin, spooned in chocolate mixture for 3 times, fill the remaining half of (1) on top and spooned the remaining choco mixture on top. Please forgive me for being so innocent, but I used a chopstick and swirl the mixture too carefully. (You`ll see in the pictures below how it turned out to be.)

5. Bake for 40 minutes over 180 degrees celsius (This may vary. I`m only using a microwave oven . Sad, I know.) Let it cool for 10 minutes.

Top 

Side

Bottom

Will need to practice more, I know. =) Thanks for visiting anyway! Good night! 

P.S. Adapted the recipe from this blog http://ronniefein.com/post/22658278141/heres-an-oldie-but-goodie-my-moms-marble-cake 

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Made another one last night. Perfect with coffee in the morning. :)

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A Japanese-style Spaghetti or My Eggplant Spaghetti :p

Have you ever had those times in your life during special occasions, like Valentine`s, Christmases or birthdays, you go to the mall, at the cards section and you either copy or memorize the messages written in the cards? And, as soon as you get home, you create your card and either write those good pieces verbatim or modify them as your own? Argh. Let`s get all done with this story.

However, in connection to this, 3 weeks ago, I visited a really huge bookstore in my town, actually bought the book I needed and scanned a few others since I still got enough time. Of course I checked some recipe books and unintentionally memorized one recipe which I am introducing today.

It`s a pasta recipe, Japanese-style or 和風 with eggplant. If you`ve read one of my previous blogs about pasta http://the-bachelorette.tumblr.com/post/21193372286/codroesspaghetti, you will understand that I used to have this narrow knowledge about spaghetti so I always get stunned seeing pastas with eggplants, cod roes and etc. 

Here we go.

What you`ll need:

1 piece onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1 eggplant (sliced horizontally)

1 paprika/bell pepper (they required paprika, but I didn`t have it so I used bell pepper)

2 slices of bacon cut into bite size (I used 3 sausages instead. For vegetarians, I heard there`s something called as vegetarian sausage or just simply exclude the meat. For Muslims, you can always substitute this with chicken.)

1 tbsp miso paste 

2~3 tbsps sake (cooking liquor)

2 tbsps vegetable oil (I melted butter instead)

250~300 grams pasta

How to do it:

1. Boil pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. Store the water used for boiling.

2. Saute garlic until light brown and then add the onions. Add paprika/bell pepper, bacon/sausage and sake and saute until meat`s color turned into light brown. Add the eggplant and saute over medium heat for 1 minute.

3. Add about 2~3 cups of water (1) and let simmer. Add the miso paste, melt it and boil for 1~2 minutes. 

4. Add pasta and let simmer over low fire  until the miso gravy is absorbed.

Another quick and easy recipe! 

Don`t forget to say Itadakimasu!!! いただきます~ before eating! 

Hope everybody`s having a great time! =)

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My Vegetarian Burger

I`ve been making the usual burger (one that contains meat. haha) but, I am not that much of a meat-lover as well. So, let`s just say I was a bit pressured to make something vegetarian. I sort of summed up tips I learned from my cookbook and from some blog I read somewhere and came up with this.

Too simple and quick. I hope I added more veggies in it though. I`ll do that the next time. But, for now...

1 pc. onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

400 grams tofu (is how much I used)

1 leaf cabbage (boiled and chopped)

1 half loaf bread (or any unsweetened bread) dipped in 2 tbsp of milk

1 pc. egg

1 tbsp starch

salt, pepper, oil

Don`t forget to boil the cabbage before chopping it.

How to do it:

1. Saute onions in 1 tsp of oil. Set aside.

2. Unpack tofu, drain and crush it(hmm...maybe to totally drain the liquid inside it). Place in a bowl. Add half of the garlic, then the onions, softened bread, egg, cabbage and starch. Add salt and pepper to one`s own liking (hehe). Mix with one hand (epic part).

3. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Add a bit of the leftover garlic. Grill one patty at a time for 1~2 minutes on each side.

And, there you have it! :)

It tasted excellent for me! And, thinking about my diet, I felt guilt-free. LOL.

Me and my one and only apron! Gonna take a nap now. See ya! :p 

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Im a self-proclaimed healthy-eater.

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Moist Banana Cake

Ahmm. Woke up late and hungry. Checked for something to eat and found out that my bananas have over ripen. I still got leftovers of flour, eggs and butter so I thought I just turn these overripe bananas into cake. I attempted to bake one about a year ago, but I sorta failed with the olive oil. It tasted horrible! But today`s turned out to be AWESOMESAUCE! 

3 overripe bananas (mashed and mixed with 1 tbsp of vanilla)

250 grams soft butter

1 cup brown sugar (I used the white sugar coz I didnt have the brown one)

2 eggs

2 cups flour 

Preparation: 

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the soft butter and sugar. Add the mashed bananas and mix. Add the eggs one at a time, mix and then add the flour and mix until it gives you the creamy, foamy consistency. 

2. Grease a baking pan (in my case, I used a rectangular one) and pour the mixture in it.

3. If you are using an oven, I guess there`s the need to pre-heat it. But, I used a microwave oven so I just set the time and the temperature and baked it for 40 minutes.

I think if you say banana cake, it should have these streaks. I got it this time.

And it`s really moist and soft inside. I personally like this recipe. 

Pretty quick and easy! 

Remember: If life hands you lemons, make lemonade out of it. If you have overripe bananas... make banana cake! :p

Your haggard-looking cook/chef wanna-be signing off! Gotta go enjoy the rest of my off! It`s our city`s festival so we gotta go at least see some happenings in town. See ya!

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カレーライス Kare Raisu - Curry Rice (Japanese-style curry)

Made this dish about almost 2 weeks ago. I have not tried making the real Indian curry yet (coz I don`t know where to get the ingredients), so, this. Yes, I think Japanese love curry, too, because this recipe is even included in my Japanese cookbook.

Ingredients:

300 grams diced pork, beef or chicken (i used pork)

1 clove garlic, 1 pc. onion, thumb-sized ginger (chopped)

1 stick celery (I didnt have this) and carrots and 1/2 slice of apple (grated)

2 pcs potatoes (peeled, sliced into bite size, soaked in water)

1 laurel leaf (I didnt have this too)

2 tbsps oil

100 grams curry roux 

salt and pepper to taste

To make it tastier/Add-ons: you may also include fruits like banana, apple and dairy products like milk, cream cheese, yogurt etc. It has been told that these are the secret tips to yummier curry - at least, according to this cookbook. 

Preparation:

1. Season meat with salt and pepper and mix well with hands. 

2. Heat oil in a pot, put the grated garlic and ginger and saute over medium heat until aromatic. Increase heat a bit and saute the meat together. Place the meat in another container once color changed.  

3. In the same pot, over a medium heat, put the chopped onions and saute until color has changed to light brown. 

4. Put back the meat, add the celery, carrots and apples (and the add-ons to make your curry yummier). Add water until they are barely covered. Put the laurel leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiled, lower fire to medium heat and scoop out the bubbles formed. 

5. When the meat has become tender, put the potatoes and boil (over medium heat) for 6~7 minutes. 

7. Add the curry roux, melt it and it will have this consistency (pic below).

Japanese called it Curry-Rice because they usually serve it with rice like this. 

I think I should have put more water in it. haha.

I personally loved this recipe and will continue using this whenever I feel like making curry. I think it`s just healthy. :) 

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Asparagus and cherry tomato salad dressed with olive oil, sprinkled with a lil bit of salt and pepper.

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Quick breakfast. Egg with parmesan cheese omelette.

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Hot chocolate drink in the morning is purrfect.

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My Homemade Gyoza/Chinese Dumplings 餃子

Hi. Today I woke up pretty early for a rest day, soaked in the tub and started scrutinizing stuff in the fridge and clanging pans in the kitchen. It`s rainy so I can`t go out for a walk. :|

Anyway, here`s the Gyoza or Chinese dumplings I made this morning. My. First. Time. If you are wondering why I made something called "chinese," that is because the Japanese seemed to have adapted this cuisine way back in history and they have it as a common cuisine at present. For example, gyoza is usually being served as a side dish if you order a ramen. There are slight differences though between the Japanese and Chinese style dumplings. Click here to know more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozi  I based this recipe on a cookbook called 基本の料理 (kihon no ryouri).

So first, prepare the ingredients. 

Procedure.

1. Boil 3 leaves of cabbage キャベツ, chop it and totally squeeze the water out of it. (If it is not squeezed well, chances are, it will tear the wrapper when cooking.) Then mince a half bundle of leek ニラ, the green veggie on the right, finely (or about 3mm as written). Chop some spring onions 長ネギ, preferably the white part (I forgot to buy spring onions, so I just chopped and mixed the packed leftover spring onions I have, which was actually for salad use - pic on the left). Chop a thumb-sized ginger しょうが and grate a piece of garlic おろしにんにく. They should look something like the pic below.

2. In another container, mix 1 and a half tbsp of potato starch/starch, white part of 1 egg, 1 tsp of sugar, sake (liquor for cooking) and soy sauce. Add a little bit of salt and pepper. 

3. And then, add 150 grams of ground pork in bowl of (1) and mix it with both hands. Yes, both hands! Pour the mixture (2) little by little. Mix well (with both hands). 

4. Level it on a container (square or a rectangular one is preferable) and divide it into the number of wrappers you have. In my case, I divided it into 24 parts because I bought 24 pieces of wrappers. (And the measurement of ingredients for this recipe is good for 24-26 wrappers.) 

I know I did not divide it evenly. :p

5. Now the wrapping. What I did was, I placed one wrapper/skin on my left palm (pic below), spooned the filling and placed it in the center of the wrapper, moist the ends with water and joined the ends. I can`t explain well the "crimping" but I am sure there are videos in youtube as to how to do it, if you`re interested (I have not checked any videos though because I did not have the time. I just followed the steps given in my cookbook). But, it will look something like the pic after the one below.

Like a "nursing cap," some say.

6. If you have wrapped everything (or have ran out of wrappers), heat 1 tbsp of vegetable/salad oil and sesame oil in a frying pan. Place 8 pieces of gyoza in the pan and let it fry only on the base side. If the base part has turned brown, place 1/3-1/2 cup of water in the pan, cover and lower the fire. If the water has almost been absorbed and the frying gives a crackling sound, your gyoza is done!!! 

Pan-fried dumplings look like these.

Dip it in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar or if you have in your place something called "rayu" or chili oil, that must be best. 

Tell me what you think or ask me anything by clicking the ASK box above. And, if you are a gyoza-expert, pardon me for the mistakes! :p Thank you for checking out/reading! :)

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Cod Roes/Mentaiko Spaghetti 明太子スパゲーティ

Before coming to Japan, the only spaghetti that I knew of were the famous Filipino-style, sweet spaghetti soaked in red, tomato sauce/catsup and Carbonara. (Man! I`m being too honest!) Anyway, in Japan, they have loads!!! (Right, Italy has more kinds! ye dumbass! - I could hear you say.) Like for example, they have this cod roe flavor (if you are curious about cod roe, check this out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe). I could not believe it at first I even thought it was crazy! However, eventually, it started pleasing my taste buds and my friend, Karen, finds it weird. lol. 

Anyway, this was my first home-made Mentaiko spaghetti I made about more than a week ago. I loved it. What?!