My KitCHEn Experiments

Nothing goes well with a big bowl of hot and hearty beef noodle soup than soft and fluffy steamed buns!  This dish reminds me of my childhood fascination of the vibrancy of a busy marketplace. During summer vacation, before going to work, my mom would take us to the market to buy our meals for the day and the corner noodle shop was often than not our main stop. We would order a couple of servings of beef noodles and steamed buns... I would often discreetly watch the people inside the shop - fascinated by the diversity of the patrons coming and going. There are families dinning out for a treat... couples maybe on a date... lone diners and working people like my mom dressed in office uniforms. Our take away package seems to come too quick for me to enjoy my time people watching and making my self dizzy going round and round on the bar stools. With a plop the server would hand us bulging bags full of hot soup and that would be the signal ending my market adventure as my mom wo...

I am one with a big appetite. I love to eat … and though I try to be physically active with sports and exercise, part of taking care of oneself is watching what we eat. I try to make healthy food choices and tweak recipes to satisfy my cravings with a little less guilt. I have recently tried using whole wheat flour in baking and while I am yet to perfect breadmaking here's a healthier version of the beloved Filipino steamed cake we call PUTO! Whole wheat flour has more fiber and vitamin content than white flour. Whole-wheat flour contains several vitamins, including folate, riboflavin and vitamins B-1, B-3 and B-5. Substituting whole wheat flour for refined flour helps us get the nutritional benefits with out sacrificing the foods you love, so give it a go! Whole Wheat Puto Ingredients: - 1 cup wheat flour - 1 cup milk - 4 tbsp sugar - 1 tbsp butter - 1egg - a pinch of salt - your choice of flavorings (pandan, vanilla, ube) - your choice of toppings (salted egg, cheese) Ho...

Boba pearl milk tea drinks have been the trend for quite sometime now. Sweet cold drinks is always refreshing not just in summer but all year round and the sweet chewy texture of the boba pearls adds fun to every cup! Now with simple ingredients and a little patience you can make boba pearls at home! Boba Pearls Ingredients: - 1 cup tapioca starch (remove and reserve 4 tbsp for the kneading process) - 4 tbsp dark brown sugar - ¼ cup water for sugar syrup - 1/4 cup  dark brown sugar - 1/4 cup water How to: - dissolve sugar and water in a small sauce pan, add tapioca starch and mix until dissolved - heat in pan until you get thick consistency (about 3-5 mins) - turn into floured surface and knead adding the reserved flour 1 tbsp. at a time - knead until you get an elastic snappy dough - roll into 1/4 inch thickness - cut into small squares and roll into balls - place in a bowl with some tapioca flour to prevent from  sticking together - to cook, pour into boiling water and s...

I am still on a ube high! The last time I went grocery shopping, I kind of went crazy and  bought a lot of purple yam for my ube cheese pandesal project and now that I have successfully made those little cheesy babies I still have much ube left so its on to a new project! Ube Cupcakes Ingredients: 2 large eggs, room temperature ¾ cup sugar ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup ube jam 1½ teaspoon ube flavoring 1 cup cake flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup ube jam thinned a bit with milk for frosting how to: - preheat oven to 325 F. and prepare cupcake pan with cupcake liners - in a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, oil and ube halaya - add to dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated - fill cupcake pan about 3/4 full and bake for 12 mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean - frost with ube jam thinned a bit with milk until of spreading consistency. enjoy!

Jumping into the Dalgona coffee craze! it looks so rich and decadent that I had to try making it too! It's simplicity - all you need are equal parts coffee, sugar and hot water plus arm muscles if you are whipping it manually, makes is the perfect instant fancy coffee fix. The process was quite similar to what our office boy did to make cappuccino. Instead of putting coffee, sugar and creamer or milk into a cup of hot water, they would whisk it with a teaspoon until thick and creamy then slowly pure the hot water making the foam rise to the top. Oh how I miss afternoon coffee breaks at the office! Dalgona Coffee Ingredients: - equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water - milk and ice for serving - optional chocolate shavings, chocolate sauce or cocoa powder for topping (if you don't have any just use instant coffee too!) how to: - combine coffee, sugar and water in s small bowl and whisk away until thick and creamy! -  two thirds of a glass with milk, add...