Hot Chocolate

Y'know friends, I'm really feeling the Christmas weather here in Manila. The wind's cool when it breezes past, and the sun isn't trying to burn the hell out of my skin whenever I step outside (thank goodness). It also puts me in the mood for a classic hot drink:

Yes, I'd like to take this opportunity for some shameless self-advertising.

There's nothing quite like hot chocolate, or the staple "drink by the fire on a cold winter's day". 🍫☕ It's easily my go-to on cool days, or whenever I have whipped cream and chocolate chips in the house. This is also my alternative to coffee, since I can't drink it anymore because of how anxious it leaves me afterwards.

My recipe is a little more decadent because of the extra cream and the method I use, but if you love chocolate then this shouldn't be a problem. 😛 I like to add a little peppermint syrup in my cocoa sometimes too, just for that refreshing minty flavor, but this recipe works just fine without it. 🍃

This recipe is for one cup of hot cocoa.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Galantines

Lately I've been in a really culinary mood. The kind where I feel an itch to make something that I made (or probably botched up) in culinary school. Or something that at least tastes like I learned making it from culinary school. I'm not that motivated enough to make something overly fancy, but I am motivated enough to make something that tastes fancy enough:

Ahh, chicken galantines: one of the first recipes I learned from my basics of culinary arts class. I remember this distinctly being the day one of my chefs taught us how to butcher a chicken. It was the same day we made chicken mousseline farce using filleted chicken breasts, which looked more not worth the effort than it sounded when he started passing the processed meat through a tamis.

What stuck to me most that day though was how the galantine meat tasted with the chicken jus. The soft succulence of the chicken thigh, the aromatic, refined taste of the chicken jus... I hadn't known until then that this was what I wanted my chicken to ideally taste like. Looking back, it blew my mind to realize that the secret was just reduced chicken stock with... Thyme. There was no other special spice or herb involved with the dish.

I can't recreate the feeling of epiphany I had that day, but I can recreate the recipe... But with bacon to wrap the galantines instead of a cooking thread or foil. It tastes great, trust me. 10/10 would bacon again. 🥓

This recipe has 6 servings, but can be adjusted as needed.

Mussel Stew

I often look back on the days when used to be a Japanese language teacher. My work required me to drive out of town and I would teach my class of engineers at one of the offices beside their factory. It was tough writing their lesson plans but it was one of my more wholesome careers. Looking back, I miss being able to be in a classroom and just sharing with my students what I knew. I tried not to give them anything too overly complicated and taught them a lot of essential Japan-related things they needed to know.

Anyway, as I would drive home from work, my route going to and from that facility took me past a scenic route of southern Manila Bay, where some fisherfolk and their families made a living selling freshly caught mussels and watermelons on the side of the roads. I could easily pay as much as Php 300.00 (around $6 USD) for a kilo of mussels. Sometimes they'd even be generous about it too and add a couple more in the plastic bag it came with. Turns out, most days they get a lot of mussels left over.

One day, I just craved for some. On my way home after one of my classes, I stopped by a stall, bought like two kilos worth, and asked my mother if she would teach me how to cook her homemade mussel stew. She kindly obliged.

There's a secret to this stew. It's rather simple, really: it's Sprite. Sprite not only gives the stew a sweet and savory flavor, but it also manages to draw out that natural mussel-ey flavor. Or something along those lines. Look, it just tastes good, m'kay? Think of it as one of those "don't ask questions" kinds of things.

Tori Karaage

Back when I lived in Japan, I applied for a part-time job at a local restaurant called Uotami (魚民), which has a chain of izakaya restaurants. It was an attempt to exit my comfort zone and get a job where I can finally put to practice the stuff I learned in culinary school be able to sustain my spending on Gunpla model kits whenever I looked at Amazon Japan. Good lord. I was spending more than what my sponsor was giving me every three months and I decided the best way to deal with the problem was to have a part-time job that would help me afford the extra spending money I needed.

I worked five hours, three days a week, usually around the time the restaurant opens for the evening. I felt sluggish and slow at times but there were a lot of things I easily picked up and learned how to do quickly. That was thanks to my boss at the time, who was rather friendly towards me despite me being a foreigner. Unfortunately, he was transferred two months after I was hired, and I ended up with a different boss whom I didn't exactly get along with as well.

My favorite part of the kitchen was the fryer. It was my first time dealing with an industrial fryer and having to cook stuff in it, but my first boss showed me the ropes. He showed me where to find the portions of marinated chicken, the fries, and the sliced lotus bits... Among other stuff. Most of the fried stuff just needed to be dusted in a little potato starch then fried for three to four and a half minutes. Within two days of being at the fryer I was already used to it and I was cooking all the fried foods easy (the cleaning of it though, is another story).

Needless to say, during my time there I also learned how to make tori karaage (鶏唐揚げ), Japanese fried chicken, and a staple at every izakaya. My mother and I had been trying to nail this recipe right for years, but it was only after working from an actual restaurant myself and needing to make this over and over that I managed to perfect the proper way of cooking it.

This recipe is good for two. Or just one if you're like me. 😋

Coq Au Vin

(Would it still be called Sharehouse Cooking if I don't live in a sharehouse anymore? Or would it simply just be plain Cooking? Would it matter? Technically I am sharing my house with the rest of my family... Either way, you can still cook this in a sharehouse, so enough self-debating and let's get on to the recipe!)

In recent months and weeks, my free time has mostly been poured into playing Guild Wars 2. Just before the beginning of a meta event, it's customary to lay down some buff banners and food right by the crowd, so everyone participating gets a little boost that helps take down the big bosses. One of the foods people often put down in is Coq Au Vin, which buffs vary depending on the garnish or notable seasoning used, as you can see from these recipes over here.

After seeing several different instances of platters of chicken in red wine being passed and served around to the squads of adventurers seeking gold and glory, I couldn't stand it any longer and sought to recreate a version of my own in real life. I pulled up my old stash of recipes saved from my college days, and once I procured my ingredients, went to make some kitchen magic happen:

In lieu of frrrrrrresh chicken stock that I ought to have been making from scratch like a tr00 cHeF, I instead decided to use chicken cubes (chicken powder basically packaged to look like cubes). Besides, unless you're one of those people who are just incredibly anal about this stuff, chances are you'll want to spend the least amount of money possible; that bottle or carton of red wine alone is already gonna cost you a fair bit, for sure.

The end product tasted just as I expected, bringing to the forefront of my mind memories of a time when learning to create delicious food came at the cost of your mental and emotional health, as well as your own sanity, in addition to the already expensive tuition fee. Never fucking again.

But enough about my personal problems--at the end of the day, this classic French stew tastes just as fancy as it sounds, and is sure to not disappoint on a family gathering or a get-together with friends at your place. Best served with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, and feel free to add some German sausages in there too if you want a heartier meal.

Yudofu

Some time ago I went to my nearest Uniqlo, a decent 10-minute walk from my sharehouse. I'm not gonna lie; I've got brand loyalty for their clothes, and it's hard not to love their quirky anime and nothing-but-chairs tees and plaid shirts. I found a one-piece dress that I particularly liked, but a moment later in the fitting room where I realized that even with my size the dress showed a significant amount of stomach, I was soon sulking out of the store in utter disappointment.

Stepping out, I grew annoyed of my situation. I was stupid pudgy and I hated it. So I decided that moment that I need to start going on a diet if I'm ever going to find myself fitting anything other than tees and shorts/pants ever again.

Sometime later after writing a short essay in class about how I wanted to go on a diet and getting fairly decent marks out of it, I approached one of my teachers from my last term, whom I liked to share food and travel photos to. I told her of my diet and asked her what Japanese food she recommended for me to have. She told me about yudofu (湯豆腐), a popular dish in Kyoto, and after kindly requesting her, she was more than willing to teach me how to make this simple recipe.

Yudofu is derived from oyu (お湯), which means hot water, and tofu (豆腐). As its name suggests, yudofu is simply silk tofu cooked in hot water. It's not just any water though; it's water infused with kombu (昆布), or kelp. Afterwards, the tofu is eaten with veggies, bonito flakes or katsuobushi (鰹節), along with other condiments like grated radish and ponzu (ポン酢).

Whether you're starting a vegan diet, a tofu lover, or just wanting to live better in general, this is a dish worth making if your ingredients are within reach.

Rice Cooker Nabemono

It's the middle of spring over here in Japan, and after a few days of cloudy days, sun, and more clouds,  the sky finally decided to make up its mind and rain on us over the weekend.

From 26°C we fell down to, what, 15°C, 16°C? 10°C is a huge difference. Although as I write this blog post the sky's clear as all hell and we had been hit once more with 26°C this afternoon, I felt like I needed to have something warm and healthy for the cold weather the last two days. I wasn't feeling like having some sukiyaki this time, so I went for the more savory alternative:

I've given a brief explanation of nabemono (鍋物) back in my post about sukiyaki. In the old days of Sunrise Land, nabe was a staple of most dinners especially in the winter, and to this day they still are. Families and friends alike gather round clay cooking pots over hearths on the floor called irori (囲炉裡), sharing bowls of soup filled with veggies and meats, sharing warmth and a hearty meal to get them through the cold. These days you rarely see traditional Japanese homes with irori; instead you see a cast iron pot boiling stew over a butane gas stove.

This is an irori in a traditional house in Okutama (奥多摩), the mountains of western Tokyo. In the old days people cooked nabe through these things in the comforts of their homes, and people in provincial areas still do so today.

In my time here in Tokyo, I rarely run into a nabe shop. Most shops I see are ramen shops, izakayas, sushi counters, and gyūdon restaurants. Then there's the occasional tempura or curry place down the corner. Call me ignorant and maybe I am, but that's just my experience.

There are different kinds of nabe, as I mentioned previously. But their components always consist of a basic dashi broth, soy sauce, mirin, vegetables, and meat. You can also essentially put in whatever mix of veggies and meat that you want. For today though I'll be doing my own rice cooker nabe (oh, the irony) that has a bunch of ingredients, a couple of which being optional.

This should serve about 3-4 people.

Mac n' Cheese

Following weeks of take-out, convenience store snacks, and a full week spent with my girlfriend from across the globe after she came to visit me in Japan, it's about damn time I came back to this blog (*sprays confetti*)! And I'm back with a simple recipe that doesn't have you doing anything too complicated.

Over in my Discord channel the other day, one of my good friends shared this lovely video of Cheetos Mac n' Cheese by Matty Mattheson. I suddenly had an unquenchable desire to make my own mac n' cheese following that, and it didn't help that another one of my good friends was making mac n' cheese at the same time while her little kid was running around playing with a ladle. I made a first batch but it turned into a flop, because I was too lazy to make a proper roux and it became a terrible mess. Now I wasn't stupid enough to not do it again this time, and it came out just the way it should have.

This should be enough for 3-4 people.

Sukiyaki

Spring is just around the corner here in Japan! Man, I'll miss the cold weather. Though it seems like winter isn't that ready to leave just yet, as my weather app forecasts a fair amount of precipitation this week:

That said, I'm in for a cold week in the coming days. Not that I mind; I do love cold weather, as I hail from a country where cold weather doesn't exist (what is snow?). But with the rain I'm likely to end up in house arrest for a good amount of time, as the rainy weather tends to make me so lazy to even leave the sharehouse. For weather this cold, a good ol' soup does the trick keeping me warm, and for today I turn to a favorite traditional Japanese dish to bring me all the warmth I need.

Sukiyaki (すき焼き) is a sweet and salty beef and veggie stew that falls under the line of what Japanese call nabemono (鍋物), which are essentially stews cooked in a pot called a nabe (鍋). Most people know these as hotpots wherein you take beef strips, dip it in the soup for a few seconds, then eat it as it is with rice, and sometimes dipped in a raw egg, or a sauce like ponzu (ポン酢).

This recipe doesn't have you gathered up with your friends around a butane gas stove heating up a pot of stew, but it does have you all gathered around a rice cooker, which is even cooler anyway in my opinion. Hope you've got your rice cooker ready!

This recipe should be good for 3-4 people.

Cheese Cauliflower

Been a busy February and March for me, traveling around Japan, finding run-of-the-mill culinary wonders in the least likely of places, learning the language, and just living the dream by merely living here. It's been an amazing six months and it's still so surreal to me. That said, my wallet's taken a sizable blow due to all the times I've been eating out instead of cooking at home. So today, I've decided to stay home for once and settle for some homemade cooking, especially now that my finals for the term are all over. But I'm sick and tired of the curry that I've been eating since Monday, and if I have to see it again I'm gonna barf.

I was running through some ideas as to what I can make this time, and interestingly, I found one from a recent PC Gamer article about the people making Stardew Valley's recipes a reality. In particular, I went to Stardew Kitchen, and what caught my attention most out of Helena's remake of SV's recipes was her Cheese Cauliflower. Her version involves the addition of macaroni and a béchamel with reduced pale ale in tribute to Pam, whom players can learn the recipe from. I was not only impressed by the result, but I also felt a genuine desire to do a version of my own… Using only an induction and a rice cooker.

This recipe is enough for four.

Spicy Tuna Salad

Here's a simple recipe that doesn't need a rice cooker nor a stove. And should also make use of your leftover Sriracha sauce from the wings the other day.

Back in early 2016, I used to intern for a (now defunct) modern Japanese bistro back in the Philippines. I could have kept working for them if it weren't for the toxic environment their kitchen started having, but it wasn't as if I didn't learn anything out of my three months there. One of the things I learned while working there—which to this day I have not forgotten—is how to make spicy mayo. This wasn't just some store brand mayo with hot sauce in it though; this was exactly the kind of spicy mayo that just screams Japanese when its flavors make contact with your taste buds and explode in an overwhelming umami climax inside your mouth.

At the bistro I worked at, this spicy mayo was combined with tuna (sometimes salmon) tartare and served on a salad where the greens outnumbered the spicy tuna. As a customer I find that total bullshit, man. Why? Because I may have paid money to eat the salad, but I taste more greens than the spicy mayo, which is boring as shit. Well if you want something delicious, I say try making it yourself, eh?

This recipe is good for two.

Buffalo Wings

It's Friday evening. Work and school just ended and you're off for the weekend. You think to yourself, you've been working hard all week long, and it's about time you treated yourself out for once. A nice cool beer or two sounds just about enough to hit the spot right now. You head home and buy a few at the convenience store, and then you realize it wouldn't be as enjoyable if you didn't have something to eat with this beer. You've got some money to spare... What would go best with beer right now? Nearest pub and resto is miles away, but there is this delicatessen nearby. You walk inside, and after the staff greet you warmly, you go on and have a look around.

The delicatessen is exactly what you'd expect; various dried meats and specialty ingredients are on display all around the store. Rows of exotic ingredients line the shelf, either in boxes or jars, and there's a display of a pyramid of stacked cans on sale near the meats section. As you put down the vegemite you had some small interest in, you turn and see a shelf full of nothing but organized stacks of Munz chocolate on one side of the store, next to the pastry goods. But you don't want anything sweet. You want something that goes well with this beer you've bought and that chocolate is anything but.

But then, you see the blue cheese, packs of chicken wings, and Sriracha sauce, and suddenly it all hits you.

My plating could have been better.

Time for a personal take on my favorite kind of chicken wings.

Arroz Caldo

With the onset of winter a lot of people have been getting sick lately, like myself (but my illness has nothing to do with the weather, at least I don't think it is). I've been sick the last two weeks; throat hurts like a godawful bitch every night and even with my new meds it's not going away that easily. I've been drinking some ginger honey and lemon tea that my mother recommended, and one of my friends was kind enough to recommend that having a drink of milk with some honey works too. It's alleviated some of the pain and other than the fucktard in my classroom giving me a headache all the time and who won't shut the fuck up, because for some reason he needs to make a display of his dumbfuckery every five seconds, I think I'm getting better a little at a time. Just keeping my fingers crossed that I haven't jinxed my ass off though.

The hardest part about being sick is actually being able to take care of yourself. At some point some people can't even stand because it's just that bad. With my sore throat, swallowing is an absolute hassle. How is anyone supposed to eat when their throat twinges with sharp spikes of pain every time they eat something? Lucky for me (and anyone with a sore throat), hot liquids help relieve my constricted throat, and today's recipe has certainly brought relief to my throat and stomach whenever I'm sick.

Arroz Caldo has been part of Filipino cuisine for as long as anyone can remember (well, no, it's been there ever since the Chinese started trading with us waaaaay before the Spaniards colonized us) and anyone who's lived in a Filipino household all their lives is all too familiar with this rice gruel dish. I learned the recipe from my mother, and when I used to live back home she would always make this when I or one of my siblings were sick, or when it was the pabasa during the Holy Week. Why does it have a Spanish name when it's been there before the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines? Fucked if I know. Panlasang Pinoy says the Spaniards couldn't pronounce freakin' congee and said Arroz Caldo was apparently easier to say. Sounds about reasonable.

Just about every recipe out there tells you how to cook this dish in a pot. But none of these recipes ever tell you how to cook it in a rice cooker. Real helpful to the people without a stove, guys. Here I tell you how to cook it using both pot and rice cooker.

Japanese Curry

Ah, Japanese curry. Usually served as curry rice, this dish is the stuff of Japanese home-cooked dinners and tight-belted college students trying to come up with a decent meal plan that fits their budget and will last a few days longer even though they know they'll eventually get absolutely sick of it. Unlike the more flavorful Indian curries or the well-balanced Thai curries, Japanese curries are made from solid gold curry blocks packed with just about everything a typical curry soup stock needs, minus the veggies and meats of course. But don't shun their curry just because it's not like the Indians' nor the Thais'; their curry is just as flavorful with the right ingredients... And other seasonings.

New to Japanese curry? Here's how they look on the package.

Here's a personal take on this classic Japanese dish.

Ham and Cheese Quiche

I said yesterday that I would post about my ham and cheese quiche, and so here it is.

The first time I thought of baking a quiche while I was here was when I was hanging out with two of my French classmates at Starbucks after school. I saw their spinach and cheese quiche on display and while I was scarfing down my order of a slice some moments later, I began to wonder if it was possible to achieve baking a quiche inside my recently acquired rice cooker.

Normally, quiches are baked in an oven. But my sharehouse doesn't have an oven, nor does my room have enough space to actually even store one. Besides, I'm not exactly the most normal person ever. I looked up a recipe over Google, and to my delight, I learned that such a thing was even feasible.