Vegetable Pot Pie. . .WOW that was good.

Ingredients:  Had to wait a week or two for fennel to return to the gourmet grocery store, and didn't even bother with pearl onions, as I have never seen them.

Assistance from Gigi:  Thought I was going to do this one all by myself since Gigi was out with the kids, but then she returned, so she chopped the carrots, squash and asparagus.

Like I just noted, I'm a little late on this because they didn't have fennel at the market.  Now, due to my tardiness, I had the opportunity to read lots of other Barefoot Bloggers posts on this dish (compliments of Deb at Kahakai Kitchen).  Here is a very general summary of what people said:  "I cut the butter," "I used premade pie crust," "I left out of the fennel," "I used different vegetables," and, most commonly noted, "I left out the Pernod."  

I began to feel sorry for the ingredients of Ina's Pot Pie, and vowed (to my mom, who is visiting from the US, by the way) to make this as true to the original recipe as I could.  Yes, that IS the sound of me patting myself on the back.  I wasn't perfect, but I tried.

Here are the changes I made:  okay, I admit it 12 tablespoons of butter is crazy, so I cut it down to 8; just like with the risotto from earlier this month, I still can't get butternut squash, so I used acorn squash; I haven't ever seen pearl onions here, and I just wasn't in the mood to go searching (I'm pretty certain I would not have found them), so, inspired by another blogger, I left these out; and finally, also inspired by someone who blazed the vegetable pot pie trail, I added peas.  I agree, it's just not pot pie without peas.  Oh, I guess this is important to note, too:  I did not want to spend $20 for a bottle of Pernod, but I was willing to spend $10 on bottle of Pastis.  It was anise flavored, so I'm still patting myself on the back.  I almost forgot. . .I didn't have oven-proof bowls, so I made this in a 10" pie plate.

Then there was the crust. . .I had a package of puff pastry in the freezer, and I was tempted to use it, but since I had VOWED to follow this recipe, I went ahead and made Ina's recipe, and I am so glad I did.  There was a little snafu, since I had decided to halve the recipe for the crust, and failed to halve the amount of butter (uh oh, but remember how I only used 8 of the 12 tablespoons of butter for the onions and fennel? so, I guess it's all even-steven).

So this crust is really spectacular.  I'll admit that I am a huge fan of Pillsbury frozen pie crusts (oh, so easy), but that's yet another thing I can't get in Manila.  And I'm proud to say that I have made my own pie crusts in the past, so I wasn't venturing into new territory.  BUT, I'd never made a pastry crust with baking powder, and I just really like the way this turned out.

The verdict then?  As my son would say, "This tastes like yum."  

Yes, I am very, very glad that I stayed true to the fennel and the anise liqueur.  I usually make pot pies following a Cook's Illustrated recipe, which uses sherry, which is great.  But the fennelly-anisey flavor was phenomenal.  

I agree with other bloggers that asparagus didn't really go well with the carrots, potatoes and squash, but I didn't exactly mind it, either.  Green beans seem more appropriate, but then I thought that I wouldn't really want green beans in my pot pie, so I decided that I'd be okay with asparagus after all.  I do think that when I make this again, I won't bother blanching the asparagus.  I think an hour in the oven is enough.

And more about the crust.  I always want to put biscuits on the top of my pot pie, but I never do.  The baking powder in the dough gave just enough of the tang of biscuit flavor that I like.  It didn't really have the same texture as a pie crust I would use on a fruit pie (due to the leavening), but it was the perfect crust for pot pie.  

Once I've completed the 1,000 hours in the gym that it will require to burn off the fat calories alone, I will make this again.

Ouch, that hurts!

I just got a notice from blogger.com that this blog has been identified as a potential spam blog. From blogger.com, "Blogs engaged in this behavior are called spam blogs, and can be recognized by their irrelevant, repetitive, or nonsensical text, along with a large number of links, usually all pointing to a single site." 

Wow, that really hurts.  A computer program decided that my blog was "irrelevant," "repetitive," and "nonsensical."  Thanks, blogger.com. Also bizarre, as I have only one link on my site.   

I'll try not to take it personally.  Maybe the computer program just doesn't like Ina Garten.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients: all (mostly) available, or at least easily substitutable.
Assistance from Gigi: peeled and cut up squash, and chopped shallots.

I love risotto, so I was mostly looking forward to this recipe. But, I've been generally following the South Beach diet recently (which I was aware would be a problem with Barefoot Blogging), and I was a bit concerned that a big ol' pile of rice might do me in. I also faced the problem that my husband does not like risotto, and I knew my children wouldn't like it either.

As recipes go, this was pretty easy to make, Manila-style. But right off the bat, I have never seen butternut squash in a store or market since arriving in the Philippines. Acorn squash is available everywhere, so that was my first substitution. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten some pancetta if I'd looked hard enough, but it was pouring rain, and I didn't want to walk over to the gourmet market that would have carried it. I really wanted to make the risotto tonight, so I went ahead and used bacon instead. Shallots are frequently unavailable here, but they either just came in season, or I purchased tiny red onions. Everything else, I had on hand.

My kitchen could handle risotto. The squash fit on the one rimmed baking sheet that fits in my tiny oven. I simmered the chicken broth (I didn't feel like making stock) on the stove, and used my favorite cheater-appliance--my electric skillet--to make the risotto. Not all of the burners on my stove work, and they are not remotely sensitive. . .if I have to turn up the heat, or turn down the heat, I can expect about a 5-minute reaction time.

Meet my sad little stovetop, with my sad little baking sheet. There are two burners underneath the baking sheet. One is small, and the other one doesn't work.


This is my sad little oven. It did just fine roasting my acorn squash. It's not the worst oven in the world, and it has taught me loosely how to convert from fahrenheit to centigrade when cooking. But it is tiny, and won't feet a sheet pan.

And here is my electric skillet in action. It actually worked quite well for the simmering of the rice. On the first addition of chicken stock, Ina says to let the rice cook for about 10 minutes, but it only took about 2 minutes for the first two ladles of stock to absorb into the rice. But over all it still took me about 35 minutes to get all of the broth to absorb. I think this was due in part to the fact that Ina said it should take 30, and I was afraid to be too far off this mark, so I was constantly adjusting the heat.

When it was all said and done, I really enjoyed the risotto. It was very filling, and I think my body sort of went into shock with all of the carbs and fat. I didn't have a very big serving, and then I started to wonder what I would do with all the rest of it. Luckily, my neighbors had just returned from a weekend out of town, and I knew they'd be hungry, so they took two big servings. Her texted commentary on the risotto, "We r n love.. . .W/ur risotto." [Texting is probably the most popular form of communication here. . .much cheaper than voice calls.]

Then, my husband came home and wanted to know what the rice dish in the kitchen was. I told him that he was welcome to try it, but that it was risotto, and he'd previously told me he didn't like risotto. It turns out (and this has happened before) that he'd just had bad risotto (he described it as "rice in soup"). This risotto he enjoyed. And he even had a second serving. Nice to know I can add this to the "yes" list, after 10 years.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces pancetta, diced

1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:  readily available.  
Assistance from Gigi:  zesting and squeezing lemons.

This recipe from Ina Garten (Barefood Contessa at Home) is fabulous, and I am sure that I will be making it again.  Mostly because it was so easy:  easy to get the ingredients, easy to prepare, and easy to fit in my oven.  I love lemony things, and this was delicious.  Also a big hit with the family.  I'll take a picture the next time.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

3 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.  Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil in the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tested placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.  Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.  While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (I poked the cake all over with a skewer before pouring the lemon syrup on top). Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Bacon and Onion Tart, part II

I briefly mentioned the ingredients in the post, but I will revisit this for clarification.  The ingredients for the Bacon and Onion tart were generally easy to procure.  It just so happened that creme fraiche has been recently carried at a local store, but when they're out of the current supply, I probably won't see it again for a long time.  I can almost always buy sour cream and cottage cheese, but they are very expensive. . .around $4 for a small (8 oz) container.

Nestle has a big presence here, and they sell sour cream, but it is the consistency of cream (it's pourable), not thick like sour cream.  And the flavor is terrible.  While I was home this summer, I made a point of going to the local grocery just so I could buy a $.99 container of sour cream, because it's five times better than what I can get here, and just so affordable.

Bacon, onions, flour, etc. are all readily available, so nothing else was a challenge, aside from the fact that the recipe call for rolling out the dough to a 10 x 16 inch oval, and my oven, at best, is 15 inches wide.

As for preparation, I did this one all on my own.  Gigi (the nanny/cook) doesn't work on Saturdays.  I think I may have even done the dishes for this one too!

What it means to cook in Manila

It occurs to me that I should note two specific things when I talk about cooking:  not all ingredients are available in the Philippines; and, sometimes I get help when I am cooking.  The first thing is rather self-explanatory.  A whole year went by where I couldn't find goldfish crackers for my kids. Dairy products are particularly difficult, because Filipinos don't consume remotely the same amount that Americans do, so they generally don't locally produce sour cream or buttermilk.  As for the second thing, I have two full-time helpers: a house keeper and a nanny, but the nanny also does some cooking.  A lot of times I have her do "sous-chef" work for me.  Recently, I made chicken tikka-masala, and I'd asked her to chop the cilantro for me.  When I went into the kitchen to start the meal, I found everything I needed, measured out in individual containers, like I was working on a cooking show.  And then, I rarely have to do the dishes otherwise.

I won't go into a  lot of detail explaining why having household help isn't the answer to all of your problems (it is the answer to a lot of them, but when your kids have to go an entire year without seeing grandparents, you realize that there are tradeoffs for everything).

Nonetheless, I'll try to be specific about both (ingredients and help) when I talk about things I've made.

Bacon and Onion Tart

Back in the days when I lived near a normal grocery store and had a normal kitchen, I made this recipe from Bon Appetit.  So yummy and delicious.  I was having some friends over for at-home pedicures (Manila does have its benefits) and snacks, so I thought I would give it a try.  For starters, not an inexpensive venture: the creme fraiche (the finding of which was actually the reason I even attempted this recipe), cottage cheese, and sour cream cost a combined total of $13.50.  

I make pizza dough fairly regularly, and this is similar, but kind of has the consistency of the pizza dough you make in the Chef Boyardee pizza kits.  I was suspicious that it would turn into anything servable, but it did.  And I was very suspicious about not cooking the bacon at all before putting it in the oven, but it was great.  Just like I remembered.  I wasn't really thinking about blogging when I made it, so I don't have any pictures, but it was still quite delicious!

Onion and Bacon Tart

2 1/4 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F) 
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup crème fraîche
1/3 cup large-curd cottage cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
2 small white onions, very thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups) 
12 ounces 1/4-inch-thick bacon slices cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon yeast in large bowl; stir to blend well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand until mixture bubbles, about 30 minutes. Stir in salt, then 1 1/4 cups flour. Mix until soft slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if very sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly flour 2 large baking sheets. Lightly flour hands; punch down dough and divide in half. Roll out each half on lightly floured surface to thin 16x10-inch rectangle. Transfer each rectangle to prepared baking sheet. If dough shrinks, roll or stretch each back to size. Puree crème fraîche, cottage cheese, and sour cream in processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread cream mixture over crusts. Sprinkle onions and raw bacon over cream mixture, dividing equally. Bake tarts until edges of crusts are crisp and brown, about 14 minutes. Sprinkle generously with pepper; cut into pieces and serve.

Cooking in Manila

I'm hoping to take on a new adventure by joining the Barefoot Bloggers.  This truly is an adventure, since I'm living in the Philippines where finding buttermilk, for example, could be an all-day activity.  Oh, and my oven doesn't fit a sheet pan.  And only a few of the eyes on my stove work.  And I live in an apartment with no outdoor space, so grilled pizza is out of the question.  BUT, I'm still willing to take on the challenge.  We'll see how I do.