I wanted to see if I could improve on the standard boat tarts you find at most Filipino bakeries. These come in lots of fun flavors, typically in a brightly colored cellophane wrapping. Here’s my version of two of my favorite flavors of boat tarts: macapuno (coconut strands) and ube (purple yam.) It’s super easy…
Category: Food and Drink
The Ice Cream Sundae Revelation
I had a revelation the other day about ice cream sundaes. Bear with me here. I was eating an ice cream sundae at one of my favorite ice cream shops in the city, Hometown Creamery in the Sunset. Hometown always has a fascinating, often weird, array of flavors that they make in the shop. I…
Recipe: The Parmelet aka the Perfect Crispy, Cheese Omelette
I’m always on the hunt for different variations on my morning eggs. The Parmelet is one of my favorite, more indulgent versions of the simple omelette, created by Chef John. Basically you are just cooking a bunch of shredded Parmesan in a non-stick pan until it crisps up, then throw in some eggs, cover, and…
San Diego: Fish Tacos, Incredible Beaches, Animal Adventures and More
I am just back from a wonderful trip to San Diego, a city that has long been on my list of places to visit, but for whatever reason I never found the time to travel there. Fortunately, my friend Hanah offered to be my guide to the best of San Diego during our trip there….
Homemade Pancakes with Whipped Cream and Bacon
I don’t think I’ve ever made straight-up pancakes from scratch before? I used the Martha Stewart recipe, which I just a decent job of. They weren’t very pretty and didn’t rise very much. But very tasty! I topped them with whipped cream that I whipped myself. It’s so easy to do, and really only takes…
Recipe: Ube (Purple Yam) Pie
Ube (purple yam) Pie is a classic Filipino dessert that is one of my favorites. It’s purple, it’s got a unique flavor, and it has a fun name! Here is my version of this dish that I think best captures the unique flavor of ube. It’s based largely off of this recipe from Woman Scribbles with some…
Recipe: Ube-flavored Whipped Cream
This recipe works for any flavored whipped cream, of course. But I was preparing my famous ube pie, and figured out the best way to make an accompanying whipped cream. INGREDIENTS 1 cup heavy cream, chilled (put in freezer for 5 mins) 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (or less to taste) 1 teaspoon ube flavoring…
Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Pie or Flan
It’s not a flan in the traditional sense, with a caramel component. If you use 2 eggs instead of 3 (see variation) the texture will be smoother but it won’t slice as neatly. I’d actually like to try this with ube (purple yam) instead of sweet potato, particularly the flan variation. Ingredients 2 large sweet…
Recipe: Skillet Chicken With White Beans and Caramelized Lemon
Ingredients 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed 1 shallot, peeled and cut into thin wedges Kosher salt and black pepper 2 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts (about 4 to 6) 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 (15-ounce) can small white beans (such as Great Northern, navy or cannellini) or chickpeas 1 bunch kale,…
Recipe: Deviled Chicken Thighs
Ingredients 8 chicken thighs, or a mixture of thighs and drumsticks Salt and freshly ground black pepper ⅓ cup Dijon mustard ⅓ cup minced shallots, onion or scallion ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, or to taste Preparation Heat the broiler to its maximum, and set the rack about 4 inches from the…