by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 13, 2020 | Bon Appetit
Beef gyudon is one of my favorite Japanese dishes and for a long time, I have wanted to make this but never really got around to it until now. I searched online for a beef gyudon recipe that I thought I would like to try and found this recipe by justonecookbook.com.
All recipes I have seen have all indicated the need for mirin and sake. Let’s face it, in ordinary times these ingredients are already difficult to find … more so now, with the quarantine going on. Therefore, I have found the need to substitute with what I already have at home.
- Instead of mirin, I used 1 part sugar with 2 parts rice wine vinegar.
- Instead of sake, I used white cooking wine.
In addition, it is now possible to buy beef that is sliced thin enough. Just ask the butcher for “sukiyaki” or bacon cut.
Below is the modified recipe. I doubled the quantity of the recipe I used as a reference as there are more people to feed at my house.
My family enjoyed it, I hope you do, too.
Beef Gyudon
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: donburi, Japanese, rice bowl
Servings: 6
Author: Penny Angeles-Tan
- 2 tbsps cooking oil
- 2 onions sliced into strip
- 700 grams beef sukiyaki/bacon cut
- 4 tsps sugar
For the sauce
- 2 tbsps light soy sauce
- 4 tbsps white cooking wine
- 8 tsps rice wine vinegar
- 4 tsps sugar
Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the sugar is melted. Set aside.
Use a medium-sized pan or wok and heat it up to medium-high heat.
Place the oil on the pan and saute the onion until it is soft and translucent.
Add the beef and sugar. Mix and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook!
Add the sauce, mix, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Putting the rice bowl together
Your beef gyudon rice bowl is now ready to serve.
Some people like it with an egg, if that is the case there are two things you can do:
- right before preparing the rice bowls, pour the 6 beaten eggs into the beef and mix it.
- serve a raw egg with the rice bowl and have each person crack the egg over their own bowl and mix it themselves.
For the second option, this only works well if the rice and beef are freshly cooked/still hot. Enjoy! We did. 🙂
If you like this recipe and will replicate it, take a pic and share it on Facebook or Instagram and don’t forget to tag me and use the hashtag #slvrdlphnrecipes
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 20, 2020 | Bon Appetit
Bibingkang malagkit or kumot as my dad used to call it is a rice cake snack that my dad used to love. We would buy a small tray of 8 squares every week. My dad called it kumot because of the layer if coco-caramel on top.
Is it also called biko?
Bibingkang malagkit is also called Biko. The only difference that I can see is that Biko is brown and is often topped with latik instead of coco-caramel sauce. To achieve that brown color, replace the white sugar with brown sugar.
The search is over
one serving size served here as a dessert with a cup of coffee on the side
Our favorite kakanin seller has not been around since the quarantine and when I ordered from someone on Facebook who makes bibingkang malagkit Facebook I was very disappointed at what I received … it was 10×10, as promised but the rice part was barely a centimeter high and the coco-caramel topping was about as thick. It was so thin that the only way to enjoy it was to roll a slice into a log and THEN eating it. It was a waste of money. Therefore, I decided to try making it myself.
I looked at several recipes online and chose the one I thought I could work with and yet I still made changes because I wanted it to look just like the one dad liked.
It took quite some time to make and requires a lot of patience but if you keep at it, you will be quite happy with the end result.
Time to cook!
Below is my version of the bibingkang malagkit. I was surprised that it turned out pretty well … exactly the same as the one dad and I used to buy. Yey! Today I had it for dessert with my breakfast.
FYI, I love using a wok for most of my cooking so for this recipe I still used two woks … a big one for the kakanin and a small one for the sauce topping.
Biko or Bibingkang Malagkit
rice cake made of glutinous rice, sugar, salt, and coconut milk
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: bibingka, biko, filipino, rice cake
Servings: 24
Author: Penny Angeles-Tan
big wok
small wok
baking dish
oven
- 1 tbsp. butter for coating the baking dish
Kakanin
- 4 cups malagkit rice also known as glutinous rice
- 1,000 ml. gata coconut milk
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 cups sugar white or brown
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Topping
- 200 ml. gata coconut milk
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
Preparing the kakanin
Place the rice in a bowl then wash and drain it. Place enough water to cover and soak for a few hours ... one hour at the very least, overnight at most. Note, that the longer you soak it, the better the rice will cook later.
When you are ready to cook, drain the rice and set aside.
Place the coconut milk and water in a saucepot, set the heat to medium and simmer.
Add the drained rice and stir often to be sure the rice does not burn along the sides of the pot. Continue to cook over medium heat and mixing until the rice has soaked up most of the liquid. Using a large wok makes it easier to mix.
Reduce the heat and add the white sugar and salt to the rice mixture and mix. Make sure the sugar and salt are completely mixed into the rice. You will notice that the rice where the sugar gets mixed in becomes shinier so keep mixing gently. This will take around 10 to 15 minutes, more or less.
Taste the rice every now and then to make sure it is cooked all the way through. You know you are done when the rice mixture is sticky and clumps but separates from the pot easily.
Preparing the coco-caramel sauce topping
Place the remaining 200 ml. coconut milk and the dark brown sugar in a saucepan.
Turn on the stove and mix until completely mixed and the sugar is dissolved.
Turn off the stove and allow to cool for 2 to 5 minutes.
Putting the dish together
Time to bake
Heat your oven to 350F. Some say to preheat before you start cooking but, personally, I usually wait until I am actually going to bake because I cannot predict how long the preparation would take and it would be a waste of gas (or electricity).
Once it has reached 350F place the prepared tray in the oven and bake for 1 hour. The sauce topping will bubble and thicken.
Set aside and allow to cool before serving.
Once your dish has cooled it will look like this:
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 27, 2020 | Bon Appetit
Coming up with healthy dishes that my family would enjoy could be challenging, especially when frying food is just way simpler to do. Thankfully this dish was a success!
Steamed Fish in Light Soy
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chinese cooking, fish, healthy, steamed
Author: Penny Angeles-Tan
chopping board
knife
steamer
pan
Fish
- 2 pieces fish fillet Dory is a good option
- salt
- pepper
- 2 tbsp ginger, julienned
- 8 stalks spring onion, julienned
Sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 pieces kalamansi juice and remove the seeds
Dry the fish fillet with a kitchen towel then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Peel and slice the ginger in julienne slices Cut and slice the spring onions into julienne slices as well.
Prep the streamer by making sure there is water underneath and the rack or steamer cover does not touch the water. Turn on the stove and bring the water in the steamer to a boil.
Take your steaming pan and put half the ginger and half the spring onion at the bottom. Put the seasoned fish on top then place the remaining ginger and spring onion on top of that.
Place the steaming pan in the steamer and steam the fish for 10 minutes. You will know that the fish is done cooking when it turns from translucent to white.
Once cooked, take the fish out carefully without breaking it and place it on a serving plate.
Take out a pan and put together the light soy, the brown sugar, sesame oil, and juice of the kalamansi. Place the stove on low heat to melt and mix the sauce. Once the sauce is ready pour it on the fish.
Your dish is ready to serve.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 24, 2020 | Bon Appetit
Spam (or any canned meat for that matter) is a favorite staple by the kids at home. The way it is usually prepared … cut into slices then simply fried. While this is good, it could always be better, right? This recipe is one way of preparing Spam to make it more interesting. 🙂
Breaded Spam Sticks
This puts a new spin to a simple breakfast favorite of the kids
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast, panko dishes, spam
Servings: 8
Author: Penny Angeles-Tan
cutting board
knife
3 bowls
frying pan
tongs
- 1 can Spam
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko (coarse breading)
- cooking oil
Preparation
Open a can of Spam (whatever variant) and place its content on a cutting board.
Cut the Spam lengthwise then several times across in equal distances. This should make 16 sticks.
In one bowl put the flour, in the 2nd bowl put the beaten egg, and the panko in the 3rd.
Take one Spam stick and roll it in the flour.
Transfer it into the beaten egg and roll until it is fully covered.
Transfer to the panko and roll until it is fully covered.
Place the Spam stick covered in flour, egg, and panko on the cutting board to sit for at least 2 to 3 minutes.
Repeat the procedure for the rest of the sticks.
Cooking
Take your frying pan and put enough oil to deep fry. Place the stove on medium heat.
Once the oil is hot lower the heat and then place the sticks one by one in the oil, spaced. If they don't all fit, then what is left will be the next batch and the next.
Turn the stick when one side turns brown (but not burnt!)
When all sides are browned remove the stick from the oil and place it on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
Cook the rest of the sticks.
Serve.
I do not think this is my original recipe. I am sure there are others who have also made this in the past and probably have fancier preparations like maybe, putting additional spices like basil in the flour.
Be creative and have fun! by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 17, 2020 | Bon Appetit
I do most of the cooking at home and my most requested dish for everyday cooking is chicken and pork adobo. Here is my recipe. Warning, it is probably more work than most people want to put in but I promise you, the end result is super delish!
I actually combined 3 or 4 adobo recipes I found in our cookbooks here to come up with this version.
Chicken and Pork Adobo
A simple traditional Filipino dish that can be cooked in hundreds of ways ... each region (and possibly household) have their own way of making it.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: adobo, chicken, comfort food, pork
Calories: 165kcal
Author: Penny Angeles-Tan
measuring cup
chopping board
2 pots
tongs or a slotted spoon
cooking spoon
large non-stick pan
- 1 kg pork cubed
- 1 kg chicken cut up
- coarse sea salt we use salt from Alaminos, Pangasinan
- water to cover
- 1 head garlic
- black pepper coarsely ground
- bay leaves (laurel)
- 3/4 cup regular vinegar
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 cup light soy sauce
- 4 cups water
Preparation
Wash the pork and chicken separately, then place them in the pot. I recommend the pork below and the chicken on top.
Take a small fistful of salt (around 2 tbsps.) and sprinkle it on the meat then pour in enough water to cover.
Boil for 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure your pot is deep enough that it won't overflow. This will accomplish two things: a) it will soften the meat and b) it will remove that funky smell meat sometimes gets
Get a fat skimmer and skim off all the gunk (fat, etc.) that will float on the water. This usually looks like light brown bubbles or soap suds. DON'T MIX THE CONTENTS OF THE POT! That will just make the gunk mix back in and we are trying to remove it. Note: You don't have to wait until the 20 to 30 minutes are up to do this. I usually check every 5 minutes and remove what I can. This way, more gunk is removed.
Turn off the stove.
Cooking Phase 1
Take another pot put in the cracked garlic.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon lift out all the pieces of meat and put them in the pot containing the garlic.
Throw in the pepper and bay leaves.
Pour in the vinegar, rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce, and water. DO NOT MIX!
Turn on the stove and boil the pot for 30 minutes or until your nose tells you that the dish is cooked. This usually means it does not smell so "vinegary". You can cover the pot but make sure not to close the lid completely or place a wooden spoon across so that it won't overflow. At this point you will also notice that there is less water.
Taste and add salt or spices as you feel is needed.
Turn off the stove and let the adobo "sit". I like to just keep it in the pot covered properly to keep the household pests from getting to it first. But if you prefer, you can put it in the ref once it is cool. For the flavor to really seep in it is best to let it sit for 24 hours.
Cooking Phase 2
Take a large frying pan, preferably non-stick so you don't need oil. But if you have a regular one that is ok, too.
If using a regular frying pan, heat the pan then add oil. Once the oil is hot add the meat pieces and brown the meat. If using a non-stick pan, put the meat pieces in even if the pan is not yet hot. Turn on the stove to brown the meat.
Be careful when turning the meat to fry the other side. Since we pre-cooked the meat, it should be super soft and will likely shred ... unless your objective is adobo flakes, in which case, have at it! 🙂
Once all the meat is browned pour what sauce you have remaining over the meat to heat up.
Place in a bowl or serving platter and feed to your family.
I honestly do not know how many servings this recipe makes but it is a lot!
If you like this recipe and will replicate it, take a pic and share it on Facebook or Instagram and don’t forget to tag me and use the hashtag #slvrdlphnrecipes
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 9, 2019 | Bon Appetit
Coffee aficionados were treated to an exclusive Coffee Exploration session with renowned Coffee Man and 2015 World Barista Champion, Sasa Sestic. The curated event was hosted by homegrown coffee company Henry and Sons and the luxury hotel Grand Hyatt Manila.
The Coffee Man experience brings to the Philippines Sestic’s amazing journey to becoming a champion barista and the lengths he went to in search of the perfect cup of coffee. More than a barista, Sestic is also a passionate and knowledgeable coffee-grower who constantly experiments with techniques and methods.
Among his experiments is the post-harvest method called Carbonic Maceration. One of the specialty coffees processed under this method is the Jasper Coffee from the Masina Village in Ethiopia, which is now available at Florentine, Grand Hyatt Manila.
More importantly, Sestic also believes in putting the welfare of coffee farmers first while growing sustainable, world-class beans.
“Showcasing Sasa’s talent to the Philippines allows our local baristas to draw inspiration from his experience and story. He has infinite knowledge and learning that baristas, farmers, and even us – coffee distributors – can learn from,” says Michael Harris Conlin, President & CEO of Henry and Sons and 2019 Philippine National Barista Champion.
To say that Sasa Sestic is “driven” is like describing Mt. Everest as “high.” Sasa (pronounced “Sasha”) has been pursuing the perfect cup of coffee for more than 15 years. He started pushing the envelope on coffee tastes when he became a barista in 2003. His drive took him to study where a region or country yields their best coffee.
His passion is insatiable. Not only is he interested in coffee knowledge, but he also intends to teach what he knows, as well as help coffee farmers improve their lives and communities.
The Coffee Man
According to Sasa, helping coffee farmers ensures the quality of produce is elevated. Understanding a region’s climate and planting cycle led him to know when a region’s coffee would be best. A book about his journey is a forward intention especially considering that he was halfway into the book when he won the 2015 Barista Championship.
The best-selling book “The Coffee Man” narrates his journey to becoming a barista, how he went to the coffee farmers in search of the best coffee beans, and the new methods to bring out the flavors of coffee. The “Coffee Man” has also been created into a movie.
It took him 7 attempts before he won the Australian Barista Championship in 2015. That same year, he won the World Barista Championship (WBC) held in Seattle. In the dozen years prior to winning the WBC, his career has expanded from a barista to becoming the head of ONA Coffee Wholesale, and a couple of cafes which include The Cupping Room, ONA Coffee House, and ONA Manuka.
He has also been helping farmers with Project Origin, an ethical green bean trading company which has so far created long-term mutually rewarding relationships with more than 100 growers in coffee-producing countries.
Project Origin has helped pave the way for farmers to earn more and improve their crops, livelihood and their financial status. The organization has also raised funds for livelihood, health, education and community projects which benefit the coffee farmers.
It is no wonder that Michael Harris Conlin found him to be a kindred, coffee-loving spirit. The Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE) which Conlin began, aims to help local farmers produce sustainable and world-class coffee for Filipinos to enjoy. In achieving this goal, he helps the farmers by buying their coffee and then giving back proceeds from the sale to train farmers and give them the right tools to become better coffee producers.
Besides their efforts to reach out to farmers in Benguet and other coffee-growing areas in the Philippines, the FSCE also wants to hone the skills of current and future baristas. Conlin founded the Institute of Coffee Excellence, right across the popular The Giving Café (TGC) which was opened earlier.
The two-story Institute is a laboratory and creative playground for Conlin and his team. It houses classes for baristas, brokers farmer-trader deals and discussions while finding innovative ways to make Philippine coffee beans more accessible to an international audience.
Earlier this year, Henry and Sons brought coffee expert Mokhtar Alkhanshali and his high-rating coffee from Yemen, Port of Mokha, to the Philippines for a similar event.
To know more about Henry and Sons, visit henryandsons.ph.
I searched online for a beef gyudon recipe that I thought I would like to try and found this recipe by justonecookbook.com.
More importantly, Sestic also believes in putting the welfare of coffee farmers first while growing sustainable, world-class beans.
According to Sasa, helping coffee farmers ensures the quality of produce is elevated. Understanding a region’s climate and planting cycle led him to know when a region’s coffee would be best. A book about his journey is a forward intention especially considering that he was halfway into the book when he won the 2015 Barista Championship.
Project Origin has helped pave the way for farmers to earn more and improve their crops, livelihood and their financial status. The organization has also raised funds for livelihood, health, education and community projects which benefit the coffee farmers.
Besides their efforts to reach out to farmers in Benguet and other coffee-growing areas in the Philippines, the FSCE also wants to hone the skills of current and future baristas. Conlin founded the 
Earlier this year, Henry and Sons brought coffee expert Mokhtar Alkhanshali and his high-rating coffee from Yemen, Port of Mokha, to the Philippines for a similar event.
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