Domestic Goddess

Alana - I think my family would enjoy that too, french toast. Off to look for french toast recipes...

Roasted boneless pork loin is best dry-rubbed with seasoned salt. Seasoned salt

If anyone wants the jap chae recipe, I'll gladly share. My best friend here taught me how to fix it.

My mother makes a mean stewed catfish dish with black beans. So my next suggestion is Catfish

Kerry and Tweety - Thank you, thank you, thank you! I definitely would do both of your suggestions. Off to buy rum, oranges and lemons. I have the custard and jam in the fridge already. You guys are great!

My korean best friend gave me three pound cakes from the local Tous Les Jour bakery chain yesterday. One was chocolate, the other fruit cake and the last orange pound cake. We opened the chocolate cake and found it was too dry to enjoy it. There was not enough chocolate flavor and the fact that it was embedded with chocolate chips, didn't help the flavor aspect at all. Like I said, to quote my hubby from Kentucky, "It was dry as a popcorn fart". I have a gut feeling that the other two cakes are about as dry as the chocolate one. Is there a way to rescue these cakes? Drown them in rum? in syrup? Steam them until they drown in moisture? Or sigh.... Cut up and make biscotti? I really don't wanna do the last resort. Or chuck them to the trash bin. Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Ok. chimichurri sauce on grilled cornish hens Cornish hens

Most of Filipinos also use the one knuckle rule. Any pot, any amount of rice, you use the one knuckle rule. Wash the rice in the pot, 3 times. Fill the water in the pot until it reaches the first knuckle of the thumb when you stick it into the water (the thumb tip should touch the rice level under the water). Set the heat on high and put the pot on the stove. When the rice starts to boil, take the lid off the pot and put it askew on top of the pot (to let some of the steam out). Turn down the heat on the lowest setting and let the rice simmer until the water has evaporated completely. Put the lid on securely on the pot and let simmer one minute more. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for 5-10 minutes to "fully" cook it.

Like what Steve said, those were scary... But I am tempted to try the spam sushi but the blue color might make my kids burst out laughing.

Crispy bacon and crispy chicken skin.... oooOOOoooh Shrimp crackers dipped in garlic-vinegar... aaaaaah

Mussels are great simmered in white wine WHITE WINE

I got tons of bread crusts in the fridge right now, thanks for the wealth of recipes to try!

My turn to share. What was your family food culture when you were growing up? My mother comes from a long line of acclaimed fiesta cooks (from Cavite City, Philippines). My dad comes from not only a long line of good cooks but from a family with impeccable picky tastes. Food from Cavite city are spanish in origin. My father's family boasts of a "Luto sa Atay" stew (Beef simmered in liver sauce) that makes my husband weep with joy. From my mother's side come foods like Menudo, Mechado, Sarciado, Kare-Kare, etc. Families from Cavite are also well-known for their sweet tooth (which somehow skipped me). We got desserts like sweetened chick peas, sweetened macapuno (candied coconut strings), ube (purple yam jam), etc. Was meal time important? Dinner where all the family sits down together and share what happened to them that day. You can eat breakfast and lunch somewhere else or on other times but dinner was mandate by my father as family time. Was cooking important? Cooking was very important in my family. So important that even the cut of the meat and vegetables for certain dishes must be followed. There are even procedures that need to be done (like the garlic must be golden brown before the rest of the ingredients are added during sauteing). Doing shortcuts are frowned upon and will earn you a long and monotonous sermon. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? An admonisment from mom and a sharp look from dad. Who cooked in the family? My mother, nobody else, even if we had maids. My dad was adamant about that. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? Only for special occassions. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? Yes, we did. There were four of us siblings and we had a short square table where we would eat, one table side for each of us. When did you get that first sip of wine? First Communion during the second grade. I thought it tasted nasty. Was there a pre-meal prayer? No, my dad was an atheist and my mom a non-practicing Catholic. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? The meal was whatever was the freshest produce in the market. If my mom saw fresh crabs, that would be supper that night. Only during the weekends would there be a chance to request something special like grilled porkchops with kinilaw na tanigue (fish cerviche). How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? A whole lot since I am now cooking for my own family and try to do as much of my native dishes for our meals. We also go out to eat in a restaurant when there is a special occassion to celebrate.

I heartily agree, great story! I really had fun reading that. It was also fun seeing all those b&w pics.

Cream cheese and blueberries as in blue berry cheese cake Blueberries.

I have a similar experience like Dividend - only mine involved our ex-President Cory Aquino. I was a member of the Philippine Centennial Committee and hosted a fancy dinner for all the political bigwigs in a fancy hotel. I was seated at the long table with the past presidents and some senators. Along came our drinks server who proceeded to walk behind me with a tray of drinks. The tray tipped and all I heard was the clinking of the glasses and the cold hand of death on my back. The tray tipped and all the glasses and the drinks poured down my back in a shower of sticky juice, beer and slushies. Everyone, including President Aquino, turned shocked and looked at me. It felt like time stood still until President Aquino said "Are you ok?" I was promptly whisked by a flustered banquet manager and very apologetic server to a vacant hotel room upstairs where they had me stay while they dry cleaned my clothers. I came back to the dinner an hour later mortified but in relative dry, freshly cleaned clothes. When all the guests were leaving, President Aquino stopped by my side and told me that she was sorry it happened to me and I handled it with such aplomb and grace. It's a story I plan to tell my grandkids in the future.

ZenK - what's yuzu sauce in korean? How do I buy them from the store?

Lemon Pilaff is mostly rice.. Fried garlic rice is a staple of a Filipino Breakfast... so I would say GARLIC

Hmm, I wonder if I can get dried lotus leaves and fish maw here in Korea?

Stewed intestines???? Oooh, gimme two cups of rice for that. Good during a rainy/windy day. LOL Haven't deciphered the mystery of the hotteok dough yet... been rainy and drizzly back here. Made kimchi jjige and pajeon for lunch. I just got a tupperware full of kimchi from my hubby's boss.

Sheena and ZenKimchi - I will do my best to find out what the dough is made of and the recipe. Most of the street vendors are my friends and I'll get somebody to translate what they're saying. BTW - I has sundae last sunday... I had a plateful and read my Terry Pratchett book while munching the steamed goodies. Old adjummas and adjassis were peering over my shoulder trying to decipher what I was reading. I bet they were thinking " crazy foreigner eating sundae". LOL

Red wine? Red wine is the key ingredient for Coq Au Vin (my son's favorite) Chicken

Wow! That looks so good Chryz! Here in Korea, there are home-delivery of massive bowls/pots of Kalguksu complete with individual bowls, seasonings, spoons & chopsticks, the works. You eat, put the dirty dishes outside and that's a no fuss meal.

Ha ha ha ha, I love reading this again Jan. I wonder if any eGulleter would even dare try this?

Gary, should I ever have the luck to visit the UK in the future, I would definitely stay at your inn. I love reading all the updates and menus and seeing all your pics. Keep 'em coming!