smooth as glass

During my college days, I have learned different kinds of glasses that are used for different kinds of drinks, mainly used in bars. But, in the real world, there may only be four major types of glasses that are part of table arrangement. On the other hand, they are not always found on all table settings and for us, regular home dining would only mean the drinking glass.

First of the four glasses often used for all table arrangement is the water goblet This may be considered as the fanciest of all kinds of glassware because it is found on almost all types of table service and is usually used for serving water. 

For a formal dinner, we often have an appetizer first before the main course. And with this, we can partner it with an aperitif, a drink to stimulate the appetite or can simply be defined as something you drink before you eat. We use an aperitif glass for these types of meals. An example of an aperitif is a Champagne or sparkling wine. 

Usually, a formal dinner will start with a white meal which would basically mean fish or seafood meal and as such, in food and wine pairing rule, is paired with white wine. Thus, a white wine glass is used in this.  A popular white wine usually used is Chardonnay.

Of course, if they have white wine, they would also serve red wine with red meals like steak or any red meat dish. An example of red wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon 

I would be discussing more different kinds of glass in another topic. I had fun learning all types of glasses used in food service and as far as I can remember, I also had some confusion because most of these glasses really looks the same.

In the meantime, I have yet another personal recipe for you, one of my daughter's most requested dish, Baked Macaroni.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 head garlic, crushed

1 onion, minced

2 pcs. red tomatoes, chopped

1 /2 kg ground beef

1/8 kg. ham, cooked and chopped

1 250 gm. pouch tomato sauce

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 pc. beef bouillon cube

salt, pepper, sugar to taste

1 kg. macaroni, cooked as directed

1 250 ml pouch all purpose cream

quick-melt cheese, grated

Procedure:

Saute garlic, onion and red tomatoes in butter. Add ground beef and cook for 5 minutes, then add ham and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add tomato sauce. Add enough water and place beef bouillon cube, season with sugar if you want it sweet. Allow to simmer until saucy. Pour this to the cooked macaroni noodles and transfer in a Pyrex dish. Top with all purpose cream and put in a pre heated 375 F oven for about 10-12 minutes. This is best served with toasted garlic bread.

happy eating! J 

  

how do I know which one to use?

The first time I was at formal dinner in one of the five star hotels, I just stared at the table because I saw a lot of different kinds of flatware and I got confused on how to use them. I literary asked myself "How do I know which one to use?" Although I have learned them all in college, seeing them set up in front of me for he first have startled me and had me really thinking on how to use them cause I do not want to be embarrassed, especially when I was with my bosses at that time (was working in a food related business, too).

Of course, I only knew of again the usual spoon and fork and the teaspoon for coffee and tea at what we usually use at home. After that experience, I made sure that I have reviewed how I should use those different types of silver flatware.

The director of The R.S.V.P. Institute of Etiquette, Maura Graber gave a simple tip. She said, "You are supposed to use the silverware from the outside -in. Use the silverware furthest from the plate on either side, and then use the utensils closer to the plate , as each course requires."

The array of silverware laid out at a dinner table can be intimidating but learning the proper uses for each utensil doesn't have to be. Some of the characteristics of silverware that we can find in a formal dinner would be as follows:

Dinner Fork - A 4 pronged/tined fork that is usually the largest one at the table setting.

Salad Fork - Usually a three pronged/tined fork which is shorter and broader for salads and desserts

Fish Fork - As the name implies, used for eating fish in a meal and is a small fork that is set to the left side of the plate

Oyster Fork - A 3 pronged/tined small fork for oysters, mussels and clams. It is supposed to be place on the right side after the knives, next to the soup spoon.

Dinner Spoon - The normal tablespoon used in households but is very seldom found on table setting

Soup Spoon - A type of spoon with a round bowl used for soup and is usually the largest, place at the right with the knives

Dessert Spoon - These are used in cereals and desserts and usually brought out with the food and but if not, they are just placed horizontally above the dinner plate

Teaspoon - Usually used for coffees, tea and occasionally desserts

Dinner Knife - Again, one of the largest at a place setting that is usually broad with a wide tip

Fish Knife - Shorter than Dinner knife and with a distinct shape at the tip

Steak Knife - This is sharper than a dinner knife and usually has a jagged edge and the appearance of a small sword

Salad Knife - This is shorter than a dinner knife but also has rounded end

Butter Knife/Spreader - A small broad spatula used as an individual butter server






There is however, one thing that I have learned about using these utensils, do not concentrate so hard on which piece to use that you do not take part in the conversation at the table. The best way to avoid this is to practice beforehand.


As for our special recipe for today, I have actually done this dish last Christmas, eve of December 25 where our family usually have a simple gathering at home. I would like to share a recipe for  Honey Barbecued Spare Ribs which I actually learned from Monterey. The actual picture is different from the one I did because I constantly brushed the spareribs with the mixture while cooking inside the oven and when it was done, I placed mozzarella cheese on top.  It tasted really good and it was a hit that night.

Here are the ingredients:

1 1/2 kilo pork spareribs
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp dried oregano
dash of garlic powder

How to make:

Pre heat the oven for 10 minutes. Cut the spareribs or you may already buy the serving pieces. Place the ribs, bone side down on a wire in a shallow roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and bake again for 20 minutes, uncovered.

In a bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and brush some of the glaze on the ribs and roast again for another 15 minutes. Just before service, brush the ribs with the glaze again. Perfect with a glass of beer as "pulutan"

I have provided you the video of how Monterey  did it and the picture of my actual cooking. You would be more enticed on how they did it but I am still proud of my own version..hehe

happy eating!

why use a lot?

 Ever wonder why hotels, high end restaurants use a lot of dinner wares just to fininsh a specific day's meal? I grew up in a simple home where we use just dinnewares as "everyday" set of dinnerware. Others would actually refer to them as chinawares but for us, chinawares are usually used on special occasions and holidays.

Now adays, we may see different kinds of dinnerwares but for today, I can give you three of the most popular type of dinnerwares. Let see how they really differ:

 * Fine China - This may be considered as the most expensive and teh highest quality dinnerware and is more popularly known as "porcelain ware".  It is very durable and is made of non absorbent ceramin that has been fired at the highest kiln temperatures. Fine china somes with patterns of design like gold running around the perimeter of the place which acutally gives them a bit of elegance. As what every house would normally do, chinawares are often displayed in dining area when not is use (like my mother does..hehe).


* Everyday Dinnerware - This type is what most of us use almost everyday. For one it is easier to clean and to care for and of course much less expensive - making you less apprehensive to use. We, however use different types of everyday dinnerware and some of it can come as earthenware, stoneware, pottery, bone china, glass or plastic. The decision of what type is best for you should be based on whom and how you will be using these plates.

- Pottery - should be soaked in warm water before using to make the pieces more chip-resistant,  can be used in the microwave and dishwasher as well.



- Bone China - most durable of casual dinnerware. Bone ash is added to the mixing process to lend strength to the dinnerware, perform well in a microwave or dishwasher as long as there is no metallic detailing to it.




- Glass -  easy to clean  but is more fragile than the others and definitely does not have the quality of other everyday options.



-  Plastic - best use if you have children at home because it will not break, however, plastic can warp if it gets too hot in a microwave or dishwasher.




Now let's try to know the real uses  of the different types of dinnerwares used. Later, I would share with you a special snack that can be termed as finger food which originated in Hong Kong.

Bread and Butter Plate - a 6-inch plate used for bread, desserts and molded salads

Cereal Bowl - a 6-inch multi purpose deep dish used in serving cereals, salads, rice and desserts

 Dinner Plate - a 10-inch plate used in serving the main course in each cover in formal dining

Luncheon Plate or Breakfast Plate - a 9-inch all purpose plate for daily dining

Platters - oval shaped serving ware that come in varying sizes 

Salad Plates - a 7-inch plate used to serve salads, desserts, fish or underlines for steamware and even cereal bowls. 

Soup Plate - a 9-inch deep plate used in formal sit-down dinners 

Soy Dish or Condiment Dish - used mainly for condiments to make eating more tasteful

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SESAME SHRIMP FINGERS

Ingerdients:

10 slices of white sandwich bread, with crust removed; chilled

2 cups white variety shirmps, shelled, deveined and pounded 

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. grater ginger'1 tbsp cornstarch

4 egg whites

4 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

cooking oil 

sweet chili sauce

Procedure:

Arrange bread on a tray. Chill. Combine shrimp, salt, pepper and ginger. Add cornstarch. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks. Fold into the shrimp mixture. Top each bread with the shrimp-egg whites mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Deep fry with the remaining shrimp mixture side down. Place on a paper towel lined tray. Slice into half inch strips. Serve with ready made sweet chili sauce.

happy eating! :)

The magic of cooking

Cooking has always been my passion and that maybe one of the reason why I took up Hotel and Restaurant Management in college. But, true to what other say, "you only learn theoretically in school but it is very much different in the real world. In school we learn by seeing pictures of equipment needed, places to work on (well at least during my time since its not the hi tech age yet which is not so long ago..hehe). But when I started working in hotels, fast food chains and restaurants, it was when I really learned a lot, not only applying those leanings at home at also using them on my business.

This time, I am sharing with you the different kinds of pots and pans that are not found in usual home kitchen..

Brazier - It is a round, broad, shallow, heavy-duty pot with straight sides used for browning, braising and stewing meats. Sizes varies from 11-30 liters.



Cast iron skillet - A very heavy, thick bottomed frying pan used for pan frying when a very heavy steady, even heat is needed.









Marmite Pot - A special metal or earthenware pot with a lid and handles used for long, slow cooking usually 8-12 ounces in capacity

Double Boiler - Two nested handled saucepan equipped with a single cover which is used to cook food over boiling or simmering water or for the purpose of keeping food warm. The lower section holds the boiling water while the upper section holds foods that must be cooked at low temperature and cannot be cooked over direct heat like cream sauce and custards, or melting chocolates. Sized are usually from 11-30 liters.

Roast Pan  - A large rectangular pan, deeper and heavier than an ordinary baking used to roast meats and poultry. It may come with or without rack.

Stock Pot - A large, cylindrical, deep, straight-sided pot for preparing stocks and simmering large quantities of liquids, usually kept simmering all the time and cleaned out and replenished on a regular basis.

Sauce Pan - A medium-deep cooking utensil with one long handle and slightly rounded bottom used with or without cover available in varying sizes from 1/2 to 15 liters.

Fish Poacher - This is a long, narrow pot with straight sides and includes perforated rack used for holding the fish

Bean Pot - A heavy, covered crockery pot made

of crude material used in slow cooking of beans.

Cocotte -  A French casserole, usually a shallow earthenware, cast iron or porcelain dish with a tight-fitting lid.

Dutch Oven - A deep metal cooking pot equipped with a tight-fitting cover used to cook pot roasts and stews for outdoor cooking.

Bain Marie - This may not be small like the regular pots and pans but it contains several pan that are inserted in the "water bath". It heat materials gently and gradually to fixed temperatures, or to keep materials warm over a period of time.




Egg Poacher - A miniature bain marie with an upper dish containing indentations each sized to hold an egg or contains a separate device for poaching

Chaffing Dish - A small portable bain marie used to keep food warm for use at the table, may be electric or alcohol burning




Fondue Service - A food preparation set - up consisting of fondue pot over an alcohol flame and fondue forks, used for cooking and serving cheese or meat fondues.








Omelet Pan - A modern way of cooking an omelet is on a two way
non stick pan that flips to envelope the fillings of a cooked egg

Escargot pan (or snail pan) - A pan containing 6-12 depressions or indentures used for cooking and serving snails.

Chinese Wok (left) - It is a versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel originating in China often used for stir frying, but can also be used in other Chinese cooking techniques, such as in steaming, deep frying, braising, stewing, smoking, or making soup.


Karahi (right)  - It is a type of thick, circular, and deep cooking pot usually used for Indian cuisine.  It is useful for the shallow or deep frying of meat, potatoes, sweets and fish, but are most noted for the simmering of stews



Mushiki or Bamboo Steamer -  are round steamers made from bamboo like those used in Chinese cuisine. They can be 

stacked on top of each other so that the steam can cook many different servings simultaneously. 

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As always, I am sharing a simple recipe with you and this time I wanted to share the recipe for "Prawn Thermidor" which is one of my favorite.

"PRAWN THERMIDOR"

Ingredients:

18 pcs Black Tiger prawns
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups canned button mushrooms, minced
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup white onions, minced
1/2 cup butter

White Sauce:

1 cup All-purpose cream
1 tbsp white onions, minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
Dash of salt and pepper

How to prepare:

1) Butterfly prawns using sharp knife or scissors.

** I use a pair kitchen scissors to make a top slit on the prawns, remove the veins, and cut a little deeper to make a cavity. Be careful not to cut too deep or you will half the prawns. Trim the feelers off the prawns. 

2) Scoop meat out carefully leaving the head intact.

3) Chop meat finely and set aside.

4) In a saucepan, melt butter, add onions, champignons, chopped prawns, parsley and sauté until prawns turn pink . Put 1 tbsp of this mixture in each shell.

6) Top with breadcrumbs, whitesauce and grated cheese.

7) Bake until shells turn red-orange. Occasionally check if meat is moist and tender.

happy eating!