2009 July | The Delicious Cooking

July 31, 2009

4th World Love Pilates/Surfing/Volunteering Retreat – Baja 2010

Filed under: Baja Travels — The Delicious Cooking @ 10:43 am

So, we've opened the books on our very next 4WL Pilates Retreat and this time, we're on the Pacific coast, at the off-grid, solar-powered Prana del Mar. Our good friend Kathleen Conklin is running the Pilates sessions, and we're running the rest of it (surfing, volunteering, whale watching, fitness bootcamp, Todos Santos day trips). All organic/healthy meals are included, and so is a killer surfing session..plus you can help out some endangered sea turtles!

This one is 7 days/6 nights and is $1850 single and $1450 shared. Lots of amazing things going on for this one and the awesome news is that every single penny for you is a write-off cause it's all 4th World Love fundraising. Super cool...

Check out the site here and hope I see ya there!

Some features of Prana del Mar: solar-heated pool, chill-out bar, spacious club house, zen meditation room, indonesian teak and rattan furnishings, organic cotton sheets, bamboo-laid pilates studio

What the retreat includes:

2 pilates lessons per day, all mats

roundtrip airport transport

day trip to funky todos santos

all healthy meals (3x per day)

whale watching from beach

AWESOME surfing lesson

VOLUNTEERING with endangered sea turtles

bootcamp fitness sessions

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Zucchini and Tomato Gratin

Filed under: Grow Your Own, Vegetables, cheese, gluten-free, low-fat, tomatoes, vegatarian — The Delicious Cooking @ 1:00 am

We’ve reached that magical point in the summer where the tomatoes are starting to ripen. For a couple days we brought in only a handful of sweet cherry, grape, sun gold, or yellow pear tomatoes, but in the last few days we’ve brought in almost nine pounds of tomatoes and have more on the way. [...]

Visit Andrea's Recipes to get the recipe!

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July 30, 2009

News! News! Nudes! News!

Filed under: lemeritage, sucre, tariqhanna — The Delicious Cooking @ 9:47 pm

What?

Local hero Tariq Hanna will appear in an episode of Ultimate Cake-Off. Tariq, who is the executive pastry chef at Sucre, has a lot of experience in these kind of competitions, and while these shows are not always my cup of tea, his appearance on the Food Network's "Incredible Edible Mansion" Challenge was pretty awesome. I'm fond of the guy, so I suppose I'm not objective, but Good Luck, Tariq! Sweep the knee! Eye of the TIger! Polish the Turnip!

WYES is just starting the 18th annual Season of Good Tastes event, in which local restaurants put on multi-course wine dinners to benefit our public television station. The restaurants participating are pretty great, so check out the website in the link above, and see if one of them fits your schedule and your taste.

On Saturday, August 15th, Le Meritage restaurant will host a "Wild Caught Shrimp Dinner" in connection with the New Orleans Chapter of the Slow Food Movement, to Benefit Shrimper Ray Brandhurst and his Family. Ray has been diagnosed with Stage Three Lung Cancer, and he and his wife Kay have limited health insurance as well as young children. They're popular vendors at the Crescent City Farmers Market, and they can use your help.

The dinner starts at 7, and goes to 10 p.m. The cost is $75 per person, including wine pairings with each course. The Maison Dupuy Hotel, in which Le Meritage is located, will also offer rooms for $69 per night for guests attending the dinner, which is nice.

That is all for now, children. Try not to maim yourselves until my next update. If you do maim yourselves, do not blame me.

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Cookbook Collection

Filed under: Cookbook, Illustrations, Thrift, Vintage — The Delicious Cooking @ 5:12 pm

This blog actually started out (almost five years ago!) as a paean to cookbooks and a document of my obsession with them. After a while, it turned a corner and became more about food: what I was cooking, eating or feeding to others. I think it has a bit of a slant towards entertaining, but that's because I really enjoy and sharing tips and tricks with my readers. But, I think whether we are talking about eating, cooking, shopping, feeding or entertaining, the flowering of my thoughts still stems from cookbooks.

As mentioned before, one reason I pick-up a vintage cookbook is for the illustrations. Drool-worthy photography seems so integral to cookbooks today, but I think it's much more interesting to see how publishers made their tomes visually interesting without the ability to add a giant, color photograph to each page. That said, I have stacks and stacks of cookbooks, so I have to be careful about my choices. Right? But, when thrifting at the St. Vincent de Paul in Madison, I couldn't resist picking up a few treasures.

Next time you're over, we can thumb through a couple of my favorites and I'll show you the best of my collection.

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Misty Made the 30-Day Mark!

Filed under: Cool Stuff I'm Working On — The Delicious Cooking @ 4:49 pm

Remember how I said I was gonna stay put in one place for 30-days? Well I did do it, thank you very much. Down to the exact 30-day moment. Then I went to Baja and now I'm taking off on a bigger excursion - sailing in the Carib.

Basically, I'm gonna spend the next few weeks on another couples 75' schooner island hopping down in the Caribbean. They have their own diving gear and compressor, which is incredible + since I will be crewing, it will make for a massive learning experience. Which I always need. I forget things the moment I learn them and I'm hoping that a 2-week immersion into full boat life will sear some things into my forgetful skull.

Plus, I just need a break. This summer has been hectic - hard to believe, but it really has. And, when I take on projects, I get madly obsessed, so I just need to release my brain a moment and let it flow and then I can start to really define what I want to do with the next 50 years of my life. It's just that simple.

Meanwhile, 50 years? Try, what's for dinner? Escapades like this really are balm for the soul, though. You gotta challenge yourself or ya ain't moving up/down/sideways. And as we all know, stability isn't a word that eases my mind. Mobility on the other hand is nice. Constantly searching for a way to mish-mash the two is golden...

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Enlighten Me, Smartphone People!

Filed under: Uncategorized, breakaway, breakaway cook, eric gower, iphone, palm pre, vook — The Delicious Cooking @ 3:41 pm

Dearest breakaway cooks, I’ve lately been a convert to the Palm Pre. I like it better than the Iphone for three chief reasons: it feels better in the hand, it has a way cheaper plan, and you can open tons of apps simultaneously on Sprint’s fat pipe with no slowdown in speed. The only downside to [...]

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Review: Paya Serai @ PJ Hilton

Filed under: Malay, Petaling Jaya — The Delicious Cooking @ 11:16 am

Edited 11:21am to add Bangsar Babe's link.

Capt'n Hook and I have the opportunity to check out Paya Serai (certified Halal) at PJ Hilton last week courtesy of PJ Hilton and theQguides.

Cumi & Ciki, The Nomad Gourmand, Places and Foods, Bangsar Babe and us were ushered into a room for a briefing right before dinner. Frat's boss started off first before Cindy of PJ Hilton introduces Zest, PJ Hilton's blog to us. I find it really cool for a hotel to have a blog to update patrons of what they have to offer plus the latest promotions and such. It's sooo different from the other hotels which I find them errmmm cold?? Zest is so informative as you can see all outlets from rooms to restaurants and the hotel's activities. Such a nice way to reach out instead of calling up asking for promos held.

We have to draw lots to decide which restaurant we get to go out of Toh Yuen, Genji and Paya Serai and we got ourselves Paya Serai! I'm so shy to admit that the last I stepped into Paya Serai was definitely more than 10 years ago for a Ramadhan buffet. Paya Serai was very popular then and I really had a shocked when I see tables being set right along the corridor and walkways surrounding the restaurant. I was told that Paya Serai is still very HOT up till now for Ramadhan buffet and the same scenario exist year in year out even though they have set up the ballroom for the buffet with the same line up but yet patrons would insist to be seated in the restaurant.

Staying true to their Malay heritage, this year the buffet will carry the Citarasa Kampung theme, special lines have been provided for you to make your Ramadhan buffet reservation. Call +603 7955 9122 ext 4260/4261 now! Cindy told us that they have started to receive reservations since 3 weeks back so hurry ok. *whisper* Psssttt don't say I didn't inform... the first 3 days have special pricing in conjunction of PJ Hilton's 25th anniversary. Shhhh check the details here.

Paya Serai has given an uplift and it certainly looked more contemporary now. I was told the current theme is Malay cuisine. I toured the buffet lines and stations... very impressive indeed. So much so that I was traipsing up and down deciding what to place on my plate until Head Waiter Andy had to ask me if I needed any help :p

There were Asian appetisers - satay, different types of keropoks (crackers), ulam and salted fish to go with the various sambal and dips.

Western appetisers were served as well and I am delighted to annouce that they serve real SALTED butter. I have to cos I know FBB, Nigel and Capt'n Hook really hated it when establishments offer unsalted butter :D

So many traditional Malay dishes were offered which make it really hard for me to list them all down!!! However, spotted were various rendangs and curries, gulai ikan masin, briyani gam, and etc. I didn't get to try all though :p but those that I've tried were good. We loved the grilled sotong with air assam, yums.

Other than Malay, there were Western, Indian and Chinese goodies ranging from pasta, tandoori chicken, rotis, stir-fried loh shue fun (rice noodles) and I could go on and on but just check out the pics here...

The best part of course was the dessert line. I was impressed with the traditional Malay goodies like badak berendam, putu kacang, wajik, akok (a Kelantanese dessert), kek lapis, cendol and so forth. The best one that really took the cake was serawa durian!!! Yes no kidding ok, a hotel serving durian dish when durian is banned from the rooms hahaha... Even though it's cooked but the smell is still pungent, sorry Cindy :p Capt'n Hook and I loved this and hopefully I can re-create this, hey, what a brilliant idea, I could make this for our virtual open house!!!

Western desserts were available as well like cakes, cheesecakes, puddings, ice-cream... Just like Bangsar Babe, I loved their Bread and Butter Pudding but mine's the chocolate version which is soooo chocolaty. I told Andy that this gave me a great idea to come out with my own version.

Capt'n Hook loved the fruits selection as it's totally different from the usual papaya, watermelon and honeydew melon!!! There were starfruit, dragonfruit, langsat, mata kuching, pulasan and buah salak!

We adjourned to Uncle Chilli's thereafter with the rest of the floggers and partied till way after midnight :p Errr we were given special treatment and got targetted by the beauties from the band Manila Spice. Some of us retreated to the back so much so that Elaine (also from PJ Hilton) shouted "all cowards" kekeke *ahem*

Uncle Chilli's seems to be back in the PJ limelight with theme nights held. There was Nurse Nite... just check out the photos, so happening eh! There is also Bunnies Nite with the grand finale coming up just this Sat (1 August)... imagine 12 pole-dancing bunnies in their sexy outfits serenading you... so you party people - be there or be square!

Thank you Cindy, Elaine, Andy and Ruban of PJ Hilton and Lisa, Jek and Frat of theQguides for the hospitality.

Check what others have to say:
Cumi & Ciki
The Nomad Gourmand
Pillow Talk with Bangsar Babe

Do check my flickr album for the variety of dishes available.

Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel
No 2 Jalan Barat,
46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: (+603) 7955 9122

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July 29, 2009

Hot Spice, Cool Friends and a Warm Heart

Filed under: Blog — The Delicious Cooking @ 8:54 pm

Spur-of the-moment weekend meals are a great way to catch up with old friends before facing the chaos of the coming week. So when two of my favorites called from Sonoma, I invited them for dinner on their way home to the city. I wanted super simple food packed with the flavors of the season [...]

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Chocolate Gelato with Hazelnut Praline

Filed under: Dessert, chocolate, ice cream, nuts, vegetarian — The Delicious Cooking @ 1:33 pm

I have very fond memories of tasting gelato on my trip to Italy way back when, but my first taste of gelato didn’t happen in Italy; it was actually in Bogota, Colombia. Centro Andino was a pretty new shopping center when I lived in Bogota in the early 90s, and they had a gelateria that [...]

Visit Andrea's Recipes to get the recipe!

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The Pacific vs The Sea of Cortez

Filed under: Baja Travels — The Delicious Cooking @ 12:09 am

I don't think people realize just how different the Sea of Cortez is from the Pacific. Above is the SoC taken from the plane as it was about to land in Cabo. Below is the Pacific, on a small beach near Todos Santos. So close and clearly so far.

Those who have done the Baja will steer toward the Sea of Cortez cause it's so much wilder than the Pacific. In it's sheer breathtaking beauty, for one. The Pac can see untouchable, frothing, seething and brave. The SoC is more remote, kind, spellbinding, and magnetic. They both bring ya back for more, once you've tried 'em. Both can be incredibly deadly. As all good things are.

The poor Atlantic. All plain and shallow. Dusty and boring. Before anyone goes flipping out, please do prove me wrong. I beg of you.

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July 28, 2009

I Chowtutted Last Week

Filed under: "quick food", Salad — The Delicious Cooking @ 11:50 pm

Sorry for not updating, I've no mood for it since I received a horrible news on Sunday that my colleague had passed away suddenly. Totally unexpected and I'm very saddened by it. Well, just to move along, lemme post something that don't need to use much of my brain juice and energy.

Well, I chowtutted# last week with a wedding dinner on Fri & Sat, family dinner at Zun Kitchenette on Sun, a crawl along Changkat Bukit Bintang on Wed followed by a lavish buffet at Paya Serai, PJ Hilton on Thur (post will be up once I come out from my comatose).

So this week, I've been having salads for lunch. Monday was just a plain salad of leaves, carrots and roasted bell peppers (capsicum) with a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar plus some sea salt and sprinkling of freshly grounded black pepper. Sounds and look pathetic horrr? What to do, I don't have a wife who can make me a sauteed mushroom salad :p

Got busted though with a small slice of Apple and Cinnamon Tea Cake at 5pm! Yesterday I had Ipoh Sar Hor Fun at a kopitiam at The Weld, considered quite light. Managed to tide me till 7pm.

Today, my salad errrm seems very lavish as compared to Monday's. I just dunk in whatever I could find at home. Some butterhead, carrots, orange slices, chunks of pear, one hard boiled egg and roasted bell pepper. Invented a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tbsp lemon juice, pulp from one passionfruit, seasalt and black pepper. Surprisingly this dressing rocks, gah if only I can get passionfruit at the snap of my fingers!

# CHOWTUT [chow-tut]
- noun / verb
An excessive dose, especially of food or alcoholic beverage
"Wahhh! Last night I chowtut at Changkat!"
"That fella sleeping la... he chowtut for lunch"
(definition by Integricity employees)

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Celebrate National Panini Month with Sargento Cheese for Delicious Results

Filed under: Paninis, Paninis and Sandwiches, Recipes, Reviews, Sargento Cheese, panini recipes, sandwiches — The Delicious Cooking @ 11:05 am

Heavenly Sargento Vermont White Cheddar Cheese Joi’s Newest Obsession: Vermont White Cheddar Cheese from Sargento

As you know, I have an admitted obsession with Paninis AND cheese – and I’m delighted by the fact that the two hook up so beautifully. Come on,really, does anyone even approach a panini that isn’t wearing cheese?!?! If they ever did, it was probably just to laugh.

Thanks to the economy and the fact that we all want to serve our family more healthy meals, Paninis are hugely popular. With nearly 82% of consumers listing natural cheese among their favorite filings in hot grilled sandwiches/panini, Sargento has declared August as National Panini Month.

As part of the celebration, Sargento has partnered with Jason Denton, professional chef and author, to offer consumers new panini recipes for each day in August with an online National Panini Month Calendar at www.sargentocheese.com.

I preach so much about buying quality ingredients that many people mention it in e-mails. One cook from Louisiana recently told me about a cookie mishap she had. In part of the note, she said, “You’re going to want to pinch me, but I used the cheapest shortening (instead of Crisco) and I used 79 cent vanilla extract.” I told her that, first of all, I wouldn’t pinch her – I’m a kicker – but that I owed her a huge kick in the seat of her pants for the cheap-o vanilla.

You see, if you want superior results, you almost always have to use superior ingredients. There are exceptions, of course, but when in doubt and when possible – go with the better quality ingredients. It makes SUCH a difference – in most foods, especially chocolate, coffee beans, vanilla, shortening (unless your bricking your house and need mortar), butter, and MOST DEFINITELY cheese.

Sargento Cheese tastes like deli cheese. It’s unbelievably smooth and delicious. I guarantee you’ll be able to taste and even feel the difference.

I recently tried the newest varieties Sargento has to offer:

Sargento Sharp Provolone sliced cheese is aged 60 days and boasts a bold taste, along with a smooth and creamy texture
Sargento Reduced Fat Pepper Jack sliced cheese is the only national brand of sliced cheese available in dairy cases nationwide to combine the great bold flavors of both jalapenos and habaneros
Sargento Vermont Sharp White Cheddar sliced cheese was a former “Limited Edition” cheese that has been reintroduced to grocery stores nationwide as a permanent item as a result of popular consumer demand for its creamy texture and naturally aged full bodied taste

I love each one but would walk across glass with bare feet for just one tiny piece of the Vermont Sharp White Cheddar cheese. It is so incredibly delicious, I can’t even BEGIN to describe it. My oldest daughter fell head over heels in love with the also delicious Provolone. The Reduced Fat Pepper Jack was also a huge hit in our household – no one ever suspected that this cheese had lost weight. It’s as delicious as ever and a roast beef panini isn’t the same without it on board.

I’ve used the Provolone Cheese on ham and turkey and the White Cheddar is perfect for every meat imaginable. It’s also perfect RIGHT OUT OF THE BAG. Sometimes I try to make myself feel a little classier by putting some on a Ritz Cracker (SO good!), but late at night, I can be found grabbing a slice right out of the bag and noshing away happily like a cat with salmon.

My daughter Brittany is a vegetarian, so these amazing cheeses make perfect paninis for her – so much flavor and variety. Sauteed mushrooms, onions, and red peppers combine deliciously with just about any variety of Sargento cheese. I love to combine the cheeses for extra special paninis and Britt LOVES to see Pepper Jack and Cheddar team up. The contrasting flavors are sheer Heaven.

Be sure to visit http://www.sargentocheese.com/ during August for a new Panini recipe each day. You know I’ll be there with my printer purring and my mouth watering.

Post from: Recipe Blog and Food Blog With a Southern Accent Follow me on Twitter! @JoiTaniaSigers

Celebrate National Panini Month with Sargento Cheese for Delicious Results

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Healthy Snacks for Kids and Some Great Advice to Get Hooked On

Filed under: Health and Fitness, healthy eating, healthy snacks — The Delicious Cooking @ 9:47 am

Pirates Booty

Back to School: Brown Bag Makeover

Pirate’s Booty Offers Tips on a Healthier Start to the School Year

As the blissful summer days packed with ice cream, Italian ices and barbeque come to an end, your readers will be thinking about starting their kids off right when they return to school by packing delicious, but nutritious lunches.

Pirate’s Booty, the makers of delectable crunchy air-puffed snacks baked with all-natural ingredients, first developed its products specifically for kids in 1986 – before healthy snacks even hit the marketplace. The motto at Pirate’s Booty is that no matter the age – tot to teen – children need to learn how to eat healthy and balanced to sustain good eating habits for life.

Luckily, Pirate’s Booty’s resident pirate and healthy living expert is here to offer some healthful tips for a “Back to School: Brown Bag Makeover”:

Don’t Be a Son of a Biscuit Eater – Trade in the white bread for slices of whole-grain or a whole wheat wrap instead.
Lay Off the Meat Pie – Opt for leaner meats like turkey or chicken that are low in fat, but high in protein, so your child can grow up big and strong.
Open the Hatch – Expand the range of foods in your child’s repertoire to include a little from each food group – grains, protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables.
Cut the Sugar, Scallywag – Avoid over sugary snacks and cakes and your child will surely avoid the inevitable energy crash and possible weight gain.
Avast ye the Salt – Super salty snacks can dehydrate a youngling, so watch the sodium intake.
Don’t Drop the Snack Anchor – Noshing on whole grain snacks that are low in sugar will keep a child’s energy up for that big test in between breakfast and lunch.

Pirate’s Booty is a delectable crunchy snack made from puffed rice and corn and is the perfect fit for the “Don’t Drop the Snack Anchor” tip above. Pirate’s Booty is baked with all-natural ingredients, is low in fat and is gluten and trans-fat free. The company even added two new flavors to the Pirate’s Booty line – Bermuda Onion and Sea Salt & Vinegar are on shelves now. The new flavors enhance “The Original Puff” family that includes Aged White Cheddar, Veggie, Barbeque and Caramel. The great subtle flavors will have you craving more!

Other great-tasting snacks include Smart Puffs; all-natural baked corn puffs made with real Wisconsin cheddar and Original Tings; all-natural vegan crunchy corn sticks.

Now, look out for Pirate’s Booty six packs at your local grocer – the one ounce bags are the perfect addition to a healthy lunch.

We hope you’ll be inspired to live a little healthier and have fun while doing it! Let’s weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!

Robert’s American Gourmet Food, LLC.

Robert’s American Gourmet Food, LLC., a manufacturer of all-natural snacks including Pirate’s Booty, Smart Puffs and Original Tings, was established in 1986 and is located in Seacliff, NY. Robert’s American Gourmet products are sold in the US and Canada. For more information visit: www.piratesbooty.com

Post from: Recipe Blog and Food Blog With a Southern Accent Follow me on Twitter! @JoiTaniaSigers

Healthy Snacks for Kids and Some Great Advice to Get Hooked On

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