YAY! The week is over, and I'm now off for two weeks. Thank goodness, because I'm just exhausted. I'll be off to my hometown tomorrow, and hubby will follow suit on Christmas Eve. Which means no meal plan this week, or part of the following week. But! I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope you have been enjoying these first few months of posting and recipes. I might post something after New Year's (especially if we do our usual tradition of making a bunch of appies and snacking until midnight comes along), so until then, happy cooking! Hubby and I went to the Christmas Market yesterday. Despite the rain and the cold, there were LOTS of people miling about, eating bratwurst, stuffed apples or baked potatoes, browsing in the shops, drinking mulled wine, and generally having a good time. We were able to get some brand-new decorations for the condo, and got our fill of the great food and drinks that were available. I sure hope they decide to hold it again next year! If you haven't had a chance to check it out, make sure you do. Whew...this week was one LONG work week. I now only have one more week, and then I get my Christmas break! Very exciting indeed. The week probably dragged because I've been looking forward to the German-influenced Christmas Market (which we are attending this evening). It's the first time that Vancouver has had something like it. The creators travelled to Europe to see the outdoor markets there and figure out how it would work for us, and it was a project that took about three-ish years to accomplish. From what I've been hearing and reading, it's going to be a fantastic time. :D This got me thinking about traditions and the food we always have around the holidays. One of the new dishes that I'm trying next week is very close to a dish my mom used to make every New Year's Eve. It's called arroz caldo, a thick rice soup with chicken pieces. According to Wikipedia, there are several variations of this soup found in Asia and some European countries as well. I'm not sure if it's a family or a Filipino tradtion, but the reason we always had it on New Year's Eve was to ensure good luck and prosperity for the coming year. It's been ages since we've had it, mostly because hubby and I now alternate the holidays with our families. My Christmas dinners growing up were filled with many different Filipino foods along with the traditional turkey. There's eggrolls (more commonly called lumpia), which are filled with a mixture of ground beef, ground pork, grated carrots, minced onions, and beaten egg, then wrapped in a little roll with a wonton wrapper. This was a food prominently featured at pretty much every gathering we ever had at the house (and a food that many of my girlfriends would look forward to every year at my birthday, which they would call "meat things"). I don't make them too often, as they are quite finicky to make, but they are perfect for family gatherings. Next is pansit, which is stir-fried rice noodles with chopped pork or chicken, sliced carrots, celery and onions. One of the reasons it was always at every celebration (especially birthdays) was because it, like with the arroz caldo, represents a long life and good health. The last dish that I've always associated with Christmas is puto (which my mom harsh made fun of me when I pronounced it "pew-toe" and not "poo-toe"). My godmother always made this dish for Filipino potluck dinners, and still does. My mom has since started making them over the holidays when we are in town. It is a steamed rice cake that is very light and fluffy, and can pretty much be eaten anytime. Here is the meal plan for the upcoming week, and links are provided for the available recipes. I may do another post tomorrow and show you guys what we found at the market. Happy cooking! December 12-17 Sunday: Lasagne, garlic bread, salad (this time I'll make sure to take pictures; scroll to the bottom of the "Main Dishes" page for the recipe) Monday: Nothing (Hubby will be off playing games with his friends in the evening) Tuesday: Mini pizzas Wednesday: Thick rice soup with chicken (new recipe, will share if it goes well) Thursday: Panko-crusted pork, rice, veggies Friday: Take-out Ah, fully into the Christmas spirit! The house is decorated, there's a chill in the air, and I know I'll have a White Christmas because hubby and I are going up North for the holidays. :D Over the years, I have very quickly accumulated various kitchen tools and appliances that have made cooking easier for me. There are definitely some items that get used more than others, so here is my top 5: 1. Henckels knives: I used to be completely terrified of using big huge knives, but I've since gotten used to using them (and my confidence was built up by watching Alton Brown's Good Eats episode on knife use and care). It's pretty much a no-brainer that one needs good knives in the kitchen, and one should sharpen them every once and a while at home. I've even seen articles stating that good knives should be professionally sharpened once a year. 2 Garlic press: I use garlic in nearly every dish that I cook, so I was pretty excited when I got my Pampered Chef garlic press. Whenever a recipe calls for minced or pressed garlic, I used to mince the garlic as fine as I could. Now, I use my garlic press. SO much easier, and I can get several cloves done at once. 3. Mini-chop processor: I raved about this before, but that's how much I love using it! Because it is small, it works better for smaller recipes that need processing, and it is much easier to put together compared to my larger food processor. 4. Oxo-brand liquid measuring cups: I love, LOVE these measuring cups. Rather than having to look at the side of the cup when putting in liquids, I can look right inside the cup. It has all the measurements from 1/4 cup all the way to four cups for my large (1 for my small). I have three: two large, one small. 5. Scoop: I acquired this scoop through Pampered Chef. I like using it to make meatballs, cookies, and putting muffin batter into tins. The great thing about it? It's a spring-mechanism that cleans out the scoop and drops it out. Here is the meal plan for the upcoming week, and links are provided for the recipes available. Happy cooking! December 5-10 Sunday: Nothing (hubby has to fend for himself while I'm off supporting the marching band at the parade) Monday: Sweet and sour meatballs, rice Tuesday: Pasta Wednesday: Thai Chicken Soup (for this second time around, I'm reducing the green curry to one teaspoon and using only one red pepper) Thursday: Fire-roasted tomato & Cabrales pizza Friday: Honey-garlic wings, rice, veggies |
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