Ever wondered how a pastry like cupcake could be turned into a healthy breakfast? Most of the time, pastries are often treated as desserts. But the chefs from the American Hospitality Academy whipped up this sumptuous delight that you could also serve as fulfilling merienda.
As mouthful as its name, the golden cupcake with bacon bits has the right sweetness but the bacon bits gives it extra flavor.
Here are the ingredients:
1 1/4 cup - all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp - baking powder
1/4 tsp - iodized salt
6 tbsp - unsalted butter
2/3 cup - granulated sugar
3 pcs - egg yolks
1 tsp - vanilla extract
1/2 cup - whole milk
200 g - bacon bits
1 tsp - baking soda
1 cup - strawberry compote
1 cup - blueberry compote
Procedure:
1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
2. Set aside.
3. In a bowl of mixer, use a paddle attachment to beat the butter on high speed until light.
4. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar.
5. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
6. Add vanilla extract.
7. Lower the speed to medium and add the egg yolks one at a time.
8. Scrape bowl after each addition.
9. Turn the mixer to its lowest setting.
10. Alternately beat in the flour mixture and the milk.
11. Remove bowl from mixer.
12. Divide batter into two bowls.
13. Fold in strawberry or blueberry compote.
14. Fold in bacon bits.
15. Fill silicon molds with three-fourths of the batter.
16. Bake in a 350ºF (120ºC) oven.
17. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or when cupcakes springs back when lightly pressed.
18. Plate by piping butter cream icing on top of the cupcakes.
19. Sprinkle some of the bacon bits.
20. Drizzle maple syrup on top.
21. Sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar.
Enjoy this recipe!
March 2009 Archives
By Fung Yu
Contributor
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.5Mb each.
"Welcome to Bohol" the sign says upon landing in Tagbilaran airport. I found myself joining yet another media test drive with Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. for the newly launched Honda City.
The onset of the summer months bring hot and humid weather, more evident as the intense heat of direct sunlight pierce your skin and sweat slowly crept on the insides of your shirt.
Fortunately, it was rather cloudy when we landed; but the photographer instinct in me wished it was rather radiantly sunny.
Famous for its Chocolate Hills, Bohol is an island province in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It comprises of the Bohol mainland plus 75 surrounding minor islands of which the Panglao Island is the biggest. It is also the home province of President Carlos P. Garcia, the fourth Philippine president, who was born in Talibon, Bohol.
Our start of the tour was the Clarin Ancestral House. Built in 1840, this typical Filipino-Spanish stone house was the residence of Don Aniceto Velez, former governor of Bohol and his son Jose Butalid Clarin, former president of the Senate.
Declared by the National Historical Institute as a heritage site, the Clarin House is now converted into a museum that displays a wide range of antiquities dating back to the Spanish and American period. The ground floor, turned into a café called Café Olegario, serves native Boholano delicacies such as rice cakes, hot chocolates, and yams.
Endemic to Bohol are the tarsiers, so called because of the large tarsal bones on their legs that enable them to leap from branch to branch. Tarsiers are sometimes referred to as the smallest primate in the world. These nocturnal creatures have been living for nearly 45 million years with almost no changes except in size.
Tarsiers have the ability to rotate their heads almost 180 degrees in either direction, their eyes are as big as the entire brain, they feed mostly on insects and small vertebrates and is considered as one of the endangered species.
There are four main rivers that run through Bohol, of which, the most famous is the Loboc River where you can find floating restaurants supported by wooden boats. It offers tourists a cruise complete with mouth-watering buffet of fresh catch and native cuisines; and as you slowly boat down-river (and back) in its emerald waters, one gets to be serenaded with folk songs and old melodies. There is even a floating stage where you get to ‘swing it’ with the locals.
The first international treaty of friendship between two people of different races was held in Bohol through a blood compact and is celebrated every year as the Sandugo festival.
On March 16, 1565, Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna of Bohol wounded their left arms with a dagger and let their blood fill a cup with wine, which they both drank in honor of their friendship and brotherhood. This was 44 years after Magellan was killed in the island of Mactan, Cebu.
A commemorative shrine was built in Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City, although after further research, the actual site was found at Hinawanan, Loay, about 17 kilometers away. Today, the Order of Sikatuna is a presidential decoration conferred to exiting diplomats who had served the Philippines with distinction.
Being an island province, Bohol is dotted with numerous beaches. Most well known is Alona Beach in the island of Panglao, just opposite the provincial capital of Tagbilaran City. Alona Beach is blessed with fine powdery sand that rivals Boracay. Alona beach is clean and is home to numerous first-class resorts.
Nestled atop a seaside cliff is the classy Amorita Resort where we stayed. The resort offers first-class amenities and various accommodations ranging from the high-end Ocean View Villas to deluxe rooms. A well manicured garden encircles the resort, with the sundeck and infinity pool offering a panoramic view of the Bohol Sea and that of the neighboring islands. Sunrise bathes the beach with splendor and the golden colors of sunset are equally breathtaking.
The drive to the Chocolate Hills the following day was one of comfort and spectacle. As we cruised along the southern portion of Bohol’s coastal towns, splendid seascapes and old colonial churches greeted us along the way. Arriving in the municipality of Carmen, at the heart of Bohol just before lunch, we saw the majestic Chocolate Hills finally.
These unusual geological formations in Bohol are composed of around 1,268 nearly perfect symmetrical cone-shape mounds of close similar size. The hills are covered in green grass that eventually turns to brown during the dry summer season, hence the name. They were formed by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rain water and erosion over geologic time. The official count for the number of hills is 1,776 and they are scattered throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan with the highest concentration in Carmen.
Bohol certainly doesn’t run out of attractions. Being one of the early islands colonized under the crown of Spain, its numerous Catholic churches attest to the rich past heritage.
There are also several caves in Bohol. The Hinagdanan and the Kamira caves are the most popular and easy to reach. Water falls and spring such as the Mag-aso falls, the Can-umantad falls, and the Tontonan falls provided Bohol with another form of inland attractions.
For divers, Balicasag and Pamilacan islands are teeming with large pelagic fishes and cascading coral walls; they are considered as two of the best dive spots in the country. Furthermore, the waters surrounding Pamilacan Island is also frequented by numerous species of marine mammals, a sure site for dolphin and whale watching.
All VRs taken on March 2-3, 2009. Thanks to Honda Cars Philippines for another successful media test-drive. Portions of text from wikipedia.org and bohol-philippines.com. The author can be reached at: fung@firefly.ph
Endemic to Bohol are the tarsiers, so called because of the large tarsal bones on their legs that enable them to leap from branch to branch. Tarsiers are sometimes referred to as the smallest primate in the world. These nocturnal creatures have been living for nearly 45 million years with almost no changes except in size.
Tarsiers have the ability to rotate their heads almost 180 degrees in either direction, their eyes are as big as the entire brain, they feed mostly on insects and small vertebrates and is considered as one of the endangered species.
There are four main rivers that run through Bohol, of which, the most famous is the Loboc River where you can find floating restaurants supported by wooden boats. It offers tourists a cruise complete with mouth-watering buffet of fresh catch and native cuisines; and as you slowly boat down-river (and back) in its emerald waters, one gets to be serenaded with folk songs and old melodies. There is even a floating stage where you get to ‘swing it’ with the locals.
The first international treaty of friendship between two people of different races was held in Bohol through a blood compact and is celebrated every year as the Sandugo festival.
On March 16, 1565, Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna of Bohol wounded their left arms with a dagger and let their blood fill a cup with wine, which they both drank in honor of their friendship and brotherhood. This was 44 years after Magellan was killed in the island of Mactan, Cebu.
A commemorative shrine was built in Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City, although after further research, the actual site was found at Hinawanan, Loay, about 17 kilometers away. Today, the Order of Sikatuna is a presidential decoration conferred to exiting diplomats who had served the Philippines with distinction.
Being an island province, Bohol is dotted with numerous beaches. Most well known is Alona Beach in the island of Panglao, just opposite the provincial capital of Tagbilaran City. Alona Beach is blessed with fine powdery sand that rivals Boracay. Alona beach is clean and is home to numerous first-class resorts.
Nestled atop a seaside cliff is the classy Amorita Resort where we stayed. The resort offers first-class amenities and various accommodations ranging from the high-end Ocean View Villas to deluxe rooms. A well manicured garden encircles the resort, with the sundeck and infinity pool offering a panoramic view of the Bohol Sea and that of the neighboring islands. Sunrise bathes the beach with splendor and the golden colors of sunset are equally breathtaking.
The drive to the Chocolate Hills the following day was one of comfort and spectacle. As we cruised along the southern portion of Bohol’s coastal towns, splendid seascapes and old colonial churches greeted us along the way. Arriving in the municipality of Carmen, at the heart of Bohol just before lunch, we saw the majestic Chocolate Hills finally.
These unusual geological formations in Bohol are composed of around 1,268 nearly perfect symmetrical cone-shape mounds of close similar size. The hills are covered in green grass that eventually turns to brown during the dry summer season, hence the name. They were formed by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rain water and erosion over geologic time. The official count for the number of hills is 1,776 and they are scattered throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan with the highest concentration in Carmen.
Bohol certainly doesn’t run out of attractions. Being one of the early islands colonized under the crown of Spain, its numerous Catholic churches attest to the rich past heritage.
There are also several caves in Bohol. The Hinagdanan and the Kamira caves are the most popular and easy to reach. Water falls and spring such as the Mag-aso falls, the Can-umantad falls, and the Tontonan falls provided Bohol with another form of inland attractions.
For divers, Balicasag and Pamilacan islands are teeming with large pelagic fishes and cascading coral walls; they are considered as two of the best dive spots in the country. Furthermore, the waters surrounding Pamilacan Island is also frequented by numerous species of marine mammals, a sure site for dolphin and whale watching.
All VRs taken on March 2-3, 2009. Thanks to Honda Cars Philippines for another successful media test-drive. Portions of text from wikipedia.org and bohol-philippines.com. The author can be reached at: fung@firefly.ph
By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net
If you’re having a hard time preparing a dish for your friends who have different taste for food, then I would suggest grilled chicken packets.
With this recipe, you and your friends could choose from a variety of ingredients, which you could turn into this tasty meal.
The ingredients:
2pcs chicken breasts
2pcs White/yellow onion
1pc Green bell pepper
1pc red bell pepper
1 can Corn kernels
2 cups Cooked Brown rice
tt Salt and pepper
1 cup Soy sauce
[as needed] Barbeque sauce
Procedures:
1. Prepare all ingredients and set aside.
2. Prepare packets using aluminum foil and seal sides.
3. Prepare individual packets and drizzle with barbeque sauce.
4. Grill for five to seven minutes per side.
Here’s a tip: Wipe oil inside the foil packets before putting in the ingredients so the rice won’t stick.
Enjoy!
By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net
HAVE you ever tried preparing a grilled eggplant sandwich?
American Hospitality Academy chef Jan Viray shows you how. We call this one grilled eggplant with Feta cheese sandwich. That's a mouthful, but we assure you it's a healthy meal. ;-)
Here are the ingredients:
2pcs Eggplant sliced
1pc canned pimiento sliced
pepper
1/3 cup feta cheese
tsp Lemon juice
¼ tsp dried oregano
pinch red pepper
2pcs foccacia
Here’s how:
1. Grill the eggplants first and then set aside.
2. Combine the pimiento, feta cheese, lemon juice, oregano and red pepper.
3. Mix until it's in spreading consistency.
3. Grill bread.
4. Spread feta mixture on grilled bread and top with feta cheese
Then serve.
Tip: Foccacia bread is best choice for this sandwich because it’s crunchy when grilled. But other types of bread can be used.
Enjoy!
By Fung Yu
Contributor
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.5Mb each.
The historic province of Cavite, situated just south of Metro Manila is home to Island Cove, a sprawling 36-hectare hotel and leisure park. Located in Kawit, this Mediterranean-inspired island is only 45-minutes away from Manila and boast of a wide range of attractions and facilities: Sangley Point and The Fishing Village offer a variety of food choices; the Oceania Water Park offers several giant water slides, pools and other water activities; the Animal Island is a zoo compose of tigers, ostriches, monkeys, crocodiles, variety of birds, and other animals; accommodations consist of 96 hotel rooms and 17 cottages; other facilities include Island Spa, Gym at the Cove, Island Cove Café, Island Songs (karaoke), Patron (an open-air bar), and a function hall.
Being one of the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain at the start of the Philippine Revolution in 1896, Cavite is rich both in historic and cultural attractions. Foremost being the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, the home of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, first president of the Philippine Republic and the site of our proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898. Other attractions like the Bonifacio Trial House in Maragondon, the site of Andres Bonifacio’s court martial; the island fortress of Corregidor, where Filipino and American forces fought against Japanese invaders in 1942 and many notable Catholic churches.
Detour is an event of some 30 bloggers gathered from all over Metro Manila to participate in a variety of challenges ala Amazing Race/Fear Factor. The participants were split into 6 teams of 5 persons each; tasked to find clues, race, sing, waterslide, shoot paintballs, interact with monkeys & crocodile, eat from a random selected dishes of either frog legs, kuhol (snail), pig’s brain, etc.
After about 3 hours of fun, the green team emerged as the overall winner; so amid sumptuous native delicacies of rice cake, puto, banana-q, and bibingka; the awarding ceremony was facilitated by no less than Mr. Gilbert Remulla and other officers of Island Cove; every team gets to toke home a loot bag containing tokens from the sponsors/organizer and a big smile with hopes of returning again next year!
This one-day event was organized by Yehey! to showcase the many attractions and activities of Island Cove.
Island Cove VRs taken on March 5, 2009; Aguinaldo Shrine VR taken on Oct. 2008; Corregidor VR taken on June 19, 2005. Thanks to Elaine and Kankan of Yehey! for the invitation. The author can be reached at:
fung@firefly.ph
Being one of the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain at the start of the Philippine Revolution in 1896, Cavite is rich both in historic and cultural attractions. Foremost being the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, the home of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, first president of the Philippine Republic and the site of our proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898. Other attractions like the Bonifacio Trial House in Maragondon, the site of Andres Bonifacio’s court martial; the island fortress of Corregidor, where Filipino and American forces fought against Japanese invaders in 1942 and many notable Catholic churches.
Detour is an event of some 30 bloggers gathered from all over Metro Manila to participate in a variety of challenges ala Amazing Race/Fear Factor. The participants were split into 6 teams of 5 persons each; tasked to find clues, race, sing, waterslide, shoot paintballs, interact with monkeys & crocodile, eat from a random selected dishes of either frog legs, kuhol (snail), pig’s brain, etc.
After about 3 hours of fun, the green team emerged as the overall winner; so amid sumptuous native delicacies of rice cake, puto, banana-q, and bibingka; the awarding ceremony was facilitated by no less than Mr. Gilbert Remulla and other officers of Island Cove; every team gets to toke home a loot bag containing tokens from the sponsors/organizer and a big smile with hopes of returning again next year!
This one-day event was organized by Yehey! to showcase the many attractions and activities of Island Cove.
Island Cove VRs taken on March 5, 2009; Aguinaldo Shrine VR taken on Oct. 2008; Corregidor VR taken on June 19, 2005. Thanks to Elaine and Kankan of Yehey! for the invitation. The author can be reached at:
fung@firefly.ph
ONE placard read: "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle". Another one said: "Save water, save the trees."
Dressed in orange and green, one group in last weekend's Panagbenga, or Baguio's annual Flower Festival, "accessorized" their costumes with these messages.
Panagbenga is the best and the worst time to be in Baguio--the city already overcrowded as it is with college students from all over, call centers that lure job-seekers from nearby provinces (which gave rise to nightspots like Nevada Square) and yes, Korean tourists.
During the parade, I chatted with Jen Gapasin of the Green City Baguio Coalition, who said her group took advantage of the festival in getting their message across--about their plea to make Baguio "green" again.
Many years ago, a former mentor (from a previous job) once told me about this place called Sagada that he described this way: it was how Baguio looked like before it became a bustling city.
And so I went to Sagada and saw how it pristine and green it was then--though it became less and less so during succeeding visits after seeing many parked SUVs.
So what now Baguio? I have fond childhood memories of spending summer vacations there with cousins who lived along Loakan Airport.
After spending covering the parade tucked inside a sea of people, I was dying to get out of the downtown area. So I took my family to John Hay, the one place I could think of then to get away from the crowd.
But as I was driving on Loakan Road, I noticed that there are less pine trees now and that they looked a lot "green" before. How about being more specific and come up with a slogan like: "Save the pine trees?"
IF you’re a cheese person, you will surely love this cheesy breakfast. In this episode of What’s Cookin’? with AHA, assistant chef instructor Paul Samson demonstrates this easy to prepare French cuisine: cheese soufflé.
The Oxford Companion to Food defines soufflé as a light and frothy dish, which can be savory or sweet, hot or cold. Literally, the word soufflé means puffed up. The hot soufflé traces its origin in the late 18th century.
Ingredients:
Melted Butter (19 g)
Flour (19 g)
Milk (188 ml)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of nutmeg
Egg yolks (3 pcs)
Cheddar cheese (75 g)
Egg whites (3 pcs)
For Dusting: parmesan cheese and butter
I. Procedure in preparing the Bechamel sauce:
1. Spread butter into the ramekin by using a pastry brush. Note: A ramekin is a small glazed ceramic dish used for preparing and serving food such as crème brulee, moimoi or soufflé.
2. Dust the buttered ramekin with parmesan cheese. Note: Parmesan cheese is used to puff the soufflé better. It also adds flavor.
3. Cook roux to thicken béchamel sauce.
4. Melt the butter. Add equal amounts of flour. (cheese sauce on the thick side)
5. Don’t overcook roux. It should be white.
6. Add milk.
7. Wait for 2 to 3 minutes for bechamel sauce to boil to determine its consistency.
8. Add a little bit of salt. (a little bit kasi we will add cheddar cheese)
9. Add a pinch of white pepper.
10. Add pinch of nutmeg
11. Add a little bit of cayenne pepper.
12. While béchamel sauce is hot, add cheddar cheese. When the cheese is added, the béchamel sauce is now called cheese sauce.
II. Procedure in preparing the Cheese sauce:
1. Melt the cheddar cheese. Stir continuously.
2. Before adding the egg yolk, make sure that the pan is not that hot. When cheese has melted completely, add the egg yolks one by one.
3. Using a mixer, whisk egg whites for 4 to 5 minutes. Fold gently. Don’t overmix. Note: Manual mixing takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Combine cheese sauce and egg whites.
5. Baste ramekin with butter. Dust with flour.
6. Pour three-fourths soufflé mixture into the ramekin.
6. Garnish with parmesan cheese on top.
7. Then place the soufflé in pre-heated oven. Bake at 350 F or 175 C
8. Cook it for 8-10 minutes.
Here are some tips in preparing the souffle: Make sure that the bowl is cleaned well or the cheese soufflé will not "puff up." The cream of tartar makes the soufflé puffier and whiter. The main cheese ingredient for this recipe is cheddar cheese but one can opt to use blue cheese for a tastier soufflé.
Another tip: Don’t open the oven. Souffle easily deflates so it is best to serve immediately after baking.
