By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

Did you know that the famous Caesar Salad takes less than 10 minutes to prepare?

With the rising food prices, it seems more economical to prepare dishes such as this famous appetizer, which can also be a fulfilling snack.

A quick history: the Caesar salad was credited to Italian-born Mexican Caesar Cardini. There are several theories as to how the salad was invented. Some historians, citing Cardini’s daughter as source, say the salad was invented when kitchen supplies were depleted in 1924. Another group recounts that the salad was made for aviators that were comrades of Cardini’s brother. Thus it is sometimes called the “Aviator’s Salad.”

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

MAKATI CITY, Philippines–Weeks after the festive New Year, there are still leftover food in the fridge. Instead of tossing them away, why don’t you consider a dish “makeover.” One dish you can do is the Paella.

Paella uses a big pan, called paellera, to cook the ingredients. Traditionally, people gather around and jointly cook. The way it works is that they add and mix meat and other ingredients into the paellera.

Paella is an international rice dish from Spain. The dish is said to have originated from Valenciana, Spain. It included an assortment of pork, beef, rabbit meat or any available meat in the farm. There is also another variety of Paella that includes seafood and chicken. That is why there are two types of Paella: Paella Valenciana and Paella de Marisco.

For this session, Chef Gene Cordova of the American Hospitality Academy teaches us how to prepare traditional Paella Valenciana.

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By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

FOR the past episodes, “What’s Cookin’? with AHA” has been featuring tips on what you can do with leftovers. This time, we’re turning leftover bread into a delectable bread and butter pudding.

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By Marjorie Gorospe

WHAT do you usually do with leftover spaghetti? American Hospitality Academy chef Ricky Cordova shows how you can turn this into a tasty and heart-warming Minestrone soup.

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IT weighs about a kilo and said to feed four people but when I asked the lady at the counter how many people have tried to finish it ALONE, she casually said: “Madalas mga tricycle driver po [Often, tricycle drivers can finish it].”

So with tinged (and later on, foolish) pride, I decided to give it a go. That huge chunk of white doesn’t look so imposing from the outside, even though by my estimate it is thrice the size of the biggest you can find at 7-11.

My strategy was to cut it in quarters, confident I can eat what four people can since it was late afternoon when we arrived at PVL Food Haus and I haven’t had lunch yet.

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By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

SERVING ham especially during the holiday season will surely make your family smile. But after the celebration, you often have ham leftovers. Don’t fret. Chef Ricky Cordova of the American Hospitality Academy shows how you can transform that ham leftover into a soup with your favorite monggo.

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YEARNING for a healthy diet this Christmas season?

First off, going on a diet doesn’t mean that you will deprive yourself of mouthwatering food during this festive season. The word “diet” has been often associated with losing weight but nutritionists argue that dieting is about selecting the right food every meal.

After all the parties that you have had this Christmas season, check what you’ve eaten. Did you have any vegetables in your diet? If you haven’t listed veggies, then why not break the meat meals and still have a festive delight. How? It’s a matter of combining the right food.

Chef Bong Ignacio, seasoned instructor of the American Hospitality Academy, prepared this Chicken Roulade and Chinese Broccoli with Raisins and Cashew nuts for health conscious individuals. Watch this latest episode of What’s Cookin’? with AHA?, and see Ignacio demonstrate two recipes.

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By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

AFTER attending Misa de Gallo, it is often a tradition to partake of the Puto Bumbong, a Filipino lilac-colored delicacy made of steamed glutinous rice inserted in a small bamboo tubes.

Puto Bumbong is a delicacy that is usually seen during the yuletide season. But in Las Pinas, there is a family that sells Puto Bumbong even beyond Christmas. The Jackson family sell this delicacy everyday to customers who enjoy eating it.

Curios to know how Puto Bumbong is made, I asked the family one day to show me how this well-known Filipino delicacy is made.

The process and ingredients are simple.

Here are the ingredients:

1 kilogram of Malagkit mixed with 125 grams ordinary rice
Sugar
1 pc Shredded mature coconut
Food color (violet/lilac)
Butter or margarine
Banana leaves
Water
Pandan leaves

Here are the steps:

Mix the malagkit (glutinous rice), ordinary rice and the food coloring. Let it dry over night. The process of mixing can also be done using a grinder. If the mixture is ready (usually the following day), add Pandan leaves in water that will be used to steam the Puto Bumbong. Heat steamer. Put the rice mixture inside the bamboo tubes leaving enough space where steam can evaporate. After one minute, check the steamed glutinous rice and prepare banana leaves. Spread the steamed Puto Bumbong on the banana leaves. Apply margarine or butter then add sugar and shredded coconut.

So that’s the simple way of preparing Puto Bumbong. You don’t have to fall in line after mass to get one.

Later I learned that the Jackson family serves Puto Bumbong with tea because the tea compliments the sugar applied on this favorite Filipino delicacy.

THE Noche Buena table is not complete without a Christmas Ham. As early as November, you can already see these cured hams being sold in supermarkets. While these commercial hams are cured, you can make it extra special by glazing it with sweetness mixed with a tinge of sourness. How can you do that?

Watch chef Bong Ignacio as he cooks the Pineapple and Star Anise Glazed Ham.

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THEY are golden, round and small yet overly creamy, crispy and sweet. These flavors best describe the cream puffs, which are delectable desserts especially this holiday season. Instead of the usual chocolates, cakes and ice cream for your palettes, try serving a cream puff cake, also known as Gâteau St. Honoré.

Gateau St. Honore got its name from the patron saint of bakers, Saint Honoratus or Saint Honoré who was a bishop in France. According to food timeline, the procedures done in making the Gâteau St. Honoré dates back 17th Century because choux and cream were often used during this time.

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