This food photographer is also a baker

I met food photographer Aldwin Aspillera during a class that kitchen-tested my recipes for Destileria Limtuaco.

In between taking photos of the dishes, my students and I interviewed Aldwin and learned that he was a baker.

His culinary journey began at a young age, surrounded by food. His family owned a small restaurant called Mixmix. His aunt Tessie Lozano owned Pandakeña, a small panaderia in Pandacan, Manila.

Growing up, he felt comfortable in the kitchen, finding great joy in helping whip up their restaurant’s specialties and baking bread at Pandakeña’s.

In 1996, he pursued a Communication Arts degree at De La Salle University, where he discovered photography.

The heart, however, always finds its way home. After 15 years of being a photographer, he could no longer deny his inner calling. Aldwin took short courses at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies and College of St. Benilde to hone his pastry skills.

To him, bread ignites precious memories. He fondly remembered fresh pan de sal coming out of his aunt’s wood-fired pugon.

In February 2013, Aldwin and his girlfriend, Mich Demavivas, opened their own bakery, Tito Panadero, a 24-hour operation that specialized in local breads. While it did quite well, they realized that retail selling was not their thing. Managing the staff also proved difficult. They decided to close the bakeshop.

The closing of Tito Panadero left its old clients, mostly friends who owned small cafes and canteens, without a bread supplier. This led Aldwin to open Crust and Crumb in 2014.

The commissary supplies restaurants, coffee shops and catering companies with different types of bread, based on the customers’ preference. Aldwin works closely with his clients to meet their bread requirements.

Upon our prodding, Aldwin brought samples of his breads. The brioche loaf was fantastic —fragrant, light, with a firm bite. Though soft, it was stable enough to hold moist fillings without becoming soggy—a wonderful, all-around sandwich bread.

The squid ink buns were delightful, too. Like the brioche, it had a nice chew. Don’t be alarmed, it does not taste strange, but rather a well made bun—neutral, with no fishy aftertaste.

And the rainbow bread, what is there not to love? Its soft loaf bread swirled with happy colors. It reminded me of my childhood birthday celebrations. I’m sure the sight of it will do the same for you.

It was the happy colors of the rainbow that led to a tasty conversation on sandwich fillings. Some of my students shared their favorite recipes.


Abby Dichaves’ Chicken and Egg Spread
 
2 whole chicken breast, boiled
and shredded

¼ cup celery, chopped

4- 6 pcs. boiled eggs, sliced

¼ cup carrots boiled and
chopped

Salt to taste

White pepper , pinch

Sugar, pinch
1½-2 c mayonnaise, add
according to preference

Mix to combine. Season to taste

Imelda Tan’s Tuna Apple Spread

2 cans tuna in brine, drained
½ c celery, chopped
¼ c carrots minced
½ c pineapple tidbits,
drained
1 Fuji apple, diced
¾-1 cup Lady’s Choice
sandwich spread, add
according to preference

Mix to combine.

Judy Uy’s Bacon & Egg Sandwich Spread

9 strips of bacon cooked until
crisp, chopped into small bits
6 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 tbsp craisins or raisins
2 chicken legs, cooked
and shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ½ tsp mustard
1-2 tbsp. pickle relish
1 ½-2 c mayonnaise,
adjust accordingly

Mix to combine. Season to taste.

Alicia Yu’s Chicken Salad Spread (shared by daughter Ana Lee)

2 k chicken breast,
thinly flaked
1 k potatoes steamed,
small dice
1 kl carrots steamed,
small dice
2 regular cans fruits cocktail,
drained and cut into small
pieces
2 small cans crushed
pineapple
2½ bottle ( 700 ml )
of Lady’s Choice mayonnaise
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp MSG

Mix to combine.

Aldwin’s recipe

Aldwin also shared his Smoked Salmon Sandwich on Squid Ink Buns recipe.

Cream Cheese Spread: Combine 3 tbsp cream cheese, ½ tsp fresh dill, ½ tsp garlic powder, and a pinch of pepper. Mix well.

1 squid ink bun
Cream cheese spread
3 slices of smoked salmon
2 slices of avocado
1 poached egg

Slice the bun. Spread cream cheese mixture on both sides of the bread.

Lay the salmon. Top with avocados and finish with poach egg.

Other offerings of Aldwin’s commissary include sourdough pan de sal, multigrain and wholewheat bread.

Call 0917-4504688, minimum of four loaves per order. For a copy of my holiday cooking class schedule,
call 0908-2372346, 0917-5543700

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Anthony Bourdain to Release Second Cookbook After 10 Years

Heads up, foodies! After 10 long years, Anthony Bourdain will finally release his second cookbook (the first being Les Halles) entitled Appetites later this year.


The book, which will be published by Harper Collins imprint Ecco Books, will be filled with recipes that he thinks you should know how to cook, a few are inspired by his travels, and some from his home, so we’re thinking American with a touch of French techniques? I’m no cook, but I’m pretty darn excited to get my hands on this as it hits the shelves on Oct. 25.

Meanwhile, Anthony’s assistant Laurie Woolever is the co-author, and the photos inside are all by Bobby Fisher. The surprise cover, which will be revealed this April, will be done by cartoonist Ralph Steadman.

With a lineup like that, we’re really wondering what kind of recipes the culinary bad boy has in store for us. Hopefully, it trickles down to our local bookstores just before the holidays hit so that we can surprise our house guests with our new cooking skills.

[Eater]

source: preen.inquirer.net

Cook Sinigang and Binakol the Japanese Way

The comfort that soup brings on a stormy night is unparalleled. Warm and wholesome, it’s also very healthy as it is one of the most basic dishes known to man and harnesses most of our basic foods.

It’s too bad that we have somehow ruined it by making things quicker. Broth cubes are thrown in water to mimic flavors, or soup packs are opened for that hot, quick fix when really, they’re just salty mixtures that provide only momentary satisfaction.

Cheska Cariño, executive chef of Sabao Soup Bar, wishes to reclaim the way we look at soup, treating the ingredients with much care and respecting them. “It’s the Japanese technique and a healthier way to cook,” she says. On a cold night amid traffic and drizzling rain, we picked the chef’s brain on what makes a good soup.

#1 Start with only the freshest
Chef Cheska tells us, “The most important thing about making good soup is using choice ingredients. For your broth, you want to make sure that the [beef] bones [you use in it are of the] best quality from your trusted butcher. Your vegetables should be at the freshest [state] you can get them [before you] serve immediately. You have to start with the raw materials because anything you start with will show up in your end product.”

#2 Every step is a process on its own
As mentioned earlier, Chef Cheska employs Japanese techniques to classic Filipino soups. This means that every ingredient is cooked separately, according to how you can best maintain their flavor and nutrients. “We simmer the broth for 16 hours. In the broth, we throw in the bones and other meats along with vegetables like sayote. By the time it’s ready to serve, we strain the soup to extract the vegetables that have turned to mush from the heat. What you’re left with is a soup that has fully absorbed all the flavors from your ingredients.”

On the other hand, the vegetables and the choice cuts that go into the soup before eating are cooked on-the-spot. They blanch the vegetables to maintain their crispiness and to not compromise the minerals they contain.

#3 Know your cuts
Two types of meats are needed to make an effective beef base. For your broth, Chef Cheska advises you to use chucks and shanks along with the beef bones. “These are the overworked muscles of the cow, so they are the toughest yet contain the most flavor,” she explains. For the beef served in the dish itself, they use prime cuts like brisket, which are tender and do not require much cooking time lest the taste and softness be compromised.

#4 There are no shortcuts
But how about when you are strapped for time? How can you make a good soup if you don’t have 16 hours?  “There’s no way around it,” says Chef Cheska. “If you want to have good soup, you have to plan at least two days ahead. You can make a big batch of broth that you can simmer down and store in the freezer and can take out whenever you want soup. It’s healthier and you can experiment with the flavors you want.”

When it comes to reheating the soup, you also can’t go about it the easy way. “I would advise that you reheat it over a stove, so you can check the taste of the soup along the way. When you use a microwave, the water will evaporate and the taste will change; it might be too salty. ”

#5 Try unlikely toppings
No matter how traditional sinigang, bulalo, and binakol may be, there are ways to switch up the taste and introduce a new spin to them by choosing toppings that you wouldn’t usually go for. “It might be weird but I like canton with bulalo,” recommends the chef. “For tinola, I always put a lot of pickled ginger which [also] helps in digestion and cleanses your palate. You can also add lemongrass oil. I also have soy egg in it, which is a soft-boiled egg that’s steeped in soy sauce and a mixture of spices.”

Her favorites, singang and binakol, are also not without added toppings. “[I have the sinigang] always with extra chili samba paste, which is based from the other Southeast Asian sambal, but we added sampaloc so you have that added element of anghang-asim. I also get extra gabi and mush it in the soup. I love it with sotanghon and chicken skin with my binakol.”

Sabao Soup Bar. G/F Signa Designer Residences, Valero Street corner V.A. Rufino Street,Salcedo Villlage, Makati City. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For reservations, call (0917) 558-6593.

Photo by Acushla Obusan

source: preen.inquirer.net

3 divas cook up a culinary and musical smorgasbord

Regine Velasquez’s cooking show, “Sarap Divas,” (Saturday mornings, GMA 7) had a particularly interesting telecast recently, with guests Dulce and Jamie Rivera reminiscing about the time when they were invited to fly to New York City to audition for “Miss Saigon.”

The fact that the three singing divas were good friends made the episode a fun treat, and their occasional musical salvos really made our viewing day.

As a TV show host, Regine has a knack for being herself and making her guests feel at home, and the program’s viewers were entertained by the candid anecdotes the three “bonded” singing stars had to share.

Their recollections about “Miss Saigon” were made topically  interesting again by the fact that the hit musical will be mounted anew  in London next year.

Will the lead role of Kim be sung by a Filipina anew? Some of our homegrown singers have been shortlisted for the plum part, so hopes are high that one or two of them will indeed follow in the footsteps of Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson and Jamie herself, and be tapped to play the starmaking role. (Other Filipinas who have played Kim include Jenine Desiderio, and Joanna Ampil.


‘My Puhunan’

Another recent telecast that hit viewers’ sweet spot was Karen Davila’s “My Puhunan” entrepreneurship show, telecast Wednesday afternoons on ABS-CBN.

What makes the program uniquely useful is the way that it clearly shows viewers how they too can double or triple their income by enhancing skills that they already have.

Its motivational impact is strong because it features successful people who used to be poor, but are now making millions—and enabling their workers to make a good living, as well.

The featured entrepreneur last Sept. 11 was the owner of an enterprise that made curtains and furniture. She was tasked to teach and motivate another sewer who was making only a pittance from sewing retazos into cheap wipes for the kitchen and for jeepney drivers.

With her mentor’s help, the impoverished mother of three quickly made the shift to sewing curtains herself—and, she was on her way!

Karen’s show should motivate many other cash-strapped people to similarly generate more income for themselves and their children. It’s a hands-on tutorial that makes no empty promises and insists on hard work and a focused mind-set—so, its viewer-students can become as successful as their assigned mentors have been.

Why not catch the show yourself, and see how it can help you get out of the financial rut you may be in?

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Recurring culinary pleasures

Delicious culinary experiences actually lead foodies to go back to restaurants where they had very satisfying meals coupled with efficient service and pleasant ambiance. Sometimes, we are too conservative that we would rather go back to these dining places rather than try new ones and come out frustrated.

There is one which emblazoned the greeting “Hello, Happiness”—a fitting invitation to a memorable meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Another one, which in its quiet, consistent way, silently beckons those seeking uncluttered ambiance and good food.

Relish

74 Scout Limbaga, Quezon City

Contact nos.: 3525492; 3520774; 0926-6959885

Established by the Almario sisters (of the famed Interior Design outfit) and their other siblings. The clan must all have the Midas—incidentally the name of the hotel that they also outfitted—touch, for they have been literally “hounded” by success.

Relish Restaurant, which first opened in Salcedo Village, Makati City, now has a branch in Kamuning, Quezon City. The place bears the tagline “Hello, Happiness” and, fair enough, one gets very enthused about a joyful dining experience here.

After being extended a courteous welcome, you must take in the romantic ambiance, sit as elegantly as you can muster, and receive the longish, laminated menu card.

Dining area: A foyer by the entrance provides a unique welcome to the guests. It feels like walking into a cozy living room of an upscale house. The romantic mood starts with the lovely settee and chairs with the softest cushions; a duo of geometrically designed towers; and a chandelier hanging from an inverted cone ceiling.

Inside, look around and “relish” the tastefully assembled objets d’art, arranged to blend with the vases of flowers in white and green. There is no unpleasant view across, seen from the glass walls, because the Almario sisters had the walls painted in the colors of the interior with decorative flowers. Even the loos are tastefully done.

Service: Impeccable. There is a greeter at the entrance. You are led to a table, the chair is pulled and the menu handed.

Staff: Mostly males, very neat and elegant in long-sleeved gray shirts tucked into dark trousers. Servicial, as a guest beckons. Unobtrusive but attentive.

Suggested orders: Chona Almario, who is credited for putting together the impressive array of dishes, most of which come from her clan’s heirloom collection, graciously makes her recommendations. For starters, quench your thirst with a very refreshing green drink.

Then select from the regulars, herbs rendering rich flavors on two appetizers: the Gourmet Pesto Cheese spread with a dollop of pesto on top, laced with a tomato-based dip with Melba Toast; and the Amazing Artichoke Dip with Tostitos.

A must is the Roasted Pumpkin Soup, so flavorful it would make you more anxious about what could come next.

An A-1 dish is the Pasta with Wild Mushrooms, so generously laced with truffle oil. This makes you sigh a happy note.

Three recommended mains: Stuffed Grilled Prawns; Slow-Roasted Beef Belly, tenderized for eight hours, turning it very soft that it falls off one’s fork, served with gravy and corn kernels; and Louisiana Pork Chop, amply thick but equally tender, served with apple sauce.

Other bestsellers: Smoked Salmon dip with caviar; Steaks; Lamb Chops; and Grilled Fish. And don’t forget the wines.

You can skip the dessert since the main entrées can be filling. But try a spoon each of the very nutty Sans Rival, the perfect Chocolate Cake and the light Bread Pudding.

Service and government charges are added to the bill. Senior cards are honored.

*****

Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant
G/L Robinsons Magnolia, Hemady Street, Quezon City

This chain, which got popular through word-of-mouth recommendation, has successfully spread its wings to many parts of the metropolis from its beginnings in BF Homes, Parañaque. It all started when the three Conti sisters introduced a line of fabulous, towering cakes which captured the fancy of sweet-tooth city dwellers. Later, they expanded to full-service restaurants and a very active catering service.

Dining area: All Conti’s restaurants have been given a new look, but most retain the original green-and-yellow motif. The resto’s new branch on Hemady took on a new color scheme—beige and chocolate brown.

The place is homey and soundproof. The Baked Products section is separate but accessible from the main door.

Service: Fast and efficient.

Staff: Neat in their uniforms, accommodating.

Suggested orders: The Filipino comfort food is what brings us back to any Conti’s branch, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We give a 10 for its Tapa with Garlic Sinangag and Fried Egg. The meat is very soft, the seasoning a perfect blend of sweet and salty.

The Pancit Palabok is just how our dedicated, late Tia Bana would do it—tender rice noodles bathed with atsuete-colored sauce, with no evidence of too much thickening starch.

Other choices: Salmon comes in baked, sinigang, grilled or salpicao varieties.

Never skip the desserts: tall Viennese Mocha Torte; Oreo Cheesecake; or any pastry.

Service charge and government taxes are added to the bill. Senior cards are honored in all outlets.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net