Kitchen Adventure: Going Nuts... Pinoy style!

I have always been fond of peanuts.  I remember when I was still in school, my Mama will buy a packet of groundnuts and boil them for snacks especially during exam weeks.   She would say it's supposed to boost brain power. Fact or myth, I don't really bother anymore, but I did graduate each level with honors. I'd rather think it's the genes and not the peanuts. :))

Here in Singapore, I do chance upon raw groundnuts at the local grocery every now and then.  And there are also roasted peanuts sold in packets on the the grocery racks.  But still how can a Pinoy not miss Adobong Mani? 

Sometimes the cravings come too strong that you feel homesick at the same time.  I can't let this happen!  So I did something about it.  I learned how to cook Adobong Mani! :D

It took quite a while (and a few inedible bags of peanuts) before I learned the proper technique.  Now, I am proud to say, I produce great results and here's proof!

The key is plenty of hot oil and a good arm.

You should use enough oil to cover/submerge the nuts during cooking.  You have to keep on stirring the nuts and garlic mixture in the hot oil.  If you don't stir, you'll get burnt nuts and garlic.  For me, it takes around 15 - 20 minutes of non-stop stirring when cooking 100 grams of peanuts.

This batch of Adobong Mani will be tonight's Cookie movie date snack. <3

Kitchen Adventure: License To Grill

On Monday, after a short excursion to Lucky Plaza, Lord and I passed by the Tang's department store on the way back to the Orchard MRT station.  And so since we're already there, we went to the kitchenware section which I have been meaning to do after having a "cooking show" overload.

I want my very own grill pan! :)

There was one on display, which I thought I want.  It's a cast iron grill pan with a German brand I can't recall.  There's a model with a removable handle so you can pop it into the oven.  The sales person is willing to give me a deal for it, 200 SGD for the display unit, since it's the last piece.  It was enticing, but 200 SGD for a grill pan??!  Quite a lot for an amateur cook like myself.  I think I'll pass and go for a less expensive one which won't break my heart (and pocket) if I accidentally destroy it. :))

A few more minutes of walking around and my feet led me to this item -

It's a 26x26 cm Tefal Grill Pan and it's only under 50 SGD.  And there's no question about it, I taking this baby home! :)
I have grown fond of Tefal cookware after I fell in love with my electric grill, also a Tefal.  Our bread toaster and steamer also bear the Tefal brand.

The rice cooker and immersion blender though are Philips but that's just a force of habit, since my very first rice cooker was also a Philips.  And the Philips immersion blender is the first one I saw at the shop when I went looking for one after seeing it on Chef Michael Smith's show Chef at Home on AFC.

And I threw this into the shopping cart as well, just because it's soooo cute, and it's on a discount. :P

A 12 cm frying pan, also a Tefal.

I should be great for frying eggs, or pancakes, or just for cooking small portions.

According to the salesperson, it used to sell for 16 SGD, but now it's just selling for under 10 SGD.

I did purchase something similar from Daiso at 2 SGD, but it's just so cheap.  In saying cheap, I mean having crappy quality.  But what should I expect for 2 SGD, right?   I still have it sitting in the cupboards but I shall drop it in the chute sooner or later.

Tonight, I will give my new grill pan a trial run.  Tonight's special is Grilled Milkfish with Tomato and Onion Stuffing.  Hope it works out.  I can actually do it on my electric grill, but I am too lazy to take it out.  My kitchen space was significantly reduced after moving to our new flat and I can't really bring out all of my kitchen knick knacks.  I can only fit the essentials on the makeshift counter top at the moment - and that's the rice cooker, the bread toaster, and an electric kettle.  My steamer, juicer, and electric grill will need to stay in the boxes until I require them. Sigh.  How frustrating.  But that's how it goes at the moment.  And so far, it works for me. 

Kitchen Adventure: Peeling and Deveining Shrimp, MasterChef Style

For Catholics, the Lenten season comes with the customary seafood diet.  And for the Cookies, this is the only time I can coerce Hubby Cookie to have seafood instead of the usual meat dishes prepared in our kitchen.

Well, Hubby Cookie's aversion to seafood is not due to an allergy (which he claims to be so).  He's just too lazy peeling them and dealing with the nasty bones.  So whenever we go out for Chili Crabs, I crack the shells and get the flesh out for him.  I am not complaining, but as someone who loves seafood like me, it's just so frustrating to be shelling more than eating them.

So I made a win-win deal with Hubby Cookie.  I am making Garlic Butter Shrimps but with peeled shrimps.  And he gives his nod. :)

Since I am already going out of my way peeling the raw shrimps, I might as well go all the way and devein them as well - MasterChef style! :)  Here's the page from my MasterChef cookbook on how to do it.



At first, I though about leaving the tail for aesthetic effect, but I scrapped that, I might get scolded for leaving a bit of shell on the shrimp.  So, here's my peeled and deveined shrimps.

Peeled and Deveined Shrimps

And here's my Garlic Butter Shrimp!  Dinner was served and Hubby Cookie loved it! He actually went for seconds.  Heeee.. :D

Garlic Butter Shrimps ala Wifey Cookie

There's really no formal recipe for how I do it.  It's just a "cook-by-taste"  technique.  So it's basically coarsely chopped garlic and onion, butter, red chili flakes, and the star of the dish, the shrimps.  A pinch of sugar and salt, and a twist of pepper for some seasoning.

Kitchen Adventure: Garlic Zoom from Chef'n

I was looking through a friend's photo album in Facebook and found a photo of a very interesting kitchen tool.  Now that I am spending a lot of time in the kitchen, I agree that this is a must have for me.

Chef'n's Garlic Zoom. View full product profile here. :)  I wonder if they have a retail shop here in Singapore. Hmmm...