House Specialty: Chicken Ovary Adobo

Adobong Bahay Itlog ng Manok

Cow's tongue and beef tripe? Yes and yes.
Pig's face, intestines and blood? Mm-hmm, uh-huh and yup.
Chicken feet, gizzards and ovaries? Check, check and triple che-- say what?

I am not put off by offal. In fact, some of my favorite meals are made of 'nasty bits': I love lengua (tongue) in tacos and estofado (Sp. 'stew'), while tripe is tops in callos a la Madrileña and Mexican menudo¹. Mr. Noodle and I enjoy dinuguan (pork blood stew) and papaitan (goat bile soup) in all their gamey, slightly spicy, chock-full-of-intestines-and-who-knows-what-else glory. Even the Pupster gets his fair share - whenever there's lechon at a family gathering, my relatives know to set aside the ears and tail just for him.

Poultrywise, Mr. Noodle is particularly fond of chicken gizzards, especially the sweetish, smoky inasal (barbecue) skewers from Salcedo Saturday Market that have supplanted my stir-fried recipe as his current favorite. As for me, I've been known to inhale braised chicken feet doused in tausi (fermented black beans) sauce, heartily feast on grilled hearts and nibble unflinchingly on stewed cockscomb. There's not much from a chicken that I haven't tried... or so I thought.

During a recent Salcedo market run, I spotted several bags of what appeared to be separated egg yolks displayed alongside freshly butchered chickens. When I wondered aloud why anyone would sell sacks of already cracked eggs, my mother's amused look was tinged with dismay at having produced such an ignorant child. "Those are bahay itlog," she clarified. "They're chicken ovaries."



A Sack of Egg Sacs

Literally translated as 'egg house', bahay itlog is the part of a hen's reproductive organs from which a chicken egg starts its development. The orangeish balls in those bags were indeed yolks but at the pre-insemination stage, before the albumen (egg white) and shell form around them just prior to laying. Seeing the visceral strands of pearl-like spheres varying in size from peas to ping pong balls brought to mind fluffy, chirpy chicks that would never be. I recoiled in universal female empathy; sure, I've eaten balut, but this was... different. For the first time, I understood why some guys wince at the thought of eating Rocky Mountain oysters.

However, my curiosity proved stronger than my sense of interspecies sisterhood and repulsion quickly turned into fascination. I had never seen or heard of chicken ovary dishes before, much less tasted them. According to my mother, bahay itlog is considered quite the delicacy. She recalled how they were prepared only on those occasions when the family cook purchased a laying hen² by chance and discovered the egg sac as the old bird was being readied for the pot. As it turns out, what's good for the chicken is good for its ovaries, too - the unlaid eggs were (and still are) commonly added to simmering chicken adobo.

The Multicultural Ovum

Of course, Filipinos are not the only ones who appreciate the tasty qualities of immature ova. A 2007 New York Times article, "What the Egg Was First", described how Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill Farm and restaurants in New York and Connecticut, began experimenting with innovative ways to incorporate unlaid eggs into the menu. His recipes were new but their main ingredient was long familiar to staff and colleagues from such varied cultural backgrounds as Dominican, Goan and Alsatian. In the latter two, the not-quite-eggs were simmered (in curry and soup, respectively), a favored way of cooking them in other cuisines as well.

Never been laid...

In Jewish cookery, bahay itlog are known as eyerlekh (or ayelach, 'little eggs' in Yiddish) and are added to classic chicken soup; they are similarly found in traditional recipes for Portuguese canja de galinha (chicken broth) and Vietnamese pho ga (chicken and rice noodle soup). Proving to be culinary contrarians, the Japanese prefer their ovaries served as a type of yakitori (grilled skewered chicken) called kinkan, which is also the word for the kumquat fruit they so closely resemble. Here in the Philippines, adding them to chicken adobo is the most popular preparation - keeping it in the family, as it were.

Not one to pass up an opportunity to try something new, I bought a bag of bahay itlog, muttered an apology to all reproductive females in the universe, and headed home to expand my culinary horizon another nasty bit more.

Notes

1. As opposed to Filipino menudo, which uses primarily pork meat.

2. It's very unlikely that you'll find butchered hens with ovaries intact at the supermarket. Instead, talk to your local butcher or poultry farmer about procuring them fresh.

Adobong Bahay Itlog ng Manok 
(Chicken Ovary Adobo)

My mother cautioned against refrigerating bahay itlog and insisted they be cooked immediately. I couldn't find any information online to support or disprove her advice about storing them, but it was just as well to take full advantage of absolutely fresh ingredients. Besides, family members (*ahem* Mr. Noodle) may not appreciate opening the fridge to find a bag of reproductive organs just sitting there beside the Greek yogurt.

Most of what I've read about the texture of cooked unlaid eggs describe them as either creamy and velvety, or chewier than a rubber ball. With a recipe like adobo for which a long, slow simmer is ideal, achieving the former is a matter of timing that may be difficult to hit, while risking the latter by overcooking the eggs is a definite possibility. My compromise was to add the yolks toward the end of cooking and watch them diligently, rather than leave the pot to simmer at leisure as I would normally do for adobo. Thankfully, I managed to produce balls of mildly yolk-y flavor, a consistency closer to that of hard-boiled egg white and the appearance of plump kumquats, as Japanese yakitori-lovers had astutely observed.

I'm happy to say that the dish was quite satisfactory over all and even earned my mother's proud approval. Not an ignorant child after all...


Ingredients

2 cups of bahay itlog, yolks separated from membranes and gently rinsed (I'm not sure how many separate ovaries were in the bag I purchased, but this was my yield.)

2 Tbsps canola oil, divided
1 lb (500g) boneless chicken thighs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup cane or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 bay leaf

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken pieces, then remove and set aside;
2. Add another 1 Tbsp of oil and sauté garlic and onion until soft and fragrant. Return chicken pieces to pot and toss to mix;
3. Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked;
4. While still simmering, gently add the bahay itlog to the pot, but do not stir immediately to prevent them from breaking. Cover and continue simmering for another 7-10 minutes, until the yolks start to cook;
5. Uncover and very, very gently, start tossing the mixture so that the yolks are in the sauce. You can also ladle the cooking liquid over the eggs to help them along. As the yolks cook, they will turn a lighter, more opaque yellow and will feel more firm.
6. Test one egg to make sure it's done, then remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes before serving. Served with steamed rice.

As with all adobos, this recipe benefits from being served a day or two after cooking. Just be sure to allow it to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator, then heating it back up slowly to avoid drying out or overcooking the meat and eggs.

Do you know of other recipes for chicken ovaries? If so, please share!

Lamb, Lentils and Moriones: Easter in Marinduque

Braised Lamb Shank with Lentils

It's no Easter Parade.

At the stroke of midnight, Mr. Noodle and I will join the annual paschal exodus from Metro Manila to the outlying provinces, beginning with 2-hour drive to the port Lucena in Quezon province. From there, we'll board a ferry, colloquially known as a RoRo (as in, 'roll on, roll off') for a relatively short cruise to the island province of Marinduque. It may not be the Queen Elizabeth 2, but it beats an actual row boat, which might have been our only other option, thanks to my incorrigibly procrastinating ways.

Still calibrated to the American holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas as the travel periods to avoid, the husband and I nonchalantly delayed purchasing our airfare until they were nearly sold out. We managed to score return tickets, but were left scrambling for alternative arrangements for the first leg of our trip; hence, a 2-hour ferry ride in the wee morning hours during which one of us must remain awake to guard our luggage and the precious bag of Crunchy Cheetos substituting for our traditional travel snack of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers.

It's not all that bad, really. Although the seats are of the moulded-plastic variety, onboard concessionaires offer mostly hard-boiled eggs and instant noodle cups, and the condition of the restrooms can quickly deteriorate, the ship is clean, spacious and steady for the most part. When we arrive at the Port of Balanacan, I hope to see the towering figure of the Virgin Mary that welcomes ships to the harbor illuminated by the morning sun.

Virgin Mary at Balanacan Port, Marinduque

Mr. Noodle and I will celebrate Easter with my family in Mogpog, the birthplace of the Moriones Festival. This colorful, interactive weeklong celebration commemorates the story of Saint Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced a crucified Jesus' side with a spear and whose blind eye was subsequently cured by a drop of Christ's blood. This story and that of the Morions - the anonymous local residents who dress up in colorful masks and costumes depicting Roman centurions - are often overshadowed by the more sensational (and bloody) Eastertide re-enactments of the Crucifixion and processions of penitent flagellants, complete with whippings and nailings to crosses.

Famously fierce faces of the Moriones Festival

In Marinduque, each city or town has its own Moriones with 'soldiers' stalking the streets in search of naughty children to scare straight. Their wood-carved visages painted in fierce scowls and frightening snarls have become icons for travel and tourism campaigns, but there's more to these morions than scary masks. Residents volunteer to portray morions as part of penance, in prayer for a personal cause or as an expression of gratitude for their blessings, but their commitment can last for a decade or longer. Instead of angry faces, these morions often have a serene expression; rather than helmets crested with feathers or a brush of stiff hairs, theirs are adorned with flowers representing each year of their commitment, to be removed one by one.

Mogpog Morions

And then there is the Good Friday procession during which flower-bedecked carozas (Sp. carroza='float') bearing tableaus of various saints wend their way from the local church through the town's streets. The care and attention devoted to these displays are evident in the smallest details, from the figures' life-like expressions to their ornate costumes. Even in a small town like Mogpog, this procession is a sight to behold. These are the images and icons of Easter in Marinduque that I would encourage anyone to experience for themselves.

Procession of ornate carozas

Breaking the Lenten Fast

I have previously observed that there is no signature Easter food in the Philippines. If anything could be considered a hallmark, it would be the presence of copious protein (especially of the porcine persuasion) after a long Lenten period of fasting and abstinence from meat. Otherwise, the festive meal is much as it would be for other celebrations - lechon, in particular, and whatever dishes are family favorites. Before Mr. Noodle and I indulge in just such a meal this coming Sunday, I prepared a dish that would be familiar to many Easter Sunday tables on the other side of the globe - tender lamb braised then baked with savory lentils.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Lentils

This dish is found in the 2008 reprint of James Beard's The Fireside Cook Book (first published in 1949) and it couldn't have been easier to make. Unfortunately, the recipe is not available online and I do not have permission to reprint in its entirety. Instead, allow me to share the ingredients and general procedure, then encourage you to consider adding the book to your own collection.

Ingredients

Lamb shanks
Butter or olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Fresh thyme
Water or broth
Quick-cooking lentils
Onion
Cloves
Bay leaf

To make:

The lamb shanks are first seared in butter or olive oil, then seasoned with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, place lamb shanks and add garlic, thyme and water or broth. Cover and simmer.

Wash lentils, removing any stones or broken pieces, then place in a saucepan and add water to cover. Add clove-studded onion, bay leaf, garlic and salt. Simmer until lentils are just cooked. Spread lentils in a casserole and place the shanks on top, adding the cooking liquid from both the lentils and lamb. Bake in the oven for a half hour until the lamb is tender and fully cooked.

Happy Easter to All!

What Would Batman Eat?

Dark Chocolate Soufflé

This was a challenge unlike any I have faced as a food blogger.

To celebrate the Manila visit of David Finch, writer and artist of DC Comics' Batman: The Dark Knight series, bookstore chain Fully Booked threw down the gauntlet and asked local bloggers to write about their connection to the iconic illustrated hero. Though more familiar with the television and film series rather than the comic books and graphic novels, I wanted to do my part in a food-related way. But the question loomed darkly:

Batman image by David Finch,
retrieved from Wikipedia.org

In considering the diets among the pantheon of superheroes, the Caped Crusader's may be at once the easiest and the most difficult for this food blogger to determine. It is made easy by the fact that he is human, ergo his food (generally speaking) should be familiar food. In contrast, his DC Comics comrade Superman is an alien from another planet. Who knows what Kryptonian cuisine was like? For all we know, the Man of Steel is actually made of steel and requires no organic sustenance. I doubt that even as Clark Kent he has to watch his calories and cholesterol.

Of course, there are other human superheroes, but nothing points to any super-special qualities about their meal choices. Scientific genius David Banner is a normal guy who probably eats like one, but The Hulk not eat when angry and smash things. (I have an inverse reaction: when I don't eat, I get angry and turn into the Incredible Sulk.)

How about Spider-Man? Since both Peter Parker and the new Spidey, Miles Morales, are teenagers, I suspect that pizza and Doritos are high on the menu. Captain America? Though he and the Dark Knight are both specimens of the human physique perfected, keep in mind that scrawny Steve Rogers was turned into a Super Soldier by way of a special serum and something called 'Vita-Rays' during a top-secret military experiment. Apparently, his supreme musculature is maintained by said mysterious serum that is perpetually replenished by his system, and not from whey protein shakes or awesome Army MREs (Meal Ready-to-Eat).

Which brings us to Iron Man, the rival Marvel Comics hero who shares more than a few commonalities with Batman. Like Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy who focused his brilliant mind and enormous fortune toward crime-fighting and evildoer-erasure after suffering, quite literally, a heart-wrenching experience. Like Batman, Iron Man utilizes advanced weaponry for fighting and special armour to protect his all-too-human body. However, comparing them is a bit like comparing someone who fights in a fully-outfitted M1A2 Abrams tank to another who's basically just wearing a ballistic vest, though admittedly one that is state-of-the-art.

This is where Batman's diet becomes difficult to decipher. Unlike Tony/Iron Man, whose suit provides him with above-normal physical powers, Bruce Wayne/Dark Knight must rely on his own human strength. He's more shredded than cabbage for coleslaw, but it's all self-achieved. Of all the superheroes in the comic book universe, he is perhaps the only one who elevated his natural physical, mental and intellectual gifts to extraordinary levels through constant practice, focused study and strict discipline - all of which are do-able (hypothetically) for us regular folk. For Batman, as it is for us, there is neither radiation exposure nor secret serum nor alien DNA to keep him in tip-top shape. He is what he does and what he eats.

So, What Does Batman Eat?

To start, he apparently doesn't eat nachos.

(For 9 other things Batman doesn' eat, click here.)

WWBE is a question that has been posed by others and most of their answers assume that he follows the regimen of a bodybuilder - frequent meals consisting of vegetables, grains like brown rice and oatmeal, and lean protein such as chicken or fish. But between his Caped Crusader crime-fighting, Bruce Wayne playboy-ing and all-around Dark Knight bad-assery, there's not much time to stop for six mini-meals throughout the day, even with loyal Alfred toiling away in the kitchen. Instead, Batman presumably consumes a great deal of protein shakes and supplements in the interest of time, although I doubt his billionaire alter ego would be sipping Muscle Milk from a squeeze bottle at some black-tie fundraiser.

Given this kind of diet, we come to the crux of my blog post: what could I make that Batman would eat?

Lightness in Darkness

Contrary to what I wrote earlier about his food being our food, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, it really isn't. Bruce Wayne's  transformation into a superhero may be grounded in Everyperson practices - hard work, discipline, focus - but according to kinesiologist and neuroscientist E. Paul Zehr, the degree to which he takes them may be beyond an ordinary person's capabilities. Zehr's book Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero examines what it would take to become Batman-esque and in an interview with ScientificAmerican.com, he summed up the odds of you or me achieving the same results:

"If you found the percentage of billionaires and multiply that by the percentage of people who become Olympic decathletes, you could probably get a close estimate [of who could become a Batman]."

While eating like Batman may not be enough to earn us our Dark Knighthoods, it doesn't mean that he isn't one of us.

Despite his ironclad discipline and concrete moral certitude, Batman occupies the shadows of righteous justice. He is called the Dark Knight for a reason - he is a champion indeed, yet one who is not entirely without flaw or failing. He is the embodiment of what can happen when life deals you a crappy hand, such as witnessing your parents' murders by petty criminals. Instead of becoming a damaged man alienated from society, he became a crusader for its betterment. Yet, just below the surface is the sense that he struggles constantly to keep himself on the right side of the fight. And every once in a while, he may falter...

While 99.9% of the time Batman maintains a steady grip on his values, morality and physical conditioning, he must release that itty-bit of badness in some way. So, why not have a food cheat day?

Dark Chocolate Soufflé Rising
(from Cooking Light, April 2007)

The Dark Knight Rises and so does this dessert (at least for a little while). Really, when you look at the ingredients, how far off his regular regimen could this possibly be? It only seems dark, but in reality this soufflé is quite light. Would the Caped Crusader eat it? Why not? He's Batman...!

For complete measurements and method, please click here.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
Granulated sugar
All-purpose flour
Dutch process cocoa
Fat-free milk
Vanilla extract
Egg white
Powdered sugar

Sugar, flour, cocoa and milk are cooked in a small sauce pan until smooth, with vanilla added after mixture has cooled. Egg white is whipped to stiff peaks with half of the granulated sugar, then folded into the chocolate mixture. The mixture is then spooned into two greased and sugared ramekins, and baked until puffy. Served with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

What would you serve Batman?

**This is my official entry to Fully Booked's The Dark Knight Reborn: Bloggers' Challenge.**
For information about David Finch's visit to Manila, please visit Fully Booked Online.

Will Work with Food: The Business of Feeding Filipinos

French-toasted Monay with Ube Sorbetes

Food is serious business here in the Philippines.

In a country where the official minimum daily wage rate in the National Capital Region (NCR, aka Metro Manila) is 426 pesos - or roughly 10 US dollars - and even lower in the provinces, Filipinos from all walks of life look for other opportunities to earn additional income. For many, food is the key to opening the small business door to independent means.

Whether it's a Makati matron offering authentic Spanish meals-to-go at the upscale Salcedo Saturday Market; an energetic 20-year-old baking cupcakes inspired by those she enjoyed at Magnolia Bakery during a visit to New York City; a grandmother preparing hundreds of llaneras of her special leche flan for holiday orders; or a single mother dishing out some menudo and rice in her tiny 6-seat eatery, there is a veritable army of food purveyors working hard to satisfy the seemingly insatiable appetites of their kababayans (countrymen).

Food tricycle: Hungry customers mob a mobile karinderiya

Food entrepreneurship enjoys strong encouragement from related industries: cooking publications, such as Yummy magazine, devote special issues to starting a food business, while newspaper food sections are peppered with advertisements for culinary school classes offering recipes and product ideas to budding business owners . Then, there are the pop-up food bazaars, such as those organized by popular bloggers Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet and Lori Baltazar of Dessert Comes First, promoting stall upon stall of start-up gourmet companies selling everything from macarons to malunggay pesto. A good number of these sellers come from an affluent social echelon, and their products, prices and target market generally reflect this. For some of them, a food business is what one friend calls 'a profitable hobby' - a serious endeavor to be sure, but one afforded by ready financial capital and stemming more from personal interests, like introducing new foods discovered during international travel, rather than immediate economic need.

For many others, however, a food business is negosyong pangkabuhayan - a livelihood business. These micro-enterprises are focused first on generating a steady flow of income by serving their immediate community whose working residents benefit from having an inexpensive source of meals during the workday or access to specialty foods. On each block in every barangay, you'll likely find a karinderiya¹ fronting a private residence, occupying a tiny stall or operating from a cart. These no-frills sidewalk eateries (with or without available seating) cater to taxi and tricycle drivers, construction workers and office clerks, who congregate during lunch and merienda hours to fill up on lutong bahay (homecooking) for as little as 40 pesos (about US $1) for rice and ulam (e.g pork or chicken). Not as visible but equally popular and usually working by pre-order are home-based producers who are well known in their neighborhoods, say, for their baking skills or perhaps a single specialty from a family recipe. My father regularly orders from one local lady who is renowned for her rellenong bangus (stuffed milkfish) - her best and only product.

From their home kitchens:
(from left) Assorted sticky rice snacks, fluffy puto & homemade pastillas

It is difficult to tally how many such businesses exist in the country: Most abide by the law and secure appropriate licenses from local governments, but many do not and operate instead in a kind of 'shadow market'. One estimate of karinderiyas, registered or not, is put at 3 million nationwide and that figure is likely even higher for those who prepare packaged products (e.g. candies, breads) in home kitchens. These independent owners and operators rely primarily on their negosyong pambahay (home business) either as their sole household income or as an integral way of augmenting it; they do not necessarily have a 5-year plan for expansion or dreams of global mall domination. However, there are plenty of encouraging rags-to-riches stories as proof that a great product and a little perseverance can propel a small food business toward long-term success. In Marinduque province, for instance, a modest family-owned bakeshop established in 1946 grew into Rejano's Bakery, arguably the most famous brand name of uraro (arrowroot) cookies sold throughout the Philippines today.

It all has to start somewhere and there are plenty of books, magazine articles and websites giving advice to would-be entrepreneurs on how to parlay a working stove and some dependable recipes into a viable food business. For those who want to take it to a higher level but have limited funds for formal training in food services or cooking classes, there are workshops offered for free or at low cost by non-profit organizations like The Center for Small Entrepreneurs, and local food companies such as Spices & Foodmix House. The website EntrePinoys Atbp is an excellent resource for information about such seminars as well as a database of recipes for food products.

Corporate Good Neighbor

Chefs Leng Gonzales (l) & Queenie Boloron

The venerable Nestlé Philippines Inc., celebrating its 100th anniversary, is also lending a helping hand. The company offers free cooking demonstrations at the Julius Maggi Kitchen (JMK) in its Rockwell Center headquarters that are open to the public, although members of the Nestlé Club get first dibs on the limited seating. The events cover a particular theme each month and feature chefs preparing several recipes using various products in the Nestlé brand lineup. Last week, I attended a session on February's theme: pang-negosyo ('for business') recipes that can easily be added to a karinderiya menu or offered as packaged goods. Chefs Amelia 'Leng' Gonzales and Harlequin 'Queenie' Boloron were lively and engaging as they showed the audience how to prepare simple, economical and appealing dishes for potential customers. Interspersing their suggestions about ingredient substitutions and cooking techniques, they also offered practical reminders about kitchen safety and sanitation - an important issue for any cook, whether they are preparing food for the family or for paying customers.

As part of the Nestlé Club's Lifestyles Lecture series, Chef Leng, a consultant with the Subic Bay Yacht Club and a chef de partie with the Raintree Restaurants group, focused on desserts using the featured product - Nestlé Sorbetes Ice Cream, inspired by the colorful ice cream pushcarts plying neighborhoods and enticing residents to buy scoopfuls of favorite Filipino flavors such as ube (purple yam), queso (cheese) and tsokolate. Demonstrating that inexpensive dishes don't have to look cheap, she focused on visual presentation and commented, "Even if you are cooking at home, you want to make your food look special." With such easy preparations as Chocolate Sundae Shake and Suman, Mangga at Sorbetes Trio (sticky rice cake with mangoes and ice cream), she invited audience members to show off their plating prowess and gave tips on how to arrange the desserts in the most pleasing and appetizing manner.

From desserts, we were treated to a variety of familiar dishes that can be prepared quickly and with simple, affordable ingredients - perfect products for food bazaars or markets. Chef Queenie, a chef-demonstrator with JMK since 2008, deftly cooked up marinara and pesto sauces for bottling, flavored puto (steamed rice cakes), and savory chicken empanadas. As an added bonus, she also shared how to make khao niaow ma muang (Thai sticky rice with mango), which she learned while working in Thailand.

Nestlé pang-negosyo recipes:
Empanadas, marinara & pesto sauces, flavored puto

The audience - nearly all women - enthusiastically participated in the session, asking questions, volunteering for demonstrations and having a great time overall. The festive atmosphere continued with trivia games and raffles conducted by event host Cleng Santos, who handed out prizes such as canvas bags, vouchers for free products and a much-coveted commemorative centennial cookbook which is normally given only to Nestlé Philippines employees. Covering three hours, the session ended with the audience enjoying a small sampling of every recipe showcased.

As the event came to a close, many of the attendees lingered to chat with each other, the chefs and Nestlé staff, obviously excited about what they had just learned and eager to put them into practice. Whether they'll use the recipes to start a food business, to make gifts for friends and family, or just to enjoy at home, the free demonstration was a worthwhile afternoon investment.

For recipes, tips and information about upcoming free demonstrations at the Julius Maggi Kitchen, check out the Nestlé Club website.

Disclosure: I did not receive any form of compensation from Nestlé Philippines Inc., its affiliates or contractors in exchange for this blog post. In fact, I missed out on my free scoop of sorbetes thanks to my incorrigibly talkative nature. I was so busy chatting with fellow attendees that when I finally shut my yap, the ice cream was all gone. Bummer.

Coming Clean About 'Dirty' Ice Cream

The featured product at the Nestlé demonstration was the company's own line of sorbetes (sore-BEH-tess), or what is colloquially known in the 'Pinas as 'dirty ice cream'. It is an unfortunate misnomer that has supplanted the more genteel Spanish-derived name for the Filipino-style ice cream traditionally sold by wandering sorbeteros pushing (or pedalling) colorful carts through the neighborhoods. The reasoning behind this less-than-appetizing label ranges from the benign (its texture is grittier due to the use of powdered milks, granulated sugar and thickeners, like corn starch or flour²) to the logical (as with any food trundled around on the street, it is exposed to air pollution, dirt, etc.) to the downright gross³ (I'm not even going to repeat it...)

The fact that generations of Filipino children, myself included, are not only still alive but also have fond memories of eating dirty ice cream, would indicate that it isn't as bad as its name suggests. Nevertheless, as an adult I prefer to drop the 'dirty' part and acquire my ice cream from stationary, sanitary sources.

A sorbetero making a dirty ice cream sandwich.
Check out the plastic bag of bread rolls...

One memory of sorbetes that I do not recall from my childhood is having it served inside a bread roll. To my frustration, as with many other food adaptations in the Philippines, no one seems to know exactly when, where or why bread was first used as a substitution for the more familiar crispy cone. During a visit to Manila for his show Bizarre Foods, chef Andrew Zimmern tried a 'dirty ice cream sandwich' and offered as explanation that sorbetes customers once had to provide their own containers, with omnipresent tinapay proving to be a popular and cheap choice. Score one for Filipino entrepreneurial ingenuity? Not quite. It seems that we are not alone in this peculiar way of dishing up ice cream - a Serious Eats article about an ice cream sundae served in a hot dog bun at a Bangkok market generated many comments from people who have enjoyed the combination in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and even Italy.

Although I have yet to try ice cream in a bun from a good old-fashioned sorbetero and therefore have no basis for comparison, I decided to make Nestlé's good-for-business take on this Filipino street food classic...


1. Karinderiya (alt. spelling: carinderia) is a small sidewalk or roadside eatery, usually with seating (if any) for no more than a half dozen customers at a time. Also known as turo-turo ("point-point"), they offer prepared food in pots displayed on the counter from which customers may choose their meal.
2. Homemade dirty ice cream recipe from EntrePinoys Atbp.com
3. Yahoo! Answers: What is dirty ice cream made of and why is it really called dirty? 


Monay Ice Cream
(reprinted with permission from Nestlé Philippines, Inc.)

When it comes to making a dirty ice cream sandwich, the ideal bread is a smooth-crusted roll called monay (rhymes with 'oh my'). Larger, sweeter and less fluffy than its better known cousin pandesal, this Filipino bakery staple is ostensibly a version of a Spanish bread called pan de monja (nun's bread)*. For this updated presentation of the popular street treat, a monay is split in half and French-toasted with sweetened condensed milk, resulting in a beautifully caramelized, softly chewy base for your ice cream. The monay is cooled a bit before adding the frozen stuff so that it doesn't turn into a soupy, albeit tasty, mess. 

Enough said - just make it. 

*Note: At this time, I am unable to find any reference to a 'pan de monja' among Spanish baked goods. However, the research continues...

Ingredients

4 pieces monay bread, halved (I used mini-monay, about half the size of a regular roll)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsps butter
Nestlé Ice Cream Sorbetes (my choice: Ube)
Chocolate syrup (optional)
Pinipig (toasted rice - optional)

To make:

1. Heat butter. Dip monay in sweetened condensed milk, then in the beaten egg.
2. Fry dipped monay in butter until golden brown. Transfer on a plate with paper towels to drain excess buttery-ness. Set aside to cool**.
3. When toast is cool enough to handle, top one piece with your favorite Nestlé Ice Cream Sorbetes flavor.
4. Sandwich with another piece of toast and serve immediately. Drizzle with chocolate syrup or sprinkle with pinipig if desired.

**The caramelized sweetened condensed milk is extremely hot, so please be very careful while cooking and handling.

What kind of ice cream would you serve with some French-toasted bread rolls?

The Full Montadito: Topped Up Tapas

Tres Montaditos de Tangled

"Man does not live on bread alone." (Deuteronomy 8:3)

You can't argue with the Old Testament, which is why this woman knows well enough to pile on other good stuff, too.

Bread is inarguably a universal food found in nearly all parts of the world. If not made from grains such as wheat, rye, spelt, oatmeal and corn, then tubers like potato and cassava provide the flour power. Formed into baguettes, boules, braids, twists, rings, knots, rolls and flats, bread is baked in earthen pits, wood-fired hearths and electric stainless-steel ovens by home bakers and commercial food producers alike.

Bread nirvana at Circles Café, Shangri-La Manila

On its own, bread is fine nourishment, yet when a little extra is added, it turns into another state of being. For instance, plain toast is all well and good, but when slathered in butter, glazed with honey or mortared with peanut butter or hazelnut chocolate spread, it becomes a sweet treat for the tummy. Even better, bread can be transformed into a self-contained meal. Simply add a bit of meat here, some vegetables there, a dash of that seasoning and a dab of this condiment, and it becomes one of myriad alimentary aliases - sandwich, wrap, bánh mì, torta, muffaletta, panini, croque, bocadillo...

However, there are times when your appetite wants something... in between. What to do when you're struck by this hard-to-pin-down craving that hungrily straddles the pleasure of a small bite and the satiety of a full feast?

Mount Up...!

Montaditos
(Photo credit: Savesavour/Flickr)

...As in the Spanish verb montar ('to ride'), the root of the word montadito, a type of the popular bite-sized bar snacks in Spain collectively known as tapas, in which small slices of bread are topped, or 'mounted', with a variety of ingredients. Montaditos are essentially small open-faced sandwiches, although some consider a miniature version of the standard 2-slice sammie as an acceptable form. Also known as pintxo/pincho in the Basque region (meaning 'spike', as they are often skewered with toothpicks), these appetizers are countryside kin to canapés. But where those crustless hors d'oeuvres are elegant, manicured cocktail appetizers, montaditos are rough-edged, rustic finger food.

Long a part of the tapas lineup, the montadito is rapidly establishing itself as a stand-alone food concept, having recently been named among the 10 Trends for 2012 by consumer marketing firm and global trendspotter JWTIntelligence. Meanwhile, Spanish restaurant chain Cerverceria 100 Montaditos*, which has over 200 locations across Spain, France and Portugal, launched a New World invasion last year with its first American outlet in Miami, Florida. The small bites purveyor is thinking big with plans to open 4000 U.S. restaurants within the next five years (source: Businessweek.com).
*The chain subscribes to the mini-sandwich model of montadito, value-priced at $1.50 to $3 per order.

Monta-Do-It-Yourself

Fortunately for those of us not yet within the encroaching sphere of Cerverceria 100 Montaditos, this savory snack is only as far as the nearest Spanish restaurant, tapas bar or your own kitchen. With a few ingredients and some creativity, you can have a vicarious tapeo (tapas bar crawl) minus the crowds or the multiple bar tabs.

Montaditos menu board in Barcelona, Spain
(Photo credit: Marcos Esperón/Flickr)

It all starts with bread - ideally, a baguette. Why a baguette? It provides the perfect-sized base for montaditos, which are meant to be consumed in a couple of bites. It also stands up well to the sauces and oils of various toppings, soaking up the flavors without becoming soggy. Cut a nice crusty baguette into slices no more than 1/2" thick. The slices may be lightly toasted or grilled first, but do try to avoid an overly crisp base.

Next, add your toppings. For montaditos, pretty much any variety and preparation of vegetables, seafood, meats, cheeses and condiments that you can gather are suitable. Try to combine at least two ingredients with complementary flavors and textures, like the marvelous Montadito de Pan con Tomate, Chorizo y Huevos made by Yummy columnist and food blogger Joey of 80 Breakfasts.

Although Mr. Noodle and I are within walking distance of our favorite Spanish restaurant, we're content on occasion to put together a platter of montaditos on our own and enjoy them with a favorite bottle of fruity granacha-tempranillo at home. A recent selection:

Montadito de Longganisa con Queso Manchego

Inspired by the montaditos de sobrasada de mallorca served at Barcino Wine Restaurant and Bar in Metro Manila. The sausage is finely chopped, lightly fried then topped with melted Queso Manchego.

Bread: Pain à l'ancienne 
Toppings: Garlicky, black pepper-y longganisa recado from Nueva Ecija, Manchego cheese and a garnish of micro-tatsoi.

Montadito de Alcachofa con Alioli

Bread: Plain baguette
Toppings: Alioli, a garlic and olive oil emulsion sauce (I used a jarred alioli made with egg), marinated artichoke hearts and romesco sauce (see recipe below)

Montadito con Sardinas y Romesco

Bread: Pain à l'ancienne
Toppings: Sardines in olive oil and romesco sauce garnished with micro-tatsoi.

Roughly Romesco Sauce

Romesco, originally from Northern Spain, is a piquant sauce made with nuts, roasted red peppers and olive oil, among other ingredients. It's best served at room temperature and is excellent when paired with seafood.

Being the spontaneous (i.e. unprepared) cook that I am, some substitutions were required - hence, it's roughly a traditional romesco sauce.

Ingredients

1-2 dried chiles such as guajillo, New Mexico red or other medium-heat chile
2 slices baguette, toasted
2 whole canned tomatoes
2 Tbsps nuts (your choice, just not peanuts! I used mix of almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios & cashews)
4 cloves whole garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
Salt to taste

For milder heat in your sauce, cut open the chiles and remove the stem, seeds and inner pith. Soak in water for 30 minutes or until softened.

In a food processor, combine all ingredients, except salt, and give it a good whir until the sauce is relatively thick and smooth. Add salt to taste. It may be refrigerated for up to one week but is best served at room temperature.

Montadito de 'Pinas

Another variation of the montadito de sobrasada de mallorca, this one also takes the form of the more sandwich-like variety of montadito and is made with fully Filipino goodness.

Bread: Pan de Rizal, tiny rolls about the size of an extra-large egg
Fillings: Longganisa Vigan, a garlicky sausage with a hint of yellowish hue, from the province of Ilocos Sur; and kesong puti, or white cheese, made from fresh carabao (water buffalo) milk.

What would you put on your montadito?

¡Buen Provecho!

'12 by the Dozen: New Year Eggs

Olive Oil-Poached Egg

"Ex ovo omnia" (Everything from an egg)

 -- William Harvey (1578-1657)

All I got for Christmas was a dozen eggs.

Well, I did get a bit more than just eggs and nearly all of them were also food or drink-related: a jar of fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies; a llanera (oval mould) of the creamiest, smoothest leche flan; and several bags of Filipino-grown coffee. But none could match in meaning the humble dozen of perfectly-shaped ovums from Abra province that my mother gave to me.

Packaged in a beautiful basket of hand-woven nipa palm leaves, each copper-colored egg was surprisingly hefty in weight, compared to their anemic, plastic-ensconced supermarket counterparts. Though cozily nestled within individual circlets, they hardly needed the extra coddling: when it came time to cook one, its supposedly delicate shell proved surprisingly resistant to all but the firmest tap against the pan's edge to crack open. Inside, the translucent albumen surrounded a gloriously orange yolk, making a breakfast fried egg look more like sunrise on a plate.

In an age when people will camp out in the freezing cold for holiday bargains or risk a faceful of pepper spray during a retail frenzy to grab the latest iGadget or 'It' product, a dozen eggs may not inspire such effort and enthusiasm as a gift. But as the new year begins, they proved to be a perfect present to represent a hopeful future...

New Day Around the World

The egg is a universal symbol of birth and rebirth, of new life and new beginnings. As an icon of a special holiday, it is more closely associated with the Christian tradition of Easter and spring than with New Year and winter. However, recognition of January 1 as the standard first day of the calendar year in Western culture has actually been in place for less than 400 years; before then, New Year's Day was also celebrated during springtime. By moving it from the vernal equinox to winter solstice, we ceded the season to Eastertide and left behind the egg as a symbol.

Today, many other cultures continue to usher in the New Year during springtime and the egg is an important object in their celebrations. During the Persian Nowruz (meaning 'new day'), which coincides with the first day of spring, painted eggs are part of the Haft-Sin (or Haft-Seen), a traditional table setting featuring 7 symbolic dishes beginning with the letter 'S'. Although the eggs now represent fertility, when taken with another item in the setting - a mirror - an older meaning emerges. At the hour of transition from old year to new, known as sa'at-i tahvil, family members gathered around to observe the display:

"Each one imagines a huge bullfish in the ocean of time carrying the world on one of its horns. Any moment now, the bullfish will toss the world over to the other horn, resulting in a tremor that will dislodge the egg and send it rolling to the side of the mirror. As soon as the egg rolls, [family members], rejoicing, kiss each other [and] exchange Nowruz greetings - eid-i shoma mobarak! (May you have an auspicious new year)... 

"The first thing to eat [at sa'at-i tahvil] should be an egg, because it is believed that eggs ensure good fortune. In fact... the patriarch of the family must eat all the eggs that have accompanied the candles placed for each offspring on the sofreh!"  (Bashiri, n.p.)

Nowruz Haft Sin with eggs and mirror.
(Photo from Wikimedia.org)

Spirited Celebration

Eggs are also prominent in the New Year celebrations of the Hmong people, an ethnic group originally from the mountainous areas of Southeast Asia. Raw eggs and incense sticks are displayed in a bowl of rice, then later cooked for a special ceremony called Hu Plig ('Calling of the Soul'). Part of many Hmong occasions, the Hu Plig summons spirits, both of the living and the departed, for different reasons: during a wedding, it joins the souls of the bride and groom, and encourages household spirits to welcome the new family member. In times of illness, which is believed to be caused by the soul wandering from the body, performing Hu Plig calls it back to corporeal health.

(Photo from Mekong&ChiangKhong/flickr)

For the Hmong New Year, usually celebrated in November or December, the ritual is a way for families to invite the souls of all loved ones to join in the festivities. As part of this Hu Plig, plain hard-boiled eggs are cooked, representing both blessings for the living and as offerings to the hungry departed. Afterwards, each (earthbound) person in the family receives an egg/blessing to eat. [Check out this video for a glimpse into a Hmong New Year Hu Plig.]

Science, Myth and Dreams

The symbolic power of the egg is recognized in other, even more mystical areas. In alchemy, which may be described as the philosophy- and metaphysics-influenced forerunner of modern chemistry, the philosophical egg was the vessel in which alchemical processes were created. The ovum is also a symbol of Prima Materia, "the original material from which the universe is created", with which one could make the Philosopher's Stone - the mythic substance that, among other powers, can supposedly turn lead into gold.

In dream interpretation, eggs represent many things, depending on what is being done with it. If an egg is being consumed or prepared as food, then it can symbolize nurturing, self care, fertility and birth. However, if it is viewed as a non-food object, then it can mean creative potential and new beginnings.

(Photo from Wikimedia.org)

Are You Eating Lucky?

In last year's post about Filipino New Year celebrations, I touched upon the tradition of gathering certain foods - usually in shapes and colors mimicking those of currency - to represent good luck and to invite prosperity in the coming months. Eggs were absent from this list and yet, from what I have learned above, they would seem to be equal, if not better, harbingers for a hopeful and successful twelve months.

The way I see it, an egg does not simply invite good luck to fall into our laps, as coin-shaped fruit or leafy greens seem to suggest. Instead, as its dream symbolism suggests, it is already heavy with the potential for success and good fortune enclosed within its shell, waiting to be cracked open and released. Even then, as with an alchemical process, a transformation must occur and extra effort still needed: an egg is an omelette only after it is beaten and cooked, or a cake after it is mixed into the batter and baked. Similarly, I can wish all I want to write a bestselling novel or make a million dollars, but in the end, it is up to me to make the effort and write the words or seize the lucrative opportunity in order to realize the potential. Blessings, gold or prima materia, something special awaits us in the New Year.

All I got for Christmas was a dozen eggs - and twelve months of exciting possibilities ahead.

Sources

Bashiri, Iraj. "History of the Persian New Year." Farsinet.com

Becker, Udo. Continuum Encyclopedia of Symbols. NY: Continuum, 2000. pg 94.

Moua, Ze. "Hu Plig Ceremony for the New Year" and "Hu Plig Chicken Foreshadow". Mouzemoua [blog].

O'Mally, Julia. "Spirit Gatherer: Shaman Plays Important Role in Hmong New Year's." Anchorage Daily News (via Anchorage School District). 26 Nov 2006.

Scripter, Sami and Sheng Yang. Cooking from the Heart: the Hmong Kitchen in America. Minneapolis: U of MN Press, 2009. pg 126.

Olive Oil-Poached Egg

What can you not do with an egg? Whether on its own, as an equal component in a dish or rendered invisible as a utilitarian ingredient, the possible uses for an egg in cookery are too numerous to list here. So, I'll share just one.

Last summer, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jaume Viñallonga, Executive Chef of Barcino, a multi-location wine and tapas restaurant in Metro Manila. A graduate of culinary school in Girona and trained in acclaimed restaurants, including the 3-Michelin star Akelarre in San Sebastián, this young Spanish chef is well-versed in modern cuisine, but prefers to eat simple and traditional Spanish fare at home. His vivid description of a favorite meal - egg cooked in olive oil - inspired me to try it myself, with some help from this video.


Except for the egg and olive oil, feel free to change up any of the seasonings to achieve your preferred flavors.

Ingredients

Olive oil
Egg
Pinch or two of dried herbs, such as oregano and thyme
Pinch of red pepper flakes
One small bay leaf
One garlic clove, peeled and smashed
Salt
Fresh herbs, minced (optional)

To make:

In a small fry pan (ideally about 4-5" in diameter), pour enough olive oil to cover about half of the egg and add dried herbs, pepper flakes, bay leaf and garlic. Heat over low temperature (according to the video, the oil is ready when it is hot but you can still touch it without getting burned).
Crack the egg into a small bowl then slide it into the oil. Cook until the egg white is firm, flicking the oil with a spoon or spatula to reach the yolk and other spots that are above the oil.
Remove egg with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with salt and fresh herbs, and served with baguette slices.
Reserve the now-flavored oil for later use.

A couple of other egg dishes I hope to try soon:

Baked Eggs from Liren at Kitchen Confidante

Fried Egg in Aligue (Crab Fat) from Joey at 80 Breakfasts

Off the Shelf: Okashi by Keiko Ishida

Chocolate Almond Cookies

Creatures of nature do not need a glossy calendar to tell them what time of year it is: Subtle changes in temperature, the positions of sun and moon, and pure animal instinct all serve as natural cues to the changing seasons and signal the start of primal behavior, especially during winter.

Birds fly south. Bears hibernate. Squirrels hoard nuts. Noodles bake.

No matter where I am - humid South, frigid Midwest, tropical Asia - the last months of the year bring about a familiar thrumming in my system with every holiday season, urging me to sift flour, cream butter and beat eggs. This year, that sensation is accompanied by a subtle word: Okashi.

Sweet Meanings

(image: marshallcavendish.com)

I don't recall from whom I first read about Okashi: Sweet Treats Made with Love (Marshall Cavendish, 2009) by Tokyo-born, Singapore-based pastry chef and instructor Keiko Ishida. It may have been from Singaporean Ann of Ancoo Journal, who turns baked goods into edible works of art, or maybe it was Sydney blogger Lemonpi's review for Gastronomer's Bookshelf. Whomever is to be credited - or blamed, depending on how much weight I eventually gain - this book quickly became an obsession.

Okashi is the Japanese word for 'confections', 'snacks' or, as the rest of the title goes, 'sweet treats'. And there is no shortage of them in this book, starting with the striking monochromatic Black Sesame Chiffon Cake on the cover. It sets the tone for what readers will find inside - uncomplicated recipes and unfussy photographs of cakes, cookies, pastries and other delectables, whose simplicity belies an elegant fusion of classic French technique and minimalist Japanese style.

The author's acknowledgments and introduction concisely explain the childhood inspiration (baking with her mother), personal influences (husband, friends and instructors) and professional experience (extensive culinary training in France) behind the book's concept, leaving the subsequent recipes uncluttered by sentimental anecdotes. In fact, Ishida makes it clear that this book is not about her, but rather about the joy of baking:

"[N]othing beats the pleasure of baking simple sweets in the comfort of your own home... More than anything else, it is sincere desire that you will make your family and friends happy with your baking, just as I have!" (Okashi, 9)

Simple By Design

So that even the most novice of bakers might share in this pleasure, Okashi is designed to be a beginner-friendly cookbook. The first chapters offer a helpful glossary of equipment in text and photos, and a list of all ingredients used. Most of these should be familiar items in any kitchen, while a few, such as the blow-torch and agar-agar (a.k.a kanten, a seaweed-based gelling agent) may require a visit to a specialty store or some sort of creative substitution. The recipes are mostly composed of gratifyingly short ingredient lists and methods, and are easily contained in two pages, one of which is a full photograph of the finished treat.

Basic Recipes are the foundation components for more elaborate desserts, from a genoise sponge used in a Japanese-style Strawberry Cake to a custard sauce that forms the base for both Green Tea and Black Sesame Ice Creams. Under New Creations, Ishida puts an Asian twist on classic Western desserts, such as Bean Curd Cheesecake, while All-Time Favourites, from Blueberry Crumble Muffins to Mont Blanc (Chestnut Cake), retain their original essence.

Not everything in Okashi is rich with butter and eggs or sweetened with refined sugars, and some aren't even meant for humans. Ishida presents two chapters of alternative baked goods: Special Recipes offer more than a dozen essentially vegan recipes that look just as scrumptious and decadent as their egg- and dairy-laden counterparts, while Bonus Recipes for Pets include a carrot cake-like confection that honestly looks good enough for both two- and four-legged eaters.

If at First You Don't Succeed...

Okashi is indeed a lovely bakebook, but it apparently was not always the case. Published in late 2009, the book inexplicably disappeared from shelves and online vendors for a period of time shortly after it came out; I recall searches on Amazon.com resulting in 'no copies available', while a bookstore in Manila told me it was out of print. A hint as to the reason why came when I finally got around to baking from my first-print copy. The chosen recipe had just six ingredients but one helluva typo that called for a whopping 100 grams of baking powder! I'm no Ruhlman, but I know enough to realize that the correct ratio of leavening to flour is NOT one-to-one, unless you are baking a brick.

A comparison between the original 2009 edition and a 2011 reprint of Okashi reveals an overhaul of the entire book that mainly simplified the text in some parts while clarifying methods with extra steps in others. The above error was corrected (it now calls for a mere pinch of BP), but I must note that ingredients or measurements in a half dozen other recipes were also changed, which may yield different results between the first and subsequent editions.

Though it may seem unfair to bring attention to errors that have since been addressed by the publisher, I haven't done so in order to magnify the book's old faults. Instead, I hope to highlight its virtues. Not knowing what costs are involved in publishing, I imagine it's not an inconsequential sum to pull** a product from the shelves, re-edit it entirely, then print and market it all over again. In doing so, publisher Marshall Cavendish seems to be saying that Keiko Ishida's work is well worth the effort and expense to try again. It is a statement of faith in the essential quality of her book and recipes, and although I have made only one other Okashi recipe so far, it is enough to convince me of the same.

If you have ever admired the effortless elegance, subtle sweetness and sublime simplicity of French-inspired Japanese bakery, and would like to try recreating it for yourself, this may be the book with which to begin.

For sweet treats made with love, Okashi is the word.

**Correction 12/12/11: I suggested above that Okashi: Sweet Treats Made with Love was pulled from booksellers in order to correct errors and to re-edit the book. In fact, the first edition was SOLD OUT; publisher Marshall Cavendish then made the corrections during the second printing. I would like to apologize to Keiko Ishida and Marshall Cavendish for my erroneous assumption and to thank Tammy Rip of Marshall Cavendish for setting me straight. TN

Chocolate Almond Cookies
(From Okashi: Sweet Treats Made with Love by Keiko Ishida. Reprinted with publisher's permission)

Of all the recipes in Okashi: Sweet Treats Made with Love, it figures that the first one I picked had the most egregious typo. If only I had this kind of luck with picking lottery numbers...

Fortunately, my backup choice resulted in greater success: These Chocolate Almond Cookies are classic refrigerator cookies, so-called because they are meant to be chilled in the fridge before being sliced and baked. This is the epitome of the go-to treat, keeping beautifully in the freezer until needed, then yielding irresistible fresh-baked biscuits when surprise company calls on short notice.

These baked bites have a buttery crispness like an airy shortbread and are studded with a smoky, salty flavor from the almonds. More importantly, they taste of cocoa - not chocolate, mind you, but rather a dark, intense richness that makes them more than simply a cookie version of a chocolate bar. Even rolled in granulated sugar, they retain just a hint of sweetness, making them too dangerously easy to nibble on dozens before the appropriate blood sugar level is finally reached.

Makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients:

40g sliced and blanched almonds
150g pastry flour or top flour
20g cocoa powder
120g unsalted butter, softened
70g icing (confectioner's) sugar
A pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
Granulated white sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C. Place almonds on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Sift flour and cocoa powder together once.
2. Beat butter, icing sugar and salt until softened. Add egg yolk and mix well.
3. Fold flour and cocoa powder mixture into butter mixture using a spatula. Add toasted almond slivers and fold through. Cover dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
4. Divide cookie dough into two portions. Place each portion on a sheet of parchment paper and shape it into logs about 4cm in diameter. Wrap logs with parchment paper and refrigerate. If not baking cookies immediately, wrap logs again in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months.
5. Preheat oven to 160C.
6. Slice cookie dough log into 7mm thick pieces. Roll side of cookies in granulated sugar and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool on a wire rack.
7. Serve or store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

An Okashi Gift

Blogger's Note:

This blog post was originally conceived as a review of my personal first-print copy of Okashi. Many thanks to Marshall Cavendish Asia for sending me a complimentary updated copy after I inquired about permission to reprint a recipe for this post.

Irresistible treats