KNB: Icy Treats Snowcone and Slushie Maker

As I said in my halo-halo post, my older son suggested we order a snowcone maker. So I searched amazon.com for snowcone maker, slushie maker, and ice shaver, and found some that reminded me of those I saw in some stalls in the Philippines.

The Paragon brand was very expensive, and yet I knew that it produces crushed ice too
chunky for me to consider for halo-halo, just a bit finer than the crushed ice my fridge makes. So on to the next...

I seriously considered the New Hawaiian Ice Shaver, because not only was it familiar (I saw it in action in one of the vendors in the Philippines), I also knew that the ice shavings produced by it was perfect for halo-halo. But when I placed it in my cart, the shipping cost was prohibitive! It was so heavy that the
S&H would have been a whooping $45! So I scratched it off...

Next I considered something made in Japan (because they make excellent blades), but the plastic body (of the pink one) seemed so flimsy that it reminded me of my sister's ice shaver when she was still in the Philippines, which when cranked threatened to fall apart. The gray one looked like metal, but the make was not specified and I did not dare try.

So I just checked out those that had high reviews, and settled for Hamilton Icy Treats after reading the negative reviews versus the positive reviews.

My very own experience with it? It definitely faster than my mandolin slicer-made shaved ice, and the only negative thing I can say about it is I have to pause and rearrange the ice so they don't stick together and get stuck that way. Otherwise, the gadget is sturdy for the purpose, the shaved ice has two settings - slushie (coarser) and snowcone (finer). Sometimes I just switch from one to the other just to dislodge the stuck ice and keep it going. The on and off switch is the cover itself (which I think is an excellent precaution to avoid cuts in children). And it is compact enough that it does not occupy too much countertop space (unlike if I bought the New Hawaiian brand).

But if I lived in Hawaii, I would have settled for that...

KNB: Tropical Plants - Pandan, Banana, Bamboo

I have been wanting to be able to find a place to get pandan, because McCormick pandan flavoring and the canned extract could not really compare to freshly boiled young pandan leaves. I searched the internet until I came upon a forum that led me to ebay. I got pandan from Thailand! I also got some banana plants, not knowing which ones will give me familiar flavors that come closer to those in the Philippines, but I do want to have nice big leaves. I got a hardy bamboo from a different US-based vendor hoping it will be hardy enough to survive our winter here (quite expensive!), and hopefully in about 2-3 years I will be able to harvest shoots and cook them (part of controlling growth in case it gets too invasive). And though it is not real food, I got jasmine as food for my soul. I have been brave to get these tropical plants (except for bamboo, which I am kinda doing a trial-and-error thing with) because my husband has started working on our sunroom (he just finished the decking for our newly installed pool). Last night, after receiving 3 pandan plants in great condition from as far as Thailand, I got excited to order some more tropicals (Ylang-ylang, malunggay, guava, kalamansi plant because mine is not flowering/fruiting, and have placed a bid on sampaguita). I am crossing my fingers that these will all thrive even during winter, and I will try my best to learn how to prune so the trees won't grow taller than 11 feet.

Hopefully, I will have my tropical paradise in the winter.

KNB: Deviled Egg Platter

 

I was looking for a platter for deviled eggs, which I plan to prepare for my son's graduation party on Thursday (I have been busy so I blog less often at present), and for July 4th. Nothing was really tickling my fancy until I saw this one. And when it finally arrived, although it looked more like a wedding gift (complete with a decorative box at that!), I loved how it also signified spring to me, with the bird salt and pepper shakers and the intricate floral design at the center. The ceramic was of good quality, so it was not like it was gonna break with the usual handling. (I do have a dinnerware set that I made a mistake of buying; they were so fragile!)

A bit pricey, but well worth it!

UPDATED 6-16-09 to include the above photo with deviled eggs. The deviled eggs here were made using homemade pickle relish and mayonnaise to taste (as prepped by my SIL).

KNB: Sizzling Platter

 

Another purchase from my second foodbuzz earning.

I remember when I was in the Philippines, there was this sizzling steaks stall in SM City Foodcourt, and I just loved eating my hot salisbury steak off of that platter.

I thought it would be cool to re-live and experience that again, using these sizzling platters I got from amazon. I plan to use them on a bbq day, with the grill by the pool (as I envision it, since we are planning to have the pool built this May-June), let the steaks cook on these plates placed on a grill. The ribbed design makes it easy to pour off fat drippings (if desired). Each platter comes with its own holder.

Can't wait for summer!

KNB: Nu-Wave Infrared Tabletop Oven

I saw this in a catalog, and I was intrigued. A portable oven where I can cook a whole chicken even straight from the freezer??? For less than $100??? While I essentially have no need for an additional oven since my conventional oven does a good job already, my curiosity got the better of me. This seemed like a very good idea for those who do not have the space in the kitchen for a conventional oven, or for those who simply cannot afford one. How about college students? it also claims to be able to bake muffins or rolls...that I gotta try.

Anyway, I checked out the product reviews in amazon.com before I made this purchase. The first dish I made out of this is roasted cornish hen. While it took a while to bake, I realized I made a mistake of not cooking the back for half the time intially before turning it over to cook the breast part. But we ended up with very moist chicken which we loved.

Then I tried to cook steaks (marinated) in it, and they were tender and moist as well. My husband was very pleased with the results, and we were not sure whether it was the marinade that made the steaks moist though they were well done, or it was the oven itself.

The advantages are that I can cook frozen foods without having to pre-heat the oven, and end up with cooking time same as that using conventional oven minus the thawing time. Easy clean up as well (just like you would ordinary dishes). It does not heat up the kitchen as much as conventional oven does. The space it has for baking is just right for a family size meal (as long as I am not planning to bake other things like rolls or breads at the same time).

I did buy an extender ring (for additional $38++) so I could bake big chickens and small turkeys in it. The extender ring includes the transparent ring that makes the wall higher, and a rack that is 2 inches high, plus additional smaller nonstick baking pan.

While this is another clutter on my countertop, after I am done getting to know it, I will pass it on to my older son when he goes out of the house, living on his own, cooking for himself or with a friend. (Or I might love it all the more as time goes by!) I will still have to experiment baking yeast breads or muffins or cakes in it. If it really does as promised on ads, then I have got myself a winner at a bargain price.

This is what I got from my recent google ads and foodbuzz earnings. So my dear readers, if you have been enjoying my recipes here, paki-klik lang po ang mga gugel adverts for additional incentive for me to keep on posting. TY!

KNB: Electric Gravy Boat/Warmer

 

I had been wanting this for a long time. Although I have a gravy boat that has nice prints, I wanted one like this, which will keep gravy warm during a meal.

This is not used to warm up gravy, but you will have to put warm gravy and this gadget keeps it warm. The warming base is also detachable from the cord, so that you can place it on the table during a meal and it will still keep the gravy warm for a period of time.

I am not sure if I can use other ceramic-type gravy boats on it, though.

What sucks, though, is I bought this a while back for >$30. I used the first month pay I got from foodbuzz (paid through paypal). Now that I am posting about it, the price is $19.40????

Bummer!

KNB - Katas ng Blogging

I am hosting a Filipino Christmas party this Saturday...

From KNB

and I have been busy preparing for that. Good thing I have these early Christmas gifts: kitchen helpers -- which are KNBs.

I signed up for google adsense in 2006(? can't remember exactly when) and more frequently have been receiving my "blogger's compensation" in the past years. I used the previous ones for personal wants (a trip to Splashtown, etc.). (I also, at some point, signed up for kontera.) This time I thought...why not get things for my kitchen since the money is a fruit of my foodblogging hobby (In other words, katas ng blogging)?

So I did...

You can very well tell that I am a big fan of slow cooking. Well, there is another reason why I got more slowcookers when I already have a 6-qt and a 2-qt. As I was thinking of preparing several main entrees for the Filipino Christmas party I am hosting this Saturday, I wanted to have a means to keep them warm after preparing ahead (before guests arrive). Actually, I have cooked and frozen some of them since last week, and I plan to just start thawing and keeping them warm by morning of Saturday. I looked at chafing dishes and boy! Aren't they super expensive???? Beautiful and pleasing to the eyes were those that ranged $300+, and the ordinary looking ones were in the $40++, so I opted for slowcookers. The digital one I got from walmart at $30 (and may I say elegant). Plus I don't have to look for fuel to keep the food warm. Just plug them in. Well, I plan to use my countertop space (I have a lot if I keep it tidied up!) and my several outlets (I have them every 2 feet, as I requested to hubby to make them available for all my small kitchen appliances when he was building my kitchen). So my plan is to line up the dishes on the countertop and use the dining table solely for eating our food. The slowcookers are a good solution. I might have to borrow my friend's and my MIL's for some more entrees.

I have had an irrational fear (aka, phobia) of pressure cookers because I always imagine they would explode in front of my face. (Oh please don't lecture me about how easy it is to use, because, despite my phobia, I perfectly understand the scientific principles, aka physics, of pressure cooking. Maybe the same knowledge is responsible for my phobia...knowing if my kids topple this while on high pressure, they might end up with wrecked and severely burned face. Hence, I should never leave this alone while I am using it!) My Nanay used to own one, with the old-fashioned metal sitting on top regulating the pressure inside. I still remember our maid rushing to the sink to run cold water over it to quickly lower the pressure before she would open it. I was always afraid she was not intelligent enough to use the thing and was just thankful she never got injured. Well, after several years, the gasket gave up and my Nanay was never able to get a replacement. So it primarily served then as a thick-gauged stockpot. It was so heavy I was not sure whether the make was aluminum with something else, but it was not shiny as my stainless steel is.

I got this Fagor pressure cooker from amazon.com (I am a great customer of amazon).
I would have wanted to get the 10-qt pressure cooker so I could also do canning in it but it was so pricey my KNB will not be able to cover the cost! This 8-qt was $90 and just the right size for most of my cooking anyway. I finally summoned up the courage to get one because of my plan to serve lengua with mushroom sauce, and as stel had a post about how to peel the lengua, I thought I would need one! And she was right on that!!! It was sooo much easier to peel (not to mention so fast to cook to tenderness) the beef tongue. Why Fagor? Well, I googled the best pressure cooker reviews, and this had very good reviews, plus they had stainless steel ones! (They have cheaper aluminum ones too, but I have this irrational fear again that aluminum just might not be able to withstand the pressure). I made sure I watched to DVD first before I used it. Gives me security during my first try. Now that I have actually used it and have successfully overcome my phobia, I guess I will have more experimental cooking using the pressure cooker...more to blog about in the future.

And yeah, from now on, I will purchase kitchen gadgets, tools, etc. with my blogger's comp.