Concord Grape Jelly

This is a re-posting from my Old Kusina. I am posting with today's date mainly for A Scientist in the Kitchen, who expressed interest in learning more about making jams and jellies. Maybe those in the Philippines can also experiment using our very own fruits. I have seen my ex-MIL make guava jelly even without pectin, so probably we can also find out how to make jams and jellies out of those fruits without using pectin.

Children like it on sandwiches, I like it on Ritz or saltine crackers, hubby likes it (and raspberry and strawberry jams) with peanut butter for sandwiches. It is quite a bit sour for my taste, but my hubby and in-laws like the contrast of sweetness and tartness (maybe because they are used to these sour berries and grapes). One thing for certain, these home-made jams and jellies are far superior than the commercial ones.

These are concord grapes, and they are very very tart! Not at all suitable for eating in its raw form. I had about 2 pounds or more of these bunches about a week before the first frost hit us. Then I waited for the second batch, which I made the morning right after the first frost (a friend's mother-in-law told me they taste better after frost).



1 big colander is equivalent to more than a pound of them, but I had to wash, remove the green ones (choose only the most purple ones) to make into grape jelly.

Ingredients:

5 cups prepared juice (about 3-1/2 lb. fully ripe Concord or you may use other loose-skinned grapes)
1-1/2 cups water
1 box Fruit Pectin (Sure-Jell or Ball Brand)
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
7 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

Preparing the juice:

STEM and crush grapes thoroughly, one layer at a time. Place in large saucepan; add water.



Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place 3 layers of damp cheesecloth or jelly bag in large bowl. (I had none at the time. I improvised using a clean old pillowcase with a small cheesecloth sandwiched inside.) Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth.



Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently (If you squeeze hard, you might end up with turbid jelly). Measure exactly 5 cups prepared juice into 6- or 8-quart saucepot.

(I did this juice preparation at night and let it drip overnight. Then I proceeded with the next step the next morning)

Making the jelly:

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.



STIR pectin into juice in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in sugar all at once and keep on stirring until dissolved.



Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute (set the timer!), stirring constantly. This is how a full rolling boil looks like, where any stirring won't keep the bubbles down (hence, if the pot is not big enough, it might overflow). After one minute, remove from heat.



Skim off any foam with spoon.

Ladle into the hot jars.



Wipe with damp paper towel the sealing surfaces.

Pick the lid and screw band submerged in boiling water using the magnetic picker, then cover the jars and close, fingertip-tight.



Turn upside down for 5 minutes then turn upright again (this is when you want to eliminate processing in boiling-water canner for 5 minutes).

Set them on a place without disturbing for at least 12 hours. Then watch out for covers that did not pop in (downward concavity). If there's one, or if a jar is not full like in the upper small jar in this phot, place in the fridge and consume immediately, preferably within 2 weeks.



I also make strawberry jams , blueberry jams, and raspberry jams (which are made almost in the same manner; the only difference being in the proportions). Our family's fave is the raspberry jam, and when I did bring one to work, to go with some Club crackers, everyone loved it. The nurse travelers (a couple) who were based in Florida even expressed how superior it was over commercially prepared ones. Maybe those in the Philippines can try to make jams out of aratiles or other lowly berries we have, and adjust the amount of sugar according to how sour or sweet they are....just a suggestion for those who are thinking of going into the food business for something less paid attention to, so competition is less. This process is almost a no-brainer and will require very little capital.

(To my Filipina readers/friends in the Philippines who might be interested in making home-made preserves, a web research lead me to this site which gives the telephone number for the pectin producer in the Philippines and globally.) [That link is not valid anymore!] I know that pectin is available in the Philippines because when I was still in college (BS Biology), two of my classmates worked on a thesis involving pectin. At the time I only knew that it was a gelling agent and knew nothing about it. Apparently it can be extracted (as hesperidin?) from citrus peels, also from apples. I do wonder what fruits will not need pectin to jell, given the proper proportion of fruits to water to sugar? These are the only ingredients to making jams and jellies, aside from pectin. Guava naturally has pectin as well.

Chicken Roll-Up

This is a re-posting from my Old Kusina, when i was still linking my blog posts to geocities.I did not edit the story, so this story was from 2004.



I was looking at my collection of printed recipes and this idea was from Del Monte Kitchenomics, but the original recipe did not include using celery sticks, and also called for deep frying and using its famous tomato sauce. I try to avoid deep-frying as much as possible for health reasons, and also because it is messier and cooks only several pieces at a time. So I baked instead, together with the dinner rolls. And as usual, in this recipe I made use of the home-made stewed tomatoes from my Mom-in-law.



Ingredients:



4-6 chicken breasts or thighs, deboned

white cheese for filling

2-3 celery sticks, cut lengthwise in half

1/8 cup sesame seed oil (or melted butter or vegetable oil)

toothpicks



Coating mixture:

1/4 c corn meal

1/8 c all-purpose flour

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

3/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp pepper



Italian Tomato sauce: (may use spaghetti sauce)

1 can/bottle stewed tomatoes

1/8 tsp Italian seasoning

salt, sugar, pepper to taste

1 tsp cornstarch + 1/4 c cold water



Instructions:

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Pre-heat oven to 400 deg F.



Place the cheese and celery sticks at one short end of the chicken slices and roll up. Secure with toothpicks.



Brush to coat with sesame seed oil.



Coat with the above mixture. Place in a baking dish. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender.



In the meantime, prepare the Italian tomato sauce.



In a small saucepan, simmer the stewed tomatoes. Add Italian seasoning, pepper, salt and sugar to taste. Thicken by adding cornstarch-water mixture.



Spoon Italian tomato sauce onto baked chicken roll-up and serve with dinner rolls.

What's In Your Lunch Box?

I am making this post in response to FMB's Lunchbox Meme #2. I have no attractive photos to show what are inside, but the labels let you know the contents of these containers that I have in the fridge, ready for the kids (big or small) to take to school or work for lunch. Usually, after supper, we pack the leftovers into individual servings such as shown, or sometimes, we wait until the week is over, then prepare these prior to the start of the week.

This is the first school year that we have had to do this, since now that I am working, the kids do not qualify anymore for the reduced price or free lunch in school. This does not really bother me, because then I have less leftovers to worry about (sometimes they get forgotten and end up chucked to the trash; what a waste!)

Pork Tocino

 My husband's verdict on Pork Tocino: "This is the best thing that ever happened to pork chops." It never fails to make his eyes closed in savoring this Filipino favorite. (That reminds me, I should get a lot of these on my trip to the Asian stores tomorrow.)

Very easy to prepare, all we need are tocino mix and pork cuts.

I use chops, and instead of the 1.1 lb suggested in the recipe, I marinate 2 lb of pork chops instead, for at least 3 hours or overnight. The result is a not-too-sweet pork tocino (hubby does not like too salty or too sweet chops).

Using a non-stick deep 10-inch saucepan, I add some water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and put everything, chops and marinade, in the pan, simmer (#3) covered for 10 minutes. Then I uncover, turn up the heat to about #8 to reduce the sauce while turning the pieces often. When almost dry, I lower the heat again to avoid burning the sugar, then as the chops begin rendering fat (or I add some olive oil), I brown the pieces.

I serve this with rice (or potatoes for hubby) and salad greens.

I don't have to mention that this is one of the favorites of my kids as well.

Baked Mac&Cheese with Ham & Brocolli

From Baked Mac&Cheese with Ham & Broccoli

The ham I used in this baked mac&cheese was leftover from New Year's Eve supper. In this part of the USA, we do not really celebrate NY. But the great contrast in comparison with Philippines where NY is celebrated with big bang (and also greeted with gunshots and sirens of fire trucks or ambulance), along with a bountiful table to invite prosperity to one's home, made me want to prepare a

From Christmas

small special supper, which consisted of roasted ham, black eyed peas sautee, and rice and potatoes. With this small "feast" we still ended up with lots of leftovers (what can you expect with 4 eaters?). Over the next days I ate the black eyed peas which I cooked like how I would mung beans (munggo guisado), and so was getting better and better the longer it sat in the fridge.

But the ham remained for some time in the fridge...waiting to be re-invigorated.

From Ham & Onion Omelet

One of the ways I cooked the ham was as omelet, with chopped onions as its companion.My sons loved this.

Another way I cooked ham leftover was to add

From fried rice with ham cubes

it to fried rice along with frozen veggies (carrots and peas). Actually, my older son was the one who cooked this.

I had lots of cheese leftover too, from having eaten chili, plus I always have Velveeta and parmesan cheese in the fridge. And so, I looked for recipes for homemade baked mac&cheese (since my husband is so fond of boxed mac&cheese, I figured he would love the homebaked more). I found one video showing how to cook it, and the cook also used leftover ham and some New England cheeses (Cabot brand).

I just added the broccoli leftover also (from that post on porterhouse steaks). As I expected, it was a hit with my hubby, as well as the kids (well, even stepd is a big fan of mac&cheese).

Ingredients:

6 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1&3/4 cup half and half cream
1&1/4 cup shredded cheese
1&1/4 cup Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 cups diced ham
5 cups cooked macaroni
1 cup bread crumbs divided in two

Instructions:


Cook macaroni per package directions and drain.
Cook the rest of the ingredients as instructed in the slide show. Stirring CONSTANTLY is the key to avoiding making lumps.
Transfer to baking dish and bake at 350 deg F for 20 minutes.

This post is an entry to LaPiS with the theme Leftover.

Porterhouse Steaks

I gotta admit, steaks are probably my waterloo in cooking. Though we have plenty

From porterhouse steaks

stored in our freezer, I seldom cook them, or like I am almost always prepared to get disappointing results. The thing that makes it worse is that, to my husband, steaks+potatoes+boiled veggies is the equivalent to us Filipinos eating fried fish, sinangag, and ensaladang kamatis with camote tops. My husband just misses this type of meal if I get into the "more fancier" (as he sees it when I prepare something else) cooking. It seems no matter how I cook steaks, they always end up tough and chewy, except for the tenderloins. Until I started to try Adolph's tenderizer, the main meat tenderizing ingredient of which is papain...yeah, that enzyme you get from papaya (I remember having papain as a subject of our Science Project in High School).

Ingredients are so simple:

olive oil
porterhouse steaks
freshly milled (or ground) pepper to taste
Adolph's tenderizer
[ADD salt only after cooking!]

Equipment:

Iron cast pan
Iron cast griddle

Instructions:


After thawing steaks, wipe surface with paper towels and sprinkle pepper.

Heat the pan on high. Start the broiler on high, with the griddle on rack placed on the upper most level. The ridges of the griddle should be facing up.

Once pan is hot, spray (or wipe) with olive oil.

Sprinkle the tenderizer on the surface to be cooked and place on pan. Cook for 2 mins.

Sprinkle the raw surface with tenderizer and flip and cook for another 2 mins.

Place on the griddle and broil for additional 4-6 mins.

Serve with A1 steak sauce (hubby's fave; an acquired taste for me and my boys), potatoes and steamed veggies. Dont' forget the butter, salt and pepper!

My hubby ends up enjoying his "typical" meal.

Canning Bread & Butter (aka Pimento) Pickles

If you like atsarang papaya, you will like this. I did.

This is a re-posting from my Old Kusina. While this seems off-season in that I usually do canning in the fall, I figure it won't hurt to show this here at this time, so those who will try can plan ahead for what they want to plant in their gardens. (I usually have gardening catalogs during Jan-Feb. My MIL orders as early as Feb or Mar to start her seedlings indoor in April). It is best to can veggies yo yourself grow in your garden, and start the process on the very day you harvest your produce. (Although an exception for me is canning tomatoes. Sometimes I harvest my tomatoes as soon as they have red/yellow/orange streaks and let them ripen inside the house to avoid being attacked by slugs, then I process them).

During the winter of 2003-2004 my dear MIL gave me a quart of this BBP. (She gave me a jar of dill pickles prior to this.) She said her husband likes it so much that he can finish the whole quart in two weeks, and that he can't eat any roasted meat without it on the side. I tried it right away, and that day I decided that I had a new favorite pickle. The closest Filipino pickle that tasted like BBP is the atsara, but my! This one is a lot better! (I have tasted several atsara preparations in the PI, some with carrot slices, some with bittermelon slices (ugh!), and some just the grated papaya with onions and the brine. The best atsara I have tasted was the one that went along with Baliwag lechon manok, if my memory serves me right.)

That summer of 2004 when it was harvest and canning time for the cucumbers from my vegetable garden, I was so eager to learn how to make BBP. I first learned canning the dill pickles first, which was harder and fussier when it comes to processing (have to maintain at a point just below boiling). This one is way too easy...just half-cook the cucumbers and can. No more processing needed! The pure vinegar-sugar combination (as in no water) does not encourage growth of Clostridium botulinum and other microbes while the jar is not yet opened.

Browsing some websites about BBP, I learned that many required other ingredients not in this recipe from my MIL's canning book. Some required processing in a boiling water canner. MIL says you can't buy these at the grocery stores, and if ever you find one, they are not as good as what we are making. She first had a taste of this from a friend who shared with her the recipe.

Others are just so mushy and not as pleasantly tasting as these.

So, for those who are planning on planting cucumbers next summer, you might want to make these pickles. Your spouses might prefer the dill pickles (as mine does), but you will surely love this if you love atsara. Now for American wives to Pinoys, if your hubby likes atsara (pronounced ah-cha-rrra), they will surely appreciate this. For Filipinos in PI, you might want to try making these as substitute for atsara. Best served with roasted chicken. Also goes well with burgers and hotdog sandwiches. I love giving these away as Christmas gifts to friends. My friend Ana can finish a jar the very day she gets one from me.

Equipment:

knife
chopping board (better if you have a mandolin or a slicer either in food processor or as attachment)
nonreactive stockpot (stainless steel)
Jars and closures
magnetic picker
wide stainless steel funnel

Ingredients:

25 pickling cucumbers
8 fist-sized yellow onions (or the equivalent amount)
2 red and green bell pepper (1 each, or 2 bell peppers plus 1 small jar of pimento)
1 cup canning salt

For the brine:

12 cups sugar, dissolved in 12 cups vinegar
1/2 cup mustard seed
6 tsp ground turmeric

Instructions:

I did this in two consecutive days.

Day I: Preparation

Do on the same day of harvesting for optimum result. Wash cucumbers well. Remove ends. Group the cucumbers into 3. Slice the first group to the desired thickness (I like mine about 3/16 of an inch). Divide the onions into 2, slice into rings. Divide the peppers into 2, dice and discard the seeds.

Layer as follows: cucumbers; onion+peppers; cucumbers; onions+peppers; cucumbers.

Sprinkle 1 cup of canning salt on top. Cover and let sit overnight. The salt draws the excess moisture from the cucumbers, so that it will retain its crispiness even when canned.

Day 2: Canning

As usual, before proceeding, prepare jars and closures according to instructions in Canning Basics.

Next morning, rinse with cold water and drain. Taste cucumber. Rinse again and taste again. Repeat until the cucumbers are not that salty to your taste (just a bit).

Prepare the pickling solution and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour into the stockpot of cucumbers, and heat near boiling point, stirring constantly to assure uniform cooking.

Bring back to heat up to just below boiling point then lower heat and maintain, stirring constantly to assure uniform cooking. After about 5 minutes, slices should start to become translucent. Check for doneness by trying some slices from different spots in the pot. Cucumbers should be just half-cooked and still crispy. Lower heat to the minimum to maintain heat yet not overcook the remaining cucumbers as you transfer them to jars little by little.

*Using wide-mouthed funnels, transfer to hot jars right away, with a good proportion of pickles to brine solution, making sure all slices are covered. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. (Headspace allows for volume contraction while the jars are cooling down so that later on the lid pops in, indicating proper seal.)

Release bubbles with a plastic spatula or a bubbler, wipe rim with damp cloth or paper towel, and close immediately with clean lid and screw band. Put on a sterile towel.**

Repeat steps *-** in one smooth flow jar per per jar, stirring again before ladling. Don't fill all the jars then proceed with covering because this will not be processed in a boiling water bath. (the pure vinegar-sugar combination makes it less prone to developing botulism and is less susceptible to bacterial/mold proliferation. For every new jar filled, stir the pickles, with the heat kept to the minimum to avoid overcooking yet maintain the heat, before ladling into the hot jars. After all jars are filled, cover with another towel. Only then can you allow open windows/draft. Wait for at least 3 hours for popping sounds when sealing. After 12 hours, take note of unsealed jars and place in refrigerator, to be consumed within 2 weeks. For the properly sealed jars, let sit in the pantry (should be dark and cool) for at least three weeks to further develop the flavor. Unopened jars will remain good within 1 year from canning.

This is now my favorite pickles (hubby's fave is the dill pickles) because it comes closest to the taste of the atsara that I liked, even better. I use this with any dry (not soupy) dishes, or when hunger strikes and I am not in the mood to cook and there are no leftovers to raid in the fridge. Now I am planning to turn them into holiday gifts for the few friends that I have made in the past year.

Do you want more ideas about pickling cucumbers? Click here.

Butter-Fried Haddock, Rice-A-Roni, and Baby Spinach

This is a re-post from my Old Kusina. Funny how, when I review

From butter fried haddock wit rice-a-roni and baby spinach

my earlier posts now that I have somewhat established family favorites and regulars, I see that some earlier food combinations to make a menu are now changed. Like the old post of mine on haddock had creamed butter and french fries as sides. Now, we regularly eat butter-fried haddock with fresh baby spinach and Rice-A-Roni. If we deviate from that combination, my husband (who is a sucker for "traditions" likes sticking to something once he really finds it good) seems lost. Haha!
Very easy to prepare, we have this menu almost every two weeks.

Ingredients:

2 lbs haddock fillets, cut into serving pieces (I have extra for lunch-dinners the next day)
spices: salt, pepper and paprika, sprinkled onto cut pieces
flour for dredging right before frying
1 stick butter for frying

Rice-A-Roni (2 boxes for a family of 4-5 with boys who eat like men, and a man who eats like a boy)
butter (see package for directions; I use 4 tbsp for two boxes)
water (I usually use 3&1/2 cup for two boxes RAR)

fresh baby spinach

Instructions:

Start cooking the rice first. Using the stovetop, I melt the butter, add rice and stir, add water and flavoring then stir. Then I place in rice cooker to finish (takes about 30 minutes to cook). I wait for about 15 minutes before starting cooking the fish.

Meanwhile, I prepare the fish. After cutting, I sprinkle with spices and let them

From butter fried haddock wit rice-a-roni and baby spinach

sit for a while. 20 minutes before the rice is done, I start heating the griddle, flat side up, on two burners, at #6 setting. After about 5 minutes, I start melting the butter. Once butter has cleared (no more bubbles; it looks more like oil), I increase heat to 8, dredge chicken pieces in flour, and place them in the pan to cook one side for two minutes, then flip over, making sure there is enough melted butter underneath (or I slice some more butter to place there before the fish piece lands on it), and cook for another two minutes, or longer (3-4 mins) for thicker pieces. At this point, I shout to my kids, "Set the table please!" and instruct them about the baby spinach and dressing (hubby loves Wish-Bone Robusto Italian), and the RAR.

Boiling Water Canner and Bamboo Steamer

I have posted during my earlier blogging days about

From boiling water canner & bamboo steamer

canning, and this is where I use my boiling water canner primarily (It was a birthday gift from my mother-in-law after I have borrowed hers several times to can my produce during my first year of garden harvest). But through years now of using the canner and with my bamboo steamers also now available whenever I want to prepare steamed pinoy goodies such as puto, siopao, or siomai, I resort to this, especially if it requires oven-like environment as in the case of puto or siopao, which requires the high moist heat of steam. Leche flan can also be prepared in this way, if you cover the llanera with foil, place in the bamboo steamer atop the canning rack, steamed in MODERATE heat for 30 minutes for the typical llanera size, or longer for 8x8 round pans (if you try using high heat, it will result to big holes; less heat will take longer cooking time).

Although the bamboo steamers can be used on top of a
wok for siomai and dumplings, which do not require sudden rising of dough, the canner provides a better effect of sudden heat to assist in rising of dough for such recipes as puto or siopao ("ginulat" kumbaga). The canning rack allows for proper elevation so you don't boil the goodies, and the handles also provide an easy way to place and remove what you are cooking. Of course you can use these for the individual purposes they were intended to be used for. I am just showing here how I marry the use of some distinct tools to prepare some Filipino favorites. The bamboo steamer I use is a 10-in size. If larger, it won't fit in my canner. There are larger sizes of bamboo steamers available, though.

To properly care for bamboo steamers, spray with oil after each use and thoroughly dry when storing.

To properly care for your boiling water canner, just promptly remove the water after each use and wipe to avoid rusting.

Puto

I don't have an authentic recipe for puto to share with you. What I am showing here is puto that I made to go with the dinuguan that I usually serve during the Filipino gatherings. Although I want some authentic recipes and actually found some online, I simply do not have the time to make it. Since I have been working and have less time now to cook and bake, I want a quick-fix, so I resort to the following:

Ingredients:
1 box classic white cake mix (I used Pillsbury)
egg whites, oil and water as directed on the package
(optional toppings: cheese or salted egg)

Procedure:
Prepare your steamer (will post about this later) and make sure the water level is low enough so it does not touch your puto, yet high enough not to get dried up before your puto is done.

From puto't dinuguan

Prepare wet ingredients in a bowl.

Mix the dry with the wet ingredients ONLY when your steamer's water is boiling briskly already.
Spoon the mix into muffin cups supported by silicone cups (or other small cups that fit in your steamer). (This is a good time to place slices of salted egg on top if using.)
If you have two layers of muffins, steam for 10 minutes then exchange the top with the bottom and steam for further 2 minutes.
Remove cover and let steam for further 2-3 minutes. (This is a good time to put cheese topping if using).

This is traditionally served with dinuguan.

A bonus surprise was that hubby and all the kids loved this puto! So, although this is not an authentic puto recipe, who cares? What matters is it gets eaten, especially by the family, right?

For those looking for puto molds, a good substitute would be the tartlet pan on the right, which are like shorter muffin tin cups without the ridges. As mentioned on amazon,com, "SPECS: Diameter 2 1/2", height 5/8", pack of 25 - Description: Made of tin-plate. "

McMeatloaf

Ever gone to your workplace smelling like restaurant because you cooked steaks or stir-fries? Well, I have. I know its just stupidity the spontaneity and lack of planning, cooking supper in a spur-of-the-moment decision. You see, I work night shifts, and I leave home around 6pm. I take my showers around 3 pm to give enough time for my hair to dry (then straighten with an iron) before I leave. I start cooking supper around 4 or 4:30 for the quick-to-prep suppers. (I do sometimes plan ahead and have something in the slow cooker or oven, but that is not always the case.) Well, one time I was working and could smell my restaurant scent, I thought, "hmmm...I have two more consecutive nights to work. Better think of menus that will allow me to go to work smelling clean and fresh." This meatloaf is one of those.

I really have no recipe to share here. I named this McMeatloaf because I used McCormick meatloaf mix to quick-fix this classic dish.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. McCormick® Meat Loaf Seasoning Mix
2 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs OR 1 cup soft bread crumbs (2 slices bread)
1/2 cup ketchup, chili sauce or tomato sauce (optional)


MIX all ingredients except ketchup, in large bowl until well blended.


SHAPE meat mixture into a loaf. Place in foil-lined baking pan or 9x5-inch loaf pan. Top with ketchup, if desired.


BAKE in 375° F oven 1 hour or until cooked through.

We ate this with potatoes cooked in microwave using another McCormick product, Italian Herb Potato Steamer, and pre-cut salad greens.

I should get paid by McCormick for promoting their products...

My Humble Coconut Grater

I requested a coconut grater as pasalubong from Ana when she came back from a vacation to the Philippines. Since then, I have been getting mature coconuts (niyog) from hannaford when I need freshly grated coconut for pan de coco or palitaw or pichi-pichi. Before this, I had tried getting some pre-grated coconut that seemed dessicated it was like eating shredded paper! I never would want to do that again!

Ana gave me a possible attachment to kitchen aid or a motor to come up with a motorized grater, but I have never gotten around to asking a machinist(?) to see whether it can be re-shaped to fit my kitchen aid. In any case, since I grate only 1-2 coconuts at a time, which takes about 5-10 minutes of grating (using my son power), this humble manual grater, which I attached to a plank then place on a seat during use, serves the purpose for which it was intended. This way, I can easily hide it out of sight when not in use, by squeezing it into a slim cupboard.

A manual coconut grater can be bought here for $5, but I could only imagine how hard that one is for the wrist and hand. A seat version is also available for $16, but storage would be the problem here, not to mention shipping costs for the wooden part. If only they sell something like mine, only with screw to attach it to a plank like I did, with the option to get a plank as well, I bet they would sell better. Maybe I should ask for someone to make these for me, then maybe I can sell them at amazon.com...hmmmm....

Pianono

I remember pianono as having the margarine/sugar filling instead of jam or jelly,

From pianono

but we at my father's bakery had always referred to it as either jelly roll or pianono. I tried to make it recently, but used strawberry jam as filling just because we had that jam, and also I do not have margarine (and I do not really want to start my kids with margarine). Maybe I should have rolled in a towel and let the cake cool down before spreading the jam, because later on the jam's juice had seeped into the cake. Good thing my kids loved these. Ubos agad. I personally was not too impressed with the outcome, but it worked for my kids (I am not even sure if my husband had a chance to taste it, although he sounded excited when i first got it out of the oven, saying he has not had one in a long time. He probably soon forgot about it.) So, because my kids loved this recipe, I'd say it is a keeper.

I followed the recipe below from chef2chef:

Please note how I sequenced and did this by looking at the slideshow.
Ingredients

6 egg whites
6 tbsp sugar
6 egg yolks
6 tbsp sifted flour

Instructions

To 6 egg whites beaten until stiff, add the following by spoonfuls,
beating well after each addition 6 tablespoons sugar, then add 6
yolks of eggs (well beaten). Blend well. Cut and fold into the
mixture: 6 tablespoons sifted flour

Pour into a jelly roll pan lined with greased paper. Bake for 15
minutes at 400F. Turn out on another sheet of paper sprinkled with
sugar. Remove paper lining. Spread jam frosting over cake and roll.
Dust surface with sugar. Slice crosswise.

UPDATE as of 01-03-08 -- Due to the comments below (thanks to LBR and Luz), I am updating this post for a future experiment on this recipe. I think this will be wonderful in that this filling will not seep through the cake, especially if put in the fridge immediately after rolling (to harden it up). And while I am not a big fan of cheesecake because it is too rich for my palate, I do love it combined with something else to liven up the flavor.

ALTERNATIVE FILLING TO TRY:
1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cold milk
1 & 1/4 cups of Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed (May have to add this gradually to check on the right consistency)

Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk in a bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 1-1/4 cups of the whipped topping; mix well. Spread over cake and proceed as above.

Another possibility: 1 pkg cream cheese combined with 4 oz jam and 1/4 cup sugar with whipped cream

How I Make Fresh Lumpia Wrappers

Thanks to the Villa Ware crepe maker, making these wrappers are a breeze. I never have learned the proper way to make fresh lumpia wrappers using a skillet or a non-stick pan. I tried several times in the past, but I always ended up frustrated. Now I can make them without problems. It did take some practice before I was able to make good ones. And usually, once I start making them, the first ones are not good. It is expected, though, as the manual states the same thing. Maybe it has to do with the gadget warming up.

Please see recipe for batter on "Fresh Lumpia" post. Below is a short video on how I actually made them. I suck at video making, but I made this primarily to show how I swirled the pan right after lifting it up from the batter. If you don't do this swirling, you end up with a very uneven crepe.
Important notes:
1. Make the batter 1 night ahead so the gluten develops first. It lessens the hole and makes the crepe more pliable.
2. Let batter stand in room temp for 30 minutes prior to starting.
3. The first ones will get wasted as you get used to doing this and discovering the technique hands on. Don't get frustrated. (It is for this reason that you should not cut the recipe in half).
4. Butter the pan the whisk the batter before dipping the pan.
5. Put enough liquid but not too much into the dipping plate.
6. Make sure you let the crepe cool down completely before stacking. Use wire racks to cool. You do not have to use filter or wax paper in between. They easily come off each other.
7. Wrap in plastic the stacked crepes before storing in the fridge if not using immediately. Use within 2 days, I suggest.

Enjoy!