Cookworks Breadmaker Manual

Lost your breadmaker manual?? Well here's the scanned copy of the manual!

Enjoy baking!

www.sarahceline.com/breadmaker.pdf

Best Vanilla Shortbread recipe

I found the best vanilla shortbread biscuit recipe at

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1172/vanilla-shortbread-dough

Ingredients:

325g of plain flour

200g chilled salted butter

125g of caster sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tsp of vanilla extract

1. Tip the flour into a food processor. Cut the butter into small pieces and drop them into the bowl, then whizz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
2. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks and whizz to a small dough.
3. you can either flatten it with a rolling pin and use a cookie cutter or roll it with a cling film, chill it then slice it.
4. There was no mention of oven temprature and time but i suggest you cook this at 180 degrees for 10mins.

The bottom module stirs under the educational group.

The bottom module stirs under the educational group.

Kenny Rogers' Corn Muffin

I recently craved for cornbread however i couldn't find one here in england! Not even kenny rogers! So i decided to bake one. I found one recipe which i thought was salty and taste of baking soda. It had that burning, metallic taste. I decided to re-read the recipe and instead of putting 1/2 tsp baking soda, i used 1 tbsp! Anyway, i found on the internet kenny rogers corn muffin and decided to try it out. It was absolutely scrummy! Exactly what I had when i was child, eating it with roasted meats or fish and veggies! Anyway, here's the recipe of the corn muffin. This makes 12 muffins. However, you can use this in a 22cm or 8 1/2 round pan.

ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (if you are using salted butter, reduce salt)

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (you may use white bread flour if you want a denser and rustic corn bread)

3/4 cup cornmeal or maize meal

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup frozen yellow corn or 200g tinned yellow corn (yellow sweet corn is much better!)

1. Preheat oven to 400degrees

2. Cream butter, sugar, honey, eggs and salt.

3. blend in flour, cornmeal and baking powder

4. mix in milk

5. add corn and mix it.

You can use a 12 cup muffin tray or 22cm (8 1/2in) round pan and bake it for about 20 mins or poke it with a toothpick or skewer and it should come out clean.

this recipe is from www.cdkitchen.com

enjoy!

Tuna Steak with stuffed sweet pepper and tomato salsa

I was just watching Rick Stein's show about fish and suddenly had a craving for tuna. It's been years since I had a tuna steak. Moving to England apparently means having a lower lifestyle quality! Just joking. Anyway, on to the recipe ...

Ingredients:

For the tuna steak:

2 1/2" thick yellowfin or ahi tuna steak. You can do thicker if you prefer.
2 tbsp English mustard
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped finely
Thyme
Pepper

For the stuffed pepper:
2 yellow peppers (capsicum)
Thyme
Knob of butter
150g of cooked rice
Thyme
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Pine nuts (optional)

For the salsa:
4 vine tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped (if using a small sized onion, half if using large)
1/2 cup Cilantro or Basil, fresh and chopped
Juice of one lemon or lime
Salt and pepper

To start, whisk the mustard, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, garlic and thyme. Marinade tuna for an hour or two and put it in fridge.

Take your capsicum or sweet yellow peppers and either slice it in half vertically or horizontally. If you're cutting it horizontally, make sure you slice off at least half an inch from the stalky part. Coat peppers with olive oil. Place it on a baking or roasting dish and season it with herbs and salt and pepper. Bake for about 20-30mins at 180 centigrade.

For the rice, melt butter in a skillet and add the herbs. Add rice and mix it till it's evenly coated. Do not mash the rice. You may add pine nuts.

When the peppers are roasted, stuff the rice into the peppers.

For salsa, just combine the salsa ingredients listed above. Tomatoes and onion are best when it's in room temperature.

Heat and add a tsp of olive oil to a moderately hot pan. Cook tuna for one minute on each side. It should still be pink in the middle. Longer if you want well done or if you have a thicker tuna.

Serve it with the stuffed pepper and top it with salsa.

You may cook the marinade and use it as sauce as well.

Enjoy!




-- Post From My iPhone

ABE Business Management Study Manuals

For Human Resource Study Manual: http://www.2shared.com/file/4693795/b2bc6cf5/10_Human_Resource_txt.html
For Managerial Accounting Study Manual:
http://www.2shared.com/file/4693816/e830f07a/12_Managerial_Accounting_txt.html
For Marketing Study Manual:
http://www.2shared.com/file/4693873/ce00a373/09_Marketing_Policy_txt.html

CookWorks Signature Breadmaker Recipes

For those who have lost their copy of the manual, here it is. Please note that all recipes in this post is owned by Cookworks Signature.

Basic Breads for a 1.5lb loaf

Water 290ml
Sugar 2tbsp
Oil 2tbsp
Salt 1 1/2 tsp
Dry milk 3tbsp
Bread flour 3 cups
Dry Yeast 2tsp

This is reference only.... for others see below

Specialty Bread

1. White Bread for a 1.5lb (2.0lb) loaf

Water 250ml (300ml)
Salt 1.5tsp (2tsp)
Sugar 2tbsp (2.5tbsp)
Oil 2tbsp (2.5tbsp)
Durum Wheat Semolina 120g (150g)
Bread Flour 270g (350g)
Dry Yeast 1.25tsp (1.5tsp)

Program: French

2. Nut and Raisin Bread for 1.5lb (2lb) loaf
*tip: Add the raisins and nuts after the beeps during the second kneading phase

Water 250ml (330ml)
Margarine or Butter 2tbsp (2.5tbsp)
Salt 1.5tsp (2tsp)
Sugar 2tbsp (2.5tbsp)
Bread Flour 450g (520g)
Dry Yeast 1.2tsp (1.5tsp)
Raisins 50g (75g)
Crushed Walnuts 30g (40g)

Program Basic

3. Coarse White Bread for 1.5lb (2lb) loaf

Milk 280ml (330ml)
Margarine or Butter 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Salt 1tsp (1tsp)
Sugar 2tbsp (3tbsp)
Coarse Bread Flour 380g (510g)
Dry Yeast 1tsp (1tsp)

Program: Basic

4. Whole Wheat Bread for 1.5lb (2lb) loaf

Water 250ml (320ml)
Margarine or Butter 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Salt 1tsp (2tsp)
Sugar 1tbsp (2tbsp)
Bread flour 200g (260g)
whole wheat flour 200g (260g)
Dry Yeast 1 tsp (1.25tsp)

Program: Whole-Wheat

5. Traditional White Bread for 1.5lb (2.0lb) loaf

Water 250ml (330ml)
Margarine or Butter 1tbsp (1.5tbsp)
Salt 1tsp (1.75tsp)
Dry Milk 1.5tsp (2tsp)
Sugar 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Bread flour 450g (520g)
Dry Yeast 1.25tsp (1.5tsp)

Program: Basic

6. Italian White Bread for 1.5lb (2.olb) loaf

Water 220ml (280ml)
Margarine or Butter 2.5tbsp (3tbsp)
Salt 1tsp (1tsp)
Sugar 2.5tbsp (3tbsp)
Bread Flour 300g (400g)
Corn Semolina 80g (100g)
Dry Yeast 1.5tsp (1.75tsp)

Program: Sandwich

7. Sweet Bread for 1.5lb (2.0lb) loaf

Fresh Milk 210ml (230ml)
Margarine or Butter 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Eggs 1 (2)
Salt 1 tsp (1tsp)
Honey 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Sugar 3tbsp (4tbsp)
Bread Flour 450g (520g)
Dry Yeast 1tsp (1.25tsp)

Program: Sweet

8. Potato Bread for 1.5lb (2.0lb) loaf

Water or Milk 170ml (230ml)
Margarine or Butter 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Egg 1 (1)
Mashed boiled potatoes 120g (150g)
Salt 1tsp (1.5tsp)
Sugar 2tbsp (3tbsp)
Bread flour 380g (460g)
Dry Yeast 1tsp (1.25tsp)

Program: Basic

9. Coarse Bread for 1.5lb (2.0lb) loaf

Water 240ml (310ml)
Salt 1tsp (1tsp)
Oil 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Bread flour 380g (500g)
Sugar 0.75tbsp (1tbsp)
Dry Yeast 1.25tsp (1.5tsp)

Program: French

10. Irish Soda Bread for 2.0lbs loaf

Buttermilk 220ml
Eggs 2
Oil 2tbsp
All-Purpose Flour 500g
Sugar 0.5 cup
Baking soda 1tbsp
Salt 0.5tsp
Raisin 1 cup

Program: Quick

11. Rice Bread for 1.5lbs (2.0lbs) loaf

Rice cooking water 230ml (330ml)
Bread flour 400g (520g)
Round grain rice- raw 35g (50g)
Sugar 3tsp (4tsp)
Dry Yeast 1tsp (1tbsp)
Oil tbsp (1.5tbsp)

Program: Basic

12. Carrot Bread for 1.5lbs (2.0lbs) loaf

Water 250ml (310ml)
Butter 1.5tbsp (2tbsp)
Bread Flour 450g (520g)
Finely diced carrots 56g (70g)
Salt 1tsp (1tsp)
Sugar 2tbsp (2.5tbsp)
Dry Yeast 1tsp (1.25tsp)

Program: Basic

13. Ultra-Fast Pesto Bread for 1.5lbs (2.0lbs) loaf

and the rest

will soon follow....

Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer Unexpectedly close due to avgapix.dll faulting module

Does your Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer unexpectedly close? Saying that it generated errors or found errors that needs to be closed? First is to check your event viewer (start-control panel-administrative tools - event viewer)and see what is the faulting module. In other words, what causes it to crash. In my case, AVG 8's latest update seems to have caused it. Based on the event viewer, my faulting mode was avgapix.dll. If this is also your problem, do the following.

To check for the faulting module go to:
1. Start
2. Control Panel
3. Administrative Tools
4. Event Viewer

There are 2 solutions:
1. Open the AVG folder, C: Drive\Program Files\AVG\AVG 8
2. Rename avgapix.dll to avgapi.dll if there is another existing file... delete avgapix.dll

Note: deleting avgapix.dll will fix the internet explorer problem however, microsoft office won't work as it thinks that your file has a virus.

final solution is to reinstall or do repair avg AFTER deleting the avgapix.dll

Salmon with Stir fry noodles

Ingredients :

For the Salmon:

2 salmon fillets
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 2 inch ginger, chopped
1/4th cup Sake or White Wine
3 tablespoon sugar (preferrably brown sugar but white is also fine)
1/4th cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground nut oil (vegetable or olive oil is fine)
1 knob of butter

For the Stir fry noodles:

2 tablespoon of ground nut oil (vegetable or olive oil is fine)
350 grams of Egg noodles
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 medium sized onion, sliced
1 1 1/2 inch ginger, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4-5 pieces of closed cup mushroom, sliced
Soy sauce amount depends on your taste


First, combine garlic, ginger, white wine, sugar and the soy sauce in a bowl. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Marinade Salmon fillets for just one hour.
Boil egg noodles according to package instructions. drain water.
In a pan, heat oil and saute garlic and ginger. Add onions until it becomes soft. Add all the peppers and mushrooms. Once vegetables are cooked, add noodles and soy sauce. The amount of soy sauce depends on your taste. I wouldn't put too much as we will use the marinade of the salmon as well.
In another pan, heat oil. pan fry salmon starting with the skin first (if your salmon has skin). Add 1 knob of butter onto the pan. Once it's cooked, remove salmon from pan and cook the marinade. Wait until the marinade becomes thick.
Place noodles on plate and put salmon either on top of the noodles or on the side. Pour or drizzle the sauce over the noodles and salmon.

Banoffee Pie

For the toffee sauce:
1 (405g) of condensed milk

Base:
350grams of digestives or biscuits of your choice
150grams of melted butter

Cream:
1 pint of double cream
3 bananas, sliced
instant powdered coffee (optional)

To make the toffee sauce, remove the label of the condensed milk and immerse it in boiling water. Boil the tin for 2 - 3 hours. The longer you boil it, the darker and thicker the toffee will be. Make sure that the tin is FULLY immerse in water all throughout otherwise, the tin will pressurized and explode.

For the base, crush the digestives and mix it with melted butter. Using a pestle or fork, press the digestives onto the pan. Make sure that there's no hole. Refrigerate.

Whip the double cream until it's stiff.

There are three ways to arrange:

Simple: Mix toffee and banana then pour onto the base. Sprinkle instant coffee then spread cream on top.

Layer - spread cream onto the base, sprinkle a little bit of instant coffee then arrange the sliced banana, spread toffee then repeat.

Layer 2 - spread cream onto the base, arrange the sliced banana then add another layer of cream. sprinkle some coffee powder and drizzle it with toffee.

Haddock with White Wine and Roasted Garlic Sauce

Haddock with White Wine and Roasted Garlic Sauce

2 Fillets of Haddock
salt and pepper
olive oil
2-4 pcs of Shallot or 1 whole white onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 cups of white wine
Dried Rosemary
A twig of fresh rosemary
3 knobs of butter

First, chop the shallots or white onion and saute half of it in olive oil for 1 minute. Add the twig of rosemary and white wine. Reduce it till it's gone down to half. While it's simmering, roast garlic with olive oil.

While the sauce is simmering and garlic is roasting, proceed with grilling or pan frying the haddock. Season haddock with salt and pepper. I always find haddock a bit bland so what i do is i pan fry or grill it in flavoured oil by adding herbs or onions. In a pan, add the rest of the remaining of the chopped onion or shallots and dried rosemary. Saute till you can smell the rosemary which is like 30 seconds. Anyway, pan fry haddock. 2 minutes on each side. Careful when flipping to avoid breaking the fish.

While pan frying the fish, go back to the sauce. Use a garlic crusher to crush garlic into the wine mixture. Stir.

It's time to flip the fish...

then back to the sauce... turn off heat and add 3 knobs of butter onto the sauce and mix it with an electric hand mixer until butter and sauce is completely mixed. Strain the sauce before serving it.

On a warm plate, put mash if you want or buttered asparagus.. I prefer mash. Then place the fish and drizzle the fish with the white wine and roasted garlic sauce.

More Photos Taken From iPhone

All Photos taken at the Roadhouse, Convent Garden, London. Do ask permission if you need to use any of my Photos

Seafood Rice

Seafood Rice

Seafood Medley/Collection from Sainsbury (Prawn, Squid and Mussels)
2 knobs of butter
a tsp of lemon juice
worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
Fresh rosemary herb (about 2 sprigs)
2 pcs of carrots, blanched
half a head of cauliflower
1/4 cup petit pois
1 bell pepper, sliced (i use green, red and yellow)
200 grams basmati rice, washed and then cook with 300ml of water
1 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pepper

In a pan, add a little olive oil and melt 1 knob of butter. Add garlic, onion and rosemary until you can smell the aroma but don't burn it. Add cauliflower, carrots, bell pepper, petit pois and seafood. Cook for at least a minute then add lemon juice. Add rice and mix. Add 1 knob of butter and mix until butter completely melts. Add worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, depending on your taste then add pepper. Don't add anymore salt as worcestershire and soy sauce are already salty.

Sundried Tomato Paste

Sundried Tomato Paste

In a bowl, i combined Sundried tomato, olive oil, garlic, basil and pine nuts (similar to making pesto) then used food processor till it becomes a paste.
This is perfect for pasta, marinade for fish or spread on bruschetta.

Salmon Pate

Salmon Pate

Ingredients:
Salmon (either boneless, smoked or from tin. I've used smoked and from tin but give it a try with a pan fried boneless fillet)
Light Mayonnaise or Creme Fraiche (Depends on the amount of salmon you have)
1 tsp (or more if you want)
English Mustard
3 cloves Garlic
Chives
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients except for chives and salt and pepper in a food processor or a bowl if you are using a hand-mixer. Mix until chunks disappears. Add chives and season it with salt and pepper.

You can also use Tuna instead of salmon.

Photos taken from iPhone

Soundwaves... Confessions of a Deaf Person

In 1983, there were no ultrasound yet if there is then it was not widely known yet in the philippines. On the day I was born, I could not come out the normal way and that caesarian was the option. It turned out that the umbilical cord was wrapped around my body and neck. After taking me out, the doctor have said i'm fine and healthy.

I was sitting on the foot of my grandfather's bed, watching tv when he was calling me. I wouldn't respond.

I was sitting on my mother's lap in a car when she was calling me and I wouldn't respond.

I have been told that similar situtations have happened often and that it took 3 doctors to find out what was wrong with me. The first 2 doctors have said that I am autistic but my grandfather and my father disagreed. The 3rd doctor have said that I may not be autistic and so referred me to an otologist. It was in 1986 that I was discovered deaf by Dr. Carlos Reyes through several tests. Also the first time that I wore hearing aids. I never asked what my parents reaction was but all I know is that they have done everything they could for me to be as normal as possible.

My parents would often question why i was able to say words before i learnt to listen/hear. I would be able to say, "water", "milk" etc but never in a sentence. Dr. Carlos Reyes have mentioned that I may have heard sounds through soundwaves. Especially, when my mother would read a book aloud and i would lie on her shoulder, i was able to hear a bit.

I was a happy child growing up. I hung mostly with my grandparents, uncles and a mixed breed dog named Rambo. My parents sent me to a speech therapist named Julie to help me speak in sentence and "hear" words or letters. From them on, I became fluent in speaking. My parents wanted me to go to a normal school but only one school was able to accept me however, because i was 6 that time and they can only accept 7 year olds, despite the fact that school starts in june and my birthday is in august, they wanted me to wait one more year to enter. So we did. At that time, i met Francis Kaye, who was a neighbor and we became best friends. I also met other kids but were way older than me. I remember a marco, alan and cecile who would babysit me on days my yaya (nanny) or parents aren't around. I remember going to their houses and would have lunch or dinner and then just hang around. They were practically like family to me. Francis Kay was my partner in crime when we were kids. We were never the type who would play barbie dolls but would play active games that would make you sweat and/or bleed from tripping.

After a year, i finally went to a private school. I was so nervous but at the same time excited. There was a school bus who would go to the house and pick me and my yaya up and take us to school and back home. I met great people in that school but later on, they would start to tease me and bully me for either not hearing them or misunderstand a word they are saying. They would call me "Bingi" which means Deaf. They call me that instead of my name. I didn't like it but i felt alone there. The only people who would understand me and help me were some teachers. I remember Sister Edith. She was my teacher in General Conduct and Religion. She often talks to me and ask how i am and would always tell me to continue standing strong despite students insulting me. I was never happy in that school, always angry and was always afraid of speaking but i did well in class. Well not all subjects... just those that I am good at.

Every summer, i would attend speech classes. I was put into a class where everyone cannot speak well and uses sign language as their medium of communication. I was left alone and was very bored coz i always perfect every exercises and didn't know sign language to talk to anyone in that class. I did play on occasion with Philip and others but their yaya's would translate to me what they are saying. Teacher Julie, decided to pull me out of class and give a one on one session instead. I don't know why my parents don't want me to learn sign language but thinking about it, i would want to learn.

We moved to a bigger house and i met new friends. They were all good to me and we played and hung around almost everyday. They would ask me about my hearing problem but i was a bit uncomfortable talking about it but eventually, i understood that it is not something they understand and so, by sharing with them my experience, they would, at some point, understand. My friends in this village where my family moved in, have always treated me as normal as possible. I remember that after school, i was happy to see them as they never teased me or bully me for being deaf. Up to this day, we are good friends still.

Few years later, a very good teacher of mine told my mum about me being called deaf and being teased about it. My mother confronted me and asked me about it. I was scared that i just wrote her a card. She then complained to the principal and transferred me to an exclusive private school, one of the PAREF schools. That school at first didn't want to accept me in the beginning because of my deafness but my mother defended me saying that i am as normal as other students. I play tennis and other sports, i listen to music, read, do art and so on. I guess the principal felt bad that they decided to accept me. I was again, nervous.

School started and i was introduced in front of the class. Everyone was really good to me and helpful. They were told about my disability during introduction. They asked questions and i guess talking about it to people who have no idea what it's like felt good. They all called me by my first name. No one teased nor bullied me. I had such great friends whom until now, are still my friends.

Later on, I transferred to another school which was closer to the house. It was my first time to be in a co-ed school. The school kind of reminded me of the first school i have been coz no one wanted to hang out with me or speak with me coz they thought i was like the other deaf student who couldn't talk clearly. Until i proved to them i was different by being one of the top students in class and by doing a lot of recitations. Academically, i was great. I even joined certain competitions such as Science and Spelling. Eventually, i gained friends. Danielle became my best friend until she moved back to the US. I had to be transferred to another school when the school started using the money that was for salary of teachers, for a piece of land. The corruption was so too much for everyone in that school. Only a few got to stay and most transferred. I was thankful i transferred coz it was shithole.

In the middle of the year, i transferred back to a different PAREF school. That PAREF school was fairly new and had to be held back a year coz they didn't have the level i was on. Everyone was friendly. Of course, the usual teasing and insulting is there but disappeared later on. I wasn't happy in the beginning. It took me a year to be happy and comfortable in that school. The teachers were great and very supportive of my needs. They always paid attention to me during discussions and making sure that I have understood them well. To be honest, i didn't like being treated differently or be treated as if i was a charity case but at some point i do have to be grateful for it that they actually care. It was much better than walking to you and asking how i am or just by being passive. The care i got was much more than passive, it was actually helping me.

Going to a university was difficult for me. At this point, i never thought of myself as a special person. I felt like I was actually just like everyone else. At the university, the challenge was greater in a sense that there are more students, the professors have different attitude and it was a faster pace. I was able to overcome it all just like everyone else.

Finding a job is very difficult for me. While studying, i have worked and earned money apart from allowances but the companies i've worked for are my parents's friends company. So it was easy for me. I left my last work to focus on thesis and have proper career growth for my last semester in school. AFter studying, i went to find jobs but quite a lot keeps questioning me about my hearing problem. Only a few good companies don't really mind it and thought i was good enough for them until an opportunity to do more in another country came. I decided to accept it. Hopefully, by having more exposure would be better for me.

The worst thing that was told to me in reference of my being deaf was, "I can never be good for anyone because i'm just deaf." I hoped it was a joke. I've had a few relationships but were not as serious. These few people have accepted me for who i am but eventually it didn't work out. I've had fears over the years of being alone, not being accepted into a society where everyone is better but i am with someone who made me feel better about it. Helped me boost my confidence and so on.

Oftentimes, i would hear deaf jokes. It is offensive at some point. Some thinks it's good to laugh at who we are but for some, it's a sensitive topic to be even be considered as a joke. When this happens to me, it's either i ignore and just laugh it out a little out of respect for them or just simply tell them that it's not her fault she didn't understand it. But when i do tell them that, they act defensive saying it's just a joke. There is nothing I or the deaf world can do about these things. After all, we are only considered as a minority by non-deaf people. To them, we are too different.

Not many people understand what it's like to have a physical disability. Some thinks that wearing a hearing aid is like wearing an eyeglass/specs that automatically corrects what's wrong. It takes years for one to get used to the hearing through experience and training. Especially, switching to a new hearing aid that needs to be reprogrammed every now and then. Until now, i depend on lip reading.

I am thankful that i was raised to be as normal as possible, and that I was able to experience and overcome my fears. As well as learning to not bottle up emotions and being able to speak out my thoughts and not let my disability impede what i want to achieve in life.

Homemade Smoked Salmon

Today, i made smoked salmon today and it was fabulous. I got the recipe from my mum who attended a demonstration on making smoked salmon by a chef at her weekly mother's club get together.

What you need:
Utensils:

A Smoking Pan... i didn't have any so what i did was i used a very thick pan or wok and used a rack to place salmon on. My pan had a lid but when i was smoking it already, the smoke was coming out of the sides so the Chef's suggestion was to use aluminum foil instead. Please note that the pan has to be very thick. A thin one will make your salmon "oversmoked" and may cause a small fire and result in having a bitter smoked salmon.

Ingredients:

4 Salmon Fillets about 1 to 2 inches thick
1/4th cup lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

1 cup Cherrywood or Applewood shavings however if you can't find any of these you can use 1 cup of uncooked rice
bunch of fresh taraggon
bunch of fresh dill
bunch of fresh rosemary

First, coat your salmon with lemon juice and season it with salt and pepper. You may add herbs on the salmon if you want but it's optional.

in the pan, add the uncooked rice and herbs. put rack over the uncooked rice and herbs and place salmon over the rack. Cover. Turn on heat to high but when it starts to smoke, put heat on medium. Smoke the salmon for 15-20 minutes.

In my experience, i had to turn the salmon after 10 mins then finish the smoking time otherwise, the salmon will have one pinkish color and the other kinda yellowish.

After 15-20 minutes, turn off heat. Put on gas mask if you want coz the smoke kind of irritates the eyes and nose. Another tip, if you don't want your whole house to stink of smoke, open the lid outside your house.

The salmon is wonderful with mango salsa or tartar sauce and the leftovers are good to make for brekkie like scrambled egg and smoked salmon.

Battle of Halo Halo

One of my favorite filipino snacks is Halo Halo. Halo Halo is a mix of sweet preserved beans, macapuno (coconut sport), leche flan (custard), purple yam (ube), sweet potato, sweet corn kernels, sweet banana, tapioca and topped with shaved ice and milk. Some even top it with ice cream. Hence the name Halo, which means Mix in filipino. Over the years, i've tried halo halo from different places and my top three choices were Chowking's Halo Halo, Razon's Halo Halo and Jurado's Halo Halo.

Chowking's Halo Halo is as traditional as it can be. The taste is soo filipino and the sweetness is just right. I like the fact that Chowking will give a small container filled with milk for consumers to adjust it according to their taste.

Razon's Halo Halo is very different in a sense that they put more macapuno in it and the ice shavings are very fine which makes it easier to eat.

Jurado's Halo Halo is the most unique of all. I have tasted Jurado's Halo Halo in Pampanga on way home from a hike at Mt. Arayat. According to the locals, Jurado's Halo Halo is more popular and better than Razon's. When I tried it, I was amazed at the texture of the beans. In fact, you won't even see the beans. It was actually all the sweet beans mashed with Leche Flan and it looks like a jam. Then topped it with Macapuno balls and has a surprise of pastillas de leche. The ice was not as fine as i would like it to be tho. But it was sooo good. Among all halo halos i've tried this is the best. I just wish the ice were as fine as that of Razon's but it's good enough. Jurado's Halo Halo is a must try for everyone.

Pickled Balsam Pear (Ampalaya Atchara)

I've always hated Ampalaya or Balsam Pear/Bitter Gourd because of its bitter taste. However, last christmas a neighbor gave us Pickled Ampalaya and to my surprise it wasn't bitter at all. I liked it. So i decided to come up with my own recipe. I've always known how to make atchara using green papaya. I was taught by my grandmother when i was younger. So for the Ampalaya, i've used the same recipe of vinegar mixture to pickle it.

Choosing the right ampalaya is not really hard. All you need to do is choose the greenest ampalaya.

Recipe: (for 2 jars)
1 foot of Ampalaya
2 cup white vinegar
1 cup of sugar
2 bay leaf
2 clove of smashed garlic
2 small slice of ginger

First, Slice off the ends of the ampalaya, discard it. Half the ampalaya lengthwise to remove seeds and white stuff. Use a spoon to remove it. Thinly slice ampalaya and put all in bowl with water. Let it soak for about 3 hours or longer to remove the bitterness. What i do is, i change water at least every hour.

In a saucepan, boil water. Regarding amount of water, it's up to you. I usually use about 2 and a half cup of water. In a strainer, place the cheesecloth or any thin cloth you have, drain amapalaya. When water is boiling, pour it over the ampalaya to at least "cook" it. In other words, blanch it.

Now for a foot of ampalaya, i usually use two glass jars. Do not use plastic jar as it will melt when you pour the hot vinegar mixture in. So, add the smashed garlic, ginger and bay leaf in each jar. Go back to your ampalaya and using the cheesecloth, squeeze out all the water from the ampalaya. It will be hot so i usually rub my hands on ice and squeeze it. When all juice/water is out, divide ampalaya equally and put it in the jars.

In a saucepan, mix vinegar and sugar on low heat. Mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. When vinegar mixture starts to boil, turn off heat and pour over the jars.
Let it cool, don't close it yet. When it's cool already, you may close it and put it in the fridge. It is ready for consumption after 3 days