More on apples, and New York. My roommates and I decided to go apple-picking for Amanda's birthday (she's the one in the red plaid top), so we rented a car---and luckily got upgraded to a BMW sedan---and went upstate to Outhouse Orchards. By the time we got there, the apples left were most Cortland and Red Delicious, as the Honeycrisps (my favorite) had been picked early in the season. Nonetheless, we had a pretty good time walking around the orchard, picking apples off trees, and munching on them as we went along.
However, my favorite part of the orchard was the stall that sold apple cider donuts. I am not kidding when I say that those were probably the best I've had in my life; warm and springy, they were dusted with cinnamon sugar. I may or may not have had three--it's all a blur now. In my defense, I didn't have lunch prior to coming to the orchard.
Now that we've a sack full of apples in the apartment, we've been coming up with inventive ways to use them. Mostly, we eat them raw---I cut cheese cubes to go with them, or dip them in speculoos spread and granola for an easy dessert. Now that New York is coated in snow from an early October snowstorm, I'm glad we went on that apple picking adventure last week to savor the weather and the Van Gogh-like landscape upstate.
Where's the beef?: A meat-free pizza party at Kitchen Revolution
Usually, the word 'vegan' gives me pause. I once spent two nights at The Farm at San Benito, and after several meals of coconut-derived bacon and crumbly mock tofu egg, I was knee-deep in withdrawal, hallucinating tap dancing Big Macs and pieces of sirloin that called out my name.
Come with me, Ryan, it said while showing its well-marbled rear. Meat is always fun!
Going vegetarian I can understand; there are certain virtues to skipping meat once in a while. While I don't mind the occasional faux pork banh mi at Wabi-Sabi, I've always thought of veganism as vegetarianism's pickier, snootier sister -- one who does Bikram yoga, organizes weekly PETA rallies, and subsists on a steady diet of leaves and misery.
The party was over once the vegan arrived. Or at least that's what I thought.
Chef Marie Gonzalez runs Kitchen Revolution (KR), both a blog and a series of classes, which does much to elevate vegan and vegetarian cooking in the eyes of the meat-savvy public. "People have this impression about vegans and vegetarians; that they rarely eat, and it's all about Mother Earth and Sister Moon to them. That's not really the case here."
Chef Marie (middle) with some of the Kitchen Revolution students
By here she means KR's test site, a working kitchen in her Alabang residence that churns out surprisingly delectable dishes from ratatouille to toasted couscous to tofu barbecue on a weekly basis. Different cuisines or party ideas each class keep the curriculum fresh and dynamic. It's fun, interactive, and even the most adamant of carnivores are bound to be impressed. (Northerners need not fret; Marie held a cooking class at Teachers Village's Pipino, and plans to do so again in the near future.)
For her recent birthday, Marie threw a pizza party at her home, and in true KR fashion, made up for sausage and bacon in absentia with some marvelous substitutes: marinara, roasted garlic and eggplant, tofu ricotta, almond parmesan, and (gasp!) truffle oil among other things.
It's not everyday you go to a dinner party, and end up working for your own meal, but who's to complain? (Actually I did, because I chose a dry, whole wheat dough instead of regular dough, but that's besides the point.) Everyone had a great time especially Jella who practically wrestled with her pizza:
Pie's the limit: Guests' pizzas all lined up before the oven
In a culinary culture bombarded by quick-fix seasonings and fast food "infused" with so-called nutritional properties *cough*Jollibee chicken nuggets with carrots*cough*, it's reassuring to see that there are new options for people who want to eat better. I don't dream of that dancing sirloin these days, but of a crusty pizza laden with plump mushrooms, fat onion slices, and a bed of hot tofu ricotta drizzled with truffle oil no less.
From left to right: Marie, friends Earnie, Jella, Jerome, and Forkplay's very own Jon
As if that weren't enough, for dessert, Marie prepared an impressive vegan banana cream pie with a layer of speculoos. Speculoos is a peanut butter or Nutella-like spread made in Belgium that uses traditional gingerbread cookies as its base. It's almost unheard of locally, but if you have friends going to Europe or New York they must bring this back at all costs. It does wonders for waffles and toast, but banana cream pie is no less of a winner. It's hard to think something so good could also be guilt-free, but then again that's the whole preamble of Marie's classes.
Knee-quivering good speculoos banana cream pie
Contact Kitchen Revolution at +639178945086 or email info@kitchenrevolution.ph
Visit KR at http://www.facebook.com/kitchenrevolution or at kitchenrevolution.ph
Upcoming classes:
November
5th - Pinoy meets vegan
19th - Perfection by way of pizza
26th - Much ado about hors d'oeuvres
December
3rd or 10th - Vegan Noche Buena or Pies and cookies
As a grad school student in New York, one of the priciest cities in the world, I'm always pinching pennies. At the same time, family and friends warned me against stuffing myself with cheap, unhealthy junk food (check out this video on Bronx bodegas, where the "food" is dirt cheap and probably just as unhealthy as that), so I make an effort to get my fill of fruit and vegetables every week. Whole Foods? Forget it. I get my goods at Trader Joe's and farmer's markets in the Bronx, where I'm assigned to report.
But again, as a grad student, time is just as scarce as money, so I can't keep making meals and snacks from scratch every day. When I find pockets of time, I cook in big batches to spread out for several meals. Over the weekend, I made a chicken potpie topped with Southern biscuits; today, I made homemade salsa with juicy red tomatoes and plenty of cilantro to use as stuffing for chicken-hummus whole grain wraps. I've already made balsamic adobo twice, and I'm proud to say my cooking skills have greatly improved.
However, I've a big problem with snacking---I end up writing a lot of papers well into the night, and I need brain food to keep going. Unfortunately, my soft spot for Oreos and milk isn't doing my sugar levels any favors, so I had to come up with munchies to help me get through those nights (and long days in the classroom).
I love Seneca apple chips; who doesn't? But they're pretty pricey, and after discovering that they were actually fried and not baked, I swore to make my own. I already owned a dehydrator (a spinoff of a previous project on fruit leathers---more on that in another entry), so making these were a cinch.
Slice apples thinly to get your chips crispy
You can core the apples or leave that pretty star-shaped center
Soak sliced apples in lemon water to
prevent them from browning
Sprinkle with cinnamon, and lay them on your dehydrator
Check on them after 4-8 hours (depending on the temperature used.
I prefer a low one to keep the enzymes alive).
Sprinkle even more cinnamon to taste, and sugar if you want.
A pecan pie is hard to find, a good pecan pie is even harder.
I used to go to Mamou for my regular pecan pie fix, but lately I've been wondering "what else is out there?". So I've search high and low, got distracted by other desserts along the way, and came to the conclusion that I would hate it if someone gave me a box full of Lusso’s pecan pie as a gift.
The flaky crust, rich pie filling, and generous portion of fresh pecans simply make me cave in and reach for just ‘one more’. I would go to Lusso just to have this pie. So imagine how dangerous it is for me to actually have one big box in the fridge, calling out my name. After having a few mini pies, I realized eating it with a fork just doesn't cut it. I don’t mean for you to go all ‘Rambo’ at the dinner table (although that would be entertaining to watch), but pick-up the pecan pie with your hands and take one big bite. I can’t explain it, but it makes the experience of that first bite even better.
It was calling out my name and I answered…
pecan pie + hot cup of tea = sweet beginnings (dessert for breakfast)
Using the same principle for budget re-alignment, I have my pecan pie for breakfast then promised to be good for the rest of the day just to balance out the calories. Self-deluded? Maybe, but it makes me feel better if I look at it that way.
Other things I tell myself to justify eating pecan (pie):
1.Pecans are sodium-free.
2.1 ounce of pecans = 10% of the daily recommended value for fiber, and has over 19 vitamins and minerals.
3.Pecans are part of the elite food group that are known for having the highest antioxidant capacity.
4.A handful of pecans a day helps prevent coronary heart disease.
5.I’ll start my diet after enjoying this last slice… (And we all know that’s not happening…)
Since we can now feel better about having a slice or two, here's the shortlist of places where you could find the right pecan pie for you.
Manila’s Pecan Pies – The hit or miss list:
1. Lusso
G/F Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St.,
Legaspi Village, Makati
(02) 756-5893
2. Mamou/Blue Kitchen – A favorite go-to place for pecan pie.
The Blue Kitchen,
Power Plant Mall
(02) 898-0931
3. Mandarin Oriental Hotel (upon request)
Makati Avenue,
Makati City
(02) 750 8888
4. Calea (Bacolod City) – It's not in Manila but I couldn't resist adding it on to the list. If you want it that bad, you will travel for pie.
Lourdes - C Bldg. Lacson St.
Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
(034) 433-866
5. U.S. Embassy Cafeteria – Initially I thought this was just an urban legend but I just verified that it exists! Chef P says it’s not just good - it’s “soooo ggoooooood”. This is definitely going to be the next on my list!
6. Dulcelin Gourmet’s Caramel Pecan Walnut Pie
36 Times St., West Triangle
Quezon City 1104
(02) 374-2165
7. Marciano's
2/F Greenbelt 3
Legaspi Village, Makati
(02) 729-0467
8. Tourne’s Pili Pie – If you want to try the local alternative. It's not the crust, nor is it the filling that make the dish. The freshness of the pili nuts used (sourced from Naga) is undoubtedly the star of this dessert.
The Fort Strip
(02) 555-0267
P.S. I haven’t tried them all myself, so if you’ve tried any of the items on the list, and want to save me some calories please do let me know which ones I should make room for.
