Buffalo Chicken Wings with my flair-Julius, 20NOV2007

I decided to make Buffalo Chicken Wings
with my flair.

Why Buffalo you might ask? Well, the original
Buffalo wings were invented in Buffalo New York, I suppose.

Think of Buffalo Wings and it stirs memory
of Beer Pubs, bars filled with smoke, or as a side dish
at Pizza Parlors, expensive and can't seem to have
enough.

My kids love to eat them as a pulutan (finger food)
while playing their favorite video games ,
watching their favorite cartoons on a cold rainy day.
They smother the chicken with Blue Cheese dressing,
and while eating it get the Buffalo Wing Sauce and dressing
all over their face and shirt. Kids, will always be kids, he, he.

Here's my version of Buffalo Chicken Wings, with a touch
of Asian spice using Sambal Oelek, a Malaysian Chili paste.
I also put in Sesame Oil for fragrance and sesame seeds.

I was inspired from a Food Network
Show, Chef Bobby Flay's Showdown with Drew Cerza, a
famous cook of Buffalo New York. Both have their own versions
of what a spicy Chicken Wings should be, and I somewhat combined both
their rendition of this famous finger food into the recipe below.
Click here for Drew Cerza's Bourbon Street Buffalo Wings recipe and
here for chef Bobby Flay's Hot wings for Blue Cheese-Yogurt Sauce.

Here's my version of Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese sauce:

Ingredients:

1 pack chicken wings about 3 pounds, wing tip removed and split at the joint

Sauce ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
14 ounces Sambal Oelek chili paste
12 ounces dark barbecue sauce
Frying oil such as Peanut Oil
cilantro (wansuy) leaves, for garnish
Celery sticks or Jicama sticks

5 ounces Blue Cheese
A bottle of Ranch Dressing

Sauce preparation:

1. In a sauce pan, melt butter.
2. Saute the garlic, followed by the onions.
3. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, and whisk in sambal oelek paste, just enough to melt the sugar.
4. Add a dash of Sesame oil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Remove mixed sauce from heat and transfer to a bowl.

Chicken preparation:

1. Put Oil into a frying pan and heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit on the thermometer.

2. Prepare the chicken wings by removing the wing tip
and split at the joint using a butcher's knife.

3. Place the chicken in a bowl and season the wings with salt and pepper.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

5. Coat the chicken wings by putting the wings into the dry four mixure
a peice at a time.

6. Deep fry the coated chicken wings into the hot pan of oil,
a batch at a time, about 6 to 8 minutes each batch.

7. Put the cooked chicken wings on a plate covered with paper towel to drain the grease.

8. Coat the cooked chicken wings with the sauce by putting it into the bowl of Chcken Wings sauce
prepared earlier.

9. Transfer to a serving plate.


Blue Cheese dipping sauce and Celery/Jicama sticks:

1. Put the Ranch dressing into a serving sauce bowl.

2. Use a shredder to garnish the Blue cheese into the dipping sauce.

3. Chop the cilantro leaves and garnish the Blue Cheese dipping sauce.

4. Put the Blue Cheese dipping sauce bowl beside the chicken wings.

5. Neatly arrange the Celery or Jicama sticks at a corner of the Serving plate.

Secrets to a juicy and tasty Steak

I cooked New York Steak today. Everyone who ate it complemented it and asked why it it so juicy and tender.

According to Food Up Blog, a New York steak is cut from the short loin area next to the tenderloin. They continue on to say that this is another great steak—good beefy flavor, and tender meat.

My cut up New York steak with Mushroom Sauce gravy and freshly chopped mushrooms.



Yet part of the trick to a juicy and tender steak is the method of how you cook it.

I learned how to cook and cut steak from a recent Cooking class I took.
I don't claim to be an expert on this topic. I just wanted to share what I learned in the class. The Instructor is a chef so I guess the teacher knew what what he was talking about based from experience and knowledge.

First technique I learned is that it is best marinate a Steak for two days prior to cooking it. A Steak Marinate recipe is provided below. My teacher told us that this technique is old school, a practice done before the 1950's. Modern Restaurants and Steak houses these days do not prepare Steak meats this way anymore. I have yet to find out why the trend changed.

Second Technique I learned is, leave the steak alone for a good five to ten minutes as soon as you take it out of the oven. The steak continues to cook even when taken out of the oven. This 'rest' period allows the juices to distribute throughout the steak resulting in a juicy steak. Cut it sooner and juices will ooze out of the steak resulting in a dry steak.

Third technique I learned in cooking Steak is that, the way you cut the steak will determine whether the steak is tender or tough to chew. YOU ALWAYS CUT THE STEAK PERPENDICULAR TO THE GRAIN OF THE MEAT. You can cut it such the the blade of the knife is perpendicular to the chopping board or at an angle about 45 degrees incline.

Try experiimenting one time if you can tell the difference. Cut the Steak parallel to the grain and perpendicular to the grain of the meat. You will notice that the meat cut perpendicular to the grain will be more tender.

Here's a London Broil Steak Recipe you can try at home.

London Broil Steak or flank steak

Marinade:
3/4 cup Salad Oil
3/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 teaspoon chopped garlic

1. Make marinade and put in a resealable plastic bag.

2.Put the steak in the resealable bag. Squeeze out air and seal. Put the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours up to two days.

3. Occasionally invert the bag to distribute the marinade.

4. Pre-heat an oven at Broiler setting. Keep the oven's door open ajar so that the temperature is maintained. A closed oven door will trigger the oven's thermostat which temporarily shuts off the oven. adjust the oven grate at the higest level

5. Broil the Steak in oven for 3 to 4 minutes each side. Put the steak at the highest level to get the maximum heat. Less time for Rare Steak.

6. After cooking let the steak stand for a good 5 minutes or more to let the juices redistribute.

7. Slice meat across the grain of the meat, in thin slices and serve.


-Julius

An invitation to Kristen's Birthday

Lalaine, kuya Raul, Joanne and kids, Aguirre kids,


I'd like to invite you to

a simple fourth Birthday celebration of

my daughter


Kristen Chanelle


on


Saturday, November 3rd, 2007, 1:00 P.M.
at our residence


San Diego California

92***

Thank you.


Julius

Another Halloween night for the goblins ...

A halloween night for the goblins

'Tis the night when the kids wore their Halloween costumes and roamed the neighborhood asking for Halloween treats.

Justin, Trevor, and Kristen, our neighbors Joshua, Ayson, and Melvyn joined together to roam the neighborhood and celebrate a happy Halloween night.

Candies of all sorts, play doughs, and yes marshmallow eyes my favorite, just a kid's delight.

Click here to view more pictures:




-Julius

Autumn Party

October 27, 2007,

Today, October 27, I took the kids to a block party at Alfred Bajet's house here in San Diego. The party idea started as a Block Party where Alfred's band and a neighbor's would play Music for all to see. Well, after a week of Wildfires here in San Diego California,
the party morphed into a "Thank God our houses are not burned and we're not crispy pata" kind of a party.

Its sort of a follow up party after the Saint Louis University Reunion from the previous weekend. My friend Lalaine Velasco as well as other Louisians such as Robert Tadeo,(fellow SLU Boys High Alumni) attended the Party as well. It was nice to take time and talk to them as oppsoed to the Reunion where there was so many distractions and things going on. In today's event, I just took my time to talk to them and get to know them better.

Here's a video of the group Third World playing their music:



Click on the picture below to see more pictures:



Since it was a Potluck event, I marinated Thai Chicken well in advance and grilled it during the party. Lalaine brought fried Wontons with sweet and sour dipping sauce. I have to get her recipe and try making it myself because they are delicious and my kids liked it.

For side dish I originally thought of Potato Salad but decided to make Vegetable and Fruit Salad with Ceasar's Salad dressing upon the prodding of my friend Lyn Mendoza. Pictures and recipes are provided below.

I got the Thai Chicken idea from the book Weber's Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance ISBN: 0-376-02046-6, and the Vegetable and Fruit Salad from my friend Lyn Mendoza and also from Connie Veneracion's PinoyCook.net website. I also got the Ceasar's Salad Dressing idea from the same website.

I always prepare Thai Chicken at home and my kids like it. It takes 12 hours to marinate the Chicken and another 40 minutes to grille it so it requires lots of preparation time. I 'kicked the recipe a notch' (as Emerill Lagasse always say) by adding Malaysian Chili Paste (Sambal Oelek) for added spiciness.

Here are pictures while the Chicken's being prepared and the final product.







Here are the Recipes:

Bangkok Barbecued Chicken

Marinade:
4 large Garlic Cloves
1 large shallots
1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 medium jalapeño chile pepper, stem and seeds removed and roughly chopped
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 table spoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds

1. To make the marinade: In a food processor with motor running, drop the grlic, shallots, ginger, and jalapeño through the feed tube and process until they are finely minced. Add the basil until they are finely chopped. Add the remaining marinade ingredients until they are well combined.

2. Cut the Chicken into 6 peices: 2 breast peices, 2 legs with thighs,
and 2 wings. Cut 3 to 4 slashes,about 1/2 inch deep, into the meatier side of the breast and leg thigh pieces. Place the chicken in a large resealable bag, and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of he bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, or as long as 12 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

3. Remove the chicken pieces from the bag and discard the marinade. Grille, skin side down, over Indirect Medium heat until fully cooked. The breast and wing pieces will take about 30 minutes. The leg-thigh pieces will take about 40 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes of grilling time, move the chicken over Direct Medium heat until well browned all over, turning once. Serve warm.


Vegetable and Fruit Salad:

Click link to view the recipe for Vegetable and Fruit Salad

Caesar Salad Dressing:

Click link to view the recipe for Caesar Salad Dressing

Saint Louis University Alumni Reunion 2007

October 20, 2007

Manang Christine, Kuya Chito and myself went to Las Vegas this weekend to be part of the Saint Louis University Alumni Reunion for 2007 at Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada USA. Manong Dan and Ate Myrna were present in the event as well.

My classmate Alfred Bajet and his wife Aida all attended the Night Dinner and Dance
Ball event.

Its nice to see several High School and College acquaintances after so many years. It was also nice to hear Bishop Cenzon (Bishop of the Dicoese of Baguio City-Benguet), and Mayor Bautista (current mayor of the City of Baguio) address the SLU alumnus.

The pictures were taken from the camera of my classmate Alfred Bajet.
Thanks Alfred for sharing these pictures.

Click on the photo below to see more of our reunion pictures:



Hope you enjoy the pictures.

-Julius

Miramar Air Show 2007

October 13, 2007

I brought Justin, Trevor and Kristen, and our neighbors Joshua and
Ayson to a whole day of viewing the Miramar Air Show here in
San Diego, California.

What's different this year, the US Air Force Thunderbirds were the highlight of the
show instead of the US Navy Blue Angels. I must say the Thunderbirds have different aerial stunts than does the Blue Angles.

Nevertheless it is spectacular to view
them at the comfort of camping chairs set amidst a flight deck while munching
on potato chip snacks.

The kids had fun as well. It is comforting to a parent to hear their thank yous
for the fun they had all day.

Here are some of our Air Show pictures. Click on the image to view our online photo album. I hope you enjoy.



-Julius
(Sinlao)