The yummy team’s got their own tips to
share, too! Here, we dish on some of our best-kept kitchen secrets.
On the importance of homemade stock
Rachelle Santos, food editor
Rachelle
Santos, food editor
“The secret to flavorful soups, sauces, and
stews is good stock. Making it from scratch is always better than using
store-bought cubes. Cook it low and slow, let the flavors take their time and
develop on their own. If you’re busy, stock can always be made ahead: Find the
time to make a big batch of stock on a lazy weekend afternoon. It’s mostly
hands-off work since you just have to leave it to simmer for a few hours. Let
it cool, then portion into muffin cups or rice cube trays and freeze. Once
they’re frozen solid, transfer them to zip-top bags. Now you have stock
available any time you need it. It’s worth going the extra mile because
homemade stock provides the foundation for a flavorful dish, producing complex
flavors like nothing else can”.
On achieving balance
Klar Joseph, editorial assistant
“We always talk about the importance of
salt, but don’t forget about the importance of acidity in cooking, too. A
squeeze of lemon juice or a simple splash of vinegar can help round out the
flavors of a dish and make it more balanced”.
On properly measuring ingredients
Liezl Yap, acting editor in chief
“Never measure ingredients over the mixing
bowl, pot, or pan that has all the other ingredients – that’s a recipe for
disaster! It’s too easy to pour a little too much into the measuring spoon and
have the excess spill over into the bowl, effectively ruining the entire batch
and requiring you to start over. What a waste of ingredients! Before you cook,
read the recipe from beginning to end, gather all the ingredients required, and
properly measure everything out”.
On delicious shortcuts
Paulynn Chang Afable, managing editor
“I don’t have a lot of time to cook from
scratch, so it’s great when I find useful and delicious items in the frozen
section of the supermarket. One of my favorite finds is frozen ravioli that’s
stuffed with four different kinds of cheese. All you have to do is whip up a
simple tomato sauce, toss them all in a baking dish, top it with mozzarella,
and pop it in the oven. Another great find is puff pastry – you can make both
sweet and savory items with it”.
On the wonders of a pressure cooker
Zee Castro, incoming features editor
“To easily cook delicious batches of
melt-in-your-mouth beef, use a pressure cooker! Some pointers: Brown the meat
first to make the dish more flavorful. Make sure to put enough liquid (together
with the aromatics) into the pot. Remember that the contents should not exceed
two-thirds of the pot’s capacity. Once done, adjust the valve to release the
pressure and make sure all steam has dissipated before you open the lid. Enjoy
and savor yummy, tender beef! You can make a big batch and freeze portions for
use in soups and stews”.
On properly slicing baked goodies
Aileen Anastacio, chef and owner,
goodies ‘n sweets
Aileen
Anastacio, chef and owner, goodies ‘n sweets
“Use a ruler for accurate sizing. Carefully
make small marks first before cutting from end to end. To ensure a clean cut,
use a wide offset spatula and dip it in hot water after cutting each slice”.
On giving old family recipes a new spin
Jam Melchor, owner and chef, villa café
“Old family recipes are the best. Not only
are they delicious, they also hold happy memories. Making these recipes modern
or putting a twist on them is always a challenge because altering it should not
change the original taste of the recipe. Its quality and flavor should be
retained, but the dish should be presented in a modern and enticing way. I’ve
always loved my Lola’s biringhe. It’s the Kapampangan version of paella.
Traditionally, she serves it Valencianna-style, sopped with lots of chicken
flakes, caramelized bell peppers, and hard-boiled eggs. For my own festive
tribute to my lola’s recipe, I turn it into a stuffing and place it in the
cavity of a Lechon Manok or Lechon de leche”.
On creative ways to serve ice cream and gelato at home
Peter Chua, owner, café public
“if you start off with a scoop of good
vanilla gelato (made with real pods), the classic Italian affogato is a
delight. In Italy, an affogato (the word literally means drowning) is a scoop
of vanilla gelato dunked in a shot of espresso. You will not need cream, nuts,
or a fudge sauce – these will only mask the aroma of a good quality affogato.
At Café Publico, we take the classic affogato further and offer a fun variety –
the Mexican Bandit has a shot of Patron coffee tequila while the Arigato
Affogato has coffee jelly in the mix. You can do this at home, too”.
