A scientist in the kitchen

Baking is not really my forte. Especially breads. Think of all the kneading and waiting for the dough to rise? I’m afraid I don’t have the patience to wait. Though I knew I would have to bake my own bread one of these days. I like cooking things from scratch and there seems to be a tremendous inspiration of breads around the blogs. So this time, when I was paired with KJ of A Cracking Good Egg in the Taste and Create event hosted by Nicole at For the Love of Food, I was drawn to this fantastic foccacia recipe.

Look ma, no kneading! I essentially followed her Fantastic Foccacia recipe except I used 1 tbsp dried yeast instead of the fresh yeast she recommends. What’s great with focaccia is you can simply top it with salt or play around herbs like what I did. For my first focaccia, I topped it with a combination of chopped garlic, and dried thyme and tarragon. The garlic smelled so heavenly while it was baking and wafted around the house. The resulting focaccia was crusty outside, but the inside was another story. It was a bit moist, a bit undercooked and I have to toast again before eating. Hhmm, I wonder what went wrong. Could it be the yeast? My stove top oven? That is something I can investigate on this weekend. Nevertheless, I will certainly be perfecting this focaccia for my taste.

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Hosting last week’s Weekend Herb Blogging was a blast. Thanks to all of you who shared your posts.

This week, I am submitting this post to Cate of Sweetnicks.

Mangoes are in season in the Philippines. Over the weekend we harvested mangoes from our backyard. The mangoes were almost ripe and in a few days, will turn golden yellow. So we had avalanche of ripe mangoes the past few days.

What more can be said about mangoes? Did you know that Spanish galleon trade from Manila to Acapulco in Mexico brought the first seedlings of Manila mango to Mexico? The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade existed for three centuries and exchange goods, spices and cargoes between the two countries. This also facilitated cultural exchange between the Philippines and Mexico. This is also the reason how the cacao, the source of chocolate reached the Philippines.

My recipe for this week is another version of salad with mangoes. This time, to add some pop, I added poppy seeds.

Mango and poppy salad

1 cup ripe mangoes
1 medium size cucumber
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 medium sized bell pepper, juliened
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Sliced the mangoes and cucumber thinly. Layer the lettuce in a salad plate. Topped with cucumber and mangoes then sprinkle with poppy seeds.

To make vinaigrette: Combine 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1/4 cup mirin, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp crushed pepper and 1 tsp chili flakes.

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I got the idea for this recipe from The Amateur Gourmet (he used duck) and Chez Pim (she made her own five spice powder) and used our very own native chicken raised in the backyard. We have several native chickens at home that supply our eggs (how about freshly laid eggs still warm from the hen for breakfast?). Occasionally we slaughter them whenever we have a particular dish to cook.

Chicken, five spice and more…

1 whole chicken, cut up into serving pieces
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
2 tbsp five spice powder
1 tsp crushed pepper
3 tbsp soy sauce

Mix all ingredients in a pan. Add 2 cups of water, cover pan and then bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until chicken is cooked. Add more water if necessary to cook the chicken. Once chicken is cooked, remove chicken from the pan and thicken the sauce. Bring back the chicken to pan, coat with sauce and serve. Best with steamed rice.

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Here’s the round-up for last week’s Weekend Herb Blogging. A variety of herbs served in many ways to temp to your palate, tickle your fancy and satisfy your cravings. Truly, there’s never a dull moment in eating when it’s flavored with herbs.

Fresh from the farmers’ market, vine-ripened tomatoes, Thai basil and garlic make this Angel Hair Pomodoro with Garlic Shrimps pasta very special from The CookMobile.

Did you know that rhubarb is a combination of Greek rha and barbarum; rha being a term that referred to both to the plant and to the Volga River. You can also make them into delicious rhubarb pie. Check out the recipe at Almond Corner.

Imagine what the blog Flavors of the Sun connote… Dukkah, a blend of ground nuts and spices best known in Egypt surely exemplifies Victoria’s blog.

Are you familiar with the herb agretti? This is my first to hear about it, too. Lemon Garlic Agretti sounds delicious, too. Find out more from je je vous dirais.

Another something new for me is gongura, red sorrel, Hibiscus cannabinus… This gongura chutney is a must-try from Cooking 4 all Seasons.

Shrimps with fresh mushrooms and bell peppers from Heart and Hearth. What more could you ask for?

From Kalyn’s kitchen, here’s mango lassi - a traditional Punjabi beverage which blend yogurt with water, salt, and spices into a cooling summer drink.

From Mama’s Taverna, here’s Garbanzo Bean Soup - get the step by step recipe to enjoy one of the dishes that exemplify Greek cuisine.

I haven’t tasted pomegranate since I was a kid and this Lamb Chops with Pomegranate and Red Wine Sauce from Closet Cooking makes me crave for them once more.

From Laura’s kitchen, The Spiced Life, comes this West African Peanut Stew with Chicken, Spinach & Sweet Potatoes which even her kids approve!

Arborio rice, leeks, asparagus, peas, lemons and cheese make this a truly Spring Risotto from 1 tsp love.

Saffron and pineapples? Wouldn’t you want to try Papillote with saffron-pineapples? Check out Myfrenchkitchen for the recipes.

Those who want Grapefruit, Rosewater & Vanilla Marmalade, raise your hands!!! My imagination is running overtime trying to imagine how this delicious treat from Morsels & Musings taste like.

Basil adds a twist to hot corncakes with bacon and avocado from Ulrike from Küchenlatein.

What to do with the extra garlic and cilantro you bought? Make this spicy garlic-cilantro paste from feed yourself.

Porcellana or purslane is another new herb for me. A troublesome weed for many US crops but a rich source of nutrients. Simona of Briciole shares us more about this herb. You can even hear her pronounce the name in her audio file.

Eat local! Maria of Organically Cooked shares with us her advocacy with this stuffed zucchini flowers.

Grass jelly, chin chow or immortal grass. This is one jelly not from the sea from the herb Mesona chinensis. Find out more about it from Teczcape.

Mix herbs and three cheeses from Ancient Rome to come out with these delicious spreads from Erbe in cucina.

Technicolor Kitchen’s adorable crepes filled with corn and nutmeg speaks for itself. As she says, Isn’t it wonderful to know what to expect – visually speaking – from a recipe ?

The sea and the forests meet in this oysters with oyster mushroom sauté. Kits Chow tells us more about oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus). Incidentally, they are also a source of antibiotics called clitophilins.

I haven’t tried quinoa yet, so I hope someone would send me some. Ivy of Kopiaste received quinoa in the post from another food blogger and made this courgette croquettes with quinoa and anchovies.

Astrid (from Vienna) of Paulchen’s food blog shows off her assortment of herbs in a pot as she gets back into blogging. We hope to see more of her in the coming weeks.

Fennel seeds grace this taralli, the Italian version of bagels. LEMONPI shows us how to make Fennel Taralli.

Rhubarbs are really versatile (though I have yet to try them)! Where I’m Cooking shares with us Rhubarb Two Ways - mix with raisins or with vanillas.

Katie of Thyme for Cooking is enjoying asparagus season all-around. Check out her Oriental Asparagus Salad. Oops, I didn’t realize that there are also violet asparagus.

Risotto with Spring Vegetables (asparagus, sugar snap peas, artichokes) from sidewalk shoes heralds spring and asparagus season.

Marjoram makes this Marjoram & New Potatoes Terrine extra special. Check out this easy to follow recipe from Palachinka.

Let’s all welcome first-timer Joanna of Scalloped Edge as she shares with us her Radish Risotto.

Do you know what is cocona? I don’t know, either, so find out more about it from Canela & Comino.

Pistachios take centerfold in this lovely Pistachio and White Chocolate Cookies. Let’s all congratulate Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once for her 100th WHB posting!

What Did You Eat? Chickpea Pancakes!

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies recreates this lemony parsley lentil soup she first tasted in a falafel 20 years ago!

Reviewing a Spanish cookbook results to Spanish White Gazpacho with almonds and grapes. Jennifer of Do you like to cook shows us how to make this delicious dish.

Another proof of rhubarb’s versatility. Rhubarb compote from Gluten Free Goodness.

I wouldn’t mind taking a bit or more of this Ground-Elder and Vanilla Muffins from Pille of nami-nami.

I didn’t know that dandelions are edible until I learned about it from Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. Find out how dandelions make this Eggs Rockefeller with Dandelions and Hollandaise extra special.

Do you like kimchi? I do! And this Pea Shoot Kimchi from feeding maybelle looks great!

Elizabeth of blog from OUR kitchen shares with us her favorite Chinese stir fry - broccoli with black beans.

Cauliflower steaks is this week’s entry from Cook sister! Check out her post and find out more about Bossom Buddies, too (or how you can help the cyclone victims from Myanmar).

Let me tell you more about my favorite herb, the lemon grass and how I made Lemon grass chicken barbecue, my entry to this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging.

Find out more about how versatile carrots can be, too, from Joanna’s Food.

This week’s (May 19-25, 2008) host is Cate of Sweetnicks. To join this wonderful event, check out the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

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Don’t forget, I am also hosting an event to celebrate farmers’ markets everywhere. The deadline is May 31 so there is plenty of time for your spring/summer harvest.

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