Chateau Hestia: Worth the wait

Sorry, haven't been posting.  I actually have a confession to make.  I’ve just seriously started attempting (take note, attempting) to lose some pounds.  Yes, I’m trying to cut calories… again.   So, have I been successful? Not when I’m eating out in a resto like Chateau Hestia. Oh my goodness, I threw the diet out for an indulgent meal and frankly, it was worth every calorie!

Chateau Hestia is a cozy, off-the-beaten path house /resto of an Austrian named Johannes in Tagaytay, Cavite.  Save for its website, http://chateauhestia.com, you’ll never see large advertisements of the place.  It's just that type of  place people discover solely by word of mouth.  And just like Sis, who’s probably one of its biggest fan, a lot have fallen in love with its food and service.

Let's not start counting calories, ok? But here's my food confession, everything we had that lunch.  For starters, we were served an assorted slices of their homemade breads paired with smoky eggplant pate.   So simple, yet so flavorful.  For me, this signals nothing but more good things to come. 

Next came the Assorted Sausage plate.  It's made up of  three kinds of Austrian and German sausages served with sauerkraut and mustard This is actually a first for me, kinda heavy as an appetizer but if you’ve traveled far and already hungry, this is perfect.

Thank goodness the pizza was fast.  We couldn’t decide if we wanted a cheese or a meaty pizza so our solicitous waiter suggested we halve it.  I won’t argue with that.  Their Say Cheese pizza (P690, 12 in) is probably the epitome of what a cheese pizza should be. It's made with 6 types of cheese, asiago, mozzarella, pecorino, scamorza, taleggio and the controversial gorgonzola, need I say more?  I was in cheese nirvana!  Couldn’t decide if I enjoyed the cheese or the Reale side (that’s the meat pizza made up of 7 different meats.

Other Sis is a Carbonara fan  so she ordered a plate to share. It was the real thing, pasta tossed with fresh eggs and parmesan. Unfortunately, too rich for me. Unfortunately, didn't get a good pic.

For entrees, we tried their traditional Osso Buco Milanese, the Chicken Geschnetzeltes and Crusted Salmon, all served with mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables.  I’m not a fan of Salmon since I’ve had too many horrible experiences ordering it but theirs was perfectly seasoned and cooked.  The chicken, on the other hand,  reminds me of our chicken with mushrooms, nothing spectacular. But it was the Osso Buco Milanese that made this meal special.  It was a generous cut of shank, fork tender and flavorful, clearly slow-cooked in its own sauce.  And though the meat was superb, the marrow was hands down the best part of the meal.  Heavenly!  Why does anything taste this good so calorie-laden? 

The flavorful Osso Buco Milanese  

Crusted Salmon

Chicken Geschnetzeltes

They gave us complimentary shots of their Limoncello and Orange wine.  If you’re not used to the alcohol, steer clear of that Limoncello, the alcohol is at least 25%, the Orange wine, on the other hand was mellow and sweet.  Perfect as an accompaniment to the dessert.  

After everything, yes, we still managed to find an itsy bitsy space for dessert. Just to cap off the heavy meal, I ordered a slice of their Mario’s Ciocollato Souffle (P135) to share.  It was a different type of  soufflé, warm at the bottom and chilled on top.  I’m rendered speechless, it was THAT good.    They also gave us a complimentary piece of their Pannacotta topped with homemade passion fruit jam.  I sigh.  Can’t get any more perfect than this.

Pannacotta topped with homemade passion fruit jam

Mario’s Ciocollato Souffle

I had to walk off this meal so we headed to their spacious function room upstairs and the deli and wine shelves at the far end of the resto.  Lo and behold, saw this in the freezer.   I don’t think I can take anything more than water at this point so this homemade Limoncello ice cream will have to wait.  Definitely something to look forward to on my next visit.  Hope it won’t be too long.

Chateau Hestia

Tagaytay, Cavite, along the same road as Bawai Vietnamese Cuisine and Toscana Farms

For a map on how to go there, http://chateauhestia.com/

Call to reserve.  Opens from Wednesday to Sunday

Channeling Martha - baking from Martha Stewart’s Cookbook New Classics

 

I’m a Martha Stewart fan, that is before she seemed to lay low after her jail time.  Or could it be because my cable provider doesn’t carry a channel, which airs her shows anymore that I feel she isn’t as popular as before? I have a feeling, that if I asked my nieces if they knew Martha S, they’d say, Martha who?

A cousin sent me this thick cook book about 3 years ago but haven’t tried a single recipe.  Sure, I’ve browsed through it but eventually shelved it got shelved where it gathered dust until last week.  Maybe, I just haven’t found the push to try one since it seemed like it was all recipes, so few pics to inspire.

So here I was, with a kilo of fresh strawberries from the market, screaming to be made into something other than a fruit shake or preserve.  Perhaps a strawberry cake or a shortcake?  I remembered I once saw a promising recipe from Gisslen’s Professional Baking but upon checking, it needed strawberries that were almost of the same size.  No can do with the strawberries I had.  They were in every size imaginable plus, I don’t think I had enough of the large ones to make it.  Ok, scrap that recipe.  Looking through my other cookbooks I saw Martha’s book and browsed for a recipe, which uses strawberries.  Saw her version of Strawberry Cake, no pic but looks easy enough.  At 8 pm, why not?  If I was Martha, I’m sure any time is a perfect time for baking.

After cutting off the stems and overripe parts of the strawberries, I vertically halved it and set-aside. I usually decrease sugar when using an American cookbook since I usually find their recipes too sweet but for this one, I followed it to the letter since it uses less sugar than flour, which is a good indication that it won’t be too sweet.

And here it is!  Dense and moist, the cake was perfectly sweet.  The tartness of the strawberries actually worked well with this cake.  I still can’t decide whether I want this more airy or not or if I want to add in another flavor to the base, anise perhaps?  I wonder, would Martha agree to tweaking her recipe? :)

Strawberry Cake

From Martha Stewart Living Cookbook The New Classics

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing

1 ½ c all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 c plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

½ c milk (I used evaporated milk for this one)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ kilo strawberries, hulled and halved

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 10-inch pie plate.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
2. Put the butter and 1-cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in the flour mixture.  Transfer the batter to the buttered pie plate.  Arrange the strawberries on top of the batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible.  Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the strawberries.
4. Bake the cake 10 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.  Bake until the cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour.  Let cool in the pie plate on a wire rack.  Cut into wedges.  The cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days.

Best Food Forward 2012

What’s probably the best way to spend a slow Saturday?  Eating your way through a food fair!

Makati, including the Bonifacio Global City, is actually a place I dread going to.  Not only do I always feel lost, I’m constantly afraid a traffic police will flag me down for some violation. There must be a name for this phobia! Most of the time, only the promise of a good meal makes me willing to travel that traffic-laden 25 kilometers.

Last weekend, I ditched the car and rode the MRT for this: the Best Food Forward 2012 at the NBC tent .  Despite the heat, the place was packed with foodies and families who, just like me, are looking for a new scrumptious experience.  So, what are some of the mouth-watering discoveries I found?

Unit16Sweets

They personalize chocolate bars for giveaways. Wouldn’t you wanna get these instead of the dust-collectors we usually get?  Sis and I actually loved their eco-themed bars.  What’s more, they also sell some uniquely flavored chocolates like ginger, chili, cappuccino and sea salt.  I bought the chili and sea salt.  If you want to experience a different bite to your usual chocolate, I suggest the chili. I’m just not sure if this is good or bad for the chocoholics but its mild spiciness actually limits your consumption to smaller bites.  Despite the heat, though, its still terribly addicting.

Chili and sea salt-flavored chocolate bar, 45 each 

09175695854

Gelati mio

I’ve tried A LOT of gelato but this was the first time I sampled one with alcohol.  Who says alcohol and ice cream don’t mix?  For my first alcohol-laced gelato, I tried their Tequilla Rose.  The verdict?  It was smooth, creamy and the Tequila rose was a subtle hint, just right for an after lunch dessert.  Can’t wait to try their other quirky flavors such as Beer, Baileys, Chili Chocolate and Mango Torte

P120 /scoop of alcohol-flavored gelato

Mio Gelati 0917-5827124

Little "Miss" OC’s Kitchen

I’ve heard and seen pics of Little "Miss" OC’s fondant-topped cupcakes but never up close till last weekend.  She really makes one heck of a cupcake, so detailed, I wouldn’t want to bite into it.  Look at these cutesy designer bag cupcakes!  We didn’t try a cupcake here but brought home their Tinapa pate which was nicely smoked-flavored.  Paired with their extra thin sweet potato chips, it was perfect.

           

Fondant cupcakes P125-150 each

109 Magallanes Ave. Magallanes Village, Makati City

0917-8126833

Elle’s Torta

Having relatives from Mindanao, I grew up getting these tasty treats as pasalubongs.   It’s a fare no fiesta would be without.    I’m really glad  someone is trying to introduce it here, a bit re-invented but still keeping its traditional flavors.   Wasn’t able to taste this one.  Maybe next time.

Torta @35 each
09209518815


My Pink Wasabi

Who can resist Petit fours creatively formed into sushi?  Such a novel idea, definitely an attention grabber amidst the cupcakes, cake pops and bars which abound this food fair.  For P140 for 6 variants, it was affordable, though I would have liked it to be moister, have more distinct flavors and better cocoa taste.    

P140 per 6 variants

www.mypinkwasabi.com

There were other stalls outside the NBC Tent but we opted to focus inside since it was even hotter outside.  Besides, I think I already had my caloric fill for the day from sampling and eating.  Time to walk this off!  

101 Ways with Carat Ganache

Ganache.  A smooth mixture of chocolate and cream.  Never mind the cream, it’s the mere mention of CHOCOLATE that sends my heart aflutter.

I’ve made it from scratch and used it for just two things: icing and cake filling and that’s it!  How many other uses can there be?

So, when I read Puratos’ FB invite for a demo using their CARAT Ganache with Chef Hasset Go, I felt giddy. Could it be from the promise of having a whole afternoon, thinking of nothing but ganache?  I knew I had to get a seat.

And I wasn’t disappointed.  See just how versatile this ganache can be!

1. Mocha cake roll, two ways.
Both cake rolls were iced using Carat Ganache but the first one was frosted with whipped cream before slathering the ganache. Impressive, right?

 2. Toffee muffins
For those who can't get enough of chocolate, Carat Ganache is used as a filling in these toffee-flavored cupcakes.  More of the product is used to decorate these.  Definitely, double chocolate bliss!  

 

 3. Chocolate Tart
This is probably my favorite. Ganache is piped like small kisses on top of a chilled chocolate tart before being dusted with cocoa powder. Oooh!

4. Almond Cappuccino Bars

For those who prefer their bars and cakes with added fiber and texture, Carat Ganache may also be used to ice bars before sprinkling it with nuts or what-have-yous. 

5. Fun Hazelnut Fingers

Have you ever used ganache as filling other than cakes? I haven't.  Here, Chef Hasset uses it to fill a shortcrust.

 6. Almond Ganache Torte
Two words: chocolate overload!  That's how I describe this dreamy chocolate creation.  Carat Ganache is used both as an icing and filling, just like how we usually use ganache.  The only difference is, mine never looks as perfect as Chef Hasset's :)  

7. Whoopie Pie
The Whoopie Pie is an American invention made up of two small round cakes with a creamy filling sandwiched between them.  In this case, a mixture of Carat Ganache and whipped cream.

8. Cake Pops
Last year, cake pops were a craze and everyone I knew who was into baking was posting their own version on FB.  None ever thought of doing this with their scrap and left overs.  Carat Ganache was mixed with left over scraps of cake then formed into balls before dipping it into melted chocolate. Good idea, Chef.

Of course, what’s a demo without sampling the finished products, right?

Being a CARAT product, I did have high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed.  The chocolate was full-flavored, smooth and with just the right degree of sweetness.    Best of all, it has a longer shelf-life than ganache from scratch.  At room temperature, it can keep fresh for about 3 days but refrigerated, on a product, I think I heard shelf-life is more than a month, six months in its original pail.  Yay!

This got me thinking. Wouldn't this be perfect as a sandwich spread together with some hazelnut cream or preserved fruit? Or mixed with some liquor and made into a praline or truffle?  Its delightful uses can only be limited to one's imagination.

For recipes and other inquiries, find Puratos Philippines on Facebook.

You may also visit them at Mangosteen St. cor. DBP Ave. FTI Complex, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines

Call them at +632- 8385110 to 15

First Corn Harvest of the Year , Sweet!

It’s Sweet corn season at the farm!  By the time I finish writing this, I’m sure the land has already been re-plowed and replanted for the second corn crop, harvestable in about 75 days.  Yup, it’s that fast but believe me, its far from easy.  


Harvest time is the busiest and this is how it's done at the farm.

The field of dreams, remember the movie?

Harvesting the crop on about a 1 hectare field starts early, and when I say early, I mean 3 a.m.  Some might start at 12 midnight but since the sellers plan to get this crop to Manila for the afternoon market, 3 a.m. is ok.  There’s another reason why they have to get these out of the field before the sun fully rises.  When it's off the plant, sweet corn quickly loses its sugars when heated.  Enzymes convert the sugar to starch and they work overtime at elevated temperatures… and that’s the food tech speaking :)

The "Mamimitas" after harvesting the ears loads it into the tractor.

So, with three work hands plus a tractor driver, harvest starts.  Everything is done manually thus, these people are called “taga-pitas”.  They remove the ears from the stems and leave them into mounds for easier loading to the tractor later.  They are also responsible for cutting off the stems with their “Karet”, a multi-purpose long and curved knife. This goes on for about 3 hours before they start loading the tractor to bring in the harvest to the sorting area.

The cobs are brought to the sorting area.  See the guy on top?  He's using his legs to unload the harvest.  What a workout!

The sorting area is actually just a make-shift shaded spot where with a split second hold on each ear, a “Tenor” classifies the corn into either “primera”, “segunda” and “kudla”.  “Primera” gets the largest and most perfect ears, “Segunda” takes the medium-sized ones while everything that doesn’t belong to both goes to the “kudla”, the rejects.  While looking at these ears being thrown into piles, I couldn’t help but smile, wondering how my postharvest professor would be appalled if she sees how everything is (mis)handled. :)

The pile of "kudla" ready for sorting and packing.

At around 5 or 6 a.m., wives and other women join in the frenzy as workers who’ll prepare the rejects for the market or the “mangungudla”/ “mambabalat” and packers or “manunupot”. Why? Because to get a better price for these rejects, you have to peel, cut-off parts of the corn which isn’t perfect then pack it into approximately a kilo each. It is then consolidated into a larger pack of 10 kilos to make it market-ready.  The rejects of the rejects called “bilog” are also packed into 10 kilos and sold at half the price of the packaged “kudla.”  What was once considered waste and given to farm animals are also sold in the market, probably made into soup and corn kernels.

Life in the farm is slow until harvest time when the "manunupot" and "mangungudla" work fast to ready everything for the market.

As I found out, peeling a hundred was a breeze but do this repeatedly for thousands needs patience and a whole lot of brawn (which I sorely lack).  After a few hours and sore hands, I promoted myself to the packing area, which I should say, was a bit easier on the hands. Believe me, there’s an art to packing these cobs to make it look market-ready.

Packers tediously gather the rejects to kilo packs.  The "Primera" and "Segunda" are brought to the market as is, sold per piece.

I’ve been an onlooker to countless harvests but for this season, I decided to get my hands dirty.  It actually made me appreciate how much hard work it was to farm, harvest, then market.  What a day! 

Simple Corn Soup (Good for 8)

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

2-1/2 cups cream of corn

3 cups of water (more if you want it less dense)

1 to 1-1/2 chicken bouillon cubes

Leafy greens like malunggay (moringa leaves), chili leaves, 

ashitaba, talinum (a local weed-like plant)

1. To make it easier to get cream of corn from fresh cobs, use a peeler to open up the kernels.  Then using a rubber scraper, scrape off the contents of the kernels.

2. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot or a dutch oven, saute onions in oil until transparent. 

3.  Add in the cream of corn, water and bouillon cubes.  Cook for about 10 minutess on medium high.  Add in the leaves at the last two minutes of cooking, just before serving.

Notes:  

Want a more filling one-dish meal? Add shrimp or meats,  saute it with onions. 

Not a fan of chicken bouillon?  Omit chicken cube and replace with salt or fish sauce.

Freeze it! You can cook the soup ahead and freeze, just omit the leafy greens.  Add the greens while re-heating it in the microwave or soup pot. 

Chef Tatung's Garden Cafe

I’ve read great reviews for a resto just within the UP Village area, run by a Chef Tatung.  So when a deal came for it, I excitedly bought a few vouchers for a family weekend lunch-out.  It took us awhile to find a common time, but when we finally did, I booked us a table and headed out for a short drive to UP Village.

With just the address on hand, we looked for the resto.  As expected, it looked like an ordinary house with no visible sign that it was an eating place (or did I miss it?).  Anyway, the white gates were open so we trooped towards the door and entered the Chef's abode.  I've read somewhere that this is really his private home converted into a resto.  It was homey and welcoming.  Definitely a good sign.

After scouring a computer printed menu, we ordered what we thought would be interesting.  We started with Chicken Sisig Lettuce Wraps (P240) and Local Veggies with Assorted Dips (P160).  We enjoyed how the chicken sisig was plated.  But being Tagalog who enjoys her buro, it was refreshing to find it as a menu item in a resto.  The local vegetables were young and sweet, paired with three dips, buro, patis-calamansi and bagoong, it was a match made in heaven (though I'm pretty sure my Tatay (Dad) wouldn't agree)

 

Chicken Sisig Lettuce Wraps (P240)

  

Local Veggies with Assorted Dips (P160)

 

We continued on with Chicken in Roasted Coconut in Yellow Ginger Sauce (P320) which would have been better if it had absorbed more of the flavors.  The sauce reminds me of thai chicken in coconut sans the basil.  Prawns in Aligue Sauce (P480) proved too rich for me, so I just took the prawns and separated it from the rest of the sauce.  For carbs, we tried Tatung's Favorite Fried Rice (P160) which I think was called Nasi Goreng rice when we ate there.  It was an interesting mix of shrimp, peanuts, carrots and scrambled eggs.  It was a meal in itself, heavy and satisfying.  I think we  also tried their Molo soup too, which at P180 was a steal since it was good for sharing.

 

Tatung's Favorite Fried Rice (P160)

 

  

Chicken in Roasted Coconut in Yellow Ginger Sauce (P320)

Prawns in Aligue Sauce (P480)

 

We didn't get desserts anymore since we were all full from the meal but over-all, the place is great for families who want to enjoy reasonably-priced, Asian/Filipino home-cooked meals leisurely in a not too crowded and noisy atmosphere.  As for the desserts, maybe we'll return for them one of these days. (The chocnut chocolate cake sounds interesting)

Chef Tatung's Garden Cafe

17 Matipid St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
Mobile: +63 915 846 3234
Telephone: +632 352-6121 

The waiters said you don't need to reserve but the space is quite limited so I'd still recommend to call them up before going there.