So in my Yoga class, we've recently been talking about food, like which ones are good and which ones are bad. There are three classes of foods. One of them is Tinnastic (sp?), which is the worst possible kind. It consists of frozen foods, heavily factory-made food, microwaves food, burnt food, and barbecued food. The other is Rajastic, which is stuff like meats, fish, eggs, sugar etc. The best possible kind is Sattvic, which consists purely of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, beans, and legumes.
My teacher wants us to make a recipe solely out of Sattvic foods.
Some of the restrictions are as follows:
NO garlic
NO onions
NO salt
NO Vinegar
NO Meat
(which completely throws out anything Filipino D:)
NO sugar
NO eggs
NO fats
You get the idea.
...YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS (for me, at least) TO COOK WITH NO GARLIC, ONIONS, PORK, OR FAT(s)?
I kind of want to make like an Asian Tofu stir-fry over soba noodles. But there's this one girl in my Yoga class completely OBSESSED with Japanese food, so I don't want to end up making the same thing. And another part of me wants to make a drink or a baked good, because I know no one would try to do something like that. And another part of me just want to do it easy and make Sago Gulaman.
I don't know. All the Sattvic recipes I found online are lame. I'll update when I figure out what I'm going to do.
February 25, 2010
MULTICULTURAL FAIR TOMORROW!!
It's gonna be fun :D
I made my afghan biscuits, packed them in twos to sell for a dollar. The rest of the food for sale is going to be cupcakes in the shape of sheep, since apparently there are a lot of sheep in New Zealand, and Ginger Ale. Since we clearly cannot sell Ginger Beer to High School Students. Dad kept buggering me about the cookies, asking if he could have some. I told him if there were any leftovers, then yeah. But I enjoy my recent cooking ramblings, I feel like cooking something this weekend. Oh, and Saturday I'm making something Asian with my mom so I can bring something to my friend's Disney Party. Its just going to be me and my closest friends watching Disney movies on Saturday, so I'll probably be cooking with my mom tomorrow night, Friday.
Yeah, I spend my Friday nights cooking with my mom. Wanna mess?
I made my afghan biscuits, packed them in twos to sell for a dollar. The rest of the food for sale is going to be cupcakes in the shape of sheep, since apparently there are a lot of sheep in New Zealand, and Ginger Ale. Since we clearly cannot sell Ginger Beer to High School Students. Dad kept buggering me about the cookies, asking if he could have some. I told him if there were any leftovers, then yeah. But I enjoy my recent cooking ramblings, I feel like cooking something this weekend. Oh, and Saturday I'm making something Asian with my mom so I can bring something to my friend's Disney Party. Its just going to be me and my closest friends watching Disney movies on Saturday, so I'll probably be cooking with my mom tomorrow night, Friday.
Yeah, I spend my Friday nights cooking with my mom. Wanna mess?
February 5, 2010
Why is it so hard to find good recipes on the interewebz?
So later tonight, I'm going over to my friend Kori's house for a potluck/ anti winter formal type thing. Me and my friends are going to watch movies and play Wii, and eat foods!
So being somewhat famouse for my baked goods, my friend Kori asked if I could bake something and bring it over for my potluck dish. And of course, I said yes. I have little time, so a chocolate cake mix out of the box will have to suffice. But I am going to spruce it up with a homemade frosting. Trying to find a recipe, I found a great website with many different kinds of frostings/icings. And for any beginners out there, I will establish the difference between frostings and icings.
Frostings generally are fluffy and used for cakes and the like, made of some sort of combination of sugar, eggs, butter, and/or milk.
Icings harden into a a shell-like consistency and are used for cookies like sugar Christmas ones, and are generally made of icing/confectioners sugar, and some liquid like milk, water, coffee for a coffee flavored icing, and some sort of flavoring like vanilla or almond essence.
So I looked in my fridge for butter. And we only have a tbls. of butter in the whole house. Not really expecting much from and Asian household. But we do have copious amounts of cream cheese for some reason (I think my mom was planning to make a peppermint bark cheesecake sometime ago), so I'm going to make a chocolate cupcake with blue tinted cream cheese frosting, decorated with blueberries. I think it should do fine. And I don't think any of my friends are allergic to blueberries. Then again, I could be wrong, like when I gave a lamington to one of my coconut-allergic friends. But let's not get into that...
So being somewhat famouse for my baked goods, my friend Kori asked if I could bake something and bring it over for my potluck dish. And of course, I said yes. I have little time, so a chocolate cake mix out of the box will have to suffice. But I am going to spruce it up with a homemade frosting. Trying to find a recipe, I found a great website with many different kinds of frostings/icings. And for any beginners out there, I will establish the difference between frostings and icings.
Frostings generally are fluffy and used for cakes and the like, made of some sort of combination of sugar, eggs, butter, and/or milk.
Icings harden into a a shell-like consistency and are used for cookies like sugar Christmas ones, and are generally made of icing/confectioners sugar, and some liquid like milk, water, coffee for a coffee flavored icing, and some sort of flavoring like vanilla or almond essence.
So I looked in my fridge for butter. And we only have a tbls. of butter in the whole house. Not really expecting much from and Asian household. But we do have copious amounts of cream cheese for some reason (I think my mom was planning to make a peppermint bark cheesecake sometime ago), so I'm going to make a chocolate cupcake with blue tinted cream cheese frosting, decorated with blueberries. I think it should do fine. And I don't think any of my friends are allergic to blueberries. Then again, I could be wrong, like when I gave a lamington to one of my coconut-allergic friends. But let's not get into that...
January 22, 2010
Multicultural Fair 2010: New Zealand
If you were looking for information on New Zealand, you can exit the premises now, because you'll probably get more information on the movie set site for The Chronicles of Narnia through wikipedia than reading this.
At the end of February, my school will have its 3rd (thats because its only been open for three years) annual Multicultural Fair, sponsored by the clubs of the school. Being a member of the GSA at my school, my club chose or was assigned or picked-out-of-a-hat...the country of New Zealand.
Now, this is going to be hard, because most people think of New Zealand as an extension to Australia, and it isn't! I know, shocked me too. It just has a similar culture to Australia's due to proximity.
But, being the nice guy that I am (usually) I volunteered to make food to sell at our New Zealand Booth. And I have decided to either make Afghan Biscuits (cookies made with chocolate and cornflakes, oddly) and/or Pavlovas (meringue dessert with whipped creme and fruit on top). All proceeds go towards our GSA for future projects and whatnot.
The proceeding measurements were converted from the Metric system to the semi-retarded American unit of measurement, so some measurements will be a little weird.
RECIPE FOR: Afghan Biscuits (chocolate/cornflake cookies)
Cookie Batter:
14 tbls. of Butter (that's almost a cup, but not so much)
6 tbls. of Sugar (regular white table sugar, none of this au natural cr@p)
1 and 2/5 cups of flour (you may use whole wheat, if you prefer)
3 tbls. + 1 tsp. of unsweetened cocoa Powder
2/5 cups crushed cornflakes (you may use 1/2 cups, if you like yours crunchy)
Chocolate icing:
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tbls. of melted butter (this is for flavor, use too much, and you'll end up making a fluffy frosting instead of shiny, hardened icing)
1 tsp. vanilla essence (extract)
1 and 1/2 tbls. of milk
2 tbls. unsweetened cocoa powder
To make icing: Combine the sugar and melted butter, and stir in the vanilla extract. Add the cocoa powder and mix until blended. Add the milk (vary the amount of milk, depending on your sweetness preference)and beat until smooth.
Using room temperature butter, cream the butter and sugar using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or bowl and spoon. When creamed (it will appear pale yellow and grainy) add the flour and the cocoa gradually. When combined and still somewhat lumpy, fold in the cornflakes ( yo don't want to overmix at this point, or you will crush the cornflakes further, you still want a crunchy texture). Spoon dollops of batter on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes (time varies upon oven ranges, check so that the cookies are browned on the edges) Let cool, and ice with chocolate icing and top with sliced nuts of your choice (almonds or walnuts would be good, but no peanuts)
RECIPE FOR: Pavlovas (Meringue dessert with whipped creme and fruit)
Meringue
4 egg whites
1 tsp. of vanilla essence (extract)
2 tsps. of vinegar (regular, white vinegar--PLEASE no balsamic vinegar!!)
1 cup of sugar
Whipped Creme
This recipe is rather ambiguous, and hard to mess up. Depending on the ammount of whipping cream you use, its best to use either the smallest or second smallest size available, coming in 4 oz. containers and 8 oz. containers, respectively. Beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer, or with a little elbow grease, an egg beater. Gradually add sugar (using 1 tbls. per 1/2 cup of unwhipped creme, and 1 tsp. of vanilla essence for flavor) and beat until stiff peaks form. DO NOT OVERBEAT, or you Whipped creme will turn into butter.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet or oven tray. Beat your egg whites with hand mixer or stand mixer, until very stiff. Fold in the vinegar and vanilla essence. Add sugar (gradually, if you want to be careful, but if you want to be dangerous, go ahead and add it all in at once) and beat until smooth. Form individual pavlovas on cookie sheet with a 4 inch diameter, or one large one about the size of a round, medium cake (9 inches). Put in the oven, and immediately reduce temperature tom 200 degrees F. Bake for 90 minutes.
PRECAUTIONS: They should come out crunchy and browned on the outside, and the consistency of a marshmallow on the inside. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DURING BAKING TIME. If your curious as to what it looks like, most ovens today come with lights and oven windows, so DO NOT OPEN YOUR OVEN DOOR. LIKE AT ALL. OR I WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND THROW THE PAVLOVA ON YOUR FACE AND/OR FLOOR.
To assemble your pavlova(s), cool your pavlovas before putting the whipped creme on top, and arrange sliced fruit on top, with kiwis being the original, but various berries being good as well.
I hope you enjoy your Afghan Biscuits and Pavlovas, and coming soon: Hokey Pokey (in lieu of Multicultural fair/New Zealand desserts).
At the end of February, my school will have its 3rd (thats because its only been open for three years) annual Multicultural Fair, sponsored by the clubs of the school. Being a member of the GSA at my school, my club chose or was assigned or picked-out-of-a-hat...the country of New Zealand.
Now, this is going to be hard, because most people think of New Zealand as an extension to Australia, and it isn't! I know, shocked me too. It just has a similar culture to Australia's due to proximity.
But, being the nice guy that I am (usually) I volunteered to make food to sell at our New Zealand Booth. And I have decided to either make Afghan Biscuits (cookies made with chocolate and cornflakes, oddly) and/or Pavlovas (meringue dessert with whipped creme and fruit on top). All proceeds go towards our GSA for future projects and whatnot.
The proceeding measurements were converted from the Metric system to the semi-retarded American unit of measurement, so some measurements will be a little weird.
RECIPE FOR: Afghan Biscuits (chocolate/cornflake cookies)
Cookie Batter:
14 tbls. of Butter (that's almost a cup, but not so much)
6 tbls. of Sugar (regular white table sugar, none of this au natural cr@p)
1 and 2/5 cups of flour (you may use whole wheat, if you prefer)
3 tbls. + 1 tsp. of unsweetened cocoa Powder
2/5 cups crushed cornflakes (you may use 1/2 cups, if you like yours crunchy)
Chocolate icing:
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tbls. of melted butter (this is for flavor, use too much, and you'll end up making a fluffy frosting instead of shiny, hardened icing)
1 tsp. vanilla essence (extract)
1 and 1/2 tbls. of milk
2 tbls. unsweetened cocoa powder
To make icing: Combine the sugar and melted butter, and stir in the vanilla extract. Add the cocoa powder and mix until blended. Add the milk (vary the amount of milk, depending on your sweetness preference)and beat until smooth.
Using room temperature butter, cream the butter and sugar using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or bowl and spoon. When creamed (it will appear pale yellow and grainy) add the flour and the cocoa gradually. When combined and still somewhat lumpy, fold in the cornflakes ( yo don't want to overmix at this point, or you will crush the cornflakes further, you still want a crunchy texture). Spoon dollops of batter on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes (time varies upon oven ranges, check so that the cookies are browned on the edges) Let cool, and ice with chocolate icing and top with sliced nuts of your choice (almonds or walnuts would be good, but no peanuts)
RECIPE FOR: Pavlovas (Meringue dessert with whipped creme and fruit)
Meringue
4 egg whites
1 tsp. of vanilla essence (extract)
2 tsps. of vinegar (regular, white vinegar--PLEASE no balsamic vinegar!!)
1 cup of sugar
Whipped Creme
This recipe is rather ambiguous, and hard to mess up. Depending on the ammount of whipping cream you use, its best to use either the smallest or second smallest size available, coming in 4 oz. containers and 8 oz. containers, respectively. Beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer, or with a little elbow grease, an egg beater. Gradually add sugar (using 1 tbls. per 1/2 cup of unwhipped creme, and 1 tsp. of vanilla essence for flavor) and beat until stiff peaks form. DO NOT OVERBEAT, or you Whipped creme will turn into butter.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet or oven tray. Beat your egg whites with hand mixer or stand mixer, until very stiff. Fold in the vinegar and vanilla essence. Add sugar (gradually, if you want to be careful, but if you want to be dangerous, go ahead and add it all in at once) and beat until smooth. Form individual pavlovas on cookie sheet with a 4 inch diameter, or one large one about the size of a round, medium cake (9 inches). Put in the oven, and immediately reduce temperature tom 200 degrees F. Bake for 90 minutes.
PRECAUTIONS: They should come out crunchy and browned on the outside, and the consistency of a marshmallow on the inside. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DURING BAKING TIME. If your curious as to what it looks like, most ovens today come with lights and oven windows, so DO NOT OPEN YOUR OVEN DOOR. LIKE AT ALL. OR I WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND THROW THE PAVLOVA ON YOUR FACE AND/OR FLOOR.
To assemble your pavlova(s), cool your pavlovas before putting the whipped creme on top, and arrange sliced fruit on top, with kiwis being the original, but various berries being good as well.
I hope you enjoy your Afghan Biscuits and Pavlovas, and coming soon: Hokey Pokey (in lieu of Multicultural fair/New Zealand desserts).
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