Beef gyudon recipe from Heny Sison’s cooking class

Heny Sison is known hereabouts as a maker of fabulous wedding cakes. But at her cooking school in Waltermart Makati, we were surprised to find out that she teaches a variety of cuisines too. That’s how I found myself one Sunday sitting in her class for some lessons in Japanese cooking.

In the agenda were such Japanese delights as temaki-zushi (do-it-yourself rolls), rolled omelette, beef gyudon with a separate recipe for the accompanying sweet-vinegared ginger (shoga no amazu-zuke), and green tea or macha jelly.I must say nothing beats the Japanese cooking class we took before in Manila Diamond Hotel since we had five-star ambiance and a Japanese chef to teach us, but Heny’s tops the scale too for insider secrets shared and audience participation. We just wished this Cake Lady smiled more ;)

Heny Sison Cooking Class

Somehow, am intimidated from cooking sushi. Not a big fan of the food too. So I had to take comfort in the gyudon recipe that Heny shared in the class. Beef gyudon is, like, my Japanese comfort food. I always order it in Yoshinoya, Rai-Rai Ken or any of those fastfood restos. Judging from the cooking class recipe which I eventually tried at home, it’s very easy to make too.

Here is the beef gyudon that Heny made in the class:

Beef Gyudon

I think the secret to a good gyudon is the slice of beef - the thinner, the better. Also, the sauce (which is easy to mix anyway) and lotsa onions. Gyudon is best accompanied with beni-shoga, which is not commonly served in Japanese fastfood chains , when it should be. The flavor of sweet ginger cleanses the palate.

Can’t resist having my own version of beef gyudon at home, even though it’s hard to find sukiyaki slices in our neighborhood grocery. The gyudon I tried from the recipe ended up sweetish which is good, since my eight-year old twins liked it.

Gyudon, my version

Here’s how to make gyudon or beef on rice:

1. Slice 500 grams of onions thinly.
2. In a medium-size saucepan, mix 1 cup Japanese cooking sake and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add the beef slices and simmer for a few minutes. Add 3/4 cup soy sauce, 3/4 cup mirin and 4 tbsps. sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Add onions and again simmer until onions are transparent and soft.
4. Prepare hot cooked rice in bowls and add gyudon with the sauce on top. garnish with sweet vinegared ginger.

Our attendance to Heny Sison’s Japanese cooking class was made possible by Waltermart and Abenson Plus! card. Be a member and attend cooking events. Also get perks like gift prizes, freebies and special deals on selected items. Contact Waletrmart Makati at 8138851, 8130563, Abenson at 8122882, or Heny Sison Cooking School at 3862210.

‘it’s a small world’ at Hong Kong Disneyland, a must-see!

I realized after our last trip that Hong Kong is indeed one of my favorite cities. It is almost a good neighbor of Manila since it’s so near and there is still so much about it I want to explore in terms of food, shopping and places.

But I have to admit it was quite a downer visiting Hong Kong Disneyland when it’s raining. Riding the Orbitron in our raincoats wasn’t exactly my idea of fun.

orbitron

My advice really is not to go to Hong Kong Disney during the rainy season, even though I can just imagine how crowded it is during the summer. Size-wise, I found this Disneyland quite small, must be only as large as our very own Enchanted Kingdom. I realized after visiting Hong Kong Disney that we are doing very well with Enchanted. It is just the legacy of the Disney name, the Disney “magic” and the way they market the Disney brand with an array of merchandising products that makes it such a hit with tourists.

Anyway, if you only have less than a day to tour Hong Kong Disney, it’s a small world is one of the theme resort’s newest attractions and definitely one of the highly-recommended rides. In a nutshell, it’s a boat trip guests take to replicas of the different regions of the world with their own landmarks and Audio-Animatronics dolls dressed in national costumes, singing “it’s a small world” in different languages, including Tagalog (kay liit lang ng mundo…..)

It's A Small World

It's A Small World

Not to be missed of course are your favorite Disney characters, including Peter Pan, Aladdin and Pinocchio who are making their appearance for the first time in this Asian edition of “it’s a small world.”

It's A Small World

It's a Small World

Prior to watching the show, we had fun watching the toys emerge from the Clock Tower in an entertaining parade.

Some words to describe “it’s a small world:”: enchanting! An eye-opening treat for children.

Other new attractions at Hong Kong Disney:

High School Musical: LIVE! Dance and sing with performers of High SChool Musical as they feature hit songs from the movie.

Turtle Talk with Crush. In an “under the sea” setting, the 150-year old turtle from Finding Nemo asks questions about the human world and answers the crowd’s questions about his digital underwater world.

WordCamp Philippines 2008 – WP users, are you ready?

It was The SweetHeart who encouraged me to set my sights on being a part of WordCamp Philippines 2008 earlier this year : “There’s a WordCamp in your area, why don’t you join?”

I took note of the fact, even though I half-suspected he was ready to relinquish his Web Monkey duties. You see, when something’s ready to be fixed in my blog, I either call on friends or request the sweetheart to put it on his “honeydew” list (honey do this, honey do that) P

Admittedly, am the lazy WordPress user, one of those persons who’ve taken to heart the definition of blogging as a “one-click publishing platform.” I can hardly be bothered with technicalities because writing blog posts (and newspaper articles) is draining and time-consuming enough, as it is.

But I have to say, even the most jaded WordPress users like me are ready for change and learning. That’s because WordPress is one of the most dynamic platforms there is. And WordCamp Philippines 2008 - the first of its kind to be held in Asia - promises to dispense the right amount of knowledge and information to WP users and developers alike.

Among the topics up for discussion are the Ways to Use WordPress, Video and Mobile Blogging, Cascading Style Sheets, Migrating to WP, Optimizing your WordPress Blog, and Blog Monetization, among others. Advanced users , on the other hand, will be able to share ideas on Best Practices in PHP Coding, Designing WP Themes, Developing WP Aggregator Sites, and so on.

Convinced? Sign on now to become part of Philippine blogging history. WordCamp Philippines 2008 is happening on September 6, 2008 at the DLSU College of St. Benilde, Taft Avenue, Manila.

The camp was initiated and organized by the Mindanao Bloggers with help from the following sponsors:

Bagnet at CFront resto .. because pork fat rules

The past week had me longing for the decadent pleasure of deep-fried pork. I eat chicken or fish most of the time and I get moments of breaking the rules, such as when lechon with its golden crispy is served at work for somebody’s birthday, or a tempting picture of tonkatsu rice topping stares at me in a Japanese restaurant..I simply can’t resist!

And this was what happened while I was strolling through the bayside restaurant row in Mall of Asia called San Miguel by the Bay (nice view , pungent smell from the bay, ewwwe). I had just come from the gym a few walks away and there goes a place named CFront Bar & Restaurant which advertises “Ilocos Bagnet” in bright lights. I simply had to make a turn-around and try.

It didn’t help that CFront has this see-through window where you can see the bagnet (Ilocos’ version of chicharon) being deep-fried in a giant custom-made vat.

Bagnet frying

Pinakbet with bagnet

My first order was their Original Pinakbet with Bagnet which came out fine because the veggies were tender. It is a mortal sin to me when pinakbet is overcooked. The problem with this dish was the bagnet itself because the pork skin turned out to be chewy (makunat) instead of crispy. Must have been that the pork sat out too long before being served. Somebody told me it should be eaten immediately once fried.

On the second day, because I still had my pork fat fixation, it was time to visit - with the kids!

Bagnet Chicharon

Got a sampling of their bagnet chicharon which was crispy already (it pays to tell the manager).

Binagoongan Bagnet

Next, we try their bagnet binagoongan which was deep-fried pork heaped with a topping of sauteed onions, tomatoes and bagoong or shrimp paste. I liked this because the bagoong wasn’t salty or overwhelming. Still, the pork meat was on the tough side and the resto could really do better with better quality pork - which is all that matters!

I haven’t been to Ilocos in a long, long time so the most convenient thing is to scour Manila for Ilocano specialties. I swear I’ve tasted better bagnet in smaller stalls but CFront can do for now when you crave for a taste of Ilocandia in a restaurant setting.

Royce chocolates in Hong Kong

Royce counter

I wasn’t able to visit the Royce chocolates stall while in Singapore, so it was quite a relief to find a Royce counter in Harbor City, Kowloon. My HK-based friend Mira told me Royce is available in City Super, I didn’t quite know there are a number of them in the territory. Note the picture: the shop girl didn’t want me to take a picture but I guess it was too late P

Royce Potato Chips

Silly me wanted these Royce chocolated-dipped potato chips to myself, and would have bought a dozen, if my budget allowed. They were simply addictive! What could be more sinful than Royce’s divine chocolate and potato chips combined??

Royce chocolates

Our Royce shopping stash! The chocolate-covered marshmallows (in orange box) were another revelation. Even the simple-looking Royce chocolate bar was good - not too sweet. What is good about shopping in Royce is that you get to taste any chocolate you like in their delicious range - the sales people would be willing to cut a slice for you and let you sample the flavors.

The Royce range: Nama Chocolate in Au Lait, White, Champagne, Bitter & Mild Cacao (HKD$85); Pure Chocolate in Sweet & Milk, Creamy Milk & White ( HKD$90), Venezuela Bitter & Ghana Sweet, Mild Bitter & Extra Bitter (HKD$100); Petite Truffle in Praline, Kirsch, & Orange (HKD$70); Criollo Chocolate in Bitter, Sweet, & Milk (HKD70), Chocolate Bar in Almond, White, Black, Almond, Rum Raisin & Creamy Milk (HKD38); Almond Chocolate Assort in Coconut, Hazel Cacao (HKD$80), Assorted Box (HKD$125); Marshmallow Chocolate in White, Milk Coffee (HKD$60), Macadamia Chocolate, Coffee Beans Chocolate (HKD$98) Chocolate Wafers (HKD$75); Nutty Bar Chocolate, Potechi Crunch Chocolate, Potato Chips Chocolate & Coffee Chocolate (HKD$75); Royce Aroma Chocolate Collection (HKD$110), Kurumaro Chocolate (HKD$115); Royce Gift Boxes (with assorted goodies) from HKD$200 to $380.

Royce Stores in Hong Kong:

City Super Times Square
Basement 1, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street
Causeway Bay

City Super Harbour City
Shop No. 3001, Level 3, Harbour City, Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

City Super IFC Mall
Shops 1041-1049, Level One, ifc Mall
Central

City Super New Town Plaza
Shops 204-214, Level 2, New Town Plaza
Shatin, New Territories

LOG-ON Festival Walk Shop
UG Level, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon