Sunday, June 30, 2013

Smoked Salmon and Kesong Puti


What better breakfast/brunch to serve than a beautiful smoked salmon with kesong puti on top of a warm baguette slice, with fluffy and runny scrambled eggs on the side? 

 

Looks fancy? Yes. Expensive? Nope. Cost me a little under Php50 (USD1). The only cooking required was the scrambled egg too. Multiply the serving by two when catering to a man.





Smoked salmon (Superfish brand) Php150 for 100grams
=16grams Php25
Baguette (Rustan's deli) Php39 for 1 long bread at buy1take1 (equivalent to 20 slices 3/4" thick)
=Php 2 for one slice
Kesong Puti (Hacienda Macalauan) Php103 for 200 grams
=Php10 for 20 grams or 2 thin slices
=1 Egg Php 5
1 bunch parsley Php10 =Php.50 centavos for a sprig

*All from Rustan's supermarket

TOTAL: Php42.50


Saturday, June 22, 2013

Crazy for Boba: Homemade Pearl Milk Tea


my own blend of milk tea with boba pearls

I am crazy for pearl milk tea because of the boba a.k.a. tapioca pearls. Soft, chewy and sweet black pearls that I cannot get enough of which I sometimes just order as is (no tea) and take it home for dessert. So crazy over it that I finally had to order a pack from milk tea suppliers (try sulit or ebay 1 pack 3kg minimum for about Php350-400 + shipping fee).



I usually get my fix of milk tea and boba at the usual tea places but did you know that they use powdered cream/milk (not fresh), lots of articial ingredients and sweeteners, and some even use powdered/instant tea instead of brewing real tea leaves?

So making your own pearl milk tea is a better idea because:

1. It's HEALTHIER
2. You're sure it's FRESH
2. You can CONTROL the serving
3. It's CHEAPER

Go easy on the boba though! It is highly caloric and a previous study found traces of carcinogens in certain batches of boba pearls coming from Taiwan. If I could make my own boba I would but for now I haven't tried it... yet.

Easy as 1-2-3...

1. Cook the boba according to manufacturer's instruction. It's similar to cooking rice, you just boil it in water for 15mins or so depending on how much boba you are making or how chewy you want it. Rinse the boba and store in a container with sugar syrup (some muscovado and honey mixed with a little water).




2. Brew your own tea. Concentrate the mixture. If a teabag makes for 2 cups, use a teabag for 1 cup. Place in a container and chill in the fridge.







3. Serve it with a spot of fresh milk then add some boba and it's syrup. I use a ratio of 3/4 tea and 1/4 milk. If the syrup is not enough to sweeten your drink, drizzle some honey.




Another great idea would be to make a milk tea gelatin with boba topping!