November 1, 2011
We are supposed to be be making our family breakfast for All Souls' Day and since we woke up at around 11:00 AM already, we realized that the meal will already be a brunch. It is our very first day of cooking, eating, and blogging in a whole new aspect. Brunch today will consist of pimped rice and egg. We know that you might be anxious by the sound of that and we might as well tell you our secrets because we are not Pretty Little Liars after all.
1. It is our first time to cook rice.
2. It is is our first time to prepare a meal for the family.
Egg and Rice
Anyway, we do hope that you guys were not shocked by these revelations. We need to talk about egg (or itlog in Filipino) and rice.
Egg: Laid by females of many different species (Wikipedia).
Eggs are one of nature's most perfectly balanced foods, containing all the protein, vitamins (except vitamin C) and minerals essential for good health (E2necc).
Rice: Very high in complex carbohydrates, contains almost no fat, is cholesterol free, and unless you add salt to your cooking water, is low in sodium. In general all rice – both brown and white – is considered a good source of vitamins and minerals (PhilRice).
Enough of the background check. We decided to make our pimped poached egg and rice frittata for today’s brunch. It is simple yet very heavy when it comes to contents. Supersized pimped egg and rice in an old-fashioned way.
Poached Egg
An uninterrupted egg with a ghostly appearance.
Ingredients:
· 1 large egg
· Vinegar
· Water
Preparation:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. The water should be at least five or six inches deep (the deeper the better).
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
When the water boils, add about a tbsp. vinegar for every pint or so of water. Taste to make sure the level is right. The vinegar should be barely noticeable.
Lower the water to a slow simmer.
Carefully crack one egg into a teacup or large ladle.
Lower the teacup or ladle into the water and pour the egg out as gently as possible.
The egg white will coagulate in the water and turn white. Most eggs will take between two and three minutes for the white to cook but leave the yolk still runny. Remove the egg at this point with a slotted spoon or strainer.
A perfect poached egg is bright and shiny in appearance. It is compact, round shape, not spread or flattened according to Mr. Melchor Ceralde Corpuz.
Rice Frittata
Stir-fry vegetable rice with pimped egg (frittata).
Ingredients:
· 1 - 2 green onions, as desired
· Olives, as desired
· 4 large eggs
· 1 pc. medium sized carrots, round thin slices,
· 2 large onions, quartered
· 3 cloves garlic crushed
· 1 pc. tomato, diced
· ¼ kilo cauliflower, chopped
· ¼ kilo broccoli, chopped
· 1 teaspoon salt
· Pepper to taste
· 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
· ¼ kilo beef, grounded
· 4 cups cooked rice
· Cheese, as desired
Preparation:
Wash and chop vegetables. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.
Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.
Add 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté beef with garlic, onions, and tomato. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart.
When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Garnish with olives and green onion. Serve hot.
Rice is one of the major staple foods of South Asia. It is an integral part of the Filipino diet. Food served without rice is typically not considered a meal by most Filipinos. We are glad that we can finally make rice. It means that we could already make a meal. Oh, we had the common hard-boiled egg pimped and pimped it by adding Spam with cheese and chili to complement the fusion of tastes.
Bacolod City is The City of Smiles. No wonder everyone was smiling when Mr. Ledesma got home. The usual pasalubong staple which is: Napoleones. We still do not have any idea what is the difference between a napoleones and a napoleon. But still napoleons are a popular french pastry made with puff pastry and a creamy filling, also known as mille feuille. 
What is a napoleon?
Traditionally, a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry (pâte feuilletée), alternating with two layers of pastry cream (crème pâtissière), but sometimes whipped cream, or jam are substituted. The top is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) stripes, and combed. Alternatively the top pastry layer may be dusted with confectioner's sugar, cocoa, or pulverized nuts (e.g. roasted almonds).
A box of 10 costs Php 130 and a box of 15 costs Php 195. You have to make early reservations or just be on the crack of dawn if you badly needed to get hold of these must-have pasalubong. Thank You Soo Much again, Mr. Ledesma. You made Ms. Mallo happy too. 
