February 2012
9 posts
14 tags
Japanese Sea Urchin Spaghetti - Uni Spaghetti...
It’s amazing what can be done when you have the right ingredients. This Japanese spaghetti recipe uses uni. Uni is the delicious roe of the sea urchin. To be precise, it’s the gonads of the male and female sea urchin. In any case, it’s really really good. Whenever I go to the sushi bar, I have to order some to satisfy my craving for this incredible delicacy.
In the sushi bars, uni...
17 tags
Hearty Ham and Potato Chowder Recipe - Cheap...
This rich and creamy ham and potato chowder is not only super easy to make, but also extremely economical. I have a hard time even calling this a recipe, it’s that easy. The best thing about this is that you can substitute the ham with seafood (clams, oysters, etc) or even leftover chicken and have yourself something totally different.
You will need:
⅛ cup butter
flour
1 cup each (onion, celery...
13 tags
Curry Carbonara Recipe Experiment - Test Kitchen...
This Curry Carbonara mixes the exotic spice of curry with creamy egg yolks in this really easy pasta recipe. A textbook Carbonara consists of 4 classic elements: egg yolks, cheese, bacon and black pepper. I am experimenting tonight with some Szechuan peppercorn, a Chinese ingredient that has a signature numbing sensation on the palate. I thought that the Szechuan peppercorn would be an...
13 tags
Handlebar Moustache Recipe - An Aimless Spoof
Mike Durkee from Durkee in Korea takes on my dare to get the handlebar moustache and makes this Aimless Cook spoof at the same time. Well done, Mike. You look like a killer badass!
14 tags
Tteokbokki Recipe - Korean Ricecakes in Savoury...
Tteokbokki is a delicious rice cake commonly served in a spicy chili sauce from street carts all over Korea. The traditional version is a Royal Court recipe that is prepared with a soy based sauce. My version is a delicious and savoury blend of shiro miso and spicy gochujang with the aromatics of sesame oil, balanced out with a little touch of honey. This has a little kick of spice, but nothing...
20 tags
Matcha Toast - Green Tea Toast Recipe
Valentines Day is coming and this Matcha Toast is definitely something you and your Valentine are sure to enjoy. Best of all, it’s elegant and easy to make. We combine the best of 3 great things in one recipe; the simplicity of French toast, the decadence of tres leches and the experience of cracking that caramelized sugar crust of a creme brulee. This is a triple threat that’s sure...
12 tags
Buddocks - Home Style Meat Buns Recipe
Buddocks are a home style meat bun made with a basic bread dough, stuffed with ground beef or pork, cabbage and onions. You can actually put whatever you got in them and experiment. I got this recipe from Jo’s family recipe book. If you know where the name ‘buddocks’ came from, please let me know.
The buns:
1T quick rise yeast
½ t salt
2 cups warm water
½ cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
½ cup...
Anonymous asked: Are you filipino or hawaiian?
17 tags
Hawaiian Garlic Chicken Recipe - Kratz808 Karaage
Garlic Chicken is another great Hawaiian favourite that’s super easy to make. In fact, we can look at this post as 2 recipes in one since we’re gonna be making a stop in Japan on the way. I love Hawaiian food because it’s a melting pot of cultures. You have your Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and American influences all mingling together with local island ingredients and flavours....
January 2012
17 posts
14 tags
Ono Mac Salad Recipe - Hawaiian Soul Food Pt. 2
Macaroni salad is a staple side to the Hawaiian mix plate. What makes it unique is the subtle Asian influence to this common salad. It’s delicious and there are many ways you can add your own creativity to it to make your own version. Here is mine.
6 oz macaroni
1.5 oz crab meat
1.5 oz salad shrimp
2t grated carrot
1t grated celery
1t minced onion
1c mayo (Best Foods…just...
10 tags
Kalua Pork Mix Plate - Hawaiian Soul Food Pt. 1
Kalua pork is a Hawaiian classic. Traditionally, a whole pig is cooked low and slow in an underground pit oven called an imu (in fact, the word ‘kalua’ is the cooking method I just described). Today, I will show you how to simulate the incredible taste and texture of this beautiful meat at home in your crock pot. To go with our Kalua pork, let’s make some mac salad and some...
Chinese New Year Hotpot Tips
Hotpot is usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year, but is a very popular way to have a nice, old fashioned get together with friends and family. The moment you see the incredible assortment of ingredients on the table and a steaming simmering pot of broth, you know you are in for an amazing experience.
It’s relatively simple to put together an amazing spread for you and your guests. If...
11 tags
Chinese Potstickers - Jiaozi Recipe
Gong Hei Fat Choy! It’s Chinese New Year 2012 and what better way to celebrate then by making more food! Chinese potstickers, or Jiaozi are symbolic of wealth and prosperity due to their shape (they resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots) and are enjoyed during this festive time. Let’s make some Jiaozi!
Filling:
1/2 cup cabbage, finely minced
1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
1 thumb...
Anonymous asked: Chinese dumpling - Jiaozi Recipe. Please post recipe ingredients and directions
Anonymous asked: Chinese dumpling - Jiaozi Recipe
Anonymous asked: Do you live in calgary?
13 tags
Filipino Sour Soup - Corned Beef Sinigang Recipe
Filipinos love their sinigang. It’s a very popular soup with a signature sour broth. If you’ve never had sinigang, you gotta try it. Most versions are made with seafood or pork. Today I have a beautiful corned beef brisket that I found at the market and I think the flavour of this meat goes quite well with the sourness of the broth. You’re in for a real treat today so get ready!
Start with a...
14 tags
A Signature Bite - Mochiyaki Recipe
When Zac Young challenged the Next Chefs to make their ‘signature’ cookie, I will admit that I was a little perplexed. Though the challenge did not have to be a cookie, we were encouraged to think outside the box and be original. I think that what I made says a lot about me as The Aimless Cook. It’s simple and straight forward, has fun with flavours and is very satisfying and comforting…...
10 tags
Sweet Potato Poutine Recipe - Canadian Favourites
Poutine is a French Canadian favourite that is enjoyed all over Canada. Traditionally, it’s comprised of French fries, cheese curds and a rich gravy, although there are many variations and toppings available today such as smoked meat, bbq, or pulled pork to name a few. Today, I am making my poutine with sweet potato fries and topping them with fresh goat cheese and a rich butter miso gravy. The...
13 tags
Next Chef Update: The Elevator Pitch
It’s a little sad that the Next Chef sessions are almost at the end, but at the same time, I am feeling a sense of excitement at what’s to come. This morning, we had our last mentoring hangout with Zac Young, pastry chef and finalist from Top Chef: Just Desserts. Though the message was short and sweet (no pun intended), it was clear that I came out of that session with a lot of...
9 tags
How to make Kimchi Fried Rice - Kimchi Bokkeumbap...
Kimchi Bokkeumbap is an easy fried rice using just a few ingredients, perfect for a Monday night. As you have probably already figured out, kimchi is one of my favorite go-to ingredients. Have fun in the kitchen and enjoy!
3/4 cup kimchi, chopped
2 slices bacon, cooked
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups leftover rice (cold)
2 eggs
sauce (combine in a small bowl):
1 teaspoon gochujang
1 dash...
13 tags
Filipino Style Spaghetti Recipe - Pinoy Spaghetti
Filipino spaghetti is a little different than the spaghetti that you’re probably used to. The sauce is a little sweeter and to make things interesting, someone went and added sliced hot dogs. Whatever the case may be, this style of spaghetti is a favorite among a lot of Filipinos everywhere. I hope you enjoy it!
Start by roughly chopping 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery and half a medium onion. Pop...
12 tags
The Shorty Awards - Vote for The Aimless Cook!
Thanks to my cooking buddy, Hilah Johnson from Hilah Cooking, I am now in the race for the Shorty Award for best food in social media. Awesome!
To vote for me, you can either follow the link to the Shorty Awards site or simply tweet your vote like the following:
“I nominate @TheAimlessCook for a Shorty Award in #food because…”
That’s it! Easy stuff. So get out there,...
10 tags
The Apocalyptic Cocktail - Thai Inspired Michelada...
2012 is here and with it comes the latest apocalyptic doomsday prophecies. Whether our doom comes via Hadron Collider mishap or zombie infestation, you can be sure that I have the perfect drink to ring in the end of time. Doomsday recipes. I like the sound of that.
Here’s a quick recipe for you that is based on a Mexican mixed beer cocktail called a Michelada. There are many variations of...
12 tags
Japanese New Year’s Soup - Ozoni recipe
Ozoni is a deliciously light and simple soup of chicken, vegetables and mochi that is eaten on New Year’s Day in Japan. Here in the West, Ozoni is a very welcome contrast from all the heavy fare I’ve indulged in over the holidays, so it will be a welcome addition to my table today. Because Ozoni is so easy and quick to make, it’s perfect for anytime with any ingredients you have on hand.
1L...
5 tags
Pizza Night - A Super-Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
Here’s a super easy recipe for pizza dough, so you can make pizza at home:
1T quick rise yeast
2T sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 t salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Dissolve yeast in sugar and water and wait til you start to see bubbles. Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix well. Turn onto a floured surface and knead til smooth and...
December 2011
10 posts
4 tags
6 tags
Merry Christmas! Quickly, before the year ends!
Man, do I ever feel like a bad father. Not to my kids, but to you guys in the Tumblrverse. If you already watch and follow The Aimless Cook on YouTube, then you’re pretty much up to speed and I am a shining example of what it takes to get things done in a timely manner. I think I feel a New Years resolution coming on.
My New Year’s resolution for 2012:
I will be more timely in...
8 tags
Hawaiian Butter Mochi Recipe
Hawaiian butter mochi is a popular bakery item in Hawaii and is very similar in taste and texture to Filipino cassava cake. It also happens to be really drop dead simple to make so it’s fun to play around with. I’m gonna show you a basic recipe for butter mochi. From there, you have a blank canvas from which to make your own culinary dessert masterpiece!
You will need:
1 box...
11 tags
Korean Style Chicken Strips - Test Kitchen Vlog
The spicy and sweet of this chicken strip recipe is a signature element to Korean cooking. I have tried Korean style fried chicken before and love the flavors of chili, honey and sesame. They play so well together and the consistency of the sauce is perfect for strips or wings. In my early cooking days in the sports pub kitchens, hot wings were an everyday thing. I should also add that sports pub...
9 tags
Filipino Dessert Lumpia - Turon Recipe
Turon is a popular Filipino street snack. It’s a fried lumpia, commonly made with bananas and jackfruit. Since we’ve made Lumpiang Shanghai before, you already have an idea of how to make them. The process is the same, all we’re doing is taking a sweet path instead of a savory one.
All you need for the Aimless recipe is some spring roll wrappers, ripe bananas, brown sugar and...
7 tags
Filipino Chicken Adobo - Adobong Manok Recipe
Chicken Adobo is probably the most popular Filipino dish out there. The simplicity of this dish makes it one of the most complex as well because of the many variations depending on the ingredients and the cook. In the basic recipe, we used a simple trio of water, soy sauce and vinegar, seasoning with some crushed peppercorns and bay leaf. In this updated version, we are substituting the water with...
15 tags
Asian Styled Soup 101 - Test Kitchen Vlogging
Nokorimono Soba is something I made while I was rooting through the cupboard for something to eat for dinner one night. There are many occasions where you find yourself in this predicament, piecing together a meal from leftovers and staples you have on hand. I figured this was as good an opportunity as any to document my process when cooking an improv meal. The test kitchen vlog is the result of...
16 tags
An Evening at Bolero - Brazilian Steakhouse
Imagine if you will a place where you can get an endless supply of succulent, mouthwatering meat, slow roasted over hot glowing coals to juicy perfection. Prime rib, pork tenderloin, chicken legs, even pineapple, lovingly prepared and brought to your table. As long as you got the “green light” on, the passadores (meat waiters) with the giant skewers full of meat keep on coming til you...
9 tags
Next Chef Update: Full-time Aspirations & Party...
I’ve had an interesting and hectic week. The 3rd session of YouTube Next Chef was educational as I’ve come to expect and the hour and a half seems to fly by. Our mentor was Rob Nixon from the YouTube cooking show, “Nicko’s Kitchen”. He currently has Australia’s most popular cooking channel with over 100,000 subscribers watching his videos 3 times a week....
11 tags
Party Food Pt 2 - Kinalaw Inspired Salmon Cups
Last week, I asked what your favorite party food was. This week, I am taking the most popular request, or in this case, a challenge from Jason Telmo of NoyTube Stars. Jason wanted me to make a party food using raw salmon or tuna in a fresh new presentation. Well, to honor you, Jason, and the beautiful Philippines, I am making this fresh salmon with a little Pinoy inspiration. These colorful and...
November 2011
9 posts
7 tags
What's your favorite party dish? - Request time!
It’s viewer request time and my question for you today is:
What is your favorite party food?
Watch the video below and let me know in the comments what your favorite holiday dish is. It can be a classic, or it can be a twist on a classic, or whatever your heart desires. Just let me know because the most popular request or comment with the most ‘thumbs up’ will be featured on a...
Notions & Notations of a Novice Cook: Making... →
peegaw:
I know I ought to be posting up ways to revamp Thanksgiving leftovers right about now but since I don’t celebrate it (thus having no pieces of turkey or a boatful of cranberry sauce to experiment with), I figured a recipe for a gingery drink might not be too bad around this time of year. I…
9 tags
Japanese Salmon and Rice with Green Tea - Ochazuke...
Ochazuke is a Japanese snack with salmon, rice and green tea. This is a really quick snack if you happen to have leftover rice and a little salmon. This works with canned salmon too. In the grocery store, you can get instant ochazuke in little packets that come in different flavours. In this recipe, I will be making my ochazuke with a grilled onigiri but you can use plain rice if you are pressed...
17 tags
A Japanese Inspired Thanksgiving
In this post, I want to share a Japanese inspired Thanksgiving. When the challenge of a unique and original take on the Thanksgiving feast came knocking on my door, I had to answer the call. It was too good to pass up. It had to incorporate the traditional flavours of the holidays and embrace the same kind of satisfaction one feels while enjoying a meal like this.
So I started by thinking about...
11 tags
Next Chef Update: The Thanksgiving Week
So week 2 has been very busy for me. I came away from the second session feeling a little more educated in the ways of new media creation and the serious business of producing and promoting an online cooking show. The more I learn about this, the more I am wanting to go back, tweak some detail or another in my past productions or just completely redo them. I have been thinking for some time about...
11 tags
Next Chef Update: Week 1
Today, we wrapped up the 2nd session of the Next Chef Google+ hangouts. Our mentor was Lee Allison of socialskillet.com. Lee talked about the role of social media in building an audience for our respective cooking shows. We also had B&H Photo talk to us about tips on lighting our food shots and using the Canon EOS 60D’s that Google was so generous to give us. All in all, the hangouts are...
16 tags
I am a YouTube Next Chef!
I am pleased to announce that I have been chosen as one of the 16 lucky participants in YouTube’s Next Chef program! It has been a very exciting and busy couple of days as I have been getting to know the other channels that have been chosen. I am really hoping that this is the beginning of something big and as long as I keep working hard, it will. I just want to thank everyone that has...
Japanese Inspired Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is a dish that is the standard fare in any hotel brunch. It can also be done very badly. Overcooked eggs, rubbery English muffin and cold ham can make you dislike them in a hurry. On the other hand, you make it at home with fresh ingredients and serve it up immediately after you plate it up, you have yourself something truly sublime that transcends decadence with a silky Hollandaise...
20 tags
Your Questions
I love getting messages and emails from viewers of the show. Your encouragement and enthusiasm are the reason I love what I do. Thank you so much for your continued support. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to answer some of the questions you have been sending me over the past couple months.
1. Where did you learn how to cook?
I first learned to cook by boiling hot dogs. It was...
October 2011
2 posts
22 tags
Nam Prik Ong
Nam Prik Ong is a spicy Thai ground pork dip served with pork rinds and fresh vegetables. The textures and contrasts going on here are intense for such an unassuming dish. It’s an incredibly refreshing and tasty starter or snack that you can make at home fairly easily. The flavour is complex with the classic Thai flavour combinations that I have come to love. Let’s get started!
1...
Chicken Sotanghon
Mung bean noodles have a unique texture and delightful tooth that makes them the perfect addition to many types of Asian cuisine, including the one I am showing you today. This Filipino version of chicken noodle soup is called Chicken Sotanghon, or simply sotanghon. It’s a comforting and hearty mix of chewy noodle, meaty roasted chicken, earthy shiitake mushrooms and fresh vegetables. Of...
September 2011
4 posts
24 tags
Recipe Video: Bunny Chow
Last week, I wrote a post about the famous Durban dish, Bunny Chow. Today I will share with you a recipe for the curry I prepared for the cooking video. It is similar to the ingredients that I used in the wild buffalo version of the dish I did in test kitchen, but this time around, I am using some leftover rotisserie chicken to save time. The results are a solid, hearty curry with a fragrant...
15 tags
Test Kitchen: Bunny Chow
At first glance, this may look like a ghetto attempt at the familiar soup or chili in a bread bowl, but in fact, this is my first attempt at creating a popular Durban street food called Bunny Chow. There are many stories behind the origins of this interesting dish, one of them being that during apartheid, certain racial groups were prohibited from going to certain restaurants, hence a way of...
24 tags
Thai Style Chicken Salad
This past weekend, I made this incredibly easy and super flavourful Thai style salad based on the taste of Laab Gai. You can also say ‘larb’ if you wanna be specific. It’s a lot like a Lao style meat salad you typically see in that region of Southeast Asia but everyone has their own take on this great dish. Let’s see what we need:
1 lb ground chicken
1T ginger,...