KCC Challenge: Champorado

For those of you who haven't read my Chocolate Polvoron post, I suppose I'll need to give you a little explanation as to the title of this blog entry.

A few months ago, I stumbled upon the Kulinarya Cooking Club - hence, the "KCC".  It was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who were passionate about the Filipino culture and cuisine. Since then, the group has expanded outside of Australia, and now has members from all over the world (one of them being me). Each month KCC showcases a new dish along with our family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino food as we do.

This month, it was Jen (from Jen at Work), Maribel (from FoodGeek's Diary), and Tressa's turn to choose a theme/challenge. Here's the challenge they came up with for this month:

"What Filipino dish (savory or sweet) would you like to have on your birthday?"

This challenge was a bit of a no-brainer for me. I only had to narrow it down between 3 dishes; Chicken Adobo, Pancit Palabok, and Champorado. I already posted my Chicken Adobo recipe, so that narrowed it down to two. I didn't have all the ingredients for Pancit Palabok, an intensely flavored noodle dish with garlic, crab, fish sauce, shrimp, hard boiled egg, green onions, chicharon, calamansi (ha... just to name a few ingredients)... so that I'll save for another day. This worked out in my favor, since Champorado, Filipino chocolate rice pudding, was the most "Birthday-esque" anyways. (you know, since there's chocolate in it).. so Champorado it is!

If today were really my birthday, this would be my birthday breakfast. Champorado is Filipino chocolate rice pudding/porridge, made with glutinous, or "sticky" rice, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. It's eaten similarly to the way you eat oatmeal, with a little milk or cream (or even sweetened condensed milk) swirled on top.

Now, for my past roomates and family members, you either already know or have been subject to my slight obsession with Champorado. Usually, it comes in pre-measured packets, and all you have to do is add water and cook it until it's ready. So simple. So dangerous. I would sometimes find myself making a huge batch, and then would eventually have to force it on my friends and roommates so I didn't have to eat it all (not that I didn't want to... hehe). Every time my Lola came to the States to visit, I would beg her to pack a few packets of Champorado mix in her suitcase for me.

*I actually still have one packet (which I brought with me from the States) just in case I had the sudden "Champorado" craving. *

But, since I'm likely to not be able to find those lovely little Champorado packets anywhere here in Paris, I placed my "emergency" packet back in the cabinet (until I really need it) and learned to make it from scratch. I searched a few websites to get an idea of how to make it, and then adapted it to my own taste. Turns out, making Champorado from scratch makes for a much creamier, more chocolate-y and velvety texture... much richer than the pre-measured packets... I'm not hating on the packets though... I still love them! 

Champorado

1 cup glutinous or sweet rice
3 cups water
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

pinch of salt

Add rice and water to a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer until the rice is fully cooked, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Once the rice is fully cooked, add the cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla, pinch of salt, and stir to combine.

Serve hot or cold... with milk, cream, or sweetened condensed milk drizzled over top. Serves 4-6.



Kulinarya Cooking Club Members:

Kath – http://www.acupcakeortwo.com/
Trisha – http://sugarlace.com/
Trissa – http://trissalicious.com/
Olive – http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Caroline – http://whenadobometfeijoada.blogspot.com/
Ninette – http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/
Peach- http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea- http://www.busogsarap.com/
Asha – http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/
Malou – http://www.skiptomalou.net/
Cherrie – http://www.sweetcherriepie.com
Acdee – http://acdee.blogspot.com/
Valerie – http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/
Sheryl – http://crispywaffle.com/
Divina – http://www.sense-serendipity.com/
Anna – http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com/
Dahlia – http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/
Joy – http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/
Maribel – http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/
Tressa
Jen – http://www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com/
Pia – http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/
Malaka – http://thegrandinternational.com.
Mimi – http://lapinchecocinera.blogspot.com
Erika – http://ivoryhut.com/
Kat – http://twitter.com/alanokat
Lala – http://thislittlepiggywenttothemarket.blogspot.com/
Selfie – http://eats.sefiebee.com/
Connie Veneracion - http://homecookingrocks.com/
Oggi - http://oggi-icandothat.blogspot.com/
Katrina - http://lardonmyfrench.blogspot.com/
Rochelle - http://www.whydiss.blogspot.com/
Marica – http://cuppycreme.blogspot.com
Diona – http://titaflips.blogspot.com/
Rowena - http://saraplicious.blogspot.com
Theodore – http://chefbyday.wordpress.com/
Gianna – http://the-empty-fridge.blogspot.com/
Mireille – http://dirtyicecreaminyourlunchbox.blogspot.com/
Marishka – http://rishka.multiply.com/
Annapet – http://moonglowgardens.wordpress.com/
Boyet – http://reelandgrill.blogspot.com/
Adora – http://adorasbox.net
Yaz – http://whoatemytomato.wordpress.com
Marvin – http://www.eatmarvin.com

Chocolate Polvoron

This year, I am making it one of my top goals to cook more Filipino food. Being a half-Filipino/half-American raised in the States, the only Filipino dish I really know how to cook by heart is Chicken Adobo. Sorry, Momma. This March, my Mom is planning a big trip to the Philippines for the whole family, so I figured I should start learning a thing or two about my other half's culture. Besides learning how to count to ten in Tagalog (I know, I'm such a bad Filipina), I'm focusing my energy on learning a bit about Filipino cuisine.

A few months ago, I stumbled upon the Kulinarya Cooking Club. It was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who were passionate about the Filipino culture and cuisine. Since then, the group has expanded outside of Australia, and now has members from all over the world (one of them being me). Each month KCC showcases a new dish along with our family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino food as we do.

I'm a little late with December's KCC theme: Christmas Food Gifts. Whoops. I was so excited, because I knew exactly what I was planning to make. Polvoron, Filipino powdered milk candy. I even made them before Christmas, and put them in a box to harden in the freezer. But with all the hustle and bustle of work/holidays/parties/festivities, my blog froze a little bit as well. So this isn't technically my KCC post of the month, just another Filipino recipe to add to my repertoire.

I remember having boxes full of the little cellophane-wrapped polvoron in the freezer around Christmas time... which always seemed to disappear at the hands of my little brother. I didn't care too much for them when I was young, but as with many things I didn't like when I was a kid, I figured I'd test to see if polvoron made the switch. I was sure if I added cocoa powder to make them chocolate flavored, I wouldn't be disappointed.

Chocolate Polvoron

Adapted from Home Cooking Rocks!

1 cup flour
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cocoa powder
3 ounces melted butter
a pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan or skillet, toast the flour over medium-low heat. Stir continuously to avoid burning. When the color of the flour turns beige, turn off the heat. 

Cool the flour for 10 minutes then sift it, with the pinch of salt, into a large mixing bowl. Sift the sugar and powdered milk together in another mixing bowl. Combine all the sifted ingredients and stir well. Pour in the melted butter. Mix well to combine.

*Traditionally, polvoron are pressed with a "polvoron mold", which can be difficult to find outside of the Philippines. Since I didn't have a "polvoron mold" I used bite-sized brownie mold.

Fill the molds with the flour/powdered milk/sugar/cocoa mixture. Press the mixture firmly into the molds using the back of a spoon, your fingers, or anything flat (I used a ring mold press). Release the polvoron and stack them in an airtight freezer container.

*I found it easier to release them from the silicone mold if I chill them in the freezer for an hour or so beforehand.*

Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for a few hours or until firm. Yields 24.

Once they are chilled, you can wrap them in pieces of cellophane paper. I figured I would be a little "greener" and just eat them straight from the container...

Dark Chocolate Espresso Soufflés

If heaven were a dessert (I like to think that my heaven would be full of tasty treats), this would be it. Even Quentin, who doesn't usually like desserts or chocolate, goes into the kitchen to grab himself a spoon. For me, the crispy crackling top, gooey interior surrounded by an airy cake-like exterior and a crystal sugar crust make the soufflé one of the most texturally intriguing things I have ever put in my mouth. Every bite is different. Every bite is delicious.

I always thought that the intimidating soufflé was a little far out of my league. I haven't been cooking for that long, and I've heard horror stories of soufflés that never rose, ones that toppled over into a hot mess, and some that went plummeting once the oven door was opened. I wanted to really test my skills, so I gave it a shot.

I originally got the recipe from Cooking for Engineers, and the first time I made them, they came out perfectly, with their crisp tops rising above the fluffiness beneath. It wasn't so hard. Maybe I just got lucky. I tried the recipe again. Once more, they came out with their crowns held high. Then I started to experiment with the ingredients. I think that's how a lot of cooks, chefs, and food lovers come up with their own recipes. Test. Tweak. Re-test.

So here's how I came to mine. One day, I tried making them with whole milk (I was out of heavy cream) and cinnamon. I loved the lighter, more airy texture, but the cinnamon gave you too much of the "holiday" feeling, and I just wasn't feeling it. I tried it again, this time with the heavy cream, and a packet of Starbuck's Via instant coffee. It was good, but Starbuck's coffee sometimes leaves me with a burnt taste in the back of my mouth, and it did the same with the soufflés. I recently tested the recipe with instant espresso powder, fleur de sel, and fermented milk (not spoiled milk, actual, bought-from-the-store-fermented milk) just to see what it would do. Yeah, not doing that again. It wasn't horrible, but the fermented milk gave it a tang that was not what I wanted in my soufflé. 

I thought long and hard about what I liked and didn't like about each of my soufflé experiments. I loved the lightness of the soufflés that I made with the whole milk. The instant espresso really brought out the chocolate flavor in another batch I made, and the fleur de sel sprinkled on top were like little flavor bursts that enhanced all of the chocolatey flavors as the salt melted on your tongue. So here it is... my Ultimate Soufflé.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Soufflés

2oz (60ml) whole milk

8oz (230g) dark chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing ramekins

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

5 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup (70g) superfine sugar, plus extra for dusting ramekins

fleur de sel, to taste (you can find fleur de sel at many specialty food stores, such as Williams-Sonoma)

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit (190° Celsius). 

Grease the bottom and sides of four (4-inch wide by 2-inch deep) ramekins with butter and dust completely with sugar, being sure to knock off any excess. 

Separate the eggs into two bowls, one for the yolks, and one for the whites. Be sure to use the freshest eggs possible, as that will insure fluffy egg whites.

In a double boiler, or a large bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure bottom of the pot does not touch the water) melt together the butter, milk, chocolate, vanilla, and espresso powder. Remove the bowl from the heat just before the chocolate has completely melted, so as not to scorch the chocolate. Stir until all of the chocolate has melted and let cool for about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time and whisk to combine, making sure that all of the yolks are completely incorporated into the batter.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar together with a hand mixer. Once the egg whites start form soft peaks, add the 1/3 cup (70g) of sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks. *To test for peak stiffness, lift the beaters out of the egg whites and turn upwards, with the beaters facing the ceiling. For soft peaks, the tips of the egg whites will droop. For stiff peaks, the tips of the egg whites will stand pointed and firm.

Add 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and fold gently to combine. Once combined, continue with another 1/3 of the egg whites, again, folding in gently. Add the last 1/3 of the egg whites and without over mixing, fold into the batter.

Pour into ramekins and fill completely to the top. For a nice even top, fill the ramekins a little more than completely full, and use the flat edge of a spatula or back of a knife to even off the top (much like you would do when measuring flour).

Bake in the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes, being sure not to open the oven door until they are finished! Sprinkle the tops of the soufflés with fleur de sel, and serve immediately. Serves 4-8(two can share one).

*On a healthier note, yesterday was day one of my LifeGreens programme bien être (well-being program). Don't worry, I will still post some cakes and not-so healthy recipes here and there... but since I've moved away from the processed foods and cheeseburger-filled diet that was my life in the States, I've noticed quite a large shift in the way I'm eating. Living in a country where the overall eating mentality is not about counting calories or eating low-fat this or non-fat that, but about the quality and freshness of the food you eat; I have decided to mirror my efforts on eating well, and improving my overall well-being.

My friend Jules, CEO of LifeGreens, introduced me to his LifeGreens blé en herbe (wheat grass) supplements a few months ago. I noticed the wheat grass trend growing in the States, and it is seems to just now be breaking through here in France. In the States, I've watched people down unappetizing cups of freshly pressed wheat grass like a shot of grain alcohol, nose plugged, eyes closed. Yum. But with smoothie shops and juice bars popping up all over the place here, it's only a matter of time before wheat grass shots become a must-have on the menu.

I was apprehensive about trying Jules' supplements, but he explained to me how his product actually tastes better, and is easier to incorporate into my diet than the unappealing shot of green muck. LifeGreens supplements are winter wheat grass in powdered form, mixed with papaya enzyme, which aides in digestion and absorption by the body. I think the papaya also makes it a little more palatable. You can mix the LifeGreens blé en herbe with fruit juices, in recipes, or just in a glass of cold water. I could go on to explaining the details, but all the information is on the website, so you can check it out here. To all my non-French speaking readers, sorry! The site is completely in French, but Google Translate seems to work fairly well.

Day one (yesterday), I had it with a glass of water and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Not bad.

This morning, I mixed it in a glass of orange juice... much better.

I'm interested to see how the daily addition of LifeGreens along with healthy eating, exercise (hopefully), and meditation will improve my well-being. Check back to see how I'm doing!

Back in the Burbs, and Missing the 6th

I think I'm having 6eme withdrawals. For the past four weeks we were spoiled with chocolatiers, museums, and kick ass kitchen equipment stores at our footsteps. The 6eme(6th arrondissement) is notorious for tourists, and all the fancy things that tourists like to see and do. I know, I live here now, so I guess I'm not technically considered a tourist, but that doesn't mean I don't like looking at(and sometimes buying) 6 different kinds of macarons from Ladurée and 7 euro hot chocolate from Angelina.

 

How often do you have a Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier right down the street?

 

Now that Romain and Melanie are back from their conveniently long vacation, we're back in Bougival, the suburbs where Quentin's parents live. Being back here has helped me a lot, work-wise, as I'm not distracted by the distant calls of the boulangeries and patisseries. It's also helps me health-wise, because if I really want that pain aux chocolat, I have to walk a good ways to get it. The way back is mostly uphill, too.

So, I've been pretty good at not eating too much junk recently, but the other night I felt the urge... the urge to make something bad. I wanted something gooey and chocolatey. I was halfway done with my spec writing for the day, and wanted a little pick-me-up to get me through the last stretch of fabrics and sofas. I recently came across a recipe for "5 Minute Mug Cake" in which you actually microwave yourself a seemingly gooey and delicious chocolate cake. I didn't want to go through the entire process of making my dark chocolate espresso soufflés(I will post soon, I promise) which is what I really wanted, so I made do with the thought of making chocolate cake à la mug. The recipe calls for a few tablespoons each of flour, cocoa, milk, oil, and one egg. You're supposed to just mix it all and microwave it for 5 minutes and voilà... chocolate cake. But, oh no, it was so not chocolate cake. It was more like a chunk of car tire with a hint of chocolate. Seriously. Even letting it soak for 5 minutes in a glass of milk couldn't save it. It didn't even look pretty. I had to take a picture just to show you how nasty it was... (knife to symbolize my anger towards said "cake")

Gross. Never making that again. I hoped to compensate by making the chocolate soufflés which I know how to make, and know are delicious... but never got around to it. Luckily, Quentin's younger brother Gabriel made up for it by making me pain perdu(french toast to you 'mericans) with Nutella for dinner tonight. Okay, the Nutella was my idea... but it still hit the spot.