11 Tips to Improve Your Cooking Skills

Are you interested in improving your cooking skills? These cooking tips might come in handy:

Humba

Humba is a sweet pork dish that resembles the famous pork adobo in terms of appearance. This is popular in the southern parts of the Philippines and is considered as one of the delicacies of the region. Pork belly, pork hocks, and pork ham are the 3 most common pig parts used to make this delightful masterpiece.

This dish uses all the ingredients of pork adobo; however, certain ingredients such as brown sugar, salted black beans, and banana blossoms make this dish stand out. There are also other variations wherein pineapple juice is used (I learned this from my friends that came from Cebu, Davao, and Gensan) – this gives more life to the dish as far as I’m concerned.

Ube Halaya

Ube Halaya is a dessert made from boiled and grated purple yam which is locally known in the Philippines as “Ube”. Aside from Ube Halaya, different desserts and pastries such as ice cream, tarts, and cakes makes use of this root crop.

In this presentation, I used a ready-made boiled grated ube that I got from the Asian store. Having a prepared product such as this saves me time but I still prefer making this dessert from scratch using uncooked purple yam (If only there is any available). For those who are using uncooked purple yam – simply boil and mash them before proceeding with the steps below.

Beef Lugaw

Chicago winter is one of the coldest in the country. There are weeks wherein the average temperature ranges between 5 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit; there are also days where it falls below zero (not to mention the wind chill factor which makes it colder). During this season, a single cup of hot chocolate or coffee really helps in making oneself warm. Hot soups and porridge are also ideal for dinner.

Marinated Shrimp with Lemon Dill Sauce

Marinated Shrimp with Lemon Dill Sauce is an appetizer dish that makes use of peeled semi-cooked shrimps. The preparation of this dish is a bit similar to how we make our “kilawin” although some of the ingredients are not common in a typical Filipino pantry.

I tried this appetizer while having some wine and it was a good combination – in my opinion. The taste is a little bit sour with a hint of sweetness and you can feel the creamy texture brought about by the mayonnaise and sour cream. This will make a good appetizer during cocktail parties and gatherings.

Maybe it’s time for you to raise your palate to the next level; don’t you think?

Try this Marinated Shrimp with Lemon Dill Sauce recipe

Molo Soup

Molo Soup or Pancit Molo is a soup dish composed of a mixture of ground pork wrapped in wonton wrapper, shredded chicken meat, and shrimps. This dish resembles the Chinese wonton soup but the array of ingredients and flavor makes this dish stand out. After doing some research, I found out that this dish originated from a famous town in Iloilo, Philippines called “Molo” (yes, you guessed it right). But why call it Pancit (or Pansit) when there are no noodles in the dish? I too have the same question. Maybe our Ilonggo friends can help us out on this one.

I like my Molo soup topped with some minced green onions and lots of toasted garlic : I even put a teaspoon of fresh lemon or calamansi juice . This is one of the soups that I enjoy having during the cold months because it does not only make me feel warm ; it also brings out some childhood memories back home that are worth reminiscing.

This recipe is good for 20 people. We actually made this for a potluck party with our Filipino friends. Just use half or a quarter of the measurements depending on the number of people that you will share this with.

Try this Molo Soup recipe.

Pininyahang Manok

Pininyahang Manok literally translates to Chicken with pineapple. Chicken slices are marinated in pineapple juice then stewed with pineapple chunks. Aside from pineapples, secondary ingredients such as carrots, bell pepper, and milk make-up the dish.

There are some variations of this dish and the obvious difference is the use of fresh/evaporated milk over coconut milk or vice versa. I would say that both variations will yield good results though I used fresh milk in this recipe because that is the style that I grew-up eating and it never ceases to give me that nostalgic feeling.

Try this Pininyahang Manok recipe.

Paksiw na Pata

Paksiw na Pata is pork leg cooked in vinegar and soy sauce. Although the term “Paksiw” means cooking in vinegar and garlic, the soy sauce is added to bring additional flavor and color. This is a very simple dish that has a great resemblance to the ever popular Pork Adobo dish.

What I like about this dish other than its simplicity is the way the pork fat melts in my mouth. That is not an idiomatic expression, I really mean it. Imagine tenderizing the meat until it almost separates from the bone while the gelatin-like fat floats around the pan. When that very same fat reaches your mouth, it automatically melts having a texture similar to the filling of a bavarian donut. Just some precautions; this dish is not intended for those who have high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Try this succulent Filipino food recipe: Paksiw na Pata.

Crema de Fruta

Crema de Fruta is a Filipino dessert elaborately made-up of sponge cake, topped in succeeding layers of sweet syrup, custard, candied fruit (fruit cocktail), and gelatine. A mainstay during Noche Buena and the holidays, this dessert has always been a Filipino Favorite since time immemorial.

Preparing this dessert is quite complicated when compared to others but I can assure that your patience and hard-work will not go to waste. In my case, I started to record the video late in the evening (around 10 pm after arriving from work) and I am so thankful because my wife and kids helped out (or else it will take me forever:)). Also, it gave me a reason to wake-up early the next morning.

I’m sure that you will love this recipe.

Try this Filipino Dessert: Crema de Fruta.

Braised Vegetables

Braised Vegetables or wet-roasted vegetables is a vegan (vegetarian) dish composed basically of mushrooms, bamboo shoots,young corn, snow peas, and carrots. This is a perfect dish for health conscious individuals and people who are on a diet. A very low fat and low calorie recipe, having these types of dish regularly could help you stay healthy and lose weight fast if combined with enough excercise.

Try this delicious vegan recipe: Braised Vegetables.

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