Laing

Laing isa a popular taro leaves dish from Bicol, Philippines, a delicious viand that is so addicting. The good thing also for this dish is, it is very easy to cook.

Ingredients for 4-5 servings:
1/4 kilo pork
100 grams dried Taro leaves ( tuyong dahon ng gabi)
4 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon shrimp paste ( alamang)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
thumb size garlic
Salt and pepper to taaste

Fresh Taro Leaves

Dried Taro Leaves

Procedure:
1. In a pot pot the ginger, onion, garlic, pork, shrimp paste and 3 cups of coconut milk then bring to a boil while stirring constantly until it boils, simmer until the pork is tender, then add the dried taro leaves, then simmer over medium heat, and just simmer until its almost dry.

2. Add salt and pepper to taste then increase the heat and add the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk and allow to simmer until done.

3. Serve it hot with rice and you can add some chili flakes for a hotter taste, yummy!

Honey Ricotta Mousse with Cherry Balsamic Black Pepper Marinated Cherries

Our philosophy with food at Nan’s is to create ‘simple but elegant’ dishes.  The following is a great example:  we have taken a sophisticated dessert and made it very easy to make.  The intention is for you to make something magical for your loved one in very little time.

Please do not let the black pepper/balsamic vinegar/fruit combo scare you.  Believe it or not, it is a common dessert offering in Italy.  The next time you have some extra fresh strawberries, slice and place them in a bowl.  Drizzle with a small amount of a high quality aged balsamic vinegar like our Pastamoré Barrel-Aged Balsamic, grind some fresh pepper on the top and serve.  It is a delightful and surprising taste sensation – special, grown-up and not too sweet.

We used frozen cherries for this, but strawberries, raspberries or even blackberries would work just as well.  Pair with our other flavored balsamics, like our Pastamoré Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar or Pastamoré Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar.  Normally we are advocates of fresh ingredients, but as you know Valentine’s Day falls in winter, not summer, so frozen will do just fine.

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fresh ricotta  
• 1 tablespoon honey1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 1/2 cups whole frozen sweet cherries, thawed and halved
• 1 tablespoon Pastamoré Dark Sweet Cherry Balsamic Vinegar
• freshly ground black peppercorns
• fresh mint leaves (optional as garnish)

Place the ricotta, honey, and vanilla bean in the small bowl of a food processor and process/pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate minimum 1 hour to meld flavors.

Place the cherries in a small bowl with the balsamic vinegar and add a small amount of ground pepper.  Stir to combine.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

To serve, divide the cherry mixture between two glasses (we recommend martini glasses) or bowls and top with a scoop of ricotta mousse. Garnish with mint and a light dusting of black pepper, if desired.  Serves 2.

How to Cook Sunny Side up Egg

I needed to cook 30 pieces of sunny side up eggs for breakfast, hmmmmm  I hope I will cook it right, after cooking I've said to myself " this i not perfect" but then I said to myself again " It's okay, sometimes the sun is not always bright, it's covered with clouds" then I smiled and confident, I needed that smile to face my guests who will be arriving by a bus very soon.

To cook the egg, it is better to use a non-stick frying pan, if it's not available then ordinary frying pan is just fine.
Make sure that the oil or butter is hot before putting the egg.
Once the oil is hot sprinkle some salt in the oil ( just enough to give flavor to the egg) crack the egg into the pan.
Cook the egg over low heat, then remove the egg when it is already cooked the way you like it.

Serve it with a sunny smile :)