Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving is still not over. Here's another dish I made for the meal. The ever famous "Green Bean Casserole" and might I add, this one is BADASS.

Everyone needs to eat their vegetables, so they say. Apparently, America is just so fat that it's been a big thing to eat healthier nowadays. What's the solution? Drench green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce and top it with fried onions! Michelle Obama can't say we're not eating our vegetables anymore. Ok, so maybe this won't make us all skinnier and fit into our favorite pair of jeans, but it's a baby step.

Just look at those blanched green beans. So, vibrantly green and healthy. Don't you just feel the pounds melting away just looking at it? Such a shame they have to be drenched in a rich and creamy, deliciously decadent, mushroom cream sauce. What a shame, what a shame.

I can't stress this enough. Make your own mushroom cream sauce, it will change your life. Throw away those cans of gelatinous soup in a can. You know, that thick globby mess they call "condensed soup". I don't know where you're from but that stuff just needs to go...in the trash. Why buy a canned soup when you can make one yourself that tastes a whole lot better with fresh ingredients? But if you must, go ahead and use that stuff but don't tell me I didn't warn you.

And those onions in a can. Is it really onions? I haven't had those fried onions in a can in many years after tasting one that was completely burnt. From that moment on, I haven't touched the stuff. Hopefully whatever company makes those stepped their game up. But everyone has onions on hand, and everyone has flour. Go ahead and make them from scratch too. Heck, don't make them if you don't want to. The green beans and mushroom cream sauce, alone, blew my mind away.

Flour those buttermilk soaked onions...

and fry...Seriously, whose counting calories anymore once you know you're going to drench green beans in a cream sauce? I know I'm not.

So, there's green beans, mushrooms and onions. Three vegetables in one?! This is definitely a health food. If I don't make America healthier, with this dish, I don't know what will!

AJ's Secret:

• If you find the mushroom cream sauce is not thick enough, take about 1 tbsp room temperature butter and 1 tbsp flour. Mix until homogenous and add it into the sauce. Mix until the butter and flour mixture is completely dissolved. This method disperses the flour evenly as the butter melts so that you don't have clumps. But, you must make sure you MIX or else a dumpling will form.

Green Bean Casserole 

Recipe by Me

Ingredients
Crispy Onions
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ to 2 cups flour
~ 2 tsp salt
~ 1/2 tsp pepper

Casserole 
2 lbs green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 lb button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 tbsp butter
5-6 tbsp flour
3 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken stock
¾ cup cream salt and pepper to taste

Directions 
Crispy Onions 
Prepare the crispy onions by soaking the onion slices in buttermilk for 5 minutes. While the onions are soaking, place the flour in a clean plastic bag, season with salt and pepper and shake to mix. Add a handful of onion slices (drained) to the plastic bag and shake until evenly coated. Place the coated onions on a baking sheet and repeat the process.
At this stage, there is the option of baking or frying the onions. If baking, spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the onions in an oven preheated to 450 degrees F for about 30 minutes until golden brown, tossing the onions a couple of times while cooking. If frying, heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees F and add in a handful of onions into the oil. Cook for a couple of minutes or until golden. Repeat with the remaining onion slices. I chose the latter. 

Prepare the beans 
Bring about 6 to 8 cups of water to a boil and season with about 1 tbsp of salt. Add in the prepared beans and blanch for about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until the beans are no longer hot. Set aside.

Prepare the mushroom cream sauce
In a large pot, melt the butter and add in the garlic. Cook on medium heat for about 1 minute until aromatic and proceed to add in the sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid and are fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add in the flour. Continue to cook the mixture for an additional minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly add in the chicken stock until combined. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and the flavors begin to marry. Lastly, add in the cream and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Final Assembly 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Add the blanched green beans and a small handful of the crispy onions to the mushroom cream sauce and stir to combine. Place into an oven safe dish and top with the remaining crispy onions. Bake for about 15 minutes until bubbly.

-Aaron John

Quick Pickled Red Onion

Onions. Red, white, yellow, sweet, and even shallots. Some people love 'em, some people hate 'em. Which one are you? I personally love onions. They give a little somethin' somethin' to foods. Just think about foods that need onions. Philly Cheesesteaks! Sausage w/ Peppers and Onions! Burgers! Tacos!

I think the main culprit as to why people dislike raw onions is not only the harsh flavor, but the aftertaste. I can totally understand that. Sometimes, it's even too much for me if a restaurant doesn't take care of removing some of it. But I have a solution and it's pickled onions! Sweet, tangy, crunchy, oniony but the harshness has magically disappeared!

Remember to vote for "AJ's Cooking Secrets" for "Best Food Blog" in Washington state! Thanks!

Just go to this link --> http://best.king5.com/aj-s-cooking-secrets/biz/652307

AJ's Secret: 

• The key to pickling, in my opinion, is to have your pickling liquid extremely warm to just before boiling when adding it to the desired vegetable, in this case onions. It slightly blanches and cooks the onion a little bit to remove more of the harsh flavor and penetrates the onion better yet at the same time, maintains the crispness of the onions. Just dissolving the sugar in the vinegar at room temperature, which would happen over time, and adding it to the onions will take much longer and doesn't take away much of the harshness
• What vinegar should I use? Well, different vinegars have different intensities. Some people say to not use white vinegar because it's too intense...but sometimes all you have on hand is white vinegar! Just remember, because vinegars vary, your sugar will vary! A rice vinegar will use much less sugar whereas white vinegar uses a lot. You're looking for a combo that is tangy and sweet at the same time.

Quick Pickled Red Onion

Recipe by Me

Ingredients

1 red onion, sliced

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Optional:

5-8 Peppercorns

Fresh Herbs such as thyme or rosemary

Red Pepper Flakes

1 Garlic clove, sliced

Directions

Remove the outer layers of the red onion to reveal the smooth and clean flesh. Slice the onion down the middle along the root, and then into strips about 1/8 inch thick (alternatively, rings can be made by cutting the onion, "onion ring style"). Place the cut onions into a bowl. Rinse the onions under cold water while separating the individual layers, about 3 times, to remove some of the harsh flavor of the onion. Drain any excess water and set aside the bowl of onion slices.

In a microwavable measuring cup, measure out the vinegar and add in the sugar. Microwave the mixture for about 1 minute or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add in any optional flavorings desired and mix thoroughly. Pour the warm liquid over the onions and mix. Allow to sit for at least 20-25 min. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last a couple of weeks.

-Aaron John

Southern Italian Ratatouille

Can it really be? Has AJ really posted something new?! I know, I know. It's been almost a century, or so it may seem, since I dusted off my old blog and actually put out a blog post. Well here's one to finally post about. I tell you, being a full time student, working part time and the endless amount of work I have to get done, it's almost becoming impossible to blog on a weekly basis as I have before. Though my blog post will become sparse over this school year, I'll do my best to post as often as I can.

First of all, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I hope it was full of the three F's, friends, family and food. My Thanksgiving was mellow and consisted of me cooking the whole meal! Most things I cooked, I blogged about once before such as Prime Rib and Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia, but this year, I added a new vegetable dish that embodies fall flavors, a Southern Italian Ratatouille by Michael Chiarello.

This dish is something really earthy. It's somewhat tangy from the tomatoes, the veggies still have a nice crispness to it and the flavor of thyme and basil run through the whole dish. Definitely delicious and worked wonderfully with the Thanksgiving meal. Just make sure you thoroughly brown the veggies. In the word of Anne Burrell "Brown food tastes good". Otherwise, you'll just have steamed vegetables, and we can all agree, that's just blehhhh.

Souther Italian Ratatouille

Recipe by Michael Chiarello

Ingredients
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fresh wild or domestic mushrooms
Gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 pound zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup thinly sliced leek, white part only
3/4 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, about 1/2 pounds
1 cup loosely packed baby spinach, sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, without moving them, until brown on 1 side, about 1 minute. Continue to saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and pour onto cookie sheet to cool. Set used pan aside.

 In a separate, clean skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic. Cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. In the pan where the mushrooms were, add 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add yellow squash. Cook until browned, about 1 to 2 minutes and drain onto same cookie sheet with mushrooms.

 Place peppers in hot pan where squash was cooking, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of thyme. When heated thoroughly, add peppers to waiting mushrooms and yellow squash. Add zucchini to the same pan, add remaining thyme, cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Pull both pans (onions and zucchini) off the heat, and add to cookie sheet with other vegetables.

 In the former zucchini/mushroom pan, cook leeks to soften, about 2 minutes. In the other, bring the tomatoes to a simmer. Season the leeks with salt and pepper, to taste, and add spinach. When spinach is wilted, add cooked leeks to cooling vegetables on cookie sheet. Add basil to the tomatoes, then add tomatoes to cookie sheet. Stir gently, and top with Parmesan and serve.

-Aaron John

Spinach Quiche

There are many misconceptions out there. One of them I always hear, and heard again this week, was "Seattleites Don't Carry Umbrellas". The funny thing about this is, those that actually say and believe in this phrase are always the people who walk into class looking like a lost, wet dog. I'm sorry, but that is not a very attractive look. For the record, I always carry an umbrella. They can say I'm not a "True Seattleite" all they want but I at least I stay drier and look better than them. ha.

This leads me to this post of Spinach Quiche. They say "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche" and I say, those people who believe in this saying are missing out. It's one thing to eat it and not like it and it's a totally different thing if you have never tasted the glory that is Spinach Quiche. The flaky crust, the soft eggy center, the tanginess from the cheese and the slight al-dente quality of the spinach and the onions all make for one great combination. If Spinach Quiche is not "manly" enough for you, there are bacon and cheddar quiches out there. You have to try it at least once in your life. 

Now the big question is, where the heck do all these sayings come from? When you think about them, they make no sense! They begin to govern our lives in a way that prevents us from doing what we want to do because we fear the judgements of others. I say forget these sayings, stop using them as an explanation to your current situation and just live your life! We only have one life to live, so live it the way YOU want. And hey, if you're a Seattleite that enjoys looking like a wet dog, have at it. Can I get an Amen?! ha.

Spinach Quiche

Recipe from The Faux Martha

Ingredients
Crust
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 to 4 tbsp. ice water

Filling
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 c. half and half
3 large eggs
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. grated cheddar
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1/2 large sweet onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

Directions

Prepare the crust by preheating the oven to 425°.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter into flour mixture. Combine with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (You can use a food processor for this step, however, cutting the butter in by hand lends for a flakier crust.)

Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with pastry fork until dough holds together without feeling wet or sticky. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disc, and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes. (Dough can be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.)

Roll out dough to fit the size of a round, removable bottom, tart pan. Add flour to surface to keep dough from sticking. Work quickly as the dough will get warm, making it harder to handle. Flash freeze (place in freezer for 5 min) if it gets too warm. Press the dough into the tart pan.

Roll the extra dough off with a rolling pin. Fix any holes in your dough. (I use a little water and extra dough to help mend the holes.)

Add pie weights or beans to crust and bake for 10-15 minutes. (You can skip this step and bake the crust and filling at once. I prefer to bake my tart shell first. That way I can ensure my crust will be cooked all the way through.)

Prepare the filling by sauteing diced onions in olive oil with a dash of salt until translucent.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in eggs and half and half. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour egg mixture into prepared crust.

Bake until filling is set, 20–25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

-Aaron John

Spinach Dip

So, it's St. Patrick's day; the day when everyone seems to post something that's green. Whether it be green drinks, green "Red Velvet Cupcakes" or topping everything with a green "somethin' somethin'" everyone seems to be doing it. Now, I'm all for things certain things being colored and I have to say I eat my fare share of Red Velvet Cupcakes, Lucky Charms and Captain Crunch Berries, but can we pick a color that is at least appetizing or choose to make something that is natural? 

I say this because I once had a bad experience with the color green. There used to be a time when Heinz Ketchup decided to make themselves colored ones, specifically green. Being about 8 years old, of course I thought it was cool and so did my brother. But let me tell you, once that blob of nastiness was placed on my plate, the "coolness" factor went straight out the window. I think the main problem isn't the color green itself. The problem is when something we become so familiar with in color and taste get changed in some way, it throws us off. 

For instance, Macarons come in a variety of colors indicating flavor. I'll eat the green one and I'll eat the blue one. Heck, I'll even eat the pink one while I'm at it but, it's the fact that these have always come in a variety of colors that it becomes normal to us. Now when we take a Red Velvet Cupcake which we all know and love and change the whole thing by adding green food coloring it's just unappetizing and well...."interesting".

So, can we just for St. Patrick's day make green food that is naturally/normally green? Like this Spinach Dip. I think it will save us in the long run. Plus, A LOT of drinking happens on St. Patrick's Day so why not have a little appetizer with your drink?

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Recipe by Alton Brown

Ingredients
1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
11/2 cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts
6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in rest of ingredients and serve hot.

-Aaron John

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting And A Giveaway!

So the past two days have been SNOW DAYS here in Seattle! That makes my Thanksgiving break extended by 2 days! Yay! Speaking of Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is here! Well, it's tomorrow but still...Thanksgiving is here!! I don't know about you but it has come just at the right time. I'm fully prepared to stuff my face with delicious food and be around family. I live for the holidays because it's one of the only times out of the year where the whole family gets together. There's just something about it that makes you all happy inside. Anywho, so it's Thanksgiving so it only seems logical to have a Thanks-giveaway! So if you haven't checked out CSN Stores after my multiple posts about CSN Stores, get to it!! Get coffee tables, a lamp, heck even get yourself a huge fountain! Whatever makes you happy. I'll talk about this later.

In honor of Thanksgiving, why not make something pumpkin related. This was my first time working with pumpkin and it was well...Interesting? ha. It was fun working with a new ingredient because I was able to increase my "Ingredient Use Count". You can read on for the end results of these cupcakes late on as well.

Now, back to what you've all been waiting for, the Thanks-Giveaway. CSN Stores is giving you the chance to win a $45 Gift Certificate for any of their online stores! I repeat, $45 Gift Certificate!! Here's how to enter:

You must be a follower of "AJ's Cooking Secrets" through the Google Friend Connect located on the left side bar of my blog to enter this giveaway. If you are not a follower, your entry and/or entries will not be counted.

You have THREE chances to enter!!

1. Leave a comment stating what you would like to buy from CSN Stores with the $45 Gift Certificate, along with your email.

2. Become a fan/liker of my Facebook Fan Page : AJ's Cooking Secrets and leave a comment below stating that you have become a fan/liker. If you are already a fan/liker of my FB Fan Page, leave a comment stating that you are.

3. Follow me on Twitter @aaronjohn04 and leave a comment below stating that you have become a follower. If you are already a follower of my twitter page, leave a comment stating that you are.

Important Guidelines:

-Must be a follower of this blog, "AJ's Cooking Secrets", through Google Friend Connect located on the left side bar for your entry/entries to count. Anyone who "enters" without being a follower of this blog will not be entered into the drawing.

-The Giveaway will last until Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. The winner will be drawn using Random.org. The winner will then be announced in a blog post, on my facebook page and emailed that they are the winner. From there, the winner will be contacted by CSN Stores where you will receive a Gift Certificate Code.

Tips
-It's a fairly straightforward recipe so don't over mix the batter and don't over bake your cupcakes. Stick a toothpick into the cupcake and if there's a tiny bit of crumbs that stick, it's ready to take out. Some people say to take them out when a toothpick is clean but you have to remember that the cupcakes will somewhat continue to cook because of the heat that is retained in the pan and the cupcake itself.

Results
Taste: The cupcake itself was very reminiscent of a carrot cake in terms of the flavor of the spices but with the slight flavor of pumpkin instead of carrots. I personally felt it was missing an a "lil' somethin' somethin'". The Maple Cream Cheese frosting didn't taste like Maple. Maybe because I used a tablespoon of maple syrup instead? But it was missing that Maple flavor. 

Texture: Definitely a moist cupcake because of the use of the pumpkin and the oil. The frosting was smooth and creamy.


Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (Makes 10 cupcakes)
Recipe by Ina Garten

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Maple Frosting (recipe follows)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Divide the batter among the prepared tins (I use a level 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

-Aaron John

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Project Food Blog: "Luxury Dinner Party"

Yo DJ, Spin That Track!

"Hey, have you heard that you made it to Round Three?"

"OMG! Are you serious?! You all chose me?!"

No words can express how grateful I am

I'm serious, ya'll are just like fam

How great it feels to make it through

*Teardrop* I think I need a tissue

I was debating whether to end the rhymes

But I'm just having a grand ol' time

So here's another rhyme just for you

Hopefully, you'll like this one too

In this competition, I feel like an underdog

Struggling to survive and glad that you all read my blog

To be honest, I was completely in shock

Now, I'm standing my ground and ready to rock!

Have a Luxury Dinner Party and make a post

You, yourself, will be the host

Create a menu and invite some guests

Sounds intimidating? Just do your best

Be comfortable with who you are as a cook

Don't cook a meal from the fanciest of books

Stay true to what you know

Your efforts will definitely show

Your guests will be impressed with what you serve

The compliments, you will surely deserve

All that matters is to have fun with those you care about

So, while you're in the kitchen, don't freak out

You took the time to create a fantastic meal

The memories you make will be unreal

Don't you love parties? The whole passing out invites, calling people and creating events on Facebook to spread the word gets exciting! There's just something about parties that bring back so many memories. Being with family and friends, eating all the food you can eat (buffet style) and of course, singing karaoke, a filipino staple event. When everyone is loud and you are able to hear laughter from everywhere in the house, you definitely know it's a fantastic party. Sometimes our Filipino parties last until 2 AM!! We do whatever it takes to have a great time! Us Filipinos do it big. ha.

For challenge #3 of this competition, I think Ina Garten said it best when hosting dinner parties, "Keep it simple". Who wants to be in the kitchen cooking during a party anyway? Just because a dinner menu is simple, it doesn't mean it can't be delicious. It can be just as delicious, or even more delicious, as the half-dollar sized food you get at fancy restaurants. As long as you have great food and great people around, memories are bound to be made. That's my definition of a "Luxury Dinner Party". There's no need to stress about having a dinner party. Have confidence in yourself and you'll do fine. Even if you burn the meal, you still get points for effort!

What did I plan for this special event? An "american comfort food" dinner with a twist. This twist being a little upscaling of the meal. Don't be worried when I say "upscaling". It's simple, really. You make a concept for a meal and you simply change the components of some of the dishes so it's not the same ol' dish anymore. For instance, instead of a salad dressed with maybe "Thousand Island Dressing", try a vinaigrette instead and even use a variety of lettuces. Mashed potatoes? Change it up and roast baby yukon gold potatoes. These little changes can change up the whole meal instantly and it makes you look even more gourmet than before, not to mention, it can even save you time. I also decided to keep with the "Filipino Tradition" and keep the main course Buffet Style!!

Pesto Crostini 

Make a pesto crostini the way you want it. Extra Pesto? Extra Garlic? It's up to you.

Mixed Green Salad
Tender, crisp lettuces, crisp and nutty almonds, tart and fruity cranberries, salty feta cheese dressed with a tangy yet sweet white balsamic dressing

I just noticed, with the crostini and salad  already eaten, it's kind of empty. ha. Oh well, we were full on the inside. lol

All American Pot Roast
A delicious, mouthwatering, piece of pot roast that has been cooked until fork tender. Cooked with carrots, celery, leeks and red wine. Served with roasted rosemary potatoes that are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside and simple roasted green asparagus 

Apple Crisp

An All-American Dessert For An All-American Dinner. Tender yet al dente apples that are cooked with cinnamon and nutmeg. Topped with a buttery sweet and crunchy streusel that is to die for.

Tips/Advice For Dinner Parties 

-Make something you can handle. Don't make something you've seen in a magazine and "decide" to make that day. Using guests as guinea pigs is not a great idea at all. 

-When creating a menu, start with the main course and work your way around it to create a theme.

-When prepping for the party, think of what you can do in advance. Whether it be chopping vegetables, making the dessert and whatnot. Luckily for me, my dishes didn't need that much prep work! YAY!!

-Making everything from scratch is not needed. Take all the help you can get and take short cuts along the way. For instance, pre-made salad mixes have really improved over the years. 

-If your friend/relative offers to bring a dish, let them. Why not? At every filipino at my house, there are at least 3 or 4 dishes brought by someone. The more food the merrier, I always say! ha.

-Most importantly, have fun! There's nothing worse than guests seeing you stressed out.

Don't forget to vote again from October 4 to 7. 

It's simple. Just go to my PFB Profile HERE during those dates. 

Thanks for the support! :)

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

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Carrot Cake

Raw carrots are difficult for me to eat. Cooked carrots are hard for me to eat. Cooked carrots that have their flavors hidden are easier for me to eat. Call me crazy but I'm not crazy for carrots. I cringe at the thought of eating a raw carrot. Even drenched in ranch dressing, I just can't eat it. BTW, a little fun fact. So I was watching the Dr. Oz show and carrots actually don't help your eyesight as much as everyone say they do. It's actually a myth!! Instead, dark green leafy vegetables help more!! Anyway, once the carrot's flavor is disguised with something flavorful, I eat them with ease. That's why Carrot Cake is so delicious to me. Its flavor is disguised with spices and it's just so darn good! I'd like to think that this cake is healthy. I mean, it's a cake that uses VEGETABLES!! How can it be bad? This has to be another semi-healthy dessert!! Carrots already have a natural sweetness so we're just enhancing it here with more sugar! :D

Now, I can't give away the recipe for this carrot cake. Sorry I'm not sharing again!! (I'll explain later in this post). I'm probably getting on your nerves for not posting recipes, huh? Well, I'll talk about it later. But today, yes today, July 22nd, is one of my best friend's birthday! Happy Birthday to Michael Appelgate!! Woot Woot!! Happy Birthday bro!! I met Michael my freshmen year of high school. I don't think we started talking until we were both on our high school swim team. Let me tell you, that swim team was a doozy!! Waking up at 5:00 AM everyday to go to swim practice for about 2 hrs, go to school for another 6 hrs, then having land practice for another hour, was TOUGH!! Not to mention smelling like chlorine the whole day. It was through joining this team that enabled me to make great friends on that swimming team and even though I didn't enjoy the practices so much, it was all worth it. So once again, Happy Birthday Michael!! Oh, it's also my cousin, Jeremiah's birthday as well. Happy Birthday to him too!! haha.

So, why am I not going to post the recipe for my carrot cake? Like I said before I want to own a cupcake shop. But, this recipe is a serious secret as well. It's kind of hard to explain. My family wasn't supposed to have this recipe. In fact, I don't think anyone was supposed to have this recipe. My mom got it from a co-worker who got it from another co-worker somehow and I had to "drag" the recipe out of my mom. My mom specifically said not to share it. So, there you go. I did find a recipe that is similar to the one I use so here's the similar recipe. (Betty Crocker's Carrot Cake) P.S. I need to work on my piping skills.....

Carrot Cake
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded carrots (5 medium)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 to 3 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of one 13x9-inch pan or two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the salt; beat on low speed 1 minute. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan(s).

Bake 13x9-inch pan 40 to 45 minutes, round pans 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rectangle in pan on cooling rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Frost 13x9-inch cake or fill and frost round layers with frosting. Store in refrigerator.


-Aaron John
My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure
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