Cooking 101 with Jen

I am not a kitchen person. Cooking nor baking is not really my passion but I know how to cook. I am from a family who loves to cook and bake pero ewan ko ba hindi ko yata namana yon sa kanila. But don't get me wrong guys even I don't cook often I know how to cook naman. I remember after I graduated college that I try to learned different recipes and while I'm cooking I'm holding cooking book with me or sometimes I will call my friends and ask them what menu can I cook on the available stuffs on our ref.  Sabi kasi ni Mommy baka daw ibalik ako ng magiging in laws ko if hindi ako marunong magluto ...hahaha

When I was in Philippines I never cook talaga, magaling at masarap magluto si Mommy at Daddy kaya hindi ako napressure na magluto para lang may makain. When I started to work here abroad lahat ng mga pinsan ko masasarap at magagaling magluto, maybe its one of the reason din kung bakit di ako nahilig or napilitang magluto, nakakapressure in a way na ang gagaling ng mga kasama mo sa house magluto then if you cooked tapos what if hindi masarap sayang lang yung ingredients di ba?

Hindi ko naging problema ang pagluluto even I am away with my parents especially kapag may work ako, mas magiging problema ko siguro kung maubos ang mga tinapay sa tinapay sa mga grocery stores. I don't have packed lunch with me since we have canteen in the office, yun nga lang nakakasawa din minsan its good thing I have office mates who shared their passion in cooking with us.

Since my brother lived with me here in Doha, one of my worries is paano sya papakainin hehehe I mean what to cook for him since I don't cook nga talaga. Thanks to my cousins, the B2 F12 family who loves to cook, bake and eat as well. Hindi rin sila nagpapacked lunch, bread lang ok na rin sila. Kung ako hindi nagluluto kasi hindi ko talaga hilig guess what mas lalo ang brother ko, and take note of his course. He graduated in HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) course pero hindi talaga sya nagluluto except sa specialty nya ang magprito. 

When we were in Philippines sa bahay namin hindi naguulit ng menu within the day, kung ulam na yan sa lunch for sure iba na yan sa dinner, pwede namang ulitin basta hindi on the same day. My brother and my Dad mas gusto nila my variety within the day. Kapag tumatawag ako kay Mommy one of his question lagi is about sa pagkain. At first, nung hindi pa nagwowork si brother ok lang kahit ano and anytime pwede naman syang magluto ng as usual fried pero nakakasawa din yon di ba.
Since I am at home na by 8:00 pm compare naman sa dating schedule ko na 10:30pm or sometimes 11pm pa nga, I have time to cook for him. Sabi ng konsensya ko "Ikaw ba yan Jen magluluto ka sure ka ba sa mga pinaggagagawa mo?" Well, let me try kung hindi maging ok then back to fried si dear brother.
This is the life of being OFW, ang bawat minuto at oras mahalaga, ewan ko nga ba kung bakit ang bilis ng oras dito kaya naman gabi pa lang magluluto na ako para sa baon ng kapatid ko kasi kung sa morning ko pa sya iluluto good luck naman sa 7:15 a.m na pick up time ng service ko. After kong maluto papalamigin ilalagay sa ref at sya na bahala magpainit the next day.
First menu I cooked for him is Adobo. This is the first recipe I've learned talaga nasa Pinas pa lang ako. And just the other day B2 F12 are requesting me to cook adobo again for them. Yes! it seems na masarap hehehe. That's one of my attitude, kapag ako ang nagluluto I asked someone para tikman kung ok na ang lasa.
Last night I tried my first ever Sweet & Sour Meatballs...
Its very easy and affordable ^__^ You want to know how? Well here it is.

For Meatballs:
Ingredients: minced beef, onion, pepper, egg, flour,salt
Mix the minced with diced onions, put pepper and salt to taste. Add 1 egg and a spoon of flour to stiffen the mixture and then form it into a small like ball. And deep it into a boiling pan of oil.

For Sauce:

Ingredients: vinegar, sugar, sweet chilli sauce (optional), carrots, bell pepper, ginger and pineapple (optional)

In your pan, put vinegar, sugar and water. Let it simmer for few minutes. Dissolve a half spoon of flour into tap water, make sure the flour (powder) is dissolve completely before you pour into your mixture (sauce+sugar and water). Put the sliced onions, and after a minute put the meatballs and let it simmer for 5 minutes. You can add sweet chilli sauce to attain color and taste more.

That's it...ang dali lang di ba? 

Ready nang pang baon....

O ayan Mommy marunong na akong magluto and I will try to improve pa through other recipes, siguro naman hindi na ako ibabalik ng in-laws ko este magiging in-laws pala.

Till next cooking blog!