Humba Saturday (not Zumba!)

I want to make up for the lack of post in the past few months that I am putting up another post today!  Yayyy!  (I feel productive, haha!)

I've been craving for Pork Humba (also known as the Visayan Adobo) for quite some time now but haven't gotten around cooking it because I'm the only who is fond of it.  The reason why I liked Humba was actually because of the banana blossoms, haha!

But I just have to give in to this craving so I decided to cook it (for myself, Hun!  No sharing! LOL )

So my Saturday morning was spent searching for a Humba recipe.  There are a lot of recipes available online but what made me choose this particular one was because it has tausi (salted black beans, which I love) in it.   It also said it was an "Original Bisaya" Recipe.  I am assuming the author was from the Visayas region, one of the main island groups of Philippines located in the southern part of the country.  So that means he knows what he is talking about, haha!

I had Humba before cooked by our Ate G, who hails from the Southern part of Philippines and I loved (and miss) her Humba!  So I am sure this recipe is a winner!

It looks like a winner, right?!

Guess what, it does taste good too!  If I had it my way, I would like to add more sweetness to it BUT Hubby doesn't like it too sweet so . . . we met halfway (one of the things we have learned in our 9 years of marriage).  

And here's another "Guess what?!!!"

Hubby liked this Humba!!!  Hmph. .  . which means now I got to share! Haha

For the complete recipe, please click on this link.

My personal notes:

1. I did not use star anise because Hubby and I don't really like the taste of it (but the Humba still came out good!).  I am sure using star anise would add another layer of flavor for you.

2. I used brown sugar instead of white which is less sweet. 

3. I used only 3 tbsp of tausi because I was afraid the dish might be too salty.  It's better to underseason while cooking because you can adjust everything (saltiness, sweetness, thickness of the sauce, etc) at the tail end.

Hope you are having a great Saturday like me!

Happy Cooking!

******************************************************************************
Side kuwento: 

My Saturday morning looked like this . . .

Outdoor cooking!

We started cooking outdoors last week after seeing my friend and a cousin do this (two different people).  Funny thing is, they are both from Las Vegas (is this a Vegas thing?  Haha, just kidding!) But you know what, this makes sense.  If you want your home to smell good (no amoy kusina), this is a good thing to do.

So thank you M and Kuya N and M for inspiring me to cook outdoors! =)  

My Favorite Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

Hiyeeeee!!!!  I am so glad I am writing a blog post today!

I know, I know, I should be doing a better job managing my blog.  No, I think I should be doing a better job managing my time!

Anyway, life is still the same . . . except the kids seem to have grown up over the last few months and that I have more white hair now, haha!  It is true what they say, they grow up so fast!  You know, I miss them being babies (sniff, sniff). . . ahhh and that baby smell!  (As much as I miss these, I don't see a baby anymore in the future! Haha!)

And speaking of things being "fast", I would like to share with you a cake recipe which I tried the other day.  

It was supposed to be a gift for someone but since it was the first time I tried the recipe, I thought I should taste it first, heehee.  (So yes, you can say I owe her a cake!  Haha!)  

Do you know what I love about this recipe?

1. It is a sheet cake --- you just need a pan to bake it.  I always have disposable cake sheet pans (9" X 13") at home because that means no extra dishes to wash for me, haha!  Aaannnd sheet cakes are the best way to go for potlucks or gifts to family and friends.   

2. You just need a bowl and a wire whisk (yep, no need for an electric mixer!) for this recipe.

3. The recipe is easy, fast and tasty!  I love that it may look simple but is a good chocolate cake!

For the recipe, please click on this link to go to Add a Pinch's blog site.

For the original recipe, the author used chocolate buttercream frosting.  I used a chocolate icing recipe  (given to me by my friend, B) because this icing reminds me of a good old fashioned chocolate cake!  Oh and it's easy to make too, haha!

Trivia:  Ever wondered if there is a difference between a frosting and icing?  Here you go. . .

From www.dailymeal.com

The Williams-Sonoma cookbook Cake states that “icing is generally thinner and glossier,” while its counterpart frosting is “a thick, fluffy mixture, used to coat the outside of a cake.”


For the chocolate icing I used, you need the following:

1 can of condensed milk (14 oz)
1 can of all purpose cream (225 ml / 7.6 fl oz)
1/2 cup of cocoa powder (50 grams)
3 tbsp butter

Just mix everything in a double boiler and stir constantly until everything is well combined.  You would notice that the consistency is a little bit thin.  Let it rest for a few minutes because the icing will thicken up.

If you don't have a double boiler, it is okay (I don't)!  I just improvised for one.  This is exactly what I did ( pls. see photo below).  

Image from www.wikihow.com

Fill the pot with water (half full or less, depending on your pot---I just made sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl) and bring it to a boil.  If it does, adjust heat to make it simmer. Also, please make sure you use a heatproof bowl.


For more details about the double boiler method, please click here.

I hope you enjoy your cake!

Happy Baking and Have a great weekend!