My son Diego recently turned 13. To celebrate, I called on the services of French Baker to feed an army of teens. I ordered known favorites of the young, as well as their young-at-heart parents.

On the menu was Angus burger grilled on the spot on soft, buttery brioche buns. It must have been real good for my son to remark the following morning: “I dreamt about the burger, mom! It was tasty, beefy and juicy!”

The burger was simple and straightforward—just good beef on well-made bread. The hotdogs were delectable as well.

French Baker’s brioche burger and hotdog buns keep well in the fridge.

Hotdog

To make a sandwich, make a slit through the hotdog bun but without cutting it in two. Brush lightly with oil the inside and the sides of the bun.

Pan grill the bun, approximately 20 seconds per side, until lightly golden.

Add the hotdog with the dressing of your choice. Do the same with the burger buns.

Of course, there’s no teen party without spaghetti. The bolognese gave my taste buds great delight. Its flavor was deep and well developed, the kind that could be achieved only by slow cooking, over low heat.

Another crowd pleaser were the large slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza, served hot with stringy cheese. Diego and his football mates (all fresh from training) devoured the flatbreads.

For dessert there were s’mores with warm, gooey chocolate, Nutella centers and perfectly charred mallows. On the dessert table, French Baker displayed its pretty macaron tree.

Instead of one large fancy gâteau, I opted for several small ones to please as many palates as I could. Since Diego was marking a milestone, I chose Strawberry Shortcake from Lartizan.

Juda Liu of Costa Brava recommended Pandan and Ube cakes for adults; Rainbow and Chocolate with M&M cakes for the teen boys.

Later, for dinner, I prepared sizzling bulalo steak.

I am sharing this delicious recipe as thanksgiving for the best 13 years of my life. Cook this dish for the people you love, as I did. To my dearest Diego, happiest birthday!

Sizzling Bulalo Steak
1 whole beef bulalo bone, approximately 8 kg, cut into 3
2 large onions, quartered
2 large carrots, cut into 4
1 large celery stalk, cut into 3-inch length
½ radish, cut into 2
1 leek, cut into 3-inch length
Handful garlic, whole, peeled
1 c red wine or sherry
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp whole peppercorn
Water to cover

Procedure:
Tie meat with twine to secure meat to the bone. Preheat oven to 375°C.

Put onions, carrots, celery, radish, garlic, leek in baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast vegetables for 20-30 minutes.

Put bulalo in a large pot. Add vegetables to the pot. Add wine, peppercorn, salt. Add enough water to submerge the meat.

Bring to a boil.

Simmer over low heat until meat is fork tender but not falling apart.

Skim off fat from the stock.

Reserve stock.

Transfer bulalo to a baking dish and add 2 cups stock.

Brush bulalo with vegetable oil. Broil in the oven until golden.
Heat a cast iron griddle until very hot.

Transfer beef and cut off twine.

Ladle gravy over bulalo. Add mushrooms. Garnish with fried garlic and chopped parsley.

Serve with buttered vegetables and mashed potatoes.

To make gravy
6 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
6 c beef stock
3 tbsp mushroom powder (dried shiitake mushrooms processed in a blender)
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter.
Add flour, keep whisking until brown. (If you want a thicker gravy, add 2 tbsp butter.)
Add stock. Add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk until thick.
Season to taste.

Mushrooms
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp garlic, pounded
3 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp sherry or red wine
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 c beef stock
1 tbsp pepper, to taste
2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
½ kg fresh small button mushrooms
1 pack brown shimeji mushrooms
150 g shiitake mushrooms
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Put olive oil in a pan. Brown garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients except the mushrooms.

Simmer until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Add mushrooms.

Season to taste.
French Baker and Lartizan’s Strawberry Shortcake, call 09175422965.
Costa Brava Cakes,
call 8966872.