Eat Matters

Blogging, Coup d'etats and Street Food

My food blogging sked has been waylaid by the interesting  political drama in the Philippine theater last weekend. I was ready to  do some writing when  I stumbled on the breaking news  section of the on-line INQ7  that  Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had declared a state of emergency. My  initial reaction was: "Oh, no, not again". I immediately texted my friends in the Philippines with: "de ja vu. 9/21/72". One replied that it was just an SOE declaration and not the Martial Law all over again. I texted back with " same dog different collar" and followed it up with: "Hope GMA's left hand knows what her right is doing". I was right in most respects but I leave that to the legalists and the pundits  to expound.

So with the flow of events, I  tuned in to DZRH on-line and hopped from one opinion blog to the other in between clicks on the cyber broadsheets to get bits of commentary and pieces of the action. Two of the blogs that I frequented were Sassy's  and Manolo's .

From my vantage point  across  thousands of miles from the troubled isles, I could only imagine probable scenes based on the commentaries and running accounts from  the various sources.

Now, on hindsight, I am amused of the mental collage I have assembled. Among the crowds, soldiers and mean machines, I have not excluded  images of the little faceless people who could be happier that day selling mani,sigarilyo,bananaQ, fishballs, Stork, balut, soft drinks in plastic supot,bottled and ice water and what have you for the consumption of  the hungry rallyistas  and  ever loyal mirons.

I will stop short of saying that those nameless ambulant vendors made a killing that day. Their happiness, though short-lived, was triggered by a higher than usual take that promises a possibility of eating three full meals at least, for the morrow. Thanks to the pretenders, grabbers and powers that be and their vicious game of expensive Chess. I wouldn't be surprised if the lowly and hungry vendors wish for a coup and a rally every day. This is the only way unknowing  pawns can survive in a famished arena.

Long live the Queen. Ehem.

Consider this as my food blog for the day.

Lasang Pinoy7: Almusal

This post is an offshoot of Stef's  second invite to join Lasang Pinoy. The first invite was last December when I was still  clumsily finding my bearings in the world of food blogging. It's just  been  over two months since I debuted as a blogger. There is still a  vast terrain to explore and interesting discoveries to stumble on. Anyhow, as a blogging newbie, it is certainly a boost to my fledgling blogger's ego to be invited to join Lasang Pinoy7. Here then is my contribution.

                   

What  can one really whip up on a Sunday when the the winter temperature is traipsing on the extremes? It is  -32C with a  windchill that feels like its 10 degrees  colder. Certainly one thinks, nay, dreams it's a sunrise summer  at the home country where the ocean is a shimmering blue. One can even hear a cock crow. Really, the worn out sofa cushions like Boracay sand.

With the tummy grumbling, you grudgingly accept life's freezing fate. Just the same, you still want  a piece of home. So you rush to the fridge's crisper  where  the precious contraband  of dwindling dried sea bounty from Estancia , Iloilo are stashed. The balingon uga(dilis) and the tiny dried lukos(pusit) catches the fancy of your eye. Suddenly the temperature rises in the kitchen as  the quintessential seaside breakfast is churned. You boil the chicken eggs as the  tomatoes are sliced for the itlog ensalada. Simple.You hear yourself whistle.Then another burner gets going, heating  the garlic oil on the well seasoned wok ready for the day-old cold rice.That,a pinch or so of salt, and some cool stir-fry moves gets the calo-calo (fried rice)drizzled with lots of fried garlic going.

The final act, but of course, is to fry the divinely pungent salty dried creatures of the ocean. But first you need an ancient ritual --a heartfelt prayer pleading your neighbors won't wake up thinking  their super efficient sewage system had leaked.  Second, the windows needs to be opened, the electric fan--brrrrrr-and  the exhaust fan set to nuts.Well, unless you want to wear fish perfume on your shirt on Monday morning. Third, doors need to be locked so no wandering neighbor can come in and see you light about half a dozen esperma (long candles) to contain the smell of your mummified delicacy. They might think you're an occult fanatic.

When all these are done, you retire to the table with a secret version of  sawsawan and begin to nip, dip and tuck  to your anxious mouth the dried fish of your labor. Kinamot style.
                                                       
                                           

 

 

A Salad and Pasta Lunch

We stayed overnight in the City of Regina, Saskatchewan last weekend for some sightseeing. The next morning, after a tour of the Art Museum, we spent most of the day  at the Saskatchewan Science Center complex were our daughter enjoyed the interactive games, the Cryogenics and Cotton Candy Making "lectures" for kids. Lunch time  gave us  a chance to eat at Zest-- a bright and casually elegant restaurant helmed by Chef Rob Fuller tucked in the sunny corner of the center.

Pressed for time for more science activities, we were not able, unfortunately, to pore over the menu. Wanting something light, I ordered  the Barbecued Pear with Pancetta, Gorgonzola and Spinach Salad  and a 5oz. glass of red wine. My wife tried their Penne Pasta with Roasted Tomato  and Basil.  Our four  year old took the usual kiddie meal of Chicken Fingers and Fries.

 

The salad was a  crunchy affair that did not disappoint at all. Initially, I  tasted the grilled pear, pancetta, and the fresh greens individually. This allowed me to savor each ingredient  and experience the different levels of crunchiness, exclusive flavors, textures and hidden hints that each component had to offer. Then on to the real ritual.  I proceeded to enjoy my meal as a whole creation where the slightly caramelized sweet tartness of the pear played anchor  in the interplay of saltiness provided by the pancetta and the Gorgonzola as they wrapped their flavors in the olive oil- drizzled nuttiness of the spinach.

                   

The pasta dish was light as should be the case with only a hint of strong  robust flavor courtesy of the roasted tomatoes. The basil provided the burst of freshness defining the flavor of the dish.

If there is anything special about the  two dishes,  it is the absence of the fanciful  and capricious use of ingredients. No shock and awe values were imposed on the eye and the palate which most  eager-to-please chefs are guilty of these days.  It was just a judicious(judelicious?) interpretation of a dish; a matter of letting the flavors come out of their own  with the use of the freshest of ingredients. Just that to make a notable meal.

The well-trained staff dutifully offered us the dessert menu. Too bad we had to go. Next time, perhaps.

                                        Zest Restaurant & Catering
                                        2903 Powerhouse Drive
                                        Regina, SK       S4N OA1
                                        Phone: (306)352-3034

 

 

 

 

A Foodie's Valentine Poem

                                                       

                    The Peasant Declares His Love
                                             by Emile Roumer


            High-yellow of my heart, with breasts like tangerines,
            you taste better to me than eggplant stuff with crab,
            you are the tripe of my pepper-pot,
            the dumpling  in my peas, my tea of aromatic herbs.
            You are the corned beef whose customhouse is my heart,
            my mush with syrup that trickles down the throat.
            You are a steaming dish, mushrooms cooked with rice,
            crisp potato fries, and little fish fried brown. . .
            My hankering for love follows you wherever you go.
            Your bottom is a basket full of fruits and meat.

                                              

   -Translated from the French by John Peale Bishop,c.1930
                                                         ( from Mark Kurlansky's  "Choice Cuts"
                                                             Ballantine Books  )   
                                                            
               

                                                       
                                                                     

Cupid's Cupcake

    

Ah, the priceless rewards of being a father.

When we arrived from school today, my daughter asked me to close my eyes because she had a surprise for me. It turned out to be a small chocolate cupcake covered in pink icing with a red jelly bean lusciously sitting on top.She was supposed eat it at school for their Valentine party but  decided to wrap it with paper napkin and reserve it for me.

It was not the best tasting choco cupcake but it was a most heartwarming thoughtful  pre-Valentine treat for me.

Now,that's what you call  L-O-V-E.

Tasting Szechuan

Last Friday we  were invited to eat  at the two-month old Chewan Restaurant in Idylwyld Drive, Saskatoon. The restos menu anchors on the cuisine of Central and Western China.

We were ushered  to our table by a smiling and very professional server who immediately  made us feel at ease.This gave a positive impression about the place and the quality of dining  experience  we were suppose to get. The level of service is  the first thing  I focus on  when  when stepping  in a  restaurant. The server was a natural and hopefully the owners realize her worth in their venture. She easily connected, made small talk, traded jokes, was helpful in making menu suggestions and accommodated  a request  to tame the spiciness in our orders even if I have a hunch that this will be an uncomfortable compromise for the chef. I have observed how chefs react to even a modest request to adjust a dish. Most chefs being artisans of the kitchen are  very defined about the flavors they put in a dish. What they serve is not just food but a carefully crafted creation, an expression revealing  a personal or ethnic culinary philosophy.

Okay, back to the  food.

According to the book The Food of China edited by Kay Halsey and Lulu Grimes:

The cooking of China's central and and western heartland is dominated by by the spice of Sichuan, whose fertile plains are fed by the Yangtze  River and its tributaries. It is famous for its hot cuisine and the sheer variety of its cooking-styles, summed up in  the phrase "one hundred dishes and one hundred flavors".
(14)

It is interesting to note that the dominant spicy flavors of Sichuan cuisine came from foreign shores. The book explains that :

Chiles are not indigenous to China, and in fact came to Asia  from South America with the Portugese. It was therefore probably Buddhist traders and missionaries from the West who brought Indian spices and cooking techniques into Sichuan, and also left the legacy of an imaginative Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.(14)

It also  describes the distinct  flavors of of the cuisine:

Sichuan pepper is the dominant spice in many dishes. Not related to Western black and white  pepper, it is hot and pungent, leaving a numb sensation in the mouth. The use of  chile peppers and ginger adds additional layers of heat. Red(chile)oil, sesame oil, various bean pastes and vinegars are common, as are nuts and sesame seeds in dishes like bang bang chicken. These flavors are uniquely Sichuan, and quite different from those in the rest of China.(14)

Here are some  pictures of the  Sichaun food we enjoyed. I promised myself to return and try the dishes cooked as is.Just for the love of spice.

                        

A  flavorful vegetarian dish .Crunchy to the bite but moist inside, the string beans are cooked twice. The  beans are initially  fried  to tenderness and quickly stir-fried again in  a super hot wok with the seasoning and spices. Ground pork or beef can be added.

                               

One of the most popular snacks in Northern China is crisp scallion pancakes eaten straight from the hot oil. Some restaurants also make bid, thick pancakes that they cut into wedges and serve as an accompaniment to a meal. (The Food of China, 45)

                               

Crunchy and spicy. The pork is cut into small pieces, coated in batter and deep fried with lots  dried chili peppers.

                               

 This beef dish is served on a sizzling plate with white onions and black bean sauce.

 
  

 

                   

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Superbowl Essentials

So the Steelers won.  I really don't care. American Football is just not my kind of game. I don't know the players or the stats and the incidental intricacies of the sport. If there is anything in  this big  time  event that interests me its the well endowed cheerleaders doing their mass seduction thing. The girls I would rather watch than the mean brawny muscles  fighting for possession of a ball.Cmon guys, you know the subliminal innuendos of sports events. Since this is a food blog I would leave it to you to say it out loud.

But just the same last Sunday, I made the Superbowl as an excuse to whip up  my fave North American pulutan.  Buffalo Wings . Yup, those  appendages of your favorite bird, fried and lathered in  a super hot and spicy sauce that keeps  you happily reaching for more ice cold  Budweiser. If Sisig  and San Miguel Beer  are to basketball crazy Pinoys, its Buffalo Wings and Budweiser  for the rabid American Football fans.

In keeping up  with the spirit of this North American game, I rushed to the store and got 11/2 kilos of chicken wings and immersed them in a brine solution for a couple of hours.

In the meantime, I made the hot sauce by heating up a saucepan and on it melted some butter and poured about 3/4 of a bottle of  Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce and stirred the  the two ingredients until they were thoroughly incorporated. I then  drained the chicken wings well and deep fried them in batches. I poured the prepared  hot sauce over the deep fried wings while they were still hot  to maximize absorption.

More beer please. My tongue's on fire.

Mini Pakoras

Pakoras are deep fried  Asian Indian  fritters. The batter is made with gram flour or chick pea flour mixed with  a combination of spices and  ingredients like onions, potatoes and spinach. Chicken meat can be added for a non-vegetarian preparation.

Today I made a  different variation of Pakoras as result of a mistake I made last week.

I wanted to include  East Indian finger food in my Asian ensemble for my daughter's birthday. I realized too late that green peas and not chick peas are required of the dish that I wanted to cook. The reason for the miscue was that the recipe was  recited to me on  the phone by an East Indian acquaintance who did her best to say it in understandable English. Bless her kind soul. Also partly to blame  was my panicky multi-tasking. I was preparing a couple of dishes all at one time while  half-listening  to the phone dictation. So the catch: about a pound or so of chickpeas have been  soaked and boiled a large bowl ready to go. Because frustration  was starting to lurk in the fringes of my sanity, I quickly cling wrapped  the bowl and shoved it into the fridge. I could have improvised (which I usually enjoy doing) but it was just one of those days.

Anyway, that same phone pal suggested that I could make some Pakoras out of  the boiled chick peas by draining them good and feeding them  through a mixer with the spices. And that's what  I did today.

I added my own combination of salt, ground cumin seeds,chopped onions,coriander and some garam masala to the mix until they formed a mushy should-stick-together consistency. Since I am not vegetarian, I took the liberty of adding some flour and an egg to the mixture bind it some more. I then shaped the chick pea mush into little patties and deep fried them until golden brown and crispy.

Usually the pakoras goes with a  dip of  ketchup or cilantro chutney. I ate mine with a ready made dip of tamarind chutney with Mozart's Wind Concerti wafting in the background.