Eat Matters

Lasang Pinoy 8

It was not only four year old Isabella "Ia"  Angela who did her thing for Lasang  Pinoy 8. Daddy and Mommy enjoyed  and assisted in the mess too.

The LP8 instilled kitchen creativity in a fab,fun and intuitive way in Isabella.

Instead of  doing a write-up about the kitchen sessions, I will let the images speak for themselves.

Here goes:

                  

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

A Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake mix was used for the cupcakes.The decors were leftover candies from last Christmas.

The  idea in making  the set of thingies below was borrowed from Clare Crespo's  book "The  Secret Life of Food". We used pretzels, small marshmallows, Easter candies, and Caramel Squares slightly softened in the microwave for about  8 seconds so they can be easily molded to the desired shapes.

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

Chicken Inasal

                   

Thanks to the entrepreneurial savvy of the Ilonggos, the lowly Chicken Inasal(grilled chicken on a bamboo skewer) has crossed borders from the sugar frontier to the Philippine metropolis. Like the  legendary La paz Batchoy, it has inched it's way to carve a niche in the national palate. You can see Manokans(grilled chicken eateries) sprouting even in the air conditioned chi-chi malls; most of whom claim to be the orig.

Let's talk about the orig. There is only one yardstick as far as I am concerned-- the chicken itself. Use a different chicken and you get a different  flavor. It should be native chicken.

An authentic Bacolod / Ilonggo Inasal(chicken in bamboo skewers) should be a Darag. Darags are native Visayan free range, drug  and growth hormone-free chicken that are skinnier and definitely tougher to the mandible than the plump commercial variety. If a barbecued Darag  is displayed  with the commercial ones, you wouldn't even want to buy it. Give it a quick look and you think it's more bone than meat. It costs more too. But then if you value superior flavor over quantity, you would know what to grab. Man, I tell you, the flavor is worth the heavy chew.

I have a suki (a favorite vendor) back home who is a master in grilling the Darag. He is more of the ambulant type who would set up shop in changing  locations on different days. You will find him on weekends setting up outside the cockpit. No, he is not grilling the fallen winged gladiators. What he has is a trisikad( a BMX bike with a side car) which carries his grilling equipment-- a rickety table, a small charcoal grill, a trimmed banana trunk where he sticks the bamboo skewers holding the cut chickens and a basket where he stores the chickens and small implements.

I patronized him because I was drawn to his natural grasp of the concept of using fresh ingredients in his small grilling business. He would buy the native chickens in the morning and would start killing and dressing them only a few hours before he starts grilling so the chickens doesn't have to chill in the fridge. Native chicken looses flavor when chilled overnight.

For the marinade, he would  use native cane, palm or tuba vinegar and coarse salt.That's it. While the chicken is grilling he would brush it  with achuete oil. No other spices or secret mixes. In the end, what you get is  real flavorful of the bird meat.

I made my own version of Chicken  Inasal days ago. I knew it was a far cry from that of my suki. For one, I only have commercial grade chicken to grill. Second, I didn't have real achuete seed for the oil. I used Mama Sita's powdered version. For the marinade, I made do with apple cider vinegar and key limes. I added garlic,black pepper corns and brown sugar to  the mix to bosst the flavors. Lastly,I didn't have  bamboo skewers. I "grilled" the bird inside the oven instead. I didn't get that  important smoky charcoal aroma. Well, it wasn't that bad if only for the memory of eating a native one. I made some garlic rice drizzled with the extra achuete oil to go with it. If there was a revelation, the inasal tasted well with grape tomatoes eaten in the raw.

 

 

 

 

 

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Isda nga Sinabawan ala Orly's

                   

Somewhere in Iloilo, there is a secret hideaway called Orly's where the locals go when they want a fix of sinabawan nga  isda.The place is actually a one room affair made of nipa and bamboo with furnishings of crude bamboo benches and about six tables that can accommodate eight people. Elbow room is scarce. If you are looking for a floor, then go somewhere else because there is only sand for your feet to rest on. Call it a ramshackle affair because it really is. No excuses. But nobody seems to mind, not even the habitue of pesky flies. Frankly, this is no place for the finicky foodie.

Within arms length from your table is sun-drenched Orly in maong(denim) shorts, sleeveless shirt and esmagol(rubber slippers) in his shabby kitchen equipped with a sugbahan(barbecue grill) made from scrap iron and a series of wood- fired dapogs(earthenware stove). It is quite smoky at times when an occasional  gust of sea wind drifts in. But you really don't mind even when the kitchen smoke waffles your cultured nostrils and vandalizes the dapper smell of your latest Hilfiger perfume.

Once you step into the hut you are greeted with a smile and led into a styrofoam cooler filled with the fresh catch of the day.These fishes are sourced from  the Iloilo Fishing Port  before the break of dawn. Once you pinned your choice of either Bulgan,Tangigue or any meaty white fish, you order Orly to "shoot to kill". Blame it on the Pinoy's fun way with the Bard's Language. Shoot to kill is a short cut for sugba(grill),tola(boil with condiments) and kilaw( cook raw in vinegar). Usually the fish head is reserved for tinola and the other portions are prepared as kinilaw and sinugba.That done, you sip a beer, nibble on green mangoes with guinamos(fermented shrimp paste) and steamed talaba (oysters) from Capiz as Orly does his thing with your fish. It is a long cool wait that you enjoy because you know you're in for  a good sweaty workout once you swoop on the soup. It takes the kinks away. If you are a pork freak then go all the way and order his take of sinugba nga baboy marinated in kalamansi garlic and soy sauce. Nothing beats a slice or two of grilled native pork
oozing with glorious fat.

We had some  fresh Halibut portions last Saturday and I decided to do a Tinola ala Orly.

It's easy.

Season the fish with salt.
Boil some water on a pot with a little salt,crushed ginger and sliced tomatoes.
Once all the flavors have been infused, adjust the boil to a simmer.
Put the fish in  the pot and cook the fish till done. Do not overcook.
Adjust the seasoning.
Place in a bowl and garnish with green onions.
Serve hot.

 

 

Hurrah!Filipino Food in Canadian News

I just opened Saturday's(March25) electronic version of our local news paper and discovered that the Editor's Pick  section has devoted four short write-ups about Filipino food. The articles are not that substantial, at least from a Pinoy foodie's perspective.  Just the same it's a reason for a little celebration.Nice day to start a Sunday morning. To read the articles,click here. The three succeeding articles are right below the main article.

Pinamalhan Pinirito

                   

Pinamalhan nga Pinirito. All you need is a plate full of steaming hot rice to enjoy this poor man's meal. Period. And make sure the couch is empty for you to nap on after wards. After a judicious burp, you will think the world is at your feet and you just want to idly dream your cares away.

If I had my way, I'll eat Pinamalhan on a plate of fresh banana leaf. It's the logical thing to do because the rice will absorb the sweetish aroma of the leaf. When cheap "tupperware" and plastic supot(plastic bags) were not yet  norms in packaging, a lowly farmer at dawn, would wrap his breakfast with layers cut from a single banana leaf.The breakfast is usually rice topped with pinamalhan,sliced tomatoes, and possibly a hard boiled egg from a prolific native hen (mungga bisaya).The leaf will keep the food warm. And to think that we don't have the word Eco-friendly then.

Like adobo,pinamalhan is the baon (take-out food)of choice because the vinegar prevents spoilage aside from giving the dish its unique flavor.To me,this lowly dish exemplifies the Pinoy's inventiveness and culinary creativity.Function and flavor flow together. It is easy to overlook the fact because of  the sheer simplicity of the dish.There lies the genius. Arguably perhaps,we  missed it because we were dazzled into believing that canned sardinas and carne norte sa leche and Spam is the better fare. Romancing with the West has "brainwashed" our taste buds.Thanks to Mcdo and the  gastronomic culture it typifies. Vanish the thought that our children and the generation after theirs when asked to describe Pinamalhan, would say:Ngek!

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For the Pinamalhan Pinirito:

-Place  smelts into a pan and soak in vinegar.Native works best.
- Season with salt, minced garlic,ginger.
-Add a piece of finger chili if you want a little spice.

-Add a souring agent.Kamias, Batwan or Tomatoes. A leaf of the libas plant is a good variation..
-Simmer slowly, as in slowly in low heat until all the liquid has evaporated.Feel free to add a little vinegar if the liquid has evaporated before the fishes are cooked.
- Take out from the pan and set aside.
-On the same pan,heat some cooking oil. When hot, return the fishes on the pan and fry to desired brownness. The fishes should be soft but crunchy to be perfect.

Be careful when frying because the vinegar will cause the oil to splatter. It's normal to see some fishes jump out of the pan.

 

 

Thai Nibbles/Miang Khum

                   

Miang Khum is a traditional Thai snack sold by  hawkers in the  streets of Bangkok. They are tidbits consisting of crispy shreds of roasted coconut, diced limes, ginger, onions, roasted peanuts, dried shrimps(hebe), and bird-eye chillies.It is eaten by putting the bits on a piece of lettuce leaf and drizzled with a sweetish brown syrup or sauce.

The Miang Khum in the picture above was served as an appetizer at Baan Khanitha , a restaurant with a serene ambience tastefully decorated with traditional motifs and artwork near the Srinakharinwirot University in Sukhumvit, Bangkok.I was invited to have lunch at the award-winning restaurant last August. The Miang Khum proved to be the perfect company for the warm and lively banter between friends and kin. It was a pleasing teaser while we were eagerly waiting for the superb food plated in celadon to be served.

A Summer's Day Dream

If there is any word in the English lexicon that I haven't uttered for ages, it's the word sweltering. What with the snow here that doesn't  want to budge and give way to spring. Yesterday, the 20th, was supposed to be the first official day but it seems the groundhog failed to even make a forecast. Which makes me think if ground hogs still exist. Or have they become pitifully extinct  creatures by nibbling on a pesticide coated  morsel? No. I don't want to tread into the relationship of extinction and man's over consumption.  I don't want to verbalize human greed. Not today, at least.

The word sweltering  in the dictionary is  "oppressive heat". That is not to say its synonym is Malacanang. Seriously, the better word substitute  is sultry, the one I like to use really because it is more" poetic". I am reminded of Nick Joaquin's images and literary intentions when I say the word. Suppressive, erotic and sensual like the curve of a perfectly ripened mango; seductive like its nectarine taste. You want to slurp on its satin flesh and lick it to the bone and never ever want to stop.

                   

Mangoes and summer go together. The fruit takes the oppression out of the heat. You don't go to the beach without  it. The more humid the air the tastier the fruit. In Thailand, mango and sticky rice sweetened with coconut milk(Khao New Moon)is served after meals. Hot weather and hot food, which is so good, ends with a dollop of this  traditional dessert. Just  the cool way to go.

Chilling In the hazy shade that is winter, I wish I was there again .Sweating it out.

 

Saturday's Dinner:Blade Pot Roast

Last week, I had the urge to keep in tune with the St. Patrick's Day Celebration. It's a big thing here in Canada and the rest of North America. Though I had my ingredients ready for a sumptuous Beef and Guinness Pie for Paddy's  Day, I just got lost somewhere along the way and didn't get to do it. The Guinness Beer, an important liquid for the dish, vanished before it went  into the pot. I am the guilty party, who else? This beer drinker just couldn't resist the lure of the dark roasted stout. No pie but no remorse.

                   

The well-endowed beef-- ooh, lots of marbling in between-- had its destiny waiting  as a  pot roast last Saturday. The meat  was perfect for that role and it served us well. Melts in the mouth, flavorful and succulent are just some  of the hyperboles to describe its goodness. It was blessed to be braised and the results were  heavenly sinful.

                   

Braising meat is like slow dancing. It derives its romance from the graceful stillness of time.  It is basking in the heat of a simmering moment. There are no shortcuts. In the harried and hip-hop culture of the now where fast is jazz,  the gentle art of braising has been edged out by dinners ala fast food; where the flavors  are implied on the packaging rather than on the meat. I find no subtle love affair there, just trans fatty transactions.

Basic braising is easy. All you need is time and, well, patience.

                   

Here is how  to do it.

-Pre-heat oven to about 350 degrees
-Season both sides of the  beef  with sea salt and freshly  cracked black pepper and brown it on medium heat in  a heavy pot.
- Set aside.
-On the same pot, saute medium-diced carrots,celery,onions and garlic until golden brown.
-Add sprigs of fresh thyme and dried bay leaves.
-Place the well- seasoned blade pot roast on top of the vegetables and spices.
-Pour some beef stock on the pot until about half-way of the roast.Do not submerge the roast in the stock.
-Let  the stock simmer slowly until the  liquid is ready to be skimmed.
-Transfer the covered pot  to the pre-heated oven and cook for about three hours or until the beef is tender.

Always remember that braising is not boiling.Boil the roast and you lose. It is  a good thing to check the pot often and make sure the liquid is in really slow simmer. Control the temperature if you must, to achieve this. Also make it a habit to turn the roast occasionally.

When the pot  roast is done, take it out of the pot and cover in tin foil.

Strain the remaining liquid into a heated  saucepan  and lightly thicken with flour and a little butter. The result should be a sauce lighter than regular gravy.

For  serving, either slice the roast individually on each plate and pour the sauce on it or lay it on a serving platter and place the sauce on the side.

A Bitter Love Affair

    

    

Do I hear  a very loud Yuck ? Well, you either truly love this native salad or hate it all the way. There is just no compromise. Being encouraged, okay, forced to eat this wrinkled veggie as a kid spelled only one word on my mind-- T-O-R-T-U-R-E. But after shedding pails of copious tears and desperate  attempts of  self-induced dramatic tantrums, all to avoid swallowing the bitter truth, I've learned to accept and love this bitter gourd without condition. In eating  as in life, time is what it takes,I guess, to achieve true love.

Bitter gourd, balsam pear or bitter cucumber are what they are called in the English speaking climes. Ampalaya it is in Luzon and Amargoso to the natives of the Visayan islands. With its many names, Amargoso has been touted to have medicinal values that can fight anemia. It purifies the blood,its said, and strengthens the immune system.It can be a factor in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Ampalaya capsules are out in the market but the scientific and medical community barring any intrusion from  mega-drug companies, has yet to affirm of its effectiveness. One thing is for sure-- the Ampalaya contians a "bitter crystalline alkaloid used in medicine" (Merriam-Webster online) called quinine. It is used "especially as an antipyretic,antimalarial, and bitter tonic"(Merriam-Webster on line).

There are many ways to prepare this dish. I want it as a raw and crunchy companion to grilled meats and seafood or to dried fish even. It just makes you go for more rice.

To prep, cut the gourd lengthwise and scrape the seeds and pith with the hollow of a spoon.

Slice the two portions crosswise into thin pieces.

Place  in a mixing bowl, mix with rock salt, and squeeze with your hands until the juice come out. (I usually  do a taste test. If the ampalaya is not that bitter, I omit this step)

Discard the juice.

In the bowl, mix the amargoso with minced garlic,chopped onions, sliced tomatoes and drizzle with native vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will do.

Add a  little sugar and season with more salt if need be.

Mix well and let it sit, chill in the fridge if you want till the ingredients have soaked up the seasonings.

Plate and serve.

 

 

Munggo with Pork Hocks & Guinamos Guisado

                   

                        
                     

Pork hocks are one of a kind. When boiled to perfection this sinewy cut softens up and converts its collagen  into oodles of gelatinous membranes that spills a mixture of  rich and delicate flavors into the braising or cooking liquid.         

From a party pack of pork cuts chilling out in the fridge, I kidnapped a set perfectly cut hocks and sauteed them in lots of minced garlic, onion, and cooked them in a slow simmer of water with a seasoning of salt and patis (fish sauce). When tender, I dunked about a cup or so of meticulously washed munggo beans to the pot and let it simmer some more until the beans are almost mushy. Halfway through process I threw in some sliced tomatoes. When the liquid changes color and texture, then it's time to eat.
With steaming rice and guinamos,of course.                  

Here is a little tip. A quirky frustrated chef that I am and a garlic lover at that, I make it a point to toss a clove of smashed fresh garlic just before I take my dish out of the fire. It just gives  the added "ump" to the dish. Believe you me and Anthony Bourdain, it works.