PANCIT PALABOK

When one speaks with flowery words, beating around the bush rather than zeroing in on the point of conversation, one is said to speak with too much "palabok". This Filipino term is also the name of a dish with so many accoutrements: the pancit palabok. The dish, unlike the saying, is outright delicious at the first mouthful.

LECHON KAWALI

The love of pork lies deep in a Filipino's heart. Words like lechon (roast pig or pork joint) and pritong baboy (fried pork) would tug at heartstrings. Lechon kawali would bring a double dose of happiness as it is basically a deep fried version of lechon.

CHICKEN ADOBO (ADOBONG MANOK)

Say Filipino food and the word adobo comes to mind. It is the most known Filipino dish and to some, the only one they know.

PASTEL DE POLLO (CHICKEN POT PIE)

Pie is such a beauty to behold. It tempts you to break the crust and eat it yet restrains at the same time to look at it some more. Pie is not a Filipino thing and pastel is the only savoury pie that I know, not counting hand pies (empanada) and sweet pies.

SAMBOS AND SILVANAS

Half of me wants to detox and diet but half of me wants to celebrate the new year. I am so thankful to have another year to look forward to, a blank chapter to fill with life stories. I know that sometimes we just get dragged along by life's currents that we are only half aware that time is ticking by. While it may seem that life just goes on and on, for someone like  me who has  experienced a drastic life changing event, life can seem pretty volatile. I have now learned that life is indeed fleeting. Our courses have been charted for us and we do not know where that leads and when we'll reach our final destination.  I'd like to take the opportunity to appreciate each day and enjoy life and everything it gives.

EGG PIE

A pie cooling on the window sill is such a pretty sight. The aroma is a scent sent from heaven. The prospect of the first bite just thrills the imagination. Baking a pie might seem a task if you think about it but it actually is an enjoyable activity once you start the process. I am not an avid pie maker but have always wanted to know how to make the perfect pie. The perfect pie has to have a great tasting filling and a crisp, flaky and buttery crust.

BEEF MORCON

As Christmas approaches, one can't help but feel nostalgic. Though some seek to inject new ideas into their Christmas celebrations, many still yearn for their Christmas past. I for one yearn for the lovely Christmases I had when I was growing up. The wonderful food, the family togetherness and the presents are part of the warm memories I'll always treasure. I also miss not being the one to orchestrate the Christmas preparations.

CARAMEL PASTILLAS (PASTILLAS TOSTADO)

The ultimate act of sweetness is giving out sweets as presents for Christmas. All the hype of the season is probably from sugar overload instead of Christmas cheer.

MENUDO CON GARBANZOS

Menudo is as synonymous to Filipino fare as adobo. It is one of the heritage dishes that has remained a classic. It is cooked with regularity in households and served as a staple in carinderias (eateries). 

PICADILLO

Cooking vegetables, Filipino style is not exactly quick and easy. Ginisang gulay or sautéed vegetables is the most common everyday vegetable dish. The process starts with the Filipino trinity of sautéing ingredients: garlic, onions and tomatoes. Cooked pork (usually belly pork) and shrimps also go in. More often than not, glass noodles are also added. The vegetables are more often than not a mix of different kinds. 

When I miss ginisang gulay, I always cook picadillo. Although it follows the same procedure, the meat used is minced pork so it cooks fast. There is only one kind of vegetable used.


Filipinos are not hot on vegetables and I do understand why. If not properly sautéed, the dish can taste pretty bland.

I always say that the finished product depends on how you start the cooking process. I browned the minced pork first before anything else and that single step alone added a richer taste to the dish already. Sautéing the garlic, onions and tomatoes really well gives the base of the dish a good flavour. Each step should be done with the development of the taste in mind. Your nose is your gauge. The dish should have a fragrant aroma at each step. Also, do not add too much water at any given point. I have seen this done almost always and that washes off the flavour that has already developed. A bit of water, gentle heat and a lid would generate enough heat to cook the vegetables yet keep all of the taste in. 

This dish is so simple yet so satisfying. Although vegetables are usually served as a side dish, picadillo is tasty enough to be served on its own with freshly steamed rice and, to complete the Filipino dining experience, offer a bit of fish sauce on the side.

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. olive oil
200 gms. of minced (ground) pork
2 tbsps. fish sauce
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. crushed garlic
1 onion, diced
1 c. of chopped tomatoes
6 c. diced marrow, courgettes (zucchini), upo or chou chou (sayote)

Instructions:

Heat up a sauté pan and add the olive oil.

Add in the minced pork, 1 tbsp. of the fish sauce and the black pepper. Sauté until the pork is browned.

Add the crushed garlic and sauté until the garlic is golden brown. 

Add in the onions and sauté until translucent.

Add in the tomatoes, stir and cook until the mixture is reduced. 

Add the marrow and ½ c. of water. Cover, bring to a boil then simmer until the vegetable is cooked. 

Add in the last tbsp. of fish sauce (or more if you prefer).

Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with rice and extra fish sauce on the side.


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Thanks for dropping by. It would be nice if we could meet up on FACEBOOK or TWITTER. 

YEMA CAKE

It has been four years since I've started this blog and it has been a wonderful journey. I thank everyone who often come to visit, those who leave comments, those who cook from the recipe and those who do and come back to tell me about it. The blog has become a big part of my life and I am very thankful for it.

CHICKEN AFRITADA

The question of why Philippine cuisine is not as popular as the other Southeast Asian cuisines still remain. There are funny, sometimes insulting answers. I choose not like to delve deep into the matter but I have a few ideas of my own.

PININYAHANG MANOK (FILIPINO CHICKEN STEW WITH PINEAPPLE)

The week's dinner menu in my hometown of Marikina is very predictable and limited. When asked about the dinner plans, a Mom would usually say, "something with do". Most of the dishes have the syllable do as in asado, mechado, adobo, menudo. Most Moms' randomly pick any of those dishes when planning what to cook for dinner.

HOMECURED PORK TOCINO

Filipinos take breakfast seriously. While a lot skip this all important meal, we take the saying "eat like a king to start the day" to heart. It has been a long tradition to have a full spread at breakfast. In the olden days, this was made possible by the dutiful wife and her staff. It was deemed necessary then to eat a heavy meal early in the morning before setting off to work.

Nowadays, the venue for breakfast is the silogan. Silogan is a new slang word coined to refer to eateries serving silog: sinangag (garlic fried rice) and itlog (egg, served fried) with a choice of tapa, longganisa or tocino. The name of the dish changes accordingly: tapsilog, longsilog or tocilog.

CUSTAROONS®

Most Filipinos inherently have a sweet tooth. Pastries, cakes and sweets are regular indulgences. Over the years, bake shops have become more and more popular and each of them vie to out wit each other. Thanks to social media, what's new in the food world spread like wildfire.

PAN DE BACON

To some people, bacon is a powerful word. It elicits a strong response when it is heard. It evokes a strong emotion when it is said, pausing briefly, making a mental drumroll, before letting the word cascade with a heavy breath.

POLLO CON GUISANTES (MANOK SA GUISANTES)

The Philippines culinary icon, Nora Daza, passed away peacefully on the of September 13. Millions will mourn her passing, yet also celebrate the wealth of her culinary contributions. Her valuable legacy is the knowledge and passion for cooking that she selflessly shared. 

Ms. Daza was a gourmet chef, restaurateur and a bestselling cookbook writer.
Her recipes are lifesavers for the newlyweds who need to know all the basics of cooking and baking. It is also for homemakers who are always in search of new recipes. It also caters to the avid party giver who likes entertaining with grace but with minimum effort.

She makes the recipes straightforward and easy to follow. I always turn to her cookbook first before anything else because I am confident that it is the first step to doing things right.

COCONUT JAM

Coconut is the cheap and cheerful ingredient that we use a lot in Filipino cooking, both sweet and savoury. Coconut milk is more used than dairy milk and is so versatile. It can be reduced, curdled to render the oil, baked into cakes and mixed into sauces.

Coconut jam is the very common spread used to fill breads. It is made with coconut milk and sugar and reduced to a very thick paste. It is sweet, really sweet. It is in fact a sweet remedy for mouth ulcers.

PORK MENUDO

Menudo is a simple and very well known Filipino dish served by and to the common people. It is served at the roadside carinderia (eatery), in school and office canteens and as an everyday dish in people's homes. 

OVEN FRIED CHICHARON

Who doesn't like chicharon (pork scratchings)? I know that east and west unite in their want to eat these babies. 

These munchables are a cross between chicharon (pork scratchings) and lechon (roast pork) crackling.