ORANGE CHICKEN WITH BACON

Orange and bacon may scream American breakfast but having it on top of rice with fried chicken pieces makes it Chinese food. American Chinese food that is. While my two children were excited to have a go at Shake Shack's burgers at JFK Airport on a recent trip, I chose to have Panda Express' orange chicken with bacon. I don't normally eat anything oily, if at all, before a flight, but I couldn't help myself. Yes, delicious. But as expected, oily too.

BACON TOPPED MEATLOAF

Although meatloaf has its origins from Europe, it is not as popular here as it is in the US. I make it fairly regularly because, not only is it delicious, it is also very easy to make. Meatloaf is not a dish that's seen a lot in UK cooking programmes but Nigella Lawson made meatloaf in her show and she draped hers with bacon. Nothing new there but it just caused me to wonder why I do not do that. Maybe that is why I do not look like her yet. 

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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SWEET AND SOUR PORK

To most of us, sweet and sour pork is synonymous to Chinese food. I remember how it was always a part of family dinners at our favourite Chinese restaurant. The crispy pork pieces were topped with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce mixed with crisp vegetables. It always comes as we expect it and never fails to satisfy. 

KATSU CURRY

My two kids always order Katsu Curry in Wagamama. The plate comes with a rather large (American) football shaped mound of rice, two crumbed chicken pieces flanking the rice and salad leaves. The brown curry sauce drapes the meat and the rice in a rather unappetising fashion. Nevertheless, the taste speaks for itself and it never fails to satisfy.

PHILLY MAC AND CHEESESTEAK

One dish meals are lifesavers on busy days. Quick and easy is the way to go. There is one rule that I try not to break: Never sacrifice taste.

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.

HONEY GARLIC PORK MEATBALLS

The love of pork makes me translate a lot of dishes into pork dishes. While meatballs would almost always equate to beef balls, I chose pork this time. The reason for this is that I want to flavour the meatballs with Asian seasonings and there is no better base for that than pork. The flavour of beef would not let the seasonings stand out as much. Having said that, any meat could be used for this dish and it would also work.

GOK WAN'S TWICE COOKED MELTING PORK

Roasts bring a sense of occasion comes once it's brought to the table. The mood changes at the mere sight of it. The anticipation of the first mouthful brings excitement. 

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.

HONEY WALNUT SHRIMPS

Chinese food differs from country to country. The Chinese food on one's plate may differ greatly from another one's on the other side of the globe. In fact, the food that we know as Chinese food is different from the traditional food in China.

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.

MAPO TOFU

If you are not a tofu lover, this dish will turn you into one. It was love at first taste for me.

BEEF RENDANG

You'd think that warm climes would equate to cooling food but it is quite the opposite. When in Asia, we eat hot food even in the sweltering heat.

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.

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. 

EASY GARLIC PAPRIKA PRAWNS

Prawns are for suckers. Although the creamy flesh is very tasty, most of the rich flavour has to be sucked out of the head and shell. This recipe makes the most out of the best part of the prawns.

Prawns have a lot of God given taste. You don't have to do much to make it delicious. The worst thing that can be done is to do too much to it. Although I like them simply boiled or steamed, I am quite partial to fried prawns.

PORK BULGOGI

Bulgogi has been listed as the 23rd among World's 50 most delicious foods readers poll compiled by CNN Go in 2011. It is usually made with beef but pork or chicken is equally good made with the same recipe.

MEDITERRANEAN STYLE LAMB BURGERS

Lamb, although already full of flavours, can withstand the addition of seasonings without losing its own taste. Lamb goes so well with a lot of herbs and is so delicious when made into Mediterranean burgers. Just add fire and it turns into a perfect meal.