Gastronomia Filipina

Panaderia Dimas-alang

2006-09-10T23:14:00.000+08:00

Blast from the past! I've been thinking of dropping by the Panaderia Dimas-alang in Pasig for some time now. I've been hankering for two items from there that I remember eating as a child--pan bonete (bonnet- or bell-shaped "dinner" rolls) and brown bread. I don't know why I suddenly wanted to have a taste of them again now. I just felt like it. But I haven't had the chance to go to Pasig because I live a little farther from the area these days. And when I did get a chance to swing by the area, there's always a build up of traffic along Mabini St. (where the bakery's been located all these decades).

I finally got my chance today (Sunday). Good timing--no traffic and it was generally a nice day. Turns out, my good timing extended to the hour I arrived at the bakery--it was 1:00pm and the pan bonete had just come out of the ovens! When I arrived home, Mom told me that this bread is usually ready at that time of the day (and really early in the morning too, but that batch runs out quickly). Nothing like an longtime, old town bakery to still come out with freshly baked breads and pastries at the same time every day for the last 87 years. It's very comforting.

Mom and Dad used to buy my brothers and I pan bonete, brown bread, pionono (mini jelly rolls) and old style ensaimada on a regular basis, always freshly baked. Mom's favorite was the pan bonete and it became my favorite too. It's great warm and just dabbed with a little butter. Heavenly! Any bread that's freshly baked is a joy to eat. My favorite part, though, is the chewy-crusty flat bottom--I would eat a piece of the pan bonete by taking a bite off the top and working my way down until I'm left with the flat circular bottom crust. Then I'd spread a bit more butter on it and relish it to the last bite! *sigh*

The brown bread and pionono were memorable as well. There was something about the texture of brown bread that appealed to me. As a kid, I think I liked it because it had a lot more dimension of flavors and textures to it than just regular bread--it wasn't bland and had just a hint of sweetness that wasn't quite sugary (I was, and still am not, much of a sweet tooth anyway), the mouthfeel had just the right balance of moistness and dryness which made for an interesting texture. Each slice was thick and heavy, and it smelled great too.

Though I liked it as well, the pionono (which the bakery labels, until today, as "pianono,") was my least favorite of the three because it was just too sweet for my taste. I liked the sponge cake, but wasn't so hot about the sweet jelly that was rolled into it. The name used to crack me up too because I couldn't figure out what inspired them to name this pastry after a musical instrument.

I couldn't wait to get home to taste the pan bonete so I swiped one piece from the two dozens I bought and ate it on the drive home. Wonderful! It still tasted just as I remember it. When I got home, I had one slice of brown bread. I bought a pack of pionono as well but haven't open it yet. (It can wait...)

Maybe this little expedition wasn't just about the bread and pastries of Panaderia Dimas-alang. Maybe I was feeling nostalgic about my childhood too. But why that? And why now? Malalaman na lang natin. Then again, it could be just one of those wala lang moments. In any case, I'll be enjoying my goodies now. So, excuse me. :-)

Wild Turkey Surpriiise!

2006-08-13T12:45:00.000+08:00

No, this isn't one of those meals Bugs Bunny prepared for the Tasmanian Devil (dynamite-stuffed turkey, to be exact). It's just what I call those maskipaps meals--recreating leftovers or odds and ends using whatever ingredients are available.

So there was leftover crab from the crab relleno I made the other day. Turns out I had leftover clams, mussels, prawns and squid from the paella as well (they couldn't fit into the paella anymore). There was obviously a meal in there, waiting to be made. :-) Too bad I was out of taba ng talangka (aligue or crab "roe")--that would have made for a really tasty seafood dish. But much as I wanted to run over to Violex at Farmer's Market to grab a bottle of fresh, pure aligue, I just steeled myself and looked at what was in the cupboards and fridge to see what I could use.

A can of crushed tomatoes made me think that maybe a seafood dish cooked a la sopa de mariscos could probably work. That, plus lots of garlic, some onions, bell peppers, a little sugar and lemon juice. Not bad. You don't have to steam your seafood in white wine as I did, but I must say it enhances the flavor by a few notches. My food styling and photography skills have yet to be honed to perfection. You'll just have to trust me when I say that this dish tasted really good. :-)

Seafood Medley

about a kilo of assorted seafood (crabs, clams, mussels, squid, prawns or shrimp, fish, scallops)
white wine (or water with sea salt)
olive oil
1 head of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
about 1/2 can crushed tomatoes
about1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
enough water to make a sauce (not soup)
some lemon or calamansi juice
salt and pepper to taste
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
toasted garlic bits

1) Steam seafood in white wine or water with sea salt. Once cooked, set aside.
2) Heat oil. Saute garlic and onion until soft.
3) Add bell pepper. Saute until soft.
4) Add tomatoes, sugar and water. (The sauce should only have a hint of sweetness.) Simmer to blend flavors.
5) Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as needed.
6) Add the cooked seafood and stir slightly to cover seafood in sauce. Cover and allow to cook for one minute.
7) Transfer to a platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted garlic bits. Serve with hot, steamed rice.

Practical "Crab Mentality?"

2006-08-12T22:30:00.000+08:00

crab relleno
Originally uploaded by Foodfarer.

I had this brilliant (haha) idea for paella. Of course traditionalists will probably cringe at this. But I thought it was a pretty practical thing to do at the time.

You see, I celebrated a birthday recently and decided to make pancit (for long life) and seafood paella (because I felt like it). I served pancit bihon at home. (I like making my own pancit because I like it with a lot more sahog. But that’s another story.)

I decided to make paella for the girls at work because they haven’t tasted my paella yet. Since we don’t have a formal pantry at the office, it would be too complicated and messy to actually eat whole or even cut-up crabs—which I like to have on my paella—on our desks. So I decided to just make crab relleno and use those instead of whole crabs.

I used alimasag (blue crabs), steamed them in white wine, separated the shells and cleaned them. I didn’t bother flaking the crab meat and bought lump crab meat instead. I just cut the crabs’ bodies in half and froze them along with the claws for another seafood dish. Of course, I could have just sprinkled crab meat on the rice, or made crab cakes or croquettes. But I wanted the crab shells to still be part of the whole design of the dish. Well, it worked! (In fact, we liked it so much that I decided to make crab relleno to serve at home this time.)

Too bad I forgot to take a picture of the paella. We had all devoured it before I remembered to take a shot. Oh well. Won’t be the last time I’ll make paella.

Crab Relleno (stuffed crab shells)

alimasag (blue crabs)
white wine
olive oil
lump crab meat
scant garlic, minced
scant onion, minced
scant red bell pepper, minced
scant carrots, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg, whisked
cooking oil

1) Clean the crabs, then steam in white wine.
2) Heat olive oil and add garlic and onion. Saute until onion is soft.
3) Add carrots and peppers. Saute until soft.
4) Add the crab meat and mix. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5) Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as needed. Let cool.
6) Stuff the crab meat mixture into the crab shells. Brush the stuffing with egg (or, if you don't have a brush, use a spoon to drizzle the egg onto the stuffing.)
7) Heat oil (about 1 to 2 inches deep) in a wok. Cook stuffed crab shells in hot oil, stuffed side down, until the egg forms a layer to seal the stuffing in. Serve.

"You Poke It, You Own It." Oh Really?

2006-06-01T13:14:00.000+08:00

That's probably one of the statements that's offending some people in that series of Miller Lite ads. I think it’s because, after a while, it tends to sound sleazy, especially since they repeat that statement a few more times in the ad—to the point that, after a while, you start to think maybe they’re not referring to beer bottles anymore. You start thinking, “Is it me, or are they now referring to women?”

That’s the kind of thinking feminists all over the world have been trying to discourage all these decades—emphasizing that women and their bodies are not properties to be owned by other people (men OR women). Perhaps that is why some groups are now reacting indignantly towards those ads. It’s become quite a touchy issue, I’m told.

As for me, the “you poke it, you own it” line made me cringe a little. But not as bad as the Napoleon Brandy billboard’s “Nakatikim ka na ba ng kinse anyos?” copy two years ago. (Now that was really offensive.) The Man Laws concept of the Miller Lite ads? In general, they are a little funny and amusing but they don't hold my interest for long. After a while, and after seeing a few other versions, the whole concept began to sound tired already. But as long as this Man Law concept is not taken seriously, and that kids don’t take it to heart, I think things are going to be okay.

The question is, are the beer-drinking consumers responding positively to the ads? (I understand they’re being shown at the NBA playoffs.) They're advertising a light beer. Manly men, I think, don't drink light beers as much as they do regular varieties. So they're macho-fying the product now. Assuming it's the so-called metrosexuals who are drinking the light version, what do they think about the product now that it is trying to be more macho? What do the so-called macho men think about this? And will these efforts translate to higher sales for the product?

Quiche, At Last

2006-05-07T22:46:00.000+08:00

I finally mustered up the guts to make quiche. If you think about it, it’s not difficult to create—just whip up some eggs with milk or cream, add cheese and some kind of meat pour into a pie crust, then bake. If made well, it’s a good brunch item, enjoyable with a salad and wine or mimosa.

My problem is that I’m not a baker. I’m not good at following recipes to the letter. I do have recipes which I refer to, but I usually do something a little differently to give it my own twist. And it’s not that I can’t bake. I’ve made cakes, cookies, pizza dough and bread before. I just don’t have the patience for making them on a regular basis. Until I came across this recipe of Fresh Garlic and Anchovy Quiche from Too Many Chefs. It sounded so heavenly that I decided to try it even if I’ve never made a pie crust before.

In and Out

Quiche is a French word that came from the German Küche, derived from Kuchen, which means “little cake” (McGee). In fact, sources say this dish associated with France originated in Germany, in a region known in medieval times as Lothringen. When the place was no longer under German rule, the French renamed it Lorraine. The original quiche Lorraine was a savory pastry filled with an egg and cream custard, and smoked bacon.

Through the years, the quiche enjoyed alternating times of popularity and disdain. It’s funny how the Online Etymology Dictionary describes it: “Became fashionable 1970s; became contemptible 1980s.” These days, the quiche is still around, though just under the radar.

Dried Out Dough

The first crust I made was too dry that I couldn’t lift it off the table without it crumbling. I guess I didn’t add enough water before I chilled it. I added some more cold water to salvage it but it was still too dry. Not wanting to overprocess the dough, I elected to just press the dough onto the pie plate! The horror! BUT after blind baking the dough, pouring the custard mix and baking it, it turned out okay. The taste was fantastic! I love garlic. And I love anchovies. To have them together in this dish was divine. There was no overpowering taste of either ingredient. Many thanks to Meg in Paris of Too Many Chefs for sharing this recipe in their blog.

My crust turned out to be too chalky for my taste, though; but some of my friends still liked it. In any case, I decided I’d add more water the next time I made one.

Filipino Style…

…And why not. If you can use anchovies, why not tuyo (dried fish)? I also added kesong puti (a local white cheese). This time my pie crust was so much better—light and flaky. The taste of this version was interesting but I think I need to add more tuyo because it was too subtle. Not bad though. Maybe next week I’ll work on a better version of this one.

Quiche Pinoy v1.0
adapted from Too Many Chefs

Yield: 8 servings

Crust:

1 cup flour
1 egg yolk
90 grams unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
3 to 4 Tbsps cold water

1) Combine flour, salt and butter and rub them together with your hands until mixed. Big portions of butter left in the mix will result in a flakier crust. Smaller pieces of butter will result in a heavier, more crumbly crust.
2) Add the egg yolk and water. Mix until you are able to form a ball with the dough.
3) Shape into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
4) Flour your work area and rolling pin. Roll out the dough then transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. (To transfer, loosely wrap the rolled out dough onto your rolling pin, then unroll the dough onto the pie plate. Use excess dough to lightly push the dough into place.)
5) Prick the dough with a fork in several places. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
6) Do not turn off oven or change the temperature after baking the crust.

Filling:

6 egg yolks plus one white
1 cup milk
1 head garlic, minced
1/3 bottle of gourmet tuyo, drained and flaked
4 pieces of whole tuyo fillets, halved lengthwise
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
kesong puti, sliced
spring onions, chopped
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
freshly grated black pepper

1) Whisk together egg and milk.
2) Add the garlic, flaked tuyo, about a teaspoon of spring onions and pepper.
3) To assemble, sprinkle the pre-baked dough with Parmesan cheese.
4) Pour egg mixture onto the crust.
5) Arrange tomatoes, halved tuyo fillets and kesong puti decoratively on the egg mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
6) Bake in 350° oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the custard comes out dry. Serve with arugula salad (topped with a light vinaigrette dressing and tuyo flakes). Great with wine. ;-)

Easy Cheese-y

2006-04-30T20:37:00.000+08:00

Would you believe I’ve never had a quesadilla until recently? I’m not really sure why; and to think that I’m such a lover of cheese. (I used to snack on cheese sticks or wedges when I was younger.) Quesadillas (from queso, the Spanish word for cheese) are a kind of Mexican street food that was reinterpreted and popularized in Mexican restaurants in the US.

Pinoys seem to enjoy Mexican food as well, or at least the American-style interpretations of it—from restaurants like Tia Maria, to Mexicali, to Otra Cosa, Miggy’s, Tacomio and, yes, even that uber commercialized fast food joint Taco Bell, among others.

I think I’ve tried most of the more popular food offerings of these places—tacos, of course, as well as burritos, tostadas, flautas, fajitas. But I can’t seem to recall why I never paid attention to the quesadillas.

A couple of weeks ago, I suddenly had the urge to cook something Mexican and, for some reason, quesadillas came to mind. Seemed easy enough. According to several sources, the type of quesadilla I made is known as sincronizada, a quesadilla made with a flour tortilla and filled with two ingredients. It wasn’t bad. Not bad at all, especially with the salsa fresca I also made.

Of course, this was definitely not exactly like the authentic Mexican quesadilla because I didn’t use Mexican cheese (a kind of string cheese from Oaxaca), nor did I use corn tortillas which, from what I’ve read, is the type of tortilla that is more commonly used for this. But I hope what I made comes close to the real thing.

Quesadillas

large flour tortillas
grated sharp cheese (Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, cheddar)
sliced or crumbled chorizo, cooked
sliced mushroom
olive oil

1) Heat a griddle or non stick pan. Drizzle with olive oil.
2) Place one tortilla on the griddle and warm it. Turn it over.
3) Spread grated cheese on half the tortilla. (You can fill it with cheese only or add the chorizo and/or mushrooms for variety.)
4) Flip the empty half over to cover the filling. Cook until the underside is slightly crispy. Then turn it over to cook the other side.
5) Repeat with other tortillas. Serve with salsa fresca.

Salsa Fresca

2 large ripe tomatoes
2 small green bell peppers
½ medium onion
juice of one lime
cilantro, chopped
salt
pepper

1) Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes, small dice.
2) Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and chop into small dice as well.
3) Chop onion into small dice.
4) Combine all three with lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Simple Seafood Pleasures

2006-04-24T13:21:00.000+08:00

There’s nothing like having seafood that’s simply seasoned and cooked right after being freshly harvested from the sea. The last time I had that experience was when I was in Camiguin Island years ago. You ordered your meals and the ingredients were caught fresh from backyard fish pens of the eateries. It wasn’t the first time I had really fresh seafood; it’s just that every time I have it makes eating a truly amazing and unforgettable experience.

I haven’t had a chance to travel and sample seafood that fresh again after the Camiguin trip. Here in the city, you can’t always have that experience. The next best thing is to be at the market early so you can get the first crack at the seafood deliveries.

And that I did last Holy Week. Not having been able to cook much in the last few weeks preceding that, I took advantage of the break—I went wild. I went to Farmer’s Market on Maundy Thursday and had a field day picking out crabs, shrimp and shellfish. Got some taba ng talangka (crab roe) veggies and fruits too. There were some fresh arosep (a kind of seaweed) which I made into a simple salad by adding some sliced tomatoes, vinegar and pepper. Thank goodness for the shopping carts the market provides. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to carry all of that stuff around.

The result of all that shopping was a feast that lasted until Easter Sunday! So much for making Holy Week sacrifices.

Adobong Sugpo sa Taba ng Talangka
(Prawns in Adobo Sauce with Crab Roe)
adapted from Glenda Barretto’s Flavors of the Philippines

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

1 kilo prawns, peeled and deveined (leave heads and tails intact)
2 parts vinegar
1 part soy sauce
lots of minced garlic
2 medium bay leaves or 1 large one
2 to 3 parts water
1 to 2 parts taba ng talangka (crab roe)
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt (optional)

1) Combine prawns, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and bay leaves. Add water.
2) Allow the liquid to boil, then lower the heat. Simmer until prawns change color.
3) Once the prawns are cooked, remove and arrange on a platter.
4) Add the taba ng talangka to the sauce and stir to blend. (You may or may not strain the sauce before doing this.)
5) Pour the sauce over the prawns. Sprinkle with toasted garlic.

Steamed Crabs

Live crabs are always best to use for this. Placing them in the freezer for a few minutes will put them to “sleep,” after which you can untie them in preparation for steaming.

Put some water in a pot with a pasta strainer. Add sea salt. Once the water is boiling, place the crabs in the strainer. Cover, cook, serve, enjoy.

Baked Clams
The clams are good already simply steamed. But this is another tasty way of having them.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

2 kilos clams (or mussels)
2 cups white wine
olive oil or softened butter
lots of minced garlic
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a little less fresh regular or panko breadcrumbs
sea salt
rock salt (optional)

1) Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.
2) Combine garlic and olive oil or butter. Mash the garlic to infuse the flavor into the oil. Let sit at room temperature.
3) Combine cheese and breadcrumbs. Season with a couple of pinches of sea salt.
4) Steam the shellfish in white wine until shells have opened. Detach the empty half shells and discard. Discard also any unopened clams or mussels.
5) Line the bottom of a baking pan or sheet with a thick layer of rock salt. This is only to prevent the shellfish from rocking around in the pan or sheet as you move it.
6) Arrange the clams (or mussels) in neat rows on the bed of salt.
7) Spoon the garlic and oil/butter onto each half shell. Top with the cheese-breadcrumb mixture.
8) Bake in the oven until the cheese and breadcrumbs are a light brown.

Love Ya Back, Baby

2006-04-24T11:09:00.000+08:00

So much for the weekly update. For some reason, in the last month, I haven’t been able to write new entries or cook something interesting. It’s probably a result of all that writing at work. Maybe I was all “written out.” My brain was mush. Excuses, excuses. In any case, all I wanted to do was watch tons of DVDs, catch up on my reading, and catch up on sleep.

But I also felt like cooking something just the same. I just didn’t want to do anything complicated. So I went to the supermarket to check out what was available. There was a slab of fresh baby back ribs, so I decided to do a barbecue in the oven (I live in a building where there’s no space to set up an outdoor barbecue near the unit, unless you want to smoke out the neighbors as you cook…). I had all the other ingredients at home anyway.

It’s Not About the Size

Contrary to what some people believe, baby back ribs are not the ribs of a baby pig. They’re ribs located at the back, attached to the spine. They’re smaller in size—hence the “baby” monicker—compared to the spare ribs located near the belly area.

Now I know some people don’t think much of baby back ribs because they’re not exactly known to have a hefty amount of meat clinging to the bones, but this particular piece—weighing somewhere between 800 and 900 grams—was quite meaty.

To ensure that the meat would be tender, I first seasoned and braised it in some aromatics, broth, and part of the barbecue marinade for about an hour (or until I could prick the meat with a fork). True barbecued ribs are cooked on an outdoor grill for hours. But since I don’t have an outdoor grill and the luxury of time, I settled for braising before broiling. I didn’t allow it to become too tender, though, because I was going to cook it a few more minutes in the oven. I then brushed some of the barbecue sauce/marinade onto the meat before I popped it into the oven. Fantastic!

Bourbon Baby Back Ribs

Yield: 4 to 5 servings as appetizers, 2 to 3 servings as main course

1 slab baby back ribs (at least 750 grams)
½ head of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 parts brown sugar
1 part soy sauce
1 part vinegar or mustard
splash of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
splash of bourbon (I actually used more than one splash, though)
beef or chicken broth, or water
salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.
2) Combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar (or mustard), Worcestershire sauce (if using), and bourbon until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
3) Season ribs with salt and pepper.
4) Heat olive oil in a pot. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are soft.
5) Add baby back ribs and allow to steam in the garlic and onion mixture for a few minutes.
6) Add a cup of barbecue sauce/marinade mixture and broth or water. Do not submerge the whole slab in the liquid.
7) Allow the liquid to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover pot and braise ribs until you can prick the meat with a fork (about an hour).
8) Once it’s tender, set the ribs aside and reduce the liquid. You can thicken this with flour paste if you want to use it as sauce later.
9) Brush the remaining barbecue sauce/marinade onto the ribs. Broil ribs in oven for about 30 minutes, brushing it with sauce every once in a while.
10) Once cooked, remove the ribs from the oven and brush with sauce.
11) Carefully separate each rib and arrange on a platter. Pour barbecue sauce over the ribs. As main course, serve with steamed vegetables or arugula greens with vinaigrette.

Balance Your Dosha, Choose Your Guna

2006-03-06T01:54:00.000+08:00

I'm fascinated with Indian cuisine. It isn’t just because I dabbled in yoga, or attempted to live a yogic lifestyle, some time ago. It’s just that there’s a vibrancy to its many flavors, aromas, colors and textures, that it’s quite exciting to sample even tidbits of Indian fare. Certainly, my knowledge and experience of Indian food is quite limited as I have not tried as much authentic Indian food items as I want. But what I’ve sampled has made me want to try more, or even made me want to create my own versions.

So imagine my delight when, as I sauntered into the Metro Supermarket in Market! Market!, I discovered a host of ingredients for Indian cooking: mini papadams, garam masala, cardamom pods, various kinds of dhal, and a lot more! This resulted in me purchasing quite a number of items and creating four kinds of dips or spreads that were probably not Indian, but were Indian-inspired anyway.

Too much of anything…

Most of what I made were originally quite fiery; not exactly the yogic diet most yogis aspire to achieve. You see food (as well as all of nature), according to The Yoga Cookbook by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, is categorized into three qualities, known as gunas: tamasic, rajasic and sattvic.

Tamasic food involves meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, fermented foods, fried foods, those burned, barbecued, half-cooked, overcooked, twice cooked and stale foods. The Bhagavad Gita describes it as food that is “stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten and impure refuse.” The book says these foods tend to make a person dull, lazy, lose high ideals, purpose and motivation, as well as develop chronic ailments, depression, anger, darkness, and “impure thoughts.”

Rajasic foods are those that tend to overstimulate the mind and body, throwing both off balance. These may cause mental and physical stress, restlessness, a bit of boisterousness, and “accentuate lust, anger, greed, selfishness, violence and egoism.” These are also said to irritate the lining of the intestines. My favorite garlic, onion, spices, as well as coffee and tea, refined sugar, prepared mustards are among those considered rajasic foods.

Sattvic foods, according to The Yoga Cookbook, are “pure” foods—those that contribute to the vitality, energy and health of the mind and body. Sattvic is the ideal guna, one which those aspiring to achieve a yogic diet must work towards. As much as possible, foods under this category are fresh, natural, organically-grown, GMO-free and prepared or stored without preservatives and artificial flavorings. Some sattvic foods include grains, pulses, nuts, fruits, vegetables, herbs, honey and organic dairy products.

Not Yet Ready

I’m not so sure if I’ll be able to achieve a purely sattvic diet ever, what with so many cuisines to experience and meals to create. And also because I’m not quite ready to give up garlic, onion and spices. My relationship with food goes well beyond nourishment—it’s a sensory experience, an appreciation of diverse cultures and respect for the amazing talents that make the world’s varied cuisine great. The best I can do, for now, is to keep these gunas in mind and adjust my food intake to reach as close to the ideal as possible without missing out on the best the world has to offer—whether it’s Filipino, Mediterranean, American, Chinese, or Indian food.

Food Formulas

These Indian-inspired recipes call for ghee, or clarified butter. I’ve learned from reading various sources that it’s simply butter without the milk solids. Melt some room-temperature butter on low heat to avoid burning it. Once melted, turn off the heat. You will notice a film will form on the surface, and some whitish milk solids will drop to the bottom. Skim off the film. Pour or spoon the clear liquid into a container, taking care not to include the milk solids. The clear liquid (ghee) is now ready for use.

The amounts or proportion of ingredients stated in these recipes are merely suggestions. You may add or reduce according to your taste. They go great with papadams.

Cottage Cheese Dip (or Topping)
adapted from The Yoga Cookbook

Yield: 4 to 6

1 tsp lemon juice
at least 1 Tbsp plain wheat germ
at least 3 Tbsp cottage cheese
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, chill then serve.

Spicy Eggplant
adapted from Indian Vegetarian Recipes

Yield: 4 to 6

3 to 4 pcs medium-sized eggplants
ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, julienned
2 to 3 green sili, sliced
1 small onion, minced
2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped
pinch of chili powder (or to taste)
garam masala
salt
coriander (cilantro or wansoy) leaves, chopped

1) Roast eggplants until soft and skin is charred. (Alternatively, you can cook the eggplant in the microwave or oven. Prick the skin with a fork before cooking.) Cool, peel then mash the flesh. Set aside.
2) Heat ghee and saute cumin seeds until fragrant.
3) Add onion, garlic, ginger, sili. Saute until onions are golden brown.
4) Add tomatoes,, spices, salt. Saute over low heat.
5) Add mashed eggplant. Mix well.
6) Turn off heat. Mix in coriander leaves. Serve.

Moong Dhuli Spread
adapted from all over…

Yield: 10 to 12

1 cup moong dhal
2 cups water
ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 small onion, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, julienned
1 carrot, chopped finely
coriander (cilantro or wansoy) leaves, chopped
1 or 2 green sili, sliced
garam masala (to taste)
pinch chili powder
salt

1) Wash the dhal.
2) In a pot, combine dhal, water, salt, chili powder. Cook until dhal is soft and the water absorbed. Set aside.
3) Saute cumin seeds in ghee until fragrant.
4) Add onions and cook until golden
5) Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant.
6) Add tomato and sili. Saute until liquid is partially reduced and the mixture becomes likea smooth paste.
7) Add desired amount of garam masala. Add mixture to dhal. Add coriander leaves.
8) Pass the mixture through a food mill. (Or just mash the whole thing with a potato masher or a fork.)
9) Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve.

Coconut Carrot
adapted from Indian Vegetarian Recipes

Yield: 8 to 10

300 g carrots, cubed small
coconut cream or coconut milk from 1 coconut
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 green sili, sliced
garam masala
cumin powder
salt
sugar (optional)
water
fresh grated coconut
ghee

1) Saute onions in ghee until soft.
2) Add sili and spices. Continue sauteing until onions are golden.
3) Add carrots. Mix to coat.
4) Add coconut cream (or coconut milk), water, sugar (if using), salt. Cook until carrots are tender and coconut cream mixture is reduced. Set aside oil left in pan.
5) Once cooked, cool then pass the mixture through a food mill (or mash with a potato masher or a fork).
6) Heat oil from step #4 on medium-low and saute fresh grated coconut until slightly toasted. Add to carrot puree and mix well. Serve.

Espress-ing My Newfound Love

2006-02-27T22:20:00.000+08:00

I hardly drink coffee. I’ve tried it a few times when I was younger but I never really developed a taste for it. That adult ritual my parents followed each morning didn’t rub off on me. Each cup smelled darned good but, for me, the aroma didn’t make the drink taste good. I was never really attracted to the generally bitter taste of the drink. And, somehow, adding sugar and cream made it worse. I’ve always had to wash a few sips down with a lot of water to get rid of the acrid aftertaste.

When visitors would arrive, Mom or I would prepare coffee for the guests. While I enjoyed preparing the stuff (even if we would only serve instant coffee), I could never understand why people would want to take a piping hot beverage on a sweltering or humid afternoon. I just didn’t get it.

Everyone else drinks it...

“Good coffee,” I would hear people say. Or “My secretary makes the best coffee.” Or, “You can’t talk to him until he’s had his first cup.” Gee. I couldn’t relate. I didn’t even know what good coffee was. Or what made people swoon over a great cup of joe. And yet, coffee is a billion-dollar business worldwide, second only to petroleum. All over the world, people consume 1.4 billion cups everyday or up to 400 billion cups of coffee a year. Billions of coffee drinkers around the world must know something I don’t.

But just because everyone else is drinking it shouldn’t mean that coffee is the only beverage of it’s kind available to all. It always irked me that at conferences, seminars and other gatherings in hotels, for instance, only coffee and water are usually served. What about people like me who prefer caffeine-free, herbal teas? At some point in my life, I became quite sensitive to caffeine that I would palpitate and feel nervous for hours after having a caffeinated drink.

When Starbucks came to our shores, I would have the occassional frapuccino; but that was it. If I remember to order it decaf, I’d be okay. Otherwise, I’d have to find a way to expend the jolt of energy that kicks in after I finish a 12-ounce cup.

I have a bottle of instant coffee at home which I bought for the chocolate tiramisu and truffles that I occassionally make. I keep it handy too in case I have house guests who prefer to drink coffee than tea or dalandan juice. I’ve never really used the coffee to drink myself.

Genuine espresso

Which is why I surprised myself when I decided to go to the Enderun Colleges in Ortigas to attend an illy coffee seminar over the weekend. Illy is a renowned brand of coffee made by generations of the Illy family in Trieste, Italy, located about one hour away from Vienna, Austria. Illy technical consultant Maurizio Crotta shared the basics of making espresso, something I wasn’t even curious about before that weekend.

The making of coffee, espresso in particular, is an age-old tradition in Trieste, and Italians from this region pride themselves in the quality of their espresso. Espresso is an Italian invention which made its debut at the Paris Exhibition in 1855. The word literally means “fast” and the drink is made and drunk that way—a shot of espresso is extracted and brewed within 25 seconds—give or take half a second—and drunk in about 2 to 3 sips. Traditionally, you don’t sit al fresco and nurse your espresso as you watch people go by.

It was only natural that the coffee geniuses of South Italy invented the first espresso machine in 1908. By 1961, they’ve created a much more sophisticated espresso machine with a built-in pump. Using 90 atmospheres of pressure, 90°C water is forced through 7 grams of ground coffee beans. This process extracts the oil that is naturally present in the grounds, which makes for a velvety texture and forms a 3 to 4 millimeter thick layer of crema, a creamy, reddish-brown foam on the surface of the drink.

Most everyone who attended the seminar got a shot at making two cups of espresso each. It wasn’t much work because the machine was already set up, the beans were ground, and the cups were warmed just right (around 50 to 60°C). All we needed to do was load the ground beans onto the machine, and hold the espresso cups close to the spouts to prevent any unnecessary cooling of the drink. You’re not supposed to fill the whole cup; Maurizio stopped the machine as the cups were halfway full.

It was amazing to see the crema form on the surface, and even more amazing to smell the aroma and taste the creamy, velvety texture of this concoction. So this is how good espresso is supposed to taste! It made me feel quite heady, but there was nothing unpleasant about it. There was a “kick” to it, but it was not like a surge of electricity that made me fidgety or nervous. At first sip, it still had that bitter tang, but it quickly transformed into a creamy and full-bodied flavor that lasted long after I had finished my cup. However, there was none of the aftertaste I had grown to dislike in coffee.

Bean there...

Part of this great flavor probably has to do with the beans used that day. They were illy beans, of course, which are 100 percent arabica. I’ve learned that arabica beans are from Coffea arabica trees that are grown about 800 to 2000 meters above sea level, while robusta beans are from Coffea canephora trees, grown at about 0 to 600 meters above sea level. Growing and harvesting arabica is much more labor-intensive because of the location of the trees, and its berries are more susceptible to insects, disease and the elements. Robusta beans, on the other hand, come from trees that are quite hardy and more resistant to disease.

More importantly, as author Harold McGee writes in “On Food and Cooking,” arabica has less caffeine (1 to 1.7%) than robusta beans (2 to 4.7%), less phenolic material, which gives the brew its bitter taste (6.5 vs 10%), a higher oil content (16 vs 10%), as well as a higher natural sugar content (7% vs 3.5%).

This is probably why when we made cups of capuccino that day—with 1/3 layer of espresso, 1/3 layer of steamed full-fat (at least 3.2% fat) milk, and 1/3 layer of foam—it tasted great even without any kind of sweetener.

I was happy to have a second cup of espresso, however; which, I believe, was unusual because tradition supposedly dictates that one cup is enough for a day. But with the madelines, fruit tarts and pound cake they served that day, it was a heavenly combination that was difficult to resist.

I have to say I’m a convert. I have a new appreciation for coffee now, particularly espresso. It will probably be a while before I am able to make that perfect espresso brew, however, especially since I do not have a machine at home and so will not be able to practice the science and art of making espresso. So I will have to content myself with sampling other people’s brews for now but, this time, with a more discerning eye, nose and palate.