Winter is gone and so will be the roasted chestnuts – one of the evanescent pleasures of the coldest season of the year. So let me share a glimpse of this packet of tasty, nutritious treat that I bought from … Continue reading Roasted Chestnuts
Living at the top of a 6-storey apartment in Beijing (inside the 2nd ring road northeast of the Forbidden City) without a lift do has its advantages. Yes, no elevator for 2 to 6 stories and having a penthouse that is literally on the 7th level doesn’t count at all. Aside from the daily and sometimes unwanted exercise, we love the view from our penthouse and watching the marvelous fireworks over Beijing skyline for the 2nd time since Beijing lifted its 12-year ban on it was simply awesome! Xinnian Kuai Le! Gong xi fa cai! Above is a photo of … Continue reading Mandarin Oranges
The past workweek was tremendously busy and furious. The kitchen constantly served catering events and group reservations, and at nearly the same labour hours and with more workload at hand, each and everyone in the brigade was pushed and stretched beyond their physical demands. However, this does not occur as often as usual. It’s Christmas again and with all the get-togethers, reunions and parties spotted in the city, it is by far normal to be frenetic, frantic and to what they call here “stupidly crazy” in the hospitality and food service businesses.
It’s indeed that time of the year again when get-togethers amongst close friends; family, compatriots and even ex-lovers tend to happen. The air just changes instantly and for whatever reason, the troubled society and the warring nations somewhat pause to a standstill, becoming warmer and comforting to strangers and a bit generous to street urchins and beggars. This must be the magic of Christmas, the magic brought forth by coming of the ‘One.’ In a couple weeks, this magical mystery tour in what my ‘brother’ coined as a hostile environment will end. Everyone does not want this moment to disappear, I suppose. It’s such a joyful occasion. Who doesn’t want infinite bliss?
Living in a busy and desolate concrete jungle makes me somewhat emotional and sentimental sometimes. It’s only this season that my emotions flare and by far mine is already torched. This is one of the quietest seasons I have celebrated (what celebration?) and for whatever reason; any social gathering or connection to anyone is precious and dear. Almost everyone I have met or bumped into has had plans to be away from the city, away from societal misdemeanours. It’s such time, again, just brilliantly fantastic! And I’m here stuck battling an apartheid of mixed emotional tundra.
In one of those solemn and quiet moments after work, I did feel some real Christmas spirit in the air. On the 14rth of December, Maripi and I planned and hosted a dinner for friends to celebrate this once a year forthcoming. Knowing that almost everyone would be away for the holidays or maybe would be on somebody else’s lap and arms, this gathering would have been the last one for the year, a last hurrah of sorts. Just as what Christmas may have exemplified over and over here and around the globe, it was a joyful hosting of food, wine and good and meaningful conversation.
Maripi had prepared the aperitivo and insalata while I took care of the entree. The aperitivo Maripi concocted was a canape of crackers, dulong and capers. It matched the Sherry and white wines brought by guests. The dulong, which was bottled and preserved in a brine of olive oil and seasonings, made a spiritual and traditional homecoming of a Filipino fish, making the start even more nostalgic. Unfortunately, I had to skip the insalata. It was topped with surimi, making my palate up and arms, and my tummy flipping in despair if I had taken it.
I have never in my life cooked for a group and this became some sort of a challenge. I’ve cooked for two a year before that just to test what I have learned in CulinarySchool, but never for five and I only had two hours to finish everything. I knocked my system out and began the challenge. I prepared the following: Stuffed Chicken Legs in Sherry Reduction, Boneless Chicken Breast in Mushroom Sauce, Roasted Zucchini, and Rice with Tomatoes and Beans. From the way the dinner went, the Stuffed Chicken Legs took a perfect score of ten. The group loved it! And I of course was in LALA land. This goes to prove that being patient in prep work does wonders to food. It took me about an hour to de-bone and stuff 4 Chicken Quarter Legs and another half hour to cook the sauce. I have learned a lesson in this undertaking that I will carry with me for a lifetime. Based on this dish, I have concluded that being patient on something or to someone could be rewarding, I reckon this conclusion goes well too in winning a woman’s heart. I have some more miles to go.
Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat! Heto po Christmas in Beijing… unlike last year when we had a wonderful time back home. What do I miss? Lemme start with…
The 1st term of Antonio’s schoolyear has ended with a Christmas party – a potluck party like how it was last year. As expected I didn’t cook anything for a party of 5 boys and +/-12 girls but bought cookies and donnettes from the nearest dependable bakeshop. The price is reasonable though may be on the expensive side by local Chinese standard. I carefully packed them in plastic plates and aluminum foil and wrapped them in handmade Christmas packages. The stingy, thrifty mom I am, I cut off few pages from one of our wallpaper sample catalogues and use them as gift wrappers. Wallpaper material with green and gold damask pattern and fuchsia ribbons. Kartonite et al. Neat!
Erwin Ines, cooking and writing from Canada, has decided to jump into the ripples of the butterfly effect. Here is his own take aptly entitled Paru-parong Bukid, which literally translates to “farm butterfly.” The meme’s guidelines are here. – Iska
It’s a dawn of a new day. I have seemingly been into a tunnel of a major trial and tribulation, which I feel I will abandon soon enough. It didn’t work to my expectation or to my desires. I would love to stay, but I know in the long-term or in the near future, this very, very short stint won’t positively workout. This sort of wandering brought me to an episode somewhere, lingering in my head, for about an hour so, specifically about my life here, which is now centred on food. I’ve immersed myself to this liking and went a bit overboard in this journey. I’ve missed a step, again, and I have to reconcile my thoughts and my wants against my urgent needs. In this particular quest, I would love to share my traipsing, my sojourn of eternal bliss, into this new adventure.
I was asked about several things regarding food and being a food aficionado: An Ingredient, A Dish or Recipe, A Meal, A Cookbook, A Chef or Food Personality, and Another Person in my Life. These topics cover most, if not many, of a food lover’s recipe to the past; a comforting sign of remembering those leisurely Sundays with family and friends while reinforcing the present and carving the future that lies somewhere. Below are my loving companion and motivation in the kitchen. They have shaped me as a person as I am now and gave me real inspiration to move on despite the harsh realities of being exposed in a kitchen work life.
Erwin Ines is this blog’s reader/commenter who never fails to give great cooking tips. I invited him as a guest blogger and I am ecstatic that he agrees to contribute this entry for the 15th round of Lasang Pinoy. A Credit and Financial Analyst in Manila, Erwin migrated to Canada in 2003 and made a drastic career change a year and a half later. With his passion for food and love for cooking, he decided to take a Continuing Education Chef Training Course at George Brown College’s Chef School in Toronto. He currently works as a cook in an Italian-American restaurant.
Strange Love
Ever wondered why Filipino cooking has never transcended into the realm of fine dining? In Manila, fine and casual dining has evolved from 15 to 25 years ago because of several obvious factors: economy, competition, creativity, the need for newer and fresher concepts and globalization. These liberal and presented juggernauts of world politics and common belief of almost total to complete improvement of self as well as self-respect and political parody have brought Filipino taste to majestic heights. However, this is only true for Manila, the city I have abandoned and loved. How about across the Atlantic? Have Filipinos realized how far Pinoy food has competed against their counterparts? South Asian, Thai and West Indian Cuisines have flourished, expanded, mutated and sprouted from all over, releasing their exotic and Caribbean tastes and spices. Indeed, they have become known and popular through these years. Spices such as All Spice, Garam Masala, Curry Powder (in paste & powder forms), Jerk, Coriander, and Cumin have become a mainstay in many kitchens nowadays. They have also been praised by Professional Chefs who have in time included some noticeable, succinct flavours into their menu-fusion.
Sadly, Pinoy food has only reached a certain level of appreciation and has never soared to a new level or new heights. Did you ever wonder why Pinoy cuisine, despite the never-ending and continuous flooding and flocking of immigrants around North America, have never transcended into the realm of true, exquisite, fresh, and flavourful cooking? In my short stint here, I have discovered one reason for this shortcoming: SHORT-CUTS. I feel, for many involved in cooking as a hobby, more so as a profession, and based on my kitchen experiences, Pinoys tend to cut corners and alleviate from what is right and proper or to what should be to what NOT. For example, Italians generally know how to make healthy, nurturing food for the family at a short time without making sacrifices on many ingredients. The key to good food, in their case, is freshness.
I could say I am back to foodblogging after a couple of busy months and now Mita the Unofficial Cook has tagged me for “The Butterfly Effect,” a meme created by Dan over at SaltShaker. It really is quite an interesting meme as it made me reflect on the important roles of certain items, events and people that has affected my foodie life. So here is how it goes.
Dan says on The Butterfly Effect
My thought in this meme is food items or events that changed your foodie life. Not some “oh it’s the first time I didn’t put jelly on a peanut butter sandwich and used bananas instead” sort of change, unless you truly feel that affected you profoundly. That’s the key – it affected you profoundly, in some manner. A moment you can look back at and say “that was a defining moment”. The questions are simple, the answers might be harder – an item, person, event, or place that had that effect on you, and why. They don’t have to be big splashy things – sometimes it’s something very small and simple that changes the way we view the world – the famed “butterfly effect” (and I’m not talking about the Aston Kutcher movie). So, to those who want to participate, copy this and pass it on (and, if you’re so inclined, do a trackback to the originating post). Here are your categories:
1. An ingredient
2. A dish, a recipe
3. A meal (in a restaurant, a home, or elsewhere)
4. A cookbook or other written work
5. A food ‘personality’ (chef, writer, etc.)
6. Another person in your life
The cool breeze is already in the air and I know I need to post my picture of Chinese fruit salad shown above. It is what I call Beijing’s version of Philippine halo-halo, a sweet concoction of different fruits and … Continue reading Beijing’s Halo-halo
Stef got curious with the Chinese green raisins I used for my embutido. I still have half a packet and took a photo for her.
De ja vu? Maybe just like me you also saw Mike’s mooncake box from Shangri-la Manila.
It’s a week-long vacation here in Beijing and the house is overflowing with mooncakes from Consultants and Suppliers. (Oh no! Not because of the Mooncake festival but it is China’s National Day.) This year the Mooncake Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 6th of this month when the moon is at its brightest for the entire year. Go here to read its legend.
Server problem is gone (Whew!). Back to normal way of blogging though I kinda like what I did with my last post. I think I’d do it again for the recipes next time. Hmmmm…. I used to sulk for not finding a can of corned beef here in Beijing but lo! The neighborhood Russian store always saves my day. I took the liberty to go through the canned goods section and found this can shown below. I couldn’t read a character but that cow logo somehow made me think it’s gotta be corned beef. (I bought a similar can months … Continue reading Russian Brand Corned Beef
When it’s summer in the Philippines, everybody thinks of halo-halo – a mixture of sweet beans, macapuno (sweet coconut meat), langka (jackfruit), pinipig (toasted and flattened glutenous rice), saba banana, sago (pearl balls) and sugar, filled with crushed ice and milk, and topped with ice cream, ube (sweet yam) and leche flan. Not me. I’ll pick saba con hielo over any other pinoy dessert on any given day. Call it whatever you like – minatamis na saging, banana with ice, saging con yelo. I just love this stuff.
I was browsing through my food photos and realized I have too many adobo pics. All looks a little different from one another, the basic cooking principle tweaked depending on how my family wanted it at the time. Adobo is … Continue reading How to Cook Adobo? Lemme Count the Ways…
An Entry to Lasang Pinoy 10 – Food Memories from your Childhood hosted by Buhay Cucinero. I did try thinking about other food memories from my childhood but couldn’t single out another one that could trigger more fond memories than those I’ve already written months ago in a meme with the same theme. My dad, who has such a green thumb, planted lots of fruit-bearing trees around our home that one may get lost finding it. Star apples, coconut trees (including macapuno, freak coconut full of soft meat), chico, santol, mangoes, papaya, guyabano or soursop, atis or sugar-apple, banana (finger-like … Continue reading LP10 – Ang Prutas, Bow!