Cojuagulated Chicken Blood, Chicken Heads, Cow/Pig Intestines, and Hot Dog ...oh yum?

My attempts to cook Filipino food

rowen? roman? ron? no, it's roland.: awful offal: "I realize it's been a while since my last attempt at introspection and blog-al reflection on philippine phenomena. the past week has been p..."

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I always found it hard to describe what Filipino food is to my friends, but Roland's blog explained it very well. :)

Filipino food does not have the ideal 5-star cuisine award but it's simplicity is what makes it unique. Last night I cooked monggo, which are boiled mung beans topped with mallungay (Moringa), and inabraw, which consisted of kamote (sweet potato) and sliced gourd. When I was a kid, I wasn't too fond of meat, so my mom always cooked vegetables for me. Inabraw has always been my favorite because the dish is basically  a bunch of different green vegetable cooked in a soup base. Combined with rice, it was heaven on a plate.

In any case, Roland mentioned that most Filipino food is akin to comfort food, which I whole heartily agree because it taste so good and it is so simple to make. Essentially, most Filipino vegetable dishes start off with three basic ingredients: garlic, onions, and/or tomatoes. These adds flavoring to any meat or vegetable. For further flavoring, Filipinos like to use fermented shrimp paste, bagoong (fermented fish), or patis (fish sauce). However, my mom being the health freak that she is, simply uses salt and pepper.

Since, I'm an "on the go" type of person and I often have no time to be the wifey at home by spending hours in the kitchen. I've learned to cook simple recipes that are healthy and easy to make. One thing I like about the Philippines is its abundant and cheap vegetable choices in the food market. Unlike the disappointing vegetable and fruit choices in Safeway (grocery store near Georgetown) or the expensive organic vegetable choices at Whole Foods, the Philippines (and most developing Asian countries) have a wide array of cheap and organic vegetables. The bitter melons, here, are more than a foot long, okra and green beans come in packs of 20 or more, spinach leaves are fresh, papayas are huge, mangoes are abundant, there are five different types of sweet potatoes, etc. etc. If anything, a healthy lifestyle, especially if you have the money, is so easy to have here.

I am speaking from a vegetarian foodie point of view of course. Filipino meat recipes on the other hand is a whole different blog in itself. I am not a big fan of Filipino meat dishes simply because it is cholesterol and heart attack in a pot. However, I do have respect for people who eat it. I guess that is where my American side influences me--stay away from raw and stewed entrails.

Regardless, my stay in the Philippines, thus far, has been a learning experience because I've learned to cook dishes that I never would have learned how to cook if I were in the U.S. After all, the best way to learn about a culture is to delve into the food, entrails or not, it is probably the best way to get a feel for where you come from.

EFF THE KETCHUP! Give me the ASIAN!

Yesterday, my friend Roland and I went to the movies to watch Inception, which was the trippiest movie I have ever seen. It was mind-boggling to say the least.

So, we decided to get some movie food at NYFD (New York Fries and Dip), a small movie food bar outside of the cinemas.

Last time we got food at NYFD, we weren't paying closely at the menu options. We were so hungry we just took the biggest bundle and ate it right away. This time around, however, there was a little more scrutiny involved.

Upon staring at the menu for about 15 minutes, we realized how ridiculous the menu actually was. When I see spaghetti and meatballs, I automatically pair it with bread or a pizza. Or when I see chicken poppers, I automatically pair it with popcorn or a simple hotdog. The food bundles they had, however, paired up the most random food to make it seem appetizing. In retrospect, I can't even see why. There were more "food bundles" but this was the only menu I could find.

For example, pairing a fish fillet sandwich with pesto? That's a no bueno. However, I realized Filipinos love two things when it comes to casual eating out: 1. Hotdogs, 2. Spaghetti, 3. A form of deep fried chicken. So seeing one or two of these paired up is not surprising. Combining all three? Hell, there will be a line outside of the restaurant.

The Filipino Spaghetti Recipe: Hotdog and/or Cornbeef meat, mixed with spaghetti, and of course you can't leave out ketchup for spaghetti sauce! All in favor, give me a hells to the yes!? (uhh no) I love how Filipinos, here, take things from American culture and make it their own. Adaptability is best..but not when the outcome is potential dog food (depending on how you cook it, of course--some "Filipino" spaghetti were actually pretty good..others weren't).

Then, our amusement continued when we saw the list of fries dip.  I mean, who WOULDN'T want to pair their fries with sauce like "bacon onion tomato" or "Asian" (which I'm offended/amused by because Asian culture is associated with a sauce dip) and Roland's favorite, HAWAIIAN CURRY. Which I think has tidbits of pineapple in curry sauce? I have no idea. But! Roland brought up a funny point in one of his blogs about Filipinos' love for sauce, and this is truly an indication of such.
EFF THE KETCHUP! Give me the ASIAN!

Grande Halo Halo, YES!

Grande Halo-Halo

The pictures say enough.

The bowl was the size of my face.

courtesy of Max's

MESA

Last night I had dinner at MESA: FILIPINO MODERNE. I think the food was better than Sentro but nothing can top Abe ;)

We ordered the Laing and Bistek Bangus Belly (In honor of Holy Week, meat free diet)

Laing (a well-known dish from Bicol) is made up of taro leaves, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, chili pepers, and dried fish (can include pork) was made two ways, with coconut milk and without coconut milk. The dish can be salty so mid-way through the meal I realized I had consumed a lot of rice and water. I could not even make it to the bangus without feeling full.

The Bangus, also known as milk fish, was prepared differently from what I was use to. As a kid, my mom would simply deep fry it. In this instance, however, the bangus was cooked in a sauce that tasted like a popular Filipino meat dish called called bistek, or as Americans like to call it "Beef Steak", which is sirloin beef slow cooked in soy sauce and calamansi juice. Except in this instance the dish was more on the sweet than salty side, which made for a good complimentary meal.

Top the dinner off with a sweet mango shake for dessert :D yay!

Nothing like a good dose of Filipino food to end the day.

Pinoys' Obsession Over Squid Balls and Other Deep Fried Goodness

No, not Balls as in testicles. I meant Squid Balls! Just think of mashing canned Tuna into small balls and then deepfrying it in yummy-high-cholesterol goodness.

Street vendors, food court vendors, and grocery stores sell these little balls on a stick either ready to eat or frozen. All you have to do is heat up a pan of oil, dump them in, and add a bit of hot "sawse" to the mix. For only 10 pesos a stick (4 sticks to a DOLLAR! Ay Sus!) you can enjoy these yummy delights with an ice cold soda in a plastic bag for another 10 pesos.

After work, I frequently stop at one of the following food stalls (whichever one has a smaller line) in the nearby mall to get a small snack "merienda" before heading home.

Needless to say, the signs are catchy. As for the balls, they are indeed yummy. My personal favorite is happy balls because they have different sauces to try out. The other two places allow double dipping, which is so disgusting (I just realized how many sexual innuendos are in this sentence, no pun intended). The thought of other random people taking a bite of their squid balls then dipping it into the sauce, a second or third time, makes me want to gag.

Aside from my love for deep-fried squid balls, banana que is also another favorite of mine. The bananas are drenched in brown sugar, deep fried, then drenched in brown sugar again. For eight pesos my stomach and taste buds sing while my teeth clench to fight off the cavity inducing snack.

Yes, in the Philippines anything can be deep fried. Bananas, squid balls, fish balls, tiny shrimp, cheese, hotdogs, dim sum, dumplings. For only pennies, locals give you a feast of deepfried goodness and you are one step closer to a possible heart attack.

But...when in Rome, do as the Romans do. :D

The Ease to OVEReat

One of the biggest vices I’ve experienced while being here is overeating! Everything is cheap and in small portions that my American appetite craves for more. Maybe I am just a beast in general, as my friend Nina likes to say. However, even I recognize the benefits of living in a developing country, particularly when it comes to dining out. Food is so affordable, especially for anyone with dollars in their pockets. 

Mang Inasal is a perfect example of cheap dining. The price of a large piece of chicken breast (bbq’d to perfection) and unlimited rice is ONLY 90 php (roughly $2). When I came to the Philippines in July, the bright green “Mang Inasal” was like a call from heaven. After paying ten bucks or more for meals in D.C., I welcomed the cheap and yummy eats the Philippines had to offer. At the cost of my figure, I indulged like crazy the first couple months until I realized the obese trap I was getting myself into. 

After living here for almost half a year, it is still difficult to eat in moderation. Nowadays, I look forward to moving back to the states so I can be more cautious of the money I’m spending on food (e.g. Safeway groceries, Wisey’s sandwiches, and Panda Express lunches) and make an effort to limit my food intake in fear of being broke after one meal.

Abe is BOMB

Last week I went to a Filipino restaurant called, "Abe". It was my first time to taste Kapampangan food and I was not disappointed at all. The food was amazing and close to the home-cook style that I grew up with.

Starting from the beginning of my Abe favorites:

Salad:
Paco Fern and Tomato Salad (Paco Fern is a refreshing vegetable that has a more earthy flavor rather than the usual Caesar salad).

Entrees:
Their Pinakbet (a vegetable medley sautéed with shrimp paste) tasted just like the way my mom cooks it and their Kare-Kare (oxtail, beef, and vegetables stewed in a peanut sauce) was something to be reckoned with for its richness in flavor. The beef was soft and the vegetables were infused with the peanut taste I loved. Unsurprisingly, the meal came with an unlimited serving of rice!! The true essence of Filipino culture is the love of eating. Having a hearty plate of rice to compliment good Filipino cuisine is what makes Abe a place I would want to take friends who want to experience the fullness of Filipino cuisine and have huge appetites.

Food Checklist:
Next time I go, I think I want to try their Pastel de Lengua (ox tongue with a crusty pie topping), if I'm brave enough to try it. For dessert, I always have a craving for the bitter and sour, so the Tamarind shake sounds like the real deal!

One of the disadvantages of growing up as a Filipino-American is our Filpino taste pallet. I grew up with Ilocano food all my life and the way we cook simple Filipino dishes are vastly different from how most Filipinos would cook their food. I would find myself saying, "this tastes weird" or "that is not how you should cook it." I soon realized, after living here for the last four months, that there is no specific way of cooking Filipino food. The way Filipinos cook their dishes or incorporate their ingredients are influenced by the province they come from. Hence, typical "pancit" (noodle) dishes can be cooked 50 different ways according to the Philippines' various provincial cultures.

Even though I can safely say I LOVE FILPINO FOOD, there is a large part of my culture I have not thoroughly experienced. The most craziest dish I ever had was balut and grilled chicken intestines and those are simple street foods that most Filipinos here eat on a daily basis. So... experiencing even the simplest cuisines, like adobo or pancit, can be new for me because it can be cooked in so many different ways. Regardless, expanding my Filipino cuisine pallet is something I am determined to do. From the luxurious restaurants of Serendra to the street food in Quiapo, a true understanding of one's culture does not come from simply observing from the outside. Instead, I should delve right in and allow all five senses to feel the true essence of my culture. Even though I have to close my eyes and gulp down half born chickens, I will gladly do it because I am Filipino and I am FEARLESS..or rather food fearless :)