MANGO CHUTNEY DRUMSTICKS

Leg or breast? Leg definitely. I am no fan of chicken breast. I know that the breast meat is the most popular though the most expensive part of the chicken. Even though the best chickens have tasty breast meat, I still do not usually cook chicken breast unless it is still attached to the rest of the chicken body.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

If you like ham and cheese and fried chicken then chicken cordon bleu is just the thing for you. It is not as fancy schmancy as the name suggests. It is simply ham and cheese filled crumbed chicken. Nevertheless, it is a dish that is universally likeable, simple yet delicious.

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.

EXTRA CRISPY POPCORN CHICKEN

I thought I had graduated from the school dinner menu. After a long stint of cooking crumbed food for dinner, I have moved on to a more mature menu (all seen on my blog posts) when my children grew up.

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.

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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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.

KOREAN STYLE HONEY CITRUS WINGS

It was love at first bite when I first had Bon Chon fried chicken. The thin crisp crust intrigued me so much. The glaze was delicious but I found that the hot and spicy flavourered wings burn and the soy garlic lacks excitement. The new honey citrus (this is not available in all Bon Chon outlets) is the one for me. The tangy and sweet glaze works perfectly with the crusty fried chicken.

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.