Oon-oonan nga Salmon

During the week, I am bombarded with bagels and cream cheese for breakfast; pizza, hotdog, mac and cheese/quiches for lunch and cheese casseroles for dinner. So overwhelmed with American junk that when I get my weekends off, I look for rice and any filipino viand I can think of.

Yesterday, my sister in law had a pre-thanksgiving dinner since the whole family was leaving for Ohio to spend Thanksgiving there. So again, I was bombarded with the traditional turkey, green beans, yams, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. Typical American Thanksgiving dinner.

So early this morning, I find myself at the Oriental Store looking for pork to make humba, crispy pata or lechon kawali (whatever meat fits the above criteria) There was chicharon that was too hard to resist. But the best find that morning was a plastic bag of discarded salmon fat and bones that had too much meat still on them. The fish vendor would fillet several salmons and the discards were collected and sold for a song. Since I was an early bird, I had the choice, and they were really very limited items. And this find cost me a dollar. (about 3 lbs total at least).

I prepared my slow cooker and washed the salmon parts. Seeing the translucent fat of the salmon and the thick meat still stuck to the bones, made me salivate just thinking of the dish I was going to make.

I placed cut up tanglad, green onions and ginger at the bottom of the slow cooker, Then I spread a fourth of a pack of sinigang mix. I strategically placed the salmon pieces then covered it again with cut up tanglad, green onion and ginger. I then placed again a fourth of a pack sinigang mix with a cup of water. Placed the lid, set it to low and forgot about it for 2 hours. (well that was about how much time I forgot it)....My son said it was delicious....

(sorry! couldn't take pictures since I left my camera at my sis-in-laws house after the thanksgiving dinner-- however, this time, I have my digi cam cable with me--- now that's what I call having a senior moment- BIG TIME!)

Okay...so before I leave you, don't think that we filipinos eat all those lechons, crispy patas, chicharons and yet have fewer heart attacks....well...they say...

THE JAPANESE eat very little fat, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS

THE FRENCH eat a lot of fat, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS.

THE MEXICANS drink very litte red wine, and suffer fewer heart attack than the AMERICANS.

THE ITALIANS drink excessive amounts of red wine, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS.

THE GERMANS drink a lot of beer and eat a lot of sausage and fats, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like: Apparently, speaking English is what kills you

Fish Sticks and Fish Soup

During the week, my meals are American inspired because of the company I keep. However, when weekend comes, my palate tends to be more on the adventurous side, when I have more time to make recipes from scratch.

I am not one to go for ready made frozen food, but when necessity dictates, I have no choice. However, if there is one item that I would rather make from scratch is the fish sticks. First, because ready made frozen fish sticks have more of the breadings than the fish. And second, I really don't know what kind of fish they put in. Since they are so even like, I presume they mash it and then shape it to uniform thinckness. Similar to the fish ball type which I have never really liked even when placed in those chinese soups.

So given the time and resources, I do my own



Cut the fish into desired finger shapes. Wash and pat try with paper towels
Season with salt and pepper. Then toss in seasoned flour to coat.
Dip in beaten egg and then roll in bread crumbs. Then fry.
Serve with your favorite dip. In this picture, I got the garlic caesar salad dip. There are so many gourmet dips in the market today that you should try at least some. There is this wasabi dip made from rothschild farm, that is to die for. If you get a hold of it, try it. (that's if you like wasabi).

Yesterday, after visiting my son, Mike decided to make fish soup (his version) I was too tired to cook, and so I let him be. He wanted a sweet version so I told him to use miso. Well! he didn't listen and instead was very adventurous.



He had half of a huge fish head cut up into pieces. He sauted chopped onions and let it carmelize, then added water. He then placed the cut up fish head plus all the other ingredients which included the juice of one orange. (I guess this also took the langsa out), a small piece of glazed ham, scallions, and some seasonings. When the concoction boiled, he turned off the heat and dropped the bokchoy. The pinkish thing on top of the fish is my garnish of pickled ginger. Yummm...Surprisingly, the taste was excellent. It had a sweet taste (due to the onions and ham), the fatty meat of the fish melted in your mouth, and there was no fishy smell nor after taste (probably the citric orange did this). When I asked Mike what he called his soup, he said VOS (Victory for Obama Soup) since he thinks his soup was also a success.

Chicken Liver Canape and Bihod Tempura

In the Philippines, there is no food wasted. EVery part of the animal is eaten or used for a variety of purposes.

Let's take the case of a chicken. The feathers are used for a duster or as adornments for a dress,and the rest for food. We all know the edible parts such as the breast, thighs and legs which are fried, adoboed or stewed. Then the parts of the neck, wings, backbones and wingtips can be used for broth while the innards such as gizzards and liver are often made into cocktail bit sizes like what I did.

wrap chicken liver in bacon and bake/broil
serve with your favorite dip. I would have placed a decorative bamboo toothpick on it but I ran out of it. My favorite dip would be aoli -smashed garlic mixed with a little oil to form into paste. Or the ranch dressing with little mustard is doable.Especially if you have vegetable strips to go with it.


My next project on this will probably be the famous chicken feet in soy sauce. But I have to process my thoughts on this yet. Am not so keen on making it if I also don't make steamed fried rice to go with the chicken feet in taosi.

Anyway, when we went to chinatown last weekend, Mike saw bihod (fish roe) from a huge fish. It costs a dollar a pack and I guess it weighed about a kilo per pack. It was so cheap that he couldn't let go of it. This is one third of a pack.


Mike washed the bihod and placed a lot of salt. The next day, I drained the water that build up because of the sale. Then I patted it dry with paper towels and cut them into bite size pieces. I rolled the roe in flour to seal, and then rolled them again in crushed black pepper. I made tempura batter and fried it. The result was just amazind and this is the outcome





I made tempura sauce by grating ginger and mixing it with ready made tempura sauce which we bought in the oriental store.

Here in America, there are places where you can get this kind of fish roe for free. In the next town where we live, there is a fish market that gives away tuna head and tuna belly. And boy! we have a feast everytime we visit our suki...in return we buy the most expensive fish cut of whatever fish he has in season. So either way is a winwin situation.

And speaking about fishes---it's one of the best pet you can have. Why? because you don't have to scoop poop like you would in a cat or a dog. You wouldn't have to bathe your pet since a fish is always in water. A fish is quiet yet talks to you all the time. Just watch his lips and figure out what he's saying...It can be theraphy ..and when you lose your job, well! he could be your last meal, as well.

Plating

Lately, I have been obsessed with presenting my food in artistic ways. Even my own lunch of crackers and Mike's cut sashimi, I just had to have presentation.



Then if there are any leftovers, like quiches, I look for ways to make it appealing.. As they say, you eat with your eyes, before you really put it in your mouth and confirm if it tastes as good as it looks.




Near our place in New Jersey is a fish store where they just almost always give away what the 'puti' don't eat, and this includes salmon fish heads and belly. So when the opportunity came, that there were fresh fish delivered, we had sumptious sashimi..and this is what we had