Lechon Kawali

The first thing that a Filipino misses when he goes abroad is its food. And aside from not being able to cook them due to lack of time, or too much splatter, it is my contention that a filipino must haves are: rice cooker, slow cooker and a turbo broiler.

When i visited the wine shop to purchase a bottle of red, I was surprised that a certain brand of white wine was on sale for a dollar a bottle, which in the regular market could have sold for at least 8. The sommelier then informned me that the liquid has oxidized and is just considered better for cooking than for the table version than it was suppose to be. I bought a whole box since i do a lot of cooking with wine.

The night before, I had already placed the pork belly in the slow cooker, poured a bottle of wine and some store bought broth to cover the meat. I then added some garlic, onions, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns and left it overnight to boil for 8 hours under the slow cooking method. When I woke up, I took it out of the slow cooker and strained it on a rack. At this point I got the turbo broiler.

An hour before lunch, I started to cook my rice on the rice cooker, placed the belly on the turbo broiler and set the timer for 45 mins. Then I just forgot all about it until I became hungry for lunch.

Did I need to watch the pork while it was boiling? NO
Did I need to stir my rice while it was cooking? NO
Did I have too much splatter while making my lechon kawali or did I
need to turn it and keep watch over it while making it crispy? NO

Did I have a good, complete Filipino meal without having too much hassle:

YES!YES!YES!....
(the side dishes are your choices...mine came from a bottle)

In conclusion, are you a filipino that has a rice cooker, slow cooker and a turbo broiler...

GUILTY AS CHARGED!

Food Pairings

I am now into food pairings which means that the food I cook or eat should be paired by a drink that not only pushes its way down from the mouth but must leave a full memory of the whole epicurean experience.

Wine, beer or any other alcoholic drink is more often associated with merriment. A time for celebration, relaxation and bonding with buddies. For others, it is to be shunned when religious beliefs are suspect to it for being of a different spirit. An evil temptress that takes away the guards of inner inhibitions. But then that is the perception of many a fundamentalist. And it was mine for several years, until my views have been altered by a more knowledgeable approach.

There are many stories in the biblical text that mentions of wine with meals. Even the first miracle of Jesus conerning the wedding in Canaan, was about wine. John Wesley, founder of the methodist church, said that "wine is one of the noblest cordials in creation", and Martin Luther even mentioned that, "Beer is made by men, wine by God." But how come, many associate it with drunkeness? The real problem is best explained by the chinese proverb:" it is not the wine's fault, but the man's".

When I offer an alcoholic beverage to a serious fundamentalist christian (especially pastors...hahahaha!), it is more often rejected. Why? because of the bad publicity alcoholic/fermented beverages has had, and the amplification of man's weakness/sinfulness. Until we understand what it is really to take in beverages with alcohol content and our goal of why we do so, it then become a totally different experience. In previous years, where drinking was an excuse to loosen inhibitions, it is my quest to be able to marry the solids with the liquids that play around my palate. It is an integral relationship that is personal, intrinsic and satisfying.

Combining food with drinks are often best when we know how to pair them. Fish with white wine, or red wine with meats are often the safe choice. But that was the norm years ago, mainly because fish or seafood meals were lighter and should have a lighter beverage such as whites. And thus vice versa the red. But a few years back, that has already changed. Many white wines have been grown in different regions globally that can produce a full bodied heavy texture similar to the reds.

One thing I have learned to food pairing is that if it grows together, then it goes together. Simply put, if you have pasta on your table it is a wise choice to order italian wine, or that tapas are great with Spanish wines. It would be exotic to drink Austalian chiraz with an emu meat, or that French wines with sock stinking blue cheeses with worms sticking out.

In the travel chanel, Andrew Zimmern's show "Bizaare Foods", he was eating among other Filipino delicacies, the famous "balut". The pinkish beak and the tiny fleshy hair coming out of the bird makes me cringe. Although he particularly liked the taste of its meat, he wasn't keen on the juices, which to us Filipinos consider it so tastily delicious. Yet as I pondered on the way he said it, I came to the conclusion that the taste of the juice is actually the excrements of the bird itself. You probably would do the same thing being stuck in a shell for 16 days, having poo and pee all over and getting boiled along with it. Best pair for this salty balut, is the sweetness of the tuba!..hmmm..that one Zimmern has to try.

Last year, I went to a tequila tasting in Chelsea Market, home of the Food Network. As i recalled, we had different dishes that went with the 3 kinds of tequila. We had a sort of ceviche for the blanco, a black bean concoction with the reposado and the churros for the anejo. It was a totally satisfying and educational experience.

Two weeks ago, Mike and I purchased a few ounces of foie gras. I have heard so much about it being paired with a sauternes, that I went to the wine shop and asked to see a bottle . Behind the cash register and on a shelf was an 8 oz of yellowish liquid, that had an engraved gold plated sign "cheap wine". The sommelier picked the bottle and presented it to me as the only sauterne he had. When he told me the price, my jaw dropped with amazement. The small sweet tasting 8 oz. alcoholic beverage known as a sauterne cost about $499.00 per bottle. No way, Jose! am I going to buy such an extravagant liquid. Instead, he suggested a cheaper beverage such as a muscat. Why do most expensive stuff be so grossly extracted--cheese with worms, roes from 20 year old beluga fishes, and sauternes made from noble rot...

I was priviledged one time to dine at a fine dining resto somewhere in Manhattan. Where once I get intimidated by well dressed waiters who ask for your first order of a drink, i then got to know the importance of wine stewards or sommeliers. They are the buddies of the chef, the matchmakers of the food served, the friends of vintners. They are the ones who make a living out of drinking wine and telling you which goes best with what. In as much as I did want to order several drinks for several courses he suggested, it was just over my budget to try them all. Later on, I bought a bottle I liked which cost a little above than what I would have spent over just a glass in a fancy restaurant.

Last December, Mike and I had lunch at Morimoto's restaurant. I had a Morimotini while Mike had a saporo beer, Japanese food with Japanese beverage. Coming home, this gave me an idea of coming up with my own drink to eat with my own namesake, Silvana (actually it was sans rival but similar in recipe). I called my drink Silvanatini which is a combination of tequila, exotic fruit juice and several cuts of strawberries, cucumber and cherries. Yummmm.!

Thinking about this blog, made me want to picture my friends!






Red wine with cheese, chocolates, crackers and fruit:



tequilla and tomatoes is tempting:




white wine with chocolates



fruit flavored water:



the gang's all here:


the gang and the ladies:

Bird Talk

Two birds were sitting by a corner , oblivious to their surroundings. Mr. Quail and Mr. Duck, were sitting accross each other when they started to talk.

Mr. Quail: You looked plastered ! Wazzup,bro!

Mr. Duck: Man!!!This economy really sucks. I was having such a good time at
my Hamptons abode then, but now everything's gone caputz!!!

Mr. Quail: same here, man..what happened!

Mr. Duck: Well, me and my friends were minding our own business when
we see our friend, Duck White in his A-flock commercial that
earned him big bucks. We wanted a good life too so we
thought the best thing was to join the market. So my buddies placed
a lot of their eggs in one basket and asked me to check Wall Street
to check the market. There were many banks to
choose from but I thought the name Lee Man was better sounding than a
girly name, Mary Lints. Besides, my friend Peking, a household name in
China was a rich mogul and having a Chinese sounding name could bring us
luck.A month after, the bank collapsed..I should have known than to invest
in one of our kind….Imagine,I then realized I was banking with Duck Fold…

When the bank went belly up, I thought to myself, “I’m deader than a
dead duck!” How could I face my buddies now. I went to the Hudson and
swam my way around thinking….You know, that kind of swim where they think
you’re floating very well but under the water you’re paddling like hell…
That was what I did for a couple of days.

Then the news hit me that Lee Man was going to be bought out by a
relative. There was hope, I thought. What a jerk that relative, I think
he was called Bark Lee. Some dog! He only took the meat and didn’t care
for the rest. However, I was told we’d get our basket back without the
eggs of course. The insult is that the basket would be given when
everyone flew to a warmer climate.

Mr. Q: Did you eventually tell yor friends what happened after that?!

Ducky: Yes I did. At first, there was a lot of quacking, I thought I’d go deaf.
Then as expected, they chopped my head off and fed it to the dogs.
Plucked my feathers and made it into a feather duster, and skewered my meat
for barbecue. As for my bones, the pounded it to make into fish meal.

Mr. Q: what happened after that!

Ducky : What more could they do? At least I still had my dignity. I didn’t lived
in the Hamptons for no reason. I had a good life…But it’s not the same
anymore…..How about yours, what’s your story?!

Mr.Q: Am just an ordinary quail leading an ordinary quail’s life. Peck to peck
existence. Then I wrote a fiction about a Woman Featherweight Champion
which I entitled, “Loves and Life of Manilyn Quackyao”. I worked so hard on
the book which I considered my nest egg, and it became the No#1 bestseller.

Duck: What did you do with the eggs you earned.

Mr. Q: I heard this St Bernard canine, Maddog. You know he’s rich but the quiet type. A friend of mine convinced me to invest with him. Even during the economic slump, he was giving high yields of interest. AT first, the checks came every month, then it got delayed, and finally the checks started to bounce. I was stunned. When I saw on t.v. and learned about his Ponzi scheme, I ran like a headless quail. Clueless at just what happened.

Mr. Duck: What did you do..

Mr. Q: Then as fast as I was running, I stopped. I realized I just got burned. That’s when I stopped running. Now am just here sitting down, thinking that my life is over. But hey, I have no regrets. I’m just about ready to be gobbled up. I don’t care anymore.

Mr. Duck: Ho hummmm…Me too. I’ll probably end up on a toast or cracker. Or if am lucky I might be on board a rare dry aired piece of fillet mignon. I might even end up meeting my buddies, Truf Fle and Cav Iar. Then all of us can go in the slammer.

Q: That's the spriti!.…at least am sure that we’ll both be going out of a shit hole.

D: That’s for sure! And hey! Who knows , we’ll probably end up in the same loo.

Q: Two in a Loo Loo! Boo hoo hoo! ….But hey, let’s not gripe…who knows! Maybe next time we’ll reincarnate as humans. Now that’s something to look forward to.

Three Appetizers on St.Patrick's Day

Yesterday, Mike and I went to Louie Armstrong’s house which was converted into a museum in his memory. The tour of his house was informative, but I really did not sense much of him. Probably because the house was more for his wife, Lucille, than for Louie due to his absences because of his tours.

Being the person that Louie Armstrong was, outgoing and all, I could feel him in his garden, amongst his friends, enjoying the parties and jamming. Another place where his presence was alive was the den, where he kept most to himself. And of course, the gorgeous wall to wall to ceiling mirror covered bathroom. He had humble beginnings but was very successful as a musician. It is unfortunate that he left no heirs, thus donating everything to the city.

After that visit, we headed to Manhattan to check on the St. Patrick’s parade, only to realize that we had missed it. Nevertheless, we strolled to the upper side of Times Square towards the theatre where David Letterman holds his night shows.

On the side street of the theatre, there was a crowd that gathered. Mike thought there was a film shooting going on, since cameras were clicking everywhere. As we approached, we immediately heard shrieks of “Julia!!!” And to my amazement, there she was in her black dress.beautiful like in the movies, my idol in ‘my best friend’s wedding”--Julia Roberts! In the flesh!

Anyway,....of course nothing completes my day without having to cook up in my to-do list of cooking which included appetizers. Earlier in the day, I made salmon ceviche with wasabi vinagrette and this is it:



-salmon cut up in bite sizes
-wasabi powder
-grated ginger
-minced scallions
-few tablespoons of vinegar
-salt and pepper to taste

we ate this for breakfast and boy it was so yummy. Then I rememered that the Japanese ate their sashimi's in the morning when the morning catch was still so fresh. And that's just what we did.

Later on I baked some bone marrow after seasoning them. When the fleshy part was smooth and spreadable, I plated them with condiments and toast. There was also a little radish salad to wash away the oiliness but the buttery taste was yummmmmmm.


I also made scallops on cheese cups...

Starting the Weekend

The sun was still bright when the train rolled into the New York Penn Station at half past three in the afternoon. The station‘s main lobby had people scampering like ants anticipating the drops of rain, running in all directions, while others stopping to look at schedules posted on strategic locations. It was a Friday

My country pace and restful demeanor were so contrary to what was happening around me. I was thankful that I didn’t have to be in any ’rat race’even if I was witnessing one at the moment. After all, it was the start of my vacation, and I wasn’t going to do much than what was already planned. Or so I thought!

Earlier in the week, I listed the things I wanted to do. No long trips just so I can relax in some remote vacation spot. Besides, wherever one went with a phone, there’s a bunch of people following right behind. Isn’t that what the phone advertisment always insinuated, even amidst a dead spot? Besides, with today’s economy, every penny saved is important.

A broadway play, a comedy show, museum visits and lots of dining out were at the top of my list. A few weeks ago, I had gotten an email which entitled me to discounts at several restaurants. These were gift certificates that cost me only about 10 percent of the total cost. I chose some Spanish restos that had a whole lineup of tapas, some Mediteranean with their mezzes, Asians with their curries and sushis. And a mixture of French, Italian and American cuisine. Using these certificates would go a long way with my budget.

With eating, there also will be lots and lots of cooking, plating, styling and photographing my creations.. One of my project was to create and plate individual servings of Filipino dishes. Normally, Filipino dishes are served with family style mentality. Several dishes are ordered to be shared by everyone. My thoughts are to make single servings as palatable and appealing as buffet style eating.

And finally, in my last few days, I would like some alone time with my laptop and my thoughts.That is what I want to do…and I hope I can achieve something aside from resting my aging physical existence.

My first attempt at pinoy food evolution was an inspiration of 'rellenong bangus'. Back home, I would labor myself pounding the bangus, extracting the flesh side, sauteing it with vegetables and stuffing them right back in, only to fry or bake them once more. Here in America, time is precious and bangus is a commodity in some states.

Salmon is readily available and rice wrappers can be found in asian stores. It's one of those must haves of an asian pantry. So I thought of making a salmon encased concoction. And this is how it came out.



I know I can do a better job, but hey! it's my first attempt. If I rate myself as a photographer I'd get a mediocre grade...for a styling/plating newbie, I'd flunk myself, but as a chef! hands down!!!!my critics say it tastes so much like the rellenong bangus but with a salmon taste..ofcourse,silly! it's made of salmon. By the way, I fried the salmon skin like chicharon and it came out so crunchy. Don't we do that with our fried rellenong bangus?...I mean the crunchy side of it.


And yesterday, my daughter-in-law Aileen made this superbe ice cream out of raspberries and mascarpone cheese. So rich, and yummy, I just had to style it. And this is how I served it to my husband.



And this is how the ice cream looked after everyone had their fill of the dessert.

See Food Weekend

I have had a wonderful weekend because I not only made delicious meals,complete with drinks, but I as well took pictures of them. My son thought I was so busy, but in reality,I didn't really feel busy because I was having fun.

Since, it's been awhile that I made Tempura, I just needed to brush up on it. Normally, when frying shrimp with batter, the moment the shrimp hits the oil,it just curls up. I tried many ways of cutting the shrimp, after deveining, either make a slit in front or the back or whatever,it just curls...So this time,I wasn't going to fail, and I stuck them with a stick.That ought to keep them straight.



It was so funny how they looked all lined up when I laid them on the paper todrain the oil. So when I did plating, I had to let them stand and captioned it "more heads are better than one" since all the shrimp heads were cuddling in one direction. What a funny way to put it...all shrimpheads are better than one...

Then I had a friend who took a picture of some fish in the market all laid in a line and on top of another. He called it death and daing...I had this butter spreader that looked like a hangman's tree,where the butter spreader was hanged and the cup containing the spread was down below. I used it to hang my head shrimp and titled it, "Battered, Beheaded and Hanged" It was so funny....




Last week, I bought some fish that I saw at the oriental store. I wanted to make them into anchovies. First, I cleaned off their heads and guts and then burried them in salt inside a ceramic dish. A week later, I took them out and discarded the old salt as it was being contaminated by the fish blood that melted off the fish. It was too early to bottle them and preserve it, so I took out 3 pcss. AT this stage, they are considered daing or buwad. The pinoy in me just needed some dried fish and rice. And boy, did it taste yummmmmm.



Okay, so then, am done cooking at my son's house and decided to pair my food with some of the drinks I also made up. And i made 2: Ms Crummy (cranberry juice and rhum)



and Maldita Margarita (tequilla, lime, jalapeno slice and ice)



So if that wasn't enough, after visiting my son, I still had to make my gourmet fish ball and the vietnamese spring roll. Not because I wanted to cook this time, but because I just needed to see some photographic effects on similar backdrops.


And so it was

Vietnamese Spring Rolls....



Over all, I had so much fun. Can't wait to try more this weekend.


Black Sesame Crusted Salmon