Food articles posted in Jun 2007

Vegetable cooking oil, olive oil and peanut oil

These days, there are so many kinds of cooking oil available in the market, it’s rather confusing which is best for what. Many people put a premium on “no-cholesterol” while others will still go for the one with the cheapest price. I’m not fussy about my cooking oil as long as it doesn’t smell stale [...]

Stainless steel Chinese woks

A lot of people, especially Westerners, would probably consider a Chinese wok as a specialty cookware — something that is used occasionally and only for cooking certain kinds of dishes. For me, however, and I’m not even Chinese, a wok is even more basic than the usual cooking or sauce pans.

I have two woks. The [...]

Cooking pans

When we browse through food magazines or watch cooking shows on TV, a kitchen is always presented as an interior designer’s masterpiece. Lots of shiny cooking pans hanging on the wall or from the ceiling, fresh herbs and vegetables on the counter, colorful plates, immaculately clean everything… Well, that’s showbiz. Just how many cooking pans [...]

The perfect barbecue sauce/marinade

The photo below is the braised pork spare ribs we had for dinner on Sunday evening. To braise means to cook in very little liquid. It is my ideal alternative to marinating and grilling or roasting. When I don’t have to time to marinate meat overnight in the fridge, I prefer to simmer it in [...]

Jars of dried herbs and spices

I love herbs and spices. I especially love picking fresh herbs from our backyard. But, alas, in a country where the typhoon season can last up to six months, fresh spices aren’t always easy to grow at home. So, I keep a stock of dried herbs and spices.

Contrary to common perception, dried herbs don’t last [...]

Boiled vegetables with butter and thyme

I was going to pan fry the vegetables in butter until they were tender crisp then serve them as an accompaniment to the braised pork spare ribs. But I wanted to add some herbs to the vegetables so I checked what there was in the kitchen cabinets. The potted herbs are almost bald and I [...]

Outside the supermarket

There were two reasons why Market! Market! used to be such a magnet for me. One was the potted herbs; the other was the array of regional delicacies sold in stalls beside the open food court.

You know, like the pickled quail eggs…

The pastillas that came in oh, so many flavors…

The taba ng talangka (which [...]

Chopping boards — wood or plastic?

If my father were still alive and he had a chance to read this entry, he would be smiling from ear to ear. My father used wooden chooping boards — only, exclusively. We would even drive south to buy the large round ones, the cross cuts from trunks of huge tamarind trees.
What’s so special about [...]

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Asian cooking

• Chicken and cabbage stir fry with chili garlic sauce
• Mapo Tofu, take 2
• Bangus (milkfish) and broccoli stir fry
• Chop Suey
• Ostrich chop suey
• Pork and vegetables stir fry with pili nuts
• Pork teriyaki fried rice
• Char sui (Chinese barbecue sauce)
• Tokwa’t isda sa gata (fish and tofu in coconut milk)
• Stir-fried Beef and Straw Mushrooms

Asian Pantry

• Blended herbs
• “Fish tofu”
• Cornmeal, finally!
• Star anise (sanque)
• Bawang na mura (spring garlic)
• Cocoa powder
• Rattan fruit
• Bulaklak ng saging (banana blossoms)
• Shaoxing rice wine
• Lemongrass (tanglad)

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