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Lumpiang ubod (heart of palm spring rolls)

The last time I made lumpiang ubod, my firstborn (now 15) was still a baby and we were living at my in-laws’. I had too many excuses for not making lumpiang ubod all these years — I had no non-stick pan to make those crepe-like wrappers, it was such a hassle going to the market so early in the morning for the ubod choice cuts, the weather’s too hot…

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February 18, 2008 · Filed Under Filipino food, Vegetable recipes

Lumpiang labong (bamboo shoots spring rolls)

I would have made lumpiang ubod (heart of palm spring rolls) but that entails going to the market very early in the morning when the ubod is fresh and I can still specify which portion I want. But after cooking the kids’ packed school lunch, by the time they have left for school, all I want is to crawl back into bed…

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January 15, 2008 · Filed Under Filipino food, Vegetable recipes

Ginataang puso ng saging (banana bud/blossom in coconut cream)

I was in high school when I first learned to cook guinataang puso ng saging. I remember my father advising that I choose the puso ng saging that was long, cream-colored and no more than three inches in diameter at the thickest part. Why that was preferable over the more common fat reddish and fat puso ng saging, I never asked, although I suspected it had something to do with the numerous varieties of banana available in the Philippines. One time years later, when I was obliged to use the non-preferred variety, I realized that the long cream-colored puso ng saging was more tender and required a shorter cooking time.

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September 9, 2007 · Filed Under Filipino food, Vegetable recipes

Adobong sitaw 2

adobong sitaw (string beans) and ground pork I have an older recipe for adobong sitaw where I used small cubes of pork belly. This time, I used ground lean pork.

Is there much difference? Well, adobo is basically a fatty dish. It just doesn’t taste right unless there is some fat in the meat and the sauce. So, using ground lean pork does make a difference. I suppose it’s a matter of what is right for youâ€¦

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October 20, 2006 · Filed Under Filipino food, Vegetable recipes

Pinakbet without bagoong

The title of the entry sounds sacrilegious, I know. Pinakbet without bagoong. Well, tough. I am allergic to bagoong (shrimp paste) and even its fish version. In fact, there are certains brands of patis (fish sauce) that do not agree with me as well. Ironically, I love the Ilocano classic dish called pinakbet–not for the bagoong-flavored sauce but for the wonderful mixture of vegetables. And I always felt a little deprived when, growing up, everyone in the family could enjoy a hearty meal of pinakbet except me.

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September 18, 2006 · Filed Under Filipino food, Meat recipes, Vegetable recipes

Adobong kabute sa gata (mushrooms adobo in coconut cream)

It’s not the same as cooking pork or chicken adobo. Mushrooms are fatless and you can’t make them render fat no matter how long you cook them. You’ll only make them shrink if you cook them for too long. You don’t add soy sauce either–the mushrooms brown in oil fast and adding soy sauce will make the cooked dish far too dark to look attractive. Does that mean that this is something more complicated that meat adobo? Actually, no. This is easier and simpler.

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August 30, 2006 · Filed Under Cooking for one, Filipino food, Vegetable recipes

Lasang Pinoy 12 (fusion cooking ): sauteed mongo sprouts and asparagus with oyster sauce

So, we take the humble togue guisado and transform it. But this dish is really more than just about fusion cooking. This is about pacifying two bickering adolescents. My 13-year-old daughter Sam wanted an asparagus dish for dinner last Sunday while 12-year-old Alex wanted togue (mongo or mung bean sprouts). In fact, they had been arguing since the night before when we were in the supermarket and choosing what vegetables we would cook for the next couple of days. So I combined the vegetables they wanted to eat. Sam even had an extra plate of asparagus all to herself.

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July 25, 2006 · Filed Under Filipino food, Lasang Pinoy, Vegetable recipes

Mongo con pata

mongo con pata It is basically guinisang mongo. You know, boiled mongo beans, pork, diced eggplants, okra and talbos ng kamote. Except that the broth is richer because, instead of the usual liquid in which the diced pork had been simmered, I used the stock from beef pata. I also used strips of beef pata and tripe instead of diced pork. I never imagined guinisang mongo could be so good.