Caramelization and cooking solo

(Written on 04 April 2012)

Fresh Roma tomatoes sizzling away in a pan. One step to a most perfect sauce!

IT’S 12:25 AM on a Wednesday morning.  I was so excited to finally get my hands on this T-Shirt that apparently can only be purchased in Malaysia, that I decided to have it washed.  Then I will have to pray real hard for it to dry so that I can wear it to the office later.  Now I’m hungry.

The nearest 24-hour McDonald’s is still quite a considerable walk from my place.  And, didn’t I just say it was way past midnight already?  Good thing is, I do know how to cook.  Knowing how to cook has its perks – foremost of which is not having your sustenance at the mercy of somebody else.

And while the thought of cooking for one’s self may sound so solitary, much worse, sad, I actually find it quite a joy.  Especially since you will have yourself to reap the rewards right after.

For tonight, my only resort could only be pasta.  In one sweeping and scooping motion, I’ve got all that I needed – from the chiller: three fresh, crisp Roma tomatoes, and hydroponically grown sweet basil; from the refrigerator shelf: a wedge of Perfect Italiano parmesan cheese; and from the cupboard:  Bertolli extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and San Remo angel hair pasta.  Oh, there was one more, a bottle of this prepared pasta sauce I suddenly fancied at the grocery shelves the other day – Agnesi Sugo Basilico.  I think it was the “Product of Italy” mark that made me snap it up.

I can whip up angel hair pomodoro – my angel hair pomodoro – in my sleep.  Every time, I would find a way to put a twist to it.  Tonight, I suddenly felt the urge to put a char on the fresh tomatoes.  If I had an oven, I would’ve probably roasted them first until they achieve sweet caramelization on the cut surfaces.  For now, the blistering them on a hot pan with a thin film of extra virgin olive oil would do.

I have a sweet spot for this pasta dish.  It’s one of those dishes that helped further develop my confidence in cooking, making me attuned to the rhythms of the kitchen.  Which, at this every late hour, began with the clanking of pots and pans against the burner grill.

For this one, I seeded the tomatoes before peeling them by first charring the skins.

The tomatoes are turned over once, to allow for the cut surfaces to achieve some caramelization.

There's the char I'm looking for!

I've always been partial to parmesan cheese that is shaved or torn. Something really rustic. That is why I would but wedges of cheese instead of pre-grated ones.

Done in a few minutes! Not even ten!

The pasta is al dente. The sauce is really chunky. Just the way I like it.

Agnesi Sugo Basilico Pasta Sauce, a new fave.

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

Inception

“WHAT IS it that you really like to do?”

“Eat.”

 

Just one of the many incarnations of my Shrimp Sinigang (shrimps in a tamarind-soured broth, with lots of fresh vegetables)

That was asked of the late Julia Child over a dinner of Sole Meunière.  I could be asked the same question, and I would’ve said that same thing – E–A–T.  It was exactly this same unbridled passion for food that fueled the inception of this blog.  I may be writing about so many mundane things but I never lose sight of what I really like to do – food and eating it.  Lots of it.

I’ve been going through my archives and I realized that I have snapped some rather nice photos of food which, apparently, are some of those that I’ve been missing too.

So I thought about putting them all together here.

I must love shrimps so much that I must have photographed every single dish of “sinigang” (meat, fish or shrimps in a broth soured with tamarind, with lots of fresh vegetables) that I have ever made with it in recent memory.  Sometimes I would cook shrimps “sarciado” style (a sauce of tomatoes with a hint of soy sauce) or just poached in a heady mixture of soda (Sprite or 7-Up) and beer (Corona is best, San Mig Light would do).

A good pot of sinigang starts with the freshest catch.

 

My family is well aware of my "shoot-first-eat-later" policy.

 

A different batch of my Shrimp Sinigang

 

These two were ready for their close-up. So I snapped a tight shot.

 

I told you, I would take photos of every single Shrimp Sinigang I would make. Haha!

 

I made this one here in Singapore. The shrimps are of the "white" variant, against the "black tiger prawns" I would usually get in the Philippines. The greens are garlic chives which I sort of re-discovered here in the Lion City. I love it and it goes with most anything.

 

This one is "sarciado" style.

 

Shrimps, this time steamed (or poached) in clear soda and beer. Yum!

 

Once I made them with oyster sauce and thought they would be perfect tumbled in a serving bowl full of fresh coriander leaves. They looked so rustic and so tasted so delicious!

I cannot love shrimps and totally forget about shellfish.  I’ve always loved Manila clams in a ginger broth.  And mussels that are just steamed with lots of finely minced onions.  As for fish, my Mama has this recipe of tilapia that is poached in lots of fresh tomatoes and calamansi juice that I just find to be truly and utterly divine in its simplicity.

Fresh Manila clams ("halaan" in Filipino)

 

Manila clams in a ginger broth. This is one of my all-time favorites!

 

I would have this dish with lots of steamed white rice that would soak up all the sweetness from the natural juices of these bivalves.

 

Mussels ("tahong" in Filipino). Here in Singapore, I learned that when referring to these I have to be very specific as to call them "green" mussels.

 

This is again one very simple dish but it is something I love love L-O-V-E to bits. Again, lots of steamed white rice completes this. And oh, the dipping sauce of pure calamansi juice should not be forgotten. I don't put fish sauce in the dip anymore because I want the natural saltiness of the mussels to shine through.

 

I didn't make this dish but I thought about putting this photo here, sort of to just underscore just how much I love seafood, shellfish in particular. This is seafood ramen, a "pasalubong" from one of my brothers.

 

This is my Mama's original, simple recipe. One of those five-ingredients-or-less thing that would turn out to be truly, utterly divine. It's called "Pangat na Tilapia sa Kamatis at Kalamansi" which I loosely translate as Poached Tilapia in Tomatoes and Calamansi.

While I may throw fancy names of salads made with delicate designer greens when I make orders at some posh restaurant, at heart I’m just really a simple boy who derives ultimate pleasure in simple greens tumbled with a generous squeeze of citrus, a splash of cheap vinegar and a sprinkling of coarse salt and sometimes, a couple of grinds of the pepper mill.  I wouldn’t even bother to put in extra virgin olive oil when I make my salads at home.  My staples have always been cucumbers, tomatoes, and obviously, lots of fresh coriander.  When I fancy having okra, I would have it steamed first.

Some of my Filipino salad essentials – spring onions, tomatoes and fresh coriander.

 

Fresh Coriander Salad. This one, I made to go along with my Adobo (pork or chicken braised in vinegar and soy sauce).

 

Fresh Salad of Cucumber, Tomatoes and Onions. I would usually have this with fried or grilled fish.

 

We eat with our eyes first. And isn't the contrast of red on pale green, against purplish hues so inviting?

 

Didn't I say I could make this everyday? Here, in this one, the shallots were sliced differently.

 

Sometimes, I would make this salad with fresh seaweed which is plentiful in the Philippines.

 

This salad literally bursts in your mouth that it can give even a simple meal a festive feel – even if just within the confines of one's palate.

 

Steamed okra would be nice in these salads too. I had this salad for about almost a month when I was going through one of my crash South Beach diets. Hahaha! (The two weeks of that diet actually prohibits tomatoes!)

I love making my pasta sauces from scratch.  And for that, I use the best Roma or plum tomatoes I could find.  Just a good coating of extra virgin olive oil at the bottom of the pan, lots of minced garlic, many dashes of cayenne pepper, a bunch of roughly torn fresh basil leaves, and a snow cap of the best parmesan cheese and I would have a supper that is as Italian as it could get wherever zip code I may be at.

I had this tomato pose for me before it had to serve its ultimate purpose – to be in my fresh pomodoro sauce!

 

The tomatoes have been "cored" and scored, ready to be blanched, the first step to making my fresh tomato sauce.

 

I may reach for a bottle of Prego or Ragu or Bertolli from time to time, but nothing beats making pasta sauce from scratch.

To me, the lowly instant noodle packs are not lowly at all, especially when prepared not according to package directions but to my exacting, idiosyncratic specifications, and topped with a heap of steamed fresh spinach.

Steamed fresh spinach, the perfect accompaniment to a couple of packs of instant noodles.

 

I love spinach so much that sometimes, they end up overwhelming the plate. They would be even so much more than the actual noodle dish.

 

When there wasn't fresh spinach in the market, I'd settle for onion leeks. Here, I had them cut on a bias, then steamed before being mixed with the noodles.

And this chance to go through my archives reminded me that I don’t mind making my chicken broth the old-fashioned way – which, I have to say, has been the same way Tyler Florence and Gordon Ramsay make theirs.  I use it for my “tinola” (chicken in a ginger broth with fresh green papaya and chili tops) and for my “mami” (Hong Kong style egg noodles in soup).

My broth always starts with the holy trinity, the mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots.

 

The mirepoix is added to a deep pot where the chicken is. I usually used a whole chicken.

 

When I don't have a whole chicken, bits and pieces will do. To the holy trinity of mirepoix, I would add a head of garlic, peel and all, and a palmful of dried thyme. I add water just enough to cover everything and then bring the pot to a boil for a good two hours – at least.

 

This noodle dish, which was simply "mami" but I decided to call "long-life noodle pot", was one of those that would make use of my chicken broth.

 

I think we have the best, most flavorful, most comforting Chicken Congee recipe at home!

 

I miss this a lot – "Tosilog" (TOcino, SInangag, itLOG). This is a Filipino combo plate of sweet cured pork, garlic fried rice, and a sunny side up.

 

I made this Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles. My recipe is an adaptation of Tyler Florence's.

I love food.  And sometimes, I feel like I could do something great with this passion when the right time comes.

I want my food, like life, to have a kick. Now that's taking the expression "spice of life" literally.

 

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

P.S. I love you

Three Cheese Penne, PS. Café, Paragon Mall, Orchard Road, Singapore

I’VE LONG been in search of the perfect macaroni and cheese.  Here in Singapore.

With all due respect to that familiar blue box that I’ve loved for the longest time, sometimes, what I long for is macaroni and cheese made the old-fashioned way.

I’m taking about starting with a roux of butter and flour, cooked just enough so that the flour is toasty before whole milk – that has first been simmered to the point that a skin has formed on top – is added.  A few minutes over low fire and the sauce will have thickened, at which point it can be seasoned with a pinch of cayenne pepper and a few scrapes of nutmeg on a microplane.  It will be taken off of the fire before at least two cheeses will be added.  I’m thinking Gruyère and cheddar.

Then, to this sauce will be added perfectly cooked penne, and in the context of the macaroni and cheese on my mind, “perfectly” means a couple of minutes under what the package instructions tell you.  Everything will be mixed well so that the sauce coats every single piece of pasta.  This is now ready to be tipped over on to a large baking dish, and then topped with more cheese.

Into the oven it will go where the inside will get even creamier, as the top gets to a golden brown color.  The sauce and the cheese will bubble over.  And that’s when it is ready to make it to the table.

That’s when it is ready to be devoured by me.  And that was exactly the image in my head as I waited there, at a corner table at PS. Café at Paragon Mall on Orchard.

And how was PS. Café’s “Three Cheese Penne”?  I sum it all up with, P.S. … I love you.

The macaroni and cheese is served with a side salad of baby greens, highlighted with sections of a Valencia orange.

I washed everything down with a tall glass of Iced Moroccan Mint Tea.

Apart from the iced Moroccan mint tea, I enjoyed the restaurant's water. It is "spiked" with slices of cucumber, lemon, carrot, and sprigs of mint.

Everything in this water is meant to "cool" it down.

I saw "Triple Cheese Penne" on the menu and didn't have to read any further!

PS. Café at Paragon has both an indoor dining section and this kiosk that overlooks the heart of the mall.

I love how Paragon went with this upside down Christmas Tree to be the focal point of their holiday decor.

Paragon Mall on Orchard Road has dressed up for the season!

Chicken Tau Kwa, Paragon Mall, Orchard Road, Singapore. This was The Boy Wonder's dinner.

So, who's the "Boss"?

Great company makes a sumptuous dinner amazing. Here, with Partner.

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

Chicken afritada

The perfect bell peppers in red, green and orange, from Cold Storage.

IT’S BEEN raining almost everyday here in Singapore that it’s starting to feel like Seattle.  I’ve been staying up really late into the night, losing sleep too.  So yeah, it’s like Seattle ‘round here.

But I’ve never been the type to sulk.  So what do I do in a situation like this?  I go to the kitchen and cook.  I swung the refrigerator door open and realized one thing – I’ve never been to the grocery for quite a while.

So one rainy early evening just off from work, I walked into Cold Storage, saw the most beautiful bell peppers I’ve ever seen – in a rainbow of red, green and orange – and knew exactly what I wanted to make.

These bell peppers were so beautiful I didn't want to cook them!

One of my serious comfort dishes is called chicken afritada.  They would always make it perfect back home in the Philippines.  And they know exactly what I truly love about it – the sauce and the bell peppers added just a mere couple of minutes before the flame is turned off.  I would spoon the sauce generously on to steaming hot white rice, and heap the bell peppers on top of it.  Instantly, it’s like having my favorite blanket wrapped around me on a chilly night.  I would be warm and comforted.

But it's inevitable that I'd cook with them because, after all, they inspired the evening's dish. Here are the bell peppers with the root aromatics garlic and onion, and some "washed" potatoes from Australia.

 

Bell peppers on the chopping block, I mean, board.

 

A tighter shot of these beauties.

 

Washed, with the stems, ribs and seeds taken out. These are good to go!

I think “afritada” is one of those words that don’t really translate to English.  But the dish chicken afritada can be easily described as a chicken stew with potatoes and bell peppers in tomato sauce.  It’s very Filipino, but I highly suspect it to be of Spanish provenance.

To make my chicken afritada, you will need chicken (wing, breast, thigh and leg parts), half a head of garlic, a large white onion, a 14.5-oz. can of Hunt’s diced tomatoes, three small cans of Hunt’s tomato sauce, potatoes, and bell peppers.  (Though the Flash would always tell people that I would keep to myself whenever I’m cooking, appearing not wanting to be bothered, it’s actually quite the opposite.  I fancy myself as the host of my own cooking show.  And the “garbage” bowl beside my chopping board is testament to the fact that I’ve seen a lot of Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals.)

Start with a low flame and use a pot that is wider rather than deeper (which we don’t have a home).  Coat the bottom with a thin film of vegetable oil.  Sauté the (finely) minced garlic.  Doing a lot of chopping and prep work while already having something on the burner could pose quite a challenge.  Just make sure to keep an eye on the sauté and not allow the garlic to brown.

Sauté the garlic in a thin film of vegetable oil.

Add the large onion, finely diced.  Cover the pot for a short while to allow the onions to sweat, become translucent, release some of its natural sugars and become sweet.  Again, no browning!

Add the finely diced large white onion.

Once the garlic and onions have cooked down, make a well in the center.

The garlic and onion have cooked down. Make a well in the center to sear the chicken pieces.

Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, making sure to make only one layer.  I made a huge pot so I had to work in batches, searing the chicken as much as I could.

I realized we didn't have a wide-bottomed pot, so I had to work in batches, making sure that I would only have one layer of chicken at a time.

As you can see, the chicken let out a lot of its juices.

These are juicy chicken pieces.

Add a little water just enough to cover and bring it to a simmer.  Then, pour in the diced tomatoes.  (This is my own tweak to the recipe.  I want a chunky sauce, an homage to when this dish was made with only fresh tomatoes available).  At this point, I started with the steamed rice so that both would be ready at about the same time.

I'm partial to Hunt's and I love their diced tomatoes!

 

The diced tomatoes are in!

After the chicken has been simmering for about 10 minutes, add the quartered or halved potatoes and the tomato sauce.

Pour in the tomato sauce. I used a total of three small cans.

 

The potatoes I got were Australian, already perfectly washed, and with barely a skin on them. I thought about dunking them in as is, but since I was sharing the dish with my housemates and friends, I thought I'd peel them just to be sure.

 

The potatoes are peeled!

 

...Halved, then added to the pot!

Check the chicken and the potatoes for doneness.  Once the potatoes are fork tender (takes about 10 minutes or so), that’s the time you add in the bell peppers.  Adjust the seasoning if needed (probably just a pinch of salt).  Cover the pot and allow to simmer for at most five more minutes.  Nothing more!

The bell peppers are ready to be sliced into wedges.

 

These bell peppers breathe life and meaning to the fact that we eat with our eyes first.

 

Finally, the bell peppers are added!

The chicken afritada is now ready to hit the table!

Dinner is served!

 

What's not to love?

 

It's even better the day after it's made. And this shot was taken the day after!

 

This dish is inspiring me to cook more often.

 

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Clams in ginger broth

Clams in ginger broth

ONE OF the things that I look back to with much gratitude is that first time I was allowed to make dinner for the whole family… at just 10 years old.  Unsupervised.

For the first time, I felt empowered amidst pots, pans, utensils, and knives.  They say you never forget your first.  And this one, I absolutely won’t.  Whatever sense of independence I have in the kitchen, I owe to that moment.  I vividly recall even the details of the place setting I thoroughly fussed about.

That’s the reason why, if I miss something – both in the sense of suffering from the lack of or failing to experience – all I have to do is cook for myself.

Yesterday, I missed enjoying my favorite Chili Mussels at Casper Seafood.  So on my way home from work, I made a stop at the nearby supermarket to get live clams and whip up something.

I was so glad to get my hands on the last pack!

 

Clams are now clean and ready!

It was not chili clams I ended up making, but clams in ginger broth – from stove to tabletop in mere minutes – was all the comfort and nourishment I needed.

It goes without saying just how much this goes well with steamed white rice!

 

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Rachael Ray would be so proud

Angel hair pomodoro in a jiffy!

EXAMPLE’S “KICKSTARTS” had been blaring into my ears – by way of my Blackberry Bold 9780 on full volume – but all that I could really hear playing in my head is Semisonic’s “Closing Time.”  True enough, by the time I got to stand in front of Formosa Delights’ stall at Nex Mall in Serangoon, the staff and crew – much as they love me (haha!) – just couldn’t turn the fire on and put a pot of broth on it to boil.  I guessed, unless I would be so heartless as to let them rinse off all of the foam and cleaning disinfectant they had been scrubbing on the stoves and countertops just so they could accommodate me.

I am not that heartless.  Not at 10:00 PM.

So I said goodbye, still with a smile on my face, though the grumbling in my stomach couldn’t be ignored.

Good thing I’m not entirely at the mercy of the food court or somebody else cooking for me.  Cooking is something that I can do in my sleep.  Unfortunately, on a night like this one when I would have surely dozed off the moment I turned the key and shut the door behind me, cooking would be quite a challenge.  Quite, but not entirely impossible.

So off I went to Fair Price Xtra upstairs, walked through the door, and waited for inspiration to kick in.  It did.  In the form of a tub of hydroponically grown Italian sweet basil.  Pesto first came to mind.  It came to mind just as fast as I threw it away.  For a pesto “purist” like me – mortar & pestle only, never a blender (ever again!) – there simply was no time for intensive manual labor near midnight.

Hydroponically grown Italian Sweet Basil, from Oh Chin Huat Hydroponic Farms PTE LTD, Product of Singapore... my moment's inspiration.

Good thing that one quick scan of the produce section revealed my all-time failsafe option – tomato and basil sauce for angel hair!  With just my bare hands, one actually holding my three mobile phones, I grabbed all that I needed to whip up a quick late supper – a jar of San Remo Tomato, Onion & Garlic Homestyle Pasta Sauce, fresh sweet basil, Millel shaved parmesan cheese, and of course, San Remo Angel Hair pasta!

Grabbed in one go! All the ingredients to whip up a quick pasta favorite.

 

I decided to add a can of Hunt's Diced Tomatoes (I stock up on these) to make up for not adding fresh plum tomatoes to the dish.

With just five to six minutes on the flame to make the sauce – the last couple of which also used to cook the pasta to al dente – no other dish could satiate my soul that very moment and fit to the limits set by the timepiece on my wrist.  I had my red Technomarine on.  How appropriate.

 

*For my recipes on Angel Hair Pomodoro, you may run a search here in my site.

With two pans on the burners... done in six to ten minutes!

 

My angel hair pomodoro, crowned with basil leaves, gilded with shaved parmesan cheese. Wonderful!

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Waxing lyrical about shrimps and tomatoes lasting for days

Sinigang na Hipon (Swahe)

IT’S TRUE for adobo (pork or chicken or both, braised in vinegar and soy sauce).  It’s true for sopas (chicken macaroni soup).  Even the Martha Stewart herself says that there are some things – her scrumptious Applesauce Snack Cake being an excellent example – that are better the day after you make them.  She admonishes, resist eating it the day you baked it.

For me, it’s also true for sinigang na hipon (shrimps in a broth soured with tamarind or cucumber tree fruit, with lots of vegetables).  As I write, I’ve been subsisting on this dish for the past three days already!  To think that I just feasted on the same last week, only thing was that it had huge black tiger prawns.

I sent for a kilo of the freshest, juiciest white shrimps the local fishmongers call “swahe”.  What came back was a batch so huge and so fresh that I felt a simple “halabos” wouldn’t do justice to.  I wanted the sweetness of the shrimps to infuse a broth soured with the goodness of some more of the Amadeo tomatoes I had purchased a couple of days prior.  It was an all-natural dish spiked only so little with a hint of Knorr® original sinigang flavor mix.  That hint turned out to be a heaping tablespoon, nothing more.

The Amadeo tomatoes made for a really deep red broth. This was so delicious and hearty!

The secret to cooking shrimps in a broth is to take the dish off of the fire the very moment the shrimps turn a bright orange after the first boil.  The secret to making them last a number of meals – still sweet, with the flesh not turning stringy at all and clinging to the shells – is to get the pot out of the refrigerator about half an hour from serving, removing the shrimps from the broth and allowing only the latter to be reheated.  The reheated still boiling broth is then poured over the shrimps for instant resurrection.  Delicious many many…  many times over.

Right after curling and turning bright orange, these shrimps were good to go!

 

A tight shot of the shrimps

 

With just five of these really sweet swahe, I was able to finish one rice cooker's batch of piping hot steamed white rice!

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Improvising for a diva

Front and center... My good good friend, the beautiful and talented Brenda, with some of her well-wishers for a safe and pleasant flight to Singapore!

AFTER LAST week’s potluck send-off dinner for my good good friend Brenda Aragon–Gallo, I think I can only cook for and in honor of someone who can sing Aaliyah’s “At Your Best” beautifully, and Angela Bofill’s “You Should Know By Now”…  perfectly.  No flats.  No sharps.  Just perfect pitch and a pull at the heartstrings.

"At her best"... I've always known that Brenda sings well. But it was different hearing it in person!!! She made me "re-discover" At Your Best and You Should Know By Now.

The evening was uncharacteristically hot and humid, and taking turns slaving over a hot stove was no joke.  But that’s the beauty of doing things for others, doing something for somebody really important and special.  You do it because it is the most natural thing to do.

The outsider that I am got invited – yet again – to another one of our company’s Finance group’s dinners.  I was meaning to really show up and bid my friend all the best on her move to Singapore but apparently, my reputation for coming up with a myriad of excuses had caught up with me.  Brenda and the very lovely Cindy had to stop by my office area – everyday! – to remind me of the party.  I could tell Brenda sensed my seeming aversion to even the possibility of a short-term commitment that she had to remind me of all those occasions I had already missed.  Her wedding to Darryl.  Her birthday.  The many other dinners she had organized.  The surprise send-off party she threw for Darryl.

Gosh, what kind of friend am I?  I didn’t want to add to that list anymore.  So in unequivocal terms, I finally assured Brenda and Cindy that I would be there.

Working in the kitchen with Vic, Alfie, Brenda, Cindy, and Dennis!

 

Alfie poses with the chefs.

Dinner was, as I had said, potluck.  I went over the (developing) menu and since I didn’t see any pasta dishes on it, I volunteered my fail-safe recipe for Angel Hair Pomodoro.  If you follow this blog, you must’ve read about my pomodoro in its many incarnations.  But for Brenda’s dinner party, I opted to whip up my version that calls for equal amounts of Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes and Hunt’s Stewed Tomatoes, lots of fresh garlic, lots of fresh basil, and unapologetic mounds of grated or shaved parmesan cheese.  I didn’t measure anything.  I went by look and feel.  The only thing missing was a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper.  I didn’t see any of it at the nearby grocer.

Picking through the really fragrant basil leaves we got from the newly opened supermarket nearby.

 

Basil and garlic, done! At this point, Alfie went to the kitchen thinking that the pomodoro was already done. You see, there's something about fresh basil, fresh garlic, and tomatoes in close proximity with each other that give off a melded bouquet of pomodoro goodness in the air! I smell it all the time!

 

The pomodoro sauce is done!

 

The angel hair was cooked mere seconds before serving! That's the key to delicious pasta, from stove to table in seconds! Tossed with the sauce and smothered with lots of cheese!

I would sometimes refer to this “whipping up” as improvisation.  It was something I first learned to do as a 10-year-old allowed to fuss about in the kitchen.  I had put mayonnaise on steamed fish long before I read about it in a cookbook.  And as I became older, I got influenced by chefs who would talk about making edible works of art from the bounty of the garden – or the pantry.  And I’m in awe of those who do improvise in the kitchen, not allowing themselves to be totally enslaved by cups and measures and strict recipes.  And among all the many “$40-a-Day” episodes I had seen, I would always find moments when Rachael Ray would sigh, “What I would give for a kitchen right now,” at the sight of the freshest produce, to be the most memorable.

And Brenda’s send-off dinner did turn out to be a showcase of improvisations!  She made a huge platter of her now-signature Chicken Fajitas-cum-Lettuce Wraps that, while redolent with the essence of cumin (a fave!) alluding to its “South of the border” provenance, never fails to bring the Korean Sam Gyup Sal to mind.  I’ve always told Brenda how much I love the marinade she makes for her chicken.  Soaked and bathed in this mixture, the chicken pieces get infused with so much flavor, and develop the tenderness that is the perfect foil to the crunch of the stir-fried white onions and bell peppers that complete the filling.

A stolen shot of Brenda in the kitchen.

 

The undisputed queen of fajitas!

 

After the chicken is almost done, white onions and bell peppers are added to the sauté.

 

Chicken Fajitas with Lettuce Wraps, done!

 

Never wanting anything to go to waste, Brenda thought about serving my pasta's excess basil leaves on the side of her fajitas. It turned out to be a most aromatic, fragrant touch. By the way, the elegant mother of pearl inlay on the serving platter for the fajitas didn't escape Brenda's eyes.

A couple of other suprises to me that night were dishes “whipped up” by two guys!  Dennis’s Pork & Beans could make you do a 180-degree turn and forget the ones you’ve enjoyed from the can as a kid.  His homemade version was smoky and robust, strong flavors that belied the fall-off-the-bone tenderness of the pig trotters he used.  I ended up asking a lot of questions about his ingredients and preparation, and in the process picked the aromatic that held the flavors together – detectable enough to make me ask, “What is that?” but not strong as to arrest my palate.  It was oregano.  Cindy chimed in that I should try Dennis’s Kare-Kare.  Judging by his pork & beans?  Suffice it to say that I won’t put my own Kare-Kare besides his in a spread.

Dennis's Pork & Beans, a showstopper of slow-cooked goodness.

Vic, who graciously opened his house to us, made Buttered Shrimps.  But what made his dish so much more special, and unconventional I may add, was the unexpected splash of orange juice – in powder form, from a sachet.  And all the while I thought my own Corona Light Beer-and-Sprite concoction was something special!

Fresh shrimps!

 

Buttered shrimps, done!

 

There were also steamed blue crabs!

It felt good to be in the company of people who can find the beauty in the simplest of things and appreciate the value of time spent with those who matter to us.  People who breathe life to one of my own beliefs – dinner time is as much about the food as it is about the company.

Brenda, I miss you already my friend!  Cindy misses you too.  We hope to see you again soon!

Brenda and some of her shining, shimmering guests.

 

Brenda with Alvin

 

Is it time for Arbor Mist yet?

 

A really beautiful couple... Cindy & Dennis

 

Dennis and The Flash

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Sinigang na sugpo

Sinigang na sugpo

A SMALL wicker basket full of freshly picked “kamias” (cucumber tree fruit) greeted me at the door the other night.  I knew instantly that one of our family friends had come earlier in the day for a visit.  “So, what do you plan to do with me?” the pile of kamias seemed to have foisted its question on me.  Yes, fresh produce and I carry conversations.  (But there’s no need to alert the mental institution.  Hahaha!)

I love kamias three ways.  Washed three times and then eaten fresh with a good sprinkling of salt with each bite.  Sautéed with fresh shrimp fry, then eaten with heaps of steaming hot white rice.  And the best of all, used as the souring agent in the Filipino sinigang na hipon o sugpo (shrimps or prawns in a soured broth with lots of fresh vegetables).

Sinigang is a hallmark of Filipino cuisine.  It could be of meat of fish.  Hot.  Warm.  Comforting.  Familiar.

The yummy fat from perfectly cooked meat – and all the cholesterol it sneaks in into our system – that rises to the surface of broth that goes crazy into a rolling boil, proves irresistible.  Doused over steamed rice, it drowns any of the human body’s silent protests and attempts to eat healthily, as it anchors in one spoon plump pristine white rice, tender meat, and crisp vegetables that give off a resounding snap when caught in between bites.  The sound reverberates as if giving a soundtrack to the melange of sour and salty that causes a party in the mouth.

But I’ll give up all that for a bowl of sinigang na sugpo.  Which was exactly what I did the following day.

But lest any of you interprets it to be an act of atonement in Briony Tallis proportions, well, think again.  Because the very reason I prefer shrimps or prawns over pork or beef is the deep orange fat these crustaceans promise.  The very same thing I put a premium on when it comes to crabs, the best of which I’ve had at my sister-in-law’s house in Pampanga.

Really fat, as in F-A-T, crabs!

I often end up eating with my bare hands when faced with a pile of shrimps, prawns, or crabs.  And while I do check myself from time to time if I would need to reach for Lipitor, I honestly don’t bother.  Those are times when the words control and restraint mean nothing to me.

Please excuse me while I sip this hot broth.

The fresh prawns

 

Check out that deep orange fat!

 

The root aromatic I add to the broth is onions, diced.

 

Before adding tomatoes to the broth, I first have them blanched separately. I remove the part where the stems attach, almost like "coring," then I score the whole length by running the tip of a sharp paring knife from the top, all the way around.

 

See how easily the skins get removed? These are now ready to be seeded, then chopped. Obviously, tomato skins and seeds in my broth are a pet peeve.

 

"Kang kong"... or, swamp cabbage (when I'm on social mountain climbing mode... hahaha!)

 

Happiness in a bowl!

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

How I got my culinary groove back

Steamed mussels

MY INITIATION into the world of the local (farmers’) market (“palengke”) came very early in life.  Being able to whip up full meals at a very young age of 10 meant being able to buy the ingredients fresh yourself.  I swear I felt like an adult haggling for cheaper prices and soon establishing a “suki” (patron) relationship with a vendor each for meat, seafood, and fresh produce.  I would be given a budget to work on a full spread and I would always make it – under sometimes, but never over.  I’ve never seen cooking – and on that premise, marketing too – as a chore.  It’s one of the few things consistent in my life.

So even after I had begun my professional career, I would always look forward to the end of the day when I could willingly enslave myself over a hot stove and make dinner.  Sometimes I would make it fancy, complete with elaborate place settings, most times I wouldn’t.  But lately, especially this past year, I had been swamped with far too much stuff at work that the first thing I had to give up was cooking on weeknights.

I want to change that and get my culinary groove back.  I came to this resolve when I brought my three visiting nephews to the local market for some sort of “immersion” in their uncle’s version of “the good life.”  Which, in their uncle’s case, is a potent and heady arrest to the senses – crowded marketplace, mud on the soles of his shoes with the occasional splatter to the calves, and the undeniable stench of freshly slaughtered meat capable of drowning out whiffs of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue.  Damn, I realized I miss the almost daily grind of cooking and the marketing it entailed.  So now I’ve been making a deliberate effort to make dinner at home a few nights a week.

An immersion of sorts – bringing the six-year-old to the market.

Last night – my second this week – I bought six of the largest tilapia I could find (most suitable for pan-frying), a large milk can’s worth of mussels (perfect just steamed with lots of finely chopped onions), and ingredients for a fresh seaweed salad (just seaweed, tomatoes, shallots, and calamansi).

But next time, I would have to text home first to check if dinner had already been made.  Lest everybody again finds themselves hesitantly giving in to my whimsical gastronomic musings.  Hahaha!

Fried tilapia, flaked.

 

My dressing for the seaweed salad calls for lots of fresh calamansi juice, into which I add a splash of white cane vinegar, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of the pepper mill. For the finishing touch, I spike it with a touch of Mitzukan rice wine.

 

Lots of shallots!

 

Fresh seaweed

 

I love how the deep green of the seaweed contrasts with the pristine white bowl!

 

The fresh seaweed salad is made!

 

Live mussels

 

No recipe could be simpler – live mussels and lots of finely chopped onions in a pan. All you'll need to finish this off is fire underneath!

 

The steam that will rise from the juices that the mussels will give off will turn the onions into pulp. Perfect for topping steamed white rice!

 

Done in a jiff, the mussels are ready!

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.