Archive for February, 2007

I have personal relationship with food. I am compelled to know how anything and everything I take in is prepared. It is for this reason that I usually cook my own food and dissect the menu carefully when I eat out. Having no known allergies and a tough tummy allows me to take on gastronomic adventures. But that said, I rarely go for fast food and street food. I usually eat at home, where I tend to experiment with recipes. I sometimes try to emulate the delicious treat I enjoyed from the restaurant. I particularly love the sensations involved with preparing a meal -  the bright colors, the aroma and the textures of different fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.

I can go cooking almost the whole day on weekends, especially when there are people to share it with. I grew up in a household where both my parents worked full time, but my mom always made it a point to cook dinner  from scratch everyday - just as her mom did. Up to now, my 86 year old grandma still cooks every single day. My dad pitches in by  grilling some fish or chops on the weekends.

I don’t know, but I think cooking and dining with family is essential to making everyone of them feel loved. My husband has warned me to exercise some restraint  with this since most of the time I am only cooking for two. When faced with week-long leftovers, I had to agree to cut back on the three course dinners.

Food has been good to me. Although I love to eat, my dress size has not changed since high school (I am turning 30 in a few weeks). I love food, so I believe food has loved me back.  I can’t miss a meal or even have a ‘light’ one. I already blacked out twice when I did not have a hearty breakfast. I treat myself at least 1 hour to enjoying a meal at least 3 times a day, even when I am dining alone.  At work, my hubby rarely remembers to eat, so I have to remind him almost everyday to give himself a lunch break or dinner when they need to pull an all-nighter. I think it worked, because lately he has been treating himself well and had less  tummy troubles.

As long as we live, we will need to eat. It is important to know what role you want food to take in your life. Do you want it to just keep you going as you go about your day? Do you want it to help keep you fit and healthy? Will the people dining with you enjoy it? I keep these questions in mind whenever I choose what to eat.

The adobo is probably the most well known Filipino dish. Its name means marinade in Spanish. The chicken adobo recipe I present here is really basic. It is meant to be easy for beginners and those who wish to do their own version of this popular dish.

1 kilo chicken, cut into serving size
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp pepper corn, crushed
2 cups water
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Put all ingredients into a pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer until the liquid has thickened and the chicken meat is so tender that it easily flaked from the bone. This takes about an hour, so see to it that the liquid does not dry up during cooking. Do this by adding a small amount of water as needed. When the meat is tender, remove the cover and turn the chicken pieces to lightly brown the chicken in its own fat.

This is usually served over boiled or steamed rice. The shredded chicken pieces also make a nice sandwich filling. This stores well in the fridge, so do make the big batch above even if you think you can’t finish off a kilo of chicken. The meat tends to absorb the spices and flavors even better when in storage. Enjoy!

Chop suey is one recipe that has had hundreds of incarnations. It’s what one usually turns to when left with bits of vegetables in the fridge.

In Cantonese it literally means ‘mixed bits’. What else can you do with your bits of vegetables left over from making other dishes? I recently tinkered with a recipe for an Asian inspired vegetable pancake with a homemade sauce served on the side.

Batter:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups sliced leeks
1 1/2 cups sliced onions
2 cups vegetables*
vegetable oil for frying

Combine all dry ingredients. Add the cold water. Fold in all the vegetables until evenly distributed. In a skillet heat the vegetable oil. Pour in a cup of the batter. Press the center to achieve the flat circular ‘pancake’ shape. Flip when the edges turn golden brown.

*Try to use quick cooking vegetables. I have tried putting thinly sliced carrots, bell peppers and green beans. Feel free to experiment with bean sprouts, zucchini etc. Create your own version by incorporating your favorite crunchy veggies. Just be sure to slice thinly for it to mix well into the batter.

Sauce:
2 tsp minced ginger
2 clove garlic, finely minced
2/3 cup hot water
4 tbsp brown sugar
6 drops sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce

In a bowl, combine ginger and garlic. Pour in the hot water. Add the sugar and dissolve well. Stir in the sesame oil and finally the soy sauce .

This homemade sauce stores well in the fridge. I tried using the left over sauce after a week and it was even more flavorful. You may also use this as your dipping sauce for tempura.

Enjoy!