Bicol Express
There appears to be a rather interesting story behind this omnipresent dish in Filipino restaurants today. 
What many people assume to be a dish native to Bicol due to its name and the abundance of sili na mahaba (long green chillies) is in fact a Manila invention. According to my source, The Philippine Cookbook by Virginia Roces de Guzman and Nina Daza Puyat, Bicol Express was invented by Cely Kalaw, the owner of the famous Grove Restaurant on M.H. del Pilar of the 1960’s. Apparently, the restaurant’s patrons at the time complained that the Laing (Gabi or Taro leaves in coconut milk with chillies) was too spicy for their palates so the restaurant decided to tone down the chillies, but invented Bicol Express for people who wanted to add it to the Laing in order to notch up the heat quotient. In other words, Bicol Express was meant to augment the Laing. And the name, well, according to the book, after the restaurant invented the dish, they heard a train from the nearby Paco station and they said it was the “Bicol Express”.
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that we all still know how to make it from scratch. Or take it out of a can. Well, just in case there are some dummies out there who, like me, have never made fresh coconut milk or gata for myself, here are the basics. I am putting this now as I am about to post some yummy recipes that need freshly made coconut milk.
The most unusual contents were two types of microgreens that are typically used as garnishes at pricier restaurants. Essentially just a few days beyond the sprout stage, these microgreens are tiny, flavorful and super cool. Considered all the rage by restauranteurs in the U.S. for a few years now, I have NEVER seen microgreens for sale in Manila until I ran across Edwin Sy at Fresh Field. He just started growing these and has recently introduced them to some of the top restaurants in the city… in fact, they appeared in a spread on steak a few days ago in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
A four year old brand, “Fresh Field” is hitting its’ stride and their new retail outlet at Market!Market! in Fort Bonifacio is a must see destination for the market addict and foodie alike. On a recent morning the stall was packed with things I wanted to take home: fresh superb romaine lettuce, mizuna (Japanese green for hotpots and also used in salads), edamame, tatsoi, bok choi, tarragon, dill, mixed lettuces, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, etc.
What I presumed would be a relatively simple entry on one of my favorite ingredients for local and regional cooking has turned into a several hour quest to figure out what it really is. While I could have ignored all of the stuff written up (or not written up, notably, in many local texts that simply describe it as a hot chilli), I have tried to summarize the most relevant issues for the curious foodie…
looked so good so as soon as I got home I bagged the lunch that was planned and decided to do a small but filling salad of Haricots Verts, potatoes, pear tomatoes and tuna with a sherry vinaigrette. It amazes me that everything except the oil and vinegar are grown or caught right here in the Philippines. Haricots from Bukidnon, potatoes from Luzon, pear tomatoes from Tagaytay and tuna from the waters off of Mindanao…
However, the term is typically used to refer to the really tender, small french green beans that are about 3 inches long. I was simply stunned to find this large clear container filled with 500 grams of “French Beans” or Haricots Verts at the vegetable section of Price Smart Fort Bonifacio today. I did a double take and after a close inspection, and a look at the price (P252.95), happily plonked one container into my cart.
the Fresh Fields’ stall (I am doing a more extensive entry on this supplier next week) at Market!Market! the other day. Like the cherry tomatoes I found several weeks ago, I find these little tomatoes to be a brilliant accent to salads. Shaped like a pear, hence their name, they pop in your mouth and have a nice tomatoey taste, albeit sometimes watery… They are also a chi-chi garnish for restaurants or caterers.