16 May, 2005
Puso is one of those near perfect foods — a compact pre-measured and cooked portion of white rice in a natural wrapper of woven biodegradable coconut leaves. It even has a natural handle so you can take it home or anywhere without the need for a plastic bag. On a recent trip…
14 May, 2005
Camachile (Pithecellobium dulce) is a common thorny tropical American tree that originated from Mexico and other Central and South American countries where it is known as Guamachil (an American Indian (Mayan not feather or dot) word that is the root word for the local name Camachile). It was introduced to the Philippines during…
13 May, 2005
Galunggong is an extremely common fish in Philippine waters and markets. Considered the benchmark of locals’ well-being, the price of a kilo of galunggong is tracked by the the President and the press in the same way the Big Mac index is used globally. Galunggong or Mackarel Scad (Decapterus macarellus) can grow…
12 May, 2005
Kamansi or Seeded Breadfruit (Artocarpus camansi) is very closely related to but not the same as Rimas or Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis). I didn’t know that so maybe some of you didn’t either. Kamansi has sharper points on its skin, more like a jackfruit (another close relative) while Rimas has a flatter outer…
11 May, 2005
My wife and daughter recently took one of Carlos Celdran’s walking tours and thoroughly enjoyed it. He has several interesting tours that are a must for anyone who wants to see downtown Manila with a set of new eyes and an incredible sense of humour. Not just great for tourists (ever wonder…
11 May, 2005
Fried calamares continues the theme of easy recipes for reef fresh seafood at beach side markets. The day I purchased the live shrimp in Batangas in my previous post, I also bought a kilo of small to medium sized squid for PHP130 a kilo (highway robbery, I know, but it was a holiday…
10 May, 2005
Sometimes the simplest dishes taste the best. Steamed live shrimp with several dipping sauces served with piping hot steamed rice is one such dish. As some people head out to the beaches on summer outings or home to the provinces for a holiday, I have tried to think of some dishes that…
09 May, 2005
Organic sun dried and hand collected sea salt is consumed by perhaps 98% of the Philippine population. This naturally sourced salt usually has relatively large squarish crystals and ranges in color from grayish off white to almost white. It is usually a little damper than processed salt but the organic stuff comes…