08 May, 2005
Azucena or Tuberoses (Polianthes tuberosa) have a very strong and distinctive fragrance. They are almost overpowering if left in a small unventilated room but are perfect for rooms with lots of space and flowing breezes that carry the fragrance in pleasant wafts around the area. The smell of azucena is similar to…
07 May, 2005
Indo-Pacific Blue Marlin is the most tropical of all billfish and thrives in equatorial waters South of Mindanao. It can grow up to five meters in length and can weigh up to 800+ kilograms. Most large fish caught using tackle (not nets) range from 100-200 kilograms! One website says the maximum…
06 May, 2005
Here is a fast, delicious and refreshing summer salad recipe that takes just a few minutes to make. I used to think that a mandoline (french slicing contraption) was one of those pieces of kitchen equipment that would take up space and be used once a year. Lately, however, I find that…
05 May, 2005
Singkamas or Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) are hitting the markets in droves these days. The hot dry weather is a perfect time to harvest the tubers that are in the same family as potatoes. Also known as a yam bean, Jicama originated in Mexico and figure significantly in the cuisine of that nation….
04 May, 2005
There was so much reaction (positive as well as ignorant) to my post on red rice a few days ago that I thought I would add another post on these three interesting malagkit (glutinous rice) varieties that my rice suki Michael had in stock recently. Glutinous seems like an inappropriate description as there…
03 May, 2005
Cantaloupe juice is a terrific summer drink. Take a nice sweet, juicy and ripe melon and slice it in half. Use a melon scraper to turn the flesh into long strips. Don’t go too deep to the tasteless rind near the skin. Place the melon strips in a pitcher and…
02 May, 2005
Are these melon scrapers (shredders?) uniquely Filipino kitchen tools? Perhaps not. Several readers who live in the West have emailed to ask where they can order this melon scraper and complaining that no one seems to carry it “abroad.†First of all, what is it? The melon scraper is…
01 May, 2005
The heat is sweltering and summer is probably nearing its peak. The leafy greens and water dependent vegetables that were so abundant and so robust just weeks ago are now disappearing from the markets (or at least available to a much lesser degree), and the focus on produce is shifting to root crops…