19 Jul, 2005
Below 30 years of age, I would have gone hungry or at least skipped a meal rather than eat ampalaya voluntarily. I have traumatic memories of staring at a dish of thinly sliced (like that would make the stuff less bitter!) half circles of ampalaya sauteed with ground meat and lots of eggs…
18 Jul, 2005
MLQ3 tagged me for yet another book meme. Since I have hit middle age and only read cookbooks and food magazines these days (confident that my I.Q has peaked and is slipping downhill from now on), I have asked my wife to fill in this meme as she is by far more erudite and…
18 Jul, 2005
This is definitely the recipe of the month! It is absolutely delicious, economical and takes less than 15 minutes to make. With a bowl of steamed rice it is a satisfying meal. I have always ordered “Szechuan style†or “spicy†eggplant dishes in Chinese restaurants (particularly in the West) but I…
17 Jul, 2005
As I was leaving the Salcedo Market yesterday morning I saw the most stunning freshly picked eggplants I have ever seen in Manila. They had two varieties in boxes on the ground… the longer Chinese or Japanese variety that had this spectacularly even light “aubergine” color and these cool fat round eggplants that…
16 Jul, 2005
Unusual things tend to grab my attention at the market. Today I spied a really nice mix of edible flowers that would make a terrific garnish for a fancy dish or to color a boring green salad. Frankly, edible flowers are good for color but I have always found them a bit…
15 Jul, 2005
My inventory tracking systems have had a nervous breakdown! Poking around the pantry for just the right tea to have with a dense slice of fruitcake, I pulled out a can of Mariage Freres Earl Grey Tea with Blue Flowers, twisted it open and stared aghast at the last remaining tablespoon of tea…
13 Jul, 2005
Over the years I have tinkered with this 10 minute zucchini dish that is delicious and extremely easy to make. First slice the zucchini into longish strips about 2 inches long and about half an inch wide or thinner. Slice up some white onions. Put a pan on high heat and…
13 Jul, 2005
Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) are one of many squashes classified as “summer squashes†that possess a thin skin and a high water content. This would distinguish them from the “winter squashes†with thicker skins and denser meats. Often referred to as “courgettes†in Europe and other English influenced locales, the Italian term zucchini…