16 Aug, 2005
Kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa) are native to East Asia, perhaps China, but were only commercially grown in New Zealand in the 1930’s from seeds obtained in the Yangtze River Valley. Better known by their more common green variety, these “Golden†specimens spied in a Singapore grocery last weekend were a stunning yellow and…
16 Aug, 2005
Hawker centers are the best place to eat brilliantly and economically in Singapore. Following our Ultimate Fried Rice fiasco at lunch, we decided to head to the nearest Hawker Center to our hotel. The Newton Circus Hawker Center is the most “touristy†of them all and thus pricier but incredibly convenient –…
15 Aug, 2005
I was in Singapore last weekend on a low-budget eating trip. The restaurant was billed as having the “Ultimate Fried Rice†so how could you resist that after a morning exploring Chinatown and Clarke Quay and in bad need of carbohydrates… we sat down at this second story restaurant on Clarke Quay, ordered some…
14 Aug, 2005
A young reader (below 10 years old) of Marketmanila asked how to make santol juice a few weeks ago. While I had heard about the wonderful qualities of santol juice, I had never tasted the stuff and had no clue how to make it. Was it some complicated process of santol infusion…
13 Aug, 2005
I am a HUGE fan of cassava cake. Since childhood I have always relished a large slice of this delicious dessert or snack at any time of the day. The richness and consistency of the cassava, the sweetness, coconut flavor, and saltiness of the topping is burned into my memory banks…
12 Aug, 2005
Bean sprouts refer to all kinds of newly sprouted beans or even broader today, sprouts refer to newly sprouted seeds… radish sprouts, arugula sprouts, etc. Mung bean sprouts are the most common type of bean sprouts in Manila today and have been for many decades. Don’t ask me why some are really…
11 Aug, 2005
Who in their right mind would ever turn down a freshly cooked banana-que? A delicious saba banana deep fried and coated with caramelized brown sugar… gosh, this is Filipino comfort food at its best. There are few things as satisfying as sinking your teeth into a really well made banana-que which, for…
10 Aug, 2005
This is a nice rainy day variation to the more plebian (and one of my all-time favorites) tinola. The lemon grass and large chunks of coconut give this soup that little extra something. The original recipe is credited to Ado Escudero but I have made some adjustments for added flavor and less…