Market Manila

Cotton candy is one of those universal “good things” and an old-fashioned doled up cotton candy stand is almost irresistible. In the heart of Dam Square in Amsterdam the other day, there was a mini amusement park set up for the Queen’s day festivities. The Kid was getting tired or possibly had a low sugar moment after walking all morning and miraculously this cotton candy stand appears… A “small” order (can you imagine a “large” order?) of cotton candy was made to order with two spinning wheels makes yellow and pink spun sugar that was twirled onto the paper stick.

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Queen’s Day celebrations in Amsterdam can best be described as a cross between a massive street party, tailgate, flea market, Spring Break and Booze Cruise in all shades of bright orange. A massive holiday meant to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday, this year it was celebrated on Saturday April 29th, though the revelry started Friday night and should end by Sunday morning. We had no idea we were landing in Amsterdam a day before this amusing and outrageous mayhem, but the shutdown of almost all tourist attractions and the fortunate fact that we have WIFI access in our hotel room means I get to post an entry about it…

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I wasn’t always so at home in a wet market. In fact, as a kid, I despised markets and would occasionally faint if forcibly dragged to one. I know now it was from anemic blood, bad carotids and low sugar levels, not a predisposition for fainting at the site of raw meat or fish guts. Today, however, I find that I really enjoy my market forays as they tell me exactly what is in season, what is freshest and what should inspire a meal at our home. Great food is only possible with great ingredients so it is inevitable that you look further down the chain from farm to table. Supermarkets just don’t cut it for me anymore. Provincial or town markets also seem to yield things that you wouldn’t normally see in big or small city markets. So last week, in the midst of my seafood buying frenzy, one of my sukis asked me to consider buying a whole tray of these unusual looking spotted crabs…

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“Baon” is my biased opinion, a uniquely Filipino concept. I know many folks on the planet take snacks with them when they embark on a journey, but for some reason, only Pinoys, in my ethnocentric opinion, have this incredible habit/penchant for bringing something to eat no matter how short or long the journey, how complex or simple the snack, or how cumbersome the effort. It is an amusing and endearing habit actually… in a horse drawn carriage, jeepney, car, ferry, ship or airplane, you can almost bet your monthly salary that a pinoy traveler has something to eat stashed away in his or her bag or hand carry… I mean, really, how many nationalities on the planet travel to the beach two hours away with a cooler in the car so that drinks are cool and chocolate stays firm? Heehee. So where is this going? Well, I am crazed and about to embark on a trip to Europe and instead of focusing on packing my clothes, I am madly prepping the baon that is going into my bag for the nearly unbearable 13 hour flight to Amsterdam… In the suitcase is my daughter by the way, as I asked her if she would fit so we could check her in as baggage and save the airfare…I jest, of course. Child welfare folks do not take this seriously…

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Apples, sugar, butter, vanilla and puff pastry + oven = delicious dessert. Add some whipped cream and a dollop of good vanilla ice cream and you have simply gone over the top. A few weeks ago I used several dozen green Macintosh apples in a buffet for my daughter’s “moving up” ceremony. I took the extras home and had planned to make an apple pie. But the next lazy Sunday afternoon, some friends called at about 4 pm and instead of eating out we decided to cook something relatively quick at home. We decided on some Duck Confit that we had in stock in the fridge, an instant risotto Milanese augmented with fresh portabello mushrooms I got at the market the day before and a simple tarte tatin to finish it off. Our guests brought the red wine and the heavy cream and vanilla ice cream. I have made tart tatin several times before, often with mixed results. However, despite varying successes on the tarte, the taste has always been satisfying…

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Marketman & family heads to Europe!!! In a few days, Marketman, Mrs. Marketman & the Kid head off to Europe for a few weeks of vacation… I have been working madly lately, writing up about 20 posts for programmed releases while I am away so that you will all still have something to read and amuse yourselves. However, my comments might be fewer and farther between as I am not sure what my internet access will be like during the trip. At any rate, Marketman & family seek your help, advice, counsel, insider chismis, black book, thoughts and suggestions that might make our trip a little more memorable…

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Kinilaw or seviche is best made to order. That means that you only add the vinegar and spices to the freshest fish a la minute or just before it is brought to the table. If the fish soaks in the vinegar too long it gets rubbery and tough and in my opinion, inedible. I was in Bohol the other day and had one of the best kinilaws I have eaten in the past 10 years. It was really superb. It isn’t often that I find fresh malasugi (swordfish) in the markets or at restaurants so that alone was reason to be curious about the kinilaw on offer at M-R Seafoods, a restaurant on stilts on the way to the Tagbilaran pier. We ordered one dish of grilled squid and decided to try a Kinilaw na Malasugi or Swordfish Seviche.

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Sometimes you just want something really easy to cook, that tastes great and is relatively healthy and good for you. Grilled fresh fish almost always meets those requirements when you’re at the beach. I have featured several similar posts in the past but this is what I eat a lot of. Show me a super fresh talakitok and you can almost bet I will grill it sometime soon. While at the market last week, I thought I had finished with shopping but on the way out I saw a huge pail being brought into the market with some spectacular looking talakitoks on top. I immediately did an about face and followed the pail to its intended vendor and said “those are mine!” After some haggling on price I took home 3 of the freshest looking talakitoks I have seen in several months.

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