28 Feb, 2007
We had a very small and relaxed Post Anti-Valentine’s, Valentine’s Dinner last week. We had humongous platters of Wagyu Osso Buco a la Milanese (the meat was surprisingly tough, despite two plus hours in the oven – back to veal next time), a large green salad with a shallot vinaigrette, a superb bottle…
27 Feb, 2007
A supremely fresh, just under 700 gram talakitok has just made its way back from the market and the only other dish on the menu for lunch was the pinakbet in the previous post… the default treatment? FRY IT, of course. What diet!?! It’s LENT, after all, and what better…
27 Feb, 2007
I love pinakbet. I didn’t always feel this way. But a well-made pinakbet has sweetness from the kalabasa (squash), bitterness from the ampalaya (bitter gourd), the endearing somewhat rubbery bite from the sitaw (long beans), mushiness from talong (eggplant), mucousy consistency of okra, salt from the bagoong (shrimp paste), fat from the…
27 Feb, 2007
An absolute staple in our kitchen is kalabasa or a winter squash. Most hard-shelled squashes, which are apparently a fruit related to more luscious and juicy cousins, the melons, are referred to as Winter Squashes, even if they grow all year round. This highly economical, highly nutritious and pleasantly tasting fruit/vegetable is…
26 Feb, 2007
Slimy, slimy, slimy. That is the only thought that would have popped into my mind if you mentioned okra to me up until just a few years ago. Growing up these were one of those “yuck” veggies…definitely. However, in the same way that I have taken to amapalaya, I now kind…
26 Feb, 2007
I was recently reviewing a reference guide which had a section on tropical fruits from this part of the world and I was surprised to note that I seemed to have covered many of the fruits in the book. Turns out that Marketmanila has already featured over 50 locally-grown fruits in the past…
25 Feb, 2007
There is something extremely comforting and satisfying about a nice big bowl of pasta at a Sunday lunch or dinner. I realize it is an Italian “must” to have pasta on Sunday, usually along with a big gathering of friends and family… It’s a tradition I would gladly adopt, and the same sentiment…
24 Feb, 2007
I didn’t have any of the key ingredients for miso soup so I decided to experiment with a cold salad instead, using the lotus root I found this morning… First, I blanched the sliced lotus root in boiling water for about 5-6 minutes. Then once cool, I stuck it in the refrigerator…