31 Jan, 2008
We were all ecstatic about the successful Pinakbet in a Palayok effort, and the fire was still going, so the crew decided to boil several semi-ripe saba bananas in what must be one of the simplest yet most satisfying eats this side of the Pacific. In a large palayok, add water about halfway…
30 Jan, 2008
Take a really close look at the photo above. Notice the almost otherworldly sheen on the vegetables that retain their individual shape and distinct characteristics. Notice that despite obviously being cooked and actually steamed at high heat, they look whole and undisturbed. Imagine the fragrant mix of fish bagoong and bagnet or…
29 Jan, 2008
I always thought vegetables were more photogenic than humans. At least fresh vegetables compared with fresh humans. Unless of course they were supermodels in bikinis on a remote Hawaiian beach (though many of them aren’t so striking in person and when stripped of make-up). Time and time again, the natural beauty,…
29 Jan, 2008
Ever since one of Marketmanila’s readers (Pito, and his sister Onie) posted a comment that his mom sold mangosteen cakes, and I ordered one and found it very interesting, I have been curious about how it was made. And with several homemade bottles of mangosteen jam still in our pantry, I certainly had…
28 Jan, 2008
Heeheehee. I made up that third name in the title of this post. There isn’t a whole lot written on ayap in my reference books or on the net for that matter. Common in Northern Philippine cooking, particularly on the Ilocano coast, even Ilocanos naturally refer to this as ayap or…
28 Jan, 2008
Frankly, I was shocked by the responses to my most recent poll on whether readers had ever cooked using a palayok over a charcoal or wood flame. Almost 45% of folks (as of this writing) responded in the affirmative. I was really genuinely surprised. So the novelty that I experienced learning…
27 Jan, 2008
Several folks emailed asking about the slicer I used for the apples in this post a few days ago. I used a Japanese slicer, which I thought I had featured previously, but I was mistaken. I own a couple of really top-of-the-line mandolines in stainless steel, fancy french slicing contraptions that are…
27 Jan, 2008
I was thinking about childhood comfort foods the other day and realized that I used to love it when my mom cooked up a pot of Chile (or Chili) Con Carne. Literally translated as “Peppers with Meat”, my mom’s version was immediately notable for the lack of heat or peppers, as she didn’t…