Fish Cracker

I've learned to eat foodies like this from my Mom. She loves "kutkutin", that's what she calls the food that you have to eat one by one and very slowly but very addictive. It seems you can't have enough. A traditionally Filipino style junk food. I guess, it's not really junk because it is made out of fish, flour and egg. Best dip in garlic-vinegar. I haven't been able to cook this but I love buying them. They are usually sold inside the bus and small stalls in terminals. But my Mom is a suki of a vendor who sells fish cracker that she drops by our house monthly to sell this to us.

WS #44 - Chef Tony's Popcorn Company

It's been days the husband has been bugging me to watch Wanted. Supposedly, last Saturday, we were going to and meet Bunso and Tin, my friends at SM-Mall of Asia. Unfortunately, we can't! Simply because the Maynilad did not announced earlier that they going to cut the supply of water that day. We were out of water not even a single drop! How were we going to take a bath! Haaayy... Anyways, we just stayed home. I watched some DVD movies while munching the yummy popcorn that was a pasalubong for me yesterday from the husband.

"Breaded Pork Fillet"

Ingredients:

• 600 grams pork shoulder
• 1 tsp all-in-one seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 fine salt
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp liquid seasoning
• about 2 cups of cooking oil

seasoned breading:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsps cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp paprika

Procedure:

Wash and clean the pork. Pat-dry. Remove the skin. Slice thinly into long large straps. Put in a large bowl. Put the next-five ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Stand aside for several minutes.

Meanwhile, in a pan or wok, heat oil over medium-high fire until smoking hot. While waiting, put the ingredients for the seasoned breadcrumbs in a clean paper bag or large plastic. Mix.

Put the marinated pork fillet into the paper bag. Add in some air. Seal. Shake gently until pork is well-coated with seasoned breading.

Gently stretch the pork fillet into long straps before putting it into the hot oil. Make sure not to over crowd the pan. Do this in batches until done. Drain in lots of paper towels.

Serve with steaming rice and catsup. You can also partner this recipe with any sauteed veggies.

Greenwich Pizza Overload & Beef Cannelloni

beef cannelloni with garlic stix

greenwich special pizza overload (thick crust)

Weekend Snapshot - Siomai House & Magnolia Ice cream

Weekend Snapshot

Our snack yesterday, H is been craving for ice cream while I've been craving for siomai. My cravings were fully satisfied and also my hubby... yum-yum!!!

"Bicol Express" (Pork & Chilis In Rich Coconut Sauce)

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs matured coconuts
• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 1/2 head garlic, finely pounded
• 2 medium (70 grams) red onion, peeled & minced
• 3/4 kilo pork belly, skinned & diced
• 3 tbsps fresh bagoong alamang
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 pc bird's eye chili pepper (siling labuyo), minced or 1/8 tsp dried pepper flakes
• 5 pcs finger chilis, minced with seeds

Procedure:

When you buy your coconuts in the market. Let the vendor grate and squeeze them for you, using their manual jack pump. The first squeeze which is the coconut cream (kakang-gata) and the second squeeze, the coconut milk (pangalawang gata). This type of service will only cost you an extra php2.00, not bad, right? It also means, you'll have less work in the kitchen.

In a wok, put oil. Heat moderately. Put garlic, saute until golden brown. Follow with onion, cook until limp. Add in the diced pork, fresh bagoong alamang, black pepper and pepper flakes. Stir-fry until pork is no longer pink and bagoong is aromatic.

Pour the the coconut milk. Cover. Bring to boil. Remove lid. Stir. Bubble away in medium-low fire for 30 minutes. Stirring every 10 minutes.

Increase fire to medium-high, add in the coconut cream. Do not stir until boiling. Cook for 2 minutes. Put the minced finger chilis. Mix. Cook for another minute.

Serve with steamed rice.

"Breaded Pork Chops"

Such a simple and easy recipe. It also brings back fond memories of my childhood years, that is, watching my Daddy cooked in the kitchen while I happily watch him and eat the food he had cooked. Actually, he's not my biological father, he's an uncle of mine, married to my Aunt Pilar a.k.a "Nanay Pi". Everybody in our family calls him "Papa Eu", even the tenants in our compound. I am the only one who calls him "Daddy" for I am his favorite (",)


Ingredients:

• 8 small & thin pcs (725 grams) of pork chops
• salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 pcs kalamansi
• 1-2 tbsps white vinegar
• liquid seasoning
• flour or cornstarch, or combination of, about a cup
• 1-2 cups cooking oil
  

Procedure:

Wash with running water the pork chops. Pat dry. Lay on a tray, sprinkle both generously with salt and pepper. Punch the pork chops lightly using your fist. Let it stand for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the garlic. Pound finely using a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a chopping board, finely mince. Put back to the mortar. Squeeze in the kalamansi, strain the seeds. Put the vinegar. Mix and mash.

Pour over the pork chops the garlic mixture. Sprinkle lightly with liquid seasoning. Turn the pork chops a couple of times to blend the marinade well. Set aside.

At this point, you can now cook some rice, for this is serve perfectly with it.

In a deep pan or kawali, place over medium-high fire. Heat until smoking hot. Pour the oil. Heat moderately. Meanwhile, in a clean plastic bag or paper bag, put half of the flour. Add the marinated pork chops. Place the rest of the flour. Put some air into the bag. Seal. Shake.

Back to the pan, deep fry the floured pork chops until golden brown. Drain in paper towels.

Serve with lots of steaming rice and tomato ketchup.... yummy! (",)

Weekend Snapshot - "Happy Cream Puff"

Weekend Snapshot

Happy Cream Puff's different flavors and packages.

My Kulit with Tita Tin-tin.

Last Saturday, My son and I, we were at the ice rink with Tin. It's a whole day skate practice for my kiddo, from 11 in the morning until 6.30 in the evening. Then, he had his gymnastics work-out after that. We left SM-Southmall at around 8.30 pm. Indeed a very tiring day!

We had our late lunch at SM Foodcourt, consists of garlic fried rice, salted egg, binagoongan and chicharon. By the way, I forgot to take pictures of, we were so hungry by the time I realized it the food was gone already so I didn't bother anymore.

While walking back to the rink, my friend Tin spotted a new stall... they sell cream puffs. We tried it and it's good. They have so many flavors just look at the first picture. We'll be coming back to try them.

"Ginataang Tilapia" (St. Peter's Fish In Coconut Cream Sauce)

Ingredients:

• 5 small pcs (about a kilo in weight), gutted & scaled
• rock salt
• 3 matured coconuts, grated
• 1-3/4 cup warm water
• 3 tbsps of vegetable oil & oil for frying
• 6 cloves garlic, finely pounded
• a chunk (50 grams) ginger, julienne (I used the young variety of ginger root)
• 2 medium (75 grams) red onion, minced
• 2 large (100 grams) red over ripe tomatoes, halved & sliced thinly
• 3 tbsps fish sauce
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 medium (130 grams) eggplant, quartered & cut into 1" length
  
• 2 pcs finger chilis

Procedure:

Clean and slightly pat dry the fish. Moderately sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

In a bowl, put the grated coconuts and warm water. Mash using your hands. Extract the coconut cream. Set side.

In a pan, fry both sides of fish. Set aside.

In a wok, over medium-high fire, put the vegetable oil, heat moderately. Add garlic and ginger. Saute until garlic is golden brown. Follow with onion and tomatoes. Saute until limp. Put the fish sauce, cook until aromatic or until it dries up.

Pour in the coconut cream. Mix. Cover. Bring to boil. Put the fried fish and black pepper. Mix lightly. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the eggplant and chilis. Mix carefully or swirl the pan until the eggplant is coated with coconut cream. Put the lid on. Reduce fire to medium. Cook for another 5 minutes or until eggplant is half done. I don't like my eggplant to be soggy or overcook!

Best with tons of warm cooked rice.

"Tocino Decker Sandwich"

good for 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 pcs white bread
• egg sandwich spread (recipe here)
• 2 pcs Purefoods Pritong Pinoy tocino slices
• 2 pcs cheese slices
• prepared mustard
• catsup

Procedure:

Place a piece of bread on a plate. Generously spread with egg sandwich. Place another bread on top. Put the tocino and cheese. Squeeze mustard and catsup lightly. Cover with bread. Slice the bread criss-cross. Do the same to the rest.

Put inside a covered container. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

"Lumpiang Shanghai" (Meaty Spring Roll)

Yield: 76 pieces

Ingredients:

• 38 pcs (6" diameter) spring roll wrapper (lumpia wrapper)
• water for sealing
  
• 2-3 cups cooking oil
  
• 250 grams very lean ground pork, well-drained
• 100 grams potato, finely grated & well-squeezed
• 100 grams carrot, finely grated
• a tbsp of finely minced red bell pepper
• a stalk of celery (no leaves), finely minced
• 100 grams red onion, finely minced
• 2 tbsps of cheddar cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, well-crushed & finely minced
• 3/4 tsp iodized fine salt
• a teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of liquid seasoning
• 1-3/4 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 medium-size Philippine lemon (kalamansi), extract the juice & remove the seeds
• 2 slices (60 grams) white bread
• a tbsp of fine breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsps cornstarch
• 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
• 1 beaten egg

Procedure:

Separate gently & carefully the wrappers one by one. Place in a plastic or cover with a damp cloth. To keep it soft and easy to roll. Set aside.

Put in a colander the ground pork and well-squeezed grated potato. To remove the excess liquid. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

Combine the rest of the ingredients accordingly. Mix well.

Get a half-tablespoon of the mixture. Place at one end of the wrapper forming a small log. Roll the wrapper, should keep it tight. Wet with water the other end. Seal. Do the same to the rest. Cut into two.

From this point, you can freeze for future use. Or deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain in paper towels.

Serve with catsup or chili sauce.