LtDan'sKitchen.com

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Roasted Pork on a Spit

Roast Pork or Lechon is a traditional food served during family outings and whenever there is a special occasion be it with families or even at work. My cousin have requested that we roast our own pig long before I even booked my ticket to fly home. I was all for it since I have not tasted it for years and I have been craving it for some time now. For this party with my friends and former teachers, we bought a 70-lb live pig which was butchered at around 3 in the morning so that it will be ready for lunch that same day. Word of advice, never befriend an animal destined to be killed for its meat or you will suffer.

The pig came the day before and it was the sweetest pig ever. It was a small sow who had the best temperament and even allowed us to stroke her lovingly. Knowing we will be eating her the following day, I stayed away from her the rest of the day to avoid bonding with her some more. I wish I could keep her as a pet. For reals! Darn!

Anyway, I woke up the next day and my little piglet was already cleaned and was ready to be slow-roasted under a bed of hot coals. Prior to roasting, it was stuffed with lemongrass, banana leaves and a sour fruit we call "batwan" in our local dialect. It is a main ingredient usually in sour broths and in roasted meats but it seems to be mainly used only in the region I grew up in. Now, the roasting part is really an art form. It takes forever to roast the pig on the spit turning round and round so that it cooks evenly. It also gets basted with cooking oil and a can of evaporated milk to give the skin a really yummy taste. I'm enclosing a video of my cousin-in-law roasting the pig although he got a bit conscious when he realized I was filming the process. It took them about 4 hours to fully roast the pork and while we were about to serve it, we realized that we forgot to buy an apple to stuff in its gaping mouth. Necessity being the mother of invention, we opted for a ripe mango fruit.

Squid in Black Sauce

Squid sold in our market here in the Philippines come with their heads on and with the ink sac intact. There is a reason for that and it has to do with how we cook them which usually involves the squid swimming in its own black protective goo. Unless you are making calamari, you basically prepare the fresh squid with the minimum amount of processing. One common thing to do is to remove the backbone which really means to pull out this almost clear plastic gladius or pen which supports the squid's mantle. The other preparation needed is to squeeze out the beak made of chitin by pressing your thumb in between the eyes to force out the indigestible part of the squid. With a little bit of a wash, all that is left is to slice the squid in three portions if they are of the larger variety or to just cook them whole.

As you wash the squid, some of the ink will come out but do not fret too much about it. More will come out as it cooks and you want that to happen. The ink does have a flavor of its own which is quite creamy and delicious. It might be an acquired taste but if you get over how dark it is, you will realize that the black sauce when mixed with steaming rice is really delicious on its own. I even heard that they serve this in a butter sauce without the meat in several local restaurants which I think is quite interesting if not for the high level of cholesterol associated with this decadent dish.

Squid in Black Sauce

1 lb fresh squid, cleaned
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper

1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in the
vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened.

2. Add the squid and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the soy sauce and vinegar. Lower the heat to medium low and cover
the pan. Cook the squid until it turns opaque. Do not overcook.

4. Check for flavor and adjust with salt and pepper. Serve hot with steamed
rice.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Philippine Mangoes

One thing that I missed being away from home was the abundance of mangoes during the summer months. One might say, it is just a fruit but we take pride in our mangoes and we consider them as one of a kind. For one, the texture of Philippine mangoes rival those of canned peaches in terms of smoothness. You basically bite into a smooth and succulent fruit which when fully ripe, is sinfully sweet. Thus, they are ideally suited for use in cakes and mousses. However, they are wonderful eaten just as they are be it sliced or peeled whole like you are eating a mango popsicle. I actually have to control myself since I could easily overindulge. Second, they are just delicious. Nothing more to say really. In the heat of the summer months, all you need is one slice of a cold mango fruit and it makes everything seem better. It is that delicious.

Being from Bacolod, we are partial to mangoes from the island of Guimaras which rival the mangoes from Cebu. I have yet to try one from Cebu but due to the proximity of Guimaras to where I live, the favored variety is from Guimaras. These same mangoes make their way into the White House and Buckingham Palace due to their sweetness. I have yet to establish a kitchen that will allow me to bake, much less cook so I'm hoping that I might be able to feature a mango mousse cake any time soon. For now, I leave you with a picture of what a slice of heaven might look like, in fruit form.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Buko Fruit Salad

Buko or young coconut is found almost anywhere in the country and most especially in the island where I grew up. We used to have three tall coconut trees in our backyard and we also had the dwarf variety which was low enough I could easily just pluck one head off the trunk. That was then but the reality is that we have none of our coconut trees still surviving. However, my godmother next door do have a couple more trees and she graciously allowed us to pick from her tree for this event we were planning for my mom's birthday.

I carefully chose the menu for this lunch affair since I was still in reminiscing mode. I chose this fruit dessert since this is my Dad's favorite. Good thing we had a cousin living with us who has no fear when it comes to climbing really tall trees. Look at the picture closely and you will realize how high up he is. This tree is taller than out two-story house. I felt bad taking this picture since he is the one risking his neck for our dessert. Still, the coconuts were the perfect age to make this sweet salad. The main dish was inspired by my Mom's favorite holiday dish and the rest, I filled in with things I missed the most. Recipes from the affair will be featured a bit later.

This dessert is really easy to make. You do not need any exact measurements since this dessert is assembled according to your specific taste. As I got older, my tolerance for saccharinely sweet desserts have reached a lower level of tolerance so we had to readjust the amount of condensed milk to make sure that the overall sweetness is just right. I'm just glad that the rest of the family have gone this route as well so we're all good! I managed to find young coconuts in the US for about 2$ a pop. Not too bad but you will need at least 10 if you are going to feed an army of 20-25.

The other thing to decide on is whether to use Kaong or Nata de Coco. Both are available in major oriental stores if you happen to live close by one of them. Go through the Filipino section and you will find them in either white, green or red color. I prefer the kaong but a close second is the is the Nata de Coco. Of course, you can do away with either one if gelatinous morsels are not your thing.

Buko Fruit Salad

10 young coconuts, hulled and meat scored into strings
5-6 lbs tropical or regular fruit cocktail, drained
1 32 oz pineapple chunks, drained
3 cup red kaong, rinsed and drained
4 cups white kaong, rinsed and drained
1-14 oz condensed milk
3 cup heavy cream

To make the salad, combine all the ingredients and adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of condensed milk. This can also be made with the addition of raisins, canned sliced peaches and pears and even diced soft cheeses like mild cheddar and Monterrey Jack. You can also add more coconut meat or sliced apples and whole seedless grapes if you prefer. Really, any fruit is a welcome addition to this dessert and it is only your preference to a particular fruit that will limit what you can use to make this dessert. Make sure that you serve this salad really cold.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Sauteed Water Cabbage

Growing up in the city of Bacolod, it was quite fun being in the city and yet be quite far enough to enjoy the perks of a small town. One of the perks is the access to open lots where vegetables can be grown during the rainy months. At this point, parts of the planting bed includes a muddy shallow pool where water cabbages (Kangkong) grow in abundance. Considered a weed in the US, this wonderful vegetable is quite far low in the rung of preferred greens being also used to feed pigs grown for their meat. It is indeed a simple peasant fare but for me, it is something that is a favorite in our family.

Traditionally, you use only the tips where the leaves are found and cooked adobo style seasoned with vinegar and soy sauce. In some restaurants however, it is seasoned a bit more delicately with oyster sauce and sesame oil. Meat can also be added but I prefer to make this dish without any to ensure you enjoy the full flavor of the vegetable. If unavailable, Chinese broccoli or even regular broccoli and asparagus can also be used as a good substitute.I saw this in the local grocery store and I could just not walk away from it without having to buy it. It was a dish that took 7 years in the making.

Sauteed Water Cabbage

2-3 lbs water cabbage, ends trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch stalks
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp canola oil
¼ cup water
Salt and pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
¼ cup oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

1. Clean and cut the water lettuce to size. Wash and drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large wok over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook
    until golden brown. Spoon out and set aside.

3. Add the water cabbage and increase the heat to medium. Season with the
    soy sauce and about a teaspoon of salt and a few turns of black pepper.
    Add the water and cover until it comes to a boil.

4. Add the oyster sauce and stir to mix. Cook covered until the stalks are
    tender. Check for flavor.

5. Drizzle in the sesame oil and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with
    the roasted garlic and serve right away.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Caviar and White Beans

What can you say, this was my sustenance while packing my stuff before heading home. As inspired by Sophia Loren's version of this dish, all you need really is a good artisan bread, preferably a simple variety and your choice of beans. Canned white beans or cannellini is the preferred choice but if pressed, any canned beans white beans will do. There is not much in terms of a recipe but rather a simple instruction on how to present the dish in a appetizing way and to eat it with as much gusto as you can muster.

Caviar and White Beans

4 oz caviar (your choice of caviar)
1 15-oz can white beans, drained and mashed
slices of white bread
parsley leaf to garnish

To assemble this appetizer, spread an even amount of the mashed beans over the sliced bread. Top with about a teaspoon of caviar and garnish with the parsley leaf. You can spoon a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil or white truffle oil if desired. Enjoy and feast without any wine to savor the flavor of the caviar.

Hong Kong Blues

I was stuck in Chicago and Hong Kong while traveling for home. While I felt like it was a never ending ordeal, especially when you had to lug large suitcases and a computer bag that weighed a ton due to the Hunger Games trilogy that I refused to let go of, having finally made it to the last leg of my international trip was a relief.

While stuck in the various airports in Chicago O'Hare and the International ariport in Hong Kong, we bonded as a group of desperate passengers trying to get home while trying to finds ways of eating a decent meal to keep up with waiting in line to get our boarding passes. A few of us decided to actually just hang around the airport in Hong Kong instead of leaving for the one hour trip to the hotel and back which left us with just about 4 hours to sleep in the hotel which to me did not make sense anymore. What was good was that we were able to get through the security gates and have breakfast inside the airport and take our time while waiting for the flight to Manila.

One thing I noticed though was that the information people (and mostly everyone) at the Hong Kong airport are the rudest people you will ever meet. It is like you are taking too much of their time when they are supposed to be there to help you. I could say more about this but I hate having to turn the pages of my blog blue. Anyway, despite the rudeness, I was able to relish a wonderful breakfast treat of a wrapped sticky rice with a pork stuffing (although I ended up with the chicken version) and it was really good. I thought the leaf used to wrap this wonderful dish are the taro leaves but after some research, it is actually made with lotus leaf. Well, duh to me! I knew this and I just forgot!

Still, having said my piece about Hong Kong being in my list of the last place I want to revisit, the food was excellent. It was good I overcame my annoyance over the people who served them to me. Sadly, being rude is apparently the norm of the people in Hong Kong.