one filipino dish a week

If there is one fruit that I miss the most and is not available here where I live it’s lanzones (lansium domesticum or langsat in Malay). The sweet translucent meat is so good. Like most fruits the seed is very bitter. But if the fruit is small enough the seed will be soft and chewy and not bitter. So as a little kid I made a game of trying to find the right size where you can still eat the seeds and not have to spit it out but big enough that you have a lot of meat. I could eat several kilos of these. They’re so good and right about now i’m truly missing them. This is certainly one of my favorite fruits. I think it has an excellent flavor and texture. What fruit from your childhood that comes to mind right now?

Why can’t this be found here in NYC? is there some sort of ban? If anybody knows please let me know.

There are many things in life that we take for granted but when we look back on that particular thing we realize that it has such great importance in our lives that it really needs to be celebrated. Looking back at my childhood I am really grateful and thankful for the dinners that my family had. Everyday we sat at the table to share dinner, Saturday lunches and to celebrate birthdays and holidays. Looking back at those times it was definitely a bond that made my family close and probably attributes my close relationship with my parents. Granted that I’m the only child but I think the forum of the dinner table is when the family can just be themselves and share their joys and tackle their problems together. I may not have been privy to some of the issues that my parents spoke about when I was a young boy but I think that was a place for us to share that moment with each other. One thing that I’m glad was that there was no tv. It forced the family to really talk to each other and create conversation. It made my parents aware of how I was doing in school and who my friends were (what I told at least) . But the dinner table is a powerful place that is quite important in a home. There aren’t too many big events in our lives that we don’t share a meal with our family and friends. Take time this week to share a meal with your family/friends together.

I’m so glad that my mom brought that table with us when we moved. It’s definitely an important piece in our lives and makes my family what it is today whether we realize it or not.

Several birthdays, Christmases, anniversaries, joys, tears and heated debates have happened at this table. Lives have changed, people have moved on, kids have turned to adults but the table remains an integral centerpiece each step of the way.

In this episode: paoix cooks lechon kawali (deep fried pork belly) and messes up the video taping so you get a semi slideshow

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs pork belly
10 garlic rough chop
1/2 large onion rough chop
20 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup coconut vinegar

1. Put the pork belly in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil.
2. Once it starts to boil add the garlic, onions, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt.
3. Simmer until pork is tender about 30 minutes.
4. Drain the pork on a wire rack and pat dry with paper towels.
5. Coat the pork belly with vinegar and place in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to help the drying
6. Air dry for 4 hours on a wire rack
7. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Deep fry the pork belly until golden brown and the skin has bubbled to a crisp

Music used for this episode:
Electric Kulintang - Anitos (website)

Eat Filipino Food!

In this episode: paoix makes dinuldog. A squash soup with bacalao best pour over white rice.

Ingredients:
1 buttercup squash diced
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb bacalao diced
2 inch gingerroot pounded

1. Combine chicken broth, coconut milk, ginger and squash in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes until squash is soft.
2. Add the bacalao and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. *EDIT* NOTE: Bacalao can be extremely salty so you can either wash it or boil it first before using.
3. Mash the squash to the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the soup.
4. Simmer for a 2-3 more minutes until the soup has combined and serve.

Eat Filipino Food!

(I realize how dark this is. stupid camera. I’ll do better next time)
Cant see the video? click here for Quicktime version

Ingredient list for this episode:
Yields 170 2-inch spring rolls
2 lbs ground pork
4 carrots roughly chopped
4 leeks white part chopped
1 bunch scallions green part
3 oz shrimp
2 oz crab meat
50 lumpia wrappers
1 tbsp flour

Links mentioned in this episode:
lumpiang ubod
vegetable lumpia
lumpia wrapper battle

Equipment used in this episode:
Hamilton Beach 8-Cup 2-Speed Food Processor
Cuisinart 4 Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set