Paksiw na Bangus at Talong

Ingredients:

• a large chunk of ginger, pounded finely
• 3 cloves of garlic, bruised lightly
• 1 pc finger chili
• 3 slices, about 350 grams of milkfish
• 1 small eggplant, quartered then cut at 2" length
• 1 tsp of whole peppercorns
• 1-1/2 tsp of rock salt
• 1/3 cup native white vinegar
• 2/3 cup water

Procedure:

1. Place at the bottom of a porcelain or stainless casserole 2/3 of the ginger, garlic and chili. Add the milkfish, eggplant, whole peppercorns, salt and the rest of the ginger.
2. Pour the vinegar and water. Do not mix. Cover. Place over medium fire, bring to boil. Swirl the casserole a little to mix the ingredients.
3. Reduce fire to low, then, simmer for 8 minutes.
4. I like this dish with garlic fried rice and fish sauce (patis) with crushed chili for your dip

Chicken A La Kiev

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs chicken breasts
• 2 pcs chicken drumsticks
• 1/4 lb. butter
• a clove of crushed garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• salt for seasoning chicken meat
• 1/2 cup of flour
• a cup of breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten with
• 2 tbsps water
• cooking oil for deep-frying

Procedure:

1. Separate chicken meat from bones. Make cutlet of the breast meat and drumstick. Flatten out. Season with salt. Set aside.
2. Combine butter, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. In the center of the cutlet, place a finger of butter mixture. Roll tightly. Secure with a toothpick, if needed. Chill thoroughly.
4. Dredge ib flour, then in sligtly beaten egg and lastly in breadcrumbs. Do the same to the rest. Chill for an hour.
5. Deep fry until done.

Mamu Citta's Adobong Ilonggo

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo chicken, cut up
• 1/2 kilo pork belly, cut into 1" cube
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 slices of ginger, crushed
• 1 pc red onion, sliced
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• 3/4 tbsp iodized coarse salt
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp annatto powder

Procedure:

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken, pork belly and annatto powder.
2. In a wok, place the pork at the bottom. Follow with the chicken. Pour in the mixture. Cover. Bring to boil. Keep it boiling for a minute or until very fragrant before mixing. Then, simmer very gently for 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
3. Meanwhile, dissolve annatto powder in a tablespoon of hot water. Set aside until needed.
4. When meat is tender, put in the annatto mixture. Mix well. Continue cooking until the oil comes out. Stirring constantly.
5. Serve with freshly cooked rice.

Binangis

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps cooing oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 kilo of pork, boiled and cubed
• 1 pork heart, cut into cubes
• 2 pcs pork kidney, cubed
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• salt to taste
• 200 grams pork liver
• 1 red bell pepper

Procedure:

1. Saute garlic, onion and pork in oil in a pan.
2. Add the heart and kidney. Season with vinegar and salt.
3. When almost dry, add the liver and bell pepper. Cook until done.

Chinese Style Pork Asado

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup hot stock or water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsps white wine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp monosodium glutamate
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 kilo pork pigue, whole

Procedure:

1. In a 2 quart sauce pan, combine the first-seven ingredients. Put in pork. Lid on then, bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for one hour or until meat is tender enough to be sliced.
2. Slice meat and arrnge in a platter. Pour over sauce.
3. Serve.

Grilled Shrimps and Mushrooms Yakitori

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup each of light soy sauce, mirin & honey
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• a small thumb size ginger, grated
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 500 grams tiger prawns, peeled
• 2 big cans of whole button mushrooms, drained
• 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped & divided into 2 portions

Procedure:

1. Combine first-four ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes until mixture is slightly syrupy. Divide mixture into two.
2. Rub mushrooms and shrimps separately with 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and chopped lemongrass. Add ginger and garlic. Mix well. Seal with plastic wrap. Sit inside the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
3. Thread 2 button mushrooms, then a shrimp and follow again with 2 button mushrooms. Do the same to the rest.
4. Grill or pan grill skewers. Cook for 15-20 seconds on side. Generously glaze with the marinade. Do not overcook.
5. Serve immediately.

Asian-Style Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kilo baby back ribs
• 2 liters of chicken stock
• a tbsp of five-spice powder
• 1/2 tbsp cardamom powder
• a cup of honey
• 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Boil ribs in stock for 40 minutes or until tender. Air-dry.
2. Combine the marinade/basting sauce: Combine 4 cups of stock (from cooking the ribs) with spices, honey and hoisin sauce. Simmer and reduce until liquid coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste.
3. Marinate ribs in sauce for at least 2 hours saving any leftover for basting.
4. Place ribs on a very hot gril and cook approximately 8 minutes per side. Continously basting with leftover marinade.
5. Serve with mashed potatoes and buttered green beans and mushrooms.

Grilled Pampano with Herbed Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• a cup of jasmine rice
• 1.5 cup water
• a tablespoon of butter
• 1 tsp shallots, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• a tsp each of chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, basil and oregano
• 1 pc fresh pampano
• 1/4 tsp ground oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Cook jasmine in water. Spread in a baking sheet to cool. Separate grains well.
2. In a heated saute pan, sweat shallots in butter until translucent. Add garlic and saute until aromatic. Add fresh herbs and toss in cooked rice. Keep warm.
3. Rub fish with ground oregano and ground coriander, salt and pepper. Grill for 5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
4. Serve hot.

Bicol Express

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Serve with steamed rice.

Sinigang na Bangus sa Miso

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo milkfish (bangus), scaled and gutted
• 2 tsps of iodized coarse salt
• 3 tbsps cooking oil & more for frying the fish
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• a large chunk, about 50 grams, ginger, sliced thinly
• 1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 large red overripe tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 75 grams, 1" thick slice, of miso
• 2.5 tbsps fish sauce
• 1 liter of rice wash or water
• 1 med (200 grams) radish, sliced at 1"thick diagonally
• 1 small sachet, 28 grams, of sinigang na calamansi recipe mix powder
• 4 pcs finger chilis
• a bunch (175 grams) of mustard greens, sliced

Procedure:

1. Put the milkfish in a bowl. Sprinkle all over half of the salt. Stand aside while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Fry lightly the fish. Set aside.
3. In a different pan, put oil. Saute garlic and ginger. Cook until garlic is golden brown. Follow with onion and tomatos. Cook until very soft.
4. Add in the miso nd fish sauce. Cook until liquid evaporates or aromatic.
5. Pour rice wash. Put in also, the radish and sinigang powder. Cover. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling for a minute or two.
6. Put the lightly fried fish and finger chilis. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add in the green mustards. Cook until half-done only.
8. Serve hot and with freshly cooked white rice.

Batchoy

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs, about 300 grams pork kidney
• 1/4 kilo pork liver
• a pc, 200 grams in weight, pork heart
• 1/4 kilo tenderloin (lomo)
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsps of cooking oil
• a tsp of msg
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 onion chopped
• a thumb size ginger, sliced thinly
• 1.5 cup water
• spring onion, for garnishing
• salt to taste

Procedure:

• Cut pork kidney, liver, heart and pork into strips. Set aside.
• Saute garlic in oil. When golden brown, add onion. Cook until transparent.
• Add pork kidney, liver, heart and tenderloin. Put ginger, continue cooking for 3 minutes. Season with fish sauce and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Pour water. Cover. Bring to boil. Then, simmer gently until tender
• Garnish with spring onion.
• Serve hot.