Philippine cooking is the familiar blended with the exotic. Just as the Filipinos are part Malay, Chinese and Spanish, so is the cuisine of the seven-thousand-island Philippine nation. One can also taste the subtle hints of Indian, Mexican, Arab and American influences. American contribution to Filipino kitchen particularly became heavy following WW II when surplus canned foods became widely available because of the shortages of fresh produce. The Filipinos embraced these 'new foods' and turned them into dishes that taste nothing like canned food.

Siopao
Shared by Ashley <camsmom@talstar.com>

1 package active dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 dozen 2" square pieces of waxed paper

Sprinkle yeast and sugar into 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Let stand for about 3 minutes then stir to dissolve completely. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sift flour in large bowl. Slowly pour in yeast mixture and lukewarm milk, stirring with a wooden spoon, then with the hands until mixture is throughly combined. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until dough doubles in volume. Press hard dough into the large bowl. Cover and let rise until it has doubled in volume again. Meanwhile, prepare filling. (see below) Turn the dough on a slightly floured board again and knead until smooth and satiny in texture. Roll dough to form a long cylinder about 2" in diameter. Slice into 1" rounds. Flatten each to a 4-5" diameter round. Place 1 heaping tbsp. of filling and cubes of salted egg in center. Gather edges of dough to form a pouch. Press edges together and give it a twist to seal in filling. Place each bun on 2" square of waxed paper sealed edges down. Cover with a dry kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Put enough boiling water in lower part of a steamer to come to within an inch of steamer rack. Arrange
buns 1" apart on a rack. Cover steamer, bring water to a rolling boil and steam for about 10 minutes.

FILLING:

1 lb. lean pork diced
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cooking oil
1 cup broth
1 tsp. sesame oil(optional)

Combine pork, cornstarch, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Saute pork in hot oil until light brown. Add sesame oil and broth. Simmer until pork is tender and sauce thickened. Set aside until dough is ready to be filled.

Pancit
Shared by Ashley <camsmom@talstar.com>

Here is a recipe for Pancit, a staple at our home. This is easy to prepare, and the recipe is very flexible. Different types of noodles can be used: bihon (rice noodles), Canton (flour noodles), sotanghon (soybean noodle) and mike (pronounced as mee-kee, fresh egg noodles). These noodles are usually available in Asian stores. Vermicilli or angel hair pasta could also be substituted.

Stock (chicken will be used in recipie)

1 whole chicken, chopped into pieces
One medium onion,
2 sticks celery
Peppercorns (To taste)

In a big pot, add 1 whole chicken, chopped into pieces, and bring to boil with with one medium sized onion, 2 sticks of celery and pepper corns. Add just enough water to cover chicken. Remove meat from bone, and don't forget to save the stock!

1 lb pork, sliced into thin strips
1 cup shrimp, cooked, deveined and unshelled
1 can straw mushrooms
1 can water chestnuts
1/2 head of bok choy (pechay) or 1/2 head cabbage, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
a few snow pea pods, chopped into pieces
1/2 lb mussels or scallops (optional)
soy sauce to taste
salt to taste
2 cloves of garlic, chrushed
1 medium sized onion, sliced
ground black pepper, fresh if you can
oil for frying
1 or 2 packages of pancit canton or a package of vermicelli or angel hair pasta. If you really can't find pancit, try egg noodles - although they may be soft, or spaghetti if you're desperate.
4 or 5 green onions
1 lemon

Heat oil in a pan (or wok if possible). Saute garlic and onion slices until the onion is transparent. Add chicken, and pork. Cook until pork is brown. Add half of the chicken stock. Boil for about three minutes. Add salt, soy sauce to taste. Also sprinkle some ground black pepper. Simmer for about another three minutes. Add shrimps, mushrooms, carrots and other ingredients except the noodles itself. Simmer for another 3 minutes or so (covered). Add the remaining stock. Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Add the noodles. Mix thoroughly until noodles are soft. Garnish with sliced green onions and sliced lemon. Serve with lemon juice.

Kare-Kare (Ox tail stew)
Shared by Ashley <camsmom@talstar.com>

This recipie cheats a little by using a mix (found in your grocery store or Asian store) but otherwise, I find it very hard to make from scratch.

2.2 lbs oxtails, cut into serving pieces
about 1 1/2 cup egg plant, cut into pieces
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup beef broth (or chicken broth)
1 1/2 cup string beans cut into 2" lengths
1 cup bok choy (pechay) or kangkong (watercress can be substituted)
leaves
salt to taste

and the piece de resistance (here is the cheating part)
Mama Sita's Kare-Kare Mix (Stew Base Mix -Preparation de sauce pour -
Pang Kare-kare - Just Add Peanut Butter!

Cut the oxtail into serving pieces, boil until tender, leaving about 4 cups of broth. Skim off fat from the broth. Set aside meat. Dissolve Mama Sita's Pang Kare-Kare mix and peanut butter in about a cup of the broth. Let boil the remaining broth. Add eggplant and long beans into the boiling broth until almost cooked. Stir in meat and sauce mixture. Add bok choy. Salt to taste.

Dinuguan (Blood Pudding)
Shared by Ashley <camsmom@talstar.com>

4 cups beef internal organs
1.5 cups beef blood
1/2 cup white vinegar mixed with 1 tsp salt & 1 cup water
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 hot peppers
3.5 cups water

Clean and cut the internal organs into small pieces. Simmer in low heat with vinegar until tender. Set aside.

Saute the garlic, onions, and add the boiled internal organs, cook about 15 minutes. Add the blood & stir constantly to prevent the blood from coagulating. Add the water & season with salt & cook about 10 minutes more. Add the hot pepper before removing from the heat. Serve hot with rice.

Chicken Or Pork Adobo
Shared by Ashley <camsmom@talstar.com>

3 lb chicken thighs or pork butt
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic; crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 2/3 cups water
2 LARGE spoonfuls Lee Kum Kee Oyster sauce "optional" (By large, I mean
the large plastic type serving spoons....my DH calls it a "Sandook"

If using pork, cut pork into 1 1/2-inch pieces. In a large sauce pot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil; Cover, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes (45 minutes for pork). Uncover and simmer 15 more minutes or until liquid evaporates and chicken or pork is lightly browned.

Serve with white rice

Makes 6 servings.

 

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devriesb@ican.net
 

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