Let's make tusok tusok the fish ball!

School days are here again. These means, tusok tusok the fish ball madness is on.

Food trip before going home from On-the Job training
@ Ortigas MRT Station | Dec. 2012

When we say street food, fish ball is the first thing that comes to our mind. In fact, we can consider fish ball as the Mother of all street foods. During my elementary days, me and my classmates, we used to sneak out before the class started and ask the vendor to give us 5 peso worth of fish balls (it was .25 c per piece back then). It is usually on a stick and dunk on the jar of sauce of your choice (sweet, sweet and spicy, or spicy vinegar). It was a hassle for us because we have to go over the fence just to purchase fish balls but all the efforts are worth it because of its heavenly taste.

Before its invasion to the streets of manila, fish ball was prominent in Southern China made from fish paste. It is called Surimi ni Japan while in Hong Kong, they are known as literally fish eggs with yellow and white colors. In Scandinavia, it is unusually made from cod or haddock fish and similar to meatballs. Faroe Island’s version was made of ground fish and fat and called knettir and in Fuzhou, fish balls have minced pork filling. It is called bakso ikan in Indonesia, served with tofu and fish called otak-otak in clear broth soup as tahu kok and several side dishes. Meanwhile in Malaysia Peninsula and Singapore, they have several ways of cooking fish balls. Can be served Chiuchow style noodle soup, or Yong Tau Foo meaning stuff with curd, and stir fried noodles with variety of sauce called Mee Pok. Can also be eaten with Curry as the preferred by people in Thailand.

Innovation: from sticks, now vendors uses plastic cup to hold
 fishballs and the sauce @ Ortigas MRT Station | Dec. 2012

In the Philippines, fish balls are made flat shaped and most often ingredient is Cattle or Pollock fish. These are often sold by street vendors with a push cart that has a stove. You can spot these vendors in public places usually near the schools, market, church, bus and other transportation terminals, etc. As time passed by, these vendors innovate and immerge with the growing food industry. Now, you can even see fish ball stalls on food bazar, inside the malls, in cinema houses.

Target clients of these vendors are kids and the basic masses because of its affordable price. But because of its delicious sauce and literally “grab and go” food, this won the hearts of even young executives and young at heart. You can even use fish ball as a viand. Basically, we can call this as food for everyone, why don’t you take a bite.

Refference; 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_ball

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Fish_ball

Go loco with the halo halo

Summer is officially out. Everyone has their own way of surviving the summer heat. Swimming, staying in front of air conditioner or fan, or getting a thirst quencher. Speaking of thirst quencher, let’s experience another local delight. Grab a cup, let’s mix and stir the local Filipino thirst reliever, go loco with the halo halo.

Halo means to stir but since it is used twice, the meaning of the word halo halo is now, mixed assorted. Halo halo is a popular Filipino dessert available all year long but, most abundant during summer time. A mixture of shaved ice, tropical fruits, boiled sweet beans, evaporated milk and many more, halo halo sure is the number one choice of Filipinos in reliving and surviving the scorching hot summer days.

Mainly, the ingredients of halo halo are fruits such as langka (jackfruit), kamote (sweet potato), saging na saba (sweetened plantain banana), ripe mangos, sweetened corn kernels, macapuno (grated young coconut meat). Also this needs pinipig (rice crispies or pounded sweetend rice), red mung beans, kaong (sugar palm), kidney beans, nata de coco (coconut gel), gelatin, garbanzos, sago (tapioca pearls), sugar (to taste), shaved ice, evaporated milk, ube (purple yam), leche flan (crème caramel).

There are variations in making halo halo. Some people add scoop of ice cream on the top of their halo halo. This was to capture the interest of western people for they are not familiar with some of the included fruits. Since it is summer, you can see whole in a wall stores or a table stand/stall that sell halo halo.

This wonderful dessert sure shows the creativity and innovation of Filipino peoples. So  let's taste the colorful and sweet culture of the Philippines

WHAT'S COOKING?

Crunchy and tasty

Unlimited Lugaw (Porridge) Philippines

Unlimited Lugaw (Porridge) Philippines

‘Unli’ or unlimited is the fad these day. Originally, the word unli was used by the restaurants and food chains, from bottomless drinks up to unlimited rice.

But if you are looking for the real ‘unlimited’ food trip, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is the place to visit. Aside from different stalls and budget meals, the PUP is known as home of unlimited lugaw.

For P 8.00, you can have your bowls filled with lugaw as much as you can, just bring back your bowl to the vendor and they will serve you another bowl of steaming hot plain porridge. If you want meat on your lugaw, you have to pay for another bowl and it is not counted as refill. The usual costumers of this garage like eatery are students and drivers of public transportation on the place like tricycle and jeepney drivers.

You can have laman (meat) on your lugaw or side dishes like hard boiled egg, fried tofu, and lumpia rolls. Aside from offering unlimited lugaw, the unique thing about this lugawan is that they actually offer verities of Cow’s body organs. You can have half eye or whole, heart, and testicles.

According to my friends in PUP, the record of bowl of lugaw finished by a single person on the said lugawan is 13 bowls.

Next time you’re in manila, try to visit the unlimited lugaw store at PUP.

Note: just always finish your lugaw and up to the last drop. If you don’t, you have to pay for another bowl of lugaw you won’t able to finish.

Rice pot

Since rice is the staple food of Filipino families, how to cook rice is one of the first lessons we have to learn. There are many ways of cooking rice and its different verities, but the most the common way of cooking it is stemming. Though it looks so easy, many still struggle on cooking perfect stemmed rice. Here are some techniques on cooking it.

1.      Pour two (2) cups of uncooked rice in a coking pot. Rinse the rice with water for two (2) to three (3) times if needed.

2.      After washing, put water on the pot with rice. The usual cooking proportion is ‘one is to two’ (1:2).

3.      Place it on the stove. Set the fir on medium fire and cover it.

4.      Wait until the mixture boil and uncover it. Lower the fire and let it simmer.

5.      After three (3) to five (5) minutes or after letting it simmer (please do not stir), set fire to the 'lowest' possible heat then place the cover back. Within eight (8) to 10 (ten) minutes time, your rice is now ready to serve.

Note: if you’re cooking for a bigger family, just do the same procedures but check the capacity of your cooking pot to know how many cups of rice it can hold and cook.

You can also add pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius) to enhance the aroma and flavor of your steamed rice.

coffee

It’s been a week since I started my blog site. I am completely puzzled on everything, what I am going to write and what it’s all about. But thanks to a cup of coffee while I am at Istaff 's office. Now, I know what my page will be full of.

Watch out for the first discussion. :)