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| Use your new-found knowledge of the Philippines by attempting the companion crossword puzzle to this article! Filipino
Cuisine: Recipes from the Islands Philippine
Cookbook
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Philippines by Nancy Freeman | |
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In the beginning there was rice and so, of course, there is rice still. In fact, for all but the wealthiest, rice is the main food eaten three times a day and everything else is simply a condiment. Then come the fruits of the sea. The Philippines may be a mere two-thirds the size of neighboring Indonesia, but it consists of 7,107 islands with the longest discontinuous coastline in the world. Fish and seafood by definition supply the principal and favorite source of protein. Flavors and Ingredients The sources for these flavors go well beyond vinegar and salt. Numerous unripe fruits such as tamarind, mango and guava provide sour power as well as the tiny kalamansi, a citrus halfway between an orange and a lime, which is sour even when ripe. For salty flavoring, Filipinos rely on patis or fish sauce, bagoong or shrimp paste, and, with the arrival of the Chinese, soy sauce. But local cooks incorporated indigenous ingredients and their own preferences into foods of Chinese origin. Thus pansit, sautÈed noodles, are incomplete without a squirt or two of fresh kalamansi. And many types of lumpia, the Filipino version of spring rolls, are dipped in a sauce that consists simply of crushed garlic and vinegar. With the Spaniards came an entirely new range of ingredients and dishes. Thick, rich stews, sausages, and dishes emphasizing meat and dairy products, they remain a luxury item today. Many show up on the table only at Christmas or fiesta time and are quickly spotted because they retain their Spanish names -- relleno, mechado, pochero, leche flan. Adobo, perhaps the best known Filipino dish, is a product of Spanish influence. In Spanish cuisine, adobo refers to a pickling sauce made with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, paprika and salt. Filipinos selected their favorite flavors -- vinegar, garlic, bay leaf -- along with peppercorns and, more recently, soy sauce, used it for a stewing sauce for chicken and/or pork, and gave it the Spanish name. And finally came the Americans with their all-pervasive culture and cuisine. Whereas the Spaniards reserved education for the elite, the American colonists set out to educate the entire population. Within a generation, not only did Filipinos speak English, they became consumers of American products -- Wrangler wearers, Marlboro men, Coca-cola consumers, and burger freaks. But today's Filipino is likely to want chopped onions, garlic and soy sauce in his burger. Fried chicken, that specialty of the American deep south, will not be breaded, but marinated in soy sauce, vinegar and garlic before it is fried. All of which goes to show that you can add to a people's range of choices, but you can't keep their culinary identity down. Through rich and tangled web of food influences, the Filipino palate asserts itself again and again. Cookbooks While you may find an occasional Philippine cookbook among the exotica at your local bookstore, your best bet is the Filipiniana book shops which deal exclusive in material from and/or about the homeland. Some of the best of these are to be found on the west coast and are happy to send out catalogues and provide mail-order service. They include: Sulu Arts and Books Sulu carries approximately 15 cookbooks or books about food. Most of these relate to the Philippines, but Sulu's scope includes other South-East Asian countries as well. Related interests covered include health and the natural sciences. Unfortunately their catalogue does not list prices so you will have to call in and ask. Philippine Expressions MA I L O
R D E R B O O K S H O P Philippine Expressions carries 53 books and one video on cooking, most of it Philippine, although some relate to broader South-East Asia. Most of these are cookbooks, though some deal with foodways and folkways. Linda Maria Nietes, owner, includes detailed descriptions of each book in her 14-page culinary culture catalogue and some of them sound fascinating. Linda is informed enough about every book she carries that if you have questions, she can help you decide what might be right for you. Prices are included. Restaurants In Major U.S. Cities California Los Angeles Bayanihan Restaurant Cebu Manila
Restaurant Cebu Restaurant Manila Emerald Restaurant Manila Goodha Manila Sunset Ping's Fast Food
Restaurant Sacramento Chinoy Chinese & Filipino Cuisine San Francisco, Bay Area Sulo Philippine Restaurant Banaue Restaurant Rose Empanada & Specialties Tito Rey Of The
Islands House Of Lumpia Kenkoy's Diner Philippine Restaurant Max Restaurant Of The Philippines Pampangena Restaurant Illinois Cafe Ze Manila D'manilans Restaurant Little Quiapo Restaurant Pilipino-Thai Restaurant New Jersey Casa Victoria Nevada Coconut
Grove Restaurant Margie's Philippine Gourmet Mayong Pilipino Restaurant & Bakery New Manila
Restaurant New York Manhattan Philippine Gardens Restaurant The New Metro Manila
Restaurant Queens Philippine Village Restaurant Manila-Thai Restaurant Washington Manila Cafe Recipes Sinigang na Isda (Fish Sinigang) Sinigang can be made with fish, pork or beef. Most commonly it is made with a fresh-water fish called bangus which is now available in many cities in the US. A medium sized fish, it is simply chopped in pieces and boiled -- head, tail and all. But bangus is bony, so for those who would rather do without, we recommend salmon or rock cod. This recipe is adapted from one used by the Sulo Restaurant in Alameda, California. Modify the degree of sourness to suit your own taste.
If you would rather not have the chipped shells and seeds of tamarind in the final product, tie the tamarind loosely in a piece of cheesecloth which you can remove later. Simmer wa ter, lemon or lime juice or tamarind, onion, ginger, and tomato lightly for one-half hour. Add water if it appears to cook away too quickly. Add daikon and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add fish and cook for another five to 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Remove tamarind bundle at this point and add patis. Add spinach and cook just until soft. Garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice and a small bowl or cup for the broth. Pass additional patis at the table.
Lumpia Shanghai There are many types of lumpia, the Filipino version of China's spring rolls. Some are heavy on vegetables. Others are made with chicken or fish. For our version of Lumpia Shanghai we turned to Vicki Valdez, owner of -- what else? -- The House of Lumpia in San Francisco.
In a medium bowl, combine pork, shrimp, water chestnuts and onions. Mix them well. In a smaller bowl, beat eggs. Add salt, pepper and soy sauce and beat again. Add to meat mixture and mix thoroughly until ingredients are well blended. Separate wrappers. Place one tablespoon of mixture at one end of wrapper. Roll tightly halfway. Fold over left and right ends of wrapper and continue rolling. Brush end of wrapper with water to seal. Deep fry in moderately hot oil for 20 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. If you wish to serve them in bite-size pieces, cut each lumpia diagonally into three pieces with a sharp knife. Serve hot with a sweet and sour sauce or garlic vinegar or a choice of either.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
In a small pan combine vinegar, sugar, salt, water and catsup. Boil for two minutes. Add hot pepper sauce and corn starch. Stir well to blend. Cook for 3 more minutes at medium heat.
Garlic Vinegar Sauce
Mix it all together and set it out for dipping.
Adobo Pork Chops Adobo can be made with pork or chicken or a mixture of the two. Most home cooks use pork butt cut into bite-sized chunks and stewed. Nick Mendoza, chef/owner of the Banaue Restaurant in Daly City, California, likes to use pork chops because they are more tender and cook quickly. He leaves out the traditional bay leaf and peppercorn and substitutes lemon juice for vinegar.
Pour just enough cooking oil into a large skillet to coat the bottom. Heat the oil and sear the pork chops, approximately 3 minutes per side. Add garlic and brown lightly. Add onions, lemon juice, garlic and soy sauce, turn heat down and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce the sauce as much as you like. Nick likes his adobo dry; others like it with plenty of sauce to go with their rice.
Fried Chicken Manong Style Emil De Guzman spent years living with and advocating the rights of the manongs -- the first generation of Filipino immigrants who worked the fields and filled service industry positions up and down the west coast. He learned their cooking secrets and his passion for food continued though times and careers changed. This is an adaptation of his version of fried chicken which includes rosemary and parsley - not exactly Filipino herbs. But with or without rosemary, you'll have to agree that Colonel Sanders would never recognize the dish.
Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, parsley, rosemary and pepper. Place chicken in marinade using shallow bowl or plastic bag and turn the chicken to insure it is coated. Marinate chicken overnight, turning several times. Remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe lightly to remove herbs, ginger and garlic. Heat approximately 1/8" to 1/4" of oil on high. Fry 8 minutes to a side to achieve a crispy brown layer. Lower fire to medium and continue frying for another 20 to 30 minutes keeping close attention to avoid blackening or burning. *Available in Filipino and many Chinese grocery stores. Grocery Stores Throughout The United States If you live in Hawaii, you don't need our help finding ingredients for Filipino food. They're all over your local grocery store. If you live anywhere else in the US, this may come in handy. Both Asian #1 in San Francisco and Fil-Am Food Mart in Jersey City will take mail orders for non-perishables. Some of these other stores are very small so it might be wise to call and make sure they have what you need. Arizona Manila Oriental Foodmart Mabuhay Filipino Food Store California Los Angeles Bohol Market Manila 99 Cents Minimart Sacramento Oriental
Food Market San Francisco Bay Area Phil-Mart Phil-Am Mart Sam Yick Asian #1 Philippine Grocery Colorado Oriental Food Market Florida Philippine
Sari-Sari Store Illinois Bayanihan Groceries Fely's Oriental Store Filipinas Oriental Food Mart Philippine Grocery Maryland Thai Philippine Oriental Foods Michigan Oriental Food Groceries Minnesota Phil-Oriental
Imports Missouri Asian Super Market Nevada Mabuhay Oriental Market Manila Food Center New Jersey Fil-Am Food Mart New Mexico A-1 Oriental Market An Dong Oriental Market Ta Lin Supermarket New York Bangkok-Manila Grocery Phil-Am New Filipinas Phil Thai Grocers Ohio Nipa Hut Oriental
Food Mart Tennessee Oriental Best Food Store Texas Philippine Variety Manila Supermarket Washington
Fil-Am Oriental Foods & Gifts Manila Mart
Use your new-found knowledge of the Philippines by attempting the companion crossword puzzle to this article!
Nancy Freeman is a San Francisco-based freelance writer whose food stories have appeared in the San Francisco Magazine, The Contra Costa Times, Filipinas and Morsels, a publication of the American Institute of Wine and Food.
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Sitting
at the very edge of South-East Asia, a country twice colonized and twice liberated,
the Philippines has absorbed influences from East and West, land and sea, and
its food and culture reflect them all. 
Prior
to their contact with other cultures through trade and conquest, the 80 or more
ethno-linguistic groups of this island cluster shared certain cooking techniques
and flavor preferences, many of which are still found today despite layers of
external influence. 
Early
Filipinos cooked their food minimally by roasting, steaming or boiling. The freshest
of fish was made into kinilaw, "cooked" by immersion in vinegar and
salt with ginger, onions and red peppers. 
With
notable exceptions, Filipino cooks and eaters still show a distinct preference
for sour and salty flavors. Sinigang, lightly boiled fish in a sour stock with
vegetables and fish sauce, typifies the foundation layer of Filipino cuisine.
The
first set of foreign influences on Filipino cuisine came from Chinese traders
who ultimately settled there. Eager to eat the food of home, they introduced stir-frying
and deep frying. Noodles and soy products became indispensable to the food vocabulary.
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