Find of the day- SERYE'S MUSCOVADO COOKIES

Bough this container of sweet cookies at  the Salcedo Weekend Market.

 

It has the taste of raw muscovado, a bit sweeter, actually. But the crunchy cookie is a good find that goes well with black coffee or unsweetened tea.

Judy Ann's Crispy Pata

Nope, this is no mean joke on  the weight issues of  the actress Judy Ann Santos (And spare her your nasty weight -related jokes, she just gave birth. Have a little more respect for women who gain weight so they can carry another  being inside their bodies, have that very same being rupture some sensitive body parts and raise the very same ).

After a very long aside, let me tell you that this is about honest to goodness pork  hocks, boiled tender and then deep fried until crispy.

  

For this one, you have to go all the way to General Luna street in Malabon City (Beside  the iconic Mary Jay Restaurant) . 

Though the city is known for its fishport, I think it should be hailed for this fantastic piece of crispy fat and succulent meat falling off the bone. The recipe too is unlike others where gobs of honey find itself in the bone and tendon crevices. As you take a bite, the journey of the palate with the slightly salty skin and the savory meat are is taken one leap forward by the surprising sweetness of honey. The experience is further taken forward of the pata is dipped in the spicy vinegar-based sauce and eaten with piping hot rice.

I is pretty affordable, too. One serving serves 3-4 people and you can order liter-sized sodas and your bill will not even reach the 4-figure mark. Having said that, when you go to Judy Ann's, do remember that you're going there for the food. Go there hungry, don't mind the spare plasticky interiors and the limited service staff. It is all worth it. 

Kindness of Strangers 2

Textures of Bolinao

Maybe the universe is teaching me to be humble. Maybe I am meant to realize that hunger is my worst enemy. This recent trip to Bolinao, Pangasinan gave me another lesson in the kindness of strangers.

We were set to produce one segment about the ecotourism in Bolinao, a quaint third class town in Pangasinan. this entailed having to travel by banca to Balingasay River, the Giant clam farm and seaweed sanctuary.

And so, the crew, in two boats, set out to sea by 6:30 AM. Four hours later, we were still at sea, under the sweltering sun, our lunch an hour away by boat. We had one small mineral bottle each and a small box of chocolates. The Giant Clams and the seaweed were nowhere near edible (nor were they available for harvest). We were hot, sticky and turning irrational.

Since were near Santiago Island,  we decided to dock on its port to find some food. There was one store that sold softdrinks and less than 10 meters away was the only sari-sari store of the barangay. As we scouted the shelves for anything that was readily available, the store owner, Aileen, came out and asked us what we wanted from her store. 

 We asked her if she could possibly cook some instant noodles for us. She readily agreed to do so. We pushed our luck and asked if she could possibly cook some rice and sardines for us. She was surprised by the request but did not hesitate to agree.  As we helped her cook lunch, her daughter Alexandra joined us as well as other members of her family.

We kept everyone in their household busy, showing us where the washroom was and in typical Pinoy fashion, apologizing for the spareness of the facility. They used their electric stove and and the dirty kitchen kalan using firewood. It was a classic show of Filipino hospitality and bayanihan.

photo courtesy of Irene Pacana-Liwanag

Aside from what we brought from her store, they offered us arorosep, the small grape like seaweed that goes well with fish. They had harvested some and had just cleaned some for selling.

The arorosep is washed in fresh water

The hairy bits and other sea debris are removed by hand and washed again

The seaweeds are again soaked in fresh water before it is brought to the market to be sold

Rice, noodles, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs corned beef and freshly washed seaweeds- the meal you see here is one of the best I've had because it was given out of kindness.

Vienna Sausage omelette

Quick lunch almost often means food delivery or omelette for me, if there are eggs available. It goes well with rice or hot pan de sal, topped with ketchup and mayonnaise.

Here's my version:

VIENNA SAUSAGE  OMELETTE

Ingredients:
1 small can vienna sausage, sliced into 1/2 cm thick
4 eggs, beaten
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 small onion, finely minced
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the garlic and onions. When the onion has turned translucent, place the sausage and pour the beaten eggs into the pan. Turn over when one side is already golden brown.

Just a quick trivia about this favorite canned sausage: it is a kind of hotdog and is called a Würstl in Vienna, Austria. The Germans call it a Wiener, which translates to "Viennese".

Pata Tim with Cua Pao at Hap Chan

During errand days, I make sure to give myself a treat. Last errand day was done with A. and lunch was something we hadn't eaten for a long time, Pata Tim!

We decided to eat at Hap Chan because it was the nearest source of braised pork leg.

We got the meal started with hot tea, of course.

And when I looked at the menu, I began to crave for some Salt and Pepper Pork Spareribs with Diced Chicken and Salted Fish Fried Rice, a winning combination I discovered in the late 90s. I also find that this combination goes so well with black vinegar.

And A. of course, ordered the Pata Tim with cuapao.

The braised pork in the sweet sauce can be sliced and used as filling for the steamed pao. Hap Chan's Pata Tim isn't as richly flavored as I expected. I was missing the sweetness of the Hoisin sauce and the appetizing aroma of sangke (Star Anise). The pork, though was  very tender and slid right off the bone.

To remove the "umay" factor from the meal, I paired the double pork and rice combo with a Hong Kong style hot lemon soda.

My Peanut Bieber Fever @ the PB Co.

I have never been a fan of Justin Bieber. I always thought he was lame. But I do understand why kids, girls, especially, like him. He's cute, charming and has got hair that can mesmerize (What is it with young girls and touching boys hairs, nowadays?). He can also dance and sing.  

When the movie of his precocious young life, "Never Say Never" opened in cinemas, I invited my godchildren Y. and M. to watch it with me and their mommy. Even with all the special effects and the throngs of screaming  young girls on the big screen, it was more mesmerizing to see the non-stop smile of 5-year old Y. as she tapped her hands on her knees to the tune of "Baby". As we filed out of the moviehouse, Y couldn't contain her joy and gushed, "I like the movie, Justin Bieber is just wonderful!"
Ahh, youth and all the giddiness it brings.

After  watching the movie, I had a solitary moment to enjoy a cup of coffee and peanut butter sandwiches at the PB Company, a small shop that serves peanut butter sandwiches.

I was intrigued by the menu... they have Peanut butter mixed in with BLT as in Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato!

Didn't try that one though, as I was into fluff that day. Along with my self-serve coffee...

 

... I ordered half a Peanut Butter and Marshmallow sandwich and half a Black Forest Sandwich- that's peanut butter with dark chocolate and cherry. 

They do have half orders at around P75. The marshmallow sandwich was, as I expected, a tad too sweet for my taste. But I suspect, this is like the killer sandwich parents need to be wary of, what with the sugar rush that comes with every bite.

 

The Black Forest sandwich is just as sweet but I like it better because it's got my favorite ingredient of all time- chocolate! I think, they used semi-sweetened dark chocolate.

The sweet treat I gave myself was the perfect, post-Bieber fever snack- light, fluffy and sweet.

Food Find- Bacon In Your Chocolate?

Was walking outside the mall when I spied a poster, one that said "bacon" on a chocolate bar wrapping. Needless to say, I marched right in the beauty store and brought myself a bar of Machiavelli's Bacon Chocolate.

The P300 bar of 30 grams of chocolate sprinkled with bacon bits might be a bit too steep but I just had to taste it.

The milk chocolate bar looks like any other regular bar...

...but when you turn it on its flipside,  you will see hints of the bacon bits.

The milk chocolate seems to have low cocoa content, no trace of bitterness (wish we could use the same description about some people) and the sweetness is not overwhelming. Nothing special. However,  this helps the taste of the salty and crunchy bacon bits to come out.

After taking a bite, the slightly sweet chocolate melts on your tongue and the saltiness of the bacon bits says hello to your palate.  It's an interesting combination,  a new chocolate adventure.

 I wonder now if you can have a salted bacon strip brushed with chocolate, served with toasted bread, scrambled eggs and fresh OJ for breakfast.