missing our food from home: fish lumpia

living here in a place away from home, we usually miss local food prepared using native ingredients. well...here...we try our best to get alternative ingredients that is a good substitute and very close to the local flavor.

here, we had fried tilapia to make this fish lumpia. they also call the fish tilapia here. i'm not sure though if there's a western name of it. my mom who visited a place near jerusalem found a market there selling tilapia too.


the difference of the tilapia sold here is that you buy them in large adult sizes. there are no small or medium sizes here. and when you buy them, you'll be lucky if the fish monger will clean the guts out of the fish you bought.

fish lumpia
1 large tilapia, cleaned and fried
1 medium tomato
1 small onion
1 small carrot
1 small bellpepper
8 stalks of coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste
square pastry or lumpia wrapper

prepare the tilapia. clean the fish. fry the fish till done. set aside to cool. flake the fish removing the skin and the bones.

prepare the other filling. cut the tomato crosswise. under cold running water, lightly squeeze the tomato to remove the seeds. dry with a paper towel and cut into very small chunks. peel and cut the onion and carrot. cut them into small chunks. remove the seeds of the bell pepper. cut into small chunks as well. cut up the coriander leaves and mix it together with the vegetables. add a little salt and pepper to taste.

make sure that the vegetables are cut having same sizes about the size of a pea.


prepare the lumpia. place enough filling diagonally close to the corner edge of the lumpia wrapper. fold over the corner covering the filling and roll it back nicely but a little tight. close the ends of the lumpia to secure the filling. continue rolling the lumpia till you reach the other end. with a little water, moisten the wrapper to seal.


on a shallow pan, place some oil enough to fry the wrapper. as the filling is already cooked, you only have to cook the wrapper. lumpia is ready when golden in color. place the fried lumpia on paper towels to drain.

for the dipping sauce, crush some fresh garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and some red hot chilli peppers.

craving for KFC

my hunny and i went to richmond centre and got hungry in the middle of walking around in circles. at the center of the mall is a food court. and in one little corner is...voila!!!! KFC!!!

fresh chicken here is a bit expensive which makes KFC a little bit expensive. we got the best priced meal for the buck and got a 4 piece regular recipe chicken, a regular sized mashed potato, a large drink, and a tub of gravy. all are for about 12 dollars. wow! that's about 500 pesos for a 4 piece chicken!!!!! crazy!!!!!!!!!!

that's equivalent to having a big barrel of KFC back in manila plus all the sidings you can have and an unlimited supply of gravy!!!! yummmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and take a good note of this- gravy is bought separately!!! they will just serve KFC with catsup. KFC is not complete without gravy!!! ugggghhhhhhhhh!

well...i still enjoyed KFC. I would still get KFC wherever I go....and whatever price they dictate.

milk on milk candies

when i was a kid, i used to have a quick self prepared snack of powdered milk and sugar. variations were made if powdered chocolate drink is available. i mix everything up...no science in mixing...just everything in a small cup.  i would then bring this along with me around the house slowly spooning my time away with this glorious powdered invention of mine.

a few years later, my hunny introduced me to this easy recipe of a similar combination. again, there's no science behind the mix.  just do what you like.  

milk on milk candy

1 can condensed milk

2 cups powdered skimmed milk

about 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

pour the condensed milk in a large bowl.  add 1 cup of skimmed milk to the condensed milk. mix the two milk mixture well.  if the dough is too sticky, add more skimmed milk then mix it well again.  adding more skimmed milk will make the dough drier and a little tougher.  just take it easy on adding more skimmed milk.  you may need to use your hands in mixing the dough as it will be too heavy to mix using a spoon.

when the dough is easily handled and doesn't stick on the hands, it is now ready for shaping.  easiest method is to flatten the dough half an inch thick.  then with a knife, cut the flattened dough into small squares.  again, no science.  you may shape them into your own desired shape. u can make them into balls as well by rolling small pieces of dough on your hand.

if you have choco chip morsels, you can plug it in the cut dough to have variaty to the chews.

roll then the small candy chews on granulated sugar to prevent them from sticking with their fellow chews.

curry me back

i'm back and it's my first autumn. trees are turning red. time to cook red!

vancouver is a good place to find different cuisines as the city is built with different cultures of the world. indian stores are everywhere. as a newcomer here, we got lost somewhere around the city and got into a good indian store.


ge got different curry mixes, some are sold in pouches, some are sold by the kilo. here is a simple way of preparing a simple dish but making it appear real!

we also found a pack of mixed dry curry spice. my best guess is that it has crumbled kafir, whole mustard seeds, whole fennel seeds and whole corriander seeds. i liked this one as this pack retained the texture of the spices and not just a fine powdered mist that you would never know what's inside.

Red Curry Shrimps

1 pouch red curry paste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
1 big knob fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of mixed curry spice
1 cup yogurt
1 can coconut cream
1 big can chickpeas
2 cups peeled shrimps

on a pan with hot oil, add ginger. mix till the aroma fills your kitchen. ginger may be more. i actually used 1 giant knob of ginger instead of a conservative big knob. add onions and garlic. garlic need not be browned. add the dry mix spice. saute a bit then add the red curry paste. your whole house will now be engulfed with the curry essence.

add the coconut cream and yogurt. set the fire to medium low. add the chickpeas. simmer for about 5 minutes. watch the pot and don't let it boil over. it should be in a slow simmer and never a rolling boil. this is to prevent the cocounut cream from curdling.

you don't have to add water as we will make a thick curry sauce. simmering will take about 8 to 10 minutes or until the consistency of sauce had thickened a bit.

add shrimps and simmer for another 2 minutes. add chopped chili if preferred. serve with tons of basmati rice!

one of my friends is mad at me because of no foodie updates. this one's for him who's first name starts with j and ends with j. i guess he knows who he is.

trapping the last days of summer

we're now on the tail end of our first summer here in vancouver. summer here is still cold. but vancouverites wear ultra mini skirts while i hide in my thick jacket.

shops here place on sale different cool treats to fizzle out the summer heat. on my part, summer or winter, i always enjoy a good serving of ice cream.

From ice cream

Safeway popsies. Twin popsies from manila is better.

From ice cream

From ice cream

Local brand. vanilla sandwiched in moist chocolate graham cookie. place your freezer on high to preserve its form.

From ice cream

From ice cream

premium ice cream. expensive in manila. still expensive here! but you get one of the better ice creams around.

From ice cream

8-8-8

Eighth day of the eitghth month of the eighth year. it only comes once in a a millenium. i'm lucky to be alive on this day! a great chinese philosophy considering it very prosperous. it is probably the reason beijing olympics opted to host the games.

to ride with the chinese luck, one shop here released new flavors of potato chips. they added an oriental zing to an old favorite.

this is the first time i came across a General Tao Chicken. i wonder if there really is a good secret sauce for an authentic General Tao Chicken. ...and who is General Tao? is he a noble kitchen man aside from handling a big hungry army???

well, based from the chips, this one tastes like ginger, soy sauce and hoisin sauce. a pretty nice combination for the good name of General Tao.

ahhhhh.... this is easy. anything from szechwan is spicy! yeah. but this one, they kept it safe for everybody. mildly hot and a touch of sweetness. i guess the market here is to make the spice mild....or else....nobody's going to try the product!

Granville Island part 2

running around the farmer's market, you'll find it tiring and now you're willing to get something to sink your teeth into. of all the shops in the market, i found this sausage shop with a long line of people. this is my cue for me to try their sausages.

I got a double smoked sausage with sauerkraut, caramelized onions, pickle relish, pickled bell peppers and whole grain mustard.

i chose to eat outside and enjoy the sun. be careful not to leave your sausage on the table as one of those big birds would swoop down and get it! goooooooodbye doggggggiiiiiieeee!!!!

Granville Island

Granville Island is a must see for tourists in Vancouver. Located under the huge bridges of Vancouver, this place is bustling with activity. Restaurants, food shops, market, toy stores, tattoo shops, art galleries, park and boat haven are in one place. If you go to vancouver, go here.

salmon and tuna (i think)

cheese frenzy

bagel haven

fruits of a farmer's labor

closest thing to an old fashioned fudge

pasta galore

The Soup Stock. This is a shop from which I got my first job offer in vancouver! I liked the idea of working there but they needed me tied with them for 6 months. I refused. Sorry. but the shop is great!

bread mania

sweet tooth paradise

crab in a (not so) secret ingredient

this is a recipe that would make a soda pop giant very happy. they might not even know that their product is being used all over the philippines for preparing good sea food meals. in any small village in any point of the country, they would know this for sure!

crab in a (not so) secret ingredient

crab

1 bottle secret ingredient

salt

get a good sized live crab. mussels, which are common in the philippines, and shrimps may be used too. place it in a deep pot.

pour the secret ingredient into the pot enough to half cover the crab.

poach for about 15 minutes or until the crab is done and had changed color.

and the secret ingredient is..................

orange!

orange kisses!

orange ice cream!

my first grill-out in vancouver

since arriving here last winter time, i've been waiting for the hottest days of the months. they tell me that it will be so annoyingly hot that even if you leave the doors and windows open, all you get is steady air! but where is it? it's already july!!!!

well, last weekend, we had a clear and warm day. cool winds are still there but none of the annoying stuff. we slept over with some friends and we had the chance to grill! yeah! grill! my first here in vancouver!

we're with friends and i have to make some ribs with marinade from anything i can find available. i used here a mix of italian seasoning, a dab of oyster sauce, a little soup stock to make the marinade runny, salt and pepper. marinade is not extra rich and thick as i want my ribs not to be over-powered by a heavy sauce.

ribs were pre-boiled to make it tender and easily grilled without waiting several hours to cook through. i also found some onions, a piece of corn, and two slices of pink salmon in their fridge. i decided to grill them too to have a little variety.

asian burger

with the abundance of asian grocery stores here, adding a twist to a western sandwich is a stroll in the park. I added tofu and coriander leaves to a basic burger recipe and it did wonders.

asian burger

1 kilo good quality ground extra lean beef
1 egg
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
3/4 cups of roughly chopped fried tofu
salt and pepper
pinch of rosemary (optional)
fresh coriander leaves


mix the ground beef with the chopped onions. add the egg to bind the meat together. add salt and pepper according to taste. I usually add about 1 teaspoon of salt and about half a teaspoon of ground pepper. the pinch of rosemary will add a little taste of freshness to the burger. add a tablespoon of soy sauce. soy sauce will improve the color and adds flavor.


combine the chopped fried tofu with the meat mixture. i used about 4 small 2x2x2 cubes of fried tofu which i got from a chinese grocery store. mix the meat mixture until all the spices and the meat are properly blended together.

get a chunk from the meat mixture and form it into a small ball with your clean hands. using your palms, flatten the ball into a nice patty. it would be up to you on how big or how thick you want your burger to be. just keep in mind that when cooking extra thick burgers, place your heat into medium low to let the insides cook through without over-cooking the outsides. patty will shrink a bit after cooking so make sure that the raw patties are a bit bigger than your bread!



layer patties on plastic sheets to prevent it from sticking together. I use cling wrap for these. once frozen, you can easily pull-out 1 patty instead of getting the whole batch thawed and re-freeze again....which is not good.

to prepare, pan fry the burger till done. smother a lightly toasted burger bun with mayo and mustard. place the burger inside. top it up with cheese and lettuce. generously add fresh coriander leaves.

baked basa fillet

one of the easiest way to make a good dinner is to bake fish. the secret here is just make sure you have good quality fish. this is a sure-fire-sumptious-sonofogun-sarvation-satisfaction for guests who come crashing to your door for no reason at all.

baked basa fillet

2 large pcs cleaned basa fillet

olive oil

butter

sprigs of rosemary

salt and pepper

a squeeze of lemon

coriander leaves for garnishing

on an oven proof dish, drizzle olive oil. place the 2 basa fillets on the dish. add a few rosemary sprigs on top. sprinkle a little sunshine of salt and a happiness of pepper.

squeeze a lemon full of life and a dollop of butter on each fillet. drizzle more of the good olive oil.

bake for about 10 to 15 minutes on a hot oven or till soft and done. garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

you can substitute basa for any other available fresh big fish options.

H-Mart, Robson

wandering around downtown vancouver, you come across a mix of restaurants of various cuisines. at the corner of Robson and Seymour is H-Mart. On the second floor, a korean grocery occupies the flat except for the window aisle.

at the far side of the grocery store is a small food court. one of them is a korean stall. it sells exciting korean cuisine translated into a colorless english equivalent. the stall has no name...or just a generic "Korean Food" stall.

we got yuk gae jang. it's humdrum english equivalent: hot beef and vegetable soup. hmm...yuk gae jang sounds better. Beef broth is full bodied. getting a peek into the kitchen, a big pot of simmering broth is continuously brewing. I guess this contributes a lot to the flavor you get when they serve the soup. i only wish that they serve them in one of those hot stone pots to keep the broth hot up till the last morsel.

the meal comes with a siding of kimchi. i'm not sure though if they prepare their own kimchi. or maybe, they just go around the counter and get one from the grocery store. anywayz, their kimchi is great with yuk gae jang.

price is ok at $6.50.

H-mart

550 Robson Street and Seymour

Vancouver

sisig!

one of the truly filipino delicacy, very famous to all beer drinkers. sisig is a very popular dish all over the philippines. anywhere you go, this dish is a big hit. filipinos would always try get a big portion of sisig.

hundreds of variations have been developed on sisig. a very ingenious way of preparing it is on a hot sizzling plate!

this is expensive when bought in a restaurant. maybe because it is a big hit...or maybe it is cooked three times.

I got an original recipe from my mom (she knows all original recipes) and it is quite boring. it's plain boiled, chopped, and served drunk with vinegar, fresh onions and chilli.

recipe might sound unpleasant, but the food is cooked 3 times!!!! i guarantee that it is really cooked and that the flavors are fantaballistic!!!

i'm doing here is one of the variations. although, you can experiment a lot to infuse new flavors and textures! hmmm... i feel hungry now....

sisig!

4 pcs. pig ears, cleaned
1 medium onion
whole pepper corns
salt
bay leaf

pig brains
pork liver

1 head garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

soy sauce
coarsely ground pepper
salt
chopped red hot chilli peppers

1. boil
place the cleaned pig ears in a large pot. add water until covered. add a chopped medium onion, pepper corns, salt and a small piece of bay leaf. boil ears till tender and cartilage still has the crunch to the bite. drain and set aside to dry a bit.

get the pig brains. on a non-stick pan, add little water. place the pig brains at the center. add a dash of salt. poach brains in a slow simmering heat for about 5 to 8 minutes or until cooked. water should never be on a rolling boil as it may dissintigrate the structure of the brain. gently remove the brain from the water and drain. be careful with the brains as it is very soft like soft tofu. set aside.

2. grill
get the whole pig ears. with long tongs, place the boiled ears on a nice sunday afternoon charcoal grill. the smoke from the wood and charcoal will infuse into the pig ears. grill for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the heat of the charcoal. it is usually done when the skin starts to show sparsely seared spots.

remember, the pig ears are already cooked. what we're after here is the flavor from the grilling. on a very nicely built grilling fire, it may take just about less than 5 minutes to sear. dice the grilled pig ears.

get the cleaned liver. add salt and pepper. grill the liver until well done. chop the liver and set aside.

3. fry

get the pig ears. chop them into small pieces. probably to a size of pea. pig ears will be sticky. with little oil and on a hot non-stick skillet, add the chopped pig ears. fry for about 6 minutes without stirring while allowing it to get fried-crunchy.

ears will now stick together and form into one big piece. with a swooping motion-like a pancake chef artist-flip over the pig ears to fry the other side. fry for about 4 minutes.

ears will shrink a bit. when done, remove from pan and place i on a chopping board. coarsley chop the fried pig ears into small chunks. set aside.

on the same non-stick pan you used, add oil, brown the garlic then add the onions. adding more garlic and onions will improve the flavor. add the ginger to saute. mix till you smell the aroma of the ginger.

with the heat on high, add the pig ear chunks into the saute. add a tablespoon of soy sauce. if you have the knorr seasoning or the maggi seasoning, it would be better! this will improve the color and flavor and will invite your neighbors to come over. add the chopped liver and a part of the chopped red hot chilli peppers. to finish, add the poached pig brains into the pot. brains will be like mayo and melt. saute till the brains becomes the sauce and cover the ears and liver.

for the grand slam, place the sisig on a sizzling plate and generously add chopped red hot chilli peppers! where's the beer!!!!!!