Thursday, October 30, 2008

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.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

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

Saturday, August 9, 2008

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!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

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!!!!


Tuesday, July 22, 2008

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

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

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..................











Tuesday, July 8, 2008

orange!

orange kisses!


orange ice cream!