Browsing Category Recipes

      It’s that time of the month again where Kulinarya Club and its lovely January hosts—Pearl of Sassy Chef and Thea of Words and Nosh—picked a very interesting but challenging theme.  The theme is to come up with a healthful dish that you would like to have for your birthday!  My cough-cough-choke-tieth birthday [...]

I was going through the January/February release of “Everyday by Rachel Ray” and this recipe called “Lime-in-the-Coconut Drumsticks” caught my attention because not only it looks  delicious, but also there was something about the marinade instruction that I thought was kind of funny.   Okay, here’s what it said about pureeing the marinade verbatim “In blender, [...]

Oxtail Kare Kare (kare kareng buntot) is a stew type of dish that is always present in every Filipino party.  I’m not talking about ordinary parties, but rather important ones like baptisms and weddings.  It is one of the centerpieces of feast table — meant for special occasions and special guests.   Today, I am very excited [...]

  Tomato-based dishes are one of the few good things that we inherited from those bored Spaniards who colonized the Philippines for centuries; the same conquistadors that had nothing else to do but to bug little islands in Asia in search of spices (of course).  Anyway, there are a lot of delicious dishes using tomato [...]

  To me, Polvoron is one of those special treats that bring back beautiful childhood memories of Christmas and New Year.  Loved ones from faraway places would bring us “pasalubong” (homecoming gifts) from the towns they were coming from and as a child, it was something I looked forward to year after year. There are [...]

  About a week ago, I visited one of foodie friend’s site — Sharon of Chinese Soup Pot. She mentioned on her blog that the Fairy Hobmother of Appliances Online visited and awarded her a gift for her hard work. Sharon also mentioned that other hardworking bloggers and foodies that leave comments and wishes may [...]

  It was cold out in the backyard when I was grilling these pork chops. That just shows you how much of a sucker I am for grilled foods, huh?  But let me tell you — it is worth it!  The flavor is just out of this world.  I adapted this recipe from one of [...]

Pan Fried Shrimp AKA Halabos na Hipon is a lazy man’s way of cooking shrimp. All you have to do is wash the shrimp, add salt, and pan fry. That’s it! The shrimp is very flavorful because it is cooked in its own juice. At our house, this dish is eaten along with other seafood [...]

Every time I eat arroz caldo, it reminds me of the countless times my dad and I spent on those hole-in-a-wall eateries that are often found on the street or what many Filipinos called “carinderia”.  That is why I want to thank Joy of Kulinarya Club for coming up with arroz caldo as our November [...]

I just want to share a funny experience on my early days of being FOB (“Filipino on bacation” according to Rex Navarette) here in the U.S. In early 1980′s, my first job was an order taker at Kentucky Fried Chicken before they called it KFC. There I said the word “FRIED!” Anyway, I started the [...]

  First of all, I apologize for not posting recipes as often as I used to.  I just got so busy lately and my schedule has been very hectic.  But I’m back!  So, why don’t we restart with a really simple fruit salad.  Okay, when I say simple, I mean Quick and Easy!  No turning [...]

I have read numerous good stories about this delicious dish Kung Pao. Some are very convincing, some are inspirational, and some are just uhh. . . whatever. But one thing that I can say is true—like any other Asian dish that was brought and introduced to the West, it gets enhanced or should I say [...]

  Sweet and Sour dish — particularly sweet and sour pork is a Cantonese dish that was introduced by Chinese migrants to the West in the early part of 20th Century.  Since then, it evolved into variety of dishes with the same basic ingredients — sweet and sour sauce. Some are prepared with chicken and [...]

  Growing up, my mom used to cook this comfort food whenever we were feeling under the weather.  In addition to the broth being so flavorful, the silky texture of miswa or misua and the softness of sponge gourd or patola provided a wonderful soothing  feeling.  There are different variations when it comes to meat [...]

  Kulinarya Club’s August and September challenge coincides with the celebration of two national holidays that is patriotic in nature.  And since the theme was inspired by these events, it calls for the use of four colors of the Philippine national flag.  From plate to garnish, colors red, white, blue, and yellow have to be [...]

  Beef Caldereta AKA Kaldareta is one of those Filipino dishes that become more flavorful as you keep reheating it.   I remember when I was growing up, my dad used to purposely cook more of this delicious dish so he can have leftovers and he would keep reheating it until the meat would fall apart.  [...]

    Corned Beef is one of the favorite canned foods in our house along with Spam and Vienna sausages.  When I was growing up in the Philippines, corned beef and spam were served only on special occasions or for special guests because it’s very expensive.   When I moved here in the U.S., I [...]

  One of the good things about summer is the abundance of sweet watermelons and its prices that are unbelievably low. So whenever I have lots of watermelon on hand, I always think of watermelon cocktails.  It is refreshing and it’s great for backyard entertaining.  This recipe of Mojito was inspired by Bobby Flay’s watermelon-tequila [...]

  Black bean garlic paste has this salty-spicy-sweet quality that enhances the flavor of a lot of Asian dishes. Basically, this paste or sauce is made from fermented beans AKA Douchi, soy sauce, and garlic. It is one of my favorite ingredients especially for flavoring the sauce of my dish. So, whenever I visit my [...]

I love cooking sweet and sour fish because it’s so easy to prepare. Just fry the fish, make the sauce, and stir fry the veggies and that’s it! The only thing I don’t like about frying fish in the house is the smell. That is why when we remodeled our kitchen three years ago, I [...]

A few days ago, Nami of Just one Cookbook informed me that she’s tagging me to participate in the Seven Links Challenge. I felt honored not because I am participating in the challenge but the fact that she added my food blog alongside with these other fine food bloggers. So, before I go on, I [...]

In the Philippines, Tortang itlog simply translates to omelet or fried eggs with ground meat and some diced potatoes. It is one of those quick and easy, yet delicious, foods. This dish is usually eaten with rice and banana ketchup as a condiment. The original and simple version of tortang itlog is small portion ground [...]

Kulinarya July Challenge: Sinigang Dish. Sinigang is a sour dish similar to Tom Yum of Thailand.The challenge is to come up with different variations of Sinigang which is considered a comfort food in the Philippines. Here is my story… I thought I was just going to skip July’s Kulinarya Club challenge because my thinking cap’s [...]

Ginisang Ampalaya – Fine Filipino Dish This is another one of those “love it or hate it” kind of food. I remember someone asked me. . . “Why do you like eating that stuff?” I just asked back. . . “Why do you like drinking strong-black coffee, isn’t that the same bitterness?” Don’t get me [...]

Pancit is not just a dish, it is an icon of Filipino Cuisine and to some, it symbolizes long life. There are a lot of variations of pancit and it all depends on who you’re talking to and what region of the country they came from. It has been a never-ending argument on who makes [...]

Logo courtesy of Wikipedia. Remember Cheers? Remember the theme song? My favorite was when one of the regulars “Norm” would enter the bar and everybody will say his name. That must be the nicest feeling to walk in to a place where everybody welcomes you and the feeling that they’re glad to see you, and [...]

Summer is here again and we all know what it means — camping, pool party, and backyard barbecues.  One way to relieve the heat is to always hydrate ourselves. Speaking of hydration, here is one for you – cantaloupe juice with vanilla.  This drink is very easy to prepare BUT . . .  before you [...]

I like having mine crispy and with the condiments of tossed diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and few drops of patis (fish sauce). Wash your hands, get your rice and dig in. We’re gonna eat this daing Pinoy style!

It is almost like a yearly ritual for us to spend the blistering-hot 4th of July weekend at my sister’s house for a pool and barbecue party. This is also the day that we take home bags and bags of oranges from her backyard tree. It is amazing how this orange tree produces tons of [...]

This is one of those dishes that we order and eat from our favorite restaurant every time we visit Chinatown here in Los Angeles. The flavor of the ribs and the mild saltiness of black bean sauce counter the bitterness of the melon. By the way, there are several techniques that you can use to [...]

Lovely ladies of Kulinarya Club – Adora & Diona came up with a wonderful theme for the month of June and the theme is about white food. It is about weddings, it is about getting married, and it is about one of the happiest days of our lives. Well, here is my 2 cents on [...]

Beef Stewed Vegetable Soup, also known to Filipinos as “Nilaga” is a popular and one of the favorite dishes among Filipino families. Perhaps it is because of its simplicity, and versatility where one can use either beef, pork, or chicken as the main ingredient. I prepared this dish because this is my late dad’s favorite [...]

Aside from hot dogs and pizza, this is a dish we’d like preparing and feeding our niece and nephews whenever they come over to our house. Why? Because the only Filipino food these brats will eat are lumpia and Pork Barbecue. But you know that’s all right because we love these kids. They make us [...]

Adobong Sitaw or String Beans Adobo or Long Beans Adobo is a very simple dish to cook. It is usually done in a traditional way of cooking the meat — adobo style, then just cook it again with the string Beans AKA Sitaw. Here in the States, string beans are readily available in most Asian [...]

For now we will refer to this dish as Ukoy. Why? Hmm, because uhmm, that is the proper name for it? Okay, okay, I’m just too lazy to type “Vegetable Fritter with Shrimp” over, and over. Now that we got the name thing out of the way, let’s talk about Ukoy. Ukoy is or was [...]

Ginisang Mongo or sautéed mung beans can be very boring and bland if it’s not cooked correctly. That is why some folks would add all kinds of goodies to the dish to make it flavorful, like adding smoked fish (tinapa), or chicharon (pork rinds). Okay here is a simple and yet very tasty version of [...]

I learned from my parents especially from my dad (God bless his soul) not to make fun of food by giving it funny names because according to him, food is a grace from God. Some may disagree with that statement and belief but I do agree and I do believe. Well, this dish that we [...]

Ahhh! I don’t know about you but to me, the best things in life are the simple things. I guess it depends on who you’re talking to. Some folks might have a different definition of the word simple. Someone might possess a Mercedes Benz, a Rolex watch, a 6,000 square foot house and to them, [...]

This last Sunday was kind of a slow day for me at least as far as work and business is concern. In a way, it’s a good thing because my son and I went to have lunch in a nearby hospital with a nurse who took care of me when I got sick last year. [...]

Macaroni salad brings back a lot of memories because it’s a dish that’s always present in almost every Filipino occasions like Christmas, New Years, and Birthdays. There are several variations or versions of Macaroni Salad.  I have seen other cooks adding shredded chicken, carrot strips,  diced celery,  beef tongue, and even sliced pickles  but my [...]

Ms. Lala of Kulinarya Club came up with a cooking challenge and it’s about decadent Filipino food. When I think about the word decadence, the first thing that comes to my mind is "neglect or decay" of something that was once great and prominent. I guess we can also apply the definition to food like [...]

Another no-meat Friday especially for a Catholic family like ours and this is going to go on until after the lent season which will be Easter Sunday. Well, this is what I cooked and served for my family last night and everyone enjoyed it, so I guess Mister Carnivore like me can’t complain huh!. I [...]

Growing up as a Filipino Catholic under a strict guidance of a Filipino Catholic parents especially my father was not a walk on a park. There’s a lot of rules in the house and one of the rules was the strict observance of the lent season; that means we always have No-Meat-Fridays during the season. [...]

I borrowed and adapted another delicious recipe from uncle Chef Martin Yan and this is from his book “Everybody’s Wokking.” According to him these wings are hot because of the peppery sauce. Well, I cooked it and to me it wasn’t that hot. Okay, okay a little caveat on that last statement. My taste buds [...]

Everytime I cook and serve Chicken Mami, it always reminds me of this restaurant in Manila; it’s in small but bustling town in Quezon City called Cubao and the restaurant’s name was Ma Mon Luk! My dad used to take us to this restaurant after countless movie nights along Aurora Boulevard. I remember we always [...]

This delicious treat was a delightful dish during my younger years (please don’t ask when it was) back in Manila. It’s usually sold in the carinderias inside the Market. Now, what are carinderias inside the market? These are group of small eateries congregated in one place inside a big market where customers sit on a [...]

Once in a while, I like taking a break from cooking Filipino foods to explore other Asian culinary adventures. Today we are going to be making Shrimp Pad Thai — one of my favorite in Thai’s delicious dishes. Did you know that Pad Thai is one of Thailand’s national dishes? So, going to a Thai [...]

I’ve got an interesting message in Facebook the other day that someone was looking for photos of balut. The message was from Romie – a high school buddy whom I kept in touch with. He is also a hobbyist photographer like me but he specializes in Fashion photography; in short, he takes pictures of gorgeous [...]

Pinangat na isda or stewed fish reminds me of sinigang and also Tom Yum – – their distant cousin in Southeast Asian Countries like Thailand. They all have this sourness in their flavors (minus the heat) that give us pleasure each time we take a sip of their soup. To me, this dish and its [...]

. Here is a good pancake recipe for you – – Ube Jam pancake. Okay, what is Ube Jam? Ube jam or most Filipinos call it “Ube Halaya” is made from purple yam, evaporated and condensed milk, and butter or margarine. I can still remember my grandma when she used to make this delicious dish. [...]