bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Is Filipino Cuisine the Next Big Thing?

By

Will Filipino food be the “it” cuisine in the United States? One celebrity chef seems to think so. Andrew Zimmerman, of Bizarre Foods fame, boldly predicted that in 2 years time Filipino food would be talk of the culinary world.

image by VirtualErn

After his stint in the Philippines to shoot an episode of his show, Zimmerman proclaimed on “Today” that he believes Filipino cuisine would hit it big. He was quick to add that it won’t happen for a couple of years, owing to the still developing interest in Filipino food. Nonetheless, he sees it as a rising star in the culinary world.

Described as an infusion of Western techniques with Eastern ingredients, Filipino food would surely pique the interest of foodies the world over. It’s only a matter of time until Filipino food chains invade America. As of today, there are already restaurants in the States that offer Filipino dishes and a lot of chefs in various restaurants are of Filipino descent.

In one blog post by the A-Lister Gwyneth Paltrow, a popular condiment in the Philippines was featured. Toyomansi is soy sauce infused with Calamansi (of Filipino citrus). It was introduced to the actress by another accomplished chef, Keith Rhodes.

image from: http://goop.com/journal/make/186/cooking-catch

From the looks of things, Rhodes seems to be very familiar with the condiment and uses it for his restaurant, Catch in Washington. It’s no wonder Zimmerman sees the future for Filipino cuisine to be bright if even Hollywood celebrities are getting a taste of it.

Pancit Canton

By

Pancit canton is a Filipino noodle recipe of Chinese origin. It is often served in parties and gatherings. You can also find it in most restaurants in the Philippines.

There are many types of pancit, as it is the Asian version of pasta, for the reason that it is filling. It is a dish in itself since it has meat and vegetables. It can be eaten as a snack or a side to other food.

 

Serves  7

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lb. pork shoulder, sliced thinly

1 chicken breast, deboned and sliced thinly

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 cup green beans, julienned

2 carrots, julienned

3/4 cup dried black or shiitake mushrooms

1 1 lb. pack pancit canton (Chinese wheat noodles)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Patis (Filipino fish sauce), to taste

4 green onions, sliced

1 lemon or kalamansi, cut into wedges

 

Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl of water for 30 minutes or until they are soft. Drain and discard the water. Slice the mushrooms into strips and remove the tough parts. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add the pork and cook it for another 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken and cook it for another 3-5 minutes as well. Lastly, stir in the shrimp and cook it for 2-3 minutes or until they are pink. Season them with soy sauce. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes or until some of the soy sauce has been absorbed.

Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and increase the heat to high. Bring it to a boil. Add the cabbage, green beans, mushrooms and carrots. Cook it for another 4-6 minutes or until the vegetables turn bright green and crisp. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for another 6-8 minutes or until all the liquid evaporates. Season it with fish sauce and ground black pepper. Toss occasionally. Garnish it with green onions and lemon wedges before serving.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  mooglet

Beef Kare-Kare

By

Kare-kare is a meat and vegetable peanut stew. It is one of the yummiest Filipino food that one can try. Unlike other Asian peanut recipes that can be sweet, this dish is on the saltier side. Expect a hint of sweetness from the peanuts and saltiness from the shrimp paste.

Shrimp paste can be bought in Asian or Filipino food stores. You can also check the local supermarket’s Asian food aisle as well. If you are not too keen on the idea of using this ingredient, just flavor the stew with salt according to your taste. This recipe is best eaten with rice and it goes perfectly well with crispy pork knuckle.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ox tripe, cut into 3 inch pieces

1/2 lb. beef cubes

4 medium sized eggplants, sliced thickly

1/4 lb. string beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/4 lb. banana blossom, coarsely chopped

1 liter beef broth

3 tablespoons oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup peanuts

1 cup sticky rice

Salt to taste

Shrimp paste for serving

 

First boil the ox tripe in a large pot of boiling water for 30-45 minutes or until soft. Do the same for the beef cubes. You may also use a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time to half. Remove from heat and drain. Reserve the broth.

While waiting for the beef, ground the peanuts and the sticky rice using a food processor or a mortar and pestle. Set the peanuts aside. Place the ground sticky rice on a medium sized saucepan and cook it for 3-5 minutes until toasted or light brown.

Pour half of the beef broth in a pot over high heat. Bring it to a boil. Add the string beans and cook it for 2-4 minutes until they are bright green. Transfer the string beans to a plate and then drain the excess water. Do the same for the eggplants and the banana blossoms. Only this time cook them until soft. Place the vegetables on a plate to cool slightly.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and golden brown. Add the cooked beef cubes and the ox tripe. Stir-fry it for 5 minutes until the edges are brown. Pour the remaining beef broth into the pot. Increase the heat to high and then stir in the ground peanuts and rice. Bring it to a boil. Cook it for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Lightly season with salt,

Add the vegetables and stir. Ladle the kare-kare into a serving bowl and serve with shrimp paste and plain rice.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: dbgg1979

Beef Stew (Caldereta)

By

Calderata

This a Filipino dish, I love so much. I can eat it every day.  For those who may not know, the Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards for quite some time. This is why most of our dishes are similar to Spanish ones.  The most common attributes include – meaty , greasy and good. Of course, there are substitutes if you are on a diet, but for me nothing beats the real thing. There are many versions of this recipe. I have tried most of them. So, I decided to make some adjustments to suit my taste.

Here’s my version of Caldereta. Enjoy!

1 kg beef (blade), cubed

¼ kg potatoes, peeled and cubed in big chunks

¼ kg carrots, peeled and cubed in big chunks

175 g pitted green olives

1pc red bell pepper, pitted and sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

100 g tomato paste

½ L beef broth

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp butter

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp chili flakes

1. Boil beef until tender, usually around 30 minutes to an hour. You can also use a pressure cooker to save time. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and red bell pepper. Saute for 3 minutes.

3. Add beef and stir-fry for 5 minutes.

4. Pour in beef broth. Add potatoes and carrots. Boil until vegetables are cooked.

5. Add tomato paste, mix well. Put salt and pepper to taste. For a spicier dish you may add some chili flakes.

6. Stir in olives and butter and boil for 5 minutes.

7. Top with cheese and serve warm. Preferably eaten with rice.