Minatamis na saging (Sweetened Banana Plantains)

Easy desserts usually find their base in fresh fruit.  This one is no exception.  After scouring the internet for Filipino dessert recipes, only to come up bear and (I hate to admit it) a little disgusted by the unusual textures and ingredients used in most, I ended up sticking with what my mom would call "nature's candy" - fruit.  Plantains are a nice dessert option, too.  Starchy.  Often used at the end of a spicy meal to "soak up" the hot capsaicin.  Sweet, though not too sweet.  And filling, but not overly so.  Not as decadent as chocolate, this much healthier option will add a nice ending to a meal without making one feel like a glut. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 ripe plantains cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch thick slices
• A pat of butter
• 8 ounces sweet buttery sherry

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, water and salt until a thick syrup forms.  Simmer.
2. Add plantain slices and butter to the syrup and continue simmering for 15 minutes.
3. Lace each individual serving with a tablespoon of sherry and then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://filipino-dessert-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/sweetened-banana-plantain.html)

Filipino Lumpia

Lately, our household has made some changes.  We eat a lot healthier than we used to.  We consume a lot less meat.  And we almost never eat food that is fried - either deeply drenched in oil or lightly cooked in a pan.  Such foods are now taboo with the exception only being found in extremely rare situations.  Of course, this "experiment" of ours is the perfect platform by which to sneak such foods past our otherwise common rules.

When I mentioned that I was going to make Filipino "egg rolls" for dinner, my husband's eyes lit up in a jubilant way.  It was as though I had unleashed an endless world of possibilities at his feet - given chocolate to a diabetic; caffeine to a child; meat to a starved lion.  Throwing all caution to the wind, I even chose to make this celebrated dish on a night that was to otherwise be vegetarian.  Oh, the joy!  The great euphoria!  The splendid breaking of rules and basking in new traditions, new worlds, new bliss.  Lumpia, if described only in words instead of exuberant yearnings by our taste buds, could be classified as a complete food.  There is something about it that serves every function, every craving, every hope for a meal's beginning.  It is a great appetizer, even if it serves to break otherwise healthful eating. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lb. ground pork (or beef)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup minced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 30 lumpia wrappers
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Place a wok or large skillet over high heat and pour 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil.  Cook pork, stirring frequently, until no pink is showing.  Remove pork from pan and set aside.  Drain grease from pan, leaving a thin coating.  Cook garlic and onion in the same pan for 2 minutes.  Stir in the cooked pork, carrots, green onions and cabbage.  Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder and soy sauce.  Remove from heat and set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Place three heaping tablespoons of filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving 1 1/2 inch space at both ends.  Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly.  Keep the roll tight as you assemble.  Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge.  Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture.
3. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil to 1/2 inch depth, and heat for 5 minutes.  Slide 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil.  Fry the rolls for 1 to 2 minutes, until all sides are golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/filipino-lumpia-2/Detail.aspx)

Pork (or chicken) Adobo with a Slow Cooker

I am not a great lover of pork.  Like my Jewish and Muslim friends, I usually revolt at the sight of the meat.  There is no heavy indoctrination or religious thinking that has conditioned me to this.  I simply don't have a taste for it.  With that said, unlike my Jewish and Muslim friends, I do occasionally bask in the ecstasy of a good sausage or a crispy piece of bacon.  But, those moments are rare.  Perhaps only once every blue moon.  As for the rest of the time, I prefer fish or beef.  Chicken is also a fair alternative. 

I sometimes feel sorry for pork - my poor, porcine friend - he hardly ever gets invited to dinner.  He is always last on my list of groceries, last on my queue of recipes, last in my thoughts of the perfect meal.  He is far from being the champion of my stomach.  I guess that's a good thing; but, not when the country of the month is one which glows at the sight of a pig.  The Philippines is renowned for their succulent use of "the other white meat."  So, when in Rome...or Manila, I suppose...it's best to do as the natives do.  And, in this recipe, I assume the "natives" all had access to one of my favorite kitchen gadgets: the slow cooker.  Assuming this one cultural anachronism, I carried on with the dish quite optimistic about the result.  And, once again, the slow cooker did not let me down. 

Perhaps part of the great flavor of the meal had to do with the ease of cooking.  Perhaps the hours of low and slow heat cooked the pork in a way that rendered it so tender, so different than my dried-out pork chops of the past, that I could stomach the meat for its better texture.  Whatever the case, the meal was wonderful.  Still not a champion.  Still not something I would seek out as a favorite...but, safely, I can say that this type of pork no longer resides at the bottom of my list, either.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs. pork or chicken cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp. peppercorns (whole)
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 2 tsp. salt

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  For best results, put bay leaves and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag and tie tightly with a string before adding to the mixture.  This will add the flavor of both without the problem of biting into them while eating.
2. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours until the meat is thoroughly cooked.  Serve over rice. 

(The original recipe came from this site: http://www.food.com/recipe/filipino-adobo-pork-or-chicken-with-slow-cooker-variation-281472)

Philippines

 

Capital City - Manila
Currency - Philippine Peso
Population - 94,013,200 (2010 estimate)
National Language - Tagalog and English
Type of Government - Multiparty Republic
Leaders - Benigno Aquino III (President); Jejomar Binay (Vice President)
Country's Motto - "Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan, at Makabansa" - Translates to mean "For God, People, Nature and Country"

Location - The Republic of the Philippines is an island country in southeastern Asia located on the western end of the Pacific Ocean.  It is made up of about 7,100 islands of which only 2,770 are named and 1,000 are inhabited.  The islands of Luzon and Mindanao make up more than two-thirds of the country.

Climate - The Philippines has a tropical climate with high temperatures throughout the year.  Typhoons strike the east coast bringing rainfall from April to December.

Religion - About 80% of the country considers themselves Roman Catholic, while 10% remain Christian of other denominations.  It is said that anywhere from 5 to 10% of the country is Muslim, with very small pockets of Buddhist and Baha'i scattered among the population.

Cuisine - Philippine cuisine is a mixture of Malay-Polynesian, Spanish, Chinese and American influences that includes bold, though not necessarily spicy, flavors.  Unlike their other Asian neighbors, Filipinos do not eat with chopsticks but instead use a spoon and fork.

Most Famous Landmark - The Chocolate Hills in Bohol are a famous, if not somewhat mysterious, natural wonder.  With almost 2,000 hills springing up from the landscape, their most breathtaking trait is the fact that they change in color from dark brown to green depending on the season.  Geologists believe that they were formed from marine limestone that emerged atop layers of clay.  How, exactly, they came about is still a mystery.

If You Learn Only One Thing About The Philippines, It Should Be This - People of the Philippines are often a mixture of Spanish and Asian heritage.  As the groups blended, names emerged to describe their origins.  Native born Spaniards were called "Peninsulares," while the Spanish who were born in the Philippines were called "Creoles."  Those who were indigenous to the islands were called "Indios."  And, those of mixed Spanish-Chinese heritage were called "Mestizos."  Luckily for the world, today everyone is just called a "Filipino."