Foot and Fire

By GERLIE M. UY The Banh Xeo served with the ever salivating Nouc Cham... PANCAKE: 200 g Banh Xeo 1 T turmeric powder 250 ml evaporated milk 200 ml water (Or coconut thin milk, as per package instruction) Small amount of oil FILLINGS: 1 T canola oil 1 pc. carrot, cut into strips 1/2 sayote, cut into strips 10 pcs Baguio beans, cut into slant strips 1 small head cabbage, cut into strips ground pepper SAUCE Nouc cham sauce (fish sauce and calamansi) In a deep bowl, put the Banh Xeo and cumin powder. Slowly add the milk and water until dissolved and there are no lumps. Set aside and leave oil for later. In a pan, stir-fry the vegetables, add ground pepper. Set aside. Heat a non-stick Teflon pan, put about 1/4 cup. Cover for about 30 seconds and place a small amount of oil around the edges. Place stir-fried fillings. Fold the pancake half-way to cover the fillings. Remove from pan and lay on a plate. Roll pancake before serving. Serve immediately with Fish and Calamansi sauce (Nouc Cham) ...

By GERLIE M. UY How to enjoy Avocado? Slice in half, remove seed, scoop and put mascuvado sugar and with no much ad, eeeeat!!! avocados abound here... The seed and the peels that resembles a boat. The flesh, clean and yummy! scooped avocado laid with mascuvado sugar (raw sugar) Our simple delight!

By GERLIE M. UY The Ginata-an Nga Tilapia, ready to serve over steaming rice!!! My portion of the ginat-an nga tilapia Chef Handyman checking his ginat-an! The mixture before heating it through! The Thick coconut milk The grated coconut milk Our guest chef, Handyman, prepared our favorite Ginat-an Nga Tilapia... Here is how he did it! 1 whole matured coconut, grated water 1 kilo Tilapia, cleaned and fins trimmed. 1 large red onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, crushed and sliced 2 thumbs ginger, crushed and sliced 5 long chili (ilahas) 2 bellpepper 1/2 cup coconut vinegar salt and pepper Prepare the coconut milk by putting a cup of warm water to the grated coconut and pressing the same until the milk collects. Strain and collect the thick milk. Set aside. To get a thin milk, add two cups of warm water again to the grated coconut and press with hands and collect the thin milk. In a deep pan with lid, arrange the Tilapia, and place the rest of the ingredients and the thin milk. Reserve the t...

The triple combo of avocado, cucumber and corn with strawberry dressing! Cubed cucumber! Cubed avocado and the sweet corn kernel! Triple Treat Salad The Strawberry dressing... My store-bought dressing...a Gourmet Dressing by Quan, a local bakeshop and restaurant. Manufactured by Pueblo Bakeshop, La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. 034-434-1733 Fax 034-434-6481 The ingredient says it's made of vinegar, strawberries, corn oil, sugar and spices. avocado a.k.a alligator pear. It was green when not yet ripe and the peelings turned purple when they ripened. Choose a ripe avocado with firm flesh for this recipe. 3 medium-sized avocado, seed removed and cubed (flesh should be firm but ripe) 3 medium-sized cucumber, seeded and cubed  1 can corn kernel, drained strawberry dressing In a bowl, put the first three ingredients. Drizzle with half-cup strawberry dressing. The strawberry dressing I used is store-bought but a home version can be made from strawberry jam, vinegar, corn ...

PINTADOS is Passi's brand Pintados, Passi's festival pride Having been to Passi when it just became a city a little over ten years ago has placed me in a privileged position to say that Passi has gone a long way in transforming herself from a rural and slow economic zone into an urban and bustling one. Just about 45-minutes from Iloilo City by Ceres Bus, Passi City is worth one's while. There are round-the-clock internet stations and bakeshops.  Some chill-out places can also be found as well as business establishments supplying every household essential from eggs to fruits to meat products. Banks and schools still serve and more are coming for sure. Meanwhile, agricultural products such as livestocks, sugarcane and the ever sweet pineapples from the city are staples that impressed visitors and by-passers who head to the nearby province of Capiz. Pineapples, Passi's world-class produce Pinya, Passi's delightful year-round agricultural produce Passi Ci...

The Gifter from Saigon and the Pacman look-alike chef! By GERLIE M. UY <p><p><br><br><br>ThT</p></p> Thank you Anna Wang for the pasalubong ingredients. Unfortunately, I don't know how to put our gasul tank back today and I still have to wait for rescue to arrive. Hilarious! Just when I am excited to concoct something out of your gifts considering it's raining cats and dogs here... Ms. Bernadette hold over the whole of the rice paper pack (And she laughs at me for being rice-noodles and rice-paper crazy the last time at the airport! hmmp). Here are what I got, and I am excited to experiment... super duper... Banh xeo for the pancake.. rice noodles for th...

Mango-Sesame Muffin Muffins, up close and personal mmm, yummy muffins. 3 cups all-purpose flour yummy muffins 11/2 cup sugar   1 1/2 t baking soda 1 1/2 t baking powder  3 t cinnamon powder   3/4 t iodized salt   4 eggs, lightly beaten   1 cup canola oil   1 t calamansi juice   3 cups shredded ripe mangoes   3/4 cup raisins   1/4 cup sesame seeds In a large tin or glass bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil and calamansi juice. Slowly add the latter to the dry ingredients (the former mixture) just until moistened. Then stir in the mango, raisins and sesame seeds.   Fill greased muffin tins with the mixture up to two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before removing from muffin tins.

By GERLIE M. UY Fishes are just added...after boiling it again, and adjusting the flavor, camote tops are quickly added. 1 liter water/ 5 cups water 1 big red onion, sliced or quartered 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced or quartered 2 stalks Spring Onions, cut into 2-inch long salt and ground pepper fish sauce (optional) 1/2 to 3/4 kilo fish (any fish suitable for clear soup), cleaned and sliced into serving size Camote tops and leaves In a casserole, put the water with the onions, tomatoes and spring onions then bring to boil, making sure the tomatoes are cooked through. Add salt and ground pepper. Then add the fish. Let boil and taste. Adjust taste with fish sauce. Add the Camote tops and leaves and immediately cover with the lid and put off the fire so as to overcook the leaves. Other options: add tamarind cubes or powder or fresh kamias together with the tomatoes to bring out a sour taste. The purplish and green leaves and tops of camote Fishes above are suitable for soup and are just as b...