Foot and Fire

Let food be your medicine.  And I bet this soup is one example of a food that really heals. I have been avoiding commercial dressed chicken from the market, the then 45 days had been reduced to 22 days. That number refers to chicken's lifespan from hatchling to being ready for dressing. I only eat such chicken whenever I can't avoid it or simply miss it. So, it is always a joy to find a backyard raised native chicken. Given the convergence of the native chicken, the mongo and the ginger and the lemongrass, the broth is aromatic and tasty. 700g native chicken 2 thumb-sized ginger 150g mongo (mung beans) 200 g ubad (banana pith or core stem) Olive oil 3 cloves of Garlic 1 medium onion Water Lemongrass, tied Nutritional yeast Salt Fish sauce Soak mongo overnight. Drain and let boil until tender and can be mashed. Set aside. Boil chicken pieces and ginger covered with water for 25 minutes, just until fork tender. Set aside. Halve the banana pith or core stem and slice t...

Back when I and my four siblings were growing up, my father used to make us Chicken Mami. We love how we mix our own pancit, vegetables and chicken bits and add broth to the mixture. We used to queue as we gather our bowl of ingredients.  So, I made Chicken Mami to feed my visiting nephews. They enjoy the queuing and the idea that they get to mix their own bowl of soup. The Vegetables  1 kg Fresh Pancit or egg noodles, medium or small size 200 g Chinese Pechay, cut into strips 200 g cabbage, cut into strips 1 big carrots, julienned 100 g Baguio beans, cut slantly for quarter of an inch thick The Chicken 1 kg chicken breast Water Condiments Sauce: 1/3 cup Soy Sauce 1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 cup Patis or Fish Sauce Ground Pepper Toppings No-pork Chicharon, crushed into pieces Spring Onions, chopped Chili Toasted Garlic Preparation:  The Vegetables  1 kg Fresh Pancit or egg noodles, medium or small size 200 g Chinese Pechay, cut into strip...

Hahaha! The title is a scam just for fun. I am writing about what I was eating during my month-long vacation in the Big Apple. Well, I can say that I liked what I ate all throughout.  I disliked what I had only on three occasions: I don't like the bread used in the sandwich of Nathan's Cart as well as in The Met cafe. While both are in New York City, the only proper eatery I disliked was in DC where I had Chinese noodles and dumplings in the only-open restaurant at 10 am and the best according to the bills posted on its door. I started this blog with what I didn't like so you won't think that I am no picky eater, and that I have no discriminating palate given that I liked almost everything even the neighborhood Colombian food. Let me group the food I had and let me walk you through the memory lane of my gustatory delight sans the elaborated plating and expensive ambiance.   1. ITALIAN Carnegie Diner and Cafe Having jet-lag is never good as the appeti...

      I mentioned in my past blog that I wanted to cook Tinola for the Jose Rizal tribute but cooked binakol instead.Much to my dismay, I learned that I have no entry on tinola nga manok in my blog when I searched for it. The irony is that my family loves tinola and it's a staple to our survival and happiness and it's an anomaly why I got no blog post about it. So, it's about time to post one. We love native chicken as it is tasty compared to 45 days chicken. I also do not saute as I avoid oils being subjected to heat but put the garlic and onions directly to the soup. You may saute if you like. Here's how we do it:   Ingredients ; 1 whole native chicken (or free range chicken), cut to serving sizes water garlic onions ginger, thumsized bellpepper green papaya lemongrass, knotted salt and pepper chili leaves  Boil the chicken in a deep casserole until tender. Once the meat is tender, add the garlic, onions, ginger, abd bellpepper. Add more water if neces...

The flower basket is how Chicken Ala King was popularly sold and served because it is pretty and convenient. However, for me who was a teener who grew up eating Iloilo City JD Bakeshop's Chicken Ala King and now an adult missing it, I missed it served in a platter of three triangular loaf bread slices with the flavorful chicken and corn mix on top. Well, I attempted to do the triangular but also tried to do the open toast style because we were in a hurry to have lunch already. Well the ala king can be served three ways. Memorably. (Actually, the aromatic combination of the cream and the bellpepper is the delectable in this perfect baked goodies). Try it now. The open toast style The triangular open toast style. The Recipe Roast Chicken leftover, cut to bits Bellpeppers, 500g choopped 1 large carrots, chopped 1 can corn kernels, reserve water 1 packet cream 1 cup red cheese or any melting cheese Garlic Chives, chopped Salt pepper mushroom seasonin...

It's a friend's birthday and to celebrate, I made him a Spiced Chicken which I airfried. He is one of my few friends who uberloves chili so I used my dried and garden fresh mixed chilis, my garden fresh lemon for the lemon peel, lemongrass, ginger and turmeric. I used my store-bought and shelved peppercorns, mustard seeds and star anise too. More photos here.  However, spices for this recipe can be in powder forms, so feel free to substitute. Recipe Whole chicken Chili Lemon peel lemongrass stalks ginger turmeric Himalayan Salt Pepper Knotted Lemongrass leaves Clean and pat dry the chicken. Set aside.  In a food processor place all spices except the knotted lemongrass leaves. Pulse blend the spices until grainy. Transfer in a mortar and pound the spices to bring out its juices.  Rub the mixture inside and outside the chicken. Insert some in between the flesh and skin. Pound the knotted lemongrass leaves and insert in the body cavity of the chicken....

I love chicken gizzards because they have this chewy texture while I also love chicken livers because they have melt-in-your-mouth texture. Cooking both with masala kari or mixed spices sauce, one can bring out thw taste of these chicken parts. For this one, I didn't use coconut milk. Oil Garlic onions 500g Chicken gizzard 500g Chicken liver Potatoes, cubed Turmeric powder Paprika powder Bayleaves Cracked Peppercorns Chili powder Chili peppers Salt In a wok, Saute gizzards and livers in oil, garlic and onions. Add water and bayleaves. Cover for 5 minutes in high heat.  Add water and potatoes. In a bowl, place all spices and mix well and add hot water. Add dissolved spices to the wok. Add the chilipeppers and Cover. Let cook for 10 minutes. Adjust taste with salt. Mash two livers to thicken the sauce. Serve hot with rice. 

When I searched for Linabog in th web, I can see entries on Linabog but using a different souring agent and usually the fish called "pagi" is used. Also, they attribute Linabog to the Cebuanos and there is one video which explained that the word means "throw away" because the parts used in the dish are parts which are usually to be thrown away, like the bony "pagi." Meanwhile, there is also a "kinunot" way of cooking which means "hinimay" or flaked for the Luzon. The name was also coined for leftover parts of fish or chicken. In Hiligaynon, the word "labog" means forcefully thrown away.  This surprised me because when I was small, I heard from my father and his friends about this linabog and they used the leaves of labog plant. So I grew up having some idea of what linabog cooking means and definitely, the Cebuanos' definition of Linabog dish is far from my Ilonggo definition. And yes, Ilonggos ...

Half kilo native chicken Onions Bellpepper Ginger Coco water of 2 coconuts (about 2 L) 3 Potatoes, cubed Coco meat Salt and pepper to taste. Boil the chicken until tender with minimal water. Add ginger, onion, bellpepper and coco water. Simmer, then add poataoes and coco meat. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with rice on the side.

*** 200g Elbow Macaroni, boiled olive oil garlic, minced onions, chopped 50g Beef, ground 50g Chicken, cubed  2 pcs. Carrots, chopped 1 bunch of broccoli, chopped 25g Baguio beans, chopped Fish sauce, Worcestershire Sauce and Soy sauce Beef or chicken cube or powder  salt and pepper 1/2 head of Cabbage, chopped Do not drain the Macaroni in the pot.  In a pan, saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add the beef and chicken pieces. Let cook. Add the macaroni with the water. Transfer in the pot and let boil. Add the vegetables except cabbage. Add flavorings as per personal taste: I added Fish sauce,  Worcestershire Sauce and Soy sauce and chicken powder.  Add salt, as needed and lots of ground pepper. Let boil. Add the cabbage and cover with lid.  Remove from fire and Serve Hot.

Chicken: One whole chicken, cleaned (rub salt if desired) Pu erh tea steeped in boiling water, drained Star Anise Pinches of Chinese five-spice In a soup pan, put the whole chicken. Pour tea, just enough to cover the chicken. Put the Star Anise and Chinese Five spice. Bring to boil for 15 minutes, then heat in medium heat for 1 hour and 45 mins. Remove the chicken and place in the serving dish. Reserve stock for gravy. Gravy: 3 cups of stock starch, dissolved in water salt soy sauce black pepper Chicken bouillon (if desired) Strain two to three cups of chicken-tea stock to remove solids. Let boil in a sauce pan, add starch and adjust according to desired consistency. Adjust taste with salt, soy sauce and black pepper. Vegetables: olive oil onion, cubed carrots, cubed potato, cubed Bits and pieces of Mushroom in can, drained raisins or pickles Saute onion in olive oil, add carrots and potato. let cook and add mushrooms and raisins/pickles. Put a little liquid by using the stock. Serve t...

There are many reasons to love the menu offering of JD Bakeshop in Iloilo City. From its student-friendly price to its delightfully classic such as mongo ensaymada, chicken roll, chicken cordon bleu, chicken ala king open-face sandwich, baked macaroni and pine-orange juice.  *** As for me, I always liked and went for their ensaladang langka, a unique side dish not always available somewhere but only here. I also love their fried and crispy cornstarch-laden chicken rubbed with ginger.  ***   Now that I tasted their Mushroom soup, a new in their menu, I decided to make it my staple in the table each time I visit this memorable student hang-out in Iloilo City. ***

By GERLIE M. UY 2 T olive oil 12 garlic cloves, chopped 1 big onion, chopped 1 thumb (or more) ginger, chopped 1/2 kilo chicken, cubed 1/2 kilo malagkit rice water 2 chicken cube soy sauce turmeric powder (kalawag) salt and pepper Toasted garlic for garnish. In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil. Add ginger. Add chicken cube and stir fry for a while and add the washed malagkit rice. Stir again for about 3 minutes. Add water. Let boil until rice pops open. Add chicken cubes, soy sauce, turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Let the flavor sink in and the soup is ready to be served hot. Garnish with toasted garlic.

By GERLIE M. UY plated fruits and cucumbers. *** Cucumber, all dressed. *** Watermelon and bananas. *** chicken legs. *** pork.pork *** grilled fish. ***

By GERLIE M. UY Here are the Top Ten posts in my two year stint as food and home-cook recipe blogger from 2010 to 2012. Two surprising high hits for viewers are my entries on Fish Soup with Kulitis which earns 80 viewers which I find amazing as "kulitis" is not a popular green leafy vegetable and Fish Soup with Kamote Tops which earned 93 hits. But both did not make it to the top ten though. Here are the top ten recipe with links that are always called for by the viewers (but I'm not sure if they're called to be cooked), and the number one which has 2273 viewers is unexpected as it has beaten my sushi, summer roll and pad thai. Read on! TEN classic buko salad 92 viewers posted last 12/11/11 NINE chicken ala king spaghetti 113 viewers posted on 1/14/10 EIGHT Buko Lychee Jelly Dessert 130 viewers posted last 1/15/10 SEVEN Pechay kimchi 203 viewers posted on 5/15/11 SIX vietnamese summer roll  137 viewers posted on 12/6/10 FIVE Food treats from Ilocos 141 viewers posted...

By GERLIE M. UY The filling Pad Thai I made Pad Thai before. See my previous post  and another post . But this one, I entitled shortcut because I forgot to fry the tofu and chop them up. So I missed the essential ingredient of a real Pad  Thai. Anyway, this noodle dish I churned out in a hurry turned out yummy. For this recipe, I had fried scrambled eggs, stripped native chicken flesh, mongo sprout and the rice noodles. I used available herbs too like celery and coriander. As for the flavoring, don't forget the tamarind-based cubes, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Please see my previous post for the cooking procedure. rice noodles here are being soaked in a hot water the cooked noodles, from crystal noodle to white color The other ingredients go to the pan...