Foot and Fire

For this beef soup, use beef with bones which carry the marrow. This is a no-sweat beef soup. The trick is to quickly boil the beef and remove the froths and sediments forming above the water. Put more water and bring to boil until the meat is tender (This is the waiting part especially if there is no pressure cooker in the house). While boiling, put the Chinese Five Spice (Please see earlier post ). I have Cinnamon sticks and star anise in the house, so aside from the powder, I put some of it as I love the woody and earthy aroma of these two spices.  If the meat is tender, adjust taste with pepper and salt. When done with the taste, put the trimmed native pechay  and let vegetable cook covered for one to two minutes . Serve piping hot.   

        Pechay, the native kind. Other green can be used. There is nothing like hot pot. First, because it's always a one-pot for us where we put all ingredients all at once and sip the soup. Second, we love the soup from slow cook like those in the bulalo and batchoy. Third, we have no patience for one at a time food trip. LOL Well, it is nice to try it once in a while, at home. Shabu shabu at home... Vermicelli or glass noodle is a better choice among noodles in the grocery.                          Fresh chicken eggs. Frozen items from the grocery: Tufo seafood and Fishcake.                          Kimchi on the side... The chili for the soup from China. I used the Vietnamese soup base bouillon for the non-chili soup. I do not like the peanut-vinegar accompaniment. (Even those prepared in the Beijing Shabu-shabu).       ...

By GERLIE M. UY Actually, I was so hesitant to post this "kimchi attempt." Searching in the net on how to make kimchi is a big task. First, I have to find one which is not too chili-ful, not too complicated, and most of all easy-to-find-ingredients so I can make a version which is familiar-yet-not to Filipino palate. I made this a month ago and it's a surprise that the longer the fermentation, the better taste it gets.  What i love about using this native pechay is the crunchiness of the stalk and there is no after-taste or after-smell in its green leaves. This is indeed an accidental kitchen creation when I was confronted with many native pechay. Here's my kimchi attempt: Ing: 1/2 kilo native pechay 1/2 cup rock salt 4 liters water 2 tablespoon Cayenne pepper 6 chopped onions 2 chopped garlic 1/8 cup grated ginger 5 tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 cup fish sauce    Cut the end of the bunch of pechay and separate each stalk with leaves.    In a large container, diss...

By GERLIE M. UY 1-2 Tbsp sesame oil 2 cloves minced garlic  1 medium white onion, chopped 1/2 cup chopped stalk (white part) of the native pechay   2 Tbsp sesame seeds 300g boiled rice 1 Tbsp butter (optional) seasalt and pepper to taste 2 fried scrambled eggs, chopped. 1 cup chopped leaves of native pechay Saute garli and onion in sesame oil. Add the chopped stalks and stirfry until tender. Add sesame seeds and stirfry until fragrant or brownish in color. add the boiled rice, stir. Add the butter and the chopped eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cook and mix well then add the leaves. Let cook until wilted. Ready to serve.