PINAY IN SINGAPORE, A FOODIE PARADISE

Laksa & Chicharon: great, just for a moment...

2008-08-15T21:47:00.003+08:00

chicharon (pig's skin)
laksa
laksa

Yes Virginia, chicharon (photo grabbed from iska of ISKAndals.com) and laksa, a local dish from Singapore, are great for me. Why only for a moment? Oh, surely you know why. Those two are really tasty but rich in sodium and saturated fats. If I have them here right now I have to eat them away from my husband or else my husband will be tempted to ask for even a bite of that forbidden chicharon or a teaspoon of that rich sauce of laksa.

So for just a moment though only in my dream, I better savour that salty taste I was longing since then, since that fateful December morn. Hmm, luckily I have this blog of mine. I can focus my eyes on these photos. I can again say: " great even for just a moment, even in my dream".

Baked Cod Fish with Baby Corn

2008-07-25T20:53:00.003+08:00

Surely you noticed the baby corn as photographed above. Those baby corns were brought fresh in small packages from Prime Supermarket. Do you think they look fresh in the photo above? Of course not as they look so dry. Why so? It is because I baked them together with the cod fish. You see in my desire to cook something different for my husband, I decided to bake the baby corn instead of serving them fresh. It was a total mistake on my part, that I can honestly admit. Fortunately, my husband said that it was good. Yes, the baked cod fish with baby corn turned out to be a fantastic meal. Wanna try my recipe?

By the way, you want to know more about baby corn. Here are some information courtesy of Wikipedia.

Baby corn is a cereal grain taken from specialized corn (maize) plants and harvested early, while the ears are very small and immature. Baby corn ears are hand-picked as soon as the corn silks emerge from the ear tips, or a few days after. Corn generally matures very quickly, so the harvest of baby corn must be timed carefully to avoid ending up with more mature corn ears. Baby corn ears are typically 4.5 cm to 10 cm in length and 7 mm to 17 mm in diameter. Many varieties of specialized corn plants are used to produce baby corn, which is an important crop in Thailand and Taiwan. [1]

Baby corn typically is eaten whole—cob included—in contrast to mature corn, whose cob is considered too tough for human consumption. Baby corn is eaten both raw and cooked, however cooking does not change its culinary and physical properties significantly; the texture remains relatively the same, as does the taste, whether raw or cooked. Baby corn is most common in Asian cuisine.

Kurau Fish with Broccoli

2008-07-19T23:48:00.002+08:00

This morning I went to Shop & Save. As I went to the Fish and Meat Section, I noticed the kurau fish for its prominent white meat. I told myself that I should better try cooking that fish for my husband even though a package of only one fillet was priced at SGD 4.95. So with the sarsiado recipe in mind, I decided that kurau fish which is understandably from the waters of Kurau in Malaysia would be the best fish for my sarsiado. The moment I reached home, I prepared the ingredients at once. Though sarsiado should have no veggies with it, I included broccoli as my husband needs green vegetables. It was of course a wise decision as broccoli added a captivating charm to my cooked dish. My husband said it was perfect. Surely, I agree. Do you think so?

Microwave Oven Baked Salmon Fillet

2008-07-16T20:28:00.002+08:00

I cooked this meal by accident. I had limited time to cook this afternoon as I need to meet my husband at Causeway Point. You see, I need to cook special for him for the reason I already stated in my previous posts. So when I opened my fridge, I saw two packets of salmon fillet. Since the fillets were frozen, I tried to thaw them in my microwave oven for 4 minutes as I pressed number 4. To my dismay when I opened the microwave oven, the fillets were not thawed but were instead cooked a little. So I told myself, I just better continue on baking. I then melted two spoons of margarine, two spoons of frozen honey in a half cup of hot water with two spoons of lime juice. I poured it on my salmon fillets which I garnished with grated carrots and baked for another five minutes. After that, I garnished it with onions and tomatoes. And presto! I already have a very nice meal not only for my husband but for me and my daughters too. At the same time I was able to prepare salmon in a different way. So this is a discovery I am really proud of!

Honey Spice Rubbed Salmon

2008-07-07T10:04:00.003+08:00

I thought before that salmon can be eaten raw only. That was why I was not interested in eating it. Then when we dined in one restaurant (I forgot the name) in Hong Kong years back, I tasted the real salmon. Hmm so tasty! That was why from then on I always dream of that pink-hued fish. Yeah, dream only because salmon is very expensive. Still, whenever we eat at Sakae Sushi, there is always salmon on our table. Now that my husband recovered from stroke, I see to it that there is a salmon dish for him at most two times in a week not minding its high price but thinking only of its taste and nutritional value. I also learnt to cook salmon in a variety of ways. Just last night, I cooked salmon for him and for all of us too. So, please continue reading and learn more about my tasty salmon recipe as patterned from a book I bought from the hospital pharmacy titled Tasty Meals Made Healthy and copyrighted by The National Kidney Foundation.

Ingredients

200 g salmon fillet, 6 pieces

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp garlic poeder

2tbsp olive oil

1tbsp hot water

1tbsp lemon peel grated

pan salt/pepper season to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Place honey, lemon peel, garlic powder and hot water in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Brush the mixture to coat the salmon fillets on both sides and marinate for 45 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. Season the fillets with salt/pepper. heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

3. Carefully place the salmon fillets into the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes. Carefully turn the fillets once using a spatula. Reduce heat to medium-low if necessary; cook the fish till it flakes easily using a fork.

4. Garnish the salmon fillets witha sprig of fresh chopped lemon leaves ans serve warm.

(With my version, I forgot to reduce the heat that was why my salmon fillets were not that perfectly coloured, but I tell you, the taste remained the same. )

I learnt more information about the fish salmon from www.whfoods com. Here they are:

Health Benefits
Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and a unique type of health-promoting fat, the omega-3 essential fatty acids. As their name implies, essential fatty acids are essential for human health but because they cannot be made by the body, they must be obtained from foods. Fish contain a type of essential fatty acid called the omega-3 fatty acids. Wild-caught cold water fish, like salmon, are higher in omega-3 fatty acids than warm water fish. In addition to being an excellent source of omega-3s, salmon are an excellent source of selenium, a very good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B12, and a good source of phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B6.

Protection against Stroke

Eating fish, such as salmon, as little as 1 to 3 times per month may protect against ischemic stroke (a stroke caused by lack of blood supply to the brain, for example, as a result of a blood clot), suggests a meta-analysis of 8 studies published in the July 2004 issue of Stroke.
Data on nine independent groups participating in eight different studies found that, compared to those who never consumed fish or ate fish less than once per month, risk of ischemic stroke dropped:
9% in those eating fish 1 to 3 times per month
13% in those eating fish once per week
18% in those eating fish 2 to 4 times per week
31% in those eating fish 5 or more times each week

Pan Fried Orange Juice Toman Fillet

2008-06-21T20:47:00.002+08:00

Ingredients
toman fillet, 4 pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise, low fat
1/4 cup Chinese parsley, chopped
2 tbsp orange juice
Pan salt/pepper season to taste

Method of preparation
1. Combine salt, Chinese parsley pepper and orange juice.
2. Pour mixture over the fillet. marinate and keep in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
3. In a heated skillet, add in some corn oil and sear the fish on both sides over medium heat.
4. Mix the mayonnaise, orange juice and Chinese parsley evenly and place mixture in a sauce bowl.
5. Once the fish is done, serve it warm with the mayonnaise-orange juice sauce.

Note: Using a low-fat mayonnaise will certainly help to cut down the dietary fat intake by at least 50%.

Cod Fish With Broccoli

2008-06-16T08:53:00.002+08:00

I cooked this dish last night for my husband's baon. You see, he is advised not to eat from their company canteen or buy take outs as he needs to eat food that has less salt, oil and low in cholesterol. This meal I cooked is just perfect for him. Cod fish with brocolli. Why cod fish? For those who have no idea what a cod fish is and its nutritional value, here are some information for you courtesy of www.whfoods.com.

What is cod?
The white, mild flavored flesh of cod is available throughout the year and is a wonderful substitute for meat protein with its versatility making it easily adaptable to all methods of cooking. Cod belong to the same family (Gadidae) along with both haddock and pollock. It's not surprising that the words "cod" and "cold" are so similar since cod need the cold, deep, Arctic waters to grow, reproduce and survive.

Health Benefits
Besides being an excellent low-calorie source of protein (a four-ounce serving of cod provides 52.1% of the daily need for protein for only 119 calories), cod contains a variety of very important nutrients and has also been shown to be useful in a number of different health conditions.

Cardiovascular Benefits
Fish, particularly cold water fish like cod, have been shown to be very beneficial for people with atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Studies show that people who eat fish regularly have a much lower risk of heart disease and heart attack than people who don't consume fish. Cod, specifically, promotes cardiovascular health because it is a good source of blood-thinning omega-3 fatty acids, but is also a good source of vitamin B12 and a very good source of vitamin B6, both of which are needed to keep homocysteine levels low. This is important because homocysteine is a dangerous molecule that is directly damaging to blood vessel walls, and high homocysteine levels are associated with a greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke(homocysteine is also associated with osteoporosis, and a recent study found that osteoporosis occurred more frequently among women whose vitamin B12 status was deficient or marginal compared with those who had normal B12 status.) Cod is also a very good source of niacin, another B vitamin that is often used to lower high cholesterol levels, something else that can lead to heart disease.

Eating fish, such as cod, as little as 1 to 3 times per month may protect against ischemic stroke (a stroke caused by lack of blood supply to the brain, for example, as a result of a blood clot), suggests a meta-analysis of 8 studies published in the July 2004 issue of Stroke.
Data on nine independent groups participating in eight different studies found that, compared to those who never consumed fish or ate fish less than once per month, risk of ischemic stroke dropped:
9% in those eating fish 1 to 3 times per month
13% in those eating fish once per week
18% in those eating fish 2 to 4 times per week
31% in those eating fish 5 or more times each week.

Even though this cod fish I bought which is imported from Chile is a bit expensive, I try to cook cod fish for my husband at most three times a week because of its nutritional value.

So you want to ask how to cook this recipe of mine? There's no secret in my cooking, just the normal procedure where I sauted a lot of garlic on a tablespoon of olive oil and added onions and tomatoes. I then add in the cod fillet, a teaspoon of salt and ground pepper. After that, I added chopped broccoli and let it simmer for a few minutes. So simple, right?

Water Chestnut Soup

2008-06-15T14:01:00.002+08:00

I went to Shop and Save Supermarket to buy some stuffs so I can cook soup for my husband. He requested something different and extraordinary. He said that the common soups I prepared for him are repetitious already and his taste bud is clamouring for something different. On the shelf over there, I noticed something different and as the label stated they are water chest nuts. With its extraordinary look, I asked myself how to cook them? As I was keen to know how, I asked the sales staff which is a Chinese and she told me how. So, look at my water chestnuts.

Just look how I peeled off the skin and chopped them.

Now, here is my chicken with water chest nut soup. So delicious!

By the way, you want to know what a water chestnut is? According to www.about.com the knobby vegetable with the papery brown skin is a staple in Chinese cooking. The water chestnut is actually not a nut at all, but an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes. (This is why the ones that you purchase in the store may have a muddy coating.) The name "water chestnut" comes from the fact that it resembles a chestnut in shape and coloring. Indigenous to Southeast Asia, it has been cultivated in China since ancient times.

Availibility: Water chestnuts require a long frost-free growing season (7 months) which means that they are only grown in semi-tropical areas, including a few States such as California and Florida. Fresh water chestnuts are available year-round in Asian markets, either packaged or in bins. Unless you live in an area where they are grown locally, they are generally not available in local groceries and supermarkets. Canned water chestnuts are available year round at most groceries and supermarkets.

Selecting Water Chestnuts: When choosing fresh water chestnuts, look for firm ones with an unwrinkled skin and no soft spots - otherwise when you peel the water chestnut you may find it has softened and turned mushy. Generally, it's best to buy a few more chestnuts than needed, just in case a few have spoiled.

Nutritional Information: Nutritionally, water chestnuts are a good source of potassium and fiber. They are low in sodium, and fat is virtually non-existent. Caloriewise, one cup of water chestnut slices contains about one hundred-thirty calories. Low carb dieters, beware: water chestnuts are high in carbohydrates. You may try replacing them with low carb bamboo shoots.

Ampalaya Con Carne

2008-06-13T23:12:00.003+08:00

My husband is progressing well since he survived brain accident or stroke. Since he already recovered, already concentrating on his functional skills and wishes to gain weight, he requested for a pork meal. So I went to Prime Supermarket and bought some food stuffs without any recipe in mind. And these are what I bought. Look.

Can You guess what I cooked? Remember, I used less salt and oil with my cooking. As you can see below, I used Pan salt which has lower sodium and Olive oil.

Your guess is right. I cooked ampalaya con carne. Just look below and see my ampalaya con carne straight from the casserole. Sarap tingnan di ba?

So what is so outstanding with this meal I cooked? The ampalaya of course. You know why? They are midget bitter gourd from Thailand. And as its name implies, the taste is really bitter but challenging. Yes, you will be challenge to take some more bites. I'm not joking. You can ask my husband. And he will surely tell you that my version is the best.

Joking aside, bitter gourd is really good for health. That is why I see to it that I include this vegetable in my cooking once a week at least. And I choose the midget ones than the big common ones. Why? The small ones are more nutritious. I think.

Sakae Sushi

2008-03-20T19:19:00.002+08:00

Do you like Japanese food or sushi in particular? If yes, then go to the nearest Sakae Sushi outlet now. Surely, you'll be satisfied. Just look at these photos. So simple looking, but they are actually so yummy.

For your information, the restaurant was established because of a man's love for his wife who happens to be a fan of Japanese food. Romantic, right? Well, because of that love, it has grown into a chain of restaurants. How wonderful to see love and business grow together.

And you know what, "today, Sakae Sushi has grown into a global chain of more than 50 outlets throughout Asia and beyond, serving over 200 varieties of delectables of sushi, sashimi and many others. Its economical price, ever-changing menu, endearing staff and ambiance ensure that this fairytale dining experience will never be short of fans’ accolades.
So who says kissing the frog can’t get you a piece of your fairytale dream!
To experience this fairytale, drop by any Sakae Sushi outlet today!"

So what are you waiting for. Go to the nearest Sakae Sushi now....

Dietary Fibre

2008-02-09T21:32:00.000+08:00

Since my husband had a mild stroke, I became more conscious of the importance of fibre in our everyday food intake. That is why fruits and vegetables are prominently placed in our refrigerator.

What is fibre for? Well, fibre especially soluble fibre can help to reduce your blood cholesterol. Soluble fibre is present in foods such as wholegrains, oats, barley, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

My husband's dietician has given us tips on how to include more fibre in our diet. Here they are:

Eat at least 2 portions of fruits and vegetables a day.

Choose unpolished rice, wholemail or multigrain bread, oatmeal and branflakes.

Include legumes such as peas, kidney beans,chickpeas, longbeans and dhal in dishes and soups.

Try to replace meat with legumes in your soups and dishes on some days.

Have fruits as snacks instead of potato chips, ckes and kuehs.

Ask and pay for more vegetables when eating out.

Pizza Hut Home Delivery

2007-10-07T21:46:00.001+08:00

Last Friday, I got lazy. I was not in the mood to cook for our dinner. You see, only my youngest and me were at home. My husband was over there in Vietnam and my second had an appointment to attend to. Surely, with only two persons at home, cooking dinner would not be that challenging. Actually we intended to go down and eat at the nearest food court, but going down made us lazy too. So the final decision was to dial Pizza Hut for a home delivery.

I could say that eating pizza especially from Pizza Hut is a fantastic idea. But spending SGD 24.00 for those food items is not that fantastic. Wahhh! I really don't want to be lazy anymore.

Chicken Macaroni Salad

2007-10-02T19:41:00.000+08:00

During the past years, whenever my daughters have examination, I always see to it that I cook pasta for them. Since my youngest will have an exam tomorrow, she requested a chicken macaroni salad. How can I decline my bunso? I told her that I will prepare the best for her.

The problem was I have not cooked or prepared that salad for a long time. And I already forgot how to do it that well. My problem was easily solved as I searched the net on how to prepare it. I read the pinoy cook’s post about it and another one from allrecipes.com. Guess which recipe I followed? I combined the two. Though those recipes and their cooking are excellent, I could not say that about mine. Wahh, I am not a real good cook kasi. But you know what, my chicken macaroni salad turned out to be good. I am proud. Just look at the photos above….Puede na di ba???

Foods at Sundanese Restaurant

2007-07-01T16:33:00.000+08:00

We ate at this Sundanese Restaurant at Terminal 2 of Changi Airport. It is supposed to be an Indonesian restaurant but the staffs are Filipinos and the food seems to be not the same as the ones I ate in Jakarta. But my family enjoyed the food.

So the next time you go to Changi Airport, I recommend this restaurant for you to visit.

Vietnam Tidbits

2007-05-12T22:35:00.000+08:00

I was attracted by the colourful packaging of these snacks/tidbits from Vietnam. I was surprised that the Vietnam I knew before is different now especially with its improving economy. And imagine, its people can produce eye- catching packaging for these simple food items. It seems to look classy. What do you think?

But how about the taste of these tidbits? Ahh, I concluded that food snacks from South East Asian countries are almost always the same. And with regards to taste, those from Vietnam are okay. Though, I still prefer those from my country, the Philippines.

But look here. These sweet potato chips are good. With a colourful packaging, it complements the real sweet taste.

Buffet at Siam Kitchen

2007-05-05T19:06:00.000+08:00

Two Sundays ago, my youngest invited the whole family (4 of us) for lunch after the Sunday Mass we attended. She got a monetary reward from her company where she works as a Software Engineer. As a very good daughter, she wanted to share her blessing.

When we went to the restaurant of our choice, we decided to have a buffet lunch. Was it worth it? Based on the menu given to us, we could say yes. Why so? Oh, we were able to taste those that we never normally order when we go there to eat. Just look, it was really worth it.

So visit the Siam Kitchen now and enjoy their mouth watering dishes....

Mee Goreng and Teh Tarikh

2007-04-24T21:49:00.000+08:00

Mee Goreng
Teh Tarikh
man doing the "action"
man with glasses of teh tarikh
a new discovered place to dine

Months ago, the Horizon Food Court in Causeway Point had a major renovation. So when I went back there some months ago, I was impressed of the place. It is now more spacious and attractive. Well, there are now new stalls. And one of those stalls is this Teh Sarabat. Thay have delicious mee goreng that tastes so good though it seems to burn my tongue. Soooo hot! Comes with it is the teh tarikh. You may wonder what it means. It means pulled tea. So you see the man on photo above? He's pulling the tea that high. Terrific!! And the end product: a well mixed and nice smelling tea with milk. Wanna try???

Sinigang sa Bayabas

2007-03-25T22:56:00.000+08:00

My husband requested a fish meal. So I went to the wet market and look for fresh fish. Luckily. I found milk fish. I bought 3 pieces for $5. With the Mama Sita packet of sinigang na bayabas, fresh long beans and "patola", I cooked this. Hmmmmm. sarap!!!

Happy 2007

2007-01-02T08:01:00.000+08:00

I got so busy and I had not posted here for a long time. So I want to begin the year 2007 with a new entry. Since chicken rice is top here in Sg, my entry will be about chicken rice.

Have you been to ViVo City? Oh, it is the newest and hip shopping mall here. Over there you can find the Chicken Rice Shop. Though you can also find one in KL, it is inviting to enter the restaurant in ViVo City. And look at the above photos I captured on camera. Surely, you'll like to come and visit.

With a sure place to eat a very sumptous version of the very famous chicken rice, the year 2007 will really be a very bright year to look forward to.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL FOOD BLOGGERS!!!!

Fish Soup

2006-11-06T12:00:00.000+08:00

We went to Banquet Food Court and ordered fish soup. We ordered both the fried and the fresh fish soup. And look, both are appetizing.

Before, I eat fish if it is fried, grilled or steamed only. Now, I found out that fish in a soup is also delectable. Wanna try fish soup???

Roti Prata

2006-11-03T18:23:00.000+08:00

This is roti prata. This is best eaten in the morning with teh tarikh. As you can see, the one on the bottom has a burnt portion. I really wanted to complain then. But how could I when one piece costs only 50 cents? Ahh, never mind. I still like roti prata in the morning.....

Noodles

2006-09-09T16:33:00.000+08:00

Come on folks and choose the noodles you like. I specifically like the Traditional Laksa and Prawn Noodle. As you can see, all of them are affordable. And don't worry, the real serving is entirely the same as the one on this photo advertisement. If not, don't blame me, please...please... Blame the hawker... Joking aside, noodles are my likes since childhood. And finding that noodles can be cooked in many different ways made me so thankful.

Chicken Briyani

2006-09-01T00:05:00.000+08:00

This is an Indian food called Chicken Briyani. Yeah, it tastes great!

Almost paradise???

2006-08-19T15:46:00.000+08:00

For the past weeks, I’ve read about the issue whether Singapore is really a foodie paradise. I’ve read in the newspaper about a man’s comment that those people who say that Singapore is a foodie paradise don’t know anything about food or uninformed. OUCHHH!!!!

Well, what is a paradise in the first place? According to my Little Oxford dictionary, paradise is a delightful place. So it goes that a foodie paradise is a delightful place for food lovers.

Is Singapore really a foodie paradise? It depends on the person who’s saying it for delight is a feeling that differs from person to person. That man may not see his own country as a foodie paradise but persons like me who may know nothing about food may see his country as a foodie paradise because of the simple truth that we have individual differences thus our differences in perception and in particular, tastes.

Well, considering that I really know nothing about food, then I should better change my blog title. Since I am delighted easily, can I name my blog, Pinay in Singapore, A Paradise Lost? Accch, not nice!!! How about if I change the title to Pinay in Singapore, an Almost Paradise? Wahhh, it is not nice also.

You know what, when I went to eat in Regency Mills, a shopping mall in Virginia, I discovered this Singapore eatery, which serves Singapore food of course. Seeing those Caucasians who queue for their orders, I felt proud, for Singapore food is an aspect of my everyday life here. The fact that the food over there was lagging behind as my uninformed palate dictated to me, I could just imagine then how those people would react once they tasted the real local food here.

Paradise is also a place where things that delight you are within your reach. I remember when we were in living in Hong Kong, Tuen Muen in particular, there were nights that we as a family wanted to go out to eat. Imagine us, being used in Singapore to being able to eat out even in the wee hours, and then there in HK where it was so difficult to find an open restaurant nearby at that holy hour. We almost always shouted: “bring us back to Singapore!!”

So STOP it people. For me, Singapore is still a foodie paradise. And my blog title remains the same.

Happy 41st!!

2006-08-09T14:45:00.000+08:00

Today is National Day, Singapore's 41st birthday. That is why it is a public holiday today.

The photo above is called Popiah. It consists of fresh veggies like turnip and cucumber. It is mixed with grounded peanuts too. And...it has that tangy and hot taste . In short, it is a completely different experience when you eat it.

Since Popiah is one of the local dish that captivated my palate, it is just natural for me to post it as my Singapore food for the day.

Happy Birthday Singapore!!!

Steamed Red Grouper

2006-08-06T18:46:00.000+08:00

When we (my husband and me) went to the wet market, we saw fresh red grouper. My husband decided to buy 2 pieces which cost ten dollars only. When we discussed on how to cook them, I automatically suggested that we better fry them for our two daughters like fried fish only. My husband said that he wanted to eat a healthy meal so he wanted the fishes to be steamed. And why should I try to fry them when just two weeks ago I had burnt my hand with hot oil while frying? Oh, it left an ugly mark on my hand, very ugly!If only you could see. But surely I'll not photograph my hand now, for the life of me.

Anyhow, my husband volunteered to cook the fishes for us. He steamed it and did put some garnishings. As you can see, there are sliced young ginger, young onion leaves, garlic and sliced onion which my husband sauteed first. What a combination!

I asked my husband why he did not ask the fish hawker to cut the fish head, for you know he don't like to eat the head every time. He explained that it is not nice to have a steamed fish which is headless. Steamed fish according to him should always be steamed whole. And I agree with him.

Just look at his steamed red grouper. They look soooo delicious. You see, my whole family ate with much gusto. My youngest prepared a sauce with a combination of vinegar and soy sauce. And hmmmm... What a nice meal we had!!!

Singapore's Hokkien Mee

2006-07-28T23:17:00.000+08:00

I just came from my course and I met my husband near the MRT for us to eat in the Food Court. Since it is Friday and my 2 daughters have their own meetings with their own sets of friends, me and my husband decided to eat out by ourselves here in Family Court. Of course the food here is cheaper as compared to other eateries. But still the quality of food here is not bad. Just look at my "Hokkien Mee". So nice!! It is a local food here in Singapore and it costs only SGD 3.00.

You may say that it looks pale and not that tasty. Don't be deceived by its look. Hokkien Mee tastes so nice. It has pork, scrambled egg, prawns and squid. It is made tastier with a portion of sambal sauce. Combined with that mee, both white and yellow, it is already a wholesome meal.

Wanna try my Hokkien Mee?

A Late Celebration At Delifrance

2006-07-16T13:59:00.000+08:00

It was my daughter Marielle's birthday on the 4th of July. As it was a weekday when all of us were busy with work, and she aside from full time job also is doing her final year in RMIT, added that I am also attending my classes, we decided to have the celebration on the following Sunday. Marielle planned to bring us to Sakae Sushi in Causeway Point. Unluckily, there was a long queue when we went there. So, she decided to bring us to Delifrance. I like their bread actually. But with their meals, I was not that interested.

When we entered, one of the staff told us that the place is full and she could accomodate us only outside, an open space where there's no aircon of course. I got a little bit irritated for it was hot there. We were only accomodated inside when we asserted how hot it was outside and when one of the table was vacated. I noticed that they got no tooth pick canister also. Their tissue paper got no label. And during payment time they could not accept my daughter's NETS and accepts only cash or credit cards. I wonder why they could not accomodate NETS when it is a common form of payment here in Singapore. Ahh, I don't like their service. Period.

Their food as comparable to Marche could be lagging behind, as far as I am concerned. But anyhow, I could say that I still enjoy the food.

LP Eleven : In Our Kitchen

2006-07-05T19:29:00.000+08:00

I joined the very first Lasang Pinoy event as I was invited by Stef of www.stefoodie.net. Since then I got hooked on joining the monthly events. But due to work and family commitments, I was not able to join the other events.

Luckily, I was able to join this recent event, the eleventh Lasang Pinoy as hosted by Jeanette or popularly known as JMom .

Please visit the round-up at www.inourkitchen.blogspot.com.

And surely, you’ll learn how interesting the foods from my born country, the Philippines, are.

LP Eleven: Summertime

2006-06-26T21:02:00.000+08:00

How can we forget summertime especially those summers when we were young? Like every body else, I also cherish my childhood summers. Not only for those memorable moments, but also for the food associated with it especially those that we indulged with our puppy love(s).

But on this topic, I decided to tell about my first summer away from home, not with a puppy love, but with distant relatives who made me realised the simplicity and beauty of ordinary life through simple food.

After my graduation from grade school, my mother decided to let me have my first vacation with her first cousin in a remote place called Liwayway, Mauban Quezon. We travelled for almost a day crossing rivers to reach my Tita's house which was a nipa house very near the edge of the river. Imagine that! I was so dismayed and was so angry with my mother for giving me such a horrible vacation place.

It was a new experience for me seeing people eating from banana leaf using their bare hands and drinking water taken from the river. I really wanted to cry then and told myself that I would not eat anything in that place.

Later, I noticed my Tita's mother preparing to cook for dinner. She took some leaves from the back of their house and with coconut milk and "tuyo" or dried fish, she cooked it and served hot on their bamboo table. They all said in unison: "kain na!!!". I told them that I was not hungry yet. And all of them ate with gusto and were so proud with that yucky dish on their table.

As they were eating, I heard somebody said:"kakain din yan pag nagutom." And very true, my stomach grumbled. With shaking hands, I tried to take a small portion of the green leaf with a string still on it. So yucky!!! I told myself and closed my eyes. As I brought it on my mouth, I tasted the salty fish combined with the taste of the coconut milk. Ohh!! It was nice! I took some more bites and hurray!! I ate with gusto and consumed the whole portion of the ginataang gabi.
And that was the beginning of my appreciation of simple food from the province.

So everytime summer comes, I always remember my first summer away from home. I always remember the ginataang gabi who made me realised that a poor man's food also taste heavenly.

Since the day I appreciated ginataang gabi, I don't label it a poor man's food anymore. For me, it is already a novelty food .

What makes it more interesting is that whenever I visit my mother in Laguna, she always see to it that there is ginatang gabi for me. Just like my recent visit there. They served the best ginataang gabi for me.

Just look.

NOTE: I am on a 15 months course. I'll visit blogs and post my entries when time allows. Thank you for all those who visit my site. Thank you very much!!!!

Mother's Day Dinner

2006-05-20T20:38:00.000+08:00

protod gratiem (soft shell crab)
gaykeaw wan(green chicken curry)
tom yum soup
tao hoo song krueng (tofu)
Siam Kitchen
nuer phad numman hoy (beef)
plamueg kua prig kluer ( calamari)

On Mother's Day, my daughters invited my husband and me for dinner at Siam Kitchen in Causeway Point. As they know that I like Thai foods, they brought me there. It was great!!!

Above are the Thai names of those foods. Correct me if I mispelled them.

Swedish Meatballs

2006-05-13T19:53:00.000+08:00

Last time we went to IKEA , we ate at the IKEA Restaurant. As usual I ordered the Swedish meatballs. I really like their cream combined with that strawberry jam. So savoury!!!

And of course, our meal was not complete without the fried chicken and a tin can of Green Tea.

Next time you visit IKEA, don't forget to eat at their restaurant. The long queue you would endure would be compensated dearly by the nice tasting food. And that I can guarrantee you.

Desserts and Dumplings

2006-05-07T00:26:00.000+08:00

Bo bo char char
lychee
red ruby
dumplings

It was Polling Day yesterday, therefore a holiday. And what a day to relax also. In the morning, my husband and I went to the food court for our breakfast. We had teh tarikh and of course roti prata. There were a lot of people enjoying their breakfast before going to the poll station.

And oh, we spent the morning also by dipping in the pool below. I enyoyed swimming with my husband for the first time since it was the only Saturday morning we swam together.

Before the day ended, we went shopping in Woodlands. I bought new bedsheets, Aussino bedsheets. And what better way to end our shopping than to have our desserts. Yeah, desserts only for we had big meals at home.

Those desserts are just ordinary ones here and only cost$2.oo per serving. But mind you, they are special to me for they almost resemble the ones we had in the Philippines. Bo bo char char comes in cold and hot servings. It resembles our ginataang kamote. The red ruby and lychee almost taste like our rainbow. And the dumplings. Wow!!! So yummy especially as it was served hot.

Pork Liver Steak

2006-05-01T22:55:00.000+08:00

I intended to join the Lasang Pinoy 9. I wanted then to cook pig blood stew or dinuguan in our lingo. The problem was that I got no idea where to buy pig’s blood here in Singapore. Honestly, for the long years my family stayed here and I visited markets, I had not seen anybody selling pig’s blood. I knew that I could also use the chicken’s blood instead of the pig’s. But as you see, here in Singapore, we buy fresh chicken that are already dressed. Unlike in Hong Kong, I could buy live chicken from the market and the chicken vendor would dress the chicken for me and would give me the blood so I could cook my dinuguan.

My daughter informed me that according to her Filipina colleague, canned dinuguan available in Lucky Plaza stores could also be used. Since I got no time to drop by there, I was not able to cook. Luckily, we were invited by the same lady to her daughter’s birthday party at Hume Condo in Bukit Timah. They prepared dinuguan. Unfortunately, when I was to take a shot, I noticed that I forgot to bring my camera. So “goodbye na lang sa dinuguan..” One thing, the round-up was already up before April ended.

I really like cooking and eating offal or lamang loob. When we went to NTUC this morning, I saw fresh pork’s liver. I decided to cook pork liver steak. My family ate with gusto. Sarap daw!!! Sige na nga, masarap na!

Chicken Rice

2006-04-28T20:06:00.000+08:00

Chicken rice is a well known meal here in Singapore. Your stay here would not be that complete if you had not eaten chicken rice. For chicken rice could me synonymous with Singapore.

This evening, my daughters just bought chicken rice for our dinner. It came in styrofoam packages, complete with rice, veggies, sauce, garnishings and of course the white chicken. My daughters paid $15.00 for the whole set good for 4 persons.

So life is like that here in Singapore. If you got no time to cook at home, it is just easy to go to a hawker centre or food court nearby. And presto! You have an instant lunch or dinner. And mind you, you can choose an array of foods. That is why Singapore is really a foodie paradise.

BBQ Stingray

2006-04-20T21:17:00.000+08:00

Yes folks. This is a real stingray, a barbequed stingray. And it tastes soooo delicious. What with the sambal paste and okra or lady's fingers.

My youngest daughter informed me that she already tasted stingray and how she loved it. I told her that I would never for the life of me would taste nor eat one. But I ate my words. Once, I tasted the BBQ stingray, I was then convinced that it really tasted so heavenly. We ordered this BBQ stingray in Family Court in Yew Tee for S$10 per plate.

So wanna try eating stingray? For sure, you'll love it too.

Thai Tom Yum Soup

2006-04-14T16:51:00.000+08:00

Since it is Holy Week, and we don't eat meat during this time, Thai Tom Yum Soup is one of the dish we can cook and eat. My husband who can also cook this dish (yeah, this is not only a soup but already a dish for us) usually cook with fresh ingredients, the real fresh lemon grass and chillies. It is really nice to eat this dish with fresh lemon grass. But since at times, we are all busy, the convenient spice paste can also satisfy us. Just look my Tom Yum straight from the pot.

My ingredients:

How I cooked:

1. Boil water in a saucepan. Add spicepaste and stir well.

2. Add all the ingredients and bring back to a boil.

3. Just before serving, season to taste. Garnish and serve hot.

Now, here's a bowl of my Tom Yum soup.

Chicken Curry

2006-04-05T19:39:00.000+08:00

Back in the Philippines, I used to cook chicken curry. During those times, whenever I go to the market, I saw to it that I buy chicken and that green curry powder. Almost once in two weeks I cooked chicken curry then. Later here in Singapore, I found out that the chicken curry has an orange colour. The first time I saw one, I didn’t even try to taste a bit. But when we were invited to a gathering of the Resident Committee, I was obliged to eat the curry. And when I tasted the curry, it was so good. From then on I tried to cook the Singapore version of chicken curry.

One time, my former colleague, Irene, who was so happy for being confirmed after her 3 months probation, cooked chicken curry and brought it for us to eat in the centre. It was so delicious. So, whenever I cook curry I follow Irene’s version which she said is a Chinese version.

Yesterday was a happy day for me. Why so? Because though I resigned from my job, I already have bright prospect. Details of it I will blog on my other site. And because I was so happy and considered yesterday a special day, I cooked the chicken curry.

Here's how I cooked it.

INGREDIENTS

1 can filled milk
1 cup tomato catsup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200 ml water
2 tsp salt
500 g chicken chunk
2 potatoes(cut into cubes)
1 medium sized carrot(cut into cubes)
1 packet My Mum's curry sauce

PROCEDURE
1. Sautee chicken with oil
2.Add My Mum's curry sauce and then stir well
3. Add potatoes, carrots, filled milk, water, catsup and salt. Stir well and simmer for 15 minutes.

And now here's my chicken curry. Hmmmm, let's eat now.

LP 8 : Pork and Pig's Liver Chop Suey

2006-03-31T11:37:00.000+08:00

During my early childhood, I was not a vegetable eater. My mother’s mother whom we called “Lola Cleta” used to scold me for not eating vegetables and almost always compared me to my cousins who ate veggies with much gusto. When I got sick one time, my grandmother prepared stir-fried vegetables with liver for me. Since there was no choice for me then but to eat, I tried eating a spoonful. To my surprise, I took one more spoonful till I was able to finish eating the whole bowl of veggies. The sweet taste of the snow peas and carrots made me like the dish more. And that was the beginning of my love affair with stir-fried vegetables.

When I visited my twin grand daughters in Williamsburg last year, I found out that one of the twins, Darrielle, likes to eat vegetables. That was why we branded her that time as the ‘vegetarian” twin. So, with my stir-fried vegetables, I am setting aside one bowl for my dear Darrielle. Surely, she’ll like this.

And for you who love chop suey here’s how I prepared it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound fresh pig’s liver
1 pound pork
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 piece Knorr beef stock cube
½ pound snow peas
½ pound Beijing cabbage
1 piece sayote

1 piece carrot
1 large green pepper
1 onion
Garlic
Oil for stir-frying

PREPARATION:

Cut the pig’s liver and pork into strips. Add seasonings and marinate for 10 minutes.

Cut all the vegetables and slice diagonally.

Heat the wok and add oil. When oil is ready, stir- fry pork and pig’s liver until the redness is gone.

Take another wok and heat it and add oil. When oil is ready, stir-fry each of the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste . Add water and the beef stock cube. Gradually add the sauces and stir to thicken. Add and combine the the stir-fried pork and liver. Once it has boiled, it is ready to be served hot.

So do you like my version of chop suey?

A Tale Of Two Palabok

2006-03-21T17:27:00.000+08:00

Above are my two palabok. As you can see, they don’t look the same though both of them are called palabok, a Filipino dish made from white noodles and garnished with shrimp paste, smoked fish called tinapa, eggs and other sea foods like shrimps and or squids.

When I visited my mother in Laguna province, my younger sister ordered this palabok and so this is home made and especially cooked for me. My sister paid six hundred pesos for a “bilao” of this palabok and I say it’s not bad, considering it tasted excellently. The squids and shrimps tasted so nice for they seemed to be so fresh from Infanta, I could say. It may look a little bit pale in colouring but just looking at it you’ll know it is a real yummy palabok. Though, it may represents a probinsya look, I was so happy with my sister for allowing me to taste one of my favourite Filipino dish.

On our last day of stay in the Philippines, I was still craving for the deliciousness of palabok. So I told my sisters that before I fly home, I want to eat at Goldilocks for their palabok. You know, Goldilocks palabok was one of my favourite then. So we went to a Goldilocks outlet in Metro Market Market. And as you can see, the palabok looked so nice too. Only I was not satisfied. It did not taste the way I envisioned it. My sister opined that since the eatery was only an outlet, they never served the real taste of the original Goldilocks palabok.

And so this is my two palabok: Same in colour, same in name, almost same in ingredients. But the one from the province tasted better than the one served by a well known establishment.

So don’t be deceived by the looks and the place where palabok is served. For me, the home made palabok will always be the best.

Turon

2006-03-18T21:11:00.000+08:00

This is called turon, bananas sprinkled with brown sugar, wrapped with lumpia wrapper and then fried.

My sister-in-law bought a lot and spend thirty pesos only on our way to their farm in Laguna. The bananas were so tasty and I really ate a lot while watching the animals like turkeys, chickens, ducks, horses and pigs.

When my daughter's friend who is a Malay saw this photo, she got so curious and asked how to cook it.

Of course, my daughter taught her how to cook the tasty turon. And now, just looking at this photo, I can already envision the crunchy lumpia wrapper. Hmmm, I better say bye and prepare cooking my turon.

Kaya Toast

2006-02-24T00:06:00.000+08:00

Whenever possible, me and my husband eat at Ya Kun Kaya Toast in Causeway Point. This eatery station is located nation wide and is very well known here in Singapore. I really like the kaya toast with tea. Our afternoon is always magnificent whenever we eat there. You know why? There's the runny and wet. Just look at the first photo and try to guess what it is.

Photobucket

2006-02-08T06:31:00.000+08:00

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

Chicharon, my pulutan

2006-02-07T06:33:00.000+08:00

My pulutan, the chicharon

I was not able to join the LP 6. I already had the chicharon on my mind as my entry for the theme pulutan. Unfortunately, I was not able to take photo of the chicharon my eldest and I used to eat over there in Williamsburg. I was then so amazed of the availability of this Filipino stuff over there. And most of the time we used to buy 3 to 4 packages with different brands. And would you believe, the brand of chicharon from Mexico also tasted good, almost the same as the chicharon from the Philippines. Only, I was not able to take even one shot of the chicharon.

And here in Singapore to buy such a foodstuff, I need to go to Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road. I told myself that surely, I can post my entry once I already have one. But then I became so busy and then we also flew to the Philippines. Fortunately, I was able to buy the chicharon in Metro Market Market in Taguig, Global City.

Our family is not really fond of drinking wine. We do drink only on occasions. Though we always have bottles of wine at home, they are mostly for display or for consumption when there's the urge to drink.

But there's one drink that I drink everyday and makes my chicharon a real pulutan, my tin can or bottle of coke.

Dial A Pizza

2006-01-23T21:07:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, it is also nice to eat pizza at home. Like the time when we were so lazy to come down. We just dialed a number and presto in a few minutes, the delivery man came with our order. What's so nice with this is that you can also order both KFC chicken and Pizza Hut pizza together.

Look at my super supreme pan pizza. So delicious. We enjoyed eating while watching American Idol last Thursday night.

Coconut Cookies, Saba Fish and Fish Fillet

2006-01-13T20:11:00.000+08:00

coconut cookies

saba fish

fish fillet

Over there in Laguna, I used to eat the "uraro". It is a kind of cookie that is made from coconut. I really missed that uraro from Laguna. Since, it was wrapped individually with white Japanese paper, I used to take a lot of pieces and consumed it while no one was looking. They used to teased me that "ipinaglihi daw ako sa niyog." Though, I really got irritated that easy by the teasing of my 4 elder brothers, I really did'nt mind. Though you know, I was "pikon" during those times.

And luckily here in Singapore, they have the coconut cookies. Last Hari Raya Haji, I ate a lot. Coconut cookies taste almost the same as my Laguna uraro.

Fish is also my likes. To be honest, I like galunggong better than the red snapper. Unfortunately, there's no galunggong here. So I just see to it that I eat any type of fish I can set my eyes to.

When we went to Scotts Road, we ate at the Food Court there. I ordered the Saba Fish from Ed's Fish. It was good, though it tasted a little bit bland. I think it is not salty enough.

Well, my husband ordered the Fish Fillet, as usual. As much as possible, he likes to order fish without the head. "Ang arte!!!!" He told me that his British friends in Hong Kong used to ask him why Asians like to eat fish with head. "Eh, bakit nga kaya???"

Thai Foods

2006-01-05T19:51:00.000+08:00

Phad Thai
Stir Fried Vermicelli With Prawn
Olive Rice with Minced Chicken
A Set : Phad Thai, Tom Yum Soup and Thai Root Crop Dessert

I really like Thai foods. That is why whenever possible, I like to eat at Thai Express or Siam Kitchen at Causeway Point. Though the price at both restaurant is a little bit high compared to ordinary food court, you can't complain really for the taste is really so good.

But I discovered a restaurant with affordable and yet delicious Thai food. The Waan Waan Thai restaurant in the newly opened Republic Food Court in Wisma Atria serves the most delicious Thai foods here in Singapore.

Just look at the above photos and you'll know what I am saying. Hmmmm. How I wish to go back and eat there this weekend.

LP 5: Noche Buena in Singapore

2005-12-30T21:26:00.000+08:00

Though Christmas is just an ordinary holiday here in Singapore, we were able to make it a grand celebration in our own home for the past many years. Not only because we were so excited to celebrate it as an independent family unit, but also because we were able to understand among ourselves the meaning and importance of each other as made stronger by the relevance of the birthday of Jesus. Though of course, the thoughts of all the laughter and merriment and the joys being with relatives during Christmas made us a little bit sad, the fact that we were together as a family made us so thankful.

Having a happy family celebrating Christmas every time, I was inspired and wrote Singapore Christmas Story. In it, I was able to tell that we Filipinos celebrate Christmas with a table full of food.

Our Christmas celebration last year was so wonderful for us a family. But when I was still basking on the merriment brought by the celebration and ate a lot the next morning, I felt guilty the next moment. The time I was eating with much gusto, the Asian tsunami devastated homes and killed lives. How would you feel when every minute the number of dead people escalated into thousands?

With the memory of last year’s calamity, I told myself that I would minimize the materialistic celebration of Christmas. And maybe, it was just a coincidence, but on Christmas Eve, I really felt that there were a lot of angels around. It was really a different christmas

So for our Noche Buena, I prepared simple dishes. Just enough. For the Filipino in us. For the angels .And for Jesus. To honour Him with food we prepared together as a family.

menudo, as cooked by my husband

kare kare, as cooked by yours truly

pasta as cooked by my second daughter

potato salad as cooked by my youngest daughter

That heavenly taste

2005-12-22T21:01:00.000+08:00

I really like chicken in whatever way it is cooked. Though my favourite is fried, I enjoyed eating Kenny Roger's Chicken which is roasted. Come to think of it, it has cheese macaroni and sweet corn with baby carrots or you can have a choice of fruit salad and rice or any other combination, you'll really be able to consume all with much gusto. After that your next meal will be the next day's dinner. And surely, you'll be tempted to order the same dish again. But on second thought, I rather explore other restaurants. Variety is one of the the answer to life's never ending problems. Same as variety in food preparation style is the answer to our never ending search for that heavenly taste.

LP 4.5: Puto Bungbong

2005-12-16T09:17:00.000+08:00

I am so happy visiting Jeff's site for he's posting photos of things he sees while on vacation in Manila. One of those is this photo of the puto bungbong.

As you all know, puto bungbong is a Filipino delicacy associated with Christmas. During early dawn of the Christmas season in the Philippines, foods are abound in the streets. For after the morning mass called "Simbang Gabi", (note: during my childhood days, the simbang gabi were celebrated in the evenings) people who attend mass are welcome outside the church with an array of food to eat that are all affordable.

My favourite then was the puto bungbong. Not only that I liked its colour of purple for it was made from purple yam, the shredded coconut with white sugar or at times white sugary sauce tasted heaven on my mouth. A real yummy!

With Jeff's photo of the puto bungbong, I feel I am in the Philippines eating it with a happy and contented heart. And with a vision of a purple mouth, who can beat the feeling I am having right now?

NO TO PLAGIARISM. I believe on that. We should give credit where credit is due. And so I would like to thank Jeff for giving me the go signal to use his photo of the puto bungbong.

LasangPinoy4.5

Japanese Food

2005-12-12T19:13:00.000+08:00

I am not really a fan of Japanese food. Though my youngest daughter is very fond of it, I am reluctant to eat those food she brings everytime she can. But then, when I tried eating these food, my perception changed. Japanese food is delicious.

Getting Ready For The Holidays

2005-12-07T21:29:00.000+08:00

Now that Christmas is approaching, my book Complete Guide to Food and Cooking will be a great help for me in preparing our Noche Buena and Media Noche.

Me and my daughters are already discussing on what to prepare, on what ingredients to buy and what dishes to cook. We eve came to a point wherein we were weighing on whether to travel to a neighbouring country and spend the holiday there. But then, our being Filipino became more dominant among us. We decided to spend the holiday at home for isn't it nice to cook and eat food at home together?

So, I am already browsing this book of mine.

And last Sunday, we went to NTUC for we wanted to eat fish this time. We bought 2 white snappers. I paid SGD 12.00 for these 2 white snappers.

I read the Fish Doneness Test on page 166 of the book. And of course I didthe test with my white snappers.

To test fish for proper degree of doneness, insert the fork tines into the fish. Then twist the fork gently.

PROPERLY COOKED FISH

When the fish is opaque, begins to flake easily, and comes away from the bones readily, it is properly cooked. The juices should be a milky white.

My white snappers passed the test. And ubos nga eh!!!!

Shakey's Pizza

2005-12-02T21:02:00.000+08:00

When I was still in the Philippines I used to eat at Shakey's. For I like its pan pizza better than Pizza Hut's. Though, I could say that Pizza Hut's pizza is also okay.

Over here in Singapore, there's no Shakey's only Pizza Hut. That was why I was so happy when I visited KL for over there they have Shakey's.

Wow! I really enjoyed my pan pizza.

Nasi Lemak

2005-11-28T09:26:00.000+08:00

Nasi Lemak Stg Sambal

Nasi Lemak Ren. Daging

These two dishes are both Nasi Lemak from Mek Kelante in KLCC food court. It was a delight eating Nasi Lemak. I ate the one with fish while my husband ate the one with beef.

I posted this Nasi lemak for Thess who wrote that she misses Nasi Lemak as she is now in Europe, Netherlands in particular.

And for those who love Nasi Lemak, these food photos are for you too!

Lasang Pinoy 4: Food for the Soul

2005-11-25T20:58:00.000+08:00

Ginisang Patola

I still remember up to this day that night when my two older brothers asked me to join them in watching a TV show in a house on the opposite side of the road in my little barrio in that small town in Laguna. On the way home after the show my brothers asked me to run once we reached the big house for they said it was a haunted house. When we reached that haunted house, I was so scared and ran so fast. I was so shaken. For it seemed that the white ghost was running after me.

After a few months, I learnt that the big house was not really a haunted house but my grandmother’s house. It was so sad to learn that I have a grandmother whom I knew existed only on the day she died. I could not explain what I felt then. I was angry.

A few months later, after my father was elected as the municipal mayor of our town, my family shifted to the big house. The house where they said ghosts were abound. I neither never ever experienced any sightings nor ever see that white lady or the golden hen which they said laid a golden egg and gave my grandmother just enough fortune. But I was happy for I felt that my grandmother was there with me. I was sure of that.

When I became an adolescent, I realized and understood the family conflicts that happened and why I never even see my grandmother in person then. And now that I am married myself, I came to understand my parents and my grandmother the more. And why they behaved that way then.

One old lady who knew my grandmother told me once that my grandmother liked eating ginisang patola combined with dilis and hibe. That was why I was happy every time any of my mother’s relatives cooked that dish. I felt that through eating that dish, I felt a nearness to my grandmother.

And over here in Singapore, I also cook ginisang patola. It is easy for me to cook as the ingredients like the split fish and the dried prawns come handy in convenient packages.

Here’s my ginisang patola:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

20 g split fish

20 g dried prawns

medium sized patola, sliced

10 g mee sua

Cooking procedure:

Heat oil in a pan and fry the split fish, then the dried prawns. Set aside. In another casserole, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic then onions until soft. Add the sliced patola and fry gently until cooked. Add a bowl of water and cook for at least 5 minutes. Then add the mee sua. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. Cover and cook until the mee sua is soft enough. Add the fried split fish and fried dried prawns and then stir. Serve hot.

lasangpinoy4

Ice Kachang & Char Siew Wanton Noodle

2005-11-11T20:32:00.000+08:00

Ice Kachang

wanton soup

Char siew noodles

I went to Causeway Point last Saturday. After buying some food stuffs in Cold Storage, me and my husband decided to went upstairs and eat at the food court. As I was not that hungry, I just ordered this noodles. It is called Char Siew Wanton noodles. It is a common dish here in Singapore and is cheap for it costs only $3.50 per dish. And it comes with a small bowl of wanton soup.

Compared with our very own pancit bihon and pancit canton, this noodle is cooked without oil. Though I like eating noodles that give me that oily taste, this noodle is not a disappointment. It tastes really nice. And as they say, it is healthy.

I was not able to stop myself taking spoonfuls of my husband's order, the Ice Kachang. As you can see, the ice is poured with that red and green coloured syrup and with evaporated milk. It is almost the same with our own Scramble. The only difference is that there are red beans, grass jelly and whole kernel corn inside. So it can be the same with our halo halo too. Only, our halo halo is more special as it has more fruit ingredients and has ice cream topping.

Lopez, A Malay Delicacy

2005-11-04T22:27:00.000+08:00

Yes folks! This is called lopez and it is a Malay delicacy.

With this, I can't stop myself from camparing it with our very own suman na malagkit as they are almost the same. It is also made from glutinous rice though it is not wrapped in banana leaf and as you can see it is triangle in shape while ours is smaller and is mostly rectangle in shape.

When we were in Laguna, we usually dip the suman in a mixture of white sugar and shredded coconuts. Here in Singapore we eat lopez which is rolled in shredded coconuts and then the brown sugary sauce is poured in it. So yummy!

Ahh, I ate a lot of lopez today!! Why so? Yesterday was a public holiday in Singapore as it was Hari Raya Aidilfitri. And as they said that if Deepavali is for the Indians and Christmas is for us Filipinos and Christians everywhere, then Hari Raya Aidilfitri is for the Malays.

Isn't it nice that through food we learn from other cultures too?

Singapore Food

2005-10-29T12:12:00.000+08:00

This coming early Decemeber, my centre will visit the elderly home. I am preparing one item for my children to perform. My children with their chef costumes will sing Food, a rhyme from Rhyming Round Singapore book written by Kathleen Chia and Linda Gan. I just titled it Singapore Food.

The rhyme tells the different food here in Singapore: Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian Cuisine. Here's the rhyme:

Hot dog, french fries
Hot dog, french fries
Onion rings, onion rings
Chocolate ice cream sundae
Chocolate ice cream sundae
large milk shake
Large milk shake.

Roti prata
Roti prata
Chicken rice too.
Rojak or mee rebus
Rojak or mee rebus
Wan tan soup
Wan tan soup.

(Sing to the tune of "I hear thunder")

Rojak
*uploaded from Google Images

Can you guess to what race Rojak belongs?

Lasang Pinoy 3: Buko Pie & Fish Balls

2005-10-25T08:38:00.000+08:00

I could not access my site yet where I used to post my entries and where friends know where to find me.

This food blog of mine was born out of my feeling for that blogger who commented on my site that I decided to hibernate for a while. But then I really would like to continue posting on this site of mine though I haven't made this site public.

Since I could not access my previous site yet for reasons I really don't know, I am posting my entry for LP3 here.

The theme for LP3 is about street foods.

With food, I always remember my birthplace, Laguna. Where coconut trees are abound and is known for its scenery, craftmanship and hospitable people.

And of course my province is well known for its buko pie.

During my college days, whenever we would be going home, I always prayed then that my brother would take the route to the Laguna Expressway rather than the route to Antipolo, so we could stop in Los Banos or Calamba, Laguna to buy boxes of buko pie. Though it took more hours for us to take the Laguna route going to my small town, it was okay for me for all the travel pains were gone from the smell and of course taste of my buko pie.

I am not sure if buko pie is considered a street food since we can buy that from stores along the highway. My concept of a street food is something peddled in the street. If that is so, then one of my favourite is the fishball.

When I got married and bought a house in a place in Rizal, street foods became so prominent on my sight that I also became a "suki", meaning a regular customer. How my daughters loved those fishballs with a choice of different sauces. My daughters loved the sweet tasting sauce while I always asked for the sweet and sour one.

Luckily, my daughters and me can still eat fishballs whenever we wish for there are a lot of fishball brands here in Singapore. What we missed a lot are those sauces. Everytime I make one, the taste could not match the excellent sauce we tasted there in Rizal.

So for our next vacation, humanda kayo buko pie and fish balls with those sauces!!!!

*all photos uploaded from Google (Images)

Ginataang Kalabasa

2005-10-24T21:19:00.000+08:00

Our theme last week was about vegetable and so I wrote a lesson plan about pumpkin. I brought to school the pumpkin I bought and showed it to the children together with the seeds. The children of course were so amazed of the real pumpkin and the pumpkin seeds and then promised me that they would ask their Mums to buy and cook one for they would like to eat pumpkin.

After my lesson, I brought home my pumpkin. Why so? Because it was really my intention to have two birds in one shot. I was able to show my children the real pumpkin and at the same time, I would be able to cook the Filipino dish we call Ginataang Kalabasa.

Of course I bought the red chillis .

And the powdered coconut milk.

How I cooked it? Basta, I sauted the onion and the finely sliced young ginger followed by minced pork. After a while, I cooked with it the sliced kalabasa. Then I pour the coconut milk and then the chillis. Wow!!! Sarap ng luto ko!

And here's the final product. My ginataang kalabasa. Tingin pa lang masarap na di ba?

Applebees and Ruby Tuesday

2005-10-15T17:30:00.000+08:00

at Applebees in Williamsburg

at Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday's fried chicken

If you find these food nice, you can visit Applebees and Ruby Tuesday in Williamsburg. Why I put these two restaurants together? Well, the food are almost the same.

Since I am really fond of chicken, I tried the fried chicken and the sweet and sour ones. For me, fried chicken will always be the best.

Cheddar's Cafe

2005-10-10T21:30:00.000+08:00

Cheddar's Cafe is an all American restaurant in Newport News Virginia. It is one of our favourite place to dine. We like their Onion Rings very much. And everytime we go there we see to it to have that Onion Rings in our list. Their Onion Rings is the best I've ever tasted so far.

The place is just fine with enough parking space for customers.

I like that potato. So yummy. Though I forgot how they call it.

My eldest oredered this salad. The first time we ordered this, ubos lahat!

This chocolate cake is something! I asked for 4 spoons.
Dapat lang siyang ubusin!

I highly recommend Cheddar's Cafe.Not only for the food but for the place itself.

Road Trip Snacks

2005-10-08T11:11:00.000+08:00

With my new web site I for sure will be going on different trips to visit blogs about food. I will then be going on road trips for food.

Ahh, I remember that road trip we had. We all prepared everything but forgot about the food we would be bringing. My daughter said that we would be stopping over to eat in restaurants that we would pass by. Magastos talaga!!!

We just only turned the road, but all of us were hungry already. Luckily, there was a drive-in named Sonic.

The snacks at Sonic were just OK especially if you're hungry already. We usually order there whenever we go to Target or WalMart as it was convenient for us what with 3 toddlers with us.

Though I could say that snack foods are not healthy, it is really tempting to eat such food at drive-in. And convenient pa!

My Food Blog

2005-10-08T08:55:00.000+08:00

This is my new blog site where I will be posting about food. And of course I will be joining the Lasang Pinoy3. It was "unfortunate" that I was not able to join the second blogging event due to personal reasons. The truth was that I already have the ideas running on my mind then. I knew what I wanted to write. Unluckily, I was not able to post it. But this time I will be doing so. I have this food blog site now. Yehey!!!

So dear folks, I hope I am still welcome to join you.