Atay-Atay: Fancy Pinoy Bread

Atay-atay (a-tahy-atahy), a kind of bread which, although literally means (liver-liver), has nothing to do with liver.
Atay-atay is just one of those fancy Pinoy breads with streaks of red, pink, yellow, or in this example, purple.

The atay-atay that I know had red fillings and perhaps they were called such because they look like liver insides when actually they are just food color.

The atay-atay is still popular among the lower-income bracket, and so I was surprised when one day this bread was being sold, direct selling style, and so I bought two pieces.

Surely, memories of old never fail to flood our minds when things like this show up in our present time. It always brings out the child in us, days when things were a lot simpler, like when we just used to eat simple breads such as the atay-atay.

How to Pick the Best Banana

The tip in picking the best banana: the perfect banana must look small, has black spots all over, and imperfect in every way. The blacker the skin, the better.


My mother would always buy this ugly looking tordan banana. Not only is it cheaper, it is also sweeter than the more famous, exported lakatan banana which is bigger, longer, has a brighter yellow color, smoother and more flawless skin. While the more familiar food-for-the-gods lakatan has its own merits, the more exotic food-for-the-monkeys tordan is locally more preferred by banana experts, the mothers. For inside the thin, ugly black skin, is a firm, flawless, white, juicy and sweet banana flesh.


As the saying goes, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." This means that the tordan banana can only be judged sweeter when it is tasted.

Thus proves true another saying, handed from mother to daughter down to generations, the golden banana rule: "Don't judge the banana by its skin."

Philippine Fruits in Season

Atis! Chicos! Mangoes! Three of my favorite Philippine fruits in season during the last quarter of the year.

Atis. Also called sweet sop, sugar apple, or chirimoya, a relative of the custard apple belonging to the annona family. Brought to the Philippines by the Spanish colonizers from South America, the fruit has sweet white flesh whose black seeds are easily cultivated into small trees that can mature between 10 and 20 feet and that will bear fruit after a year.

The green grenade-looking fruit atis is rich in vitamin C, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Carotene, Ash, Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Carbohydrates, Protein, Tryptophan, Lysine, and Methionine.

Chico. Also called sapodilla, this brown round to oblong fruit with shiny black seeds is soft, slightly gritty, and sweet. Its tree called chiku in English is about as big in size and height as the atis tree.

The cico's sapota juice is rich in sugars, proteins, vitamin C, phenolics, carotenoids, and minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, calcium and potassium.

Mango. Heart-shaped and bright yellow, the mango which is hailed the most majestic of all Philippine fruits has a twin counterpart from India. While the indian variety is intolerant of humidity, has flushes of bright red new growth that are subject to mildew, Philippine mango tolerates excess moisture, has pale green or red new growth and resists mildew. The mango is a good source of vitamins A, C, and D.

This should not be confused with the Philippine "indian mango" which has green skin, even when at its ripest. This green mango is best when near ripe with its sweet-sour crunchy-juicy flesh best dipped in plain salt, or soy sauce with optional spiced vinegar, or traditionally prepared shrimp paste called bagoong.

Philippine fruits in season are said to be at their sweetest and most succulent when the sun is at its meanest and hottest. The best atis, chico, and mango should be firm, not too hard, not too mushy for your perfect pick of Philippine fruits in season.

Sisi, Anyone?

Sisi (pronounced si-SI) is the smaller cousin of the talaba, an oyster that is as tastier as it is more compact than its bigger counterpart.

The problem with the sisi is that it is also harder to open, with smaller and tighter compartments, thus prying open the sisi yourself (which is the more exciting way to eat talaba) poses more danger of getting cut or injured by the sisi opener, a tool that can be anything from a small knife to a mini screw driver.

But worry no more because the sisi comes to you pre-opened, preserved in salt (gi-na-MUS) and bottled, which recently costs PhP80.00 per bottle. Just pour into a small plate a desired amount, squeeze a few drops of calamansi or lemon juice and you're now ready to enjoy that sea-sweet goodness of this delectable oyster, the sisi.

Taho in Hiligaynon, Salabat in Tagalog, Ginger Tea in English

Good for sore throats and a great soother during the cold months, whether it's called taho in Hiligaynon, salabat in Tagalog, or ginger tea in English, this hot herbal concoction is sure to heal your cold discomforts:

You will need:

• fresh ginger
• water
• brown sugar

To make your own ginger tea:

• Pound 2 inches of fresh ginger.
• Boil in 4 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar for 7-8 minutes.
• Serve hot, ideally with any rice-based Filipino delicacy, but also tastes great with most pastries.

Go Home and Plant Kamote

"Go home and plant kamote!" If you are being told this, you're probably dumb and stupid that you should better go home to the rural areas where people plant kamote for a living and for survival.

However, with the new trend of going back to basics, going home to plant kamote is getting the respect it deserves.

Kamote or sweet potato is a root crop that looks like a potato but is not. It is rich in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins A, C, and B as well as iron and calcium.
Kamote leaves are also a excellent greens for many Filipino soup dishes.

The kamote tuber is usually steamed. It's cooked as soon as it softens and the skin breaks. Spread a little butter with every bite, or dip it into sugar for a healthy snack. Kamote may also be cut up about 10cm thick and deep fried with brown sugar coating for a deliciously hot kamote-cue.

So who's dumb and stupid? Let's go home and plant kamote. And eat some, too.

Yummy Yema!

Yema, also known as custard candy, is a very yummy healthy candy you can't resist to the last piece.

Yummy yema is so easy to make, a can of condensed milk and 12 egg yolks or less, depending on your preference, will do.

To make your own yema, just mix condensed milk and egg yolks in a sauce pan or a double boiler. Cook your yema mixture under medium to high heat, stirring continuously until the yema mixture coagulates and separates from the pan. Cool your cooked yema for about 30 minutes. Mold into bite-sized balls and roll yema on white sugar to coat, or shape into pyramids and wrap with colorful cellophane.

Tip: for a creamier yema, use full cream condensed milk like Milk Maid, as condensed filled milks tend to harden the yema because of its high-sugar, low-milk content.

So there you have it, yummy yema!

What to do When Eating Out Turo-Turo Style

You might want to try eating out turo-turo style at a local carinderia or diner.

For those who are not familiar with it, here are some of the tacit rules on what to do when you're eating out turo-turo style.



Turo-turo Style Eating Tip No. 1. As nobody greets you at the door, you just walk straight up to the counter where the specialty of the day is written on a big menu overhead. Make you order at the friendly lady manning the counter by reciting the desired dishes or simply point want you want from the array of ready-cooked dish or dishes. That's the essence of a turo-turo (literally, point-pont) diner.



Turo-turo Style Eating Tip No. 2. If the carinderia is especially crowded but you still would want to eat there anyway, have a companion reserve a table by occupying the next empty one. If all tables happen to be full, follow the share-a-table-win-a-friend rule. Ask the occupants of a table with vacant seats if you (and your companion if any) can join in, and if the seats are not taken, they will customarily acquiesce. If there are no vacant seats but there is a batch that are almost done eating, it is perfectly okay if you stand behind their chairs and obviously wait for them to scram. If your table is secured, go back to No. 1.



Turo-turo Style Eating Tip No. 3. Follow the signs posted conspicuously at the counter.

• "Pay as You Order" means you pay for your order at the counter before you cart away your food tray (sometimes there is no tray). Still tradition has inculcated in the Filipino mentality to "Eat Now Pay Later", so depending on your choice of carinderia it's also okay to not pay for your meal until you are down to the last morsel. The counter lady's memories are sharp enough to note which table you are and won't take her eyes off you until you've paid up.

• "Self Service" means there are no waiters to serve your food, just bus boys. You get your own eating utensils, ask for tissue paper, and get straw for your drink.
  

• "Share a Table, Win a Friend" applies to a scenario described in No. 2.

Turo-turo Style Eating Tip No. 4. Because of the situation described in No. 2, consume your meal fast enough in order to give way for the next customer/s. If the other tables are clear, you are no longer obliged to leave and can while away your time for as long as you like. You can watch an entire show on their cable TV or even ask that the channel be changed to your favorite program.

Turo-turo Style Eating Tip No. 5. Because of the self-service rule, you are not expected to give a tip. However, there are some carinderia where you are once in a while besieged by beggars. It is not advisable to give them money or even your left over food, because once you've given one, two or more beggars will show up at your table with equally practiced hungry looks, ready to claw everything off your hands.

Eating out turo-turo style can be fun and exciting, never mind the occasional annoyances that give a new dimension to the experience. For as low as PhP50.00, you can already have a satisfying meal.



Now you know now what to do when eating out turo-turo style.

Pork Estofado, Turo-Turo Style, Anyone?

Pork estofado, one of my favorite dishes! I miss the sweet-sour taste so that when I chanced upon it at the local carinderia or diner, I ordered for a serving of pork estofado, turo-turo style.

Turo-turo literally means point-point, an ordering system in a self-service eatery where the menu is written on an overhead billboard. You either point to a dish name or point directly to the food of your choice. In this case, pork estofado! ;-)

Wherever you are in the world, it is not difficult to secure the ingredients for this popular Filipino dish. Estofado can be pork or chicken or both.

For a home-coked, family-sized serving of pork estofado, you will need:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 head garlic, cloves crushed
• 1 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 carrot, sliced into ½-inch rounds
• 1 cup vinegar
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup corn oil
• 2 pieces French bread, cut into 1-inch squares and fried in oil
• 3 saba (plaintain) bananas, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces

You will need about 45 minutes to cook your pork estofado.

• Heat oil in a casserole. Fry the garlic until brown. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.

• Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and water in a mixing bowl. Set aside to allow flavors to blend.

• Pour in remaining oil and heat. Add pork and brown lightly on all sides. Pour in vinegar mixture. Bring to the boil, then lower heat to simmer. (Do not stir, or the vinegar will have a “raw” taste).
  

• Add bay leaf and simmer for about 20 minutes or until pork is almost tender.

• Add the carrot and, 5 minutes later, the bananas. When bananas and carrot are almost tender, about 5 minutes more, stir in pan de sal.
  

• Continue simmering until pork is fully cooked and bananas and carrot are completely tender, about 5 minutes. Garnish with French bread squares.

• You may also add canned pineapple slices.
  

Great when served hot with steaming rice. Enjoy your estofado!

Wow! Siopao!

Siopao literally means steamed buns in Hokkien, also called bazoi. Thais call it salapao.

Best when steaming hot, siopao is soft to the bite stuffed with your choice of either pork (no red dot at the center) or chicken (with red food coloring marking). Other popular stuffings are asado or bola-bola, with exotic and new culinary inventions using shrimp, eggs, scallions, nuts, spam, ube, and pineapple.

To brush aside scare rumors commonly associated with siopao that it may be stuffed with cat meat, get your oven fresh siopao from a decent restaurant or food chain, or homemade from someone you know.

A filling treat, grab a bit of your wow siopao now!

Itlog na Pula: What's in This Filipino Red Egg?

These colored eggs are called itlog na pula (it-LOG means egg, na means that, and pu-La means red). The undiscerning might ask: what's in this Filipino red egg?

If the Chinese have the century egg, the Filipinos have their own version of the preserved or salted egg. However, this is not your ordinary chicken egg. Itlog na pula are made from duck eggs. These ducks are not the white ones but the colored ones specially bred for the production of itlog na pula, and also another exotic Filipino food, the dreaded balut.

Because of the process of making itlog na pula which discolors the outer shell, it is by tradition dyed a red color.

Since its shelf life lasts only for about four weeks and doesn't last very long, itlog na pula is exported to countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Peninsula, Bahrain and the Trust Territory in the Pacific Islands, but further research by specialized agencies such as the Institute of Animal Science at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, are finding ways to further extend the goodness of the tasty itlog na pula.

To prepare, just crack open the red shell covering and slice the hard-boiled egg content into mini bite sizes. Cut up same sized raw onions and tomatoes and they are now ready to be eaten, your very own appetizer of itlog na pula.

Filipino Chicken Soup for the Soul: Manok Ubad, Turo-Turo Style

The Filipino chicken soup has a lot of variations. While the most famous one is the chicken tinola, the pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao's energy secret, this exotic Filipino chicken soup called manok ubad or chicken with minced banana stalk center is also a hit.

I chanced upon this dish at a local carinderia or eatery which features this Filipino chicken soup on its turo-turo (point-point, because you just point among the array of ready-cooked dishes on display which one you would like to have) stand.

Best with rice, manok ubad for a very satisfying breakfast or lunch. Never mind if this particular recipe was too oily. This Filipino chicken soup is still one helluva chicken soup for the soul.

Filipino Food: How To Make Laswa, a Famous Ilonggo Vegetarian Treat

Laswa is a famous Ilonggo vegetarian treat. This Filipino food can be a side dish or the main dish.

While laswa means lewd in the Filipino main language, laswa in Ilonggo or Hiligaynon simply is the name for this sweet salty clear broth vegetable soup. Laswa in this dialect also means "to pour boiling water over".



In the old days, it is possible that the process of cooking laswa may have been pouring boiling water over the cut up vegetables (any choice of squash, eggplant, string beans, okra, alugbati, tugabang, etc.) seasoned with salt.



Nowadays, the procedure of making laswa is to bring a considerable amount of water with your desired quantity of chopped onions and tomatoes to a brisk boil. Simmer until the vegetables are soft, then add the rest of your choice vegetables (some or all of the above, depending on your taste and availability of the vegetables in your chiller) according to firmness. While there is really no hard-and-fast rule in cooking laswa and a lot of kitchen common sense will do the trick, just don't overcook your laswa!



For a more flavorful laswa, shrimp is added but any other seafood flavoring will do from baby shrimp paste to shellfish to dried fish or any substitute like tofu for the strictly vegetarian. Add salt to taste.

Laswa is a great diet food as it is absolutely fat-free and provides for your fiber needs.

Laswa ingredients are best if bought fresh from the market, or picked right out of your back garden. It is best to consume laswa while hot. The broth should have a slippery-watery consistency, depending on the kind and amount of herbs used. So, go ahead and make your own delicous and nutritious laswa.

Saging na Saba or Plaintain Bananas Still Rock!

Saging na saba or Plaintain Bananas still rock as one of the best source of fiber and potassium as well as vitamins C & B6. It is low in fat, and cholesterol- and sodium-free.

Saging na saba or Plaintain bananas when green are starchy and are more of a vegetable in cooking rather than as a fruit. As they ripen to a yellow color, saging na saba or Plaintain bananas are sweet as the starch turns into sugar, thus they may be eaten as is or cooked.

Green or unripe saging na saba or Plaintain bananas may be baked or fried. Cut into extra thin slices, they make excellent banana chips.

Yellow or ripe saging na saba or Plaintain bananas make great snacks or desserts.

The firm ones that are somewhere between green and yellow may be steamed and served with butter while hot like you would a corn on a cob. In the absence of a butter or margarine spread, boiled or steamed saging na saba or Plaintain bananas as shown in this picture may be dipped in brown or white sugar, or eaten plain.

They may also be cooked in boiling oil and brown sugar syrup until the saging na saba or Plaintain bananas are completely coated, then string two or three of them on a bamboo barbecue stick for your own yummy banana que.

Whenever you are in the Philippines, don't fail to sink your teeth into these succulent and nutritious saging na saba or Plaintain bananas.