Raquel

I think it's the southern part of Luzon. The food of Bicol is much more South-east Asian-ish than the rest of Filipino food--they use more coconut milk and the food tends to be spicier. An example of a dish from Bicol is here . Talisay is just outside Bacolod. That's where Katabla is (the family sugar cane farm). Actually, I lived in Bacolod for a year when I was 10--way back in '79. I was at St. Scholastica's. I remember those women, too (though probably not the same ones!)! We bought a lot of fish from them! I also remember buying Chippy's and Eucalyptus candies from those stores. Your mother's family aren't, by chance, related to the Kilayko family, are they? ← Hi again Prasantrin- I got a hold of my mom and asked her about the gata savory dishes. She said there was one other coconut dish that my grandmother made called Ginat-an : Jackfruit, coconut milk, beans, pork... This might be another Bicolano dish, but my mom swears that the rest of my Visayan family makes it. As far as the family names go, she knows a Tutay Kilayko (one of the deans @ ONI... now UNO). Also, my uncle... Rudy Ramirez... knew alot of the Kilayko family. My mother is good friends with someone from Talisay... Ciocon family. Do any of the following family names ring any bells? Ramirez, Larracas, Genise

When I was young, occasionally we'd have a can of condensed milk in the fridge. There would be 2 holes in the top: 1 for pouring and 1 for air intake. I'd sit in front of the open fridge and just suck the can... yikes...

Mashed cauliflower is one of my favorite foods. I'll have to try your method, Sthitch. I usually steam my cauliflower till really soft. I then mash it with some butter, cream cheese or sour cream and some salt. It is a great substitute for mashed potatoes...

Hi Prasantrin, My mother's family is from Bacolod... Negros Occidental. Is that near Talisay? I don't have a vivid memory of the region. The last time I was there to visit was in 1976! All I remember are the little Changi (sp?) stores on every block and the little Filipino chocolate candies that they sold. I also have fond memories of women walking down the street every morning with baskets on their heads calling out, "Isda! Isda!" I have not been aware of any other use of coconut milk in a Filipino savory dish except for this Adobo sa Gata. Every other coconut related dish that I know of is a dessert (i.e. Halo Halo, Bibinka, Macapuno Cakes, etc.). I'll ask my mom about the possible Bicol origination though, and come back to the thread... Where is Bicol? I wish I knew more of the layout of the Philippines!

Hi Soba! I know I'm replying to an older post, but I am curious... Have you or your family ever made Adobo Sa Gata (w/ Coconut Milk)? My grandmother was Visayan, and taught me how to cook this. Basically, it has all the same ingredients that you list, but no soy sauce. The coconut milk is combined with all the other ingredients and it cooks down to a terribly tasty sauce.

Wow! I am really surprised at all the Asian-Caucasian couples out there in eGullet-land. Truth be told, I find this topic really interesting. I am "Asian" - Father is Northern Chinese (Shanghai) and my mother is a Filipino mix (Filipino, Spanish, French, English, Native American... she's mixed because of the Spanish-American War that brought American soldiers to the Philippines). They both grew up in their respective countries, but met in L.A. Both the Chinese and Filipino cultures/food were important to me growing up. Even though I was raised in America, food at home was never American faire. I grew up on authentic Chinese and Filipino cooking. To this day, I love my dad's Pork and Turnip braises, home-made pan-fried dumplings, Green onion pancakes... and my mom's Sinigang, Adobo, Valenciana and Pinakbet (Bitter melon and pork stew). I grew up on exotic tastes like chicken feet, lechon (whole roast pig), dinuguang (pork blood stew), and so much more... My DH is Caucasion. A WASP from Connecticut who hadn't really tried any Asian food until after high school. Still, he has been open to my family's cooking, and all our strange traditions. In our house on Thanksgiving, for instance, it wouldn't be uncommon to see a big roast turkey sitting next to a platter of Kum Pao Chicken. The sweet potatoes would get passed around along with the steamed white rice and Chinese pickled radishes! My DH has embraced it all and now knows how to wrap traditional Chinese Jao Tsu (Meat-filled dumplings) and how to marinate meat for Chinese dishes. He also makes killer Onion Pancakes! I'd say we have a very good gastronomical mix going on @ home. By the way, Filipinos love canned Spam, Vienna Sausages and Corned Beef too! Believe it or not, canned Fruit Cocktail is also a biggie. My mom thinks they are all delicacies... Does anyone know of a Filipino thread going on here? I'm dying to talk about foodstuffs w/ fellow Flips!

More vinegary and maybe more salty. I'd have to do a taste test, and I usually don't have one after the other. But they're both good condiments. ← I think you're right. It does seem like it's more salty. I'll have to raid my fridge tomorrow and do a taste test just to be sure! I didn't realize they were both made by the same company. I should have know given that they are both sporting the same green-colored caps!

GIMB, nice to see you here again! Guess what, the kind of Sambal Oelek I get is Huy Fong brand, too! You can have a look here: http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/oelek.htm Since the picture in the link is a little small, I'll describe the appearance and give you the ingredients list. It's a rich red color, with plenty of chili seeds, and has a nice robust chili-and-vinegar smell. The ingredients: Chili, salt, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate and potassium bisulfite as preservatives. I get it in Chinese or Southeast Asian stores. Try it some time. ← Mmmmm... Sambal Oelek is good too. It is not as sweet as the Sriracha, don't you think? It's more savory or garlicky or hot or something. Identifiable chili flakes and seeds in it too. I've actually found Sambal Oelek at my local Von's grocery store (in Pasadena)... right next to the Sriracha!

Wow! Thanx for the great links. A really good resource for info on Korean food... I found my favorite Korean dish on the website... called Sundubu-jjigae (Raw Bean Curd Stew). It does not sound as good as it looks and tastes. The bean curd is so flavorful because it is cooked in an intensely flavored broth, from it's raw state. The result is an almost custard or flan-like texture floating on top... really delicate. The black pots come to your table on wooden planks... broth spitting all over the place because they are so hot. You then crack a small quail egg on top and mix it in. You can usually order different flavors: mushroom, beef, crab, etc. I am obsessed with all the little condiments that get spread out all over the table. What's the deal with the raw crab condiment though?!? I visited a Sundubu place in L.A. near (or on Olympic). Does anyone know the name of the place?? I can't remember and would love to go back. Sundubu is hard to find... Or, if you have any other places in L.A. where I can find this dish, I would be eternally grateful!

1. Oh man. Condensed Milk is SO good! We pour it over hot, toasty Filipino Pan de Sal rolls. Slightly crispy on the outside... soft and fluffy on the inside... with warm condensed milk seeping through all the crags and crevices. Your hands will get sticky. I like the condensed milk that you scrape off the inside walls and bottom of the can. It's crystally and gritty and thick... 2. Slices of Persian cucumbers on heavy, seedy bread. Lots of sweet/hot mustard. Slather of good mayonnaise. Grinding of kosher salt and an obscenely generous cover of freshly ground pepper. Thinly sliced raw red onions are a good addition as well. 3. Has anyone every heard of Peanut Butter Hamburgers? Apparently this was a big thing in the 50's at drive-up burger stands. I read something about it in an old L.A. Times recipe book, I think. Basically, you slap some peanut butter on a regular hamburger. I've done really good and sloppy versions. I like using crunchy peanut butter. Of course, you've gotta have the requisite lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, etc. And a nice squirt of Sriracha doesn't hurt!

Ooooh! How intriguing, Carolyn. I have to plan a trip out to the Westside to try this Green Sauce you are talking about. Is it Chimichurri-esque? Parsley... citrusy...? I must say, something saucey would go very well with the empanadas. I haven't been there in a few months, but this thread has got me salivating! The Criolla is good isn't it? One of my faves as well. I love all the vegetarian ones too. The mushroom one is called Ricotta Queso. Don't know why. It seems more mushroomy than cheesy. Oh well. Tastes delicious no matter what they call it... What is Shin-Sen-Gumi's Chunkonabe?!?!?! I think it's something that I've missed out on.

Just wait until it's 6 PM and you're exhausted and don't feel like chopping carrots. You'll remember I said this, Rocks. ← Hehe, I am not going to argue against the convenience, but even in the world of dining and convenience food there are healthy and unhealthy options. Instead of heading off to McDonalds or Burger King why not go to Subway that has an entire array of salads and subs that can be made fairly healthy (and pretty decent for fast food), or head out to whatever ethnic places you have in the area, build up pallates for different taste profiles from a young age that way too. ← Yup. It's all about choices. And as a parent of a 5 and 7 yr. old, I've made choices on both ends of the spectrum. We haven't brought the kids to a McDonald's for a couple years now, but I remember being on road trips stuck out in the middle of nowhere with hungry screaming kids... and the only thing on the horizon was a pair of golden arches. Life isn't black and white. You're going to hit a gray patch every now and then. For the most part, we eat organic. Robyn, you were right to say that healthy eating begins at the grocery store... or in our case... outside of the grocery store. We started shopping at smaller places like Trader Joes and the local farmers markets. We try to buy all organic now. From milk and juices down to all our meats. If all you have in the fridge is healthy food, then that's what you're going to eat.

theyre baked or deep fried bready things with meat and or fruit. for a reference think calzone. but theyre not.i have had sweet ones. theyre okay, but i like the savouries better. i like them baked and i like them with beef with eggs and raisins and spices... the one off of sawtelle is nice and clean and friendly. ← Empanada's Place! I love the Argentine empanada, and this is the real thing. Eveything is Argentine, from the white lace cafe curtains in the windows to the posters of Tango competitions on the walls. There are 16 empanada varieties at last count: -Criolla (Beef, raisin, green onions, eggs, asstd spices) -Cordobesa (Ground beef potatoes, hard boiled eggs, olives, spices) -Pollo (Chicken w/ peas, carrots, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and herb spices) -Sallena Desebrada (Chopped beef w/ peas, carrots, and potatoes) -Fugazzela (Ham, fresh mozzarella, gresh onions) -Chorizo Colorado (Pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese) -Chopped Beef (Chopped Beef, hard boiled eggs, Tucuman spices) -Lemon Herb Ground Beef (Ground beef tomatoes, onions, seasoned w/ fresh lemon juice & spices) -Fugazza (Fresh white onions, mozzarella, spices) -Papa Cilantro (Russet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cilantro) -Papa con Queso (Russet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, mozzarella, cilantro) -Humita (Sweet cut corn, mozzarella cheese, white sauce) -Pascualina (Chopped fresh spinach, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, white sauce) -Broccoli (Broccoli, cauliflower, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese) -Ricotta Queso (Ricotta cheese, fresh mushrooms, basil) -Berenjena (Fresh eggplant, cheese sauce) Each one is wrapped and decorated in a different style so that you know the contents. The edges of the dough are pinched or crimped or waved... The menu I brought home has a little drawing of each empanada style. If you go, you HAVE TO try the Alfajores for dessert. It's incredible. Two light and crumbly cookies flanking a middle of thick and creamy Argentine dulce de leche. You can buy little clear boxes of the cookies at the counter. They are home-made. You can also buy jars of the dulce de leche. I bought one jar and finished it off in less than a day.... (cringe) There are a couple more locations, now, too. One in West Hollywood on La Cienega and one in Tarzana on Ventura.

Hey Herb. Yes, TJ's does carry Hot Chocolates. A few different types. One I tried recently was a Mexican Hot Chocolate: Azteca D'Oro

1. Ground Almonds 2. Beaten Egg 3. Lots of Softened Butter 4. Suger Mix that up and throw it on a piece of good bread. Toast it up to a warm, crispy, chewy delight. Or just slather a load of Nutella on top of some supersoft white bread and eat! --------------------------- Hunger is the best pickle -Benjamin Franklin I've seen things you people wouldn't believe -Roy Batty