eG Foodblog: Mooshmouse - Back-to-school Dining on the Left Coast

[Mooshmouse]

Though I posted a photo of today's breakfast, I'm still missing details on the latter part of yesterday's dining.

After the lunchtime feast, I stopped in at a Filipino store right next door to pick up a dozen of these.

Pandesal, still warm, fresh from the oven. The literal translation of pandesal is "bread of salt"; however, I've always found this odd since the rolls are slightly sweet. It's one of Noah's favourite things to eat, so, for his drive-time snack, I brought him a buttered roll and some dried Philippine mangoes.

We started on dinner prep upon arriving home since I wanted to let the dry-rubbed pork tenderloin rest for a while before throwing it on the barbecue. Noah took it upon himself to wash the dishes (and the counters and the cupboards with all the splashing) while I took care of the meat.

Once Ian got home with the rest of the dinner groceries, we uncorked a bottle of 2003 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz to fuel our food prep.

Here's the "Before" photos.

Soba has an affinity for Mrs. Dash, and our family has one for Spike. The asparagus and peppers were marinated in olive oil and Spike (whoops... forgot the garlic). And that's leftover sweet Chilliwack corn from two nights ago.

The Grill Master at work. Man. Meat. Fire. It's gotta be a primal thing.

Here's the requisite "During" photo.

Voila, the finished product; Ian plated while I was finishing off last night's pre-dinner blogging stint.

The only thing missing from this photo is the applesauce.

Dinner time. My Mom's looking after Noah this evening while Ian logs some renovation time and I head off to a Cantonese dinner in Richmond with a group of 10 eGulleters, including two who are here visiting from Atlanta. Wow. From the Philippines to Canton province... a veritable tour of Asia. Bring on the food!

Edited September 9, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[srhcb]

Rehovot and srhcb, thanks for pinch-hitting on the kolachy factoids.  They are, indeed, Czech in origin; there's also a Polish version of them.  Traditionally speaking, kolachy are made from a sweet dough and filled with nuts, cottage cheese or fruit preserves.  Apricot and poppy seed are common variants.

srhcb, what are your favourite flavours?

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The Sunrise Bakery, about six blocks from my home, makes kolachy with a firm piecrust type of dough. I usually get one of each, but the plain cream cheese is my favorite. GF like the Cream Cheese w/strawberry jam when they have them. Sunrise doesn't feature the kolachy on their web site, but there's lots of other good stuff:

http://www.sunrisegourmet.com/index.html

Andre's European Bakery, located on the corner across the street from my business, is famous for it's potica, another Eastern European specialty. You can see the kolachy in one of the photos too. They use more of a danish type dough, making a soft kolachy, and I ilke their apricot and prune fillings.

http://poticawalnut.gourmetfoodmall.com/

I've been meaning to try making them myself. I have some good recipes from local church group cookbooks and such, but it's hard to get serious about making something that's so readily available.

SB (bought donuts with frosting and colored sprinkles at Sunrise Bakery this morning because it was a bleak day and I wanted something cheerful looking)

[Pan]

No, this is not something from Barney's refrigerator (Barney is so banned from our household, by the way).  It's Ginataang Bilo Bilo, a warm coconut-milk based dessert soup/stew, and the purple colour comes from ube or purple yam.  Other ingredients include langka (jackfruit), camote (sweet potato), saba (plantain banana) and sago (tapioca) pearls.

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Whoops. One ingredient that I inadvertently omitted is the bilo bilo: dumplings made from glutinous rice flour.

BTW, Ginataang bilo bilo looks suspiciously like bubur chacha.

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Right you are Laksa. I believe they're virtually identical dishes. It's one of my favourite merienda foods on a chilly winter afternoon.[...]

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Bubur is true comfort food. When I eat some good bubur cacak, it warms not only my body but my soul, as I remember the good times I spent in Merchang, Malaysia.

Thanks for all the great pictures of Filipino food and the explanations!

[prasantrin]

Though I posted a photo of today's breakfast, I'm still missing details on the latter part of yesterday's dining.

After the lunchtime feast, I stopped in at a Filipino store right next door to pick up a dozen of these.

Pandesal, still warm, fresh from the oven.  The literal translation of pandesal is "bread of salt"; however, I've always found this odd since the rolls are slightly sweet. 

A number of years ago, I made pandesal from a recipe in The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking. It was a lot more like hard Portuguese or Italian buns than the soft, slight sweet and rich pandesal one buys nowadays. My grandmother (who would have been in her 90's now) commented that it was like the pandesal of her youth. I think the typical pandesal has evolved over the years. Most Filipinos, especially ex-pats, only know the sweetened type (which I, also, prefer--especially toasted and slathered with butter and/or dulce de leche).

(Couldn't figure out if I could still do an e-Gullet link to Amazon, so I didn't do one. But if it's still possible, anyone with editing privileges is free to change my link!)

[mona]

We started on dinner prep upon arriving home since I wanted to let the dry-rubbed pork tenderloin rest for a while before throwing it on the barbecue.  Noah took it upon himself to wash the dishes (and the counters and the cupboards with all the splashing) while I took care of the pork.

Ohhh I'm in love

[Mooshmouse]

Noah took it upon himself to wash the dishes (and the counters and the cupboards with all the splashing) while I took care of the pork.

Ohhh I'm in love

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He's got the complete package: cute, charming, loves to help with the cooking and even does dishes. Gotta start training him young!

Good to see young'uns like Noah appreciating good food. Way'ta'go, Mummy.

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Thanks Dejah. So many kids subsist (and I do mean subsist) on nothing more than processed food, a fate I didn't want for my son. Our household rule is that Noah must try everything on the table once; by try, I mean chew and swallow one bite. If he doesn't like it after that, then fair enough. But if a food that he doesn't like happens to appear on the table another day, he has to try it then too. That's how Noah developed an appreciation for roasted asparagus and roasted cauliflower: through repeated attempts. And I always remember to thank him for trying.

As a result of our persistent efforts to expose Noah to a broad spectrum of tastes, he has a fairly adventurous palate. He loves dilis (tiny dried anchovies) and eats them like potato chips. He enjoys things with strong flavours like baba ghanoush and odd things for kids to like such as tobiko (flying fish roe) and lattes. We can take him out for almost any kind of ethnic food -- Greek, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese -- and have him share the dishes we order for ourselves rather than ordering him something special. I'm prepared for the day that childhood pickiness sets in, but I'm hoping that it'll be a long time coming.

[Mooshmouse]

We had regular spring rolls and tiny thin ones that were filled with pork.  We had pancit.  We had diced pork with lots of red chillies in a spicy sort of sour sauce and another dish with bits of pork, green leaves (taro I think he said???) and garlic and a sort of sweetish taste I cannot identify, and steamed rice.  It was absolutely delicious and we will definitely be returning.  I should have paid more attention to what he called the dishes.

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Let's see. The thin, tiny spring rolls filled with pork are called lumpia shanghai. Laing is the dish with pork and gabi (taro) leaves simmered in coconut milk; the link I've provided shows a photo of a variation using beef. Spicy, chili-laden food usually has its origins in the Bicol region, so my guess on the pork and red chilis would be a dish called Bicol Express.

It's funny, one of my college friends was a Filipina who loved to cook and who  frequently had a bunch of us over for dinner.  She generally did Oriental foods - stir fries, things like that - or Mexican dishes like chorizo con juevos.  I don't recognize a thing you've discussed in her cooking.  She grew up in Manila.  Would that make a difference as to the food she'd have grown up with?

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Filipino cuisine is a true representation of "fusion" cooking. The indigenous people of the Philippines incorporated influences from settlers, traders and colonizers of various ethnic backgrounds into their own regional delicacies: Chinese, Malaysian, Spanish, American and Arabic to name a few. This article gives a concise rundown of many traditional Filipino dishes, their origins and their regional variations.

That being said, Asian- and Hispanic-influenced dishes are popular among Filipinos, and home cooking isn't strictly limited to Filipino fare. Admittedly, I don't cook it all that often myself for two primary reasons: (1) it often involves a lot of chopping and is quite labour intensive, and (2) many dishes require long braising or simmering times. With a hungry preschooler wanting to help me in the kitchen, I generally end up cooking quick and practical dishes. Thus, to address your question in a roundabout way, the amount of traditional Filipino food that's cooked at home depends largely upon the household.

[Corinna Dunne]

This is a very interesting blog. Thank you so much for all the detail on Fillipino food.

[bleudauvergne]

This is a very interesting blog.  Thank you so much for all the detail on Fillipino food.

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Yes, its very enlightening. Thanks indeed.

[Carrot Top]

   

An enormous thank you to everyone who has offered their kind words of encouragement.  It's a huge relief to know that my ramblings on Filipino food and life in general aren't falling on deaf ears... or perhaps that should be blind eyes.  At any rate, I'm grateful for all your comments.

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I have been reading but not commenting because every time you mention six meals a day and show such lovely food, I have to go search the refrigerator.

Good stuff, Mooshmouse!

[little ms foodie]

Joie what a fantastic way to raise the littlest Moosh! Bravo to you! Nothing annoys me more than picky eaters, not children but grown ups!!! What a waste of time and energy in my opinion. You are instilling some great habits I can tell.

[newbie]

Good to see young'uns like Noah appreciating good food. Way'ta'go, Mummy.

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Thanks Dejah. So many kids subsist (and I do mean subsist) on nothing more than processed food, a fate I didn't want for my son. Our household rule is that Noah must try everything on the table once; by try, I mean chew and swallow one bite. If he doesn't like it after that, then fair enough. But if a food that he doesn't like happens to appear on the table another day, he has to try it then too. That's how Noah developed an appreciation for roasted asparagus and roasted cauliflower: through repeated attempts. And I always remember to thank him for trying.

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I am the same with my children. They eat the same meal that I cook for myself and my SO. Same rules apply in my household that they need to take a few bites and if they do not like it, they do not have to eat it. Both of my children will eat it all the majority of the time. They are both seafood fans and love mussels, clams. lobster and crab and will eat most vegetables that I cook for them. I feel very fortunate to have such good eaters when I hear from other parents that their kids don't eat very well and will want to eat the same things over and over.

BTW, great blog! I was fortunate enough to meet Joie and Ian, along with a few other egulleters on my trip down to Vancouver in April. I'm looking forward to getting down there again sometime......so many restaurants that I still want to try. Although I think that HSG will be a regular stop for me when I am in town.

[therese]

...a group of 10 eGulleters, including two who are here visiting from Atlanta.  Wow.  From the Philippines to Canton province... a veritable tour of Asia.  Bring on the food!

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From Atlanta? Hmm, wonder who's left town recently...

[Milagai]

Good to see young'uns like Noah appreciating good food. Way'ta'go, Mummy.

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Thanks Dejah. So many kids subsist (and I do mean subsist) on nothing more than processed food, a fate I didn't want for my son. Our household rule is that Noah must try everything on the table once; by try, I mean chew and swallow one bite. If he doesn't like it after that, then fair enough. But if a food that he doesn't like happens to appear on the table another day, he has to try it then too. That's how Noah developed an appreciation for roasted asparagus and roasted cauliflower: through repeated attempts. And I always remember to thank him for trying.

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I am the same with my children. They eat the same meal that I cook for myself and my SO. Same rules apply in my household that they need to take a few bites and if they do not like it, they do not have to eat it. Both of my children will eat it all the majority of the time. They are both seafood fans and love mussels, clams. lobster and crab and will eat most vegetables that I cook for them. I feel very fortunate to have such good eaters when I hear from other parents that their kids don't eat very well and will want to eat the same things over and over.

BTW, great blog! I was fortunate enough to meet Joie and Ian, along with a few other egulleters on my trip down to Vancouver in April. I'm looking forward to getting down there again sometime......so many restaurants that I still want to try. Although I think that HSG will be a regular stop for me when I am in town.

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ITA with what both the above posters said.

I've always maintained, and am now seeing with my own

2 kids, that the popular US notion that normal kids won't like

veggies or "different" food is a myth.

How you raise them makes all the difference in most cases.

And the whole processed kid food and kid menu thing is an

insult to children...

Today's NYT has a related article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/09/nyregion/09promise.html

Milagai

[Mooshmouse]

*Insert yawn emoticon here*

Good day all. Morning weather report from the Mouse house: cool and overcast, about 15ºC/59ºF. After a long stretch of warm, sunny days, I knew the weather was changing when the wind kicked up yesterday afternoon. Sure enough, the clouds started rolling in from the west; this was my driver's eye view of Thursday's evening sky while on my way to dinner.

Cross my fingers. Weather Guy is calling for sunny breaks by this afternoon. However, no worries. I'll just have to go in search of some comfort food today.

While Noah's puttering around upstairs, I'll sneak in a few minutes to post yesterday's lunch photos before fixing breakfast.

Lunch date with a girlfriend yesterday. What better place to relax on a sunny afternoon than the patio of the venerable Hamilton Street Grill.

The Chef/Owner of HSG is none other than Vancouver eGulleter nwyles, Mack Daddy of Hanger Steak and Warm Gingerbread Pudding (served with pumpkin and ginger gelato... the gingerbread, not the steak). Since hosting the "Waiting For Bourdain Big Night" event, Chef Neil and his restaurant have been elevated to cult status among local eGulleters due in large part to these two particular dishes.

This gingerbread photo couldn't even come close to doing the taste justice. Delicate exterior crust with just the right amount of toothiness, giving way to moist gingerbread goodness. Drizzled with caramel sauce. The pumpkin gelato with its rich cinnamon and nutmeg flavours is my favourite of the two.

Alas, no such fare for us as my girlfriend had requested a healthy lunch. So, salad it was.

This was her Grilled Chicken Caesar... she's a self-confessed "plain" eater.

And I ordered a Pear and Stilton Salad, one of my favourite HSG dishes. All washed down with a cranberry and soda.

However, there was one somewhat sinful menu item that caught my girlfriend's eye: Yam Fries served with chipotle mayo.

Jamie Maw noted in the Vancouver forum's "Eyes On The Fries, HSG Takes Honours" thread that Neil's yam fries were recently lauded in a Vancouver Sun Food Section cover article as being the best in Vancouver. Since the article was published, Neil has had an insane run on these fries... people even double-parking outside his restaurant and dashing in for an order to go. In his own words,

There has been a massive run on yam fries. I wish I had shares in Mayo futures right now.  

Why can I not be the King of Steak and Lobster for $50.00 a plate rather than Yams @ $5  

People arriving at the door with newspaer clipping in hand !   

Just another reason why HSG has become the de facto equivalent of Cheers for the Vancouver forum members. If ever you dine at the Hamilton Street Grill, just ask for Chef Huggy Bear.

My beautiful boy is calling and I must run. Have a great morning everyone!

Edited September 9, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[Mooshmouse]

One day a week, my Mom comes over to spend some quality time with her grandson, thus giving me a day off to catch up on errands and housework or simply relax. Today is that day... well, at least part of the day as Noah has a friend coming for a sleepover this evening.

Cereal this morning for me and Noah.

A mix of Crispix and Rice Krispies topped with raisins, sultana raisins, dried papaya, dried cranberries and dried pineapple.

Juice too.

My Mom's not big on cereal, so I offered her something else.

Warm buttered pandesal, herbed havarti cheese and a plum together with some hot chocolate. Noah ended up eating half her plum, and they also split the last peach.

Back after lunch with pics from last night's Cantonese extravaganza. I'll leave you with one photo to whet your appetite.

Crab and Kabocha Squash in Black Bean Sauce. The best dish of the night.

[Ling]

Whoooaaa!!! Eating out a lot this week! Lovin' your blog.

I haven't had HSG gingerbread pudding in too long!

[Pan]

Those salads at Hamilton Street Grill look good, not to mention the gingerbread pudding and ice cream! And I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the Cantonese dishes. I know how famous the Vancouver area is for great Cantonese food.

Now, if only the National Flute Association had conferences in Canadian cities some of the time (it doesn't)...I have to find some reason to schedule a trip to a city where I don't have any relatives or friends to stay with...anyone need a flute teacher?

[Mooshmouse]

Nine of us gathered for dinner at the Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant in Richmond, a suburb just across the Fraser River from Vancouver. It was a send-off of sorts for Atlantan eGulleter Steve Drucker and his wife Debbie as it was the last night of their one-week visit to Vancouver.

Vancouver eGulleter Canucklehead was our culinary tour guide for the evening and took us through 10 courses of wonderful Cantonese food. We started with a plate of cold appetizers.

Starting just above the orchid and working clockwise, there's deboned goose feet in a sesame-oil marinade, poached pork belly, vegetarian tofu wrap and spiced beef with sesame-oil-marinated jellyfish in the centre.

Of all the cold appetizers, my favourite was the spiced beef. Surprisingly, however, I really enjoyed the deboned goose feet -- even more so than the jellyfish. BCinBC disagrees with me, though; check out his thoughts on our dinner in the "Chinese in Vancouver, Have at it" thread.

Next up were 2 pounds of blanched BC spot prawns served with a chili soy dip.

Following the spot prawns, our server brought this to our table. After the contents came to a boil, he removed the lid and unveiled the goodness therein.

The kabocha squash was beautifully sweet, and the texture of the black bean sauce was richly enhanced by the squash chunks that had melted into it. Brilliant. My favourite dish of the evening.

[Mooshmouse]

Beverage course, followed by a rapid succession of dishes.

Braised Pork Belly

Stirfried Beef Tenderloin with Broccoli

Pork with Chayote and Preserved Vegetables... my second favourite dish of the night.

Hand-shredded Five Spice Chicken... to diverge from the dishes for a moment, I give you eGulleter Yummy's demonstration of how to remove the brain from a chicken head.

No, she didn't actually eat it; the dissection was for entertainment purposes only.

My first serving of the main dishes.

Fried Rice with Dried Scallop, Egg White and Chopped Scallions

Mango Pudding... admittedly, it was a bit too gelatinous for me... not the best mango pudding I've ever had. That honour is reserved for the pudding at Shanghai Chinese Bistro which is located downtown on Alberni Street. Rich, smooth, with strips of fresh mango throughout. Heaven.

Was that ten courses? I lost count after the first three. Regardless, it was a wonderful dinner... just the right amount of food. Canucklehead explained that Cantonese cuisine is founded on the freshness of its ingredients and clean, simple flavours -- certainly a refreshing change from the more heavily flavoured and salted Shanghainese fare that's so prevalent here in the Lower Mainland (translate: Vancouver and its suburbs).

Huge thanks to you, Lee, for being the consummate host.

The happy and well-fed crew

Back row, left to right: Steve and Debbie Drucker, me, Canucklehead and Mrs. BCinBC

Front row, left to right: *Deborah*, PaoPao with his wife Yummy and BCinBC

It was great meeting the Druckers, and I hope that they take many memories of happy dining experiences back home with them to Atlanta. Y'all come back soon now, you hear!

Edited September 10, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[Megan Blocker]

Even your cereal is gorgeous, Mooshmouse! Great work - I'm really enjoying this blog.

[Pan]

Great photos once again, Joie! Looks like an excellent feast!

I've never had deboned goose feet. Considering the work that went into that, I'd consider that a deluxe banquet item. I think I'd like them.

Yummy, why didn't you eat the head? Dissection for entertainment only? Just what is it about chicken heads that causes people not to eat them? [Grrrrr... ]

[fifi]

I am a little late to the party. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities in the world. I have been spending some time looking at the pictures.

I really need to get my arms around Filipino cuisine. Many years ago, my dad was in the hospital for a bit. We had (and still have) a lot of nurses from the Philippines here in Houston. With a severe nurse shortage at the time in our huge medical center, there was a program to bring in the lovely ladies and train them. Many decided to stay. My dad had a deep love of the Philippines. He was on a supply ship during WWII and spent a lot of time there after the liberation. With all of his flirting with the nurses, he found out where to get ingredients and we went through a period of him trying to do some of the dishes. Actually, he did pretty well.

Years later, when my daughter was about 2, we lived across the street from another young couple and she was from the Philippines. One night she fixed us a family meal. To this day, 33 years later, I still remember the distinctive flavor of little rounds of a well preserved sausage that she used in her version of a spring or egg roll. I haven't found it since.

We have great kolaches here in Texas. Central Texas has some rather large pockets of Czech ancestry and the love of kolaches has spilled into Houston. We have lots of shops. The dough is typically fairly dense and quite yeasty. I love the savory varieties but they are not nearly as adventurous as what you have shown us.

You won't regret raising Noah as you are. Mine are in their 30s now but from the time they were in their very early teens, they were (and still are) a delight to travel and dine with. Our routine with food is just about exactly what you describe. I don't recall either of them going through a picky phase. They might have had an aversion to something in particular from time to time but then, so do I.

I am enjoying this immensely. Gotta get to Vancouver before long.

[Daddy-A]

Yummy, why didn't you eat the head? Dissection for entertainment only? Just what is it about chicken heads that causes people not to eat them? [Grrrrr... ]

I gotta second that one Pan! Fer cryin' out loud ... you go to the effort of performing a poultry labotomy and don't even enjoy the spoils?? What gives?

Sorry I had to miss that meal ... and the Druckers. Moosh always knows how to get the eaters together!

A.

[Abra]

That Filipino lunch food looks so good. The only "Filipino" food we get here, even though we have a pretty good Filipino-American population, is bland, gummy pancit and forgettable, greasy lumpia. I wish I'd been at that lunch, and than at the Chinese dinner, which includes some dishes I've never seen, much to my regret. You guys sure eat well up there!

Edited September 10, 2005 by Abra (log)