Reliving my salad days

"My salad days / When I was green in judgment: cold in blood..."
-Cleopatra （Antony and Cleopatra, Act 1, Scene V）

* * *

According to Merry and Websty, the origin of the word 'salad' can be traced back to the Latin 'sal', which means salt.  The earliest salads were seasoned with-- you guessed it-- salt.

* * *

My two Salad Rules are:
1. At least three colors are present.
2. One of those colors should be green.

Then I try to apply the five-taste-rule in Korean cooking: bitter, salty, sweet, sour, and hot tastes should all be present in a dish to make it balanced.

* * *

"Eat cress and gain wit." (Greek proverb)

Last Day 18

Mango coated with chili soybean paste + carrot + nori + peanuts

Last Day 19

The recipe for Cyma's Roka Salata (Greek rocket salad) can be found here.

Imbento Time: Nori lumpia

A friend asked me what the critic thinks of my cooking. 

Imbento daw, I said. 

That sounds scary.

I don't mind that he calls the stuff I make (and eat) 'imbento food' because, well, it's true.  (I went through my blog posts recently and confirmed his observation.)  I guess the reason I like making up new dishes is because I know I'm going to spend quite an amount of physical and mental energy into cooking so I figured I might as well have fun doing it, too.

And last night, not only did I enjoy preparing my dinner but I also had a pleasurable time eating it.  Nakachamba na naman ako!  I'm planning to make the dish again for our weekend lunch so C will understand that imbento food can be delicious.

Here's how to make Nori Lumpia:

1.  Take out the tools: cutting board, knife, two plates, frying pan, wooden cooking spoon, kettle, small bowl, and a strainer.

2.  Gather the ingredients*: a small carrot, a small orange,  a small onion, two cloves of garlic, a small block of tofu, a tablespoon of coconut oil, 1.6 oz. vermicelli (sotanghon), chili soybean paste, two nori sheets, and salt and pepper.

3.  Julienne carrot. Peel orange and slice segments into piso-sized pieces.  Finely chop onion and garlic.  Set cut vegetables on plate.

4.   Place the block of tofu in the palm of your hand and squeeze it until it's mashed.  Leave it on the cutting board.

5.  Set frying pan on stove, medium flame.  Heat oil.  Brown garlic then throw in chopped onion until the pieces become translucent.  Add the tofu.  Cook for five minutes or until light brown.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set cooked tofu on plate.

6.  Fill the kettle with enough water for a small bowl and set on stove, high flame.  Then pour boiling water over the vermicelli in a small bowl.  Leave for 3-5 minutes then strain noodles.

7.  Reheat frying pan on medium flame then toss in the noodles and a tablespoon of chili soybean paste.  Mix evenly.  Kill stove.

8.  On a nori sheet, layer noodles, tofu, carrot strips, and chopped orange, then roll and fold nori into a lumpia log.  Repeat.

9.  Eat!

Last Day 17

Take some fiery hot noodles...

...and salty-spicy tofu, crispy carrots and sweet-tangy orange...

...TA-DAHH!

_____

*good for one person

Pancit in 15 minutes!

Pancit is one of the easiest and most versatile dishes to make... from scratch!  Here's an energy-efficient way to prepare it:

1.  Take out the tools: kettle, cutting board, knife, plate, small bowl, frying pan, wooden cooking spoon, and a strainer.

2.  Gather the ingredients*: 1.6 oz vermicelli (sotanghon), one tablespoon of coconut oil, a small onion, a clove of garlic, one tablespoon of soy sauce, a smear of chili soybean paste, a small carrot, 1/2 bell pepper, and a small pechay.  And of course, salt and pepper.

3.  Fill the kettle with enough water for a small bowl and place on stove.  Set flame on high.

4.  While waiting for the water to boil, wash the vegetables then roughly chop onion, garlic, and pechay; and julienne carrot and bell pepper.  Set cut vegetables on a plate.

5.  Place vermicelli in a bowl and pour boiling water over the noodles, covering them.

6.  Place frying pan on stove, medium fire.  Heat oil.  Brown garlic then add onion.  When onion becomes translucent, stir in soy sauce then dump (strained) noodles.  Add chili soybean paste.  Mix all ingredients well.

7.  Turn off fire then stir in the remaining vegetables (carrot, bell pepper, and pechay).  Season with salt and pepper.

8.  Transfer everything from pan to plate.

9.  Eat!

Last Day 16

Pancit for (long) life!

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*good for one person

Neon yellow curry

Last night, my hands took a sweet break as C handled all the affairs in the kitchen.  The telltale aroma of Indian cooking filled the whole house and my excitement grew at the thought of enjoying one of my favorites, yellow curry.  (For recipes, please refer to this, that, and this here.)

[Just to be clear, I am not a purist when it comes to vegetarian cooking and my diet.  For example, I don't have a different set of cookware and utensils reserved only for cooking vegetables.  And last night's dish actually had chicken pieces which I took out so I won't forfeit the challenge.]

What gives yellow curry its distinct neon glow?  The answer is turmeric, a member of the ginger family.  According to this medical site, turmeric has been used in both Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory to treat digestive and liver problems, skin diseases, and wounds.  Research suggests that turmeric may be helpful for indigestion or dyspepsia, ulcerative colitis (which can cause colon or rectum ulcers), stomach ulcers, osteoarthritis, heart disease, cancer, bacterial and viral infections, and uveitis (inflammation of the iris).  In addition, curcumin (the yellow pigment in turmeric) lowers the levels of two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation, and it also stops platelets from clumping together to form blood clots.

Also, studies suggest that curcumin is a powerful antioxidant.  Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases (from MedlinePlus).

It's great then that curry is not that hard to enjoy; it's such a delicious dish!  I am almost tempted to eat curry everyday but then, everything should be taken in moderation (as long as it's the good kind). 

Last Day 15

Sometimes bright colors in nature can signal health benefits, not danger.

Curious coleslaw

Coleslaw, or koolsla as the Dutch say it, means cabbage (kool) salad (sla). 

I've raved about cabbage before but I'll enumerate again some of its awesome qualities: it is rich in vitamin C and selenium (prevents cellular damage), contains hundreds of cancer-fighting compounds, is a natural remedy for ulcers, and has calcium, iron, and folate.  Plus a medium-sized head of cabbage costs less than 30 pesos.  Kool, right?

For the salad, I chopped a third of the cabbage head, a small carrot, and half of a large white onion.  For the dressing, I mixed about two teaspoons of muscovado sugar, about two tablespoons of cane vinegar, and a chopped sili.  Why sili?  Because according to Korean cooking, having all five tastes-- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy-- makes a 'complete' dish.  Hot!

Last Day 9

Don't forget to season with salt and pepper!

The Attack of the Cabbage Patch

Do you remember the Cabbage Patch Kids?  I heard of those dolls when I was a kid but I never had one.  What I had instead was a paper doll that I never showed to anyone because my mother had drawn breasts and pubic hair on it.  True story.

Anyway, back to veggies.

I didn’t know when I picked up that head of cabbage that I would be holding in my hands one of the most awesome vegetables there is!

Some cabbage facts:
1. Rich in vitamin C and selenium, a chemical element that combines with proteins to prevent cellular damage

2. Contains HUNDREDS of plant compounds that can prevent cancer (read more in this book) 
3. Natural remedy for stomach ulcers 

Cabbage belongs to the cruciferous family which includes cauliflower, cress, bok choy, horse radish, mustard seeds, arugula, wasabi, and broccoli.  These “super veggies” are all good sources of cancer-fighting components like beta-carotene and fiber, as well as supply calcium, iron, and folate.  Whew!

I went on a cabbage holiday and cooked the vegetable three different ways:


DAY 4

Stir-fried cabbage with spicy bagoong, red rice, tomato, and pineapple juice.

DAY 5

Coleslaw with pineapple and carrots.  Dressing is cane vinegar, olive oil, muscovado, and salt.

DAY 6

Cabbage pansit with bell pepper and carrots.  Smeared with chili soybean paste.

The Poor People's Republic of Monggo

DAY 2

I thought since we live in an agricultural country, we would be one of the most avid vegetable-eaters this side of the world, but according to a study it seems that we are not.

Mass media and schools tell us that fruits and vegetables are good for you but we also pick up a silent message that the people who can't afford to eat meat are probably poor.

What’s so wrong with eating like the poor?

"Pag maraming pera, maraming sakit," a poor woman once told me. 

The diseases of the affluent are often caused by personal excesses while the diseases of poverty are caused by less-than-ideal living conditions.  But they are all preventable.

Obviously, my main motivation for a vegetable-rich diet is health.  I don't want to check out of this world via a hardcore disease, like how most of my ancestors did.

But I also discovered something else: eating vegetables is cheap!  And it helped me lose all the unnecessary weight I have been lugging around for years.

So why isn't everyone eating vegetables?

* * *

There isn’t a poorer man’s dish than ginisang monggo.  And in a predominantly Catholic country like ours, it is usually served in the homes and in carenderias during meatless Fridays.  I like monggo because it’s so easy to cook, very delicious, and packed with nutrients. 

To prepare this dish, simply boil the beans until they get a bit soft then toss them in a pot with sautéed garlic and onion.  You can add things like shrimp, ampalaya leaves, and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Handa... Kain!

 

A Raisin Story

There was a raisin that lived in a land of cool, fresh cucumber hills.  She had a lot of sweet raisin friends and for a time she was happy in her familiar home.

One day, a stranger came to town.  He told tales about the Big City, a place peppered with all sorts of spices and seasonings.

The little raisin wrinkled with excitement.  Pickled fruits!  Intricate garnishings!  The city sounded like a delicious and colorful salad party!  She decided that the city is where she should be.

She climbed out of the refrigerator, crossed the kitchen sink, and skipped over the rice box until finally she arrived at the Big City.

It was everything she thought it would be and more!  She roomed with a couple of maraschino cherries and immediately dove into the pulse of city life.

But after a few years, the raisin turned bitter.  She felt like the city had an overpowering taste and she couldn't blend in.

She began wandering aimlessly around carrot skyscrapers, trying to find substance in the white pepper dust.  She finally stopped at a pool of chili soybean mush.  She squinted as she looked down on the shiny crimson surface, feeling the sting from the reflection of the white onion sky.

Then she saw it, the green cucumber moon.

The raisin remembered the cool cucumber hills but at the same time she knew her home was now this savory, sometimes pungent city.

She realized the reason for her bitterness was because she had treated herself like a condiment, always putting her unique zest on the side.

As the raisin created new dreams, her sweetness oozed.  It flowed through her folds, coating the salad city with her beautiful, suggestive flavor.

This is my salad. What's yours?

Boholiday Blunder, Vegetable Curry & a Black Russian

DAY 13


I wanted C to see Bohol, one of my two favorite places in the country that I've been to so far, and so we planned a trip to one of the most beautiful places in the world.  (By the way, my other favorite destination is Batanes.)

Our vacation did not go off to a good start.  Although the locals warned us that commuting to Alona Beach will take longer than the 20-minute taxi ride, I took a chance at it because the taxi fares were preposterous (500-600 pesos).  My decision did not agree with C.  And I have to admit that he was right this time.

First, we took a tricycle from the airport to the Dau Bus Terminal.  Wallet damage: 40 pesos.  Time elapsed: 5-10 minutes.  Satisfaction: OK.

At the terminal, we boarded a small bus.  Fare to Alona Beach was 25 pesos per head.  The bus was an unbranded, locally-manufactured thing, like our jeepneys.  We watched as the driver and konduktor piled sacks of rice and kartons of groceries on the rooftop.  As a feeling turista, this amused me because it reminded me of the stories my Boholano mother used to tell about provincial life on the island.

Ten minutes after we settled in the bus, it took off.  It wasn't filled to capacity so it felt like all of us ten or so passengers had the bus to ourselves.  A fresh breeze blew in through the windows and I gave myself a pat on the back for being such a smart traveler.

The bus rode through the city streets (which, according to my research, it would) and after making a few turns, it slowed down in what seemed like a bus stop.  Then the driver killed the engine.  What's happening?

In the next 20 minutes, passengers came, taking the empty seats and squeezing in their cargo in between legs, under the seats, and on the already-protesting rooftop.  The konduktor 'added' a few extra seats using wooden planks to form bridges on the aisles.  After all the visible air space in the bus have been occupied, the bus then officially started its route.

To sum it up: we left the airport at around 3:00 and arrived at Alona Beach at 5:20.  Holy head-banging tarsier!

 * * *

After dumping our stuff at the hotel, we went out to look for food.  Alona Beach is like a smaller, quieter, less glamorous (and therefore less dirty) version of Boracay.  The weather at this time is perfect, not too hot and it's not raining.

We went through all the menus of the restaurants on the beach and finally settled at Trudis Place.  C said he had read some good reviews.

We ordered the vegetable curry (mine), chicken curry, calamares, and pineapple fried rice.

One of the reasons I fell in love (obsessed, actually) with Indian cuisine a long time ago.

After dinner, we moved to the bar where C had his fill of San Miguel Pale Pilsen and Jim Beam.  For myself, I got a Black Russian.

Despite the afternoon misadventure, we had an over-all great day.  Food and alcohol can do that.

Vodka and coffee.  Strong and sexy.