Of Food and Ethnocentricity

Recently I've been eating out with the family and friends and I notice a common occurrence in the Philippine fastfood industry.

We are all infected with our Western "masters'" ethnocentric ideals.

A lot of fastfood chains or food court establishments promise the best authentic Japanese cuisine, even naming their place "Mr. Fuji Ninja Samurai-san-something something"... and you find out they are serving Chinese or Korean staples.

I mean...what the heck?

And in one place, they serve the Tonkatsu uncut...using the wrong cut of pork...without the tonkatsu sauce. I believe the right name for your "authentic Japanese" dish is "Breaded Porkchop". Now, removing the right features for the dish, making something that somewhat looks like it, and shoving it down our gullets as if it is the real thing just shows the industry's laziness.

I mean, i'd understand if its from the West, where there is  a total shift in the cultural ideals...but these are our Asian neighbors...

My Very First "Slim Jim"

Its arrival was inevitable. We have seen it many times in 80's movies and television sitcoms. And it received must praise and adulation from one of my favorite American comic, Bill Engal.

I have finally seen and tasted the "Slim Jim". This maybe an ordinary fare for the other nations, but it never did go into full distribution here.

I was able to finally purchase one from a local Dollar Store at Market,Market Fort Bonifacio. I've been a regular there but this is the first time I saw them carry the famed meat snack.

At first, it feels like biting down on an oily leather strap. But as your teeth sink further into the meaty part, the flavor starts to explode into your mouth. The flavor I got (BBQ flavor) can be likened to a smoked pepperoni, but as a Filipino, its taste can also be similar to a native Langgonisa (Garlic Pork Sausage).

Too bad that a lone stick of Slim Jims costs a lot for a snack.

Fave Picks: Tropical Hut Burgers

Being a fan of "Man vs Food" from the TLC channel, I am always envious of the large portions of food served in American food places. Many fastfood joints here in the Philippines boasts of "large" portions for their fare, but fail to deliver because the sizes are not really that big, or oftentimes just filled with extenders. I often heard of stories of returning expats and foreigners scoffing at the measly portions of what the "food corporations" call as "large portions". The sizes and serving presentation in the shop fronts and ad campaigns are just shining examples of the "bait and switch" practice which is common place in most local businesses.

I once went out with my college buddies to a popular fastfood joint boasting a "mega-sized' meal combo with "stuff you face with food" portions. After paying the price supposedly appropriate to the size of the meal, we all jested that its just "snack-sized" portions served on a large plate, with some of the pieces rolling around the empty spaces around the serving dish.

Although there are some joints out there that serve very large portions but label it as their gourmet selection, therefore jacking up the prices making them out of reach.

But I find solace in an establishment I had been going to since I was a kid. As far as burgers go, for me, nothing beats the old school approach of Tropical Hut. They may be not as big as other famous and highly advertised chains in the country, but their classic burger beef patties are thicker than the poopular brand and packed with the flavor of the meat...not by the spices mixed in the meat.

Nothing tends to my tired soul and invigorates me better, after a tedious or tiring activity, than a thick classic burger from my fave Tropical outlet in Shaw Blvd.

Food Stuff to Look Out For (Japan)

A few snacks for summer in Japan.

Lotte Ice Bar: Suika and Meron Bar (Watermelon and Cantaloupe Bar). A cantaloupe and watermelon flavored ice pops, shaped like the way these fruits are cut and served. The cantaloupe flavored pops has these small white sugar beads that stand in for the seeds. And in the watermelon flavored pops are black chocolate beads that looks like the seeds. Cute and interesting presentation along with a refreshing taste, goes well with those intensely hot Japanese Summer.

Hazono Manjyu: Kuzu Manjyu. A manjuu is a traditional Japanese snack made of red bean paste. But what I don't like about manjuu is that its too sweet (that's why its served with green tea) and the sticky texture it leaves in the throat. But this Kuzu Manjyu is the solution. Its like its made from manjuu, jelly mix and fruit slices. It has a light sweet taste and refreshing flavors from various fruits that works with the flavor of the manjuu. The flavor that puzzled us all, Filipinos and Japanese alike, is the one pictured above. We don't know what an 'Aoi Ringo' (Blue Apple) is, but it was the most refreshing from the bunch.

Unagi Pie. Its not made from 'unagi' (eel) and its not a pie. Its a thin, crispy biscuit, which looks like a plate of barbecued unagi, is comparable to the Filipino 'Otap' which is glazed with something which is sweet, with an after taste of brandy (maybe thats why there's a V.S.O.P. tag in the front).

Have Yourself a "Spicy Kinoshita"

No, its not one of those sex positions with an urban name. Its a sandwich that I learned from an officemate in Funabashi, Chiba. It mainly consists of ingredients which you can get at your friendly neighborhood 100 yen 'combini' (convenience store). And let's face it, when you're living in the most expensive metropolitan area, those 100 yen stores are gonna be your new best friend.

The "Spicy Kinoshita" basically contains bread, veggies (in this case, lettuce), mayo, mixed pepper spices and meat (preferably cold cuts)

For this instance, we grab some generic Japanese Mayonnaise, bread, mixed spices, a head of lettuce and 'Bits Weiner' from Lawson 100 Yen store. Total cash out: 525 yen. Almost the same price as a meal at Hotto Motto, but, with the quantity you have, it would tide you over for at least 3 meals... that's at least 1000 yen saved from most common take-out joints in Tokyo metropolitan... or Chiba in this case.

First, layout clumps of mayo (with the generic bottle, it won't be a problem) then sprinkle the mixed spices. Put in the cold cut then top with lettuce. Its that simple. The taste, is like having a light salad in a sandwich. Its not that heavy on the tummy but enough to satisfy your hunger.

Experiment: Remove the Chemical Taste in Canned Corned Beef

I don't know why but recent incarnations of the humble canned corned beef's taste has changed since my childhood days. You can really taste the chemicals used as preservatives (especially in some famous brands).

My favorite brand is Libby's due to the absence of the chemical-like taste, the over all flavor, and its juiciness despite being a bit dry.

But, alas, my fave brand is a bit expensive. So I have to make do with the usual popular brands.

To 'clean and rinse' the chamical taste, I first sauted some garlic and onions, put in the canned corned beef and put in a quarter cup of water. Wait until the water boils then lower the flame. Cook until the water has evaporated from the mix.

Add a dash of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Feeling a bit adventurous, I added a dash of McCormick's Italian Seasoning.

Continue mixing in the pan until almost all the moisture has evaporated.

Midnight Snack Alert

Getting hungry in the middle of the night,I decided to fix up a little something something using the leftovers my wife used for her okonomiyaki.

First off, shredding some carrots and leeks.

For the cabbage, I shredded them in two different styles for texture. I sliced the half in strips and the other half julienne style.

Mix them together. Add some iodized salt and a generous portion of mayonnaise.

Mix thoroughly and put it through a bit of a cold treatment by setting it aside in the freezer.

While I do love eating veggies, I gotta have meat when hunger becons in the middle of the night. So with I have to deal with the sweet ham left over.

I don't particularly like sweet ham, so I treated it with a dash of black pepper and a pinch of iodized salt, hand mix, and slow cooked over a medium flame.

In cooking the ham, I used a vegetable oil brushed teflon pan.

With a minimal amount of oil, the glazing or sweet coating will be seared off.

I now therefore call this combo : CHUNKY CRUNCHY CABBAGE SALAD with PAN SEARED PEPPERED HAM

Adobo Flake Sisig

With a bunch of leftover Pork Adobo and Chicken Curry, I had an idea of having various meat flakes crushed and deep fried. I remembered having some fried Pork Adobo flakes from a few years back and I thought it would be a good idea to try and make it.

With the Pork Adobo and Chicken Curry, seperate the skin, bones and fat,leaving the meat behind.


Crush the meat, pressing down parallel to the muscle and tendons, dividing them into strips and flakes.

Then put the mixed meat flakes in the frying pan with preheated oil. Fry until the white parts of the flakes turn golden brown.

Halfway through, I then thought about adding some onions and eggs. From the inital idea of having some Pork Adobo flakes, it quickly turned into a 'Pork Sisig'-esque kind of viand.

After the mixed meat flakes turn golden brown, add a bulb of medium sized purple onion, chopped. Allow the juices from the onion to bleed through and mix into the meat and the oil.

Then proceed to add the eggs to bind the mixed meat together, and also to add some texture. Season with a few piches of iodized salt.

Cook until the eggs are fluffy.

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THE FINISHED PRODUCT:

Serve with a side of soy sauce, lemons optional.

Death by Caffeine

almost three weeks with 2 to 3 hour sleep...I'm starting to feel the effects.

To combat sleepiness and nausea, I planned to splurge on an 'expensive coffee' with the highest number of espresso shots 'as allowed by law' (is there a legal limit somewhere?).

In my research for the 'legal limit', I came across this cool site that calculates how many shots of espresso it would take to kill you...depending on your sex and weight.

I found that it would take 168 shots of espresso to kill me.

"...Yeah!!!!! Bring on the caffeine, baby....."

Eat all you can for P150 at Chef d' Angelo

Going home one day from work, haven't eaten anything since that morning, I was to meet my family at Glorietta 5 in Makati City.

There I was led to an eat-all-you-can buffet at Chef d' Angelo for only P150. Its a combined buffet of pasta (2 types of pasta with your choice of cream or tomato sauce), Pizza (love the 2-cheese pizza), salad (oh my, all that lettuce, cucumber and olives) and soup (didn't go for it...its because of some trauma...don't ask..). Its a perfect end to a long day at work.

It has a limited time slot, though. There's the 11am-2pm schedule and a 5pm to 8pm slot. Good thing we got there, just barely.

All you have to do is get to the counter, pay your P150, they will then give you the 'Eat All You Can' wrist band (very fashionably and trendy...just not my type :-)), your plate then you can ;et the eating begin.

Piece of advice though, eat slowly, and you will enjoy the meal better. And there's a reason why a separate 'platito' is provided for the pizza; mixing it with the other stuff will just leave you with a soggy pizza, with the lettuce juice and pasta sauce and all.

Mish and Mash: Spicy Beef Maki with Kani Salad

Two of the most recent addition to Tokyo-Tokyo's menu; the Spicy Beef Maki and the Kani Salad, are the subject of today's Mish and Mash Project.

The Spicy Beef Maki is a thin beef slice wrapped in vinegered rice topped with spicy sauce. It comes with its own BBQ style-like dip, but I think it tastes better with the usual soy sauce with wasabi paste.

Their Kani Salad is a mix of crab sticks, lettuce and mangoes topped with mayonnaise. One can notice immediately the absence of the usual cucumber strips, leading my wife to think this is a real 'salad approach' (bare ingredients mixed with lettuce and mayo).

This mash-up is simple... just use a portion of the Kani Salad to top off the Spicy Beef Maki. You'll get a mix of the beef flavor with the smoothness of the mangoes and mayonnaise.

The good news is, this mix and mash will only set you back about P140.

Just remembering about this dish makes my mouth water....

Peanut Kisses straight from Bohol

Peanut Kisses...

I heard about this a long time ago, and my friend recommended that I find it when I go to Bohol.

This local delicacy is made of egg whites and crushed peanuts, and let me tell you, its the shiznizzle. Its sweet, crunchy and nutty, all for a very good price. I also love the way its packaged, proudly stamped by the agencies that help develop and boost the appeal of this crunchy treat.

I got my peanut kisses from this 24-hour souvenir shop a few minutes from the airport. "Angel-whatsis-something". I can't remember the name of the store clearly.

Revitalize Overextended Foodcourt Entrees with Kimchi

In today's economy, food establishments in malls and around the metro try everything to maximize profits given their operational costs. To this end, they resort to using extenders in their signature viands.

Having lived with a family of caterers before, I have witnessed the use of various extenders to increase the quantity of food products they can put out. Since these methods are common place in commercial food establishments, it is used in a level that the extenders doesn' affect the overall taste of the product.

But recently, eating at food courts or establishments in malls, it seems that they tend to overdo these methods. With their viands ending up tasting bland and flour-like. And with the ever rising price of food commodities, consumers are left to endure these tasteless entrees.

But I have found a solution, that is if you like tang and spice in your meat viands, mostly for the fried or grilled kind.

I add a helping of Kimchi along with the viand to boost the meat's flavor. This humble Korean staple, costing a mere P25 per serving (at the Kimchi food booths), will fill out the bland areas filled up by these extenders and add a curious flavor to the meal you are used to. Giving you your money's worth.

A lot of extenders can be applied to viands with grilled pork as the main focus. This also applies to meatballs, fried dimsums, or grilled (or fried) meat served with a large fat or tendon content. Your tastebuds shall behold the playful flavor this method shall provide.

But this method is not applicable to all. Soup based viands with weak glutumate content are out of the question. Since there is no flavor base to boost, doing this will defeat the purpose in the first place. Viands with dairy based cream, soup or sauce also doesn't go well with this method. And finally, people who doesn't like tang with their spicy food, or dislike kimchi in general, should refrain to entertaining this suggestion.

The Whale Meat Dilemma

Recently I was watching a lot of the series 'Whale Wars'. Its about the people of the eco-conservation group Sea Shepherd who interfere with whaling operations on the Southern oceans as a means to save the dwindling whale population.

Although a moratorium on commercial whaling operation took effect in 1985, it does allow whaling for scientific and research purposes. When the reasearch turns lethal for the whale, parts and meat is allowed to be sold in markets, shops and restaurants. Now there's a lot of controversy riding on this since it is said that this research stuff is just a loophole commerical whalers use to get around the moratorium.

Now I don't want to get into a rut about who is morally right or wrong in the commercial whaling ban. I want to get into the source why they are being hunted in the first place.

There are a lot research materials in the web about the history of whaling in Japan and other countries, but I want to get the reason on a casual, bottomline level; the need for people to consume whale meat.

Although my correspondence with some Japanese about their whale meat consumption habits are incomplete and couldn't be used as a statistical basis. It does, however, raise a bit of awareness about the situation.

Before the ban on commericial whaling, whale meat is normally available anywhere anytime, recalls one of my correspondence. The taste and texture of whale meat, to my surprise, is likened to that of beef. Since beef and pork are really expensive in those days, whale meat meets the standards as a replacement out of the daily grind of fishes and vegetables. She recalls whale meat to be really delicious and tender. But she also tells me that the ban doesn't bother her since there is still a lot of other things one can use for sustainance.

But she also notes that there is a change in the eating habits of today's young Japanese. Although she belong to the generation that normally consumes whale meat, the one born after the whaling ban are the people that now grow up not knowing what it tastes like, therefore refuses consumption of that particular meat product..

The way I see it, its an issue that is varied as the nations that participate in whaling. Although a lot of pressure was made on the Japanese, which ultimately led to a revamp of their lifestyle and eating habits, there are still a lot of countries out there where whaling is not banned while nothing happens to them, leaving some Japanese fishers and whalers to believe that they are being singled out.

This issue is not something you can solve with sustainable means like farming or livestock raising...whales are big. They need large spaces to move around, feed on, and reproduce. All they can do is give the species time to regenerate and recover. With around 17,000+ left around the world, catching a quota of 1,000 or 2,000+ per season ain't gonna help either.

Its a sensitive matter between a nation's culinary identity and the global conservation mindset.

A bit of a conundrum indeed.

Eating a Nestle Kimy Krazy Banana

Beat the summer heat in a krazy way.

Nestle Kimy recently released its Krazy Banana ice cream on a stick and it has been a unique experience eating it.

By now everyone knows that you can peel away the jelly cover to reveal the vanilla ice cream inside. The jelly is pre cut but care is needed to peel it off like a banana. Genius, I tell you...pure genius!!!!

I found myself enjoying the peeling and eating the jelly more than the ice cream itself. Leaving my son with a plain vanilla ice cream on a stick.

Peppered Cold Cuts

It was midnight, and I was having hunger pangs. I was looking for some heavy meat to cook but all I found are some cold cuts. I remembered that black pepper thickens the taste of light meat. With this I proceeded to spring something which I called Peppered Cold Cuts.

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Ingredients:

cold cuts (for this I used 4 whole slices of Bologna ham cut into strips, marinated with 1/4 teaspoon of iodized salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.)

white onion (a small bulb, half to be cut into rings, the other half are diced)

cheese (grated)

mayonnaise (1 tablespoon)

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You then proceed to fry the cold cuts first for a few minutes, browning the meat, before adding the white onion rings. After two minutes add the diced onions. These time difference in cooking the onions gives the variety of texture for this simple dish.

Drain the oil from the mix before transferring to a dish.

Grate in a generous portion of cheese (depending to your preference to cheese) and add the mayo. Give it a good tossing before transferring to the serving dish.

Although its texture is not those of the other thick red meat, the flavor is enough to get you through...serve as a rice topping or along some mashed potatoes.

Enjoy :-)

Tuna Chahan: A Lenten Season Special

On a Good Friday morning, I was brainstorming what breakfast to make at my sister's house. While picking out the ingredients at the nearby store, planning to make Chahan (fried rice with mixed meat and veggies), when I cam across Century Tuna flakes in oil. I though of mixing up a Tuna Chahan.

After chopping up some garlic, onions and tomatoes, I poured the oil from the tuna on the frying pan to use as a base for the saute. I was surprised to find that the solution is not all made of oil, which evaporated almost instantly as it hit the heated frying pan. I then added a bit of coconut oil and proceeded to saute the garlic and onion. I then added the tomatoes with the juices to expand the base. The smell that came off it is not your typical garlic-onion saute...it has a bit of a fishy odor to it. Lastly I added the rice from last night's meal and added some iodized salt. Be sure to mash the pre-cooked rice by hand before adding it to the mix. For fried rice, rock salt would have been better but they only had iodized salt so I needed to add more. Iodized salt can only add flavor to a small area unlike rock salt, which can spread around with a more recognizable taste even with a small amount.

Adding the tuna's oil added a greasy texture to the mix (a texture I dislike in some fried rice) so I had to cook a bit longer to get the desired taste and texture. It's done if you get rid of the greasy texture and each pinch of rice has the flavor derived from the garlic and onion saute. After cooking, I topped it off with some scrambled eggs and some whole tuna flakes.

The final taste doesn't deviate that much from your ordinary Chahan, but it does have a hint of tuna. Maybe I could have enhanced the 'seafood'-iness by adding some sweet peas, diced carrots and some small sauted shrimp.

Just a little something to include to your Lenten season repertoire.

Tuna Chahan: A Lenten Season Special

On a Good Friday morning, I was brainstorming what breakfast to make at my sister's house. While picking out the ingredients at the nearby store, planning to make Chahan (fried rice with mixed meat and veggies), when I cam across Century Tuna flakes in oil. I though of mixing up a Tuna Chahan.

After chopping up some garlic, onions and tomatoes, I poured the oil from the tuna on the frying pan to use as a base for the saute. I was surprised to find that the solution is not all made of oil, which evaporated almost instantly as it hit the heated frying pan. I then added a bit of coconut oil and proceeded to saute the garlic and onion. I then added the tomatoes with the juices to expand the base. The smell that came off it is not your typical garlic-onion saute...it has a bit of a fishy odor to it. Lastly I added the rice from last night's meal and added some iodized salt. Be sure to mash the pre-cooked rice by hand before adding it to the mix. For fried rice, rock salt would have been better but they only had iodized salt so I needed to add more. Iodized salt can only add flavor to a small area unlike rock salt, which can spread around with a more recognizable taste even with a small amount.

Adding the tuna's oil added a greasy texture to the mix (a texture I dislike in some fried rice) so I had to cook a bit longer to get the desired taste and texture. It's done if you get rid of the greasy texture and each pinch of rice has the flavor derived from the garlic and onion saute. After cooking, I topped it off with some scrambled eggs and some whole tuna flakes.

The final taste doesn't deviate that much from your ordinary Chahan, but it does have a hint of tuna. Maybe I could have enhanced the 'seafood'-iness by adding some sweet peas, diced carrots and some small sauted shrimp.

Just a little something to include to your Lenten season repertoire.

Cheese Omellete with Lady's Choice Mayo

A booth promoting a mayo brand at the mall gave me and wife an idea i'd like to share. We are used to adding milk, butter or plain veggie juice to make our omelettes fluffy and tasty. It never occurred to me that adding mayonnaise to the omelette mix could make it taste and feel interesting.

I studied various components for baking on a chemical level as a report in my humanities class (despite my group being a bunch of metal heads, artists and musicians...my professor assigned cooking as our report). In my research, mayo in omelette is essentially like adding oil and more eggs to the mix. With eggs which primarily serve as a binder in baking, I fail to see the effects of a binder will make to another binder and make it fluffy.

To my surprise, adding Lady's Choice original blend made some difference in the texture and taste in what we were cooking. Its not that fluffy, but it was soft, with a bit of tang...a flavor not necessarily associated with omelettes.

I recommend using 2 singles pack (or two tablespoons) of Lady's Choice Mayonnaise to 3 eggs. Add a pinch of iodized salt. Keep in mind that adding too much iodized salt will flatten out the color of the whisked eggs and in turn, will make your omelettes or scrambled eggs leaner, thinner and less fluffy. As the bottom part forms and cooks, add 2 diced tomatoes and half a white onion. As the veggies cook into the liquid side of the whisked eggs, add the diced quick melt cheese then turn the half of the egg batter to close your omelette.

I assure you, this one will make for a hearty breakfast for anyone.

Bo's Coffee Club's Big Breakfast

Looking for a heavy breakfast after jogging around Serendra/ High Street? My wife and I happened to chance upon an entry in Bo's Coffee Club 'All Day Breakfast'. Now there's a lot who claim to have big, heavy breakfast but falls short of our expectations to live up to its definition. But with Bo's Big Breakfast, you are sure to be filled with the home-cooked variety of breakfast, none of that artificial chemical mixed to appear like a home-cooked breakfast.

The price is a bit on the up side (P250++) but you do get 4 big slices of crispy bacon, 4 sausages, and generous portions of scambled eggs and corned beef... along with 4 slices of toasted bread and Bo's own brewed coffee. The portions of the viands are enough to get you through 2 more extra servings of toasted bread, which is not available but if you can respectfully coax the staff to sell you some, you could get them for P30 per serving.