Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Randy makes things too.

I used to believe that you had to date chefs to be fed good food.
Not true.

Enter Randy's bison and lamb burgers. Stuffed with feta, mint, garlic, and other goodies.

This time I made pickled onions and a yogart cucumber sauce to go along with them.


We eat well. And we'd love to cook for you.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

gusto ko ng manok

I like to dream that if an acceptance package for Peace Corps ever arrives, it will be inviting me to the Philippines.
Earlier, I blogged about Emmanuel running the marathon. Well Emmanuel taught me loads about the Filipino culture, and his mom taught me a dish or two.

The following staples are seen at just about any Flip potluck, restaurant, or event. I decided to make them a couple weeks ago when I had some time on my hands.

I made mine with chicken.

There of course are a lot of varieties, but I prefer this dish with the canton noodles (the yellow ones) and "Excellent" brand (the one with the shrimp) rice sticks. Here is a recipe that is very similar to Emmanuel's mothers. I can't really go step-by-step because I was winging it most of the time... I've made the dish enough to have the general idea down and know what consistency I prefer my noodles and veggies.

Although this dish takes a lot of chopping, it is quite simple once the cooking has begun. You do have to boil a whole chicken and use the delicious broth in the recipe.
I was reminded at how clean and fresh the flavors of this pasta dish are. The lime squeezed on top makes this moy perfecto. My belly was so happy!

Appetizer: Lumpia
an eggroll filled primarily with pork, onions, and soy sauce.

These are super simple but the wrapping can be tricky. I bought square wrappers and cut them in half to make double the amount of small rolls. Every time I've consumed Lumpia, whether they have carrot or green onions within them, they are always rolled very small (2-bite size) and taste pretty much the exact same. I even had them in a Philippine restaurant in New York City (where my mom impressed the waitor with her knowledge of Pancit).

This time my wrapping was perfect. I used egg white and a craft brush. I find that silicone brushes do NOT do a good job of holding liquid. I've had a terrible time using the silicone variety for spreading any liquid, from olive oil to BBQ sauce. Go for the hairy-styles.

Served with Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce. So Good.

I know there are Flip restaurants in town but I haven't ever felt the need to go. I can make my two favorite dishes. Now if I ever go to the Pacific Islands for the Peace Corps I'll be ready to impress the locals with my knowledge, perhaps even cook for PacMan!

Oh yeah- and they all eat with just a fork and a spoon. Not chopsticks. No knives.