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A bit busy with work and school work this week (I am playing catch up via UPOU). I leave you with this curious picture of ham legs from a store in Catalonia. 
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Camiguin Pastel 02/20/2010
 
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I decided to clean up my lair today and I found this empty box of Pastel. It was given to me about a month ago. Pastel is a yema filled pastry whose texture is similar to ensaymada. A very light and fluffy bun with a solid burst of yema inside. I enjoy it with plain black coffee.  If you're traveling south of the country, try to pick some up. They are also available in some native specialty stores.
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This is the basic version of sinaing na tulingan. It is a staple dish in Batangas due to the availability of fresh tulingan in the markets. As a kid visiting my cousins in Batangas, we would eat this dish with rice sopped in kapeng barako and a dipping sauce made from tamarind vinegar.

Tulingan is a small to medium sized fish from the tuna family. You can also substitute sliced tuna (or  Tambakol) in this recipe. Since this is a simple recipe, the freshness of the ingredients are critical. Good sinaing na tulingan when cooked right will not fall apart when served.
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Kamias / Kalamias is a commonly used souring agent in Philippine cuisine. We have a small kamias tree at the back of our house that never seems to run out of fruit.  It is one of the ingredients for Sinaing na Tulingan (which I have simmering  on the stove as I write this post). I'll post the recipe once it's done. 
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Pinoy Pork Asado 02/14/2010
 
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I cooked pork asado for lunch. It turned out ok. The braising liquid and asado sauce were a bit salty for my taste. The pork came out perfectly though. I'm starting to appreciate slow cooked / braised foods more.
 
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I stumbled on a post for Hainanese chicken rice on one of the blogs I read regularly,  I wasn't familiar with the dish so I googled up and a found few sites and a wikipedia entry for it. It seemed like a simple dish to make. Most of the blog posts I read reflected a fondness for the dish. It is considered a signature dish of Singapore similar to how Adobo is considered a Philippine dish. Since most of the ingredients are available locally, I decided to give it a try. I googled up a few recipes and studied the process on how to cook it. I used the ingredients common to most of the versions I found.
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After a few months of not getting sick, I get the sniffles today. Having a cold is annoying. My cold medicine didn't seem to be working well enough so I brought in some reinforcements.

I always loved how ginger could ease a sore throat and unclog my nose. I didn't feel like making ginger tea so I set out to make some chicken soup.
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Breakfast treat 02/03/2010
 
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Special treat for breakfast. My pasalubong request to my mother (who came home from France recently) was pate and a selection of cheeses. Nothing fancy, just stuff that's uncommon here in Metro Manila.  I toasted 1/3 of a baguette, spread some pork liver pate, stacked sliced tomatoes and cucumber, and finally added 2 thin slices of camembert cheese. I figured I could do this with local ingredients too, if I had the craving. It was quite filling and went well with my regular cup of instant coffee. I just wish baguettes were cheaper and more available here. It's the perfect sandwich bread IMO.
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