Bulalo

Bulalo is one such favorite soup and the hotter it is the better. It is best complemented by the marrow that is tapped out of the bone. This delightful beef soup is a specialty of the cattle-raising region in the province of Batangas. And now, restaurants in Laguna especially in Calamba is becoming a favorite place to go to when we crave for Bulalo.







Ingredients:

• 1 kilo bias ng baka (beef shank) with bone marrow intact
• water
  
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 3 stalks leeks, sliced
• 1 package dried banana blossoms
• fish sauce (patis) to taste
• 1 large potato, quartered
• pechay leaves
  
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Place beef shank in water to cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes then remove shank and discard water.

2. Boil the shank again in 8 cups water and until the stock is flavored and [the water] reduced to half the amount.

3. Add the onions, leeks, potato, pechay and banana blossoms.

4. Season to taste with fish sauce and pepper.

5. Serve hot.

Laing

Laing is equally famous and tasty as the Bicol Express. It is another best dish Bicol (a Region in the Philippines) is taking pride of. Its texture is smooth and it milky because of the gata (coconut milk). The kick is in the end. Once you swallow the laing that's when the taste of spiciness takes over your mouth. Simply wonderful!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 1 tbsp garlic (native), minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 2 tbsps alamang (shrimp paste)
• 1 tsp siling labuyo (chilli pepper)
• 1/2 cup pork chopped
• 1 1/3 cups coconut milk
• 3 cups shredded gabi or taro leaves, dried under the sun

Procedure:

In a saucepan, heat oil. Saute the garlic, ginger and onion. Add the alamang and siling labuyo. Add pork stir until cooked. Add coconut milk. Add gabi leaves.

Don't mix. Simmer until almost dry but oily. Serve.

Add salt and pepper as desired. Best served the day-after since flavors of ingredients have neutralized. Gabi leaves should be dried under the sun before cooking.

Crispy Kangkong

Kangkong, Water Spinach : A perennial semi-aquatic plant producing long shoots which trail over the water or mud, rooting freely at the nodes. Flowers are white or pink and leaves are arrow-shaped and stem hollow. At least two varieties are cultivated. The aquatic form planted by Malays in the rice fields, provides a succulent leaf vegetable called "water kangkong" which is a major ingredient in a popular Malaysian dish: cuttlefish-kangkong. It also occurs wild. The other variety is the dry land form, known as Kangkong Puteh, grown from seeds as are other vegetables except it requites plenty of water. It is of more slender habit and considered more superior. Water spinach probably originated in India and has been distributed throughout the tropics of the world since.


Deep fried kangkong leaves coated with (egg, water, cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper) mixture. I did serve this as an appetizer during parties and my friends loved it! Its simple and easy to prepare.


















Ingredients:

• * 1 bundle of kangkong
• * 1 egg (beaten)
• * 1 cup cold water
• * 1/2 teaspoon salt
• * 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• * 1 1/2 cup cornstarch
• * 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• * cooking oil

Directions

1. Remove the kangkong leaves. Wash in water and dry.

2. Mix the egg, water, cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.

3. Add the kangkong leaves and mix until all the leaves are coated with the batter.

4. Heat cooking oil in a pan. Fry the leaves until crispy and golden brown.

5. Strain the cooked pieces for excess oil.

(Suggestion):

An alternative to kangkong is spinach which is gaining popularity in most of the Filipino specialty restaurants as an appetizer. Dip in Mayonnaise or Ranch dressing.

Yema

It is hard to resist these little golden balls of creamy, custard goodness enclosed in a tender, brittle caramel coating. The old-fashioned yema candy is no longer always available. This is one of my son's favorite, I suppose he inherited his sweet tooth from me! :)











Ingredients:

• 1 cup egg yolks ( approximately 6 egg yolks)
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon dayap juice (lime juice)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• oil

Double boiler
Cookie sheet
Scoop or teaspoon

Yema Syrup:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water

Procedure:

1. Combine egg yolks, condensed milk, and dayap juice in a double boiler. Stir continuously while cooking over low heat.

2. Mixture is cooked when it is thick and lumpy. Add a spoonful of butter to the thickened mixture and mix well. Let cool.

3. Brush the cookie sheet with a little oil. To prevent candy mixture from sticking, oil the palm of your hands as well. Scoop portions of the egg yolk mixture. With the hands, roll these into 1 1/2-inch balls. Set aside on oiled cookie sheet. Insert a toothpick into each
yema ball.

4. Prepare the syrup
a. In a small pan, over low heat, burn one to two teaspoons of the sugar. Remove from heat. Stir 1 cup sugar into the the burnt sugar; return pan to low heat. Add water and bring mixture to a low boil without stirring. The burned sugar gives the syrup its golden color.

b. syrup is ready after about ten minutes of low boiling. To test, with a teaspoon, scoop a small amount of syrup and dip it in a saucer of water. If the syrup forms into a hard ball candy, it is ready to coat the yema balls. Remove from heat.

5. Dip yema balls into the syrup. Work fast because the syrup solidifies within a few minutes. Put the yema balls back on the greased cookie sheet and allow the syrup to cool and harden. Serve on a candy tray or wrap in cellophane and store in a candy jar.

6. For a simpler version of the yema, omit syrup. Just roll the yema balls in sugar and serve unwrapped on trays or boxes.