Kubiertos

I had always thought that Kuhol (a.k.a escargot or brown snails) was an expensive dish and very hard to find. But despite that perception, I always welcomed when my mom served ginataang kuhol at our house. I did not have the icky reaction to that fact that it was a snail I was trying to pick out from the hard brown shell with a toothpick. Not only was my reaction surprising (I hate anything slimy and slithery a.k.a worms and slugs), my jaw dropped when I found out these little buggers cost about P10 to P20 a cup at the local market.

The easiest thing to do to kuhol is to cook and serve them with coconut milk. It has actually evolved into a famous dish served at places like Cabalen or Kamayan. Now you can have the same at home.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups of brown snails (kuhol)
1 garlic head
1 tbsp. ginger
3 pcs. siling labuyo (or bird’s eye pepper)
2 cups of gata or coconut milk (2 coconuts are equivalent to 2 cups of gata)
pinch of salt

Procedure:
1. Soak kuhol in water for 2-3 hours.
2. After, wash and drain well.
3. Break tail-end of snails (simply by tapping with the handle of a knife).
4. Wash again and drain then set aside.
5. In a pan, sauté garlic and ginger, add a little patis or fish sauce.
6. Pour coconut milk and bring to a boil.
7. Let simmer for about 15 minutes then add the snails.
8. Season with salt.
9. Add in the pepper last and leave for 10 more minutes.
10. Serve hot with white rice.

** Optional: Add chopped spring onions for some color.

Anyone who likes caramel will also love dulce de leche. They have the same thick gooey consistency and tonsillitis sweet flavor. And that’s mostly why they are best served atop cakes, ice cream, or mixed with other ingredients as an enhancer to the overall flavor of a dessert or pastry. Imagine dulce de leche in your coffee… hmmm sort of like a restructured caramel macchiato.

Which is what Starbucks recently added to their line of mixed coffee drinks. The Dulce De Leche Frappucino comes either cream based or coffee based. I always choose coffee since I need my regular caffeine fix. The cold iced mix is the plus that gives me the chill I need during the hot summer days.

The other item in their Dulce De Leche line is the cheesecake. The cake looked very white which put me off at first as I am a chocoholic but the barista assured me that I would love it especially since I loved the drink. Sold at the thought that the cheesecake would give me the same pleasure as the drink did, I got suckered into buying a slice.

The cake was so creamy it filled my mouth with such sweet taste I forgot I was eating cheesecake. It wasn’t overwhelming though that by the time I noticed, I was a bite away from finishing the whole thing. At P120 a slice, you get to wolf down one of the finest and richest tasting cheesecakes sold. Although I still love the Cheesecake Obsession of Classic Confections, Starbucks indeed offers something a little different.

The Philippines has always been a good place to start a food craze. Many restaurants and food establishment that start abroad often makes its way through to the malls and stores of Metro Manila. Often, these places customize their menu to cater to the Filipino palate. Take McDonald’s rice meals. There is no such thing in the US.

Such is the same for Roti Mum - the famous coffee bun from Singapore. I had the opportunity to fall in love with this coffee bun last year.  A couple of months ago, I heard that they were now serving choco buns. Hmm… sounds yummy right. Unfortunately, I missed the launch of these chocolatey-ness which they offered for the christmas season. So when I found myself looking through the glass at the choco buns cooking inside Roti Mum Megamall, I did not even think twice and bought a box of assorted buns.

Sad to say, the choco buns were a disappointment compared to the coffee version. The choco buns gave a slight chocolate flavor that was not too sweet. It was interesting at first until you get to the point where you frantically reach for a glass of water for fear of choking. The choco buns turned out more crumbly and drier than the coffee buns. I could not even bring myself to finish one whole choco bun.

I thought maybe it was the lot that I got that was dry. Maybe these babies were overcooked or something. So I turned hungrily to the coffee buns (good thing I bought a box of assorted buns) and sank my teeth into the familiar creamy and tasty goodness that I could not forget. The coffee buns disappeared like there was no tomorrow and the choco buns were left inside the box unwanted. Sigh.

The choco buns were a great idea that flopped with the taste buds. Too bad.

Living with a picky eater, two hungry kids, a nanny that does not eat beef, I am challenged to come up with a variety of dishes for our everyday meals. I myself eat most foods so feeding myself is not a problem.

I guess that is why I am at this stage of learning about the recycling process. Adobo becomes adobo flakes. Fried chicken becomes chicken spread. Lechon kawali becomes Paksiw na Lechon. Tocino becomes the supplement to fried rice. Spaghetti sauce becomes chili or pizza sauce.

These are all pretty simple dishes turned into pretty simple alternatives. So what happens when I am faced with a dish with a combination of ingredients that are not as simple as fried chicken?

Here is what I did with my mom’s delicious Chicken Cacciatore:

Ingredients:

Chicken Cacciatore
1 can whole champignons
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil

Procedure:

1. Take the chicken pieces from the sauce of the Chicken Cacciatore. Remove chunks of chicken meat from the bone and set aside. Chop up the garlic cloves.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, stirring occasionally until they stick together. Make sure that you don’t burn the garlic as it will give out a bitter taste to the dish.
3. Add the champignons and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add the leftover Chicken Cacciatore sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the worcestershire sauce to add taste. (Feel free to add more than 1 tbsp if you want to).

Perfect!

The Fish & Co Seafood restaurant is one of my favorite dining places in Makati. I accept that their prices are way beyond my daily budget (or even my weekly) but there are times when the craving for fish and chips justifies blowing your budget to smithereens. To satisfy my desire to eat fish and chips, I have devised a plan to convince a friend or even several friends to come and share the dining experience with me.

Because of my memorable encounter with the Philadelphia Fish and Chips with garlic and herb filling, my feet once again led me to the place where it all started. Unfortunately, I was told that they no longer served  the fish filled with garlic and herbs. Awww. Bummer. No worries, my friend and I still decided to stay.

To complement our NY Fish and Chips, we decided on the Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon and the Fried Calamari. 

The fish and chips was as delicious as ever so I will not even attempt to write about the experience unless they change the way they cook or serve it. Here are my takes on the salad and the calamari.

The caesar salad was surprisingly crisp and fresh. (Not to sound biased (although I am) but I already broadcasted that I am in love with CBTL’s Caesar Salad and nothing else can compare to it). Going back… yes I was surprised. I did not really expect anything in particular but the surprise was more on the enjoyment I had eating it than to the salad itself. The dressing was tasty and tangy and I loved the generous amount of smoked salmon that topped the dish. Although great overall, it still did not replace the number 1 salad in my list.

Now fried calamari is a pretty common dish in restaurants around the country. This is served in many places that specializes in grilled dishes. I cannot imagine a beer joint that does not offer fried calamares as “pulutan” (a.k.a appetizer taken with wine or beer). But even if it is common, that doesn’t mean that they serve them as great as Fish & Co does. I must say I have never eaten calamari that is so tender as the one served here. I am actually envious as I have never been successful cooking truly tender calamares at home. It takes skill to actually cook squid without overcooking it and of course lots of free time so you can go to the wet market and buy your squid fresh hours before cooking it.

One thing I appreciate in well-managed dining establishments is the consistent request for feedback of the wait staff and the manager to the diners on the food that they have ordered. Few places care whether their diners feel at home or need anything so it is a great way to ensure returning customers. It is also a perfect opportunity for me to insist that they bring back the Philadelphia Fish and Chips with garlic and herb. I think I talked about it too much that Mitzi, the manager, ensured I met with the director of Operations for Fish & Co - Lilet. They were both very friendly and accommodating and Lilet requested that I call the next time I plan to visit so that they can have the garlic and herb fish and chips available. Thank goodness for that! (Although I really wish you would make it a regular menu item).

Before our stomachs could tell us they were full, we were looking at a deliciously sinful dessert in front of us. The Warm Chocolate Fudge Cake is a dark mass of chocolatey goodness that came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cake is too much to be eaten alone but heavenly when combined with a spoon of ice cream. Whoever invented this union should be congratulated. It was absolutely one of the most satisfying desserts I have had that week.

Burp! Oops! Now I am full. Ciao!

** Cake served courtesy of the Director of Operations of Fish and Co.