Burnt Lumpia

Dodgertown Philippines

One wouldn't normally associate Filipino food with America's Pastime, but on the evening of August 18, 2009, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be hosting Filipino Community Night at Dodger Stadium as the Dodgers will face the St. Louis Cardinals. As part of this special night, a designated "Dodgertown Philippines" section of Dodger Stadium will have access to an all-inclusive Filipino-themed menu.

That's right. Filipino food at a baseball game.

Historically, the closest proximity between Filipino food and a baseball game was when my grandpa (a hardcore Doh-jair fan) enjoyed a plate of Igado and rice while squatting in front of his TV--which was probably only last night. But I digress.

On the night of August 18, the special menu for the Dodgertown Philppines section of Dodger Stadium will include "Chicken Adobo, Philippine Style BBQ Pork, and Pineapple Spears." In addition to the Filipino menu, the Dodgertown Philippines section will also have access to All-You-Can-Eat Dodger Dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, Coca-Cola products, and water. (It would have been awesome if they offered Filipino Spaghetti made with Dodger Dogs.)

And if the Filipino food isn't enough to get you to the game, the Dodgers will also be giving away free, limited edition (limited edish, as the kids like to say) "Dodgertown Philippines" t-shirts.

So get yourself to Dodger Stadium on August 18! How often will you be able to cheer on ManRam v. PooHoles with chicken adobo in your mouth and an $8 beer in your hand alongside a raging group of other drunken Pinoys?

For more information, and to purchase tickets for Filipino Community Night at Dodger Stadium, CLICK HERE.

NOTE: If purchasing tickets, make sure you select tickets for the "MY TOWN LOWER RESERVE SECTION". No other sections have access to the Filipino menu.

Kinilaw Softly

Kinilaw is an indigenous Filipino dish of incredible freshness, usually (but not always) featuring slices of raw seafood quickly bathed in a sour liquid. Filipino Kinilaw is a little bit like Latin American Ceviche in that the seafood can be dressed in citrus juice, however, the similarities end there. Where the raw fish in a Ceviche is drastically transformed and "cooked" after marinating for hours in citrus, the raw fish of Kinilaw retains its freshness after only a few moments in a sour bath.

On the scale of doneness for international uncooked seafood dishes, Kinilaw would perhaps sit smack-dab in the middle: Japanese Sashimi (raw), Filipino Kinilaw (rare to medium rare), Ceviche (well done). At least that's how I look at it.

In his book, On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee writes:

"Kinilaw is the indigenous Philippine version of acid marination. Morsels of fish or shellfish are dipped for only a few seconds into an acidic liquid, often vinegar made from the coconut, nipa palm, or sugarcane, to which condiments have been added."

Although different Filipino vinegars are the primary souring agent in Kinilaw, Kalamansi juice and other citrus juices like dayap lime, can be used as well.

To balance out the sourness, condiments and additions to Kinilaw usually include copious amounts of chopped onions, ginger, and chilies--although things like green mangoes, kamias, tomatoes, and garlic can also be added.

As far as seafood goes, everything from fish, to sea cucumbers, to sea urchin roe, to crabs and lobsters, can be made into Kinilaw. Even raw oysters dressed in vinegar or kalamansi can be considered Kinilaw. Now while fresh raw seafood may be the most popular and well-known form of Kinilaw, there are other raw items that can be quickly bathed in vinegar and/or citrus and still be considered Kinilaw.

For example, vegetable Kinilaws can be made from bittermelon (ampalaya), or banana hearts, and there even exist Kinilaws of raw or partially cooked meats such as beef kinilaw and even goat kinilaw. The type of Kinilaw depends, of course, on where you are in the Philippines and how hungry you are, I suppose. In fact, during my visit to the Philippines last summer, I actually enjoyed quite a few spoonfuls of goat kilawin (raw goat meat, skin, and innards, shallots, ginger, salt, and vinegar) in Ilocos Norte.

Mmmmm. Raw goat meat.

Oh baby I like it RAAAAWWW!
Kilawing Kambing (Goat Kinilaw), ca. June 2008

In the book Kinilaw: A Philippine Cuisine of Freshness,  Edilberto N. Alegre and Doreen G. Fernandez write:

"The Ilocanos know when to have their kilawin--in the morning when meat is freshest, since animals are butchered at dawn."

Word.

But since my dawns are dedicated to deep sleep and mouth breathing, and because I have zero access to freshly butchered goat meat, I figured I'd stick to the more manageable seafood variety of Kinilaw for this particular post. And how.

Summertime Salabat

Salabat is a hot Filipino ginger tea usually served during the colder months of winter (well, if in the Philippines I guess it's served just during the cooler months) to sooth and comfort what ails you. In fact, Salabat may be the Filipino elixir of choice to combat the ill effects of cold and flu season: coughing, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and overall booger-cloggedness. Heck, Salabat can even soothe one's golden pipes after a late night of carousing and karaoke (if that's how you roll).

While I enjoy warming my mitts around a scalding mug of freshly steeped ginger tea as much as the next guy, the weather in SoCal is currently hotter than two rats in an effing wool sock. In addition to the hotness in my neck of the woods, I've also been sweating and whiling away painting a nursery, re-finishing an old rocking chair, putting together a crib, and making sure the wife is well-fed--all in anticipation of the pending birth of my demon seed (I mean that affectionately, of course). As such, sipping on hot tea is a less than desirable way to quench my thirst at the moment.

Despite the present circumstances though, I have found a way to enjoy Filipino ginger tea during the hot summer months... make a cocktail!