Hits from the Pasalubong: Vol. 2

After our stay in Badoc, Ilocos Norte, we made our way by bus to my auntie's house in Baguio for a couple of days, got on another bus, and ended our trip at another auntie's house for a couple more days in Manila. Since we weren't at either place for very long, I don't have many food pictures from Baguio and Manila. Sad, that. So instead, I figured I'd post a roundup of all the goodies I brought back home from the Philippines for my family (but mostly for me).

More hits from the pasalubong! Consider this the remix.

That's My Jam
The picture at the top of this post was taken at the Mountain Maid Training Center (AKA Good Shepherd) in Baguio. The shelves against the wall are filled with various fruit jams and candies that are made by student workers and nuns from the Good Shepherd convent. The big draw to this place is, I think, the Ube Jam. But I didn't buy any. Now, before any of you roll your eyes or start tsk-tsking me, I have a very good reason for not buying any World Famous Good Shepherd Ube Jam.

Every single jar of Ube Jam that was on sale that day was going to expire in a few short weeks. And we still had another week to go before we flew home. And because the jars came in two sizes (Giant, and Giant-er), I figured there was no way my wife and I would be able to go through a jar before it went funky on us.

This seemed like a practical decision at the time. But I do regret not obtaining any Ube Jam. My mother actually brought some back for my dad, and I was able to sample some of the Ube Jam at their place. It's dang tasty stuff and I'm kicking myself for not getting any. Even if it did spoil before we finished the jar, at least I could have had some for myself. Hmph. I'm an idiot (commence eye-rolling and tsk-tsking).

But I didn't go home empty handed. I still brought back some strawberry jam, rhubarb-strawberry jam, and mango jam--all of which won't expire till 2009 (damn your short shelf life Ube Jam! damn it straight to hell!)

 

I haven't cracked open the strawberry, or strawberry-rhubarb jams yet, but the mango jam is wonderful.

We also picked up a tub of peanut brittle from Good Shepherd. I love this stuff. Even though I live on the other side of the world from Baguio, a bit of peanut brittle from Good Shepherd always seems to find its way to me every now and again because it seems to be the Pasalubong of choice whenever someone comes back from the Philippines. I love the peanut brittle from Good Shepherd because although it is very brittle and crunchy, it isn't overly hard, sticky, or tooth-breaky--it's juuuust right. (And if you make it to the end of this post, I've got a brownie recipe that uses some of this beautiful brittle!)

Flake

 

I also brought home a pretty hefty bag of blow Ilocos sea salt. A single flake upon my tongue summoned the flavors of the South China Sea and the essence Badoc's warm climes... eh, it tastes salty.

Barako Bomb Uh, Coffee

 

In the picture above, the beans on top are Barako coffee beans indigenous to the Philippines that I found in Baguio. On the bottom are my usual Sumatra beans from Starbizzle. The Barako beans are lighter in color since they aren't roasted (burned) as long as Starbucks beans are. Barako also has a fresher, fruitier aroma to it if that makes any sense at all.

The Barako coffee also brewed up lighther in color than what I'm used to. It was just a shade darker than a normal dark tea. Likewise, the flavor of the Barako was milder than I expected, but still very unique and bold--kinda grassy, kinda fruity. I think I've just been conditioned and brainwashed by Starbucks burnt coffee that I'm so used to that super-roasted flavor. But the Barako was definitely a nice change of pace for my morning cup of Joseph. For a more in-depth look at Barako, and other Pinoy coffees, take a gander at this post by Oggi.

Little Guys

I also brought back a big ol' bag of crank tiny dried shrimp from Badoc. These little fellers are good for flavoring soups like dinengdeng (I had it like that in Badoc), or for making shrimp fritters called Ukoy. As you can imagine, they've got quite the aroma and are funking up my pantry. I've got an idea for them so stay tuned.

Down the Hatch

 

A couple of my cousins were nice enough to buy me a small bottle of Genebra Gin and a big bottle of Tanduay Rum to add to my liquor cabinet. I know there are a few different varieties of Tanduay Rum, but this specific kind had a pinkish, gasoline-ish hue about it. It still went down pretty smooth though.

As far as the Ginebra Gin goes, I was a bit confused by its cap. It was the kind of pop-off cap you need a bottle opener for, thereby making it seem like the bottle is a single serving. I know its a small bottle, but there was no way I could drink the whole thing in one sitting. So I just kinda bent the cap back onto it after sampling it on the first go-round. It's a nice subdued gin, not as floral or juniper-y as I usually like, but it still makes a great martini and a couple other cocktails--stay tuned for those.

More Inspiration

I was also very lucky in that one of my cousins took me to a bookstore and let me pick out a few cookbooks for her to buy for me. I wanted to make sure I chose books that I couldn't get stateside, so they were cookbooks that I've never seen or heard of before. Feast of Flavors from the Filipino Kitchen, Lola Oreng's Culinary Heritage (this one has recipes in English and Tagalog), and Kape, A Philipine Coffee Cookbook (not really recipes with coffee, but recipes for pastries). I haven't tried any recipes from any of them yet, but they all seem to have some good eats in them that I'm sure I will be experimenting with soon.

Speaking of good eats, I've got a brownie recipe for you that makes awesome use of any peanut brittle, but Good Shepherd peanut brittle is the sentimental favorite of course. My wife actually found this recipe at the back of Gourmet magazine when we came back from the Philippines, so we immediately knew we (actually, just she) had to make it ASAP. It's chocolatey and peanut-buttery and heavenly (the peanut brittle was made by nuns, for Christ's sake! Er, I mean for someone else's less-ironic sake!)

Peanut Brittle Brownies
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, June 2008

 

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
4oz. unsweetened chocolated
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed peanut brittle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with oven rack in the middle of oven. Butter and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Melt butter, peanut butter, and chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove saucepan from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature. Whisk in brown sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time.

Combine flour and salt, and then whisk into chocolate mixture. Spread batter into baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the crushed peanut brittle over the top of the brownies. Place pan back into the oven and bake until a pick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs, about another 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

 

Comments

[Mila]

A close friend brought back a jar of ube jam from Baguio a few years ago. We bought it while it was fresh and warm, and figured we'd just seal it. When she got home, there was a weird white layer on top and being the hard core foodie she is, she just found a way to remove the ... mold?.. and still enjoyed her ube jam. If only there was a way to lengthen the life of that darn pudding without losing flavor!

What would happen if you baked the brownies with the brittle in the mix? Would it be too sweet I wonder? Will experiment this weekend - I'm more of a Romana peanut brittle junkie myself.

[manggy]

Ooh, Mango Jam, my favorite! Awesome. That stuff should be sold all around the world. You're right about the delicacy of GS Peanut Brittle-- I'm not a fan of peanut brittle as a whole but I can eat theirs with gusto :)

[Katrina]

Good Shepherd ube jam is wonderful stuff. And it actually lasts longer than they say, if kept in the fridge. *Kick yourself now* (Mila, I'm shocked! You're the first one I ask about food spoilage, so how could you not know NOT to close a jar of warm ube?! ;-))

I can't tell just how small those shrimp are, but if they're the really small, crunchy kind that you can eat whole, head and all, I like them just as is, as pulutan. Great with beer!

Maybe it's just me, but as a rum drinker, I don't much like that Tanduay ESQ variant. I do love the yellow-labeled 5 yrs. one and especially (though it's pricier) the blue-labelled 25 Yrs. one.

[bernadette]

well, Marvin...i just have to tell you this. As long as you keep your ube jam well sealed or refrigerate it whenever you are able to, there is no such thing as expiry date. And yes, always use a clean spoon whenever you have to scoop into it. I have had my ube jam for over three years (well, it seems that long :-)) and it still taste great! I have just consumed it---and yes, I'm still okay.

[Fearless Kitchen]

I never thought I'd see a Cypress Hill reference on a food site... Anyway, it's too bad that you couldn't bring home that ube jam, but it looks like you got plenty of other goodies! The brownies look great.

[jiggy]

Agree with the few posters above. The Ube jam lasts longer than the posted date as long as they are kept nice cool. On my last trip, bought the 2 large ube jam (from good shepherd of course) on Monday and my flight wasn't till Friday. One jar was immediately opened for consumption and tried it out w/ my host family. Once I got back in the U.S. It lasted maybe another 3 weeks till the large jar was done. So good you'll finish it before it goes bad.
My favorite thing about their peanut brittle is that they pack it in. The container is so dense and heavy as opposed to other brands where they coat the outside of the container to make it appear full.
I didn't like the strawberry jam too much, it was too sugary. Did you try the guava jam? That was good too.
I'm diggin' your site man. I have a Bicolano friend and they supposedly put coconut milk(gata) on dinuguan, can anyone confirm?

[oggi]

I miss Good Shepherd goodies specially the peanut brittle and ube jam and blueberry jam and..I suddenly want to make ube jam.:)

[Erin]

The brownies look delicous. Looks like you made a good haul. I always bring back sea salt from trips and my supply is drying up. Time for a trip I guess.

I'm interested to see what you do with the dried shrimp. It's one of those ingredients that confuses me so I've never bought any.

[bernadette]

Yes, Jiggy, my mother hails from Bicol and I have tasted such dinuguan---with coconut milk. Am not so crazy about it though.

[Wandering Chopsticks]

I saw jars of ube jam at the San Gabriel Superstore and thought of you. So what a coincidence you posted about it. There were several other Filipino jams too but I only remembered the ube flavor. It's about $3-$4 a jar. Located in the same aisle as the Malaysian and Indonesian stuff, on the other side of the fresh noodles and baked goods.

[Julie]

Kudos for using your gin in martinis! Most people always seem to associate martinis with vodka.

I wonder if you can freeze ube jam. I know you can freeze the yams themselves. Coincidentally, I was going to e-mail you asking you if you knew the name of an ube-based dessert where ube jam or mash was balled up into the size and shape of a chicken nugget, threaded on skewers, and baked. I want to find a recipe, but I can't remember the dish's name. I'd ask my mom, but every time I've had time to call, she's been at bingo or the dollar store. No joke. =\

[ahnjel]

you are such a tease marvin! i love those peanut brittle but we get our pasalubong at eng bee tin as we just stay in manila proper. oh i wish i couldve told you about the street foods in the PI like the fich balls, one day old chick, balut, green mango with oodles and oodles of sweet spicy alamang on top... makes my mouth water just thinking about it... try the gin with pomelo juice (i dunno if they have that here) its delish

[Julie]

Ah, I talked to my Mom, and she said those ube things are called bitso bitso. I was describing your blog over the phone to her, and I could hear her drooling. Heh!

[u8mypinkcookies]

ube jam, strawberry jam & peanut brittle! we never miss to buy that from good shepherd whenever we're in baguio!

also the raisin bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins and cookies at baguio country club's pastry shop!

[Beth]

* Rolls eyes. Tsk tsk.

hehe, well, at least you have a reason to go back to Baguio :)

With regards to the peanut brittle, the best to me is the Romana brand that comes from Pangasinan. Still, I'd devour the Mountain Maid brittle in an instant.

Ginebra and Pomelo juice = YUM!

[Cynthia]

Hmmmm, you came away with quite a stash but I am still rolling my eyes and tsking at the jam! One you got home and put it in the fridge, it would have kept until you had finished it all. You also could have used it in other ways - more eye rolling and tsking! :D

[White On Rice Couple]

Did customs let you bring in the run and gin OK? I tried to bring back some alcohol one time from VN and they took it away.
Again, thanks for another great journey. And again, Bourdain really missed out.

[Janice]

i have not-so-fond memories of Tanduay rum...my uncle brought some back from the PI, and he, his wife (my aunt) and his brother-in-law (my crazy ass uncle) drank it during the Pacquiao-Marquez fight. i take that back...it was mostly my crazy ass uncle who drank it. while my aunt and uncle took a couple shots, my uncle kept refilling his Coke and rum...let's just say he had his rum with a splash of Coke. that night traumatized my non-Filipino friend.

i'm not a fan of peanut brittle, but your brownies look amazing.

[Burnt Lumpia]

Mila, I thought the same thing about mixing the brittle into the batter. But after placing on top of the brownies and baking for only 5 mins., the brittle melted a bit and then hardened again as the brownies cooled. So I think if they were mixed in, they would definitely melt and not be brittle at all, though they would still be quite tasty.

The mango jam is wonderful, manggy. I'm actually eating some on toast right now.

I am kicking and kicking and kicking myself, Katrina. I even thought that while I was at Good Shepherd, but still worried nonetheless. At least I know for next time. And the shrimp are indeed the tiny dried and crunchy shrimp. It didn't occur to me to eat as is, but I will definitely give it a try with a cold beer.

Three year old Ube jam, bernadette? Now I am really kicking myself;)

Is the reference that bad, Fearless Kitchen?;)

Sounds like Ube jam has quite the shelf-life afterall, jiggy. And you're right about the peanut brittle, even after making my brownies, I still have a lot of brittle left in the tub--they really do pack it in! I didn't try the guava jam, but I'm sure all of Good Shepherd's offerings are terrific. Thanks for visiting.

I can't wait to see how your Ube jam turns out, oggi!

Hi Erin. There's plenty you could do with dried shrimp, like maybe make a quick shrimp stock. I'll try to post a recipe with them soon.

Thanks for the clarifacation bernadette! I don't think I'd like dinuguan with coconut milk either, but maybe I should try some first;)

Hi WC! I'll have to drive out to the Superstore when I get the chance. I wonder if the ube jam there is comparable to Good Shepherd's.

Vodka in a martini is not a martini! I'm glad you know your cocktails, Julie!;) I hope your mom brings home some winnings from Bingo!

Hello ahnjel! I actually did have some fish balls and also some mangoes and alamang. But no balut. Gin with pomelo sounds like a perfect match.

Bitso bitso, Julie? I've never heard of that, but glad you're mother cleared it up.

I didn't get to visit the country club, but next time I will. Thanks for stopping by, u8mypinkcookies!

Hello beth, I wonder if I've ever had the Romana brand. And another vote for gin and pomelo--I will definitely mix the two!

I know, I know, Cynthia! I should have just bit the bullet and bought some.

WORK, I got the gin and rum in with no problems. And there were many other bottles than what I showed because we brought some back for my dad and brothers. I think there were 2 bottles in each of our bags.

Yikes, Janice! Your uncle sounds like my kinda guy!

[allison c.]

So glad I found this site!

All the stuff looks wonderful - peanut brittle brownies? You are killing me with awesome. And so true that someone comes home with peanut brittle after a trip in the Phils. And some sort of dried fish. Everything always wrapped up like a brick in aluminum and ridiculous amounts of plastic wrap.

Damn, so many people with relatives in Baguio!

[Victoria]

WOW- So glad I found your blog. My 77 yr old Bicolano father volunteered to bring something to his church potluck. I'm making the recipe for the cupcakes ! Growing up I never wanted Filipino food or "daddy food" as we called it. Now Im all about cooking pancit etc. I hope you continue this because Ive turned all my friends on to your blog.
Thanks Again,
Victoria

[Mika]

Hi Marvin,I don't know if i should thank you but since the day i came across your blog courtesy of Tangled Noodle, I have been craving for most of the Pinoy food you've been cooking and posting on your blog!Being an Ilocana myself who is far from home.I constantly miss our food.As I'm writing this comment,I'm thinking of Ilocano Papaitan and "Kinigtot" gosh! Anway,I like your blog gyem!Keep cooking and keep posting!

[Violet]

Hi Marvin! I just found your blog and I really find it very entertaining and informative as well. The Good Shepherd sisters also make angel cookies, which are heavenly, so to speak. They put in bits and pieces of host (you know, the one that we receive during communion). I remember eating those in school, waiting by the door of the convent hoping that the nuns will give us some, which they usually do. Oh, you don't need to go to Baguio to buy those stuff. There's also one in Tagaytay.

Violet