Burnt Lumpia: Filipino Food | Filipino Recipes | Culinary Hijinks

Homemade Tofu

Whether you eat tofu on the regular or not, chances are that you've never considered actually making the bean curd from scratch. I mean, who the hell makes tofu from scratch, right? And why would you want to make tofu from scratch anyways if you could just buy a block of it at any supermarket?

Well, because fresh homemade tofu is amazing! Amazing, I say! Fresh tofu made from your own hands is unlike any bland block of bean curd you'll find at your local grocery store. Freshly made tofu is incredibly creamy, subtly sweet, and infinitely versatile.

Still not convinced? Well, once upon a time, I didn't think I'd ever make my own sausage, or my own ice cream, or homemade lumpia wrappers from scratch either. But somehow, I did.

It's amazing the things you can crank out in your kitchen when armed with just the right bit of information.

And all the tofu-making information you'll ever need can be found in Andrea Nguyen's latest cookbook, Asian Tofu.

Asian Tofu is not only a wonderful guide to making your own tofu at home, but it also includes a great collection of recipes utilizing all things bean curd. And while there are plenty of vegetarian-friendly recipes, there is also an abundance of dishes that feature both tofu and meat.

And yes, you can use store-bought tofu for use in most of the book's recipes, but what fun is that when you can make your own?

A Journey with Linamnam

OK, so I've been gone for a little bit haven't I? But my apparent winter hibernation from this space (and from twitter, and from the actual world outside my home, or outside the public library [yes, i still go to the public library, it's quiet in there]) has not been without good reason. I've kinda had my hands full for the past few months (more on that in another post, hopefully sometime. Sometime soon...).

But now that I'm up and about and out of my cave (Egads, does that sunshine feel good!), I wanted to quickly bring something else out into the light with me--you know, while I can, before I'm banished back to my cave.

A couple months ago, a few days after Christmas actually, I received an unexpected package in my mailbox. I was pleased to find a copy of Linamnam: Eating One's Way Around The Philippines, sent to me courtesy of the authors of the book--Claude Tayag and his wife Mary Ann Quioc.

As the title might suggest, Linamnam is a culinary travel guidebook for the Philippines. Claude and Mary Ann spent two years traveling, and eating, all over the Philippines (sweet gig, no?). As a result of their many travels, and their many meals, Claude and Mary Ann provide the nitty gritty on where and what to eat in every region of the Philippines. From simple roadside shacks to upscale restaurants, Linamnam covers it all.

Northern Exposure

In addition to being a fantastic food and travel guide for the Philippines, I think, more importantly, that the book highlights the sheer diversity of Filipino cuisine. Because every region of the archipelago is featured in the book, the book goes beyond showcasing just adobo and pancit and lumpia, but also delves into each region's particular tastes and specialties. Linamnam goes to great lengths to provide historical context, as well as personal anecdotes, to explain why we Filipinos eat what we eat.

And even when adobo and pancit and lumpia are highlighted, it becomes clear just how many variations there can be on a particular dish. There is no one way (or correct way) to make anything in the Philippines, and it is this variation and diversity in our food that makes it so special.

So if any of you out there are planning a trip to the Philippines any time soon, or if you just want to learn more about Filipino food, you must pick up a copy of Linamnam: Eating One's Way Around The Philippines. Although the book can be hard to come by here in the States, I've been told by a couple of readers that you can get copies from this website http://philippineexpressionsbookshop.com.

Otherwise, just pick up a copy when you land in the Philippines;)

 

An Interview with Claude Tayag

Photo courtesy of Claude Tayag

To American audiences, Claude Tayag may best be known as Anthony Bourdain's Pampangan host and tour guide in the Philippines episode of No Reservations. But Claude Tayag is more than just a tour guide.

Tayag is a renowned artist, chef, and food writer in the Philippines. In addition to authoring Food Tour, a book exploring culinary traditions throughout the Philippines, Tayag is also the co-author of Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine.

And most recently, with his wife Mary Ann, Tayag co-authored Linamnam: Eating One's Way Around the Philippines--a unique and reader-friendly culinary travel guide that will lead readers to the best eats in every region of the Philippines.

[Record screech]

THE BEST EATS IN EVERY REGION OF THE PHILIPPINES??!!!

Once I get my hands on this book, I'm heading to the P.I. ASAP! Linamnam will be released in Manila on November 3 of this year.

Linamnam Nom Nom Nom

In short, Tayag is perhaps one of the foremost experts on Filipino cuisine, and it's a shame that Mr. Tayag's works aren't more readily available here in the U.S.

Now, I know that I laid it on pretty thick for Mr. Tayag in the previous paragraphs, but with good reason. I've been lucky enough to have corresponded with Mr. Tayag via a few emails for the last year and a half or so, and Mr. Tayag has always been gracious and kind to me when he didn't necessarily have to be. After all, I'm just an idiot food blogger;)

Consequently, I was supposed to have a one-on-one meeting with Tayag a couple of weeks ago at an event in San Francisco. But as luck would have it, Mr. Tayag had to cancel his trip to the U.S. at the last minute. Thankfully though, Mr. Tayag was nice enough to agree to an interview with me via a Q&A over email.

The following are Mr. Tayag's candid and very thoughtful responses to a few questions I had for him. There is much for all of us to learn from Mr. Tayag's views and expertise on Filipino cuisine.

Fresh Mango Pudding From Rasa Malaysia's New Cookbook

Aside from the occasional homemade ice cream binge, or the very rare instance where I actually bake something, I don't usually make many desserts. It's not that I don't enjoy sweets, it's just that my sweet tooth usually gets vetoed by my lazy bones.

So whenever I come across a dessert recipe where I don't have to turn my oven on, my sweet tooth can finally exercise its powers over said lazy bones. Such was the case when I was thumbing through Bee Yin Low's new cookbook, Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao, and found a beautiful looking recipe for Fresh Mango Pudding.

Bee, if you didn't already know, is the mastermind behind the megablog Rasa Malaysia. Rasa Malaysia has been an inspiration to me since I've started my own little blog here, and now that I'm working on my own cookbook, the recipes and photographs in Bee's new book continue to inspire me as well.

(Full Disclosure: My own Filipino cookbook will be published by Tuttle, the same publisher behind Easy Chinese Recipes.)

Giveaway: Asian Ingredients 101 App

I've never been grocery shopping with my grandmother, though I imagine such an experience would provide innumerable perks.

Aside from helping me pick out the best green papayas for her atchara recipe, or perhaps telling me straighaway which Filipino vinegar is best for any particular dish, my grandmother would be indispensible in proving my ethnicity to doubtful fishmongers at the Asian market.

Alas, my grandmother lives 4 hours away from me, so my excursions to the market (like most everyone I'm sure) are always grandma-less.

But thanks to Asian Ingredients 101, an iPhone app created by cookbook author, Pat Tanumihardja, you can now have a robot Asian grandma in your pocket!

Asian Ingredients 101 is a comprehensive guide to East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian ingredients at your fingertips. Whether you are shopping at an Asian market or traveling in Asia, this app will help you to identify close to 100 ingredients ranging from spices to herbs to sauces using color photographs as well as their common names in different languages. It also tells you where to find the ingredients at the market (i.e. frozen or dried goods section) and offers little tidbits on selection and preparation.

Oh, that's what oyster sauce is for! Thanks Robot Grandma!

Pat's an old friend of mine, and is the author of The Asian Grandmother's Cookbook, so I can vouch for how cool this app is. And luckily for you, dear readers, Pat has provided me with three (3) promo codes that will enable three of my lucky readers to download her app for free.

For a chance to win a free download of Asian Ingredients 101, just leave a comment telling me what your favorite Asian ingredient is. I'll then randomly choose three winners who will each recieve a free download.

All comments for this post will be accepted as entry for the giveaway and this contest will end on Sunday January 16, 2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. I'll randomly select three winners and announce the winner later that week.

Tsokolate Ice Cream + Ube Marshmallows + Peanuts = Rocky Road

Back when I discovered the joys of Filipino chocolate (AKA Tsokolate), I immediately made plans to churn some Tsokolate Ice Cream as soon as the weather warmed up a bit. But when I finally got around to making said ice cream, I decided to also throw some peanuts and marshmallows into the mix as well for my own version of Rocky Road Ice Cream. Of course, I couldn't settle for just any marshmallow, so I went ahead and whipped up some homemade Ube Marshmallows!

Yes. Ube Marshmallows.

As crazy as that sounds, it's actually fairly easy to create a purple fluffy confection vaguely reminiscent in flavor to the Filipino Purple Yam thanks to some Ube-in-a-bottle I happened across at my Asian market.

Steamy Kitchen's Chicken Adobo

Since welcoming our new son into the world this past summer, the wife and I have seemingly fielded 101 different variations of the same question:

"Are you getting enough sleep?"

I'm sure every new parent knows what I'm talking about, but after you have your first kid, someone with pitying eyes will inevitably look upon you as you're tending to your crying/wailing/crapping baby and inquire as to whether or not you are getting any shut-eye.

For example, when seeing me for the first time after my son was born, a buddy of mine said to me, "Geez dude. You look like a bowl of sh*t warmed over. You getting any sleep?"

As the saying goes, when a friend compares you to temperate poo, enemies are unnecessary. Or something like that.

Anyways, while a lack of rest may have had an (obvious?) effect on my haggard appearance, I think there are more factors at play here. Sure, everyone warns new parents about sleep deprivation, but no one ever talks about kitchen deprivation. Eff sleep! I've got no time to cook anymore!

So as much as I find solace in slumping into bed and face-planting into a pillow (if only to nod off for just a few minutes), I also cherish each and every convenient and quick-cooking recipe I come across since time is now at such a premium.

And that is exactly why I was so excited to finally get my hands on Jaden Hair's The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner. As I'm sure everyone knows, Jaden is the author extraordinaire of the Steamy Kitchen food blog.

But in addition to being a superstar blogger, Jaden is also a supermom with kids of her own. If Jaden could write an entire cookbook while simultaneously raising a family, I figured I could bang out one of her recipes while simultaneously propping my baby up in front of the TV my wife played with our son.

I was right.

The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook

I've been lucky enough to have a multitude of "grandmothers" in my life. Two of my paternal grandmother's sisters live with my grandmother and grandfather. And although my grandmother's sisters may technically be my "great aunties," I actually call all three sisters "Grandma." Confusing, but true.

My brothers, and pretty much the rest of my family, all refer to my great aunts as "Auntie" and my grandmother as "Grandma". So I'm not sure how or why I came to lump my grandmother and her sisters into the same "Grandma" category, but it's something I've done since childhood.

All in all though, I don't think any of the sisters mind. In fact, I think they all like being called "Grandma." Afterall, the coveted title of "Grandma" seems to magically transform a woman into a "Culinary Superhero." As such, each of my grandmothers has a specific Filipino specialty in their superhero arsenal. For instance, one of my grandmother's sisters makes a pinakbet I swoon for, the other sister makes some mean Miki (a type of Filipino noodle dish), and my grandmother herself specializes in any and everything sweet.

So whenever to grandmother's (grandmothers') house I go, I am guaranteed to be treated to a family feast on many fronts. I am truly one lucky son of a gun to have access to wonderful Filipino food from three great grandmothers.

But thanks to Pat Tanumihardja's new book, The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook, everyone can now have access to an extra set of grandmothers, and their recipes to boot.

Homemade Lumpia Wrappers

In case I ever get the Jones to roll up a few fatty spring rolls, I almost always have a package of store-bought Lumpia wrappers at the ready, hidden within the depths of my freezer. But after closer inspection, I found the following ingredients listed on the packaging of said wrappers:

"Bleached wheat flour (niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, reduced iron, mononitrate, folic acid), water, salt, glycerin, sorbital".

I have no idea what half of those ingredients are (isn't glycerin in soap?)! But up until very recently, the chemical make-up of spring roll wrappers was of little consequence to me. Store-bought lumpia wrappers could contain Soylent Green (mmm, soylent green) for all I cared; I was content as long as the end product resulted in crunchy and tasty lumpia.

But thanks to the help of Andrea Nguyen's newest cookbook, Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More, I had a spring roll epiphany: Lumpia wrappers can be made from scratch!

Crazy right? Aside from the crepe-like skins of Lumpiang Sariwa (fresh unfried lumpia), I never considered making my own wrappers for fried lumpia. But with Andrea's fantastic cookbook, a few simple ingredients that I already had in my pantry (no glycerine necessary), and a bit of patience, I was able to fashion my own stash of homemade lumpia wrappers--thin skins that, when fried, were just as crisp and golden as their store-bought counterparts.

A Bun in the Oven (& Some Ensaimada Too)

Some changes have been in the works here at the Burnt Lumpia Worldwide Headquarters over the past few weeks and months. Most recently, the wife and I have been shuffling things from room to room to make room for other things--if that makes sense.

We've pretty much been emptying and clearing out our home office (which was originally an extra bedroom). I've shifted my work desk out of the office and into the breakfast nook next to our kitchen (now making that space more conducive to food blogging). And since there was nowhere else to stow the rest of my office junk, our guestroom is now a guestroom/storage room (now making that space more conducive to shorter visits from my parents. I'm kidding. Kind of.).

And what about the now empty room formerly known as our "office"?

We're turning it into a nursery!

Yes, I'm happy to announce that the wife and I are expecting our first child! "Baby Lumpia" is due in early August, and yes, we do know the sex of the baby--though I think I'll keep that bit of information under wraps, for now at least. Obviously, I've been holding on to this good news for a while now and waiting for the right time to share it with everyone here. But with all the crazy goings-on needed to prepare for a baby (A BABY!), I've been a bit distracted to say the least.

To celebrate the wife's growing belly (and appetite), I decided to bake... a bun in the oven of course! The particular buns I attempted to bake are actually sweet Filipino brioche rolls called Ensaimada.

I know, baking isn't exactly my forte here. I've never baked any sort of bread before, let alone Ensaimada. But I've never had a kid before either. I figure that if I can make a decent Filipino Ensaimada, I've got a decent chance at learning how to change a diaper--both activities involve a great deal of softened butter (insert rimshot here).

With a new baby and all, at least there will be someone besides myself that finds great amusement in poop jokes. At least that's my hope...