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White Chocolate Cashew CookiesHello?[Sweeps away cobwebs and thick layer of dust.]Anyone still here?[Pauses, listening for a reply.]So sorry for taking off like that...[Wobbles from percussive echo of sheer emptiness.] It's just that I've been a bit busy, writing for magazines and stuff. Woo-hoo...[Crickets...]So, now I'm back and planning to post new content very soon. Really.[...]How a
Adobong Bahay Itlog ng ManokCow's tongue and beef tripe? Yes and yes.Pig's face, intestines and blood? Mm-hmm, uh-huh and yup.Chicken feet, gizzards and ovaries? Check, check and triple che-- say what?I am not put off by offal. In fact, some of my favorite meals are made of 'nasty bits': I love lengua (tongue) in tacos and estofado (Sp. 'stew'), while tripe is tops in callos a la Madrileña and Mex
Braised Lamb Shank with LentilsIt's no Easter Parade.At the stroke of midnight, Mr. Noodle and I will join the annual paschal exodus from Metro Manila to the outlying provinces, beginning with 2-hour drive to the port Lucena in Quezon province. From there, we'll board a ferry, colloquially known as a RoRo (as in, 'roll on, roll off') for a relatively short cruise to the island province of Marinduq
Dark Chocolate SouffléThis was a challenge unlike any I have faced as a food blogger.To celebrate the Manila visit of David Finch, writer and artist of DC Comics' Batman: The Dark Knight series, bookstore chain Fully Booked threw down the gauntlet and asked local bloggers to write about their connection to the iconic illustrated hero. Though more familiar with the television and film series r
French-toasted Monay with Ube SorbetesFood is serious business here in the Philippines.In a country where the official minimum daily wage rate in the National Capital Region (NCR, aka Metro Manila) is 426 pesos - or roughly 10 US dollars - and even lower in the provinces, Filipinos from all walks of life look for other opportunities to earn additional income. For many, food is the key to opening t
Tres Montaditos de Tangled"Man does not live on bread alone." (Deuteronomy 8:3)You can't argue with the Old Testament, which is why this woman knows well enough to pile on other good stuff, too.Bread is inarguably a universal food found in nearly all parts of the world. If not made from grains such as wheat, rye, spelt, oatmeal and corn, then tubers like potato and cassava provide the flour power.
Olive Oil-Poached Egg"Ex ovo omnia" (Everything from an egg) -- William Harvey (1578-1657)All I got for Christmas was a dozen eggs.Well, I did get a bit more than just eggs and nearly all of them were also food or drink-related: a jar of fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies; a llanera (oval mould) of the creamiest, smoothest leche flan; and several bags of Filipino-grown coffee. But none
Chocolate Almond CookiesCreatures of nature do not need a glossy calendar to tell them what time of year it is: Subtle changes in temperature, the positions of sun and moon, and pure animal instinct all serve as natural cues to the changing seasons and signal the start of primal behavior, especially during winter.Birds fly south. Bears hibernate. Squirrels hoard nuts. Noodles bake.No matter w
Alugbati at Tokwa (Malabar Spinach & Tofu)Vegetables and I were not always friends.As a child, I disliked anything that might remotely be considered produce. Of course, this was decades before the recent pizza-as-vegetable brouhaha, which would have been a game-changer, and the subsequent debate about what constitutes a 'vegetable'. Back then, anything that wasn't a hamburger or made of s
Red Clover in Honeyed GulamanPerdue: "Let us make this easier. Suppose you get a reservation. And let us suppose you come down to the restaurant and we honor it. What do you think you might order?' Harris: "Well, um, I might like to have the duck." Chef: "He can't have the duck." Perdue: "You can't have the duck." Harris: "Why?" Perdue: "You t
Monday MenudoMonday is rough.It's the morning when we're jolted awake by a blaring alarm rather than gentle sunlight. It's the day when we drag ourselves back to the nitty-gritty of the workweek, trying hard to concentrate while the buzz of a fun weekend lingers teasingly in immediate memory. And it's the night when we realize there's still another four such days to trudge through, until it's week
A doughnut plant Several years ago, I was working at a university library during a hectic midterm week. Faced with long lines of impatient, stressed-out students, I went into full autopilot mode, checking out books, searching the database and generally hustling each patron along with a firm, "These are due on..." before turning back to the queue with a crisp, "May I help the next person?" When t
Candy wrapper art: Pabalat ng Pastillas de LecheNot long ago, I read with great interest an article about Tukluhan, an obscure festival unique to the village of Santa Cruz in Marinduque Province, which takes place every May 15th on the feast day of San Isidro de Labrador (the Laborer), patron saint of farmers. The central event is a religious procession for which residents decorate fences, trees a
Tangled Bento"Twinkle, twinkle, little star,How I wonder what you are."The answer to this innocent musing depends on one's preference: warmly sentimental or coolly factual.On the warm and fuzzy side, a star is something we wish upon, thank for our good fortune and observe intently in hopes that our fates are revealed in its movement. Stars represent secret dreams, auspicious destinies and plain ol
Cup of sugar: Pastillas de Leche à la Mila"Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down,In a most delightful way."--From 'A Spoonful of Sugar' in Mary Poppins,Music & lyrics by Robert M. Sherman and Richard M. ShermanLong before it was enshrined in saccharine song by a practically perfect nanny, sweetening bitter pills and potions has been a mother's best strategy when nursing fractious
Banana-Mango Yogurt CakeLet sleeping dogs lie - or in this case, dormant blogs. Sage bit of advice though it is, I'm about to completely ignore it.It's been quiet hereabouts for the past six weeks and for no reason other than I've had nothing terribly interesting to offer. When I started this blog, I resolved never to toss out some random scrap of a post for the sake of filling a blank screen. So,
A Pack of Cake Pups"Serve food and it's a meal; serve cake and it's a party." -- TNAfter my most recent posts featuring two rice recipes in a row, a long exposition on milking a giant seed, and an attempt at de-freaking balut, it was high time I offered up some sweet simplicity. An opportunity to do just that came in the form of a standing invitation to the monthly International Incident, hosted b
Purple Rice, Sweet Potato & Shrimps in Coconut SauceYou say potato, I say . . . how about adding some rice and coconut?That was pretty much the gist of the Twitter exchanges between an award-winning Irish Spud (@DailySpud), a video-creating Online Pastry Chef (@jmfield) and this rice-loving Noodle (@TangledNoodle), which gave rise to the Great #TaytoRiCo Challenge of 2011. The task: to cook up
Claude's Talangkâ Rice and Inasal Pork BellyFor a sense of the surroundings for this extraordinary meal, please read Bale Dutung, Part I: Setting the Table...There are bound to be high expectations for a meal when it involves making reservations several weeks in advance, choosing a multi-course menu enjoyed by a certain famous gastronome, then hiring a large van to ferry a dozen hungry diners
Ready for guests at Bale DutungWe clambered out of the van and huddled in the driveway, a dozen eager diners of varying ages hungry for a promised feast but uncertain that we were in the right place. There, in the middle of a tidy, quiet residential neighborhood in Angeles, Pampanga, was where we'd been told we would find Kampampangan cuisine unlike any served in Manila restaurants. Yet, it felt a
Oaten HoneycombAn Irish Recipe(from Cooking at the Irish Settlement, Parish of St. Patrick's Church, Cumming IA)4 cups love2 cups loyalty3 cups friendshipTake love and loyalty and mix thoroughly with faith; blend with tenderness, kindness and understanding. Add hope, sprinkle abundantly with laughter and bake with sunshine. Serve generous helpings daily to family, friends and all you meet.It is St
Balut a la PobreTake a look at any list of the weirdest, funkiest, hell-no-I-won't-eat-that-unless-I'm-on-a-reality-show foodstuff in the world and chances are that balut is at the very top. Few foods provoke such strong reactions as this Filipino snack with a surprise inside, arousing either passionate devotion or abject disgust. But there is much more to eating balut than just a double dog dare.
Pesto alla PilipinasSo here's the deal: I've just spent three weeks - THREE WEEKS - writing The Post From Hell and it's a mess.What began as a piece about a pasta dish turned into a contorted, convoluted composition about smoke detectors, roller coasters and the psychology of culture shock, to which no amount of torturous allegories could bring coherence. Yet, I seriously considered finishing and
Whipped Feta, Jams & Homemade Crisp FlatbreadFork in the Road is a series of posts in which I recount the places we've been, recreate the most memorable meals we've enjoyed, and rehabilitate the ones we'd otherwise rather forget. After several relaxing days with my family in Redondo Beach, eating my fill of strawberry cupcakes, Mr. Noodle and I continued our roadtrip along one of the most
Rice DogShortly after our family moved from the Philippines to Canada, I had my first taste of 'real' spaghetti at an Ottawa restaurant, the name of which I no longer recall. But I do remember my eagerness at ordering this special dish which I got to eat only at parties and special occasions. All too soon, however, my excitement turned into bitter disappointment as I carefully examined the plate o
Deep-fried TawilisAn Island AfirePerhaps there had been a cool breeze that night, dissipating the day's humidity from the air, making it more comfortable to sleep. Perhaps there were some souls still up that night, finishing the last of the day's chores, moving about in the soft glow of candlelight or under the gentle beam of moonlight. Perhaps that night began as serenely and restfully as others
Lentils and LongganisaWaking up just shy of noon with a woozy head and the need for a really large cup of coffee can only mean one thing: a most excellent party the night before!In the past, Mr. Noodle and I have spent New Year's Eve by counting down to midnight with the television, then sleepily exchanging chaste kisses before climbing into bed at 12:03 a.m. But since moving to Manila two months
Saltine ToffeesNot so long ago, I looked for the most vivid sights and cheeriest sounds of Christmas in the shopping mall: colorful merchandise displayed in store windows, the swish of a credit card followed by the beep-boop-boop of the cash register and the crackling of shopping bags as they're jostled in the crush of holiday gift-hunters. No virtual shopping for me: I preferred being in the clim
Slow-Roasted Strawberry CupcakesThe Noodle transition from Minnesota hotdish to Philippine palayok is nearly complete! Our stuff has (mostly) arrived, the dog has grudgingly accepted the small balcony that is now our only outdoor space and I'm getting the hang of my half-sized stove and oven. In the few weeks since moving to Manila, I've been exploring the local foodscape and have already found so
The BBLT - a beefy take on a classic sandwichThey say you can't take it with you, but when it comes to foodstuff and cookware, they can't stop me from trying.With just four weeks to pack up our house before the big move to the Philippines, I've been cramming as much of my kitchen as will fit into the few boxes already stuffed with our worldly goods bound for Asia. Given such limited space, I
Mighty MooncakeCarpe Luna - Seize the MoonOr should I say, seize the mooncake . . . This week, Mr. Noodle and I shared a single, solitary mooncake in celebration of the Mid Autumn Festival. The paltriness of our pastry was not for lack of trying: we had planned to feast on a quartet of these hefty traditional treats, carefully carried all the way back to Minnesota from Malaysia. But they were
Wild Rice & Candy Cap Mushroom Scones Dainty teacups and delicate saucers. White linen and lace doilies. Clotted cream and sweet jam. Genteel, elegant and civilized, they make the perfect setting for tea and scones. But there comes a time when a proper young baked good needs to escape the stuffy parlor and roll free in the great outdoors . . .Such was my inspiration for this month's
Lumpiang SariwaHow much do I love Filipino food? Very much. So, please forgive me for being giddy with pride that this cuisine in which I find great pleasure, satiety and comfort seems to be on everyone's lips, if not immediately in their bellies.Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate.com posted an article heralding Filipino food as possibly the next big dining trend. It has certainly bee
This post was written for 5 Star Foodie Natasha's Makeover Summer '10 Special and she has generously agreed that I could post it here, too! Please be sure to check out the other entries (listed at the end of this post) as well as more to come until the end of August. If you are not yet familiar with Natasha's site, then read no further - just head straight to 5 Star Foodie. The name says it all .
Lamb and Piñon Stuffed FrybreadI hope you'll enjoy Fork in the Road, a series of posts in which I recount the places we've been, recreate the most memorable meals we've enjoyed, and rehabilitate the ones we'd otherwise rather forget. Last time, the Roadtrip Dinner Redux was in Santa Fe, New Mexico and a simple side dish of Posole. Heading west, we found ourselves in Flagstaff,
Chocolate Coco-Macadamia Nut BitesMy sisters and I never shared - our clothes, that is.Oh sure, there were the inevitable hand-me-downs when we were kids and had no say in the matter. In fact, my sister L and I looked so close in age despite the 15 months separating our births that our mother would often dress us like twins. But even then, we were different: same clothes, but hers in trimmed in bl
Raspberry-Blueberry Cream Cheese ShortcakeDuring the most frigid days of a Minnesota winter, when the mercury plummets precipitously in November's arctic chill until March, when the lion and the lamb battle it out for symbolic weather supremacy, any thoughts of eating fresh local food are encased in a block of ice. It's not easy picturing just-picked green vegetables and colorful sun-rip
I hope you'll enjoy Fork in the Road, a series of posts in which I recount the places we've been, recreate the most memorable meals we've enjoyed, and rehabilitate the ones we'd otherwise rather forget. The Roadtrip Dinner Redux kicked off in North Platte, Nebraska with a dish of Shichimi-Spiced Soba Noodles; now, we head south to New Mexico to revisit a simple side dish that stole the spotlight .
Hot Fuzz: when Margarita meets Fuzzy NavelLeave it to a Duo from sunny L.A. to heat things up . . .During last month's Thirsty Thursday Challenge, hosted by the Diva on a Diet at Beach Eats, Chrystal and Amir of The Duo Dishes offered up a victorious beverage with their Pineapple Sage Cocktail. For their winning effort, the toothsome twosome had the privilege of choosing the special ingredient for
Roadtrip Dinner Redux: Shichimi-Spiced Soba Noodles"When you come to a fork in the road - take it." -- Yogi BerraWhen the legendary New York Yankees Hall of Famer offered this snippet of sagacity, it was chalked up as yet another nonsensical utterance from a master of malapropism. After all, how can one simultaneously travel two divergent paths? As it turns out, Mr. Berra is as profound
On the Go GoldfishA roadtrip paved with good intentions isn't always a smooth ride.The last time Mr. Noodle and I went on a long holiday, my metabolism decided to take a break, too, leaving me at the mercy of an unforgiving all-you-can-eat hotel buffet. Two weeks and ten pounds later, I was back at home, unpleasantly plump and determined never to let vacation eating get the best of me again.
Bluegrass Iced Tea: two Noodles make one drink!This past week began on a sweet note with Black Raspberry Cheesecake Pots - my contribution to Hay Hay It's Donna Day, a great food blog event hosted this month by Mardi of Eat.Live.Travel.Write. Now, it comes to a refreshing close with yet another blog-to-blog collaboration - the Thirsty Thursday Challenge with the divine Diva on A Diet of Beach Eats
Black Raspberry Cheesecake Pots"Make hay while the sun shines."Meaning: Take advantage of an opportunity when favorable circumstances arise, before they quickly change.Origins: References an agricultural past when farmers had to take advantage of a limited period of good weather to harvest and dry hay for the winter. The earliest record of this proverb appears in John Heywood's 'A dialog
Lemon Rice with Ramps & CashewsI give up.Actually, I'm giving up for the second time: the first instance was supposed to have been the basis for a blog post - a post that simply refused to be written. After three weeks of trying to coax a reasonably interesting essay from a jumble of thoughts, all I have to show is a screenful of blah. So, I give up . . . again.And it's the smartest thin
