Squid Tales: Speedy, Simple and Spectacular

Hostel Risotto

A typical backpack traveller in Australia lives on some $2 a meal or even less depending what state you are in and the grocery stores available.  The cheapest ones so far is Adelaide and Sydney from my experience. Patriots from each state would react otherwise. For me, I only trust Coles but was told that the cheapest was Aldi’s but you have to be lucky to get a hostel near the latter. I am quite picky about my hostels, not with the amenities, but with the kind of travellers they attract. Some tends to attract rough and dodgy ones while others are simply magnets to The Lost Boys of Never-Never Land. These hostels are usually rustic and repulsive from a distance but you would be surprised how better they are from the well maintained ones. After all, travelling is not about comfort but experience. A close encounter with character.  A dance with the devil under the pale moonlight.

A typical meal would be instant noodles but I have seen industrious ones that would make it a point to eat healthy salads and fruit. A hostel meal doesn’t have to be boring nor does it have to be expensive.  You just need to get out of the box and not fuzz about it. You are travelling and will get your healthy fix when you get back home.

In Melbourne, Nomads All Nations provide free pasta and rice all day including coffee and sugar. Chances are, you will see free items in the fridge, that is groceries left behind by travellers moving on the tourist trail. For Hostel Risotto, you will need the following:

Rice                                1cup                 free

Garlic Mince                 2pieces           $2 for a bag which will last your some two weeks or check the free section of the fridge

Onions                           1pieces            $2 for a bag which will last you some two weeks or check the free section of the fridge

Butter                             150g                $1.50 for 250g Coles Brand

Canned Mussels            1can                $2.30

Cream                              100ml            $2 Coles Brand

Cask Wine White          100ml             $12 for 7 Litres which you will drink at night anyways

Salt                                   10g                  $1.50 for a 1kg bag or try asking a fellow traveller

Pepper                              2g                   $2.30

Makes Two Serves

1. On high heat, put 50g of butter in a hot pan until it melts with still a bit of bubble simmering

2. Sautee garlic and onions until it turns to an aromatic pulp known as a sofrito.

3. Add 1 cup of the free rice and sauté until it becomes like pearl

4. Deglaze with 100ml cask white wine

5. Add 2 cups of hot salted water (one ladle at a time) mixing the risotto until water is cooked off (you will get a creamy finish at the end of the process)

6. Take of the heat and add 100g of more butter on the risotto (let the remaining heat do the melting and mix thoroughly with the risotto base)

7. In a separate pot, reduce cream with canned mussels until you reach a good thick reduction.  That should infuse the taste of the mussels in the reduction as well

8. Turn of the heat and add your risotto base to the reduction and serve on a flat plate (I doubt if you will find any pasta bowl in the hostels)

You may save the second serve for the next meal or try to pick up another traveller with the second plate (hehe!)

Make sure you drink the rest of the cask wine in the evening. Don’t be square and mingle with other travellers.

Bon Appetite!

 

South Beach Diet

Scrambled eggs of a lone piece of egg, sliced onions and diced tomatoes that is cooked in extra virgin olive oil. How does that sound for morning breakfast? Complete the first part of your morning with Nescafe (has more anti-oxidants than ordinary coffee according to their commercials), half-filled teaspoon of sugar, and non-fat milk. Now, you’re set for that 100-meter dash to the office. Don’t give me that “will-that-fill-you-up” crap. A meal is just like life, unfulfilling, especially in this idiot-infested world of ours!

Ten o’clock, you fiddle in your worn-out office chair having baby boomer vintage wheels that don’t work. Air conditioning is horrible in this government office whose expertise is energy. There is not a pretty sight to look at and power dressing inexistent in a government office that is in the business of power. No event to prepare for thanks to twin nincompoops in upper management who has got stage fright. Too early for a drink and concerned body organs have begun complaining of excessive smoking, you resort to the next best thing … eating! What better stuff to fill your hunger pangs than boiled cabbage yum! Don’t give me that “no-taste” crap. A meal is just like life, No Taste!

Thirty minutes past eleven o’ clock. Finally, half of the day is done. Colleagues in the office signals for lunch break. For this meal, a can of omega-3 Century Tuna in Brine. Again, don’t give me that “that’s boring” crap. A meal is like life and not quite a delicacy!

Tick! Tuck! Tick! Tuck! Three o clock! Spencer (the resident baby cockroach of your office desk) makes a dash across your PC monitor. Time for that colourful snack again. No, not Spencer but the unsalted cabbage! Don’t give me that why not have the more glamorous lettuce crap! A meal is like life, plain, boring and lacking in glamour.

Four o’ clock and you get more impatient as lesser time is left to twitch on. What more pacifying a snack than a handful of nuts and almonds. Don’t give me that “you’ll get sick for not eating enough” crap. A meal is like life, its lack of colour gives you a frequent visit to the modern torture chamber that they call a hospital.

Last five minutes! Last two minutes! Thirty seconds, ten seconds and a buzzer beater task from the desk of the division chief! You wake up from your power nap and realize that it was just a nightmare.

It’s ten minutes past five o’clock. Don’t you just love the sunset! Seven o’ clock. You grab two fillets of snapper from the refrigerator, which you took down from the freezer this morning. For dinner, sprinkle rose marry on the snapper, place above the heated pan, and broil to a brown. Don’t put oil or butter and especially none of that disgusting mayonnaise. Add some steamed cabbage. On those rare occasions that you have extra money, treat yourself to steamed broccoli and cauliflowers too. A meal is like life, you only get a treat once in a blue moon so savour the moment! Night life will always be a part of life. It’s a temporary relief from your frustrated attempt to achieve your childhood dreams. Yes, it’s not a permanent solution but then again, nothing is. For drinks, a presentable glass of wine to be sipped slowly. Drinks are also a resemblance life, it was meant to be consumed slowly and with pleasure. In case you wish to eat anything with it, what more to compliment it than tofu sticks and Mama Sita’s Chili Sauce Yum!

Originally written on Friendster

South Beach Diet

April 6th, 2006 by joshmarlo

Note: The Lifestyle Chef was in the dumps of a Mid Life Crisis when he first wrote this. He was then an International and External Relations Officer of the Philippine Department of Energy and just broke up with his first serious girlfriend. His current state of disposition is way much better now!

Healthier Options in a Buffet

There are a couple of reasons to lambast anti-socials who are either against style because their freedom to wear hideous worn out tradie boots or eat cholesterol-filled 500g tradie tuckers is threatened by the fashionista. For one, style is a discipline. It takes a lot of self-restrain to assert one’s disposition and talk- write- party your way into high society with your radical views. For example, it would take some nerve and extra rare confidence for a man to sport red leather moccasins with matching red belt. It takes will power for a woman to sport blood red velvet boots in a humid cosmopolitan district such as Bonifacio High Street or Burgos Circle in Manila. Finally, it takes a lot of discipline to keep yourself away from those irresistibly tempting fatty parts of Pork Belly, Rump Steak and lots of Chips.

 

In reality, an obsession for style and chic lifestyle makes a healthy balanced diet easier to follow. Fine dining involves etiquettes that minimize your servings to small bites. For example, etiquette endears us to limit our slices of lamp chops to three pieces at a time and to be consumed slowly and with pleasure. The choice of simple salt and peppered steamed broccoli instead of the MSG-infested street style vegetable preparation limits our intake of cellulites and undesirable carbs from highly salted and starchy sauces. The use of fork and knives instead of a spoon keeps us from over raking cups of refined white rice into our already sugar-saturated bodies and leave more allowance for socially essential fixations like Starbucks hot mocha or some Crispy Crème donuts to compliment a stressful day at work. In other words, moderation seems to be the prime characteristic of a stylish dinner and we all have heard our nutritionists cry out for moderation in everything we intake. An obsession to be stylish in eating naturally puts a check on our consumption and choice of food.

 

In contrast, an obsession with your freedom to eat just anything is not only unchic but detrimental to your health. Need I tell you the heart and liver implications of eating Sisig like a swine it comes from (I’m an animal lover and believe in Animal Rights just to be clear lol). There maybe some who will find my disposition antagonistic towards cuisine that is monumental to certain cultures and I apologize. I am simply pointing out the advantage of being refined and cultured in our style of eating.

 

Keeping your style in a buffet

 

For many, the buffet is your ultimate temptation to fat and cellulites but for the stylish individual, it is a salvation from “lack of choices”. In your usual food court, diner is limited to a cup of rice, a piece of meat and soggy vegetables. Chances are the diner will chomp on the rice and meat and leave the vegetables out. In a buffet, you are given more vegetable options and probably prepared enticingly such as buttered with parsley. The most common sight in a buffet is a diner having a mountain of fat, cellulites and sugar on his plate by the time he reaches the end of the buffet table. The trick in a buffet is for you to hover over the dishes first. Scan and take a mental pick on what you will have. It is also important to categorize. A third of your plate should consist of vegetables, another third with meats of your choice (two pieces of each max), and a scoop of rice, pasta or baked potatoes small enough to fit an enclosed fist.Remember that a buffet is an occasion. We get to eat rice all the time so why not take advantage of the healthier (and more expensive) meats and vegetable meals on such a day? Begin your meal with a bowl of soup as an entrée and your are set for a stylish dinner.

 

Upon sitting, remember that a buffet is not just a dinner but an occasion. Take your time in consuming the food and take advantage of small talks with fellow diners to lengthen the pace of your eating. Begin with your soup and finish it. This should make you half-full and restrain yourself from attacking your main meal like. Next, consume your vegetables piece by piece with a fork. Most vegetables prepared in fine places are slightly seasoned or salted. Finishing it before you partake of the meats help you enjoy the vegetables more. Our taste buds are designed to enjoy a succession of bland to salty and not the other way around. Next, slice your meats to small bite sizes three pieces at a time. Like your vegetables, consume them by piece and slowly. You may want to join the small table discussion during this phase of your dinner. Do not worry that you may find little time to consume your rice or go for another serving. It’s beneficial for us to eat lesser carbs and refrain ourselves from a second serving. Besides, carbohydrates are cheap and you can easily consume more of them during ordinary days. There is usually fruit in a buffet and you may choose that over cakes and pastries. If its of any inspiration to you, Italians – who are known for fine dining, is accustomed to eating fruits for dessert.

 

Eating in style is a healthier option. The more you get yourself into the etiquette of fine dining, the more you will find yourself fitting into those glamorous clothes you’ve been window shopping in vain. You may also Google for South Beach Diet for healthier options in preparing meals at home.

 

An effort to plate up in a buffet goes a long way

 

Eat all you can in style!

 

 

The Inspiration of Upland Cavite

The hills and mountains of upland Cavite has been traditionally a perfect breeding ground for cattle, livestock and pineapple. Majority of residents are small business owners based on farming or community services, professionals and teachers. Though very traditional and conservative in social and economic picturesque, it is safe to say that poverty is practically inexistent in this province filled with history and culinary culture. As late as the early 1990s, the town of Silang, where my Lola Francisca (Kikay) hails from, was dotted by 18th century houses that bore the character of the Revolution that gave birth to a nation.

Cavite is seat of the Filipino Revolution, being home to the Magdalo, the republican elements of the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan that became the First Philippine Republic and rising courtiers of Imperial Manila. As such, the ways and food of Cavite bears the perfect character for Filipino Haute Cuisine and a gourmet kitchen.

The conspiracy of Caviteño Regional Cooking and Nouvelle Cuisine brings forth the revival of Filipino Haute Cuisine. A beautiful marriage that brings to life a whole experience of revolution, food and culture!

MORCON CAVITEÑA on a contemporary fusion with Fettuccine tossed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Freshly Cracked Pepper and Parsley

The Joy of Cooking

My mother makes me chicken

but her chicken makes me cough

If only before she cooked it

she had taken the feathers off!

– from the movie Unfaithful

Grilled Bean Curd Steak in vegetable jus with caramelised onions and parsley

I have recently been touched by a series of coverages my Mercy for Animals, a non-profit organisation exposing the cruelty behind animal farming for commercial purposes. Even the methods of producing seemingly ethical milk from lactating cows deprived of their babies so humans could have them instead. How much milk do we throw away for it’s expiry date or buying too much? Baby cows are taken away from their mothers to be made into veal. Animals are like modern day gladiators. They bleed and live in slavery. They suffer from violence for the pleasure of human gastronomy and food culture. The least we can do is give them a proper life until the time of their final journey under the butcher’s knife through free range farming and ethical methods of meat packing.

Introducing my first Vegan creation inspired by French methods of cookery, nouvelle cuisine and traditional Australian using no animal-derived products of whatsoever. Grilled bean curd or more popularly known as tofu, jus made from caramelised garlic and onions deglazed with lemon juice and soy sauce, the classic Australian favourite of grilled onions and final sprinkling of chopped parsley. It is served on a bed of brown rice. Oil used was extra canola, known to have the least content of bad fat and finished with extra virgin olive oil for it’s fragrance. Mercy for Animals! Bon appetite!

French-style Scotch Fillet in Red Wine Jus with Potato Frites and Buttered Carrots

Seared King Fish in Fennel Jus

My latest creation of Seared King Fish in Fennel Jus. In a pan, sauté some shallots and mushrooms until caramelized. Add fennel including the tops and sauté until it brings out the aroma and flavour of the fennel. Add have a cup of fish and simmer to about two minutes until it thickens to a good consistency. Turn of the heat and add knobs of butter, stir gently until incorporated into the jus. On a pan, sear both sides of the king fish in butter and finish in the oven to about five minutes. Garnish with Snow Pea Sprouts. Voila!

The Art of Reduction

I quote Chef Gustave from the movie Ratatouille when he said “Anyone can cook”.  Truly, after an inspiring two years of cooking school and hospitality and working my way around the kitchens of Australia, I could definitely agree that anyone can create flair with food.  One only needs inspiration, imagination and technical knowledge.

Unfortunately, many chefs in the industry are drop outs and do note like school, which probably explains their lack of culture and elegance in manner.  Yet cooking is more than just ingredients or a recipe.  I quote Marco Pierre White when he said “cooking is a philosophy”.  Indeed, cooking is a principle and one only needs to know the art of French cookery to understand how cuisines around the world are able to bring out the flavour from their produce.  Let us begin by enumerating basic techniques in French kitchens:

Caramelization

From the word caramel which is quite familiar to most of us and means cooked sugar, caramelization literally means applying heat and cooking the sugar content in vegetables and meat.  Most French cooking begins with caramelization, that is cooking onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, leeks and other bases for flavour in butter until they “caramelize” or the cooking of these items reaches an aroma and colour that is delectable.  This is usually achieved at medium high fire to create that sizzle sound and desired chemical reaction between the cold vegetables and hot butter.  To achieve good caramelization, one must be careful with the amount of fire to use, which is high enough to create that sizzle but not weak enough to drench your Sofrito in fat.

Glaze

Upon caramelization, the vegetables will reach a point where it has glazed the bottom of the pan with caramelized sediments from the vegetables and meat that you have been cooking.  By this time, you would have achieved a good color and aroma.  Do not lower the fire at all cost and in fact should increase fire at this point for you will apply the next technique.

Deglaze

By pouring cold liquid in your hot glazed pan, the abrupt change in temperature or contact of extremely hot and cold matter will release the glaze and flavour from the bottom of the pan.  This is what you call deglaze.  In most European cooking, white wine is poured over the glaze in order to deglaze.  With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan and release those flavours.  But the cooking process does not end here.

Reduction

After pouring your cold liquid, allow to cook further until it reduces to a point that you can hear the sizzle again.  That right, you have to cook part of that precious white wine away to intensify the flavour and marry all the flavours that you have produced during the cooking process up to this point.  To complete the cooking process, add more liquid such cream, stock or even water and further reduce to a consistency that you have brought out the flavour from the meat.  As a last note, remember that salt and pepper is not for flavour but rather to used to release the natural flavour of what you are cooking.

Now that we’ve gone through the basics of French cookery, let us apply these techniques to a cuisine half way around the world from Europe in a country called the Philippines.  We will cook what we call an Adobo.

On a pan, sautee some garlic and onions in margarine until they caramelize.  Add bay leaves, salt and pepper to the sofrito or your garlic and onion sautee. Add your chicken and pork and cook until they brown and caramelize. Cook until you achieve a glaze then deglaze with cane vinegar.  Reduce the vinegar and cook them away and add soy sauce.  Again reduce the soy sauce until you hear the sizzle again and add your water.  Reduce until the sauce reaches a consistency, aroma and flavour. Best served with plain steamed rice and side vegetables.

Now let’s apply French cookery to a more popular Asian dish known as the Stir Fry.  Depending on what you want to put, stir fry your vegetables with a pinch of salt and pepper in the wok until they caramelize. Add your spices until they glaze.  At high fire, deglaze with lemon juice and reduce until it cooks away.  Further deglaze with soy sauce and reduce.  Add your blanched noodles and stir.

Voila!

 

Semi-Dry Hard Boiled Egg Adobo