Happy New Years: Pancit

The New Year is approaching soon, in just a few hours. Are you ready? You know there a few Filipino Superstitions for bringing in good luck.
1) Wear Polka Dots
2) Jump Up and Down when the clock strikes midnight
3)Have a bowl of 13 different kinds of round Fruits
4)Eat noodles for long life
5) Have money in your pockets for good fortune
6) Have grapes hanging on your door and eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight
7) Have a clean home to welcome in the New Year (I'm not sure if this is for luck or just something my mom does)
8) All lights should also be turned on in your home during the new year

9) Be really loud when the clock strikes midnight
10) Scatter money/coins around your home

Here is my pancit recipe. There are a lot of different types of pancit. This one is most close to a Pancit Bihon, which uses thin rice starch noodles.

1 tbsp Red Palm Oil
4 carrots: 2 inch julienne
2 celery stalks
1/2 Yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
Chicken breast, sliced to 2" pieces
1 pack rice starch noodles
3 tbsp soy
1 qt box Chicken stock

Garnish:
Shallot and garlic oil
Fresh Green onions
Fresh Cilantro
Lemons

Vegetables: to be traditional: use Asian vegetables such as snow peas and cabbage. I like to go seasonal and local and use whatever vegetables I have available. Today is is spaghetti squash and kale. I've used asparagus, and chard before as well. Using spaghetti squash is great as it just mimics the look of the pancit noddles and adds a nice yellow hue to dish. Kids won't even notice the extra veggies they are eating! You can also go starch free and nix out the noddles all together, and just substitute spaghetti squash for the noodles.

Saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Add vegetables until cooked. I like to keep the color in my vegetables and not let it overcook. Put aside. In same pan, add chicken, sear, add soy sauce, and chicken stock. Add dried noodles. Mix until all noodles have soaked up all noddles.

Mix in half the veggies. Transfer to serving platter. Add the other half of veggies for topping,

Create the shallot and garlic oil. Heat oil at medium heat. Add shallots and garlic oil. Cook until golden brown. Add oil on top of noodles.

Garnish with cilantro and green onions. Serve with lemon slices and have eaters squeeze the lemon on right before they eat it.

13 north

13 north refers to Guam's latitudinal placement. 13 north is a pop up restaurant in San Francisco, headed by Chef Bayani Inclano. The menu usually showcases the flavors of Guam and Philippines. A few nights ago, they hosted a small dinner to help send aid to the Philippines for Typhoon Hayain. I've never had Filipino food like this: seasonal, local, beautifully plated, and unexpected. The following photos are of our meal, including dishes that reminded me of sinigang, pinakbet, and ginataan. Our amuse buche of a coconut panacota, oil, and shrimp paste was perfect for starting our meal. It was an indication of the creative and fresh flavors we were about to ingest.  First course was a tamarind soup with the freshest and lightest cod in it. His personal touches to the soup included using what seemed like dried tomatoes and of course, a tamarind broth, made from actual tamarinds. The juniper pork belly in the our second course was well seasoned, fell apart tender, but was also had a crispy crust. It was definitely one of the best and different pork dishes I've ever had. I also appreciated how seasonal it was having just seen fresh juniper branches being sold while I was buying my Christmas tree.  This dish also had a good mix of textures, including a kombocha squash puree, crunchy okra, and fresh bitter greens. The intermezzo of tart calamansi granita and fresh papaya sorbet was refreshing and made my mouth water. It made me think of Starbust candy. Not sure if you get what I mean. The dessert of granola, coconut milk, pomergranates, bluelerries, and fresh coconut meat (we heard Chef whacking that coconut open), tapioca pearls,  and basil  was served warm  and was perfect for the cold weather.

Mulled wine

I love hot cocktails, don't you? One of my favorite places to have a warm cocktail is on top if Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach, CA. There's a bar on the rooftop, and it gets cold and windy of course, but they provide blankets and heaters. You could see up and down the coast. It's beautiful. You also get your own private table. And then nothing sets the mood perfect than with a warm cocktail in your hand. Their's is summery and light with notes of pear to match the beach but it is winter now and what we need is something comforting. Here my recipe for mulled wine.

1 bottle Red wine, I used a Spanish wine that only set me back 7.99

1 whole star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

1 lime, rind and juice

1 lemon, rind and juice

1 tbsp vanilla 

1/2 brown sugar 

You have to melt the sugar and rind and juice of all the citruses  first. You don't want the alcohol from the wine to cook off. Add the spices.  Add the wine and let it get warm about 110 degrees F. Add vanila. Add rum last. Serve warm!

Moscow mules

Moscow mules are my favorite drink at the moment. I remember my first one took me aback as I found ginger beer too strong. I couldn't help but think of soup when I was drinking it, thinking of a popular Filipino soup that had ginger in it called Tinola. And then I don't know what came over me, I became addicted. And it is now my favorite thing to order. To make Moscow mules, you will need:

Copper mug

Crushed ice

Lime 

Vodka 

Ginger beer 

Fresh mint

 

Moscow mules are NOT the same when they are not drunk out of a copper mug. It keeps it super cold! And it is so refreshing!  

Fill mug with crushed ice. I prefer pellet ice, you know, like the one at Coffee bean and tea leaf but you can't buy that!

Add 2 oz vodka, 6 oz ginger beer, and juice of 1.5 limes. Add about 3 leaves of mint In the drink, and stir, and the garnish with a sprig of mint and lime peel. Like so. Enjoy! 

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is the first thing they teach you in culinary school so it's fitting that this is the first recipe I am posting. It's super easy to put together.  All you do is take onions, veggies (usually zucchini and eggplant), sauté until golden brown, add garlic and tomato, then top with fresh basil. This morning I added both fresh mozerella and goat cheese in the end! How decadent! I also had mine with potatoes, scrambled eggs, and pepper turkey bacon.

 

1st post

First post and I want the ground running. I really wanted to do this so I have a place for people who are interested in what I do, eat, think, or cook can go to without me feeling like I am bombarding my Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter feed. Where to start is the questions?