MERRY CHRISTMAS!

PATA TIIM

1 whole pork pata (front)
1 whole garlic
a thumb-sized piece of ginger
1 whole onion
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
a teaspoon of dried oregano
salt
1/2 c. of soy sauce
1/8 c. of honey
sesame seed oil
a bunch of pechay (pei tsai), ends trimmed

Wash the pata wall. Scape off the skin with a knife. Remove any remaining hair. Make a deep incision on the joint that separates the leg from the feet. Place in a large cooking pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, removing scum as it rises. Pour in the soy sauce and or honey. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, peppercorns, oregano, bay leaf and star anise. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Cool in the sauce. When cool, transfer to a plate and continue cooling.

Strain the sauce. Add more salt if necessary.

Place the pata in an oven proof dish and place in the oven set at maximum heat. Cook until the rind starts to get puffy. Remove from the oven and transfer to a clean heat proof bowl. Pour over the strained sauce. Steam over simmering water for another 40 to 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the trimmed pechay. Turn off the heat and drizzle with a teaspoonful of sesame seed oil.

MENUDO

1 kilo pork (menudo cut or in cubes)
200 grms pork liver (cut into cubes)
500 grms potato cut into cubes (can be 250 grams)
500 grms carrots cut into cubes (can be 250 grams)
6 cloves garlic, minced (divide into 2: for marinade and sauteing)
1 large onion, chopped (divide into 2: for marinade and sauteing)
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 red bellpepper, sliced
1 small can liver spread
1 can vienna sausage or hotdogs (optional)
2 tbps Soysauce
2 tbps vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

marinade pork into vinegar, soysauce, salt and pepper, garlic and onion for about 30 mins.

while marinating, you can fry the potatoes and carrots (half cook)

saute garlic, onion and tomatoes then add the marinated pork. dont mix, just pour in the the marinated pork into pan for 15 mins without mixing.

then mix it to cook evenly, add liver, sausages or hotdogs, then the halfcooked potatoes and carrots.

let it simmer for about 10 mins. then add the liver spread, salt ang pepper to taste. then add the sliced red bell pepper. let it simmer again for another 5 mins.

PICHI PICHI

you'll need the ff:

cassave grater
blender
steamer
small tin cups or muffin pans
coconut grater

Ingredients:
2 cups grated cassave (kamoteng kahoy)
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
grated coconut

1. peel cassave and grate finely with a metal grater over a large bowl.

2. add water and sugar to cassave then mix well.

3. process cassava mixture in a blender or food processor to get a smooth texture. Add drops of food color if you want.

4. pour mixture into small tin cups. arrange tin cups in a steamer filled 1/3 with water. Over medium heat, steam, covered, until cassave mixute becomes transparent, about 15 minutes.

5. remove the pichi pichi from tin cups. Coat with freshly grated coconut.

BUKO PANDAN

you will need:

8 leaves of Pandan - cleaned well
5 Buko (Coconut)not too hard, not too soft- Grated to strips
Water from 5 Buko (approx. 10 cups)
3 small cans of Nestle Cream
1 medium can of Condensed Milk
2 bars of Green Gulaman
1 3/4 Cups Sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
1 cup Kaong or nata de coco (optional)

Boil buko water from 5 coconuts together with 8 pandan leaves that are individually twisted to break the fibers and expose the juice. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Before adding 2 bars of gulaman, make sure you remove the pandan leaves and check if the remaining coconut water is equal to 8 cups - 1 bar of gulaman is good for 4 cups of liquid. If it is not 8 cups, less will mean hard gulaman and more than 8 cups will result in mushy soft gulaman.
Ensuring gulaman is well-dissolved stir well. Add sugar while mixing. Do this for 5 minutes.

Pour through a strainer into cooling trays. Wait till it cools and hardens, then put in fridge.

Meanwhile, mix the grated buko with the 3 cans of cream and 1 can of condensed milk.
Add kaong or nata de coco if you prefer (i prefer nata de coco).

Get gulaman (gelatin) from ref and cut into cubes. Mix with buko mixture.

Chill.

STUFFED MILKFISH

1 medium sized Bangus (milkfish)
250 grams Ground pork
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons Calamansi juice (philippine lemon)
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
Dash of Salt
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 cloves, crushed gralic
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/3 cup chopped raisins
1/8 cup chopped pickles
1/3 cup peas, drained
1/4 cup carrots, diced finely
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cooking oil

Procedure

1. Clean Fish. Pound to soften.
2. Slit back to open and remove backbone. Scrape meat with a spoon. Keep skin 1 piece. (or just ask the fish vendor to do it for you)
3. Marinade skin with calamansi juice, soy sauce and pepper. Set aside.
4. Boil bangus meat with pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water, 10 mins. Set Aside. Drain and remove bones.
5. Saute garlic, tomatoes and onions in hot oil. Add ground pork then add bangus meat and season. Cook 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from fire.
6. Add in butter, peas, raisins, carrots, pickles and egg. Mix thoroughly/
7. Stuff bangus skin with the mixture.
8. Roll the Bangus in flour and fry or bake until brown.

BAKED MUSSELS

you will need:

* 1 kilo fresh large tahongs
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup grated cheese
* 1/2 cup bread crumbs (optional)

Place tahong on a pan (no water), cover and cook over moderate heat. When shells open up, drain. Remove top shell.

Melt butter, add minced garlic. Stir for 3 minutes. Brush each tahong meat with butter-garlic mixture, top with grated cheese and cover with bread crumbs.

Arrange tahong on a baking sheet. Bake in pre-heated oven with a low heat (250F). Bake for 10 - 15 minutes.