Sybaritic Diversions

Meme: The Cook Next Door

On 12 June 2005, Nicky of the food blog Delicious Days tagged three other people and kicked off The Cook Next Door, an amazing meme that has enabled the world's foodbloggers to share a bit more of their respective backgrounds and the very foundations of their love for food and cooking. 

For this particular meme, - in fact, the very first that SybDive is participating in, I was tagged by the wonderful ChichaJo of the equally wonderful blog 80 Breakfasts.  (Unfortunately, I have no idea who to tag next!)  Anyways, on to the meme:

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?
I tried baking chocolate-chip cookies in my mother's turbo broiler when I was about fourteen.  I was trying to impress a guy in my sophomore-year class.  Unfortunately, I set the timer wrong and ended up with a scorched mess!

Who had the most influence on your cooking?
My maternal grandmother, the late Francisca Esperas vda. de Kagawan, used to regale me with stories of the recipes she cooked when my mother and her sibs were kids and the food they ate whilst traveling with my grandfather who was in the diplomatic service.  In fact, I think the whole maternal side of my family contributed to my love of food and cooking since they all loved to eat and cooked magnificently.

Do you have an old photo as "evidence" of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?
**blushes in embarrassment**  Er, I do, but the evidence points to a severe case of childhood gluttony that remains unresolved to this day.

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?
I have major issues about cooking pancit Canton (the Filipino take on chow mein).  I've refused to cook the darned dish ever since I made the mistake of using the wrong stock cubes for the broth.  (I accidentally used sinigang - sour soup - cubes instead of chicken bouillon!)

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?
My mom's turbo broiler - same one I used for that scorched first batch of cookies - has pride of place as the gadget of choice.  It's this hand-powered food processor my mother bought off one of those home-TV-shopping shows that lies idle all day.  Bloody useless thing that was!

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like and probably no one else.
Suman (sticky rice logs wrapped in banana leaves) and Chinese-style stewed pork.  Worse, I also like melting slices of Edam cheese over boiled rice and sliced chorizos de Bilbao.  But the real killer has to be instant lomi spruced up with frozen squid balls and quekiam. ^_^

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don't want to live without?
Dark chocolate, my mother's paella Valenciana, and salmon sashimi.

Favorite ice cream?
Toss-up among Selecta's Monk's Blend Coffee Crumble, Haagen-Dasz's Bailey's, and F.I.C.'s Green Tea.

What food will you probably never eat again?
No question: Kabaya Umeboshi (Pickled Plum) Pretzels.  Never again; it took a month for my tastebuds to recover from that.  **shudders**

Signature dish(es):
Caramel-topped cinnamon rolls, penne al forno, and Chinese-style barbecued ribs.

Question added by Zarah: On average, how many times a week would you cook something to satisfy your sweet tooth?
Once a week; twice when I feel particularly depressed.

Question added by Cathy: What do you usually eat for breakfast?
^_^  The beef hofan  and phoenix claws at Macau Restaurant - twice a week.  Otherwise, I'm a siopao-for-breakfast sort of girl.

Question added by Alice: What are your stand-by dinner options when you don't have the time or the inclination to follow or create a new recipe?
Instant noodles. ^_^  (I'd have said sencha and senbei, but that just wouldn't be me.)

Question added by Karen: What would you like to cook someday that you haven't tried before?
Paul Prudhomme's turducken - but, really, that's godawful ambitious!

Kitchen Essentials

When you've been cooking for as long as I have (which is roughly about ten years) or if you come from a home where food is practically a religion, you probably have a kitchen that's more than up to snuff for preparing both the simplest of snacks and the most elaborate of feasts. 

It doesn't have to have the fanciest appliances (say: a SubZero fridge, an AGA cooker, and a Gaggenau deep-fryer), but it has to have a refrigerator in good condition, a working stove, a proper toaster, and a cupboard well-stocked with essentials. 

Of course, some pieces of kitchen equipment become indispensable in certain circumstances.  If you're Asian (Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, et al), you have to have a rice cooker and a rice dispenser.  (And I feel so sorry for the poor man who had neither in his condo!)  Urbanites [and some suburbanites who are too tired or busy to fix proper meals] should have a microwave oven to heat stuff up.  Oh, and any of the following are absolutely essential: a kettle, a hot-water jug, or a water heater.  Regular SybDive readers know why I insist on these and I guess I need not elaborate here. ^_-

Why am I writing this post today?  This was a suggestion from a friend of mine who pretty much has a lot on her plate and sets great store on microwaveble plastic containers and plastic cutlery.  It was just a notion, but it gave me a lot to think about last night. 

The tastes of many Filipino households have evolved over the past twenty-five years.  Seriously: 25 years ago, the average middle-class Filipino household would have been shocked by such exotic foods like sushi or tom yam goong.  These days, tom yam is just a more exotic take on classic sinigang and sushi is a quick snack you can order from the corner Japanese kiosk.  That said, what we may find essential to our kitchen activities these days may not necessarily be the same ones our mothers and grandmothers had in their cupboards years ago. 

Filipino kitchen buffs these days are more adventurous and are, thus, willing to explore a wealth of culinary possibilities.  While some staples - rice, flour, salt, sugar - are eternal, there are a number of things that have also become a standard part of home gastronomy.  That said, I present my ten most important culinary essentials:

Italian Seasoning   This plays a key role in a number of savory dishes.  You cannot make a fabulous lasagna without this and even a standard-issue meat sauce becomes absolutely heavenly when you throw in a bit of this heady herb mixture.  For simple yet flavorful grilled meats, rub some rock salt and Italian seasoning onto pork or lamb chops about an hour or so prior to grilling.

Pre-packaged/pre-cut salad greens   These are a wonderful way to get your five-a-day veggie fix.  What's more is that they can also be used to add nutritional value to sandwiches.

Chocolate   What manner of kitchen worthy of the title would find itself out of chocolate?!  (I shudder at the thought.)  A stash of chocolate in any form in one's kitchen lends itself well to the preparation of quick desserts.  The ideal set-up would involve a box of unsweetened baking chocolate, a jar of unsweetened cocoa, and a bag of semisweet morsels in the cupboard and a small hoard of eating chocolate in the fridge.

Garlic   Whether you love it or loathe it, you need it.  Otherwise, even the simplest dish of sauteed vegetables will fall flat on its face.  My personal preference is for the minuscule cloves of Ilocano garlic from the north; they're more flavorful than the huge Taiwanese cloves available in many supermarkets.

Commercially-prepared Italian-style Spaghetti Sauce   This forms the basis of many of my savory dishes.  It can be used for dishes other than pasta as a richer alternative to regular tomato sauce.

Balsamic Vinegar   Best for dips and dressings as it's more flavorful than most commercial vinegars.

Extra-virgin Olive Oil   Come on: you can't possibly imagine dipping homemade foccaccia into anything less now, can you?  Vinaigrettes and all manner of salad dressings also come to life with the addition of olio extra-virgine.

Pre-packaged Frozen Fillets   Chicken or fish, fillets are a cook's best friend when it comes to quick lunches or suppers.

Soy Sauce   You should never attempt many Asian recipes without this.  Cheaper brands come into their own when used for traditional braised or stewed dishes; the pricier ones are best used as dips.

Short-grain Rice   This is really versatile and tends to cross cultures.  Use in sushi, maki, temaki, risotto, and paella; you can never go wrong with it.

Well, that's my list.  What about you?  What are the things your kitchen can never be without?  Leave a comment here or drop me a line!

The Organic Way to Get Well

I don’t mind getting sick; in fact it gives me a break from all the stresses I have to face every day. At the same time, it allows me to indulge in a number of pleasurable remedies that should really be part of any sybarite’s home medical kit. That might come as a shock to many of you as you may see no true pleasure in getting sick, but being ill is no excuse for feeling sorry for yourself or for depriving yourself of even the simplest treats. As with virtually every other pleasure in life, the key here is moderation.

With all that said, here’s my list of the things that all suburbanistas should keep in stock:

An Oil Burner This is great for diffusing essential oils into the air either as vapor therapy or for general area disinfection.

Essential Oil of Bergamot The citrus scent of this popular essential oil is said to promote optimism as it helps clear the mind whenever diffused via an oil burner. At the same time, it is a key element in aromatherapy for depression, the common cold, influenza, and seasonal-affective disorder (SAD). When used to scent bath oil or homemade liniment, bergamot becomes a relaxant that helps ease anxiety attacks. Most people, however, prefer to take bergamot internally through a good, hot cup of Earl Gray tea – that popular beverage whose characteristic scent comes from bergamot leaves and flowers.

Tea-Tree Oil A natural antiseptic, tea-tree oil helps the body’s immune system fight off infection both inside and out. As a mouthwash, it helps fight off gum problems, tonsillitis, mouth ulcers, and throat infections. Applied directly, it helps heal abscesses, bed sores, acne, boils, lice, dandruff, wounds, and insect bites. In the batch, it’s a great way to deal with arthritis, colds, dermatitis, infections, scalp disorders, sinusitis, viral infections, nettle rash, babies’ colds and coughs, bronchitis, minor children's infections and for sweaty feet.

Essential Oil of Lavender and Chamomile Used individually or in tandem, these essential oils are great for insomniacs and for calming down the anxious. Chamomile, in particular, is also good for stomach troubles when taken as an herbal tisane.

Essential Oil of Mint This is great for clearing clogged sinuses and knocking out serious headaches. Mint leaves, as mentioned in yesterday’s entry, are good for freshening one’s breath – but I’m pretty sure you figured that one out yourself.

Echinacea This isn’t very common here in the Philippines and can only be found at health-food shops like Healthy Options and GNC. It’s a tincture of echinacea blossoms in alcohol and it’s a great way to stave off bacterial infections. The standard dose is four drops of the tincture mixed with water or fruit juice. By all means, take it with the juice; you not only get some extra Vitamin C into your system, but the juice actually makes the bitter tincture more palatable.

Fruit and Fruit Juices For obvious reasons, of course! You get Vitamin C and fiber at the same time. Have some lemonade or orange, calamansi or dalandan juice to cool down a fever. Eat fresh oranges, grapefruits, and pomelos to stave off bacterial infections. Bananas are good for setting your intestinal flora to rights after a bout of gastric flu or diarrhea, while melons and coconut water keep you from getting dehydrated.

Yoghurt Yes: yoghurt! The live bacteria in yoghurt culture keeps intestinal flora in check. At the same time, lactose-intolerant people can dose up on calcium through this tart, custard-textured dairy treat.

A Sense of the Appropriate

I grew up in a household where children were allowed wine on special occasions even at a relatively early age.  (indeed, it's something of an old joke in the family that my mother once took a few sips of a gin-and-tonic to quell my kicking whilst I was still enwombed. ^_^)  As a result, I'm probably more aware than most people about the etiquette regarding food and alcoholic beverages.  While this knowledge has proven useful more times than I can count over the past several years, it has also made me something of a critic when it comes to the way people behave around food, wine, and the finer things in life.

This sense of the appropriate helped me get rid of one old flame last year.  I once had the [dubious] good fortune of dating an exceptionally handsome guy who was quite intelligent - a real brain, as a matter of fact - but hadn't a particle of sense whatsoever when it came to fine dining and the appreciation of wine. 

Towards the end of a rather tempestuous partnership, we went out for a light supper at my favorite French bistro: one that would consist of a delectable hot mushroom salad with portobelli and shiitake and macarons rose for dessert.  I ordered a glass of the Pinot Noir and sat back to enjoy the evening.

He showed up in jeans and a T-shirt and immediately ordered a Diet Coke.

Mother, pakibaba ang kilay ko't nasira ang elevator!  My eyebrows shot upward in horror at this request.  Diet Coke - at dinner?  In a French bistro?!  C'est redoutable! Quel barbare!  And this is a guy who prides himself on being sophisticated.

Moral of the story: if your man does not know his verities - in vino and otherwise - he's not worth keeping, let alone dating even if he looks like a Greek god.

Caramel Corn (and then Some...)

(Aww...  Look at poor Caramel-san!  Apparently, someone rent him open and took the stuffing out of him.  Tsk, tsk, tsk...)

Yes, this is an actual bag of Tohato Caramel Corn - just like the one mentioned in a previous entry.  I brought it to the office this morning along with a similarly scarlet box of the new Pocky Decorer in Fraise au Chocolat (chocolate-dipped strawberry for those who don't understand French).

Sharing the caramel corn and the Pocky made me somewhat misty-eyed and nostaligic for those not-so-long ago days at my old office when mini-packs of Pocky would suddenly appear on people's desks or a bag of caramel corn curls would be passed around the cluster.  I distinctly remember Mio-san, our project formulation adviser, asking me to stop offering the bag to her.  ("It's a favorite of mine.  But, please: stop!  I'm trying to lose weight!")

Ah, yes: memories...