Recipe - Filipino Cuisine Tips 2 Of 2

Email dialogue between
Manny Rothstein
Dennis Santiago and

MR In Traditional Adobo, can the sauce be reduced or thickened and st MR
be "traditional" (many cooks will adapt these recipes to their tas MR but
I want to be sure I am posting your authentic recipes as a sta MR point).

Actually, no. Not and remain the "traditional" form anyway. I've
personally never seen Filipino cooks tinker with sauce consistency ver
much. There's more experimentation in the area of spice mixtures. As
matter of fact, changing which leafy green vegetable is used in a basi
recipe is used to change the character of the dish. This shouldn't be
surprising when one considers that the Philippines is geographically i
general region of the spice trade. Sauces, meaning manipulations of f
texture, seem to be more of a Western phenomenon.

MR What is the traditional format of a Filipino dinner soup, salad, MR
course or what?).

See above for some of the information. The format of a meal is basica to
put everything on the table at once and have a big free for all. Me are a
time to interact. A period in which the entire family becomes e in it's
enjoyment of another day's survival. The same atmosphere characterizes
parties (fiesta's) where all the food is laid out buffet style. Each person
then chooses what to eat and how much of each sele to eat from the
presentation. [The kids are of course cautioned not t the desserts until
after eating the real food. grin]

Interestingly, like many multicourse European presentations, big Fili
meals tend to stretch out in time as well giving lots of opportunity t
converse. The main difference is that one just keeps going back for mo when
the urge hits then sit down next to someone and chat. More akin t all day
American barbecue.

MR Are Achute seeds the same as Annato seeds?

I'm not sure.

MR What is mochiko (powdered rice) like and what does it do (is it a MR
thickener or flavor agent?).

It's used as a thickening agent. It's optional and was in the recipe that
my mother gave me. She never used it though so as far as my cook is
concerned it might as well not be there. Still, this is one dish t seems to
have a duality of texture preference within the Filipino community. [One of
those, it depends on how mom made it things.] I included the mochiko for
completeness sake.

MR Can you recommend any common American substitutes for some of the MR
authentic ingredients, for the sake of people living in parts of t MR
country without access to Filipino markets?

Probably the best way to explain substitution is as follows:

Ingredient Use Substitute

Tamarind Sour Vitamin C = Lemon Juice

Patis Salt Salt

Ampalaya Bitter beats me?

Everything else is pretty common I think.

MR I hope I am not being too "nit picky" with these questions. If you MR
think I am, let me know and I will start posting as is immediately

Not at all. Hope this was what you wanted.

Regards, Dennis

(Note: According to "Stocking Up III", pub. by Rodale Press, mochiko r
flour has a unique property as a sauce or casserole thickener. It does
separate when chilled or frozen. MR)