Paigang Adobo sa Gata (Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk)

We are being served with lots of curried dishes lately and as typical Filipinos away from home, we are deeply missing the salty-sourly-savory comforting taste of “adobo”. Particularly the type that has little sauce that remains …… so flavorful that simply slathering the sauce on a pile of steamed rice would create a mound of carb so appealing and delightful. And just when the craving further intensifies …… beyond the threshold of gastronomic sanity, we decided it’s time we commander the kitchen …… ask the crew to move aside ……… chop some meat, crush some garlic, get some vinegar and let our instincts do the rest.

We have many other “adobo” dishes already featured here so we tried another route to the great “adobo” world and decided to prepare a creamy and dry a.k.a. oily variation using coconut milk with longer cooking time until the sauce is fully reduced and coconut milk renders oil. In the Philippine language, this is called “adobo sa gata” ("adobo" in coconut milk} cooked “paiga” (somewhat dry).

Reminder: This dish is sinfully fatty - laden with both animal and vegetable oil, perhaps has high count of calories (per serving), probably have lots of bad (and good) cholesterol, will likely make one eat lots of rice or carbohydrates and yes it’s heavenly delicious. So proceed at your own risk. You have been warned. :) 

We regularly walk about 14 kilometers, making about 20,000 steps and burning an extra 900 calories every other day so the paragraph above have no issues with us (wishful thinking, okay). If it’s any consolation, we will be using the leaner chicken instead of the fatty pork but of course, chicken with skin-on for that “killer” flavor, figuratively of course. Lol.

A Thai Food Birthday Celebration at Jack Tree Restaurant in Colombo

My colleague and walking buddy Carlo just celebrated his birthday last Saturday. He treated us to a very exciting dinner with a cuisine so close to his heart – Thai Foods. Carlo stayed in Bangkok, Thailand for so many years that he has developed fascination and love of the aromatic-sweet-fiery taste of Thai cuisine. Now that he has been assigned in Sri Lanka for quite some time, it is no doubt that he has been missing the pride dishes of Thailand big time.

What a better way to re-live that long-missed dining experience he used to have regularly than in celebrating his most important day that comes just once a year? …… And we are more than delighted and willing to join him …… to contribute in the fun …… as he savors the unique flavors. For we know, with Thai foods tickling our taste buds …… it is not just happy but a really very spicy birthday. :-)

Known before as the Siamese cuisine, Thai food is the national cuisine of Thailand. Generally composed of lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and pronounced spiciness, Thai cuisine is among the fastest-growing and most popular world cuisines today. Amazingly, it has established quite a following in the international food scene. Yes, Carlo is among the avid ones and probably will include us very soon. A few more dinner treats from Carlo and it is very likely that we could be a full pledge convert - lovers not only of Filipino cuisine but also of Thai foods.

Thai food is basically prepared light. It has tantalizing flavor and richness but without all the heavy carbs & calories. Like most Asian foods, it is known for its balance of the fundamental taste senses such as sour, sweet, salty and bitter. The significant influences of its neighboring countries such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, and Malaysia can be easily traced in its dishes …… blending flavors and cooking techniques that make Thai food truly wonderful. We can’t blame Carlo for loving it so much.