Sausage Sandwich with Cheese and Orange Marmalade

I saw in a television food program how a specialty restaurant in the US prepares some really interesting hotdog sandwiches which were a bit unusual but I found quite innovative and daring. In particular, their hotdog was butterflied, grilled flat and topped with slices of cheese then laid on an also butterflied hotdog bun spread with strawberry jam instead of the usual mayonnaise or tomato sauce-base dressings.

Another version was the use of peanut butter instead of the jam. The idea is to combine the sweet taste of the jam spread and the slightly salty-creamy taste of cheese and blend with the taste of the hotdog to make a distinctly good tasting hotdog sandwich.

Yesterday, I decided to make my own version of the exciting hotdog sandwich. Since I am not a big fan of strawberry jam, or any other strawberry laden or flavored food for that matter, I decided to use sweet orange marmalade instead. Likewise, in lieu of the good hotdog which is rather difficult to come by in my area of residence, I used a special edition sausage infused with cheese and onion that I recently chanced upon and bought in the supermarket.

Pesang Lapu-Lapu (Grouper Stew in Ginger with Vegetables)

I can’t think of a better way to cook my “lapu-lapu” catch in my recent shore fishing adventure than by the popular Filipino stew dish called “pesa”. I first ate and since then has been heavily exposed to “pesa” in the “Capampangan” area of the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac lying in the central part of the Luzon island of the Philippines. In the region, “pesa” is a regular table fare for the whole family, particularly for fishes such as the ferocious freshwater snakehead called mudfish or “dalag” or “bulig”, the bony but tasty milkfish or “bangus” and yes, the rather pricey but very delicious grouper or “lapu-lapu”.

Basically, “pesa” is boiled or stew fish infused with the strong flavor of ginger and added with some vegetables. The pungent flavor of ginger is required to counter the stench smell and taste of the fish and provide a tasty broth. In addition, fish are sometimes slightly fried first to further remove the stench prior to stewing. The soupy dish is served with an accompanying somewhat salty sauce made from either Chinese fermented soybean cake called “tahure/tauri” or fermented black beans called “tausi”, or sometimes using the Japanese fermented condiment called “miso”, mashed and then sauté in chopped onions and tomatoes.

Tomato and Cheese Omelette

Cheese and egg are among my favorite foods. They are both delicious on their own. A slice of cheese, especially Cheddar or Edam, can transform a rather simple bread roll or even a Filipino “pandesal”, into a wonderful breakfast or snack meal for me. A soft boiled egg on the other hand, sprinkled with just a little sea salt, is already a complete definition of comfort food to me. So, combining the two, plus some select veggies like tomato, to create an omelette, is a regular fare for me. Aside from “tortang alimasag” and “tortang talong”, cheese omelette is a simple dish I always do.

Cheese refers to the diverse group of milk-based food produced by coagulating the milk protein casein. The milk is basically acidified and addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are then separated and pressed into final form. Cheese consists of proteins and fat from milk, usually from cows, buffalo, goats or sheep. It is produced throughout the world in a wide range of flavors, textures and forms. Cheese is valued for its portability, long life and high content of fat, protein, calcium and phosphorus.

Mango Shake or Smoothies

Since after preparing the stimulating “green mango shake” from the crunchy green mangoes harvested early on from the plant growing inside our backyard, the remaining abundant fruits have fully grown and matured. I picked some the other day with an intention to make them into the Filipino “burong manga” or pickled or fermented mango. Due to procrastination however, the fruits have inevitably ripen making them no longer suitable for pickling. Nonetheless, it did not make me sad or even a bit disappointed; after all, mangoes when ripe are even better.

As mentioned in my mango-papaya shake post, a ripe mango is sweet, peach like and juicy. Its flesh has a unique taste and texture which varies from soft, pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum to firmer flesh like a cantaloupe or avocado. The flavor is pleasant and rich and high in sugars and acid. The fruit is a favorite in many countries and one of the most commonly eaten fruits in tropical countries around the world. It is in fact considered as the apple of the tropics.

Pangat na Sapsap sa Kamatis (Ponyfish Poached in Lemon Juice & Tomatoes)

In my first “pangat” recipe, where I used pampano and trevally, I mentioned that among the best fish to cook “pangat” or “pinangat” is ponyfish locally called “karalla” here in Sri Lanka and “sapsap” in the Philippines. Ponyfishes which are also known as slipmouths or slimys are small, deep-bodied, laterally compressed fishes with a bland silvery colouration.

They belong to the family of fishes called “Leiognathidae” in the order “Perciformes”, meaning perch-like. They inhabit marine and brackish waters in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. They are distinguished by highly extensible mouths, slimy bodies with small scales and the presence of a mechanism for locking the spines in the dorsal and anal fins.

They also possess a luminous organ in the throat which glow or projects light through the animal's underside due to the presence of luminescent bacteria cultured within an organ surrounding the esophagus.

Turon or Turron or Sagimis (Banana Fritters or Banana Spring Rolls)

The Philippine cuisine, in my opinion, is now an amalgamation of various international cuisines that were either introduced by early colonizers, liberators, traders and merchants, developed in response to the demand generated by tourism and international business undertakings, influenced by the influx of foreign migration and affected by the emergence of global market and free trades.

Hamburgers, pizza, spaghetti, “shawarma”, “dimsums”, “dumplings”, “sushi”, “sashimi”, are just a few of many foreign foods that are now considered part of the modern Filipino cuisine. You can buy them from kiosks and roadside stores or order them in most city eateries and restaurants. They even have variations and have developed characteristics unique to the Filipinos.

In spite of these invasions and introductions however, the original Philippine dishes, though some have become less popular over the years, especially in the case of native Philippine delicacy or traditional snacks or “merienda” locally called “kakanin”, managed to somehow continue serving and satisfying its niche.

Enter the Dragon Fruits

I have discovered several new fruits since I worked here in Sri Lanka. Among those which I have already featured are the juicy citrus “ambul dodang” and another variety of naturally sour citrus called “jama naran”, both of which make very refreshing lemonades. Here, I was also exposed to new varieties of banana such as the rather tiny but sweet “seeni kesel” which I cooked into “minatamis na saging” and the quite rare and heavy, in both weight and nutritional contents, called “nethrampalam” or “nendran” banana.

I also found here but have not yet posted the island-wide popular wood apple or elephant apple locally known as “divul” which they make into healthful drinks. We have tried this before but not quite impressed.

In addition, occasionally visiting the fruit sections of supermarkets provided us with opportunity to see some uncommon, sometimes unfamiliar but delightfully colorful and seemingly luscious exotic fruits. Among them is the interestingly pretty dragon fruit. I remember the first time I encountered the fruit; my eyes were immediately caught by its vibrant color and beautiful appearance. Later on, I discovered that the fruit has been commonly available as well in the Philippine markets. But it is only here that I fully enjoyed its thirst quenching flesh.