Kutchinta (Cuchinta) for Dessert

These are small, sticky, round, jello-like rice cakes, topped with freshly grated coconut. Great bite-sized dessert for those who currently watch their weight (like me).

Sweet and Sour Fish is Better Than Tinola

Prepared with chunks of pineapple, red pepper, carrots, and your choice of fish. Tilapia is a great pick for the sweet and sour accompaniment.

I only say fish is better than tinolang manok after a friend shows me the now elusive video on facebook tungkol sa lalaking gumahasa sa kawawang tandang na manok. Dafaq.

Hot Pot Makes Any Meal a Social Event

If you are looking to host a quick and painless dinner party then go with hot pot. It's easy to set up, clean up, and a lot of fun to have because it gets everyone involved, and allows for small talk while waiting for food to cook.

You'll need the following hardware:
- Hot pot cooker ($40+ from T&T);
- Propane gas ($5 for a 4-pack);
- Chopsticks.

You can serve a variety of foods including:
- Ready-made specifically for hot pot like shrimp or fish paste balls. T&T has a lot of these;
- Chicken or beef soup stock. Make sure your broth has a lot of water because you'll find that the water evaporates quickly;
- Seafood like shrimps and mussels.
- Mushrooms. Cut these in halves or quarters. The Shiitake mushroom sprouts are very popular;
- Greens, like spinach, radish, or lettuce. These cook very quickly so don't let it soak too long.
- Hot sauce.

That's it. Great for 4-6 guests or the maximum number of people you can fit seated around your dinner table.

Crispy Pata for Pulutan

The secret to a great crispy pata, a Filipino dish consisting of deep fried pig trotter or knuckles, is the sauce. When served with a soy-vinegar dip diced with red onions plus salt+pepper, you can't go wrong but break your New Year's resolution. It also goes very well with red wine, but doesn't everything?

A Side Order of Brains from The Walking Dead

Not really but it does look a bit like splattered brain matter, doesn't it? It's actually 'Inihaw na Talong' (broiled eggplant) topped with cooked 'alamang' (shrimp paste) and diced tomatoes. Really tasty if you don't mind it being a little salty. One of my many favorite Filipino dishes when on a budget.

It's not really 'brain' food but the reference comes from me having to stay up late the other night to watch Season3-Episode 8 of the Walking Dead. Great show and almost missed my bus the next morning because my smartphone alarm clock ringtone just didn't cut it. I thought I would try out the Walking Dead ringtone instead to see if it's any better. Who wouldn't wake up instantly to the zombie apocalypse theme song with thoughts of the undead clawing at you and dragging you out of bed, right?

Here is a link to the theme song ringtone. Enjoy!


Listen or download The Walking Dead intro Theme for free on Prostopleer

Main Entrees to Serve at a Toddler's Birthday Party

You really only need to feed the parents for a toddler's birthday party. As for the kids, they are happy with pizza, bread sticks, hotdogs, and cookies. If you don't want to go all out with a traditional lechon or stuffed bird, go with this huge oven-baked salmon. Just sprinkle with salt+pepper and thyme. Healthy choice.

To balance out all this healthy foods, have some sisig for pulutan, or snacks for the beer drinkers. Sisig is made up of pig ears browned in a barbeque and chopped into tiny squares. Mix with diced onions, salt+pepper, etc and you've got yourself a necessary accompaniment to karaoke. However, make sure you let people know what is in sisig first because you just never know, and go easy on the whisky and coke.

Suman sa Bilao (or Sweet Rice on Winnowing Basket)

We don't make this as often as the more popular 'suman sa dahon ng
saging' (sweet rice wrapped in banana leaves) because the winnowing
basket is hard to find here in Vancouver, BC. Many customers ask for
'suman sa bilao' just because of the winnowing basket.

Just like suman wrapped in banana leaves, you would spread sweet rice
evenly on a bilao lined with banana leaves and then add caramelized
brown sugar.