Egg foo yong or kanitama?
Posted on February 8, 2010 · 2 Comments
Just like with fried rice, the Chinese make good use of leftover meat, seafood and vegetables by adding them to beaten eggs and making an omelet called egg foo yong. It appears, however, that if the omelet contains crab meat, it is more of a kanitama or Japanese omelet with crab meat. Whatever its name, ... (more)
Would you vote for her?
Posted on February 7, 2010 · 26 Comments
We already know that celebrity status in this country is a passport to government office. We find entertainment and media personalities in just about every level of government. They are city and municipal councilors, provincial board members, vice mayors, mayors, governors, congressmen, senators and, yes, one got as far as the vice presidency. While being ... (more)
The Chocolate Boutique in Georgetown, Penang
Posted on February 6, 2010 · 14 Comments
From the Swettenham Pier, we hired a taxi to go around Penang. The taxi driver was chatty, he was knowledgeable about tourist destinations and although we already set an itinerary, he nevertheless suggested some spots that he thought we might be interested in. As we passed by The Chocolate Boutique, he slowed down and asked ... (more)
Nian Gao (tikoy), a Chinese New Year tradition
Posted on February 6, 2010 · 11 Comments
Known as tikoy in the Philippines, nian gao is a traditional Chinese New Year dish. Why it is so has many aspects. One account has it that it is an offering to bribe the Kitchen God (see reference in Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife) who reports everyone’s behavior to the Jade Emperor. Another interpretation ... (more)
The year of the tiger and the Chinese Lunar New Year
Posted on February 6, 2010 · 6 Comments
Below is an updated version of a column that I wrote last year but forgot to reproduce here. Let’s start with a clarification of terms. What we call the Lunar New Year is not really based on a lunar calendar (based on cycles of the moon phase) but on the Chinese lunisolar calendar which intercalates ... (more)
Century eggs (preserved duck eggs)
Posted on February 5, 2010 · 6 Comments
Updated from an entry published last year right around the time of the Chinese Lunar New Year. You’ll find them sliced thinly and served alongside cold meat and pickled jellyfish in Chinese restaurants. They’re called century eggs, a popular Chinese delicacy, and they are regular eggs really except that they have undergone a curing and ... (more)
Gado-gado aboard the Royal Caribbean
Posted on February 5, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Gado-gado is a vegetable dish, a standalone dish rather than a side dish, that is smothered with peanut sauce. Smothered — unlike Western salads that are often lightly tossed with the dressing. It’s hawker food. If you visit the Royal Caribbean site and look at the details of Asian cruises, there is often a notice ... (more)
Korean scallion pancake (pajeon, p’ajon or pa jun)
Posted on February 5, 2010 · 10 Comments
It all started with the Korean scallion and seafood pancake (haemul pajeon) that we had at a Korean restaurant in Shangri-La Plaza last year. I was intrigued by the unique texture of the pancake and when I chanced upon a bag of Korean pancake mix (buchimgae) in an Oriental food shop in Cartimer, I grabbed ... (more)
A culture bred by a generation of overseas workers
Posted on February 5, 2010 · 34 Comments
Over in the food blog, two separate entries spawned some discussions about tortilla presses. I’m looking for one, some readers gave advice as to where I can buy one, another suggested that, since it isn’t hard to make one, I can have a karpintero do it for me. I replied to the latter that with ... (more)
Conversations