Makin’ whoopee

Saturday morning is usually the time for me to go to the market. I’d wake up around 7am then be out of the house by 7.30-7.45, depending on how sluggish I feel upon waking up. First stop is usually Phsar (market) Boeung Keng Kang–about 10 minutes away from my house by tuktuk (similar to the Thai tuktuk, or an over-sized tricycle by Philippine standards). This is a local Khmer market (not tourist-y at all) that is frequented by many Filipinos because of the wide selection of products and lower, Khmer-level prices. This is where I buy pork, chicken, the freshwater fish that I like because of its semblance to the Philippine dalag, and vegetables.

My second stop is Phsar Thmey (literally: new market). This is the huge art deco-style, yellow, cross-shaped building that was built on reclaimed marshland. You can buy almost anything here: from fresh goods and grocery items to jewelry and appliances. What I buy here are seafood like shrimp, squid, and many kinds of fish, and beef. I also buy my Laotian coffee here, along with local grocery items like dtuek trey (fish sauce), dtuek si-iw (soy sauce), among others. My last stop on market day is Bayon Market and/or Lucky Market, Phnom Penh’s version of the supermarket. I shop equally in these two shops because each of them has its own unique products and if both of them have the same product, prices are seldom the same so I compare prices and buy it cheaper.

Saturday is also usually the day when I cook. During the week I just let my yaya (literally: nanny, but this is just the way I call my housekeeper)  plan and cook my meals. I like eating many Khmer dishes so this isn’t really a problem. But on weekends I cook Filipino foods that I particularly miss. My yaya has, in fact, learned to cook some of these things just by watching me. Oftentimes, though, when I ask her to cook it, she puts a little something that gives it a twist–an unexpected ingredient. It works most of the time. I would sometimes cook Sopas (chicken macaroni soup–my all time favorite comfort food), Asado (chicken or pork slow-cooked in tomato, onion & oregano gravy), Menudo Kapampangan (pork, potatoes & carrots in liver gravy), Estofado (stewed pork), among others. Then I would invite a few friends over to partake of whatever food I prepared for lunch or an afternoon merienda (snack).

But today I didn’t go anywhere near a market because I woke up at almost 10 in the morning already. Dave, Nill, Marikit and I played mahjong last night until 2.30am and I managed to sleep at around 4am so I was really feeling lazy. I spent the morning browsing through my latest favorite blogsite, saw that it has a section on South-East Asian food and thought of sharing some recipes I know. I sent them an email and I am sharing with you some parts of it so that even if I didn’t physically do any cooking today, at least I wrote about it.

Despite the Spanish name, the Adobo has been prepared by Filipinos long before we were colonized by Spaniards because it was a good way to preserve meat. Today, Adobo is truly the national Filipino dish (not lechon or spit-roast pig–as some people claim). Proof of this is the fact there are many ways to cook Adobo, depending on which region of the Philippines you come from. In the Bicol region, coconut milk is added while in Batangas, annato oil is used. I’ve tried one version of Adobo in the Visayas (central Philippines) where ginger is a key ingredient, while in the Filipino-Chinese community Adobo is cooked with star anise. And then there’s also the wide range of meats and vegetables that you can cook Adobo-style, like chicken, pork, hard-boiled eggs, a combination of these 3, beef (not so popular), catfish, squid, string beans, eggplant, okra, and water convulvulus (kangkong).

Adobo is the first dish I learned to cook, probably because of its inherent simplicity. It is the perfect food to bring on trips. I can recall many family picnics and excursions with friends where Adobo is always a part of the menu. My family hails from Central Luzon (mother from Bulacan, father from Pampanga), and our Adobo is largely considered the traditional, if not official (?) version. I have served this to my Cambodian friends and they love it. My recipe is based on what I learned from my mother, with a few modifications. It uses chicken and pork but as I earlier said, this can be modified, e.g. boiled eggs can be substituted for pork, and so on.

Chicken and Pork Adobo (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:
1 kg pork belly or shoulder, cut into large chunks
1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 head of garlic, cloves minced
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1 1/2 cups of vinegar
1 1/2 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorn
3 pcs bay leaf
1/2 cup canola oil (for frying)

Procedure:
1. Put pork and chicken in a large casserole dish (do not use an aluminum casserole because this will react to the vinegar). Sprinkle garlic, salt and peppercorns. Mix vinegar, water, and soy sauce and pour into casserole.
2. Bring to a boil without stirring. When mixture boils, add bay leaves and lower heat to simmer. Simmer until meats are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from casserole and reserve the liquid.
3. In a wok, heat oil and brown pork and chicken in batches. Remove from oil as pork and chicken browns. After browning all meats, remove half of the oil remaining in the wok. Add the reserved liquid and mix in the browned pork and chicken. Simmer for another 5 minutes then serve.

Adobo is best served with hot steamed rice and chopped tomatoes drizzled with patis (fish sauce) or rock salt. For a complete meal of comfort food, serve it with hot rice and the ‘proper’ accompanying dish, which is Monggo Guisado (Stewed Mung Beans). When eaten for breakfast, Adobo is usually served with fried eggs, garlic fried rice or hot pan de sal (the Filipino breakfast bread).

Writing about cooking is not quite as good as actually doing it (like sex) but it will do for now. Enjoy!