Title: Filipino cuisine tips, 2 of 2
 Categories: Filipino, Tips, Dennis
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
           E-mail dialogue between
           Manny Rothstein
           Dennis Santiago and
 
  MR> In Traditional Adobo, can the sauce be reduced or thickened and
  still MR> be "traditional" (many cooks will adapt these recipes to
  their tastes, MR> but I want to be sure I am posting your authentic
  recipes as a starting MR> point).
  
  Actually, no.  Not and remain the "traditional" form anyway.  I've
  personally never seen Filipino cooks tinker with sauce consistency
  very much.  There's more experimentation in the area of spice
  mixtures.  As a matter of fact, changing which leafy green vegetable
  is used in a basic recipe is used to change the character of the
  dish.  This shouldn't be surprising when one considers that the
  Philippines is geographically in the general region of the spice
  trade.  Sauces, meaning manipulations of food's texture, seem to be
  more of a Western phenomenon.
  
  MR> What is the traditional format of a Filipino dinner - soup,
  salad, main MR> course or what?).
  
  See above for some of the information.  The format of a meal is
  basically to put everything on the table at once and have a big free
  for all. Meals are a time to interact.  A period in which the entire
  family becomes equal in it's enjoyment of another day's survival.
  The same atmosphere characterizes parties (fiesta's) where all the
  food is laid out buffet style.  Each person then chooses what to eat
  and how much of each selection to eat from the presentation.  [The
  kids are of course cautioned not to eat the desserts until after
  eating the real food. ]
  
  Interestingly, like many multi-course European presentations, big
  Filipino meals tend to stretch out in time as well giving lots of
  opportunity to converse. The main difference is that one just keeps
  going back for more when the urge hits then sit down next to someone
  and chat. More akin to an all day American barbecue.
  
  MR> Are Achute seeds the same as Annato seeds?
  
  I'm not sure.
  
  MR> What is mochiko (powdered rice) like and what does it do (is it a
  MR> thickener or flavor agent?).
  
  It's used as a thickening agent.  It's optional and was in the recipe
  book that my mother gave me.  She never used it though so as far as
  my cooking is concerned it might as well not be there.  Still, this
  is one dish that seems to have a duality of texture preference within
  the Filipino community.  [One of those, it depends on how mom made it
  things.] I included the mochiko for completeness sake.
  
  MR> Can you recommend any common American substitutes for some of the
  MR> authentic ingredients, for the sake of people living in parts of
  the MR> country without access to Filipino markets?
  
  Probably the best way to explain substitution is as follows:
  
  Ingredient         Use            Substitute
  
  Tamarind           Sour           Vitamin C = Lemon Juice
  
  Patis              Salt           Salt
  
  Ampalaya           Bitter         beats me?
  
  Everything else is pretty common I think.
  
  MR> I hope I am not being too "nit picky" with these questions. If
  you MR> think I am, let me know and I will start posting as is
  immediately.
  
  Not at all.  Hope this was what you wanted.
  
  Regards, Dennis
  
  (Note: According to "Stocking Up III", pub. by Rodale Press, mochiko
  rice flour has a unique property as a sauce or casserole thickener.
  It doesn't separate when chilled or frozen. MR)