Hungry History: Amazing Adobo, Part II!

CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1381050 via Wikmedia Commons

Succulent pork adobo, notice the specks of pepper and the richly colored broth. Diverse spices are often coarsely chopped and dumped into the pot ahead of (or during) cooking.

Fabulous Filipino Adobo In Fifteen Minutes Prep

Don’t Have Time to Cook

Like you, I have days full of commitments. I’m not always able to eat wholesome, home-cooked meals, even when I want to. When I cook, often it is staple meals that, while comforting, don’t always expand my food horizons. On a particularly full day, I might resort to take-out or fast food, which reminds me just how hard I have to workout to counterbalance. As with any busy life, the answer is seeing where you can simplify.

I Already Simplify

I know, I know. You’ve already made things simpler for yourself. Maybe you’ve been cutting out unnecessary web surfing or cut the cable. Maybe you’ve even trimmed your budget and adjusted your work schedules to better balance in your work and life (in which case, this is a great way to help that goal!). Even so, sometimes there’s just not enough hours in the day to do everything we want to do. Sometimes, our meals suffer as a result. Shouldn’t the wellness of our bodies, the only one’s we know we get, be a priority? We can accomplish this in the kitchen with the investment in one basic but powerful tool.

Slow Cooker: Save Time, Eat Well

Take the hard work out of preparing a fresh, fantastically Filipino staple with this simple process using a fantastic, dump-and-forget style of cooking...the slow cooker! Slow cookers are versatile kitchen tools that can make breakfast oatmeal, lunch soups and dinner meatloaf, without taking up much counter space. Read on to learn more about this method, its benefits, and a recipe that can help you create your own family-style adobo at home with just fifteen minutes prep!

By Chef Pepín via Wikimedia Commons

Slow cookers are available at all big box stores and online retailers. Quality ones have more settings and temperature options to customize your cooking

Adobo Can Be Easy

Traditionally, adobo involves getting (or butchering!) just the right cuts of pork or chicken with a variety of veggies, spices and liquids, and boiling the mixture then letting it simmer for a few hours. Every family and every region in the Philippines has their own special recipe for their perfect adobo. With a slow cooker, you can skip the stovetop, and stove babysitting, and enjoy the full, home-style comfort flavors of this Filipino staple dish. Recipes abound, a quick Google search will give you so many ideas, but my favorite has a nice balance of Filipino vinegar (extra splash, courtesy of my Ilocano side!), soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, pepper and a little seasoned salt. I also add potatoes and onion. You can definitely balance your favorite flavors, or adjust it for salt intake and other food considerations.

Exciting Meals with Big Benefits

By dbgg1979 on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbgg1979/3880492441/) via Wikimedia Commons

Chicken adobo, bone-in for added flavor. Notice the bay leaves, they really make a difference! The drier skin is achieved by attentively searing the meat, allowing the broth to either cook out or reserving then readding a portion upon serving (depends on technique used).

Versatile

The beauty of Filipino adobo is that it is easily adaptable. There’s no “right” or “wrong” answer (though many families claim theirs is the best!) You can adapt the basic recipe provided here to suit your family’s needs. Try a robust vegetarian option, substituting your favorite stew-friendly, meaty vegetables. You can also adjust ingredients for food allergies (even soy, some recipes don’t have it!), protein preferences and levels of salt, sour and sweetness. Try experimenting and see which flavors work best for you and your family.

Easy

It takes more time to watch a daytime tv show than it does to prep this meal! Fifteen minutes means a home-cooked meal at the end of your busy day! Your home will also smell divine! Make sure to get all your ingredients and cutting surfaces, pots and utensils set up beforehand, and you save even more time! Just prepare the meats and vegetables, the marinade and preheat the slow cooker. You can safely leave it on throughout the day without threat of overcooking (follow your own slow cooker manufacturer’s instructions).

Nearly Foolproof

Because the slow cooker uses very low, slow heat, there’s very little that can go wrong with this dish. The important thing is to use the right cuts of meat, with a little fat in them, to ensure the protein doesn’t dry out. Also, cut your vegetables and meats to roughly the same size, or adjust, to ensure everything cooks properly. The recipe below provides more than enough soup to pour over the rice and avoid burning during cooking, but if adjustments are made you may want to check the pot occasionally.

Delicious

There’s many reasons Filipino adobo is one of the Philippines’ unofficial national dishes. One is...it’s delicious, in all its variations! Give your taste buds something a little different. Trying new things is one of the spices of life, and if you haven’t tried Filipino adobo before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Low Cost

One of the benefits of using a slow cooker is the fact that you can safely use less pricey cuts of fattier protein (my favorite are chicken thighs, bone-in, and pork rib meat), which means dollar/pound savings at the grocery store. You can also adjust the recipe to make as little or as much as you need. It’s only limited by the size of your budget, your appetite, and your slow cooker. Contact me with your comments or to learn more about making simple Filipino meals at home! Mabuhay!

Try one fantastic recipe for slow cooker adobo here.

Digging the Dinardaraan!

Digging the Dinardaraan (Dinuguan)

Ways I Reconnected With My Pinoy Heritage

Many second through fourth generation young people of mixed heritage have a challenging task of balancing their American (or majority) culture with their family or ancestral culture. Particularly if you are like me. My mom and her brothers are very Americanized and I was too young to ask those deeper questions of my Ilocano, elderly grandfather and very private grandmother (both since passed). Without the stories of the past, of my grandparents’ lives in the Philippines and their eventual immigration to the United States, I can only piece together bits of their unique story. As it stands, my adult self feels very ignorant of my Filipino heritage but I deeply wish to to learn where I can. While I have a long way to go, here are a few ways I have begun reconnecting with pieces of my cultural heritage.

Extended Family Members

Talk to and connect to any and all extended family members you can! Filipino families are “notorious” for having numerous cousins, uncles, aunts, lolos, lolas and other family friends who are more than happy to share their experiences with you. In Filipino cultures, “it takes a village” takes on a whole new meaning. If you can’t visit them outright, reach out by calling and talking with them, sending them an email, connecting via social media or taking them out to coffee. You can start a private “family” group on Facebook, then invite your extended family to participate by sharing stories or photos, etc. Any way you can find to ask about your family heritage will help you discover new things.

Read!

The Internet is not just for cat videos ( they are cute, aren’t they?)! It can be a fantastic source of nearly unlimited information on just about any culture present, past (or future??) for you to learn. Outside the Internet, books, magazines, articles, blog posts, newspapers and radio broadcasts abound. Pretty much anything that might give you insight into your target culture is fair game. Better if you understand one or more of your target culture’s languages, as a variety of media gives a fantastic insight not only into past events, but current events that may be missed in mainstream American media. Focus on things you find interesting, such as dance or sports. Not only will you be more likely to stick with it when your research hits a roadblock, but you’ll be able to strike up conversations with others about topics you’re both passionate about, a sure way to connect even more!

Participate!

Social Media

Related to connecting with extended family, take a look at social media. Seek out people, places and organizations on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and others related to your target culture. I have personally expanded my cultural network to include the Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc (PAWA), the Filipino American National Historical Society, and the Kalesa Traveler and Positive Filipino magazines. This has resulted in both fantastic networking opportunities and chances to learn more about the Filipino diaspora across the United States.

By Maki R. (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

EDSA People Power Monument, Philippines: Getting involved in celebratory events and learning about your heritage through study is one of the best ways to reconnect

Social events and contests

Once you’ve found a variety of interesting organizations through social media, keep up to date on potential contests and events in which to participate and contribute. It is a rare organization that will deny an interested volunteer a chance to participate! I wrote a submission for the EDSA/People Power Revolution Essay Contest, sponsored by PAWA, Inc, and won! I met many awesome people from the Fil-Am community in the Bay Area I otherwise would never have met.

Language learning clubs

Language is a fantastic way to connect with your heritage, as it gives valuable insight into so many aspects of the culture. Words used for food, animals, ways of life, professions, religion, etc are all communicated through language, and provides a door to media and music that might otherwise be closed. You will also meet others interested in the same thing as you, which will make the journey that much more enjoyable. Make sure to be patient and try to stay positive while experiencing the journey, it will likely be an enjoyable, lifelong pursuit.

Social Gathering clubs

Colleges and local communities often have events and clubs focused on a specific region or nation of the world. Chinese American Club, Asian American clubs, Filipino Culture club, and many others are just a few examples. Sports clubs might tailor themselves around a specific nation’s sport, including Sumo or Escrima or boxing and martial arts. These are good areas to check out and connect with similarly interested people. It offers some of the same benefits as the language learning clubs and culture organizations, in that sharing community with people interested in some of the same things makes the experience much more enriching.

Media and Film

Popular media is another great way to experience a variety of aspects of your target culture. If the specific country has a film industry, seek these out on Amazon, Hulu, Netflix or other avenue that tailors to international films. I found that daytime Filipino dramas are highly popular, and stand up in passion and intensity with some of the best soap operas in the United States. Often, if movies or tv shows were released widely enough, there will also be subtitles (or dubbing) accompanying the original language, in English or your language. Watch them multiple times and see what aspects of the characters peak your interest, be it where they live, their profession, their mannerisms, their favorite food, etc.

By CapnPrep via Wikimedia Commons

Fusion food culture in Asia: Rice-bun fast food (chicken?) sandwich,

Cook!

Everyone eats! Food and culture are intimately tied together. Food speaks to the region’s geography, culture and language. Search out recipes you’re interested in trying on the internet, or rent or buy a cookbook specializing in your chosen culture’s cuisine. Pick a leisurely day (often on the weekend) to shop and try out one recipe of your choice. Take the time to appreciate the different ingredients (maybe only available at a specialty market you may never have been to!) and the people who shop for the ingredients. Ask questions of your friends and family, if you are unsure about anything. Cooking not only helps you try the food of your target culture, but also connect in many ways with the past, as well. I happened to cook sinigang for the first time with a good Filipino friend in graduate school, and loved its strikingly pungent, vinegary goodness. The first time trying balut and dinuguan was definitely a culinary adventure, but I am so glad to have seen many sides of Filipino cuisine.

By GracinhaMarco Abundo (Dinuguan) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

My first time trying dinuguan (or dinardaraan in Ilocano) was in Daly City, CA. It was delicious after a long day of traveling. It had a very earthy, meaty texture and deep flavor, perfect with rice.

Take Action!

These are just a few ways we young, second through fourth generation, mixed parentage people can reconnect with a cultural heritage we may not have been able to experience as a kid. Maybe your family was like mine, and didn’t really practice or teach you much of their own culture. As a young person or an adult, you can feel a little closer to your grandparents and their parents by trying out a few of these tips.

Was there something I missed? Have you found something else that helps you keep connected? I’d love to hear about it!

Mabuhay!

Hungry History: Filipino Arroz Caldo!! (Lugaw)

By Robert Colinares (www.filipino-food-lovers.com) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Filipino chicken and rice stew! Sort of...


Arroz Caldo is a Spanish-influenced rice soup of Chinese inspiration, consumed by Spanish colonials who settled in the Philippines. An easy to digest food, it is often given the people who are sick or the elderly, as well as those in cold climates, due to being warm and flavorful.

Varieties of scrumptious ingredients depend on the specific region and individual preference of the preparer. Fried garlic and scallions are traditional ingredients in lugaw, the Tagalog term for this dish. Ginger, a favored ingredient in another Filipino favorite, adobo, is also sliced and boiled in the chicken or fish broth. Diced tofu, pork, beef cuts, soy sauce, calamansi, and black pepper are also flavorful ingredients in some variations. Try a taste of Cebu by adding Chinese sausage, bay prawns, bay leaf or olive oil, according to your specific recipe.

By Ramon FVelasquez (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Northern provinces in the Philippines, particularly Ilocanos, tend to prefer the Spanish-inspired arroz caldo to lugaw, though it seems to mainly be a difference of ingredients. If you want to switch up your chicken soup when you're feeling cold or otherwise hungry, next time try this recipe for arroz caldo and have a taste of the Philippines in no time!

Hungry History: Chicken Cracklings (Chicharon Manok)

Filipino health food at its finest!

Had discarded organic chicken thigh skins from a successful slow-cooker chicken adobo and decided to try a chicharon manok recipe from Filipino Chow.

Was a little skeptical due to the simplicity of the ingredients, but that is the magic. Just a little salt and pepper to taste, and you have a delicious, indulgent snack.

Try it with a nice vinegar to get a balance of salty and tart.

Chicharon is a type of pulutan, or "finger food," in the Philippines, that takes a wide variety of animal cuts and fries them to a crisp, golden brown. Often these snacks are eaten with a form of alcohol, from beer to a favored liquor. The concept is similar to Spanish tapas or American appetizers or snacks, although the cultural meaning is a little more nuanced than "snacking."

Influenced by the Spanish culture that colonized the Philippines in the 16th Century, Filipino cuisine is a wonderful blending of Malay, Chinese, Spanish, and American influences. While some of the ingredients may be new to the American palette, Filipino cuisine really embraces the belief that a careful chef will use as much of the animal as possible when cooking. "Waste not, want not,"

Look to the "Hungry History" post each week to find links to new recipes from a variety of cultural influences.