Coconut Pandan Mochi

Finally a mochi not just inside a hopia but a stand-alone real mochi. I am so happy to find this product one time I was at the supermarket. There were other flavors available and I will definitely get back to get the other flavors. It comes in a very nice packaging and it is a product of Taiwan.

I think if I still remember it right this pack containing 6 mochi balls cost around 50-60 pesos.

Atang

The photo above was an atang or offering made for the departed soul of my sister-in-law.  For this atang most of the food served are her favorite. In the offering table also contain fruits, sweets, rice cake or sinukat (glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk), flowers, drinks and lighted candles.

For most Ilocanos atang is a common traditional practice whenever dishes are cooked for different occasions. Small portion of each of the viands are placed in an altar with water or basi (sugar cane wine) and the spirits of those departed are called to partake the food. Growing up in Ilocos, when it is my birthday,  my aunt would ask me to do the offering of food and I would be told to summon the spirits of our loved ones and say in Ilocano:

"Umaykayon, lila, lilo, auntie. uncle, kadakayo amin apo, ikarkarag dakami apo."

(Come grandmas, grandpas, aunties, uncles and all of you great spirits, please pray for us.)

The appease the spirits they should be the first the partake anything (all the food) that will be served in the feast or occasion. Thus the person will be blessed or the event will be made more auspicious. 

I remember that after harvest the newly milled and cooked rice should be offered even with simple viand or just even salt  and water to give thanks to the spirits and receive their continued blessings for a fruitful and more productive harvests in the future.

From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atang_(food_offering)

An atang is a traditional food offering in the Philippines to ward off evil spirits. The most common atang to ward off sickness is a ricecake calledsinukat.^[1][2] A table with an atang meal may be put in a new house.^[3] An atang may also be for a harvest offering.^[4] Ilocanos may prepare an atang before each meal.^[5] The atang may also be called a "santorum" or "panang".^[6] The atang meal may be associated in some ceremonies with dance.^[7]

References

1. ^ Cordero-Fernando, Gilda; Baldemor, Manuel D. (1992). Philippine Food & Life: Luzon. "When spirits have to be remembered on their special day, or placated because they have made someone ill, an atang or offering is made. The most common atang for illness is a ricecake called sinukat. It is put in a coconut shell and ..."
2. ^ Ramos, Maximo (1934). "Holiday In Black". Philippine Magazine 31: 473. "Ka Mimai has made pinekkel, while tall Ka Gunda, wife of my cousin Iniong, called Gunding before she was wed, has cooked sinukat. Before letting anybody taste her sinukat Ka Gunda fills a plate with the cake."
3. ^ Virgil Mayor Apostol (2010). Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teachings from the Philippine. p. 22. "This is a practice that has its roots in the ancient custom of constructing a home that includes an atang made before, during, ... An atang set for the one-year death anniversary of engineer andArnis master Eduardo Vintayen. ..."
4. ^ Philippine Journal of Education. 1974. "Occasionally, after harvest time, she could be seen offering an "atang" (food: rice and native cakes) in a corner of her rice field chanting her thanks to the "anitos" and "encantos" for the good harvest and praying for a better harvest ..."
5. ^ Jocano, F. Landa; Edrozo, Arnora (1982). The Ilocanos: an ethnography of family and community life in the .... University of the Philippines. Asian Center. "The family also makes an atang (food offering) before each meal. No one eats before this is otherwise, a member of the household or any guest for that matter will have deformed mouth, lockjaw, or stomachache. Only when the spirits are ..."
6. ^ Duque, Venancio S. (February 1937). "Santorum". Philippine Magazine 32: 75. JSTOR 1177391. "Santorum is a name given to a certain weird and mystic ceremony performed by native medicos in northern Luzon and in the central provinces to cure those who are said to be suffering from ailments wrought by the spirits.
   A santorum, sometimes called a pañang, was performed for the treatment of one of the writer's acquaintances after the attending physician had given up all hope for his recovery."
7. ^ Studies in Philippine linguistics:. Linguistic Society of the Philippines: Summer Institute of Linguistics. 1988. "The only type of dance ever mentioned by the people is the atang . (An atang was put on once for our benefit ... Now that feuds more and more are settled peacefully, at least near the coast, an atang is sometimes staged by a single ..."

Pansit Canton and Bihon

One of my favorite Chinese influenced Pinoy dishes. Although I go for canton, but with bihon it is also fine with me. Preparing this dish is easy I think, just sautee the main spices/condiments add the veggies, put stock (chicken/pork broth), put to a simmer then add the soaked noodles (bihon) and pansit canton. Mix, add some seasoning, soy sauce, fish sauce and ground pepper. This one is topped with boiled quail eggs. This is usually served in many different kinds of occasions or handaan, in particular birthdays, with the belief that the long strand of the noodles will make the celebrators life longer also.

Pancit or pansit is the term for noodles in Filipino cuisine. Noodles were introduced into the Philippines by the Chinese and have since been adopted into local cuisine. The term pancit is derived from the Hokkienpian i sit (Chinese: 便ê食; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: piān-ê-si̍t or Chinese: 扁食; pinyin: biǎn shí) which means "something conveniently cooked fast."^[1] Different kinds of noodles can be found in Filipino supermarkets which can then be cooked at home. Noodle dishes are also standard fare in local restaurants. Food establishments specializing in noodles are often referred to as panciterias.
Nancy Reyes Lumen of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism writes that according to food lore handed down from the Chinese, noodles should be eaten on one's birthday.^[1] They are therefore commonly served at birthday celebrations and Chinese restaurants in the Philippines often have "birthday noodles" listed on their menus. However, she warns that since "noodles represent long life and good health; they must not be cut short so as not to corrupt the symbolism."^[1]

Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancit 

^ ^a b c Lumen, Nancy Reyes. (2005). Republic of Pancit. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism iReport, (1). Retrieved 2009-10-27.

Hopia Mochi

I recently (I am used to eating plain hopia) discovered at SIDCOR Sunday Market these new versions of hopia, with mochi as additional filling. With the sweet mochi's fine and glutinous texture, it heightens the delicious experience of eating the luscious hopia filling. It adds new  excitement and pleasure to the usual fare of eating hopia. 

It is the Red Mongo which is a bit more expensive compared to Mongo Special and Ube. Red Mongo  contains sesame seeds on its hopia wrap unlike the other flavors. Still, for me, the 3 flavors with mochi  are exquisite in taste. Good thing no need to go down to Binondo and get those supply (also they are available in some stalls in Malls) the Sunday Market is a place to go and buy them. 

Mochi (Japanese: 餅) is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice (not to be confused with gluten) pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki.^[1] While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time. Similar snacks are prominent in Hawaii, South Korea, Taiwan,People's Republic of China (where it is called 麻糬, Hokkien môa-chî or Mandarin máshu), Cambodia, thePhilippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. 

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mochi 

Facebook Fan Page of Pollad here - https://www.facebook.com/PollandHopia

Related post - http://lazycookloves2eat.blogspot.com/2011/01/lazy-cook-loves-to-reheat-like-eating.html

More reasons to eat chocolates

WASHINGTON - Healthy people who exercise and also eat chocolate regularly tend to have a lower body mass index than those who eat the rich brown sweets less often, a study suggested on Monday.

Read more here:
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/27933/chocolate-eaters-have-lower-body-mass-study

SIDCOR, Sunday Market - Mary's Kitchen

Last Sunday was my second time to visit SIDCOR, this time with a camera to capture the atmosphere of this weekly event held at Eton Centris parking lot at EDSA corner Quezon Avenue.

From what I gathered online in particular at facebook:

Sidcor Sunday Market is owned and operated by Susa Arcega. Just a brief history of us...the official birthplace of Sidcor Market was at EDSA cor Main Ave- Madrigal Compound. which started in 2000-2003 opening from 6am-2pm. It was where the green and white striped tents became popular for housing assorted goods and produce from different parts of the country. Then Sidcor to its second home, transferred to Lung Center in 2004 and operating up to the present. Within six years, Sidcor became a Sunday habit for so many. And to even serve you better, the Sidcor Sunday Market will soon be transferring to a new and improved home at the Eton Centris parking lot at EDSA corner Quezon Avenue. starting November 7, 2010. Still operating hours every Sunday would be as early as 6am till 2pm. Please do spread the word and continue to patronize our Market as it embarks to a new home for our dear clients to enjoy more of...We hope to see you there, soon!!!...by Justine Arcega-Bumanlag.

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sidcor-Sunday-Market/160864497270750?sk=info)

For this post I will highlight Mary’s Kitchen owned and managed by Felicia Maria Chanco Evangelista (home chef). The array of food displayed on her booth was so delectable. Fotos below are clear proof.

Other article I found online says this about the home chef:

 The home Chef specialty - Chicken Galantina

FELICIA Maria Chanco Evangelista has brought the modest adobo to gourmet heights.  She has innovatively transformed the basic adobo recipe of vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, chicken and pork, into a sophisticated adobo pot pie. It has chunks of the stewed meat, chopped potatoes, green peas and quail eggs that are deliciously encased in a ramekin, topped with a pastry crust and baked to perfection.

Read more here -

http://services.inquirer.net/mobile/11/05/09/html_output/xmlhtml/20110505-334622-xml.html

For those who would like to avail of her catering services you may get in touch with her:

Felicia Maria Chanco Evangelista

Tel – 711-4475

Mobile – 0905-342-2227

Email – feliciaevangelista@gmail.com

More related reads here:

http://nicamandigma.com/what-to-do-at-sidcor-sunday-market-centris-walk/

www.tumblr.com/tagged/food-reviews?before=1318850405

Jina Yoo's Asian Bistro owner chosen for South Korean 'MasterChef'

Jina Yoo's Asian Bistro owner chosen for South Korean 'MasterChef' Columbia Missourian She knew cooking was her passion at an early age, when her mother would sell Tupperware ... but she thinks she can easily prove her talent with her recipes.

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