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A Bouche Amused

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A Bouche Amused

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Prosciutto di Quack-quack

22 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by a_bouche_amused in Food Glorious Food, Yum Shots

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duck prosciutto, goose prosciutto, Jewish deli meat, kosher charcuterie, prosciutto d'oca

When you hear prosciutto, no doubt you immediately think of that delightful dry-cured Italian ham made from a hog’s leg. But if you are fortunate enough to come across it, you should try duck or goose prosciutto. Familiar as we all are with the traditional prosciutto made from pigs, this is an entirely different, divine, and ducky experience.

Prosciutto d’Oca

It seems the Jewish community in Italy and all over Europe, forbidden by religious law to eat pork, had found a way to enjoy a more Kosher prosciutto, using duck or goose. According to food writer PATRICK ALEPH , “…Jews in every country in the Diaspora found ways to create kosher versions of their neighbors’ food. Italian Jews took duck and smoked it to create duck prosciutto, the kosher cousin to the famous Italian salted ham.”

And I am so happy that they did. Goose or duck prosciutto has its own distinct rich flavor that’s a league all on its own. It tastes salty-sweet with a slight gamey sharpness that goes perfectly with a full-bodied, bold red, like a Pinot Noir or Malbec. It was no surprise that all the duck or goose prosciutto slices (I’m not exactly sure which one it is but I think it was duck) served at the Cheese Club were polished off in under an hour, while all the other deli meats offered had to settle for second choice.

Now, can anyone tell me please where I can buy duck prosciutto here in Manila?

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Burgers at UCC Mentoré

23 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by a_bouche_amused in Burgers, Food Glorious Food, Yum Shots

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Best Burgers in Makati, UCC burgers, UCC Mentore

I “discovered” great burgers at an unlikely spot — UCC Mentoré. A cozy and often overlooked oasis in the middle of the Raffles and Fairmont Hotels at the Glorietta Complex in Makati. When you think UCC, you most likely think just Japanese + coffee. But they serve great and delicious food there, from soups, salads, and sandwiches to pasta and pastries.

Mentore Burger: 1/3 lb US Angus beef burger with caramelized onions and blue cheese. Served with wedged fries.

Sloppy Joe Burger : Grilled beef patty smothered in cheese sauce and marinara, topped with onions and a fried egg. Served with wedged fries.

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Top 10 Food-Faves — Part 1

10 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by a_bouche_amused in Come Taste My Philippines, Food Glorious Food, Restaurants, Yum Shots

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Aging's Food Delights, Apag Marangle, Filipino kakanin, Kapampangan Food, Negrense cuisine, Sarsa, Susie's Cuisine, Your Local Restaurant

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I’VE noticed that in these recent years, the Philippine food scene has been energetically transforming itself into such an exciting and richly diverse smorgasbord of cuisines and food styles! Not just in Metro Manila, but even out in the provinces. Nowadays one could pick and sample a myriad of culinary choices, from the basic and beloved Filipino dishes to popular regional dishes as well as international fare from Japanese-Peruvian fusion to Yugoslavian homecooked meals.

So I decided to list down 10 dishes which absolutely amused my bouche in 2015. It was tough to choose, but I narrowed it down to 10 dishes that I enjoyed so much, I would love to have them again and again. And here are the first 5 (not necessarily in the order of taste preference):

Suman Espesyal Combi by Aling Aging from AGING’S FOOD DELIGHTS.  No, it is not pronounced as age-ing but as a-GING, accent on the second syllable. Suman (glutinous rice cake cooked in sweetened coconut milk) may seem so run-of-the-mill Pinoy but this one is really special. The way the suman is cooked here is perfect. The texture is evenly soft and moist — no need for added sugar — sticky without being gluey or gummy. Much like the sticky rice cakes of Thailand. And the level of sweetness is just right. But what makes it brilliant is the filling of well-made halayang ube AND leche flan! Each roll of filled suman is wrapped in banana leaves, to keep it fresh. They have no dine-in restaurant. Just a take-out shop, which is located on 17 Pasig Blvd. in Bagong Ilog — from the northbound side of C5, turn right towards Julia Vargas Bridge and it  should be around there. I understand the suman products get sold out very quickly, so it is advised that one orders at least 2 days before. The landline number is  671-0172 or you may text at 0929-8410424.

While we are on the subject of Pinoy kakanin, there is another specialty that I often crave — Tibok-tibok from Susie’s Cuisine in Pampanga. This is the traditional Kapampangan rice pudding at its best. Made with real carabao’s milk and glutinous rice flour, tibok-tibok derives its name from the way the mixture bubbles up on the surface as if there’s a heart pulsating beneath — as in tumitibok-tibok — which indicates that the pudding is done. It is served with latik or toasted shredded coconut. To most, it is just like maja blanca, except that this is made with carabao’s milk, which gives the pudding a naturally salty flavor and a smooth and silky texture that’s heaven in the mouth.

I suppose you could say this is Pampanga’s version of al fresco dining? The restaurants are all designed to create an outdoorsy ambience, with bamboo-themed furnishings, in an effort to make the diner feel like he’s dining in a farm. That is what Apag Marangle essentially means. A table out in the farm all laid out with good food. And one favorite example of that is Apag Marangle’s Nasing Marangle, which literally means “farm rice”. But it’s rice fried in pork fat drippings (you read right — pork fat!!!) and topped with pinakbet cooked in bagoong alamang, then further topped with chunks of crispy lechon kawali. It sounds so simple but the dish has layers of flavors and textures that make it one of my favorites. The original Apag Marangle is all the way in Bacolor, Pampanga along the Olongapo-Gapan Road but, thankfully, they now have a branch in the heart of Makati at the Park Square.

From Central Luzon, our food trip now takes us to the Visayas for a taste of Negrense cuisine. One dish my tummy remembers with great fondness is Sarsa Kitchen+Bar’s Sizzling Kansi. Kansi is Bacolod’s variation of Batangas’s Bulalo, but with a tangy twist from batwan. Batwan is a distinctly Ilonggo fruit, round and green, that is used as a souring agent for broths and stews, like sinigang, much the same way kamias or sampaloc is used. Sinigang na bulalo? Sounds odd, doesn’t it? But let me tell you — it’s the bomb! Sarsa takes this beloved dish even further. Their Sizzling Kansi is served on a cast-iron platter, fresh and sizzling-hot from the oven.  A  slice of bone filled with rich marrow rests on a bed of tender chunks of beef shank and the whole thing is generously covered with batwan-based gravy. It’s an oddly brilliant balance of umami and sourness, with the batwan gravy cutting the unctuousness of the marrow. Sarsa can be found at The Forum in BGC and on Rada Street in Makati.

Now we move on to modern East-meets-West cuisine, starting with my next fave — Torched Salmon Donburi at Your Local, which prides itself in its superb approach to global fusion cuisine with Asia at its base. This dish is one of its best-sellers, judging by the long queue of orders the chefs have to prepare every day, every meal time. Thick slices of Norwegian salmon, seared with a torch outside but still moist and tender inside. They are laid on a bed of wild black rice mixed with shiitake mushrooms and topped with mentaiko aioli and topped with tobiko (flying fish roe), then dusted with powdered seaweed and chopped scallions. One bowl is a deliciously complete and filling meal in itself. Your Local is located at the ground floor of the Universal LMS Building on Esteban Street in Legaspi Village, Makati. As yet, they do not accept reservations and it’s almost always full. ALMOST always. So you’ll just have to take your chances on getting a table or be willing to wait until one frees up. Whichever you choose to do, know that it will be worth it.

(Part 2 to be continued…)

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Mmmmbacon…

03 Thursday Sep 2015

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bacon

bacon

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Posted by a_bouche_amused | Filed under Food Glorious Food, Yum Shots

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Fiesta de los Quesos Españoles

04 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by a_bouche_amused in The Cheese Club of the Philippines, Yum Shots

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Spanish cheeses, The Cheese Club of the Philippines

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The full moon of this sultry June was stunning as it rose from the horizon, glowing bright with an orange rind, just like a ball of cheese, and coyly hiding every now and then behind clouds. It made for a perfect evening for the Cheese Club’s celebration of the fine cheeses of Spain. There were choices of select cavas, elegant wines, and superb sangrías, and tasty tapas to complement the fiesta de los quesos.

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Käsefest in April

13 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by a_bouche_amused in Food Glorious Food, The Cheese Club of the Philippines, Yum Shots

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Käsefest, The Cheese Club of the Philippines

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When I think of “cheese”, I automatically think of France and Italy. To discover some of Germany’s own fine cheeses featured at the monthly Cheese Club of the Philippines gathering was a delightful revelation for me. Like the Mountain Rebel Cheese (or Bergrebell) — almost sounds exotic to me. (My first reaction was: “Queso ng mga NPA?“) Most interesting of all about this particular cheese is that it’s allergy-friendly! According to the literature, this cheese is “100% GMO-free and without fermented foodstuffs”.

According to a website, http://www.dcicheeseco.com/cheese/germany, “Germany is the largest cheese producing country in Europe (followed closely by France, Italy and the Netherlands).” Wow, I never knew that! “Thanks to the diversity of its landscapes and various recipes and methods of production, Germany offers more than 600 different types of cheese, most of which are produced in Bavaria. German cheeses include traditional favorites brought to the country by immigrants, many of which are characterized by strong flavors and smells.” Now we know.

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Soup du Rainy Jour

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

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comfort food, soup

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What is it about the cold weather and the pouring rain and blustery winds that make one’s thoughts … and tummy… turn to soup?

Here are just a few of my favorite potages. What’s yours?

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Posted by a_bouche_amused | Filed under Food Glorious Food, Yum Shots

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The Langkâ

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by a_bouche_amused in Yum Shots

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langka

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Langkâ. Jackfruit in English. It’s similar to the durian but, thankfully, it doesn’t reek as much as durian does. I am fortunate to have a healthy, prolific tree growing in our backyard. And every summer, it favors us with an abundance of fruit — heavy and humongous… and spiky — which, in my rough estimate, can weigh up to 20-25 kilos on the average (medium-sized by most standards). After waiting very patiently for weeks, we pick them at their perfect state of ripeness, with the bright yellow flesh still firm and beautifully sweet.

There are so many ways to enjoy langkâ (or nangka, as it is called in some provinces). More than any other way, I like to eat it fresh and raw and just slightly chilled, in all its natural and fragrant sweetness and the flesh firm and crunchy-chewy.

Unfortunately, we usually have no leftovers of the peeled fruit, because otherwise, I do enjoy slivers of it inside turon or rolled “lumpia” of sweet saging na saba (cardava banana, in English). Most of my friends, though, especially the ones who live abread, think halu-halò at the mention of langkâ. But we also set aside the big seeds inside each jackfruit aril. These are boiled or roasted. The seeds have a subtle, nutty taste. A good and healthy snack.

Even the unripe fruit can still be enjoyed as Guinataang Langkâ — cooked in coconut milk, with a little bit of sliced fresh chili pepper, and shrimp or dried/salted fish (daing, dilis, or tinapa).

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Panizza by Chef Chris Locher

20 Sunday May 2012

Posted by a_bouche_amused in Food Glorious Food, Restaurants, Yum Shots

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Chef Chris Locher, My Kitchen, panizza

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Panizzas by Chef Chris Locher.

He first introduced his now-famous panizza at his restaurant, C’Italian, in Angeles City, Pampanga. But metro-foodies don’t have to travel all the way there now — Chef Chris has opened My Kitchen at the Oasis Paco Park Hotel right in Manila! Of course, he serves his panizza as well as other fine Italian dishes. He also makes his own Italian sausages and deli meats.

The Panizza is a thin yet pliable pizza that one rolls up for a pop-in-your-mouth eating enjoyment. An original creation by Chef Chris, it comes in several flavor variations. It comes conveniently sliced into strips which you then top with fresh arugula or rocket, some alfalfa sprouts, and a drop or two or three of chili oil. Then you roll it all up and bite! The deliciously crisp dough gives way to all the amazing tastes and textures inside! Chef Chris Locher’s Panizza always amuses my bouche!

The Oasis Paco Park Hotel (beside Paco Church near Old Swiss Inn)
1032-34 Belen Street, Paco, Manila                                                                        You MUST reserve (it is almost always full) : +632 521-2371 to 75                          Check out https://www.facebook.com/mykitchenbychefchris

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