Exotic Filipino Food

[thekfc]

Differentiating between pumpkin and squash can be kind of tricky....she likes pumpkin but doesn't like squash...but what we call squash here they would call pumpkin in Taiwan sometimes....can be pretty confusing. So far she likes the pumpkin flavor of butternut squash pretty well...

Same here.
On one of our early shopping trips, my wife saw some pumpkins and said let's get some of these squash. I told her not squash but pumpkin. Seeing that she was a bit confuse I showed her a squash and a pumpkin. Also, she do love butternut squash.

Still haven't figured out milk either. We've tried lactose-free, different methods of pasteurization, pretty much everything I can think of, and she still has problems.

My wife had the same problem. She tried both the Lactaid and also Silk brand and had success with them but now she prefer the Wholefoods Supermarket store brand - 365 organic soymilk. She is now slowly drinking "regular milk".

The worst smelling stuff so far is this dried squid she got, OMFG the stench! Couldn't go near the stuff. Hard to imagine it could taste good.

Yikes!!!!
A lot of the stores here in Chinatown have them as well as other dried seafood in the open and to me they don't smell that bad maybe because I am so used to the smell or maybe they are airing out the smell by having them in the open.

[Jeff S]

I love dried squid. It's a popular bar snack in Japan. Kind of like peanuts here. Never thought it smelled even slightly bad.

[Tanuki]

I love dried squid. It's a popular bar snack in Japan. Kind of like peanuts here. Never thought it smelled even slightly bad.

I agree with Jeff dried squid is really good. I also enjoyed Takoyaki.  It has been a long time since I had that.

[jm21-2]

Hm. Maybe it's a different type of dried squid? She got some at one of the small islands we visited and ate it on the ferry ride back and I had to flee the cabin to get some fresh air it smelled so bad. Or maybe I am somehow peculiar and sensitive to the smell? who knows...

[Ray]

 
Dried squid...
 
The first time I ate it was in Hawaii back in '68 at a Filipino home. Yes, it smells like piglett's dirty socks but tastes Ok to me.
 
It doesn't smell too bad until you fry it to crisp it up. In most Filipino households, this stuff, along with dried fish, is cooked outside in a "dirty kitchen". My wife cooks it out on the patio in an electric skillet.
 
Like Jeff said, dried squid is a kind of finger food while drinking beer or alcoholic beverages... kind of like BBQ'd chicken feet in Taiwan. Filipinos call bar snacks "pulutan', and can include dried squid, crispy fried pig's feet (crispy pata), fried minnows (dilis, or baby anchovies), and all sorts of other interesting snacks.
 
I know a lot of American guys married to Filipinas who absolutely forbid their wives to cook dried squid, dried fish, or even any type of fish or seafood at home, even outdoors. It's too bad because Filipinas are really happiest when yacking in their native tongue while enjoying some good stinky dried squid or fish with a glass of wine or beer-coke .
 
I always tell those guys to send their wives over to my house to cook their stinky stuff because I don't mind at all. I also tell them that I have it on good authority that dried squid is an aphrodisiac. That sometimes convinces them to re-evaluate their fish-ban.   
 
 
Ray
 
 
 
 

[robert angel]

Dried squid...
 
The first time I ate it was in Hawaii back in '68 at a Filipino home. Yes, it smells like piglett's dirty socks but tastes Ok to me.
 
It doesn't smell too bad until you fry it to crisp it up. In most Filipino households, this stuff, along with dried fish, is cooked outside in a "dirty kitchen". My wife cooks it out on the patio in an electric skillet.
 
Like Jeff said, dried squid is a kind of finger food while drinking beer or alcoholic beverages... kind of like BBQ'd chicken feet in Taiwan. Filipinos call bar snacks "pulutan', and can include dried squid, crispy fried pig's feet (crispy pata), fried minnows (dilis, or baby anchovies), and all sorts of other interesting snacks.
 
I know a lot of American guys married to Filipinas who absolutely forbid their wives to cook dried squid, dried fish, or even any type of fish or seafood at home, even outdoors. It's too bad because Filipinas are really happiest when yacking in their native tongue while enjoying some good stinky dried squid or fish with a glass of wine or beer-coke .
 
I always tell those guys to send their wives over to my house to cook their stinky stuff because I don't mind at all. I also tell them that I have it on good authority that dried squid is an aphrodisiac. That sometimes convinces them to re-evaluate their fish-ban.   
 
 
Ray

And there goes MY appetite! I am glad we utilize the outside, 'dirty kitchen' method as well...

[thekfc]

Tuyo, dilis & fried rice for breakfast - masarap.
 
Other than the "smoky smell" when cooking, the stuff is very tasty.
 
We will be doing grocery shopping this weekend at Phil-Am Foods and a few other filipino grocery stores and the wife already made her list - tunsoy, sap sap, hasa-hasa, galunggong and bangus are on it. She likes the Pangasinan Brand. 
 

[piglett]

Dried squid...
 
The first time I ate it was in Hawaii back in '68 at a Filipino home. Yes, it smells like piglett's dirty socks but tastes Ok to me.
 
It doesn't smell too bad until you fry it to crisp it up. In most Filipino households, this stuff, along with dried fish, is cooked outside in a "dirty kitchen". My wife cooks it out on the patio in an electric skillet.
 
 It's too bad because Filipinas are really happiest when yacking in their native tongue while enjoying some good stinky dried squid or fish with a glass of wine or beer-coke .
I also tell them that I have it on good authority that dried squid is an aphrodisiac. That sometimes convinces them to re-evaluate their fish-ban.   
Ray

i tell you what, after a long work day my socks can end up rather "ripe" so if any of the $hit  smells that bad it dam sure needs to be cooked outside!!! i guess I'll just try to stay up wind of the stinky stuff while it's being prepared.
 
 
pig 

[Honey]

oh i love these boiled and then dipped in sugar after u peel the skin off of course.  it comes off easily after it's boiled.  my mom used these for her soups as well.  they taste almost the same as potatoes.   

By taro do you mean the Hawaiian version (satoimo in Japanese) or are you referring to something else?





I generally can't stand it because it's just a flavorless starch-ball, but every Asian market around here, and that's hundreds, is stocked to the gills with it. I'd never heard the term yautia, but Googling it I see it looks about the same.

[Jeff S]

Hi Honey! Nice to see you posting again.

[Honey]

it's been a while. i just thought of visiting and see what's going on here. 

[thekfc]

oh i love these boiled and then dipped in sugar after u peel the skin off of course.

My wife just told me that after they boil, they would mash it & add sugar to it.  She said that they also make it to look like sticky rice or bibingka. 

She is from Luzon. 

[Honey]

that sounds yummy! ah, talking about these foods made me hungy, lol! i miss it.

[piglett]

that sounds yummy! ah, talking about these foods made me hungy, lol! i miss it.

good to see you on the board Honey
the only question i have is do you eat those duck eggs
you know "BAHHHATT" i love to hear those vendors walking up & down the streets in Manila, it let's me know I'm not in the U.S. anymore.
 
piglett

[Ray]

 
"BAHHHATT"??
 
pig, do you mean BALUT?   
 
 
What scared me the first time I went over was some guy out in the street at 6 a.m. yelling...  "PUTO!"
 
 
 
 
 

[Ray]

I generally can't stand it because it's just a flavorless starch-ball, but every Asian market around here, and that's hundreds, is stocked to the gills with it. I'd never heard the term yautia, but Googling it I see it looks about the same.

 
My wife cooks up a bunch of these taro (hairy balls) with kamote (sweet potato), ube (purple yam), and coconut milk to make ginataan.
 
She says the little hairy balls are just another cousin of the potato... 
 
 
Ray
 

[Honey]

good to see you on the board Honey
the only question i have is do you eat those duck eggs
you know "BAHHHATT" i love to hear those vendors walking up & down the streets in Manila, it let's me know I'm not in the U.S. anymore.
 
piglett

i'm not sure what u meant by bahhatt? lol! to answer ur question, yes i do or i did . matter of fact, my parents raised a few ducks when i was younger.  my mom used to make her own homemade balut, lol!  i can eat the 16-day old ones.  if it's ur first time to try it, i suggest ask for the 16-day olds. 

[thekfc]

I didn't like my first go at Ginataan (too sweet) - that was at the Mall of Asia.
I later gave it another go (from one of our ninang) and it had a different taste (less sweet) and was better.

[piglett]

i'm not sure what u meant by bahhatt? lol! to answer ur question, yes i do or i did . matter of fact, my parents raised a few ducks when i was younger.  my mom used to make her own homemade balut, lol!  i can eat the 16-day old ones.  if it's ur first time to try it, i suggest ask for the 16-day olds.

i think i'll pass on those eggs Honey
i wouldn't want to deprive others ....he he he
 
 
piglett

[thekfc]

Piggy, how about some nice juicy fried quail eggs? 

[piglett]

Piggy, how about some nice juicy fried quail eggs? 

ok what's with all the bird eggs? ? ?
 
pig
 
 

[thekfc]

How about some zig zag, helmet, adidas & chocolate meat?