Two Quick-fix Dishes

Sometimes, the homemaker finds herself completely devoid of ideas on what to serve the family for lunch or dinner. This happened to us recently and instinctively, we checked what was available in the refrigerator and in our cupboard. We found an open bottle of sun-dried tomatoes, crushed garlic in oil, seasoned onions , nearly 1/3 cup of olive oil and about 100 gms of pasta (spaghetti). We went to work fast: cooked the noodles al dente, drained and set aside. We sautéd the garlic and onions (ordinary ones will do, chopped) in olive oil, added the sun-dried tomatoes (about two tablespoons), then put in the spaghetti, mixing everything well so the flavors will spread through. We sprinkled Parmesan cheese and the family had a super dish. If you want a stronger taste, you can add a dash each of salt and pepper.

Rummaging through our file of recipes, we resurrected one that was sent to us by our second daughter from Cairo, Egypt–Tomato-infused Minced Beef with Spices and Herbs. You need about 200 gms of ground beef plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tin tomato paste, 2 tablespoons catsup, 2 tablespoons curry powder (we used the Lee Kum Kee brand), white pepper, black olives (cut into three each), one teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano and crushed garlic. To cook, sauté the garlic in olive oil, add in succession (stirring well each time) minced meat, tomato paste, catsup and curry powder. Let simmer for a while, then add the herbs and olives and continue simmering. Serve hot. Should you want some vegetables in this, you can add julliened carrots, sliced cabbage, spinach and cucumbers. A variation is to serve this as topping for any cooked noodles. Very flavorful.

We caught the recent sale at ShopWise and got some very good bargains– carrots at P66 a kilo, ground pork (for embutido) at P98 a kilo, a selection of seafood including salmon head, hasa-hasa (good for crisp frying), kabase, salmon belly, gindara (pan-fry this without any oil so that its natural juices will come out), fresh sitao (which has been difficult to find lately), big firm tomatoes and a box of ready-to-eat Best Yet brand of instant oatmeal at P99.25, which contains 10 packs of 13 ounces each. There are different flavors in the box–original, raisin spice, apples and cinnamon, cinnamon spice and maple and brown sugar. Those who are conscious of their cholesterol level can substitute this for breakfast–it is cholesterol free.

We were amazed at the facilities we found recently at De Salle’s College of Saint Benilde’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management, on the corner of Estrada and Arellano in Manila. The school recently conducted a "Culinary Market Basket Competition" and we were really impressed by the well-appointed kitchens (there are three) set up in the school. They provide a good environment for the students–neat with enough space to move around.

The students definitely are optimistic they’ll find jobs in the hotels or restaurants mushrooming in the country. We found them to be creative with a keen sense of taste and able to work under pressure, considering the judges kept on peeping in and asking them questions.

Mangoes have gone up in price, from P65 to P70 a kilo. The best mangoes we have had so far are those sold by a lady called Bing in the BF fruit market (a string of stalls on the fringes of the wet market.). Watermelons are also costing more now, P40 a kilo, thus one medium size fruit would go for something like P189. Avocadoes are in season, but they spoil so fast, you should buy only what your family can consume immediately.

Planning to open a restaurant? Here are some tips from Anthony Bourdain, author of the controversial "Kitchen Confidential". Start with a tight menu– there is no point in offering a long list of dishes you can not perfect. The back-of-the-house operation must be monitored well. For well-done steak orders, the best technique to suggest is to grill. Would you believe the most buttery food comes from the French?