food on a regular basis. I’ve lived my entire life with a rice cooker in my home—literally—so I don’t know how I’d function without one. My current rice cooker of choice is the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy model, where “Neuro Fuzzy” is just some techie-speak for “this rice cooker does a bunch of other stuff besides cooking rice.” For instance, I often set the timer of my rice cooker so that a batch of warm oatmeal is ready for me when I come downstairs in the morning. The Zojirushi is an investment, but in return you’ll have perfectly cooked rice, among other things, whenever you want. While the fancy Zojirushi is nice to have, you can definitely get by with a more inexpensive rice cooker. In fact, I owned a tiny 3-cup capacity one-button rice cooker throughout college, through my days as a bachelor, and into my first years of marriage. That’s a long stretch of time for a “cheapo” rice cooker.
ROASTING PAN: A large heavy roasting pan is not only useful for roasting big hunks of meat or large amounts of vegetables, but it is also a great vessel for making the water bath necessary for a creamy leche flan. Choose a roasting pan that has handles you can comfortably grab while you have oven mitts on your hands.
SPIDER SKIMMER: Primarily used for fetching fried items from hot oil, a bamboo spider skimmer with a steel mesh basket is also great for draining small amounts of noodles and blanched vegetables, or plucking hard-boiled eggs from boiling water.
WOK: Like the Chinese, Filipinos use the wok (called a kawali in the Philippines) for deep-frying, stir-frying, and steaming. Large 14-inch carbon steel woks with a flat bottom are not only inexpensive, but they are the perfect shape for most home stovetops. Choose a wok with a long heatproof handle on one side, and a shorter helper handle on the other side. Also be sure that you have a metal wok spatula that is specially shaped to fit the curves of your wok to better flip and stir food during cooking.
STOCKING YOUR FILIPINO PANTRY
One of the stumbling blocks to cooking a great Filipino meal is the perceived lack of available Filipino ingredients. But considering the fact that Filipino cuisine is heavily influenced by the cuisines of China, Spain, Mexico, and the U.S., and because Filipino cuisine shares many similar ingredients to other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand, it is very likely that you'll be able to find the ingredients you need without traveling too far from your home. With the proliferation of large Latin and Asian markets, as well as smaller markets that specifically cater to Southeast Asians, the world of Filipino food is more accessible now than ever before.
While I'm fortunate enough to live near a large Asian grocery store, as well as a small Filipino market, I can usually find many ingredients in my local supermarket as well. So even if you live in a small town without any ethnic markets, it is still possible to find all the ingredients you need from the ethnic foods aisle at your regular grocery store, or by ordering more hard-to-find items from the internet.
The following is a list of the Filipino ingredients I use most often; the same ingredients I relied upon to write this book. This isn't a conclusive list that will turn your kitchen into Little Manila, but it is a list to get you well on your way to preparing dozens of Filipino dishes.
ANNATTO SEEDS (ACHUETE): Part of the legacy from the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, annatto seeds are usually steeped in cooking oil to produce annatto oil (see page 26). The annatto oil is then used to impart a beautiful—and natural—reddish-orange hue to any number of dishes.
BANANA KETCHUP/SAUCE: A sweeter, fruitier version of tomato ketchup, banana ketchup is, indeed, made from bananas. A popular condiment in the Philippines, banana ketchup is used as a dip for fries and a topping for burgers, but is also used with grilled meats and is a primary ingredient in Filipino Spaghetti (page 64). Artificially dyed a bright red hue to resemble tomato ketchup, banana ketchup can be easily found in Asian markets and in the Ethnic aisle of some supermarkets, but an all-natural and delicious version can be easily made at home (see page 24).
BANANA LEAVES: The large, pliable leaves of the banana tree are used for wrapping any number of steamed, grilled, or baked food items. The banana leaf not only makes for a great cooking vessel and “to-go” wrapper, but it also imbues a fragrant grassy aroma to whatever food is held inside.
BAY LEAVES: One of the primary ingredients in adobo s (page 68), it is also known as “laurel,” and imparts a depth of warmth and flavor with subtle woody and floral notes. Either dried or fresh bay leaves can be used, though the dried variety tends to have a stronger aroma and flavor than the fresh variety.
BITTER MELON (AMPALAYA): Also known as bitter gourd, are pale green in color with an irregular wrinkly surface and are, indeed, quite bitter in flavor. Bitter melons are reputed to have an abundance of health benefits and are used in dishes throughout the Philippines, though they are mostly used in the northern part of the archipelago.
CALAMANSI: Calamansi limes (also kalamansi or calmondin) are small citrus fruits that have the fragrance of mandarin oranges and the sour citrus flavor of lemons and limes. Calamansi limes are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter and range in color from green to orange. A squeeze, a squirt, or a spritz of calamansi nectar brightens up any dish—from noodles, to soups, to grilled meats and fish. Calamansi juice is also great when mixed into desserts and cocktails as well. Calamansi can sometimes be found at Asian markets or even at local farmers’ markets, so if you ever encounter these fragrant orbs, be sure to buy in bulk! I’ve found that 1 lb (500 g) of calamansi limes often yields between ¾ cup (185 ml) to 1 cup (250 ml) of juice. But the best way to ensure a steady supply of these wonderful limes is to grow your own tree in your back yard. Potted calamansi trees can often be found in the nursery department of hardware stores, and the small potted trees can be purchased online as well. And of course, fresh lemon juice or lime juice can always be substituted for calamansi.
BOK CHOY: A mild Chinese cabbage, it is favored in Filipino cooking because of its crunchy texture and versatility. And because it cooks so quickly, bok choy can be added at the last moment to stir-fries and soups to add crunch and a vibrant green color.
CASSAVA (KAMOTENG KAHOY): Cassava (also known as yucca or manioc) is a large tuber native to South America. Because of its very high starch content, cassava is primarily used in desserts and cakes in Filipino cuisine.
CHAYOTE (SAYOTE): Chayote (also known as mirliton) is a green pear-shaped squash with a large single seed in the center. Chayote is mild in flavor but retains a firm texture even when cooked, so it is often used in soups and stews in Filipino cuisine.
COCONUT MILK: Coconut milk is made from the shredded flesh of mature brown coconuts that is mixed with water and pressed. Coconut milk made from the first pressing is thicker and richer,
