tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473629509428463432024-03-12T21:35:57.725-04:00Why My Mother Doesn't Eat Instant RamenStraight down home pinoy cuisine served with a side of food culture.Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-75293539282778026202014-01-31T21:27:00.001-05:002014-01-31T21:27:16.020-05:00Humba, or the Dish My Grandmother Refuses to Eat Twice I grew up eating humba (pronounced "hoomba"), a pork stew staple in the Visayas, or central region of the Philippines. It's a familiar and homey dish that sits in your stomach for days on end -- which is the point if you don't eat much meat for penny-pinching reasons.
While the pork was happily marinating in the fridge, I asked my mother if there were any family stories around humba. I didn't Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-28775477770225811242012-07-12T15:16:00.001-04:002012-07-12T15:20:12.243-04:00My Mother's Fried ChickenFirstly, I'd like to apologize for the radio silence. Wrapping up the first year as a full-time professor and planning (then traveling!) for a long trip to Paris ate up all my time. I imagined I would be blogging furiously upon my return, dishing on my culinary adventures in la ville lumiere. As it turned out, I brought something unexpected back to New York--my second child. So, I've had a ratherKat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-12674680790959243512012-02-08T15:47:00.000-05:002012-02-08T15:47:10.174-05:00Biko, or The Poor Filipino's CakeGrowing up, my mother continually reminded my brother and I of our privileged lives with her childhood stories of extreme poverty in the Philippine countryside, or probincia. One such line was, "When we celebrated any happy occasion, we were content with biko and pancit." Back then, this anecdote prompted surreptitious eye-rolling, but in retrospect, I envy the provincial simplicity of two Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-82292891779212896692012-01-08T23:57:00.001-05:002012-01-08T23:57:59.759-05:00Oh, Farmer's Market - How I've Missed Thee!Last Saturday, after a three-month hiatus due to a Saturday morning course, I eagerly walked to my neighborhood farmer's market with my two-year-old in tow. After a stop at the bank, I walked across the street to find the two vendors who are there when the the farmer's market is lively with crowds buying "specialty" goods (April - September) and sluggish (October - February): Meredith's Bread andKat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-43409258984434302722012-01-06T15:41:00.001-05:002012-01-06T15:42:31.527-05:00Victories and Defeats in the Food Movement - so farI've been absolutely derelict in my duties to this blog, but with the whirlwind of the holiday season, followed by a 16-day composition course, I haven't had the time (or energy) to write a post. Since there's been a flurry of movement in the food landscape - some exciting, some disappointing, and some plain crazy - I feel compelled to discuss these issues:
A lobbying group is fighting to keep Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-41806208734525513132011-11-26T10:10:00.002-05:002011-11-26T10:19:01.586-05:00Leche FlanIf you're Pinoy or have eaten at a Pinoy's house, chances are you've experienced the majesty of the leche flan. Much creamier and sweeter than its Latin American counterpart, the leche flan was introduced to Filipino cuisine during the Spanish occupation (1521-1898) and has graced Pinoy dinner tables since. It's also added as a garnish to halo-halo. The dessert's attraction comes from its Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-70446526087726940672011-11-23T22:44:00.002-05:002011-11-24T13:17:14.320-05:00Thanksgiving Edition: Origins of the Tamayo Thanksgiving and Postcolonial ReflectionsIn the past month, whole food advocates have suffered severe attrition from the political landscape. In sum, pizza (with enough tomato paste) passes as a vegetable in school lunches, the USDA is cutting back on critical research, consumers have been fed mislabeled fish, and the Super Committee's failure could mean serious cuts for the FDA.
As I schlepped through my Thanksgiving food Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-4618299749515436082011-10-30T09:33:00.001-04:002011-11-13T14:20:54.842-05:00Horse Meat and the American TabooI came across an interesting piece by Food Safety News' Dan Flynn on the subject of horse slaughter in Florida. Apparently, a horse carcass without legs and a heart was discovered in Florida's C-9 Basin. Many suspect the illegal sales of horse meat persist in the region, even after 70 illegal horse slaughter operations were shut down down in 2009.
What I found particularly interesting is Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-63997939655359516512011-10-19T16:52:00.003-04:002011-11-13T14:22:56.265-05:00Chocolate and Child SlaveryFor a lot kids, Halloween is a damn good time. Tricked out in a costume, kids go door-to-door for free treats, then come home to Mom or Dad (hopefully) examining the candy before a veritable orgy of sugar consumption. For many chocolate manufacturers, Halloween is their Christmas - profits soar as citizens participate in a holiday of which the purchase of candy is an essential feature. I live in Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-22876653696919779762011-08-17T10:20:00.002-04:002011-08-17T14:17:13.730-04:00Carrot-Oat MuffinsLast weekend, I fell in love with my sister-in-law's super moist and guilt-free zucchini and banana muffins, a recipe she found in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. Inspired and determined to end my streak of bad-luck baking in the past few days (flat meringue cookies, terrible bread, bubbly leche flan), I baked my own take on healthy muffins. These muffins have a lot of texture from the oats and Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-79243844270632204692011-08-16T22:20:00.001-04:002011-08-17T14:17:44.059-04:00Reporting on the Colbert ReportLast night, I saw, in person, one of the greatest living satirists, Mr. Stephen Colbert (I am aware of the many commas in that sentence.). Coincidentally, his show's featured guest was U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, who spoke about the humanitarian and terrorist clusterfuck in the Horn of Africa, a subject that continues to break my heart every day.
I could wax lyrical forever about the Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-26949867425871053562011-08-09T15:40:00.002-04:002011-08-17T14:18:19.031-04:00First-World GuiltMy heart is heavy with "First-World-Guilt" today. Guilty that I not only had enough to eat for lunch, but threw out what was left over. Guilty that it is raining in Scarsdale, while those living in the Horn of Africa haven't seen a drought this bad in over 60 years. My privileged self-pity does not help anyone, and it certainly does not put any food in any of these malnourished children's mouths.Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-49962660508032492012011-08-06T14:54:00.000-04:002011-08-06T14:54:18.252-04:00On Microwaves; Or, Microwaved Food Tastes Like Hot GarbageAs I waited for my mug of hot water to heat up in the microwave, I felt a wave of shame brought on by conscious laziness. Let me explain.
When one wants hot water for tea, one usually uses a teapot. After the teapot screeches its announcement that the water's done, you remove it from the hot burner and allow it to cool a little. Scorching hot water burns tea leaves, which is a huge reason why I Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-37957830580479137642011-08-02T21:37:00.000-04:002011-08-02T21:37:46.636-04:00To Arnie: Thank you.It's been a while since I've written here and I've been feeling the itch all week. I just didn't know what to write about. Dave and I recently registered Jonathan in daycare for the fall, and I was thinking of writing about what pushed me to choose this particular center: their revamped menu of food items that consist only of organic, seasonal, and locally source food products. This was Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-65306484695770967752011-07-21T14:46:00.002-04:002011-07-21T15:31:20.009-04:00The Best Recipe (so far) in Amanda Hesser's NYT Cookbook: Flat-and-Chewy Chocolate-Chip CookiesLast month, I received a lovely gift from my dissertation advisor for finally(!) completing my manuscript: The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century, meticulously compiled by Amanda Hesser, a renowned NYT food columnist. After receiving it with grateful excitement, I imagined Kathy, who is a very petite woman, schlepping down 1st Avenue towards Momofuku Noodle Bar Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-85884416206712338212011-06-19T10:06:00.003-04:002011-06-19T22:30:10.978-04:00Queens ComfortLast night, a friend, who I'll call John, introduced me to Queens Comfort, a sweet little place on the edge of Astoria. He suggested this particular spot because he thought I might blog about their homemade ice cream. He also thought it would agree with our other friend, who I'll call Mark, since the restaurant screened The Warriors during dinner one evening. I understood why he'd recommend Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-79356757308087288782011-06-18T10:04:00.002-04:002011-08-02T21:40:45.181-04:00Global Dining in the Oldest City in AmericaI like to use birthdays as a reason to dine at more extravagantly priced restaurants. I love to try new places, but I'm definitely much more of a home cook. Last year, David took me to the incomparable Le Bernardin, a dining experience which can never be rivaled. The dishes and service were literally perfect. I can still taste the sea urchin risotto's creaminess on the roof of my mouth. And it Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-29253903497360288292011-06-15T23:27:00.000-04:002011-06-15T23:27:57.446-04:00How Homemade Pakistani Food Opened the Gastronomic FloodgatesBack in my undergrad days, I met one of my dearest friends. She comes from a rich southeast Asian heritage, specifically Pakistan. It was at her house, at her dinner table, where all my prejudices about "foreign" food shattered and my tastebuds experienced the glory of spice for the first time.
Let me tell you a little bit about my food preferences pre-Pakistani food. I loved pinoy cuisine, of Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-28833292236064997732011-06-15T22:59:00.000-04:002011-06-15T22:59:41.435-04:00Fisherman's Dream [Insert obscene joke here]It's not what you think. This relatively complex fish dish is very pretty and delicious to boot. My mom presents this is the piéce de résistance at any family party. The younger me used to throw a fit when party guests poked and broke the fish apart, completely ruining the aesthetics.
I've omitted the MSG the original recipe called for. I try not to use carcinogens in my cooking if I can Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-71697562514813504632011-06-15T22:43:00.001-04:002011-06-15T22:45:22.311-04:00Sweet (or Hot) Longanisa or; My Mom's Idea of Comfort FoodFor some reason, whenever I'm feeling bummed out my mother cooks me fried sweet longanisa, or pork sausage. She knows I can put them away like a can of Pringles, and probably believes that the sweetness and homey-ness of the food can fill up whatever's breaking my heart at that moment. Tomorrow she's undergoing a follow-up procedure for her breast cancer. This event - which scares me to death - Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-90660181448522988312011-05-25T13:48:00.000-04:002011-05-25T13:48:20.718-04:00Avocado ShakeOn especially hot days in Cebu, my mother used to break out the old-school Osterizer and make my brother and I avocado or papaya shakes, depending on the season. My brother and I used to make avocado or papaya "mustaches" with the shakes, gleefully licking our upper lips clean to make another green or orange mustache.
In my own kitchen 20 years later, my son makes the same mustaches, though he Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-62291906671009148732011-04-23T09:32:00.001-04:002011-04-23T20:41:01.914-04:00Lechon Kawali (Crispy Pan-Fried Roasted Pork)I have very fond memories with lechon kawali. A favorite of my late Lolo (Grandfather), the dish was a staple anytime my grandparents visited. I used to watch him eat this peasant dish with a quiet relish, a fascinating and unusual degree of dissonance in dining culture and class. For the most part, my family ate food with casual abandon, using our fingers to scoop up sauce and rice, reaching forKat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-1402684463119153432011-04-12T14:49:00.001-04:002011-04-12T14:52:28.924-04:00Raise Your Hand (pricked from daily glucose testing) for Chocolate MilkYesterday, the Washington Post reported that chocolate milk in school lunches has become the focus of a controversy. Some school districts, including Fairfax County, whose lunch program has been considered the nation's healthiest, have banned the drink outright. Unsurprisingly, this action provoked the wrath of angry parents, accusing administrators of "robbing students of a tasty drinkKat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-47932135198709342782011-04-09T09:36:00.001-04:002011-04-09T13:07:42.187-04:00Salted Duck Eggs (Itlog Na Maalat)The word "fermented" usually doesn't get diners' stomachs growling with anticipation. However, eating salted eggs with vinegar is a time and transpacific trip for me to the dinner table back home. We used to eat this with rice for lunch, a super filling and budget-friendly meal for many Filipinos who couldn't afford to eat meat for every meal. The egg yolk is wonderfully creamy, a nice contrast Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847362950942846343.post-70579172812271116642011-04-07T17:39:00.000-04:002011-04-07T17:39:43.132-04:00"Bitchin' Kitchen?" Not Quite.As much as I think I'm obsessed with food, I don't spend too much time watching the Food Network. I get my food TV kicks from the "Top Chef" series and Andrew Zimmern's "Bizarre Foods." So, it was through Zimmern's blog that I discovered Nadia G. from the Cooking Channel's "Bitchin' Kitchen." After browsing through her website, my internal feminist started a temper tantrum.
I get that Kat Alveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405852810769491169noreply@blogger.com5