Fun Filipino Food treats this Christmas

 A Foodie, a Finicky eater or a Calorie-counter?

Answer: Being a certified Pinoy food lover, I confess to being all that and more. And contrary to what most will think, I do not find any conflict in my eating habits or in my attitude towards food. A foodie is defined as a “person who loves or has a deep admiration for food and eating food.” I just make it a point to be responsible with my choices without undermining my health and nutrition. When I indulge in my favorites, I compensate for making some sacrifices. I research, exercise and even go out of my way to make sure that whenever I am on a ‘spree,’ the whole experience is a guiltless pleasure. No pleasure should be ‘guilty,’ anyway. The whole point is to be happy and be at peace when being around food.

And this Christmas, I plan to treat myself with my all-time favorite gastronomic delights:

1. Chef Peter Nic Rodriguez’s Bread Pudding with Vanilla bean sauce

mas creamy!

This is simply Christmas in a box. It's soft, milky, has the right amount of sweetness and baked just right that it remains creamy even when chilled. I tried it frozen too and it melts in your mouth, heaven! Lucky me, Chef Nic is my best roomie’s (Gwen) husband. His culinary expertise was honed in New York and Switzerland and he owns Bistro Candon in Ilocus Sur. His chocolate cake also made it to the list of the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Best Desserts for 2010. (http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/food/food/view/20101104-301313/25-Best-Desserts-2010) “The proof of the pudding is always in the eating.” In my case, it doesn’t really take that long before all proof disappear.

  

 2. Green Mangoes with shrimp paste

the greener the better

  
It’s not in season but even if my search takes me far and wide, I know in my heart (and in my stomach) that it’ll be worth it. I like it best when its tanginess makes you squint. The greener, the better. Dipped with the best commercially available shrimp paste in the supermarket, (Barrio Fiesta) it’s just perfect. Kind of reminds me of the beach, the sun and sand on my feet. “I’ll stay right here and eat, heck you can go swim and snorkel and I’ll look after your things and you can all do whatever."

 3. Razon’s Halo-halo

the secret is in the ICE!

So what’s the big secret? “Secret nga e…” But a friend from Pampanga (Ferdz) revealed that it’s not in the milk nor in the leche flan. It’s in the ICE! Razon’s too is originally from Guagua Pampanga and I was intrigued when Ferdz pointed that out. He was absolutely right. I’m not a 100% certain on Razon’s trade secret but it’s highly probable. The shaved ice they use is smoother and finer. Anybody can concoct a decent halo-halo with all the usual ingredients that most will include: sweetened banana, ube, sago, macapuno, pinipig, gulaman and beans but I must admit that Razon’s is special. He said that back at home, they make their own ice and the water used is often boiled with trace amounts of sugar. Genius! At Razon’s, you can also ask for an extra glass of shaved ice for free!

  

4. Fae-fae Lechon Sisig

chopped and fresh off the grill rack

Lechon and sisig in the same dish-it’s a shame that it’s the one of the most underrated dishes in the Southern Tagalog region. Everybody is into bulalo,(stewed beef shanks and marrow bones) lomi (Batangas flat noodle soup) and goto (beef innards soup) when Fae-fae’s sisig is what you should really try. The broiled pork belly remains crunchy when chopped and mixed with mayonnaise, onions and siling labuyo (native bird’s eye chilli.) Miss at your peril.

People at work love this and take notice that it’s different from the more usual sisig served with egg. Of course, there’s real meat that are tender, chewy and just out of the grill rack. It is good served with rice, better as a pulutan and best served with Lipitor or pineapple juice. (It’s a cardiac delight, take in moderation or vital stats will shoot up…just saying.)

  

 5.  Vigan Empanada

stuffed with Vigan longganisa, vegetables and egg

It is an authentic Ilocos Region delicacy and has always been one of my favorites ever since I’ve tasted it in a college food fair way back when. Vigan longganisa (sausage) is stuffed inside. That alone makes this dish a knock-out. It’s a Pinoy chorizo but its garlicky, spicy, tangy and salty flavor mixing with its own rendered fatty flavor makes it way better. It is a turnover with a filling of eggs, The Vigan longganisa  and vegetables wrapped in a rice flour crust or shell. And hey you don’t need to drive up north to get one, it is also sold at the Salcedo Food Market in Makati every Saturdays.