Millet Suman

budbud kabog (millet and coconut milk rolls)

Suman, a Filipino snack wrapped in banana leaves is usually made of either raw or precooked glutinous rice. The bundles are boiled in plain water for about an hour and they are best eaten with ripe mangoes, with coconut milk sauce, or simply dipped in sugar. About three years ago I read about the millet seed suman which is a favorite in the Visayan region of the Philippines. The seeds are precooked in coconut milk before rolling into fat cigar shape and wrapping in banana leaves.

I've never had millet suman before which has a rather funny name, Budbud Kabog, and I have no idea what it means. And I always thought millet seeds are for making birdseed and suet cakes. I found millet seeds at the health food aisle of the Asian grocery. Koreans cook them in rice together with red and black beans. I bought 2 kinds [because I don't know what kind they use in the Philippines], glutinous, from India, which are green in color like green mungbeans, and the yellow-colored non-glutinous from Korea.

I mixed the 2 millets, about ¾ cup of each, washed them thoroughly, then cooked them in a large wok in coconut milk and added water (as needed) until the seeds are soft, then added 3 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon sea salt. The suman is good, not better than glutinous rice suman, but I like it because I'm a sucker for anything cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in fragrant banana leaves. I actually like the soft grains which are almost like corn grits or tiny quinoa. It was worth the time making them and I love it with ripe mangoes of course. *Now, why do I suddenly have the urge to chirp?*

the suman is pale yellow, almost white, maybe because of the green seeds

Here is the recipe which I modified using canned coconut milk.

left: glutinous rice suman with coconut milk and raw sugar sauce

right: glutinous and non-glutinous rice suman with chocolate and peanuts

Go 'Skins

There are only 5 more games left in the regular football season and I know I'm late to start watching which is well and good because I think American football is one of the most boring sports, second only to baseball. The only way to enjoy football is going to the actual game and have a tailgate party before it starts or have friends over for a 3-hour beer and munchies orgy. Without beer and food, watching football will make everybody fall asleep, or maybe just me.:D

I remember when we first arrived here in Virginia in 1992, we were greeted by tons of Redskins banners, pennants, caps, and tees everywhere, in the hotel where we stayed, McD's, groceries, etc. We were all wondering: what are REDSKINS? We came from Asia (Hong Kong) where we never heard of Redskins or American football. The football we knew was called soccer and the most popular sport in Hong Kong was and still is rugby. We found out that the Redskins won the Super Bowl just the night before and the area was still giddy with the win. When I saw the players's photos on the Washington Post I wondered what's up with the funny helmets and padded shoulders? Since the season was over I had to wait for late August to watch and understand the game that the whole country seemed to be celebrating. And it was to me a bit boring, nothing seemed to be happening for almost an hour and when I looked away for a second, there were large men in tights all piled up on top of each other. What the heck happened? I found out after the referee started peeling them off one by one that someone fumbled. It was odd to see a bunch of butts in tight pants staring back at me.:D

After watching and learning how the game is played and scored, I never watched ever again. And the Redskins has never won another Super Bowl, 17 years is a looong time for them and I believe this year is not good either. It's okay because today, win or lose to NYC Giants, I'll be enjoying some snacks, minus the beer because I don't drink beer. I will have vanilla malted milk, chai, hot spiced apple cider, or hot cocoa with rainbow-colored mini marshmallows and heavy cream, definitely NOT your typical football drink. For snacks: sweet potato fries with sea salt and coconut sauce, mini Pringles, homemade pink hot dogs, and mini sugar butter toasts (biscocho).

Coconut Sauce
1 can coconut milk
2 pieces raw sugar (panocha or gur), broken into pieces

• In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar melts completely. Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, about 30 minutes. The sauce should be pourable.
• Transfer into a clean jar or serving container. Refrigeration is not necessary.

The coconut sauce which we always have with glutinous rice bundles called suman is fantastic with the salted sweet potato fries. Yummy to the max!

coconut sauce

 
blue sweet potato fries with sea salt and coconut sauce

suman: boiled glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves

Biscocho
white bread
soft butter or Star margarine
sugar

• Remove the crusts from bread and cut into 4 pieces.
• Combine equal amount of soft butter and sugar. Spread on both sides of the cut bread. Toast on a rack in a 275 degree oven until crispy. Do not let the toasts brown.
• Dunk in coffee, chai, or hot chocolate.

very yellow and crunchy sweet bizcocho