Bam-i

No I am not channeling Emeril Lagasse. Bam-i is a stir-fry of two noodles, a specialty of the Visayan island of Cebu in the Philippines. This Chinese-influenced noodle dish has mung bean vermicelli and fresh egg noodles sauteed with shrimps, boiled pork, vegetables, Chinese sausages, and wood ear mushrooms. The Chinese sausages impart a distinct Chinese-Filipino taste and a hint of sweetness to this very delicious noodle dish.

I didn't have the Filipino mung bean noodles nor wood ear mushrooms. I used the Korean glass vermicelli which are fatter but have the same consistency as the mung bean noodles. For the mushrooms I used dried wild mushrooms which is what I have at hand. I'm not sure if the mushrooms would have made a difference, crunch perhaps, I don't know. All I can say after downing a plateful is BAM(!)-I!

Bam-i
recipe adapted from Flavors of the Philippines by Glenda Rosales-Barretto

100 grams fresh shrimps in shells
1 tablespoon light olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons annatto oil (heat 1 T annatto seeds in 3 T olive oil)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 medium onion, sliced
100 grams sliced boiled pork
2 Chinese sausages, sliced diagonally
5 wood ear mushrooms, soaked and cut into strips
50 grams carrots, sliced
200 grams mung bean vermicelli (sotanghon)
100 grams cabbage, sliced
500 grams fresh egg noodles
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
for garnish: 2 hard-boiled eggs, csnipped scallions, crispy fried garlic slices
to serve: calamansi or lime or lemon juice

• Shell and devein the shrimps and fry the heads in the oil in a saucepan. Add stock and boil for 5 minutes, then process in a blender and strain.
• Heat the annatto oil in a lark wok and saute the garlic and onion, then add, one at a time, the shrimps, pork, sausages, mushrooms, carrots, mung bean noodles, and cabbage. Mix well, then add the strained broth and 1 tsp salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Cook for 5 minutes, then add the egg noodles, toss and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Transfer into a serving platter and garnish with eggs, scallions, and crispy garlic.

Mangoes In Syrup And Calamansi Cream

mangoes and calamansi, sweet and tart and yummy

1-inch calamansi, uniquely Filipino

I am taking advantage of this year's unusual long mango season. In the past years (at least in the Washington, D.C. area) the Philippine-like variety of mangoes grown in Mexico were only available for a month just before the start of summer. This year they have been in stores for 2 months now and they're getting cheaper too. Although we prefer eating mangoes fresh without any added stuff, sauces, or flavoring, I once made them into a pie. The pie was just okay, nothing to rave about.

Last week I bought so much mangoes and they all ripened at the same time. I also have calamansi fruits *woohoo!* from my tree and combined the two to try if they will make a good fruit dessert without the extra carbs from a pie crust. Well, I love it! This is a very refreshing mango dessert and the subtle citrus flavor from the calamansi juice and rind is wonderful. Calamansi fruits are not available everywhere in the US, lime or key lime is an excellent substitute. The following recipe for each whole mango is just a guide, feel free to adjust the sugar to suit your taste. I also recommend using mango juice from the Philippines because it tastes better than the ones from the Latin countries which I find flowery. Use whatever mango juice is available in your area or your preference.

Mangoes In Syrup And Lime Cream
mango cheeks, peeled and cut into 3 or 4 pieces
¼ cup mango juice (not puree)
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
1 teaspoon calamansi or lime juice
2 tablespoons slightly sweetened whipped cream
1 teaspoon calamansi or lime juice
zest of half a calamansi or a few grates of lime zest

• In a small skillet, heat the mango juice, sugar, and calamansi juice until sugar is dissolved. Add the mango slices and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. Spoon mangoes and the syrup into a dessert dish.
• Mix cream and calamansi juice. Spoon on top of the mangoes. Using a microplane zester, grate the calamansi rind over the cream. Serve while still warm.

Want Some Fries With That?

duck fat fries: the most delicious fries ever

The answer is definitely yes, large size please, actually just the fries...and some mayonnaise or malt vinegar. I used to be addicted to McD fries in Manila. There was a period when I had their fries every morning before going to work. I still buy them here once in maybe 6 months when I get the craving but it seems to be getting more and more insipid since the use of tallow has been banned. I don't know what oil they were using in Manila and Hong Kong but the fries tasted better when we were there.

A few days ago my daughter asked what my bag of duck fat is doing in the vegetable bin and on the same day I read in the Gourmet magazine fries that are fried in duck fat. I interpreted the coincidence as telling me to make some fries using duck fat. Well, I just had for lunch the most amazing delicious fries that are less greasy, so flavorful, and only needed a few grains of sea salt to enhance its yumminess. These fries definitely don't need ketchup, mayonnaise, or vinegar. I ate one whole large potato all by myself and will fry some later for dinner to go with Steaks With Pan-fried Cherry Tomatoes which I will write about in a future post. Aah, I'm feeling like a contented cow, and there goes my diet.:D

My Ube Is Broken

it doesn't look pretty but it's yummy

Yes, my ube roll is literally broken in several places. I have been trying to make ube (purple yam) roll cake and failed, twice. The first one was too tall and dense for a jelly roll cake and as expected broke into many pieces. Not to mention it was absolutely inedible! I was a little bit suspicious of the amount of flour in the recipe from the Filipino FOOD magazine but went ahead and baked the roll. I should have listened to my gut instinct and reduced the amount of flour by half. The second ube roll (pictured here) is so soft, has a very tight crumb, and delicious but should be spongier/springier because again the cake cracked in several places as soon as I rolled it. The cake is very good though and will probably make it again as a layer cake or cupcakes. The only problem is I can't remember the measurements, silly me.

I am posting the Ube Roll recipe for the cake from the FOOD magazine but not the frosting because I have read a similar recipe online that is proven by users and readers to be unreliable. I am also not able to provide at this time the recipe for the second cake. I used this Pumpkin Roll recipe as a guide, substituting ube which has a different consistency and behavior than pumpkin and forgot to note the adjustments I made. I eyeballed the consistency of the batter as I mixed it. It will not be helpful either because there is something lacking in the (adjusted for ube) recipe to make it spongier and therefore more resilient, maybe eggs or cake flour. Or maybe I need to take ube cake baking lessons. Or tips from experts. Help!:-)

Ube Roll
recipe from FOOD magazine
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum
½ cup milk
1 cup ube, peeled, mashed, and strained
½ cup light corn syrup
7 egg yolks
½ cup corn oil
1 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon violet food color

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 15 x 11 x 1 inch jelly roll pan. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and ½ cup of the sugar. Set aside.
• In a blender combine vanilla, rum, milk, and ube. Blend until smooth.
• Add corn syrup, egg yolks, and oil into the ube mixture. Blend well. Stir into the flour mixture until smooth.
• In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. While beating, add remaining sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Fold in ube mixture and food color. Pour into pan.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until done. Turn the cake on a piece of cheesecloth or baking paper and roll immediately. Let cool before filling.

half of the broken ube roll, filled with custard and macapuno