My Top 10 Filipino Comfort Foods

(This is an entry that I posted in one of my blogs.  Since it somewhat relates to nutrition, I thought I share it here too.)

Now that I have been cooking Filipino food, my husband commented that I always say that every meal that I prepare is my favorite. Unfortunately, he’s right. All these foods bring me back to simpler days where all I needed to worry about were what’s going to happen in the after-school melodramas, when the next Spandau Ballet or Madonna album is coming out, and if I saved enough money to buy it. I did not need to be concerned with sodium, cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, PHOSPHORUS, or things that we now worry about.

My mom cooked quite a bit when I was little, so a lot of these are her standard meals. My mom was a good cook, and we still get a taste of it when we have a family get-together. We did spend a lot of time at grandma’s (we just lived next door), so some of these are my grandma’s cooking. Unlike moms and grandmas in the United States, my grandma and mom rarely baked. The Philippines is a tropical country, and I would think baking would make the house warmer – something we did not want to do. We did enjoy big Sunday family lunches and extravagant meals at Christmas Eve and New Year’s Days meals.

Here’s my list:

1. Chicken Tinola (Chicken with ginger, onion, and pepper broth): I remember that this was one of my favorite soups. I loved chicken when I was a child and combined with the taste of papaya, ginger, and some heat from the pepper leaves: it was very soothing. I’ve only appreciated the distinct taste of ginger as I grew older, perhaps thanks to this soup.
2.  Goto/Arroz Caldo (Rice Porridge with Tripe or Chicken): When I hear Goto or Arroz Caldo, I immediately think of my long jogs to Greenhills and enjoying a warm bowl after my work-out. This would be my breakfast. Now, I still enjoy a good bowl occasionally after my aikido classes, although the ones here in California are not us yummy as the ones from Greenhills.
3. Anything Daing (Pronounced DUH-ING): Fish was the only thing that came before chicken as my favorite. My mom said I was like a cat – cleaning out the fish to the bone. This version of fish was cleaned, cut in half, marinated in vinegar, then fried. Yes, we do love our fried food. Have a daing na bangus (Milkfish. pronounced BAH-NGOOSE) served with rice, atsara (pickled shredded papaya) or tomatoes with salted duck egg, and you have lunch.
4. Anything Sinigang (Filipino-Style sour broth): Cooked with fish (especially my beloved bangus), pork, or shrimp. I have also seen this with chicken – but they usually call this something different. The sour component can be from tamarind, guavas, or calamansi (tiny Filipino limes). Really soothing, good comfort food.
5. Sarciadong Isda (Fried fish topped with sautéed tomatoes and onions): The Spanish influence in the Philippines can be seen in this dish. Occasionally, mom would add a scrambled egg on top to add to the protein.
6. Paksiw na Isda (Fish in vinegar): Another fish dish: this time its cooked in vinegar, onions, and peppercorns. You need to eat this with rice, otherwise the vinegar can be overpowering. Very flavorful!
7. Pansit Molo (Wonton soup, Filipino-style): I would remember my mom folding the wontons all afternoon. I think I tried to help her once, but my wontons were not folded as neatly as hers (she folded it like an envelope – but with a tail). Being the brat that I am, I would get one or three from the pot as soon as their boiling. Love wonton soup – I love them to this day, except what we get in Chinese restaurants are not the same as my mom’s.
8.  Puchero (Spanish-style stew): Another influence of Spain. This brings me back to Sundays with my Tia Pilar and the family. Tia Pilar would cook a huge batch of this yummy stew of plantains, sweet potatoes, bok choy, chick peas, green beans and pork or chicken. When I was little, my grandpa would sometimes give me a peso or two for the week.
9. Manggang Hilaw with Bagoong (Green mangoes with fermented shrimp paste): Okay, this technically is not a meal, and the translation may not sound very appetizing, but believe me this is so yummy. The combination of sour and salty is so good and addicting. If you are watching your sodium intake, be mindful: the bagoong is packed with sodium. I remember when we were freshmen in high school, my whole class probably finished two dozen green mangoes in one sitting. Thank goodness we did not get a tummy ache afterwards.
10. Kare Kare (Oxtail stew served with bagoong). Simmered in peanut sauce with tripe, with green beands, and cabbage, eggplant and cabbage. This is not Thai-style peanut sauce. I really cannot explain the difference, but there is one. The saltiness of the fermented shrimp paste balances out the peanuts. And if it is cooked right, the tripe is oh so tender. This was another Sunday staple. Again, careful of that sodium in the bagoong.

For those of you who think Filipino cooking is adobo, lumpia, pansit or the occasional lechon, think again. There is more to Filipino cooking than these basics. If you want more info on cooking Filipino dishes, you can check out panlasangpinoy.com (Filipino flavors) or Google any of these recipes.  

In writing this blog, I've found that my diet back then was probably not as bad as I thought: lots of fish, veggies, occasional pork or beef and ending the meal with fresh fruits of the season. If I revert back to eating like that, I'll probably be healthier. I’ve adjusted these recipes to adapt to my current nutritional limitations (reduce the sodium, cut on the fat), but they still remind me of home. Don’t be afraid to expand and explore – you’ll never know what else you’ll enjoy! Mabuhay!

Next blog: my favorite Filipino fruits! Watch out Potassium!