Asian Style Meatballs

Here I am. I haven’t gone very far. Just across the main avenue that divides our busy little central business district into two. Thank you for all your warm wishes and greetings of luck on our move! We have successfully installed ourselves in the temporary flat, which is located in the same building as our new/old flat that we will be calling our home. We'll be staying here until early next year while our soon-to-be home (some floors below us) gets a much needed face lift.

I must confess to slight nostalgic twinges for our old home and our old neighbourhood (we still make it to the market there) but I am growing very fond of our new one. I’m much closer to another weekend market (which I’ve also frequented in the past). The sidewalks seem bigger and I see more trees around. The view is much better too – still a city view, meaning building and more buildings, but at least none of them are condemned or under construction...and the afore-mentioned trees add a touch (albeit a very small touch) of green :) Anyway, I actually love looking at other buildings***. Oh and we have a teeny-tiny balcony...my kaffir lime plant can finally know what it feels like to live in the outside world!

On the cooking front, we have managed not to totally fall into the trenches of store-bought food, thank goodness. Plus renovation is hungry work so best to be prepared with something a little more substantial than a convenience store bun!

Asian Style Meatballs

• 500 grams ground pork
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes (depends how spicy your chili is...mine is from Thailand and very spicy)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and upper stem parts)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (scant, not packed)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
• 1/4 cup Ilocos vinegar (sukang Iloco)

- In a bowl mix salt, pepper, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, cilantro, and sugar until well blended.
- In a bigger, non-reactive bowl, place ground pork. Add vinegar and fish sauce, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
- Add the spice mix from step one to the pork and mix with your hands until incorporated.
- Cook a small amount of the mince mix to taste and adjust seasoning (and cook and taste again) as needed.
- Leave the mince mix in the fridge for an hour.
- After the mixture has rested, shape into balls, patties, or logs and fry until just done...do not overcook! Watch them to make sure the sugar does not burn.
- Serve immediately. Serves 4.

This dish was inspired by two (well, three actually) bloggers' attempts at making their own, homemade, Filipino longanisa. Longanisa is our local sausage and every corner of this archipelago has their own version. One blogger is Marvin of Burnt Lumpia who I have long admired for his tireless dedication to learning Filipino cooking. His family is from a region in the Philippines (Ilocos) known for their delicious longanisa. The other bloggers are JS and TS of [eatingclub] vancouver who shared their old yaya’s (nanny) recipe. Now, how did it go from Filipino longanisa to “Asian Style Meatballs”? I added a bit of this and a bit of that, searched the internet some more, and ended up with what you have here. That’s not to say you can’t turn these back into Filipino Longanisa. If you omit the ginger and cilantro, form the mince into little logs, and fry or grill, you should have your own version of longanisa!

C and I (and our friend who dropped by last night) both enjoyed this! The meatballs came out tremendously flavour-packed! The garlic, ginger and cilantro all came through beautifully, the chili added just the right amount of heat, and the sugar worked perfectly in tempering these potent flavours. The fish sauce (patis) adds a more rounded savoury-ness than salt and I’ll be trying an all fish sauce-no salt version next time.

These go very well with some (Thai) sweet chilli sauce for dipping and I imagine would make a jaunty addition to a spread of appetizers. You can also shape the mince into little patties and cook up a noodle salad much like this one. You can freeze the shaped balls (or patties or logs), uncooked, as an emergency stash...just in case your contractor or designer is in need of some sort of bribing! ;)

***Does anyone else have this strange insectile fixation? It gives me a peculiar sense of pleasure to gaze at a zillion other windows, imagining the zillion other lives going on behind them. I can stand like this for quite some time, oddly entranced.

In Between Spaces

Oh my, it has been a while hasn't it? Since I have been over here, gabbing about this and that. Suffice to say that a LOT as been going on. Yes, as much there has been absolutely nothing going on here! And even as I quickly send this post out, much is demanding my attention so I will make this brief -- We're moving!

This isn't a cross-country venture, and we aren't upgrading to that stately chateau with adjoining pig farm just yet. In fact, we are just moving across our little central business district, from one "village" to another. But it's a move nonetheless (a bigger place yay!!! with extra room and a real lobby and doorman!), requiring all the packing, sorting, sweating, and dust-inhalation that all moves entail. PLUS, the complete renovation of the new place. Hence the silence over here. And it heavies my heart to say it, but there will be more silence to follow as this will be my last night online in our wonderful, old, little flat. After this it's all up to our local broadband gods to get me safely online on the other side...where a mountain of unpacking await.

The big day is tomorrow, when, if all goes well, we will be sleeping in what will be our temporary home until the renovation is done (which should be done by early next year). I can't promise when I'll be back with food and photos (my oven will be packed up until we move to our new flat) but we will have to eat...so please check back if you are not too impatient. Our temporary home has a little two-burner and a small oven which I am sure I can convince to churn out something delicious!

Until then, I am a bundle of emotions -- excitement for this new phase in our lives (Home owners! Debt! Are we ready?? To finally grow up???), and a melancholy nostalgia for the life we are leaving behind (the fun and fancy-free, albeit a bit messy and disorganized, life of our first years of marriage). These old walls saw the makings of our foundation, and though a struggle at times (foundation-building is never easy if your building it to last), it was a big adventure...one that I wouldn't trade for all the truffles and foie in the world :) I will miss our little flat and all that we had here...

Time to cook has been sparse but I really needed to throw myself together a store of healthy snacking to help me through this move. This granola is just the thing...and easy to throw together between packing boxes.

But enough sighing! Onward and upwards I say! We are on to all sorts of different adventures and I hope to share some of them here at some point in the not too distant future. I don't know how long until I'll be able to sneak back in here...but I will be back! :) Hopefully with something good to eat! :)

Salmon and Salsa Verde Pasta

Remember this salsa verde? Don’t worry, I’m not about to drag it out of archives and repeat it all over here. Well, not totally anyhow. I do believe though that it is worth the second mention. I’ve found it can brighten up many a plain dish, do wonders in a tuna sandwich, and has become my go-to condiment for salmon.

I love salmon and its distinct flavour, rich meat, and cheerful color. C enjoys it too, although not as much as I do...and he is not exactly a fan of it baked with dill and mayonnaise as I am. He isn’t too keen on creamy sauces either...another thing I like with salmon. This bright, tangy, and extremely flavourful salsa verde was just the ticket then. Its sharp, herbaceous personality keeps the salmon’s strong flavour and fatty-ness in line beautifully. I imagine it will go well with many other kinds of fish too. You can find the recipe for the salsa verde here.

But this post is not exactly about the salsa verde, though in and of itself it is quite wonderful. This post is about the leftovers (if any) you might have after a meal of salmon with salsa verde. As I’ve mentioned a couple of times before, I am doing what I can to avoid food waste. That includes making short work of leftovers and giving them a new lease on life.

Salmon and Salsa Verde Pasta

• 150 grams cooked pasta noodles (or your typical one serving measure, uncooked)
• 100 grams cooked salmon, flaked (or equivalent uncooked, )
• 2-3 tablespoons salsa verde

- Heat pasta and salmon if using leftovers. Alternately, if not using leftovers, cook noodles as per package directions, and cook salmon by either by pan-frying, roasting, or steaming (rub with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper first) then flake.
- While salmon and pasta are hot, toss with salsa verde. Taste and see if you need to add more salsa verde. I’ve just given an approximate here but amounts will vary depending on the salsa verde you are using.
- Top with grated parmesan if desired. Serves one.

You will have to judge just how much salsa verde you want in your pasta so please use your taste as a guide and put more or less as you see fit. When we have salmon with salsa verde for dinner, and it is not totally devoured, this makes an appearance for my lunch the next day. It’s a light pasta dish that doesn’t scrimp on taste, is easy to throw together (since the salmon and salsa verde are already prepared), and makes use of leftovers! Good taste, no waste ;)

Typhoon Ondoy

As some of you may have heard, we were struck by a horrible typhoon (typhoon Ondoy, international name: Ketsanaon) on September 26, Saturday. Most of Luzon (the region where Metro Manila is) was placed under a state of calamity on Saturday as cities and provinces in the region lay victim to massive flooding.

My family and I are safe but that is not the case for a lot of my fellow countrymen. Many lost their homes, and in numerous tragic cases, dear ones as well. Some are still missing. They need our help.

Here are some ways to help:

• You can donate to the Philippine Red Cross HERE – you just have to choose Typhoon Ondoy under Project/Activity. More ways to donate to the Philippine Red Cross HERE. You can also donate via Txtpower.org to the Philippines Red Cross. You will need a Paypal account though.
• Midge of Sybaritic Diversions has put together some numbers to call HERE.
• Marketman is increasing his feeding program's efforts in the public schools in Taguig HERE.
• Starting today, 29 September, the Philippine National Red Cross will be accepting relief goods and donations for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy from 8am to 8pm at The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion, 100 Park Ave. McKinley Hill Vill. Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
• Enderun College (1100 Campus St, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio) is preparing food packages for distribution and accepting food donations.
• Whitespace, a venue in Makati, is also accepting donations. Most needed are: potable water, rice, blankets, clothing detergent, body soap, clothes, canned goods (or any food that can survive transport). Also needed: crackers/cookies, noodles, toiletries, formula...and VOLUNTEERS to help repack everything and load them into vans. Also badly needed are Vans for transport. Whitespace is in 2314 Pasong Tamo Extension (in between Cantinetta and Makati Hope Christian School). You can call 8447328 for more info.
• All LBC branches, both here and abroad are available as drop-off centers for relief goods and cash donations which will be transported/remitted for free. They have partners such as ABS-CBN to make sure the goods are sent to those most in need.
• If you are in the Alabang area you can call Deds. They are offering their showroom as drop off point for donations for the flood victims. They will deliver the goods to De La Salle Zobel so you don't have to go inside the village. Please drop off from 9 AM to 5 PM at Shop Familia, #406 Richville Corporate Centre 1314 Commerce Avenue Extension, Madrigal Business Park, Alabang Muntinlupa City. Phone: 8428412.
• You can check Mc Donald's or Jollibee outlets. Most of their outlets are drop-off points for everyone to donate relief goods.
• All La Salle Schools are accepting donations in cash and kind for the typhoon victims. Details on their Ondoy Relief Operation can be found HERE.
• ABS-CBN drop off point for donations is at Examiner St., right by Alex III. Manggy has heard clamor for new underwear but of course food and potable water is the priority.
• Also from Manggy: Doctors who wish to volunteer their services can contact the Philippine Medical Association at 929-6366 or 929-6951.
• Ateneo de Manila University is also organizing relief operations. See details HERE.
• For those in the U.S., you can view links posted by Knitty Mommy for US donations HERE.
• If you are abroad, you can also use your Amazon account to donate to THIS Kickstart project.
• THIS LINK lists the consolidated efforts for Typhoon Ondoy relief.
• Gawad Kalinga Foundation is also organizing relief efforts. You can make donations HERE.

Amidst this tragedy, the amount of people coming together to help is truly inspirational. If anyone knows of more avenues to help, send donations, places in need of volunteers, please leave a comment. I will repost them here as well. Thank you!