Tokwa to Pinoys in the Philippines, Tofu to others, Bean Curd to literally translate it, is a very popular and widely used food ingredient in Filipino Cuisine. Philippines had its own share of Chinese culture and its influence transcends all the way to our plate. That's why, enormous dishes of Chinese origin typically frequents our dining table. Tofu in particular, comes with a variety of delightful chows. If you ask Pinoys (Filipinos) to name one popular local appetizer, without a doubt Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu and Pork) will be the top of mind. It's a dish typically made of strips of fried tofu and pork, bathed in soy sauce and vinegar added with spices like onion and garlic. Another favorite of this kind is Tokwa't Baboy with Tausi (Tofu & Pork with Black Beans). The manner of its preparation or cooking depends on ones own liking. In our case, as taught by my aunt, we like our version to be sweet and generously garnished with Kinchay (Chinese Celery) and spring onions.
Kinchay is similar to Parsley in appearance and taste. But it's more aromatic and flavorful. It also blends well with sweet-savoury dish. While it's plant family is generally hyped as healthy and rich in nutrients, Chinese Celery boasts of other medicinal claims. Read details here. What I particularly love about kinchay is its ability of harmonizing many flavor components in one dish and providing an enjoyable juicy green and herby top note. Enough with the descriptions, let's get the pot in the kitchen steaming with this tasty dish.

I am an avid fan of celebrity chef Bobby Flay's Food Network show called "Throwdown with Bobby Flay". It's a TV program where Flay challenges a Cook of a famous dish or food in a surprise competition hence, the name "throwdown". It's exciting and inspiring at the same time. I always look forward to how Flay will make his own version different and better than the original. Somehow, in someway I see my self in this celebrity chef. Almost always before I try on a particular recipe, I tend to evaluate it first. I scrutinize the list of ingredients, the manner of preparation and plating. These are essential elements that will make or break any food item in as far as its general acceptability is concerned. Besides, we all want to maximize our resources and time for cooking. Thus, it goes without saying that the food must be all worth it.

On to the initial Taste Throwdown entry, here's Tilapia Fish Cakes with Sayote Tops & Boiled Egg. The benchmark of this dish is "Salmon Fish Cakes with Spinach and Poached Egg" featured in the book How to Cook by Hamlyn. I made a very pinoy version of this dish which is likewise relatively cheaper. I preferred to hard boiled the egg because I have kids who will be my panelists. But you can also opt for poached or soft boiled. If you want an equally healthy and tasty vegetables other than Sayote leaves, Camote Tops makes a good alternative too.

Tilapia Fish Cakes with Sayote Tops & Boiled Egg

Yield 6 cakes

What you need:
1 1/2 cups tilapia fillet (coarsely chopped), 1 small red onion (chopped), 4 cloves garlic (minced), 1/2 cups diced potatoes, 1/2 cups diced carrots, 2 1/2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp ground whole basil leaves, salt and pepper to taste, 2 small eggs, 2 tbsps all purpose flour, canola oil for frying, 500 g sayote tops (blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, seasoned with salt or fish sauce)

How to make:

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add fish, potatoes and carrots. Season with salt, pepper and basil. Saute for 2 minutes or until fish is tender. Take out from the pan and transfer to a small bowl. Add eggs and all purpose flour. Mix well. Heat canola oil in a frying pan. Drop 2 tablespoons of fish batter and fry 3 minutes on each side or until it turns brown. Drain excess oil on paper towels. Set fish cakes on individual plates, on a bed of sayote tops. Top each one with some sayote tops and finish with the egg.

I wonder how many homemakers adhere to their menu plan religiously? As, I, for one, am a usual violator of this task. Have you ever experienced visualizing a meal that’s supposed to welcome you home from work? If you're the one preparing it, you probably have played in your mind the ingredients and the best way to do it as you head home. But the moment you reached your kitchen, you suddenly changed your mind and decided to cook something unplanned. I just had that particular moment. For some reasons, I opted for these dishes which, can actually be included in Robin Miller's repertoire of Quick Fix Meals or Rachel Ray's 30 minutes meal. Hah, I think I made the reason more obvious then. But generally, whichever case it may be, either you go as planned or veer away from it, nothing compares to home-cooked meals.

vegetable oil for frying, wanton wrappers, 1 small can of hot & spicy tuna flakes, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 5 cloves garlic (minced), 1 whole egg, salt and pepper to taste

Mix tuna, onion, garlic, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Wrap 1 tsp of mixture in a wanton wrapper. Fold ends of wrapper to form a triangle. Fry tuna triangles in oil until it turns golden brown. Drain in paper towels. Serve with sweet-chili sauce.

Kangkong with Ground Pork
250 g ground pork, 3 bundles of kangkong (trimmed), 1 small onion (chopped), 4 cloves garlic (chopped), 2 tbsps canola oil, 1/8 cup oyster sauce, 1/4 cup water, pepper to taste

Heat oil in a wok. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant. Add pork and saute until tender. Add kangkong (stalks first then leaves) and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add oyster sauce, water and pepper. Boil and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Father's Day was celebrated lavishly last year. We had an intimate feast in no less than Tagaytay's most amorous spot, Antonio's. It was French Cuisine at its best! This year, (drifting to the advent of austerity; seems everybody is for the hideous commodity prices these days) we decided to celebrate it simply. Where else but in the solace of our home! We had our humble dining table that offered an enjoyable feast nonetheless. There's nothing fancy or genuinely epicurian. It may even looked more of an ordinary dinner meal but what made it special was we devoured into this banquet together. Think of family eating together. What more can you ask for?

Ingredients:

1/2 kg fish fillet (tanguige)

1 small can tausi (salted black beans)

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups cornstarch

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

5 stalks of spring onion, cut 1 inch in size

kinchay, chopped (as garnish)

pepper to taste

canola oil, for sauteing and frying

Procedure:
1. Coat fish fillet with cornstarch, dip in egg wash then coat with another layer of cornstach. Deep fry until golden brown. Set aside. (Do this in batches to prevent drying of the batter mixture when coated in the fish fillet)

2. Saute onion and garlic in heated oil. Add black beans, onion leeks, oyster sauce, sugar and water. Allow to boil and simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Add fried fish fillet and mix well with the sauce. Top with chopped kinchay. Serve hot.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 kg black tiger prawns
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oyster sauce
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsps butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
pepper to taste
3 tbsps canola oil

Procedure:
1. Saute garlic and onion in canola oil until fragrant.

2. Add the shrimps and saute until all slightly turns pink.

3. Add butter, oyster sauce, sugar, water and pepper. Simmer until the shrimps are cooked just right.




Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups pandesal (shredded)
1 small can condensed milk
1 small can evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsps cinnamon powder
4 eggs


Procedure:
1. Pre-heat the oven at 345 F. Cream together softened butter and sugar in a bowl. Transfer to a baking dish and set aside.