Joe Mama's Kusina (A Food Blog)

Wikipedia Sinigang (or “Sinig-ang” in some dialects of Tagalog) is a tangy, sour soup popular in Philippine cuisine. Commonly it consists of a protein, beef, pork, chicken or seafood and a soup soured by tamarind (Tagalog: “sampalok”), guava, calamondin or “golden lime” (Tagalog: “kalamansi”), bilimbi , unripe mango or miso paste. This recipe uses tamarind -- the most popular. Tamarind comes in dried pods. But, before cooking, the pods are soaked in water until the seeds can be separated from the sticky, brown pulp. Both the seeds and the outer husk are discarded. This can take some time, so companies such as Knorr have created convenient packets that contain tamarind powder and other seasonings. When you read the ingredient list of these packets you will find… MSG. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) isn’t a “bad” seasoning, but it’s gained a reputation. There are those who steer clear of it. As for me, I use it occasionally when a recipe calls for it. And, as far as the convenien

Arroz Caldo in Your Rice Cooker

Arroz Caldo (or lugaw) is a Filipino-style congee (rice porridge or rice gruel) commonly eaten for breakfast or fed to the sick or to infants. The rice is simmered in a higher ratio of water than what would normally be used to cook/steam it. The kernels are softer and broken, no longer retaining their shape. The starch in the rice leeches into the cooking liquid making it thicker and more viscous. It takes on a stew-like consistency. The English term is “congee” derived from Tamil and it is commonly used in Chinese restaurants. The Chinese terms (粥), however, are “zhou” (Mandarin) and “jook” (Cantonese). “Congee” will be the English term I’ll use for the rest of this post. Pinning Down Terms Filipinos tend to use lugaw (Tagalog) and arroz caldo (Spanish, lit. “rice broth”) interchangeably. But, after doing some research, it appears that lugaw is plain congee. The preparation is rather simple: simmer rice in a large amount of liquid until the kernels break apart and the desired

Arroz Caldo: What to Do with Leftover Rice?

What to do with leftover rice from last night’s dinner? More often than not my family would turn it into fried rice the next day. This is why I don’t think of fried rice as a “main” dish; it’s a “leftover” dish for me. So, I don’t order it when I go out to eat. There is an alternative option to this dilemma, however. And, that is to make arroz caldo! If you aren’t familiar with arroz caldo, read my other post on how to make it in a rice cooker . Many of the same steps apply, except you won’t be using uncooked rice. Ingredients 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 2 – 3 Cloves of garlic minced 3 1”x1/4” Coins of ginger or 1 1/2 Tablespoons of minced or grated ginger Coins are easier to fish out while eating 1/2 Medium onion diced 2 Pinches of salt 3 – 4 Scallions sliced thin. Separate whites from greens 3 – 4 Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on 6 – 8 Cups of water, chicken stock or broth 2 Cups leftover cooked rice 2 Tablespoons fish sauce (patis) or 1 Teaspoon of salt (optional)

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Three Cup Chicken… My Way

Classic Taiwanese 3 Cup Chicken recipe (三杯雞)

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