Rancid chicken, pork belly, pork chop or “bangus”…would you notice? You’re a foodie. You must.

Days of pounding questions again for applicants
wanting to be cooks, assistant cooks & kitchen helpers.
96% had previous kitchen hot experiences.
Can’t help but notice the absence of basic taste familiarities.
And so, I am literally dragged by circumstances to look back August 2013 and copy-paste my post of that day.

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 Of the so many I’ve interviewed for the different    stalls-special events positions needed, ONLY 2 or 3 know what “rancidity” is.
Sad, as many are graduates of cooking schools, culinary institutes, food technology, chemistry and HRM.

Aside from single or double fried pork belly, pork chops, “tilapia” or “bangus” (milk fish), chicken, shot above, is hereby presented as it is almost always the type of food “rancidity” could always be very evident
(the type that most value-meal food chains offer).

RANCID. Do use your frying oil, even to similar type of product, for about 3-5 times on certain day. Ref your used oil. Or keep well-covered in any place you wish for 2 days. Fry on it same type of product the 6th time. The “unusual smell” plus the “out of this world taste of your fried food” will explain RANCIDITY. To differentiate, fry similar item on a new oil. Smell and taste. Compare.

To explain further is to be too technical like: oil has boiling and smoking points. It boils upon reaching certain temp but still keeps its chemical properties until it has reached smoking point. Breaking up of these chem properties reacts with and affects taste of food. Smoking point is reached when oil is “overused” and/or being used on consistent high temp frying.
Most home-type frying oils, including EVOO for that matter, have low smoking point.
Heat your oil to 350 deg. F and eat rancid food in no time.

In short, the higher the smoking point of oil the better for even continuous high temp deep frying.
Try sourcing for palm oil or palm olein that has high smoking point.

Many fast food outlets and poorly managed restos do use their oil for 10-15 times, sometimes more.
Here, “rancid taste” is common.
I suggest that you be too critical the next time you order your fried chicken.
Smell first. Taste intently. No matter what type of presentation or concoction or “flare” it is offered
…if cooked in “rancid oil”, you will notice.


In search for a Valentine’s Day venue to date Pangs.

Even if I and “Pangs” (slang of Panga-Palanga, a Visayan term
meaning “dear”, “my love” or a “loved one”) always make it a point
to take dinner out, being just 2 at home, in lieu of dwelling-cooked sharing,
last night-we decided to scout for a place where to spend the day of hearts.
One time, chanced upon this new site that looks “cool” in my opinion
and so we headed to it post office work.
Having a bit romantic dimly lit dinner in a mid to top class chophouse
on the 14th was out of the question as the nite, itself,
will be gigantically hovered by traffic jams everywhere.
And many will definitely be on the “waiting list” by the door of the resto.
This place we chose is new and not known to many as of yet-that we thought it to be just right…
in addition to its close proximity to office.
The place:

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…a diner present in more than 20 countries specializing on different types of chicken offerings.
Not dim ambiance but well lighted-very bright-surrounding (check the brightness of the inside signage on top)
Got in with about 3-4 tables (out of 20+) occupied (not counting the capacity of the 2nd floor)
It was quiet at first

Thank you for the menu:

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I love chicken, plainly marinated-cooked-garnished chicken, and I ordered:

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…plain oak wood smoked 2 chicken pieces.
I LOVE IT.
I will surmise that it was just plainly cured by sodium nitrite, salt and very little sugar via marinade.
GRILLED. NO EXTRA FLAVOR. SIMPLE but heaven for me.
Did not touch the rice and consumed total of 3 cold pale pilsen with it.
Further, ordered 4 pieces take-out.
WHILE FINISHING MY 3rd BOTTLE, THE NOISE STARTED TO TRIPLICATE...
and everyone who came in seemed to know all, each one and everybody.
Pangs ordered:

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Not much of a bestseller for me.
Un-marinated chicken cuts, dusted with flour then deep fried.
Generously poured fried pieces with heated water-soy sauce-salt-honey (maybe)
BBQ sauce mixture plus lots of crushed fresh garlic & thickener.
We both ate a piece and took-out the remaining 2.
I kept on hearing lots of different voices in all tables
as if each one talking was “trying to sell” something to the other 1 or 2.
Until the whole area turned out to be like a “cock fighting arena”.
Voices tingled in my ear. I asked for the bill. I can’t take the noise any longer.

I learned the people inside, almost all, were from “a pyramiding-style items-selling outfit”
and each one was convincing the other 1 or 2 or 3 to be one with them.
HUWAH. So noisy.
OUR DECISION…NO. WE WON’T BE THERE THIS 14th.
Will just stay home and share dinner.
BUT, and again BUT…WILL BE BACK FOR THE WOOD SMOKED BBQ CHICKEN.
…either cover my ears with my competition-proven electronic ear muffs then sip my 2 cold bottles
or take out na lang.

A convergence with revolting flavors fighting for time. 

Got up a bit late today. Had to hurry for early morning meeting with clients.
Marilyn prepared a “united nations” of breakfast for me prior to take off.
Processed from Canadian pork belly fried bacon strips got burned along sides.
Dried baby squid were oven toastered for few seconds to enjoy super crunchy appeal…overdone.
Sunny side up egg yolks got broken that they appeared semi scrambled.
Abundant citric acid-laden Chinese canned orange juice seemed like taking vinegar.
Never mind my high blood glucose condition, added 3 teaspoons of cane sugar to neutralize.
…and the rice…and the rice. WAIT!
Not yet done.
Oh well. At least, we’re together.

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A simple dessert even my 8-year old grandson can process…blindfoldedly…fruit salad.

After more than 3 weeks of preparing & consuming beef, pork, chicken…chicken, pork, beef
past yuletide including thereat post season hangover, this morning, I felt an urge
a very strong clamor for a simple sweet.
Instantaneously, Marilyn & I raided the canned goods cabinet and WOWOWIE
found mid-size tin of fruit cocktail, a small can of condensed milk
and an all purpose cream tetra-pack.
Not contented, nah not enough, as fruit cocktail was just full of sliced pineapple,
“Nata de Coco”, few slices of grapes and ripe “papaya”.
Onslaught towards ref we proceeded. Gotcha…
an apple, 3 bunches of grapes & 1/4 Christmas leftover “Marca Pina Edam Cheese”
Here we go.
De-skinning apple & grapes, slicing and mixing & grating made me drool further.
And:

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Sans further cooling or freezing, 2 cups thereof I consumed.
But the batch came too generous for just 2 of us at home.
So, portion packed into per serve cups and stowed at freezer for future cravings.

Vanilla Cupcakes @ BGC got me hooked up to its courteous staff & “ultra lively site”.


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I’m no fan of this cup cakes’ craze. Am no sweet eater.
My carnivorous instinct always gets in the way.
After a few rounds of bike for my usual Sunday morning exercise
at BGC (Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines),
my daughter tacked me and her Mom to this newly opened…oh no…sweets haven.
Didn’t like. I wanted a more fried rice meal as I was tired & famishing after the rounds.
Dropped her & Mom to the resto beside this ants’-inviting place and I headed towards parking lot.
When I arrived, they were already seated in this, again, sweets haven.
“They serve regular rice breakfast Dad” she exclaimed.
And I gave in.
Facade is lively…and when I got in…WOWOWIE…it’s LIVELIER.
We all ordered  Filipino rice meals and they went on with their cravings for small cakes.
I liked their “Tuyo” (dried tiny fish) with garlic fried rice and over easy eggs.
Even this “Tuyo” is sweet…but really piquant midway.
The ham sandwich we ordered for center to-share was a dilemma.
Imagine mustard laden mayo plus generous drips of I don’t know what sweet thing was that
on top of a big slice of leg ham.
There’s no flavor harmony. No roundness.
If I were the Ingredients Specialist Prof of the one who concocted it, 72 will be the grade.
We took it out and handed to beggars on the street.
BUT, AGAIN & AGAIN, I like the atmosphere…and will be back even just for such.
(Can I bring my own food next time?)
…and now behold this lovely, lively & colorful place:



alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes


alt vanilla cupcakes