Pamela Casis

Fried Eggplant Using Less Oil (Not Greasy)

Fried Eggplant Using Less Oil

Fried eggplant is an easy dish that a lot of us eat on a regular basis. It pairs well with fried or grilled fish, meat , Pork Binagoongan or just by itself with a soy sauce-lemon dipping sauce.  But there’s one thing that puts me off when eating this, the grease! Eggplant is one of …

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Pata Kare-Kare (Pork Hocks in Rich Peanut Sauce)

Pata Kare-Kare 1

To tell you the truth, I was not a fan of Kare-Kare. I actually don’t remember, but maybe the very first dish of this kind that I had tried wasn’t to my liking. It’s like eating pineapple for the very first time and it had that “itchy” feel on the tongue. That latter experience stuck …

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Ginataang Hipon (Shrimps in Thick Coconut Sauce)

Ginataang Hipon 1

Coconuts grow well in the Philippines. Having said that, dishes made with coconut milk are common and every province (some more than others) has their own take on a “Ginataan” (cooked in coconut milk) dish. It can be a savory main dish, a sweet dessert or a snack item that has coconut milk as its …

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Steamed Tofu with Ginger-Soy Sauce

Steamed Tofu with Ginger-Soy Sauce 4

Did you know that the oldest Chinatown in the world is the one in Binondo, Manila? I didn’t know that. My family has been going there to eat and buy authentic Chinese ingredients for as long as I could remember. When I was little, Chinatown seemed like a labyrinth to me and I was so …

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Crispy Garlic Shrimp

Crispy Garlic Shrimp 4

We only buy shrimps once in a while because aside from me, only my hubby likes it. My kids are not a fan and the littlest one even considers it a bug. Haha! So, whenever we “indulge” in the cholesterol that comes with it (especially when it’s head-on), we go all out! What I mean …

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Layered Tikoy (Sweet Rice Cake/Nian Gao)

Tikoy 4

We love tikoy! It’s the first food that comes to mind when we think of Chinese New Year. We had this habitual trip to Binondo weeks prior to the Lunar New Year to get our hands on this well-loved delicacy. My parents would always buy tons of the white-colored ones, mostly to share with families …

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Oven-Baked Homemade Tinapa (Smoked Fish)

Smoked Fish 5

Whenever I think of Tinapa (smoked fish), I’m reminded of 2 Catholic churches in Manila – Our Lady of Loreto (Sampaloc, Manila) and Quiapo Church (Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene). These are churches that I frequented when I was still living in the Philippines and street vendors selling tinapa lined up outside its walls …

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Arroz Ala Cubana (Filipino)

Arroz Ala Cubana 3

Arroz ala Cubana sounds so complicated and elegant but this dish actually has humble beginnings. It definitely is Spanish in origin but some countries have their own variations. The identifying ingredients are rice, egg and plantain. That’s how it’s done in South America. Spain adds tomatoes and tomato sauce on theirs while in the Philippines, …

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Sauteed Bean Sprouts with Fried Tofu (Ginisang Toge)

Ginisang Toge 2

Sometimes, we tend to overlook the simplest dishes. More often than not, they play a supporting role to the main meat dishes. But there are times when these very dishes are the ones we crave.  Ginisang Toge is a very versatile dish that just by making it, you can turn it into Lumpiang Sariwa (fresh …

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Almondigas (Meatball Noodle Soup)

Almondigas 1

Almondigas is one of those dishes that reminds me of my parents’ cooking. It’s like a warm hug in a bowl that turns me into a child again. Growing up, I don’t think we ever ran out of misua (very thin wheat noodles) because my dad loves cooking and putting it in a lot of …

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