INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

MR> In Traditional Adobo, can the sauce be reduced or thickened and  st
MR> be "traditional" (many cooks will adapt these recipes to their  tas
MR> but I want to be sure I am posting your authentic recipes as  a sta
MR> point).  Actually, no.  Not and remain the "traditional" form
anyway. I've  personally never seen Filipino cooks tinker with sauce
consistency ver  much.  There's more experimentation in the area of
spice mixtures. As  matter of fact, changing which leafy green
vegetable is used in a basi  recipe is used to change the character of
the dish. This shouldn't be  surprising when one considers that the
Philippines is geographically i  general region of the spice trade.
Sauces, meaning manipulations of f  texture, seem to be more of a
Western phenomenon.  MR> What is the traditional format of a Filipino
dinner - soup,  salad, MR> course or what?).  See above for some of the
information.  The format of a meal is  basica to put everything on the
table at once and have a big free for  all. Me are a time to interact.
A period in which the entire family  becomes e in it's enjoyment of
another day's survival.  The same  atmosphere characterizes parties
(fiesta's) where all the food is  laid out buffet style. Each person
then chooses what to eat and how  much of each sele to eat from the
presentation.  [The kids are of  course cautioned not t the desserts
until after eating the real food.  <grin>]  Interestingly, like many
multi-course European presentations, big Fili  meals tend to stretch
out in time as well giving lots of opportunity t  converse. The main
difference is that one just keeps going back for  mo when the urge hits
then sit down next to someone and chat. More  akin t all day American
barbecue.  MR> Are Achute seeds the same as Annato seeds?  I'm not
sure.  MR> What is mochiko (powdered rice) like and what does it do (is
it a  MR> thickener or flavor agent?).  It's used as a thickening
agent.  It's optional and was in the recipe  that my mother gave me.
She never used it though so as far as my  cook is concerned it might as
well not be there. Still, this is one  dish t seems to have a duality
of texture preference within the  Filipino community. [One of those, it
depends on how mom made it  things.] I included the mochiko for
completeness sake.  MR> Can you recommend any common American
substitutes for some of the  MR> authentic ingredients, for the sake of
people living in parts of  t MR> country without access to Filipino
markets?  Probably the best way to explain substitution is as follows:
Ingredient         Use            Substitute  Tamarind           Sour  
Vitamin C = Lemon Juice  Patis              Salt           Salt
Ampalaya           Bitter         beats me?  Everything else is pretty
common I think.  MR> I hope I am not being too "nit picky" with these
questions. If  you MR> think I am, let me know and I will start posting
as is  immediately  Not at all.  Hope this was what you wanted.
Regards, Dennis  (Note: According to "Stocking Up III", pub. by Rodale
Press, mochiko r  flour has a unique property as a sauce or casserole
thickener. It does  separate when chilled or frozen. MR)

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