Philippine Potpourri : If you’re in the mood for a multi-ethnic cuisine, Philippine food is about as multi as they come

“When you move to L.A., you’ll miss our fiestas, and the taste of lechon, bibingka, pansit and lumpia ; you’ll miss all our good restaurants and turo-turos (point-point delis),” friends warned Cecile de Castro when she left the Philippines years ago.

Like most Filipinos living in America today, she misses the big religious and holiday fiestas. However, there are always little feasts--weekend parties hosted by home cooks that offer a sampling of native favorites. There is also one big celebration--Philippine Independence Day--that provides the opportunity to cook up fiesta foods. And it’s coming right up.

Spain ceded its colony to the United States in the Treaty of Paris on Dec. 10, 1898, liberating the Filipinos from 300 years of Spanish rule. But June 12 has become the symbolic date when independence is celebrated.

Many of the seafoods, fruits and vegetables native to the Philippine Islands are not available here, but there are enough authentic Asian ingredients to make it possible to recreate a real Independence Day feast. Local Chinese and Filipino markets provide most of the ingredients to make the dishes that Filipinos crave.

In spite of this, Filipino food remains relatively unknown in America. De Castro blames this on the paucity of good Filipino restaurants. “They’re few and just don’t compare with the wonderful ones back home,” she said. “Lack of representation at the restaurants here contributes to poor recognition of our cuisine.”

De Castro, a restaurant consultant and teacher in UCLA’s Culinary Arts Department, is trying to change all that. When she was asked to cater a feast celebrating the Festival of the Philippines Month at the J. C. Penney store in Montebello, she welcomed the opportunity.

The fiesta was colorful, with splashy island decor highlighted by exotic tropical birds from the Museum of Natural History. A native jeepney with multihued striping and gleaming metal trim sat in the entry. Food stations were huts and carts made of bamboo and dried coconut fronds and decorated with native baskets and ceramic vases. Filipina models attired in strikingly elegant sayas (long gowns) welcomed the guests into the stations.

The most delectable attraction at the feast--the one that really makes a fiesta a fiesta--was the lechon . De Castro preordered the suckling pig, which was roasted over a charcoal pit, from a local deli. She prepared barbecued pork and chicken on sticks. There were also small pan de sal (rolls) filled with longaniza (Philippine sausage) and empanadas (turnovers). Shrimp were fried and steamed; baked mussels were served in a rich coconut cream sauce. There were tropical fruit juices. A huge array of desserts featured Cassava Bibingka, a cake made of grated Cassava root, an assortment of sticky coconut and rice cakes, and leche flan (caramel custard) that De Castro baked in a ring and filled with sweet macapuno (coconut preserve).

The menu was a good representation of Filipino cuisine, which was formed by the country’s eclectic heritage of Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Western influences. De Castro feels that this heritage has not been fully exploited and that there are still many dishes waiting to be discovered. She says that producing a Filipino menu is not difficult; for her the challenge lies in discovering the dishes that appeal to the Western palate.

“We are too careful about spicing, using borderline spices,” she says. Indeed, for some tastes the flavors may be a bit too bland; unlike Indian or Thai foods, these flavors aren’t easily defined. Basic stir-frys, borrowed from Chinese cooking, start with sauteed garlic, onion, tomatoes and a little bit of pork or sometimes shrimp. Simple seasonings are salt, pepper and sometimes fish sauce or bagoong , very salty fermented tiny shrimp (which some Americans find offensive). On the other hand, some dishes are based on long, slow simmering adapted from Spanish cookery, such as the many tomato-based meat entrees.

These examples are easy to prepare and very satisfying to serve. De Castro, who describes each recipe in her own words, recommends them for the forthcoming independence day celebration.

Mussels prepared with coconut cream and cheese is a traditional dish with our family. In the Pampanga region of Central Luzon, where I grew up, there used to be an abundance of mussels thriving along the Pampanga River. In the Philippines, we turn to seafood especially during Holy Week, when we refrain from eating meats. But this mussel appetizer goes with almost any type of festivity (which could be just about every week for Filipinos in Los Angeles). I modified the recipe with a little Western touch of white wine and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

BAKED MUSSELS IN COCONUT CREAM SAUCE

3 dozen green mussels

1/2 cup white wine

2 shallots, minced

Coconut Cream Sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup minced parsley

Clean mussels, scraping barnacles off shell and debearding. Place mussels, white wine and shallots in saucepan. Cover and steam just until mussels open. Uncover and allow to cool. Remove empty half shells. Arrange mussels on half shells in baking tray. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Top each mussel with generous teaspoon of Coconut Cream Sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Broil 1 minute until top is lightly golden. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 3 dozen.

Coconut Cream Sauce

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup minced garlic

4 cups canned coconut milk

1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese

1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic until transparent (do not brown). Add coconut milk and reduce until only 1 cup liquid remains, stirring constantly. Stir in grated cheese and minced chile. Simmer another 5 minutes. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Like pansit (noodles), lumpia (Filipino-style eggrolls) reflect Chinese influence. We prefer a thinner, crisper version of the eggroll wrappers. Julienned hearts of palm (or banana hearts) blend beautifully with the seafood filling. If you dip it in the vinegar-garlic dip, you may just keep eating more. Watch out for the garlic. A popular variation of this lumpia is the unfried or fresh version, in which lettuce leaf is tucked in with the filling; instead of the vinegar dip, the cold rolls are served with a sweet thick brown sauce.

SEAFOOD AND HEARTS OF PALM EGGROLLS

(Lumpiang Ubod)

2 (7 1/2-ounce) cans hearts of palm

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped

1/2 pound cooked crab meat

2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce

Salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

24 thin eggroll wrappers

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Oil for deep frying

Vinegar-Garlic Dip

Drain hearts of palm and cut in short julienne strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion until tender. Do not brown. Add shrimp and continue to saute until color turns pink. Add crab meat and hearts of palm. Add fish sauce to taste. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Transfer filling to bowl to cool.

Wrap up filling, Chinese eggroll style. Place 1 eggroll wrapper with 1 point of diamond facing you. Place 1/4 cup filling little below center (nearer you) and form it into 4 1/2-inch log (horizontal to you). Fold bottom flap over filling. Fold once more away from you. Brush edges with egg white. Fold over 2 sides then roll firmly to far point. Repeat until all of filling is used.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry eggrolls until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with Vinegar-Garlic Dip. Makes 24 egg-rolls.

Note: If available, fresh hearts of palm may be used. Blanch in boiling water 15 seconds. Drain and refresh in cold water. Drain well.

Vinegar-Garlic Dip

1/2 cup palm vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry Sherry

1 clove garlic, minced

1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

Salt, pepper

In small bowl combine palm vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, Sherry, garlic and chile. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Fragrant and delicious, Filipino-style barbecued meat sticks are irresistible to the American palate. Often sold from food carts at street festivals (here and back home), charcoal-grilled cubes of pork get their flavor and tenderness from a marinade of garlic, palm vinegar and soy sauce. They’re also traditional cocktail items, particularly preferred with beer. In this version, I skewered the pork with chicken cubes; this way diet-conscious guests don’t feel as guilty eating stick after stick of them.

PORK AND CHICKEN BARBECUE

1 head garlic, peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup palm vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 shallots, peeled and minced

1 pound pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound boneless chicken breast and thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

In mixing bowl, combine garlic, pepper, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, lemon juice and shallots. Stir in pork and chicken cubes. Marinate overnight in refrigerator.

Soak short bamboo skewers in cold water 1 hour before use. Skewer marinated pork and chicken, 1 cube each per skewer. Place on grill over medium-hot fire until done, turning once or twice. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen appetizer skewers.

Note: Instead of being cubed, meats may be sliced in flatter strips and skewered. Use several strips to fill up long wooden skewers.

Almost every country has some sort of meat turnover or pasties. We call ours empanadas, and as you may have guessed, we inherited these flaky little pies from the Spaniards. When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in 1521, they also introduced the Hispanic custom of merienda (mid-afternoon meal), and empanadas joined cakes, flans and sweet fritters at the snack table. The filling is a simple affair of sauteed ground beef, pork and diced potato, with a heavier hand on garlic, of course. The authentic crust is somewhat sweet and usually deep-fried, but I find the baked method easier and just as good.

EMPANADAS

(Meat Turnovers)

1 pound flour

1/2 pound margarine or unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup cold water

Meat Filling

Eggwash

In food processor, place flour, margarine, salt and sugar. Process until mealy. With motor running, pour in 1/2 cup cold water and process just until dough forms ball. Transfer dough to working board. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with 5-inch round cookie cutter.

Place about 1 tablespoonful Meat Filling on center of each round piece of dough. Fold dough to form half moon, brush edges with water to seal dough. Press dough together with fingers or with fork tines to seal.

Arrange on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with Eggwash. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until golden.

Note: Double recipe to use up filling, or cut filling in half.

Meat Filling

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch cubes

1/2 pound lean ground pork

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons brown stock

Heat oil in skillet. Saute garlic and onion until tender. Add potatoes and cook 1 minute. Add ground pork and beef. Season with sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer about 8 minutes, or just until meat and potatoes are cooked.

Remove cover from skillet. Stir in cornstarch mixture and continue to cook another 2 minutes, or until raw cornstarch taste is gone. Adjust seasonings to taste if necessary. Drain off any excess liquid from mixture. Cool completely before using. Makes 4 cups.

Eggwash

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon water

Mix egg yolk and melted butter. Add water to thin.

Westerners either like it or hate it. The bibingka family of gooey, sticky dense and heavy coconut-based cakes are often made with sweet rice. This type of bibingka is made with cassava (kamoteng kahoy translated as woody yam) that’s blended with a custardy mixture. Because the cassava flesh is sometimes hard and difficult to grate, the food processor is a good rescuer. In the Philippines, it is traditional to bake bibingka in a mold lined with banana leaf, which imparts some kind of aromatic flavor. CASSAVA BIBINGKA

1 1/2 pounds cassava or yucca root

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

Banana leaves (fresh or frozen), optional

1 cup bottled macapuno preserve

Topping

Peel cassava with sharp knife. Cut in chunks and place in food processor. Grind fine. Add eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, coconut milk and melted butter. Stir in macapuno.

Place in buttered (10-inch) cake mold or 12x7-inch baking dish. (Mold may be lined with banana leaves, if available.) Bake at 325 degrees about 45 minutes or until set but not dry. Spread Topping on top of baked bibingka. Continue baking another 10 minutes. Place under broiler 1 minute or until lightly browned. Cool before slicing. Makes about 12 servings.

Note: Cassava, macapuno preserve and banana leaves are available in Filipino or Chinese markets. Recipe may be easily doubled for large gathering.

Topping

1/2 (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon coconut milk

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

In saucepan, combine condensed milk, coconut milk and cornstarch mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in egg yolks and simmer 1 minute. 3 line caption for top 3 page 1 arts