Taste Contradictions: Sugar and Spice

Little Packages of Spicy Sweet

When I was a kid, I would spend summers watching Eat Bulaga (and, I'll admit, Annaluna) day after day. (Please don't judge me. This was pre-cable!) While I sat in front of the TV, I munched on a bag of individually wrapped sampaloc (tamarind candy). My aunt used to send us bags and bags of these sweet-sour-salty treats, each wrapped in clear cellophane, and I would go through them like chips. So addicted was I.

It's been years and years, and my tita no longer sends me these little flavor explosions. Those store-bought ones that come in yellow cellophane just don't come close to the perfectly balanced flavor I used to get.

Fast forward nearly two decades. On our way home from a trip to Bangkok, B and I were rushing to get pasalubong for relatives and friends. We were at the airport grabbing boxes of chocolate when we thought we should at least get something remotely Thai. So we decided to get sampaloc, individually wrapped and placed in cylindrical plastic containers. Because of conditioning, I had come to view yellow-cellophane-wrapped sampaloc as inferior to the sampaloc I used to have as a kid. But we were in a rush, we didn't have a lot of cash to spare, and the sampaloc seemed like an acceptable pasalubong.

Back home, I decided to keep one container for myself. As I tore open what was to be the first of many, many wrappers, I wasn't really expecting much. As I put the sugar-coated candy in my mouth, I felt the familiar tingle on my tongue. The sourness pleasantly mingled with the sweetness, and I was happy to discover that there was no seed in the center. And then, a surprise: Just as the soft, chewy candy melted on my tongue and coated my teeth, I got a jolt of spiciness. This was candy from Thailand, after all! The sweetness and the sourness dissipated, leaving behind a hot, hot, hot after-taste. Oh, how I loved it so! So much so that whenever a good friend flies in from Bangkok, my bilin is airport sampaloc. He gets me enough containers to last me a pretty long time.

Or at least a few days.

Taste Contradictions: Pigs in a Sugar Blanket

Combining the sweet and salty has been around longer than you probably reckon. If you think about it, people have been eating figs and cheese for ages. There’s teriyaki sauce (which is basically soy sauce and sugar), sukiyaki, honey glazed ham, kettle (pop)corn, melons and prosciutto, chocolate covered pretzels, barbeque sauces and meats, saltwater taffy, kecap manis (or sweet soy sauce), Thai spicy salt and sugar fruit dips, as well as crispy salted beans atop kao niew mamuang (sticky rice and mangoes). There’s the Snicker’s bar and, of course, champorado with tuyo. And these are just from top of my head. The list definitely goes on and encompasses more cultures and cuisines.

The sweet and salty combination is not as contrasting as say, the sweet and sour pairing. The salt is just there as an accent. Only the tiniest amount is needed to create a whole different spectrum of taste. Bakers and confectioners have always added a tiny pinch of salt in ice cream, chocolates and other baked goods for that rounder flavor. You don’t necessarily taste the salt; in fact, the salt enhances the sweetness. It’s more complementary than contrast, really; in the proper amounts. For an easy experiment try adding a pinch of salt to your favorite fruit juice (even frozen margaritas) and taste the difference.

As an ode to this flavor combination, I take on a candy/savory project. I basically get some chopped roasted almonds, oven crisped bacon, caramelized sugar, a pinch of salt and togarashi to come up with a bacon-almond brittle.

For the first batch, I mixed in a scant amount of baking powder to the caramel mix to incorporate some air into the candy. The theory behind was to give the brittle a more crumbly texture; a friendlier crunch. Which made the final product a bit on the opaque side with the magic ingredients poking out. You never really know what you’re eating till you bite into it.

For the second batch, I decide to give a rougher chop to the nuts and bacon and omitted the baking soda. The result was a thinner, harder and translucent candy that was more picture-pretty. It shattered like glass, of course in a good way. And you could see more of the almonds and bacon bits set in the sugar.

Both batches were good but I liked the non-aerated version better. You get more of the toasty flavor of the roasted nuts mingling with the smoky meat bits amidst the background of the crispy caramelized sugar. There’s this wonderfully porky nose (yes, a porky nose) that surprisingly isn’t so in-your-face. And the togarashi just gives this nice little heat at back of the throat at the very end. The flavor sensation covers the entire palate; a veritable party in the mouth.

Definitely can’t be too good for you, but in a word, its addicting.

Bacon Nut Brittle

• 2/3 cup raw almonds (or any type of nut), toasted/roasted till aromatic then rough-chopped.
• 250 grams bacon. Preferably a leaner kind. You’ll be throwing away most of the drippings anyway. Oven baked or pan fried to a crisp, drained on paper towels then crumbled.
• 1 Tbsp.of reserved bacon drippings
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon rock salt, sea salt or kosher. Adjust according to saltiness of the bacon used.
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
• Sprinkling of togarashi or dried pepper flakes (optional)

Grease a cookie sheet with the reserved bacon drippings. Sprinkle and mix togarashi with crumbled bacon, if desired.Put the sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat and stir till combined. Once homogenous, give the pan a swirl once in a while but do not stir. You can wait for the mixture to reach about 350°F on a candy thermometer but generally you can eyeball it till the sugar turns a caramel color. Remove from heat.

Working quickly, add the nuts, bacon and salt (and baking soda, if desired) to the caramel and stir. Immediately pour over greased sheet and spread out. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. (At this point you can also opt to sprinkle some salt on the still pliable mixture so the salt grains stick)

After cooling, break the candy into shards. Heed the call of the glistening treat and pig out.

Taste Contradictions : Happy Bacon

Eating always brings delight to everyone -- male and female, young and old... no matter where we are, we always enjoy tickling our taste buds with flavors that match our senses.

Some may have a liking towards salty dishes while others would always prefer to add some chili to make their food spicy. Children and the young-at-heart always look forward to sweet treats and a handful can withstand and actually do enjoy food with a little sour note.

However, for the adventurous foodies out there, we have these special food items that combines the wildest flavor possible. The Thais have been pretty creative in mixing two contrasting flavors in one. From the Spicy Tamarind to a bowl of Tom Yum, a trip to Thailand is definitely a gastronomic must-do to try these wonderful creations. The Japanese are quickly catching up too. Last year, I tried a box of Royce Chocolate Potato Chips that coats each salty potato chips with Royce's signature sweet milk chocolate. There's also the famous Wasabi Ice Cream that has a mix of spicy wasabi powder and sweet vanilla ice cream. The list goes on and on for the ever-creative Japanese food experts.

Of course, the Philippines also has something to be proud of. Just two week ago, I chanced upon Erica Paredes and her recently-launched business called Happy Bacon which has two specialties as of the moment.

First is the Piggy Stardust which are chocolate covered bacon bits. Each bite will give you a good sweet-salty combination. While I am not a huge fan of bacon, I enjoyed Erica's Piggy Stardust because the bacon has a smokey taste that gives a more intense flavor for you to enjoy. Meanwhile, kids will definitely love the Pig Pops which are handy Chocolate lollipops with bacon bits. Each chocolate lollipop has a generous mix of bacon that blends in perfectly as the chocolate slowly melts in your mouth.

The name is perfect as enjoying Erica's creation will definitely put you in a happy mood. It's your perfect lazy day indulgence. Gone are the days that bacon is just part of your breakfast spread or is neatly tucked into your sandwich. This time, it is beautifully coated with rich chocolate allowing you to enjoy the perfect marriage of sweet and salty flavors all combined in one.

Franco's Note: Much thanks to Frannywanny of Flipflopping My Way Around Town.

Happy Bacon
Erica Paredes
happy_bacon143@yahoo.com

Food in Fashion? by our Table Guests, Little Miss Dress Up

Who says food and fashion don't mix?

Well, Hanna and Rosanna of Little Miss Dress Up, are set to prove this wrong.
From two different countries comes two different meals, the Little Misses invited two food and fashion loving ladies out to grab a bite to eat!

Jet Set to Edinburgh, Scotland with Hanna!

Meet Lynne McCrossan - a certified fashionista and a lover of all things vintage and beautiful. She’s an ex-radio presenter turned fashion columnist cum book writer. Her current project? A girl’s guide to vintage shopping in the UK. It’s hitting your bookstores next May. It will be fabulous. And it will be my best friend.

........
OUR FRI-DATE

LOCATION: The Wash Bar at the Mound, Edinburgh






WHAT LYNNE HAD: A bowl of chicken nachos


No laxatives and detox teas here!

Next Stop: Back home in Manila with Rosanna!

Meet Amina Aranaz-Alunan also known as my sister and my favorite shopping buddy! She's an accessories designer and School of Fashion and The Arts founder.

What better way to cap off a day in the mall than with a nice dinner???


LOCATION: Crisostomo at the Eastwood Mall

WHAT AMINA (and I) HAD: Crispy tapa and a salad with danggit!

Which she paired with tempura stuffed with laing and tinapa fried rice.


Since both of us have such a sweet tooth, we had to satisfy that craving by having dessert! Next stop: La Creperie

Oh Crepe!

We both agree that fashionistas should never skip on dessert!
It's the next best thing to a new pair of shoes!

Well it's pretty obvious that we, The Little Misses, aren't afraid to eat!

Hanna during a trip to Chicago with a great big bowl of pasta!

Rosanna in New York ready to devour some cheesecake from Junior's!

FINAL VERDICT:
1) Yes, fashionistas eat.
2) Loving fashion and food are not mutually exclusive.
(In fact most of the fashionistas we know are big foodies as well.)
3) Who says you have to skinny to be stylish??? Just be confident in your own skin because if you feel good about yourself, it will definitely show :)
4) But given the ultimate sophie’s choice of a great meal or a fabulous handbag?
We're afraid the latter wins.

Franco Note: Thank you so much to Rosanna and Hanna of Little Miss Dress Up

Table Suggestions: Sala Bistro

Italian Seafood and Fish Stew

First impressions never tell the whole story.

I first dined at Sala Bistro a few months after its opening. It was a memorable meal for all the wrong reasons. An unsure service staff and food that was bland to point of being boring made dining at Sala Bistro an almost forgettable experience. Every mouthful was a constant reminder as to why diners should try newly-opened restaurants with a grain of sea salt. No matter how ready a restaurant seems for opening, there will always be ‘issues’.

Fast forward to last weekend. For whatever reason, A. and I decide to give Sala Bistro another try. I began my dinner with a hearty bowl of Tomato, Basil and Bread Soup (P280), immediately followed by a flavorful dish of Italian Seafood and Fish Stew (P780) and topped it all off with a decadent Ice Cream Sampler (P260) made up of scoops of Rum Raisin, Honeycomb, Banana Caramel. Rarely has a single meal been so scrumptious that it actually profoundly changed my opinion about a restaurant. Coupled with service that was courteous, informed, attentive and yet casual in their approach, this dinner was memorable for all the right reasons.

Rum Raisin, Honeycomb and Banana Caramel

Most establishments require time to find their footing, improve their service and blossom to restaurants they have the potential of being. You should never write anything off because of a less-than-stellar first impression.

In my opinion, Sala Bistro is now one of best restaurants in Metro Manila.

Sala Bistro
Ground Floor - Garden Side
Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center
Makati City, Metro Manila
Tel: (02) 729 4888/ (02) 729 7500
Fax: (02) 719 4993
Email: info@salabistro.com
Web: www.salabistro.com

Table Conversation: The Definition of Sadness

The November 2009 issue of Gourmet is the last.

Gourmet Magazine is no more. There are no words that can define my grief.

This link is for all of those who loved Gourmet Magazine and wish it was not true. Click here.

Much thanks to Kevin Demaria, former associate art director of Gourmet for sharing these poignantly haunting photographs

The Travelling Table: Oodles of HongKong Noodles

There's simple food and there's simplified food. However I don't believe in simplifying simple food, if you get what I mean. Take for instance a "simple" bowl of shrimp wanton noodles. Conventional wisdom tells us base ingredients for this should include some egg noodles, some shrimp wanton and broth. But putting all these together doesn't automatically make a great bowl of soup. Oftentimes the samples I’d get come with overcooked dumplings or the noodles all clumped up in a gluey mass or the broth tastes of salt or various combinations thereof.

Enter now this noodle house I often go to when in Hong Kong. I never really figured out the name since I can't really read Cantonese but whenever I get a hankering for some good shrimp wanton, I come to this place along Hanoi Road. This diner type establishment doesn't really have a menu because all it serves is either wanton, fish ball or beef noodle soup. A side vegetable or two and some soda but nonetheless the spartan kitchen in front only contains vats of steaming broth and big bowls of dumplings ready to be served out. This visit, I come in at a relatively odd hour of 3pm for a very late lunch but I knew the place would still be filled with people. I was correct. I ordered some shrimp wanton noodles and a side order of veg by pointing at the signs out front. Two minutes later the old waitress plonks the broccoli in front of me. It was noticeably fresh, steamed or blanched but still had that substantial crunch. The oyster sauce itself had a different smoky, meaty taste. Another two minutes passed when the old waitress then plonked the soup on the table. I’ve tried the beef and fishball noodles in this place and not to say that they're not good, but they just don't compare to the shrimp wanton for me.

A typical serving consists of four golf ball sized dumplings mounted on some egg noodles. The dumplings are cooked to perfection; with large pieces of plump, sweet prawn that snap when bitten into. The egg noodles are literally only blanched for a few seconds in hot broth leaving it with this nice springy texture. And there's pretty good separation which makes slurping enjoyable. The clear soup was rich but did not overpower the delicate flavor of the wantons. With some chili sauce, this proved to be some seriously good eats. I naturally tend to gravitate towards these specialized restaurants in that they do only a handful of dishes or even just a specific type of food therefore giving them more time to do them well.

I suppose anybody could make these wanton noodles if they wanted to but experience, knowledge (probably passed down from generations) and skill of doing it everyday would probably not be on their side. This wanton noodle joint, or more accurately, noodle joints in general that don't cut corners such as this wanton noodle joint has ruined me. Forever. In that I can't go back to eating clumped up egg noodle soup ever again.