PANCIT

Dried noodles (canton style) for sale at the Bulusan market

PANCIT (pan-seet) is the most obvious Filipino dish that was brought to the Philippines by China. There are as many permutations as there are kinds of noodles (most made of rice flour or bean flour) and ingredients mixed in. Just think of the many kinds of pasta, and the many kinds of things that can go in it, and the many kinds of sauces possible. PANCIT is the Filipino pasta. Yet I’ve heard stories that even in the land of pasta, real Pinoys yearn for pancit. It is said that in Rome, on any given Sunday, you can get your pancit fix, doled out from the trunks of cars, parked near the piazzas. On Filipino birthday celebrations, you will find pancit. Tradition has it that you and your guests must eat pancit on your birthday, for a good long life. Check out the noodle brands, some will have the words "long life" somewhere on the label. Not sure anymore if this is a Chinese tradition, or a Filipino tradition, or both.

PANCIT BIHON
1 lb. skinless chicken breast
1 lb. lean pork, fat trimmed
1 lb. small shrimp, shelled
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Chinese cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, thinly sliced into rectangular
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup broth, from boiling chicken
1 lb. rice sticks (bihon), soaked in water for 15 minutes then drained
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro leaves chopped
Lime (optional)

Boil chicken and pork in 2 cups water. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; slice meat into small pieces. Reserve the broth. Heat oil in a large, wide saute pan. Saute onions and garlic until onion is translucent. Add sliced meat, shrimp, soy sauce and stir-fry 5 minutes. Over high heat, add cabbage, carrots, celery, salt, pepper and 1 cup of broth. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Set aside 1 cup of mixture. Reduce heat to low and add rice sticks, tossing gently with wooden spoons until cooked through and mixed with meat and vegetables, about 3 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add more broth. Transfer to platter, garnish with chopped scallions, and cilantro. Squeeze lime over each serving and sprinkle with additional garnishes. Serve with soy sauce.

Recipe from kumain.com

LUMPIA

Some Filipino kitchen utensils: wooden batirol, with metal flask, both used in preparing hot chocolate, Filipino style; wooden spoons made from the hard shell of a coconut; market basket called "bayong" woven from palm or coconut leaves (a biodegradable reusable shopping bag!)

LUMPIA (loom-pea-yah). Another dish brought over from China, think spring roll. Yet, you will not find the most popular version, LUMPIANG SHANGHAI, anywhere in Shanghai! Once again, another truly Filipino dish. Many variations: pork with shrimp, chicken, all vegetable, vegetable with shrimp. Lumpia can be fried, or "fresh" meaning the lumpia is stuffed (the filling is cooked) and the wrapper left "fresh" or unfried. Even the wrapper has variations: one made of flour and water, or home made with eggs making it more like a thin crepe.

This version of lumpia, is a recipe of Danny Dorotan, chef and brother of Romy Dorotan, chef and owner with his wife Amy Besa of a gem of a Filipino restaurant in Soho called Cendrillon. Amy and Romy also recently authored a wonderful cookbook, Memories of Philippine Kitchens (Stewart Tabori & Chang), my new kitchen bible. Recipe below paraphrased by me.

LUMPIANG SHANGHAI: Coarsely grated: 4 c. grated jicama, 1 c. grated onion, 2 medium carrots. 2 lbs. ground pork, 2 egg yolks, half of a 250-gram package of sotanghon noodles, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, ¾ c. tree ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for an hour, then drained and finely sliced, 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, about 65 8-inch egg roll wrappers (with extra in case of breakage), water or egg whites to seal wrappers, canola oil for frying. FOR THE FILLING: Squeeze vegetables through your hands to remove excess liquid then pat dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Cut 14 of the spring roll wrappers into quarters forming 4 equal squares. Wrap them in a damp kitchen towel so they won’t dry out. Wrap the uncut wrappers in a separate damp towel. Spoon one heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of a small square, one corner pointed towards you, like a diamond. Lift corner nearest you and fold over filling, not quite making the top and bottom corners meet. Fold the right and left sides towards the center. Use a pastry brush with egg whites on the edges, then roll wrapper away from you to seal. Transfer finished rolls to baking sheet and keep covered with a damp towel as well. If you don’t plan to cook them right away, freeze immediately. When ready to cook, you may fry them straight from the freezer. FRYING: Fill a wide, heavy saucepan with 4 inches of canola oil. Heat over medium high flame, then fry lumpia about 4 pieces at a time (don’t overcrowd) about 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a strainer to drain. Serve with Pineapple Sweet & Sour sauce.

Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce:
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1 red birdseye chile, minced
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tbsp water

Combine all ingredients except cornstarch mixture in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until pineapple has softened, about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture. Simmer, stirring until the sauce coats the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving. The sauce can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, then brought to room temperature before serving.