The Joy of Re-creating Comfort

I love dining out. Sometimes I eat out with my friends. Other times, I go alone. But nowadays, I almost always opt to cook at home and enjoy a nice meal in front of my computer. I don’t often eat out, mainly because it’s expensive to do so. Besides, why would I go to a fancy Japanese restaurant to enjoy sashimi when my friend Ruel delivers the prettiest tuna slab from General Santos City, at 500 grams for more than half the price!

However, when I do dine out, I make it a point to go to my favorite restaurants where I can get my most wanted comfort food. For instance, if I want to eat Pork Spareribs in Tausi, I go to Le Ching. For Kung Pao Chicken, I can settle for KFC. If I want to have Tuna Sisig and Vegetable Kare-kare, I just go to Congo Grill. Congee? Where else but Northpark!

Because of the frequency of my visit to these places, the tastes of my comfort food have somehow stuck to my senses, making it quite easy for me to make them at home. I can literally imagine how a certain food tastes like, as if I am actually chewing it, with the flavors exploding in my mouth. (Picture Remy in Ratatouille while he was chewing on the cheese and the fruit together.) Talk about wanting something so badly, you can almost taste it! Scientists call it reverse engineering. I call it re-creating, or improvising, whatever the case may be.

Here’s how it goes: Most of the time, I google the recipes of the food I like. But you know search engines. They can give you an endless list of possible matches, so I just pick one or two, study them and see whether the ingredients match the taste I have in mind. Next, I test the recipe. Although I follow them to the letter, sometimes one just has to go with gut feel. So I adjust seasonings and marinating times, and cooking times until I get the results that I want.

Below are some of my favorites that I’ve re-created and continue to enjoy without having to leave the house:

Steamed Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce

serves 4

1-1/2 lbs pork sparerib (rib tips)
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (on microplane grater)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Cut the spareribs crosswise into 1″ – 2″ sections. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Transfer spareribs and sauce into a shallow, heatproof pan that will fit inside your wok (a pie plate or 9” cake pan works great.) Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Set steaming rack inside of wok and fill with water almost up to height of rack. Turn heat to high and when water is boiling, turn heat to medium-high. Set pan with spareribs on top of a steaming rack in wok. Steam on med-high heat for 18-20 minutes until ribs are no longer pink. Make sure that when you are steaming that you don’t run out of water in the wok. Replenish with additional water, if needed.

In the absence of a wok, you can use the steamer that comes with your rice cooker.

Almond Jelly

1 packet unflavored gulaman (clear) - please do not get the gulaman bar!
about half a cup of white sugar (more, if you want it sweeter)
enough milk to substitute half of the water in cooking the gulaman (I use evap milk)
a few drops of almond essence
a can of lychees

Cook the gulaman according to package directions. Don't forget to substitute part of the water required with milk. Stir in sugar just before it is done. Transfer the gulaman mixture into a mold and allow to cool. When the gulaman is set, cut into cubes. Transfer into a punch bowl, add the canned lychees (including the syrup) and put a few drops of almond essence (5 to 7 drops does the trick). Chill before serving.

Tuna Sisig

500 grams tuna belly or buntot
Salt & pepper
Cooking oil
3 to 4 pieces onions, minced
Siling labuyo (to taste)
Calamansi juice
All-purpose seasoning

Rub tuna with salt & pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. Pan fry in oil until brown. Shred/ flake tuna meat and set aside.

Saute onions in oil. Add tuna meat and stir until onions are evenly distributed. Transfer to a pre-heated sizzling plate, if you wish, and crack a raw egg on top. Season with calamansi juice and all-purpose seasoning and mix it up.


Vegetable Kare-kare
(No, I don’t make this from scratch. I get a little help from Mama Sita.)

1 bundle of each: sitaw, pechay, talong (eggplants)
1 small to medium-sized banana heart, quartered
1 packet Mama Sita Kare-kare mix (for a thicker sauce, use 2 packets and reduce recommended liquid measurement)

Blanch each vegetable separately, drain thoroughly and set aside. Cook the Mama Sita Kare-kare mix according to directions. When sauce is done, arrange vegetables attractively on a serving platter and pour kare-kare sauce over it. Serve with a side of Sweet & Spicy Bagoong (Chow King or Barrio Fiesta brands will go well with this.)