(New) Northerly Pickles, Green Mango and Wild Banana

Those of you who have been to up north have eaten inartem. These are various fruit, pickled in a sour (sometimes sweet-sour) liquid of sukang Iloco. They are perfect as a healthy snack, as a side dish to something savory or oily. The frugal Ilocano sometimes eats these as as pulutan (drinking chow).






















Above is the wild banana or balayang. Our everyday Manila bananas have very minute seeds (those tiny black specks). Very few varieites in the world contain seeds that are large enough to examine, and the balayang (Musa errans) is one. These "native" wild ones are utilized by cooking them before they are ripe. For inartem, they are soaked in brine and rinsed repeatedly to remove astringency. They result in a very interesting, intriguing texture.





















The green mango inartem is similar to our Tagalog buro, but with the pungency of sukang Iloco, and without the saltiness. It is made with the pink-skinned "Hawaiian" variety that is widely grown in the region, a testament to the cultural exchange that has happened due to the wave of Ilocano migration into Hawaii.

(Press) Yummy Magazine, January 2011

The shop is in this month's issue of Yummy Magazine. Check it out! There is a column as well by Joey of 80 Breakfasts, and a feature on Oh Baby natural baby food, whose baby cookies we've been eating.

(New) Organic Sodas

Stop by the shop and have our new freshly made organic sodas. Refreshing syrup made in-house with organic fruit and herbs, and some sparkling water. First up, our two flavors: basil-hibiscus and dalandan.

(New) Pangasinan Salts, Tropical Granola, Eucalyptus Essential Oil

We have new sea salts at the shop. Both from Pangasinan, they are non-iodized, hand harvested, and natural. Both have a "firm" flavor (if you understand what we mean), that is briny and sweet at the tail. Use in everyday cooking, for finishing, and for sprinkling everything from eggs to chocolate.




















The finer one may be sprinkled onto your coffee grounds before brewing, to amplify the flavor.





















We also have what we call "tropical" granola. It is made with rolled oats, coconut syrup (with a lower glycemic and less cloying nature), cashew nuts, and dried guyabano. These are going fast, so we will try to catch up with production.




















Lastly, we have organic, local eucalyptus essential oil. It is perfect for the post-holidays, when we all have some stuffy noses and rooms to clear. We are quite excited to have a locally produced eucalyptus oil to add to our growing roster of locally farmed/harvested and distilled essential oil. More about this next time.

(Food) Oyster Mushroom Soup with Sea Salt and Truffle Oil

As the nights begin to get cold and rainy, we crave for soup. If you've ever tried your hand at growing oyster mushrooms, you know that they thrive with little care and attention. They are abundant and inexpensive. Don't let anyone tell you that you need expensive European fungi to make mushroom soup.

We're working on bottled soup at the shop. Here is one of our successful experiments.

Oyster Mushroom Soup with Sea Salt and Truffle Oil

6 heaping handsful of oyster mushrooms
3 onions
1 head of garlic
1 potato
6 sprigs of parsley
olive oil
4 leaves of oregano brujo or 2 sprigs of regular oregano
truffle oil
pepper
sea salt

First, make a light broth. Take two handsful of oyster mushrooms, two quartered and peeled onions, half a head of garlic sliced through, and two sprigs of parsley. Boil these in a liter of water. Throw a potato in midway. This potato should be peeled and cut across halfway, and broken the rest of the way, to release the starches. Season your broth with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, release a lot of olive oil into a medium-heated pan. Toss the rest of the mushrooms in, chopped. Add the rest of the onions, chopped. Add the rest of the head of garlic, but minced. Allow the mushrooms to simmer in their own liquid and oil. After about ten minutes, add the herbs (the rest of the parsley, plus chopped oregano). Cook a bit longer, then switch off your stove, and finish with salt and pepper.

See that your broth is tasty enough, adjust seasonings. Then throw in your sauteed mushrooms in a blender. Add half the broth and liquefy. Keep adding broth to the consistency you desire.

Return to the pan to heat, while you are toasting crusty bread. Put those in bowls, top with hot soup, drizzle with truffle oil. Garnish with parsley, if you are so inclined. Eat outside on a rainy day.