Recipes: Who's Up for Salted Duck Egg Pasta?

It seems unnerving but, believe me, it works. The first time I had salted duck egg pasta was at Margarita Fores’ now-defunct Pepato in Greenbelt 2. I was unyielding in my praise for it, and when that restaurant closed I believed that was it- goodbye forever. Then, I encountered a different version at Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza in Katipunan- Salted Egg and Bacon Pasta, which was equally rich and beguiling.

Salted duck eggs are commonly used in Chinese and Filipino dishes, imparting a brine-y aroma, with a smooth, creamy egg white and a hard, textured red-orange yolk. I grew up eating salted egg and tomato salad with silog dishes and grilled food, immediately putting my already hyperactive taste buds on overdrive. It is a bit of an acquired taste, but once you have it as accompaniment to the perfect dish, you’ll be hooked for sure.

And ever since I had a taste of it again in a pasta dish, I just knew I had to try making it at home. I chose to make the more “Matt-friendly” (read: no pork) Pepato version, but a more rustic take on the Fores original. Instead of thin sheets of papardelle, I used tagliatelle, and had my 5-year-old niece roughly break the asparagus apart instead of finely chopping them. Generous chunks of salted duck egg dot the dish- a salty treat for the fan that could not get enough. It’s exotic and looks impressive, plus it only takes around ten minutes to cook. What else could possibly be stopping you?

Tagliatelle with Onion Cream, Salted Duck Egg, Asparagus and Truffle Oil (serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

250 g. Tagliatelle (or any flat pasta)
2 cups cooking cream
1 small white onion, finely chopped
A handful of baby asparagus, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
3 salted duck eggs, (2 eggs mashed into a paste, 1 roughly chopped into cubes)
2 teaspoons truffle oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Grated parmesan, to garnish
Salt and pepper

Procedure:

-Cook the tagliatelle according to package instructions. When it says cook for six minutes, I usually do four or five.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and cook the onions in the olive oil. When the onions are translucent, toss the asparagus into the pan.
- Pour in the cream and mix in the salted duck egg paste. Lower the heat and season with nutmeg, salt (if needed, the eggs are already salty) and pepper. Let it simmer for two minutes.
- Toss the cooked pasta in the pan, top with the cubed eggs, and mix gently until the sauce is evenly integrated. Remove from the fire and then drizzle the truffle oil on top and mix.
- Garnish with some grated parmesan and serve immediately.

San Francisco in Six Courses

I do not gamble. But, this time around, I just had a really good feeling. So I rolled the dice.



Based on his Facebook statuses, I figured a few months ago that San Francisco-based chef Christian Vecin was coming to Manila for a quick visit. I am particularly fond of the food porn he would post on his wall- mostly dishes he would prepare at Buon Appetito in San Mateo, California- so I have been curious about his food for some time now. Being the self-indulgent glutton that I am, I thought it would be in everybody’s best interest to have Chef Chris do a one-night-only dinner at No. 38 Sports Lounge & Grill- a restaurant/bar that I co-own with my sisters, our husbands, and a cousin. So, without having tried his dishes, I invite Chef Chris to collaborate with us, based solely on a gut feeling that he loves food just as much as I do. That, in my opinion, is a better gauge for talent than any culinary degree or affiliation with a stuck-up resto.

Having been open for more than a year, No. 38 has become a popular spot in Makati for a laid-back night out with friends and live music. What a lot of people do not know is that we are just as serious about our food as throwing a good party. The Bay Area-themed dinner with Chef Chris was the perfect opportunity to show a different side to our establishment, which in essence is that other part of us that loves to sit down to a good meal.



No. 38’s dining tables and cocktail seating were decked out that night with black table cloths and pristine white napkins. The ambience was definitely still relaxed, but spiffy-d up for a proper dinner event. Personally, I loved it- it felt like I was looking at my teenage son (if I had one, that is)- in a freshly-ironed shirt, every strand of hair in place- before he goes off on his first date.




Food lovers and friends came to support the event, including some Manila-based friends and family of the chef. Matt and I were in one table with two friends from the press- Vince B. and Cesar C. It was fun being around people with the same love for food and who, like myself, understand that a good meal is not just about delicious food, but easy, delightful company as well. The conversations flowed naturally, and the light, fun banter pretty much captured the theme for the evening.






I advised the chef that he can start serving as soon as the early birds were settled (while sipping on their Kiamoy Martinis), and that the rest can be served their food as they arrive. The first course was a Roman Egg Drop Soup- chicken stock infused with egg and topped with grated parmesan. This was a wonderful starter- light in texture, but heavy in flavor. The broth was clean and devoid of greasiness, so all you get is the wonderful textural element from the tiny flecks of egg and the deep flavorful broth.



This play in texture and flavor are again expertly portrayed in the salad course, a Heart of Palms Salad- heart of palms, romaine lettuce, julienned dried mangoes, and homemade guava jelly vinaigrette. Once you have overcome the shock from the gargantuan portioning (something common with all of the dishes), you begin to appreciate the contrasts of sweet and tangy, crisp and chewy- a lovely homage to the tropics, yet something that resonates with the multi-cultural melting pot which is San Francisco.




My favorite dish of the evening- and currently my favorite fusion dish EVER- is the third course, the Tempura Tacos- tempura shrimp or kamote served in flour tortillas topped with honey chipotle aioli & crispy onion rings. I could have had three more of these, called it a night and would have been a happy camper. The tempura was light and crisp, and so were the onion strings. The inherent sweetness from the onions and honey complemented the shrimps, and the distinct spiciness from the chipotle gave the dish just the right amount of kick it needed. It was perfectly-balanced and yet so comforting in its familiarity- definitely one of those “Why-Did-I-Not-Think-of-That” moments. I still find myself dreaming about those tacos to this day.


I had to stop myself from finishing the second taco to save room for the dishes to come, but it was still not enough space for the fourth course, Baked Truffle Mac & Cheese- macaroni baked with a truffle three-cheese sauce (cheddar, smoked cheddar and parmesan). It came out in a big block, and I knew that there was no way I could finish it. I liked that the flavors were mild, and so was the truffle aroma, which tends to be overpowering when applied with a heavy hand. I believe the dish would have benefited from a little more baking, since the leftovers I took home tasted much better after I heated it in the oven.





Despite the groaning I heard from all around the dining room, we knew we still had the main course coming. We had a choice between the Pinot Noir Braised Short Ribs (served with garlic mashed potatoes) and the Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli. Judging by the trend of the portioning, I knew Matt and I could eat off each other’s plates and still have food left over, so we got one of each. The short ribs, although tender and unctuous, fell a bit short on flavor. A little more braising would have done the trick, I believe, as the leftovers were once again tastier after reheating. Unfortunately, the ravioli was unsalvageable- the pasta was tough and dry, the filling bland.



However, whatever shortcomings the main dishes had were over-compensated by Chef Chris’ final salvo- The B-52 Brownie- a decadent three chocolate brownie infused with Khalua and Grand Marnier topped with Irish cream. Chef Chris originally wanted to whip the Irish cream, but our muggy kitchen made it impossible. This setback, however, did not stop this dessert from blowing us away (pun not intended)- the almost-flaky top shrouds a dense, moist, tender inside, while the liqueurs faintly flavor the coffee-enhanced chocolate, topped off by the light Irish cream. It was- hands down- the best brownie I have ever eaten.



Despite the hiccup with the main courses and the extra-large portions, the dinner was a success. I believe that Chef Chris was able to display the diversity of Bay Area cuisine and executing it with combined classical precision and casual ease. Thankfully, this particular gamble paid-off, and I am truly hoping that we would see more of this talented chef on local soil. The humble, down-to-earth guy that he is, Chef Chris shared the credit with our kitchen staff as well- headed by No. 38’s Chef Arnel- and points out that our guys definitely know what they’re doing.



Cesar C. called the event “a breath of fresh air” amidst the usual dinners they have had to attend (and these traditional writers get invited to a lot of them). He said it was a welcome break from the typical degustations in fine-dining settings where you cannot really just relax and show up in denims. Hearing that was a small victory in my part, having introduced this concept to No. 38 patrons while at the same time staying true to our persona as a cozy, laidback place where you can just be yourself. We will definitely be doing this again with other equally-talented young chefs, and like we always say, everybody’s invited.



No. 38 Sports Lounge & Grill
114A Jupiter St. Bel-air 2
Makati City
Tel. no. (632) 5191806

No. 38 is open for lunch on weekdays and serves a Mongolian lunch buffet at P320 net/head from 11am-2pm.

Ala Carte menu is available for lunch and dinner. Try our famous Awesome Nachos,Buffalo Wings, Disco Fries, Crispy Bulalo, Grilled Liempo and many more!

No. 38 is a great venue for private parties and corporate events. For inquiries, please call the number above.

A Weekend Discovery in QC

Recently, Matt and I had to undergo a three-day marriage seminar called Discovery Weekend. It reminded me of my childhood and teenage years at an all-girls Catholic school, where we- in between sucking at Math, talking funny and eating fishballs- had a few days of spiritual retreat once a year. This usually entails a lot of praying, listening to talks and battling each other over who could cry harder about our family problems. This time around, the main agenda is preparing couples not only for their upcoming wedding, but also for the lifetime of “good times and bad”.


I think Matt and I did pretty well throughout the weekend. We did manage not to strangle each other or break up, and we were also able to have good, constructive talks regarding sensitive topics we used to avoid. Actually, I did realize a lot of things about our relationship, most of them positive. Aside from our small victories as a couple, we also met a bunch of smart, funny people that I think we could have strong friendships with. And those who know us well are aware of our propensity for making new friends.


If there was a downside to that entire weekend, though, it would have to be the food. I know, it IS a retreat and I have been to enough to know that retreat house food is probably as close as I will ever get to prison food. We do appreciate their efforts of keeping us well-fed (they even provided Adventist Matt his own chicken or fish dish when they are serving the rest of us pork), but, having been away from a school cafeteria for quite some time now, I have gotten used to much tastier fare.


That is why, the minute we left the retreat house that rainy Sunday afternoon, we had nothing else on our mind but food. Nothing with rice in it, please, and- for Matt- definitely no tilapia, probably for the next two years.


We were already in the Quezon City area so we decided to grab a bite at a restaurant unique to that vicinity. Matt was famished, which made him totally agreeable when I suggested we try something new. I had several options lined-up in my head, but decided on Katre- a Mediterranean fusion restaurant- at Tomas Morato.


We arrived early so we were the first ones there. The waiter showed us to our table on the second floor, which was modern and simply decorated. There was a separate bar area and another room for special functions.

To start- after much deliberation- we had the Hearts of Romaine and the Mediterranean-spiced Beef Quesadilla. The former was actually a deconstructed Caesar salad, wherein you dip crisp lettuce leaves in a creamy, garlicky dressing- a good, light and refreshing starter.

The beef quesadilla was also a winner in our book. Both of us being Mexican food lovers, we thoroughly enjoyed the tasty cheese and beef filling, as well as the accoutrements that came with the dish. Aside from the traditional Mexican condiments like salsa, sour cream and Jalapeno slices, there were also some Mediterranean touches, such as the hummus and drops of pesto. Simply genius, if you ask me.

For the main course, Matt followed the waiter’s recommendation and ordered the Roast Chicken with Pasta. We were a bit skeptical about this dish since- just by reading it on the menu- it had zero “sex appeal”. Luckily, the server knew what he was talking about and Matt ended up enjoying this dish, despite the fact that he almost never orders pasta for dinner. It was simple, but rich and comforting in its familiarity.

I was craving for something beefy and got the Top-Blade with Mushrooms, Broccoli and accompanied by Mashed Potatoes and Horseradish. I was amazed at the tenderness of the meat, and the sauce was nicely-aromatic and robust. I also love horseradish with my steak, so I enjoyed that feature. I also noticed that they delicately placed the horseradish just above the mashed potato, careful not to integrate it for those who have an aversion to the spicy condiment.

If only I could have had a good glass of wine with that meal, it would have been a truly above-average dining experience. They only offered this supermarket variety Californian wine as their house wine, which- although not disgusting- was just not complimentary to the dishes. Don't get me wrong: I have nothing against affordable, easily-accessible wine. Love them, actually. In fact, there are quite a few South African, Australian, even Spanish, wines that are "cheap" and are pretty good. Hopefully they could give a little bit more attention to their wine list, and I’m pretty sure their more discerning diners would be happy.


It was a nice way to end the long, emotionally draining and, at the same time, spiritually uplifting weekend. Matt- quite the finicky eater- was happy with our new find in Quezon City and has vowed to return. Which brings me to the conclusion that: “A well-fed Matt is a happy Matt”. Apparently, I did not have to attend a seminar to learn that.

Katre Mediterranean Restaurant
Dr. Lazcano St. (near Tomas Morato Ave.)
Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City
Tel. no. (632) 3734705