In terms of cooking, I aspire to be like my mom. She's my culinary hero. She's the kind of cook that no matter what she makes, it's guaranteed to be always tasty and delicious. I will always equate her cooking with love and affection. :) And plus, I don't ever remember a time when she made something bad! I might be a little biased tho, of course, lol. Not to mention, she's the quintessential Filipino cook...there is always an abundance of garlic, ginger, fish sauce, or soy sauce in her dishes. In fact, the more, the better! It's her birthday tomorrow and she'll probably make something awesome...*sigh*.
I grew up eating Filipino food with the occasional American fare. It wasn't until I got into high school that my mom got cable t.v. and The Food Network that she really started to branch out and started experimenting with different cuisine. With that said, Filipino food was always a constant in the house. For me, *that's* comfort food! And my favorite? Would definitely be her laing.
Laing (pronounced with a soft "lah" and a semi-hard "ING") originates from the Bicol Region of the Philippines where coconut milk is used a lot in the local cuisine. My mom started making this when she began planting taro in the back yard. I remember her slicing the leaves into strips and drying them out in the sun. Then she would make the laing and I just couldn't wait for her to finish! I would have it with extra chili peppers I fished from the pot and a big dallop of spicy bagoong (a Filipino condiment made from sauteed shrimp paste). Yumm yum!
As I got older, my taste started to stray away from heavy Filipino food and I found myself eating more "American" food. Lots of salad and sandwiches...chicken adobo turned into baked chicken and my starch of choice soon turned from white rice to mashed potatoes. I do indulge tho whenever I went home to my parents' house...Filipino food is always on the table. And whenever my mom makes laing and she knows I'm coming over, I get my very own reserved bowl to be touched by *no one*. And yes, you bet your ass I asked my mom for the recipe, lol!
Coming to Guam, I really miss my mom's cooking. And I've had a hell of a time finding taro leaves! Looking up different alternatives, kale or kangkong (water spinach) were interesting ingredients that came up in my search and, more importantly, was more available in my area. Since I hadn't had kangkong in a while, I decided to go with that and found it surprisingly tasty!
It's a really mild plant so I found that the gingery coconut really shone through. This version is slightly meatier than what I was expecting so I would definitely use two bunches next time instead of the single I had. Also, I made mine with coconut cream and reduced it by about a *third* so it was awesomely rich and indulgent and oh so nice and thick...just the way I like my laing. Not to mention, I doubled my peppers so I get a kick in the mouth....which will only get hotter the next day. :D
Mom, did I ever tell you how much I love you?
Laing na Kangkong
(Water Spinach with Pork in Gingery Coconut Milk)
2 bunches kangkong (water spinach)
1 small ginger (about thumb-sized), sliced or minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced or roughly chopped
0.5lbs pork, cut into strips
1 (14oz.) can coconut milk or cream
1/2 cup water
3 to 5 pieces Thai chili peppers
vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
Wash and drain the kangkong and chop into desired size. Set aside. In a large pan on medium-high heat, saute ginger, garlic, and onion in a little vegetable oil until fragrant. Add the pork then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until the pork starts to brown.
Once the pork has browned, reduce heat to medium and pour in the coconut milk or cream and the water. Let come to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture starts to boil, stir in the chili peppers then top with the kangkong. Stir the mix once again and reduce heat. Let simmer for about 30 minutes or to desired consistency.
To determine doneness, the kankong stems should be softened and gravy should be able to coat the back of a spoon fairly well. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve with rice and bagoong. Makes about 6 to 8 servings.
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