it's been a little over 2 weeks since i've had beef or pork. in an effort to achieve decent health (i've given up on good), i decided to cut beef and pork from my diet. it's been pretty easy since: 1) i love vegetables, veggie meat, and seafood; and, 2) i still eat chicken.

there's one meat product though that i miss: hotdogs.

i thought it would be steak, or pork chops... but noooo. hotdogs. i had a chicken hotdog the other day and it's not the same. of course i don't know for sure that it had chicken.

come to think of it, does anybody know for sure what goes into a hotdog? theoretically of course it should be meat. all-beef franks should contain, well, beef. but looking at the label of my favorite tender juicy hotdog doesn't really reveal much. all i know is that it contains some sort of meat - and lots and lots of food coloring.

this doesn't have anything to do with food but i do feel it's important.

twice now i've come across people who want to be nazis - they've expressed this sentiment either directly or by placing swastikas on their cars.

i feel it necessary that somebody tell them it is not ever going to happen.

as far as i know, there is a basic racial requirement in order to be a nazi and, trust me, filipinos will never make it. 

i look at a corn kernel and wonder how the first people to eat popcorn figure how to do it? it's actually very likely it was accidental. each kernel of corn has, at its center, water. this is surrounded by starch which in turn is encased in that shell we see. heat causes the water to expand and the whole thing to pop. so it's possible that some native american from hundreds of years back just accidentally overheated some corn.

nobody know who that was, but i say the world owes that person a lot of thanks.

have held a bucket of freshly popped popcorn close lately? smelled that soft, mealy aroma? shoved a handful in your mouth and chewed, savoring that soft spongy texture coupled with that final crunch?

plain with butter and salt is lovely. but now and then, especially in a movie, it's hard to beat cheese. or barbecue. or sour cream.

have you tried popcorn with a cold glass of milk? do. you're in for something special. 

Ukoy (or okoy) is yet another one of those kitchen classics that are vastly overlooked by many fine diners, ukoy actually requires a lot dexterity to master. When it isn't done right, it could be a bit on the soggy side, a bit bland... but when the cook nails it, ukoy is one of the best things this side of the deep fryer.

The base of ukoy is either grated young papaya or squash. This is then seasoned with salt and pepper then mixed in a batter made of rice flour. Purists would have rice ground just for this purpose. The patty is topped with small shrimp and then ready to go. Out of the fryer should now come patties that are crisp on the outside and nice and chewy within.

Variations can be had. I know of people who use cake flour instead of rice flour and those who add bean sprouts to the patties.

My favorite ukoy is made from young papaya and topped with the little dried shrimp (instead of fresh ones). Dipped of course in a powerful vinegar (paombong or iloko) with lots of pepper, garlic, and siling labuyo.

The next time you pass by a local carinderia or street stall, check if they have a freshly-made batch of ukoy. Totally worth the try.