The Manila Machine

Please welcome the first Filipino food truck in Los Angeles: The Manila Machine.

Several months ago, a certain LA Times article asked why Filipino cuisine has yet to assimilate into the the mainstream, especially in Los Angeles where there are more than a handful of Filipino-American chefs working in well-established fine restaurants. I found it upsetting that even though these chefs cook Filipino food at home, they did not think highly enough of their cuisine to even consider cooking it in their professional kitchens. So I found it exciting that Filipino food will be finally be represented in the food truck scene, a step in the right direction in showing how great our food is and can be.

I was also excited by the fact that The Manila Machine is operated by two food bloggers that I have long admired: Marvin of Burnt Lumpia and Nastassia of Let Me Eat Cake. Their passion for food comes through just from reading their blog. It only made sense that they ventured out with The Manila Machine. A very brave move, putting themselves out there, open to criticisms.

So to show my support, I planned on attending their launch two and a half weeks ago at the Downtown Art Walk. I even dragged Malou with me (well, texted her a few hours before, not even having met her before, to tell her I will pick her up. So glad she was game for it! :) ) but we got there to sold-out food! A great sign of support by the food community, showing everyone that Filipino food is welcome here.

Things got in the way and after a couple more weeks of chasing The Manila Machine, I finally got a taste of it on Saturday! Their website says they would be offering both street- and home-style meals. My husband, kids and I ordered a sampling off their menu that day.

And this is what we got, all laid out on the concrete steps! :) From top left, clockwise: Vegetable Lumpia, Lumpiang Shanghai, Longganisa Slider, Beef Tapa Slider, Chicken Adobo, Manila Dip Slider and Bichu donut.

The Vegetable Lumpia ($2) were crisp and warm but not at all greasy. A nice crunch with a mild-flavored vegetable filling inside.

The Lumpiang Shanghai ($2) were as long as the Vegetable ones and were thicker than what you'd usually get elsewhere which I really liked. As you can see there were plenty of filling in there and was still moist and juicy while the lumpia wrapper gave it a good light crunch. This was great, especially when dipped in their accompanying sweet-spicy sauce.

When my husband had his first bite of the Chicken Adobo ($4), he said it reminded him of the first time I served this dish to him years ago. He said it's flavors were held back somewhat, not enough vinegar punch. I understood what he meant since I remember cooking him his first adobo. I thought since he is non-Filipino and have never tasted adobo before, I held back on the vinegar so not to overwhelm him with it's sour tang. So maybe that's what they trying to do here.

But then he also said this: "Adobo is just like what people say about making love, even when it's just okay, it's still sex!" (LOL, I'm not sure my husband would make a good food reviewer.) Anyways, the best part for me here was the chicken skin. It was soft with a little crispy thing going on and it held the flavors just right.

The Pan de Sal sliders ($2.50 each) above are the Beef Tapa Slider and Longganisa Slider. They usually serve the Longganisang Hubad (patty-shaped) Sliders but this day they were only serving the longganisa silog-style (with garlic fried rice & egg). My 10-year old son really wanted a longganisa slider since reading the menu off their website so Nastassia said no problem and made this for him. :)

Sorry for the out-of-focus shot (the only picture taken) of the Beef Tapa Slider. But the taste is NOT out-of-focus at all! The beef tapa was tender, sweet with tart kalamansi citrus flavors, the achara (pickled green papaya) added some crunch and the sriracha mayo gave it a little heat. Great combination of flavors and textures here, definitely something you need to order.

My son couldn't wait to taste this one, as you can see he already bit it before the camera got to it. :) He let me take a small bite to taste. The longganisa is flavorful and juicy, the caramelized onions gave it more sweetness and the peppery arugula balanced it out. Another great one here.

The Original Manila Dip is another great slider. Shredded chicken abobo topped with caramelized onions and served with adobo sauce for dipping. Simple but very satisfying, a comfort food sandwich for me. Love the idea of dipping sauce, letting the pan de sal soak in the adobo flavors.

My family came in a few hours since they've been open for breakfast. That day, they were serving Bichu Filipino donuts. This was the last one, they gave this to my boys for free. This had a light crisp skin, just a little sweet from the outside sprinkling of sugar but it's got a heft to it. Tender yet didn't get mushed when you bite into it. What's not to love about fried dough?

After finishing up, we went in line to get these. A perfect ending to our meal: turon ($2) These banana-filled rolls were just the right width. I detest wide turon because you know those gets mushy in the middle and turns the lumpia wrapper all soggy. But this was perfect, this had the perfect balance of crunchy and soft. Perfect little bites, the drizzled caramel is a welcome touch.



Overall, the food served by The Manila Machine is great. Glad to finally tasted their food and I'd be happily chasing this truck all over town.



Website: The Manila Machine

Follow them on Twitter: @manilamachine

The Cake Slice: Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake

This month's cake chosen by The Cake Slice bakers is a very easy and simple cake to whip up. Reminiscent of blueberry scones, it's another pleasant way to enjoy blueberries that are plentiful at the farmers' markets at the moment. I am sure other berries may be used instead of blueberries like blackberries or raspberries. Maybe even chopped-up strawberries, too! And once berry season has passed, no worries because the recipe says frozen (unthawed) blueberries will work as well.


The recipe suggests baking in a 9-inch cake pan but I decided to use a slightly-larger tart pan to give the edges a little fancy :) The only drawback was my cake didn't achieve a certain height. Also, I was afraid the blueberries would sink to the bottom of the pan as it baked so I dusted them with a reserved tablespoon of the flour mixture before folding them in. Since my pan was not deep enough, they created little craters on top!

Besides it's unusual appearance, it was still scrumptious. My kids enjoyed a slice with some milk for an afternoon snack. I'm sure it will also be great with lemon curd, too and a cup of tea. Or maybe enjoy it topped with mascarpone whipped cream and a hot cup of coffee.

Just click Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake recipe to print and visit The Cake Slice Bakers to see their baked creations.

Pork BBQ on a stick for Kulinarya Cooking Club

When I found out this month's theme is Pinoy BBQ, I immediately thought of cooking Pork BBQ on a stick - a childhood favorite! Usually considered street food, vendors hawk these (and other cuts of meats on a stick) out on the street corners cooked from their makeshift grills. They are also a very popular party food. When you serve them, they are usually the first thing that gets eaten right away; people look out for and hoard these right off the grill (at least in my family)!

I learned to make Pork BBQ sticks from my Lola (grandma). She had already been in the U.S. for several years before my family came to join her; I was fourteen. She had always been in charge of all the cooking for our family parties. When I arrived, I was not sure how it happened but I ended up as her assistant in the kitchen. I "got stuck" peeling cloves after cloves of garlic and crushing them using a pandikdik (mortar & pestle); never a food processor. The next day, the daunting task of skewering the cold meat that's been marinating in the fridge overnight. Daunting only because when our big family cooks Pork BBQ sticks, we start with at least 20 pounds!

My Lola's recipes were never written and she was quite a bossy lady (I was always a little scared of her) so I just did what she tells me. Along the way, I picked up a few kitchen wisdom from her. The one that stuck in my head with this Pork BBQ stick recipe (besides using 7-up soda) is a 1-to-1 ratio of sugar and soy sauce. Then you can play around with the other seasonings: more crushed black pepper or siling labuyo (bird's eye chili) if you want it spicy, add more garlic to make them extra garlicky (we always do), even a few drops of patis (fish sauce) and/or kalamansi juice if you like a little tang to them.

Another thing I remember from cooking Pork BBQ sticks with my Lola was she never basted with ketchup when they're grilling. It just masked the already flavorful meat, she said once. So I don't but would brush on some of the marinade to keep them moist. It also helps to NOT use a lean cut of meat; pork shoulder is a great choice here.

Pork BBQ sticks are usually served with achara, pickled green papayas. I haven't had luck eyeing green papayas but had some mangoes today so I combined them with cucumbers to make a quick relish. And since the coals were still burning in the grill, I threw in some eggplants to roast. Once cooked, I just slit them open and topped them with tomatoes for a quick side dish to make it a complete meal. I have posted a fire-roasted eggplant salad once before here.

Lola's Pork BBQ on a Stick
makes about 20 skewers

1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 TBSP salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP freshly-squeezed kalamansi juice (optional)
2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1/4 inch slices
3/4 cup 7-Up soda

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until all the sugar is melted.

Place pork in a shallow glass container. Pour in the marinade and stir in until all the meat is coated. Pour in the soda and stir again. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

Soak skewers 30 minutes before using. Skewer meat and set aside. You may use marinade by placing in small pan and boil for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Prepare grill. Cook Pork BBQ sticks over medium-hot coals about 3-5 minutes on each side, basting every so often. Serve immediately.


Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colorful cuisine. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.



Please visit my fellow Kulinarya members for their Pinoy BBQ creations:

Kath - http://www.acupcakeortwo.com/
Trisha - http://sugarlace.com/
Trissa - http://trissalicious.com/
Olive - http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Ninette - http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/
Peach- http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea- http://www.busogsarap.com/
Asha - http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/
Malou - http://www.impromptudiva.com/
Cherrie - http://sweetcherriepie.blogspot.com/
Acdee - http://acdee.blogspot.com/
Valerie - http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/
Sheryl - http://crispywaffle.com/
Divina - http://www.sense-serendipity.com/
Anna - http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com/
Dahlia - http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/
Joy - http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/
Maribel - http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/
Tressa
Jen - http://www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com/
Pia - http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/
Malaka - http://thegrandinternational.com.
Mimi - http://lapinchecocinera.blogspot.com
Erika - http://ivoryhut.com/
Kat - http://www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk/default.aspx

Soul Food Farm, Vacaville, CA

My family and I went on a road trip a few weeks ago. We loaded up our minivan after work Friday night and headed north for a 7-hour drive to The Bay Area. We arrived at 3 AM tired from the drive (though the boys fell asleep after a couple hours in the van) but excited because in a few more hours we were going to be at Soul Food Farm, a farm that raises chickens and eggs on organic pastures.

I have never heard of Soul Food Farm before watching this CNN video a few weeks ago. I was taken aback by what they gone through; a fire ravaged their farm on September 2009 destroying almost all of their chickens and damaging most of the chicken houses. But more taken aback by the fact that people have rallied up to save the farm.




We went on a tour of the farm and was greeted by Alexis (the owner) followed by her three dogs. My boys had a blast with them, especially playing fetch with Max, the border collie. My youngest was the one who followed the dogs (instead of the other way around!) while we walked through the farm.

We listened while Alexis went into details of their everyday farm chores, all the while taking in the beautiful weather and gorgeous views.



Of course, the chicken were all over, roaming around and I was surprised how the chickens were all relaxed about having people around in their space, a sure sign they are content where they're at!






Besides chickens they also have a llama (which they found out helped in chasing out the coyotes),

ducks (this one contemplating diving in the water, haha), and

horses (which the kids had success feeding them cut grass).

Then came another fun part: collecting eggs! My youngest was a little apprehensive at first, since we were warned about the chickens pecking.

Later on, they figured it's best to take eggs when the hens aren't looking (notice all the tail feathers are pointing out!) :)

In no time, this bucket was filled with eggs,

all diffrent shapes, sizes and shades (blue, green, tans and dark brown speckled ones).

Then we sat down to a light lunch of chicken salad sandwiches

and enjoyed their garden,


next to a small field of lavenders, their flowers almost ready for picking.

A great day!