The Side Dish :: Halo Halo

What is Halo Halo?

Halo-halo is representative of the various sweets Filipinos enjoy. “Halo” in Tagalog means “to mix.” In essence, you mix (halo) shaved ice laced with evaporated milk along with many other sweet and luscious ingredients. Such ingredients include legumes (including red beans and garbanzos) and fruits (jack fruit, young coconut) cooked in syrup until tender and sweet. These sweet beans and fruits are also mixed in with flan and ube (sweet yam). Oftentimes, halo halo is topped with ice cream and pinipig (toasted rice grain flakes) for added texture and crunch. All the ingredients are placed in a tall glass served with a long teaspoon.

In this photo:

Halo Halo from Red Ribbon Bakery

THE SIDE DISH :: Coco Jam

What is Coco Jam?

Philippine coconut jam is made from coconut cream (the first and second press of grated coconut flesh) and sugar. Growing up I would spread it on my toast or pandesal (traditional Filipino bread). I rediscovered it on a recent trip to the Asian food market.

For the past few days, I've been reliving my childhood by having toast and coco jam for breakfast...along with a cup of very strong coffee. I have now introduced this tradition to my daughter, who enjoys it on toasted sesame seed bagels. Life is good.

In this picture: Lily's Coco Jam

THE SIDE DISH :: Blueberries

Did you know that Native Americans used blueberries as a part of their diet and as a medicine?

Native American's used blueberry juice to treat persistent coughs and other illnesses. We now know that blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and manganese. Studies have also shown that blueberries rank #1 as an antioxidant fruit. Now that is good stuff!

In this photo:

Blueberry picking at Mt. Hood, Oregon.

THE SIDE DISH :: Chocolate

Did you know that the first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America?

The pre-Columbian peoples of the Americans drank chocolate mixed with vanilla, chile pepper, and achiote. Europeans sweetened it by adding sugar and milk and removing the chile pepper. They later created a process to make solid chocolate creating the modern chocolate bar. Since then, new technologies and innovations have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.

This photo:

Wine Country Chocolates | Sonoma, CA - Raspberry and the "Elvis" truffle (peanut butter & banana)