Indefinite "stop over"

I am on an indefinite food journey "stop over". I can't go on too much "journeying" around because school has started already AND...... I have been going to the gym recently. I always think twice before I dine out .... because it is really very hard to exercise. I love to eat, no question about it ... I have cravings! Ohhh I always have cravings.... it makes me crazy when I can't eat what I want or can't duplicate what I have eaten in someone's house or restaurant. I'm not saying I'm on a diet but I choose my "battles" wisely, I hope. The only time I will forgo diet and exercise is when there is LECHON!


One of my recent food cravings is Philly Cheesesteak. I've tried the one in Army Navy but as I've said in my older posts, it was too bland for me. I've also tried the one in Rockwell, the cheeseteak of Elbert Cuenca, but I want mine more seasoned. So I did my research... looked at the websites and recipes and came out with my own version.





French Bread from Bread Talk - 6 inch long portion. I love their baguette there! It is so lightweight and I love the taste! I don't like the heavy kind of bread... or "doughy". I can eat a whole Bread Talk baguette.... hahaha... I'm just saying I CAN but I won't.

1-2 T. cooking oil

150 grams of thinly sliced beef sirloin, shredded and seasoned with salt and pepper.

1 Spanish onion (golden skinned), chopped.

1 slice gruyere cheese. Most recipes use Provolone but I couldn't find in Rustan's Rockwell.

1/2 bottle of small Cheez Whiz

Using a flat frying pan or griddle, heat the oil. When smoking hot, add the onions and caramelize... remove and set aside. In the same pan, brown the meat... then add the slice of cheese and cook until melted.
Split open the baguette and put the meat/cheese inside. Top with caramelized onions and spread the cheez whiz over the meat and onion.

Another craving I have is Lumpiang Shanghai. Eversince I tried the one from Wa Nam in Bataan, I've been trying the lumpia here in Manila. I've been to San Jacinto... it was ok but they added veggies inside. Then, I also tried from Savory.. it was a disaster. Not what I was looking for. I've decided to research again where can I eat the old fashioned kind of Chinese lumpia ... but I couldn't find one that I think would have that all meat pinkish filling.

I read several recipes and experimented today. I only made a small batch because I wasn't sure how it would taste. I guess it turned out pretty well. My family had lunch in my house and I saw them getting second servings. I probably just need to buy freshly ground pork so the color will be pinkish.


Lumpiang Shanghai
1/4 K. ground pork
150 g. shrimps, chopped
1 C. singkamas, minced
1 head garlic,chopped
1 white onion, chopped finely
1 egg
1/2 t. fine salt
1 t. MSG
1 t. fish sauce
1/8 t. pepper

lumpia wrapper

cooking oil for frying

Mix all the ingedrients well in a bowl except the cooking oil and wrapper. Put 1-2 T of meat at the edge of the wrapper and roll all the way and seal the edge with water or egg white.

Fry in hot oil. Drain in a colander standing up. Do not use paper towels or else the lumpia will absorb the oil.  Serve with Thai Spring rolls sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

Sweet and sour sauce
3/4 C. water
2 T. Rice vinegar
3 T. Tomato Ketchup
2 T. Jufran banana ketchup
2/3 C. white sugar
1 1/2 T. cornstarch diluted in 2 T. water

Mix all the ingredients except the cornstarch mixture in a sauce pan before switching on the flame. When it boils, add the cornstarch mixture. Stir and turn off heat.