Simple pleasures...
These are the moments when you least expect it and it makes you feel special. So I was on our veranda that morning with the tropical summer breeze cooling me down. I saw this street vendor hawking buko (coconut), aimlessly driving his bike carrying a wagon-full of buko. Unlike Lance Armstrong, the vendor pedals his bike like he has no worries in the world. And this is what I like about my hometown - it is so laid back. Amidst the chaos in the streets and the cacophany from the cars and tricycles around, the site of this man was novel.
It created a subtle curiosity in me on how to buy from a street vendor. So I waved my arm and called him like one would hail a cab. And there he was..
I asked him if I could take pictures and he began to smile...
"Is this for a magazine?" he asked
"No it's for my blog" I said.
So he prepared the buko...
Popped the neon green straws, and voila, you definitely can't beat the freshness...
and the first sip was sheer delight....
It was even better when it was used to cook a pot of chicken soup ..as it added a sweet note to the dish!
So let me share with you the recipe that Lani served us in one of our meals. Enjoy!
Tinolang Manok sa Buko (Chicken soup in Coconut Juice)
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast, sliced in strips
3 slices of ginger (crushed)
3 slices of ginger (crushed)
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic(chopped)
3 cups coconut juice (note: this is different from coconut milk)
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 cup coconut meat, sliced in strips
2 pcs. chayote, slice
2 pcs. carrots sliced
Fish sauce (patis) to taste
Procedure:
In a heavy skillet, saute garlic and onions in oil. Give it a quick stir. Wait until the garlic and onions starts to soften and a fragrant smell wafts across the room. Stir in the ginger. Quick stir again and add the chicken cut ups. Allow the chicken to cook for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the coconut juice. Let it simmer. Add the vegetables and allow it to cook until tender. Season with fish salt. Add coconut strips and voila you are ready to enjoy the pleasure of slurping and tasting the tender goodness of the chicken and the coconut meat.