Orchids in Bloom

Not a day goes by that I don't think about my Mom. Thank goodness for digital cable service, which includes discounted international phone rates. At least I can indulge in having long conversations with her to my heart's content, without having to pay exorbitant phone fees or suffering the inconvenience of using phone cards. But upon hanging up the receiver at the end of the call, I feel like I'm zapped back in time and space, back to the moment immediately before making the phone call, enveloped by a sudden sadness. The irony of pressing the "talk" button to end my call does not escape me.

Living overseas, I have developed a kind of sixth sense that is part memory - remembering my most treasured moments with her, and part imagination - wishing I'm with her and not being 5000 miles away, which has made me cope being so far away from Mama.

Seemingly common things trigger powerful, pleasant memories. Seeing a bouquet of flowers or orchids in a vase would make memories explode in my mind. Similar to what the narrator felt in Marcel Proust's novel, wherein a bite into a madeleine awakens vivid memories of the past and the happiness associated with it, I am reminded of my childhood days when I wake up and couldn't find my mom in the house. I would then check the garden wherein, sure enough, she is with her orchids doing her morning ritual of "talking" to them. The delicate and stunning orchids in bloom, and even the tiny buds that are just about to bloom, would always bring a bright smile to her face, like she's hypnotized by its beauty ... I would imagine her replanting, regrouping or propagating different plants and flowers, and with the use of nylon stockings, she would tie them around the betel nut trees that surrounded our house.

My mom is not into music or songs but I remember she once told me that when she hears the song "I Know Him So Well" (a hit from the 80's), she remembers the days when I used to play the song on the piano and my sister would belt out the song. So when I heard my flatmate play the song this morning, I was transported back in time, during those hot summer days, in our house in my hometown. Where the glistening wooden walls echoed the sound of the piano... and the chorus of voices singing along with the boisterous laughter.  Although I didn't know it then, my mom revealed that it brought so much joy to her heart seeing and hearing her children sing and acting silly....

As I look at the fridge with my leftover spaghetti sauce, boom, I can imagine my mom say: "make some estralladu (omellette)". Yes Ma, look I made eggplant omelet with my leftover pasta sauce like you always did before, only I made my own signature of tweaking the dish and modernizing it.

Thank you for always being there for me, and for the memories that make it possible for me to always be with you... like a time machine to carry me back to you… especially today on Mother’s Day.


EASY MICROWAVE EGGPLANT OMELETTE (TORTANG TALONG)

Left-over spaghetti sauce (if you don't have any leftovers, saute' some ground beef and add tomato sauce then season it with salt and pepper)
2 eggplants
4 eggs, beaten
frozen green peas

Grill the eggplants until the skin is burnt like so:

Let it cool.  Meanwhile beat the eggs lightly.  Add the ground beef or the left-over spaghetti sauce.   When the eggplant is cold enough to handle, peel off the skin and give it a light mash.  Add the eggplant into the egg mixture.

Using a microwavable poached egg maker, pour the egg mixture on the one side and cover. Microwave it on high for 2 minutes. If it's not yet cooked at this point, microwave it for another minute. Let it stand, Unmold the poached egg maker and voila... you will enjoy your omelette in no time...

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Honey, I Fried the Chicken Curry!

I don't even know where to begin... it's just that life took a different rhythm for me lately and I can't seem to find the grace and balance to dance to the new beat. Most of you who've been following my blog will know how much my life has centered on my family. So it may come as a surprise to hear that I accepted a job in L.A. L.A.???

“You accepted a job in L.A.? But you live in San Diego…“, is the comment that many friends make when they hear about my new job. “So do you commute or have you moved to L.A.?” is the next question people ask. My answer is both.

So for the past week, I tried to dance to the LA beat, but somehow I miss the calming rhythm of San Diego. Instead of waking up with the sun brightly shining upon my face amidst the quiet stillness of the Carmel Valley community I live in San Diego, the noise that the City of Angels makes awakens me long before daybreak. I imagine myself inside a high school band room, where hormone-induced teens bang their musical instruments …clashing cymbals resemble the sound of cars honking their horns, and the loud trombone is like the siren of a fire engine or the cacophony made by the hydraulic brakes of the city buses. Instead of taking an easy drive in the rolling hills of San Diego, I spend 3 hours per day in what seems to me to be the largest parking lot in the world, as cars slowly creep their way along the L.A. freeway. Some days, I find myself taking the train to L.A., then by bus and walking the remaining 2 blocks to my office, with a prayer in my heart that I won't be the next victim of a random crime in the city. “What have I done?” I would disapprovingly ask myself at this point.

It is funny how life can be sometimes, when an epiphany came from a George Clooney line in a random movie called “The Men Who Stare at Goats”. Clooney spoke about "optimum trajectory”. Huh? Well, in his theory he explained “…life is like a river... if you are aiming for a goal that is not your destiny you will be swimming against the current. Find out your destiny and let the river carry you to where you are supposed to be."

Is this my destiny? While other people complain about the scarcity of jobs, I was extremely fortunate to have this job seemingly fall on my lap. And each detail about the job was revealed to me in a most serendipitous way, way too much to be a coincidence, even for me.

So it’s all up to me whether to look at it as a wrong decision or a make it into a good one. My daughter came up to me and said, “It’s not that you’re leaving us mom, you are finding yourself. For most of your life you took care of us, I’m already 18 and leaving for college in a few months. Joey will be off to college next year too. Now you can think about yourself, you have to find yourself...”

I realized that there is a whole new world out there for me, an uncertain, but nevertheless exciting, future to look forward to. So now, when I run to catch my bus, I take it as a chance to lose a pound or two. When I hear the “city noise” early in the morning, it is a reminder that life should be vibrant and “always on the move”. And when I take my seat on the train, I enjoy the indelible beauty of the Pacific, with the sun slowly rising or sinking, either breaking into a new day or lazily fading away as night falls, marking the start or the end of another fruitful day.

“I thought I smelled chicken curry” said my husband as he sat down for dinner.

“Yes Honey, I fried the chicken curry!”

We both smiled, as we know that life is all about perspectives.

Like this fried chicken curry for example, it’s a different take on a well-loved dish from the Far East, preserving the curry “goodness” while incorporating the fried texture that many of us love and crave for in chicken. While some may not like the veering away from the traditional dish this recipe does, others will have fun with the innovative mix of the curry with the fried chicken

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FRIED CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

1 package of chicken thighs

Salt and pepper to taste

For breading:

1 c flour
salt &pepper
2 tbsp curry powder  (well adjust this according to your preference)
salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about half full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot.. Meanwhile, roll the chicken pieces into the breading. Shake off excess flour. Drop 5-6 pieces into the hot oil. Make sure there's enough space to stir the chicken. Deep fry it until golden brown. Drain the fried chicken. It should be crispy goden brown.

For the gravy:

1 tbsps. cooking oil

1 cloves of garlic
1 small onions, chopped
1/4 c chicken stock
1-2 tbsps curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 c coconut milk

In a wok, saute garlic and onions in cooking oil.  Pour the coconut milk together with the chicken stock.  Spice up using the curry powder. I like to make my curry rich and flavorful so I used around 2 round table spoons. You may want to add 1 tbsps first and adjust it according to your taste.  Bring the mixture to a boil until it's reduced.  The sauce should be thick and creamy.

Spring Fling

(This t was my guest post at  Chow and Chatter a couple of days ago.  Such a great honor and joy to have been invited .... Thank you Rebecca!)

It's almost noon during an unseasonably cold, hazy spring day as my daughter, hubby and I decided to take a walk at the beach. The beach? Really? On such an overcast day?  I know, I know... it doesn't seem right but the beach being just in our backyard seems to always beckon us... especially when my eldest daughter comes for a visit...  coming from a highly stressed environment, the beach is therapeutic... even minus the bright skies.

Spring is evident all around, even under grey skies.   We drove past rows of flowers all in bloom.  Vivid hues of shimmering yellow, romantic red and vibrant purple... the lively chorus of birds chirping and the rhythm of their flapping wings as they fly in droves... ahhh this is why I love spring!

On the beach, surfers in wet suits glide with the waves with grace and balance.  The beach is not crowded, that makes us appreciate it more.  My daughter and I giggled as we realized we moved in synchronized motion as we took our shoes off and ran towards the ocean.  Meanwhile, my husband was standing, watching over us by the roadside, seemingly content with the captivating views of the the cliffs and the ocean... and relaxing to the sound of the crashing waves landing on the shore.

We screamed every time the waves hit the shore and washed our feet.  We could see my husband's head shake as he hears our screams and shreiks.. but we didn't care... we were there to enjoy and celebrate the beauty of God's gifts in a rare occasion where it's just the three of us.

As we dusted off the sand from our shoes  before entering the house, my daughter glimpsed at the pictures posted on the wall. The gallery of photos has always been there on the entry way all these years, but having a wonderful feeling coming from the beach, she looked at these pictures differently.

 "Heartwarming" she said... to see the last pictures we had at about the same time in early April, one Easter weekend ten years ago in my hometown..  Even when we move, these pictures always find their space on the entry wall.  It happened to be  the last Easter we celebrated before we moved to the US.  They never fail to remind us of the good times we had in the past. The nostalgic feeling led my daughter to request me to cook one of  her favorite comfort food from my home town... and yes, which leads me to share with you the recipe of a noodle dish known in my home town as BATIL PATUNG.

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Batil Patung  is stir fried noodles served with an egg topping (patung),and a side serving of egg drop soup (batil) the dish is not complete without the sauce--- soy sauce and vinegar with lots of raw onions. It maybe high in cholesterol and sodium but hey there's no taste like home!


Ingredients:

1/4 lb. ground beef
1 pc. chinese sausage, sliced
chinese cabbage, sliced
mongo sprouts
carrots, sliced
onions, diced
garlic, minced
soy sauce
oyster sauce
beef stock
fresh egg noodles (found in the refrigerated items section in an asian store)

Directions:

Saute garlic and onions. Add ground beef and sausage. Cook for about 4 minutes or until beef is brown and the sausage is cooked. Add the vegetables.  Season it with soy sauce and oyster sauce.  Adjust to taste. Make a quick stir. Set aside. De-glaze the pan using a beef stock. (if you don't have a beef stock, use chicken or pork) Add soy sauce and let it simmer. When the soup stock is simmering, break an egg and stir it into the soup. Ladle up some soup in a serving bowl and set aside.

Using the same pan, add the noodles. (You may add more beef stock if needed) Cook the noodles for about 3-4 minutes.



Put the noodles on a serving plate. Top it with the stir-fried beef , sausage and vegetables. Top it with a poached egg.


Condiments:


Soy sauce with lemon or a little vinegar
Diced onions.

Friends Across the Blogosphere

I didn't know what I got into when I started blogging  five months ago. I was encouraged by my brother Paul to start a blog two years ago, but it was only late last year that I gathered all my strength and courage to press the word PUBLISH.  Soon I was led to discover the whole new world of food blogging.   And like most new bloggers, I thought that this would just be temporary.  However, blogging has become a big part of my life.

Blogging is just like living in the real world wherein it is inevitable to meet new friends.  I am amazed at how I started meeting people and becoming friends with them instantly online.  I can't explain it but I immediately felt the chemistry and the compatibility even if I have not met them in person.  I am grateful to everyone I've met along the way, and most especially my friends who support me and recognize the work I've put together.

Last month I was surprised to receive awards from other bloggers (I know it's long overdue for me to acknowledge them).  One of them is Mia of  Vanilla Strawberry Springfields.  We maybe far apart in terms of distance and age (about 20 years) but our love for life and passion for cooking has bonded us together.  I feel like I've known her for the longest time.  Here are the awards she gave me, and yes Mia, it's such an honor to receive these from you!

Another blogger whom I have developed a friendship with is Liren of  Kitchen Worthy. Liren has become my friend through Twitter.  She's new to the blogging world herself but already she has won awards and has been featured in foodbuzz.   When you visit her blog, you know she's literally Kitchen Worthy for all the accolades she has received.  Liren, I would like to thank you for the Sunshine Award.

As I was writing this post, I was disrupted by 3 loud knocks at the door.  It was the mailman delivering a package.  A smile came across my face as I saw that the package came from Caroline of  When Adobo Met Feijoada.  Homemade  Meyer Lemon Marshmallows and Strawberry Marshmallows were neatly

packed in two separate glossy white boxes and carefully vacuum sealed

.

It was a wonderful feeling to receive such a package because you know it was done with so much love.  It also gives you a tingling sensation that friends in the blogosphere are now my true friends. Thank you Carol and I hope we're going to meet each other sometime soon.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended my first foodie event in Los Angeles.  The whole experience was totally awesome.  It was great to meet  the people behind the food blogs I read online.  The seminar was organized by the founders of Food Blog Forum,  Jaden of  Steamy Kitchen  and  Diane of  White on Rice Couple.   I would like to invite you to take a peak at this video clip: Food Blog Forum Seminar in Los Angeles.  I'm thrilled that I had a brief appearance at the end of the video.

And to you my readers, thank you so much for the support and for all the love.  See y'all at the blogosphere... Cheers!

xoxo,

Malou

Take Time To Love

Oh my, it's been 10 days since my last entry.  I took time off to be with my daughter last week, so I really didn't have the time to sit down and write.  I had a long list of entries to finish and what jumped out was my note written in red bold letters: "EATING YOUR WORDS CHALLENGE, DEADLINE: March 30" (I found out later that the deadline is actually on the 31st)... "think, create, inspire..." were inscribed on the same note.

For some reason, I haven't had any inspiration for this challenge. I tried to put myself into the shoes of Top Chef contestants, but alas no luck.  I would be sent home after the first quick fire challenge, hahaha.  So I skipped the task and moved on to the next.

I was staring at the blank screen of my computer monitor when a message flashed:

What's wrong with Joey? said the YM on the screen. The message came from my daughter who is now back in Berkeley.

Why? What do you mean what's wrong with Joey came my reply.

It's his status on Google buzz.  He sounds sad.

As I was waiting for her response, my thoughts ran wild as to what's going on with my son.  But at the same time, I was glad my daughter is so nosey she knows what's going on with everyone. Then on my screen was Joey's status:

"Sometimes it takes a deeply saddening piece of news for you to recognize the truly important things in life, and to remind you not to get too caught up in the less significant parts."

After reading it, I realized it was all about the tragic news involving his friend's mom.  We talked about it the night before, but I was unaware it affected him so much.   I believe that in times like this, the best way to cheer him up is to give him reassurance and to embrace him with love... I immediately came up with a plan to make him feel secure and feel loved...

A spark of inspiration came to mind.   I jumped off my seat and went to my art lab (a.k.a. kitchen). Why don't I convey the message through food, with my words of comfort written all over the food.  That a-ha moment led me to enter this post for the "Eating Your Words Challenge".  This contest is hosted by Tangled Noodle and Savor the Thyme.  What's more exciting is that celebrity host Andrew Zimmern will be the judge for the challenge.  Wish me luck!

Burger Outside the Box

Ingredients:
For the bun:
I wanted to take it to the extreme (it's Andrew Zimmern who's judging guys!)  so I used white rice to form a bun
Cooked white rice
Garlic Salt
small egg, slightly beaten
1 tbsp oil

For the burger patty
I used Asian ingredients.
2 lbs ground beef
2 tbsp hosin sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1 egg
salt and pepper

For the garnishings:
Carrots
Bokchoy, blanched and drained
Boiled egg
Sesame Seeds, toasted
Edamame, blanched and drained


Procedure:

For the rice bun:


Put the cooked rice into a mixing bowl add the slightly beaten egg. Mix them together and sprinkle some garlic powder on it. Get a measuring cup. Press the rice mixture to get the shape of a bun.  You have to press it hard and make sure they stick together for easy frying. In a saucepan, add a little oil and pan fry the rice.  Do it on the other side as well.  Be gentle as the rice may break. Set aside.

For the burger:

Mix the ground beef and all the ingredients such as oyster sauce, hosin, garlic, onions and salt and pepper.  Gently mix them together.  Make sure not to over mix the beef.  And also I used a not so lean ground beef. I want my burger to be flavorful and juicy.
Now we’re ready to form our patties. Grab a chunk of  beef and gently form a patty. This recipe yielded 6 patties.  Pre-heat a cast iron pan on high heat. Add patties and cook it for about 2- 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top. Let it rest.

 
Now we're ready to assemble the burger and this is where the fun begins.


Here's the top rice bun. I used green onions and carrots to spell the word TAKE. I used hoisin sauce initially but as  you could see it smeared the letters and they were no longer readable.

Here's the lower rice bun:  I used edamame and dotted hoisin sauce for the numbers and green onions for the short and long hand to make a clock to signify TIME.

Here are the condiments:  I was just limited to what was in my fridge, so I used bok-choy, carrots and boiled some eggs to form the word TO

And here's the patty. I sprinkled sesame seeds and formed a shape of a heart using edamame to signify LOVE...

Typically a burger looks like this:

But since this is my entry for the Eating Your Words Challenge I plated it like so

To convey my message that we should:  TAKE TIME TO LOVE.....

choco coco loco in spring

My husband and I were so excited as we sped along I-5 to pick up our daughter at the airport.  We are happy that she decided to spend Spring Break with us.  I also couldn't help notice the vibrant yellow rays shining from the sun against the backdrop of a clear blue sky. It's officially the first day of Spring.

Blaring on the radio was the song Breakeven by the Script.

"This is by the Script, the group that orignally sung 'Live Like You're Dying' " my husband said.

"Oh no wonder it sounds like the Kris Allen song", I said. "Oh yeah, the arrangement is totally similar" I said further.

While the song was playing, I tried to mix the Live Like your Dying lyrics with it and we laughed out loud because it blended so well.  I-5 South twisted and rolled toward the searing sun, as my husband gripped the wheel with both hands, then suddenly releasing the other hand to hold mine. I was still singing my heart out, and I was seemingly just lost in the moment.  If we were not on our way to pick up our daughter, who is already 21, I would have thought that my husband and I were still just college sweethearts!

At the airport's curb, my daughter was grinning from ear to ear, donning her new oval rimmed, oversized sun glasses, as she waved hello to us.  As she settled into the car, we could not pull out of the arrivals section.  We were apparently trapped by a car in front of us, because the young lady driver was out there tiptoeing to kiss her boyfriend... while the boyfriend carried her up close to him...  The three of us in the car didn't mind at all... knowing how it feels what Spring could bring...

From the moment my daughter came into the car, she started telling stories.  I thought I was the chirpiest person but wait until you hear my daughter.  It was non-stop.  We had to turn off the radio for her to have our full attention! We had missed her animate garrulousness.

"Mom I have pasalubong (homecoming present) for you!" she said as soon as we got home. She showed me a box of my favorite Girl Scout Cookies: Samoas.

  "I know you love Almond Joy and desserts with chocolate and coconut, so I got you these." As we started eating these delicious treats, my daughter exclaimed, "Remember when Dad used to bring home pan de coco and chocolate milk for me when I was a little kid, Mom?" 

Smiling, I nodded my head and quickly began to reminisce. When my husband would come home from medical school, he would always have a bag full of pan de coco (which literally translates to "bread of coconut") and Chocolait (chocolate milk) in a tetrapack for my daughter, who was only a toddler back then. It was my husband's special way of letting my daughter know that he was home.

"Wow, that was like a lifetime away!" I laughed. Indeed, I remember how she loved eating those little coconut-stuffed rolls and how she would even love it more when she could dip it in her glass of chocolate milk. And now, a decade and a half later, she's the one bringing us a simple gift of sweetness to let us know that she was home! Life seems to have come full circle.

I told her, "That was my inspiration for my Choco Coco Loco," and I handed her a tray of my newest concoction.

She bit into this desert empanada and immediately her eyes grew wide with amazement. "Oh, these are better than the Samoas, Mom! How did you do it?"

I grinned even wider than before. That's when I knew that I had to share with you my CHOCO COCO LOCO EMPANADAS.

(When Kulinarya announced that we were to feature empanadas for the month of March, I thought of making a sweet empanada... That's when I thought about my daughter's memories of the pan de coco with chocolait that my husband used to bring home for her.  Pan de coco is a bun stuffed with coconut... so that's where I got the inspiration from.)


Choco Coco Loco Emapanadas:

Ingredients:

For the Filling:
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1tbsp cornstarch dispersed in water

In a saucepan, mix the condensed milk and coconut milk.  Let it simmer.  Add the vanilla and the constarch mixture.  Stir in the dessicated coconut.  Let it cool.


For the crust:
2 cups  all purpose flour
1 pc egg
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup ice water
1 tsp baking powder

Put the flour into a large bowl.  Dig a hole in the mound of flour.  Add butter, water, and egg blend in using your fingertips  or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand  to bring dough together. Lightly flour a pastry board or clean table top. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough on a pastry board until  desired thickness. I wanted mine to be a little thick.  Get a saucer and use it as a template to cut circles using a cutter or a sharp knife.

Preheat oven to 400 degreesF
Spoon about 1-2 teaspoons of the coconut filling and put it  into the middle of each pastry circle. Fold the circle so the edges meet and filling is sealed. Press the edges of the pastry  using a fork.

Brush the surface of each empanada with slightly beaten egg.. Using a fork or a sharp knife, make slits on the surface of each empanada.   Arrange on a greased baking sheet and bake it for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Let it cool.

For the ganache:
8 ounces of chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 stick of butter


Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl on a baine marie.  Stir continously.  Add butter and stir again. Remove from heat.  Adjust according to your preferred thickness. Allow ganache to cool before pouring over  the empanadas.Enjoy!

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Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful 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.
 
If you’re interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to drop by our foodblogs and leave a comment – we would love to hear from you!
Trissa
Trisha
Kath
Olive

Caroline
Ninnette
Peach
Cusinera
Asha
Cherrie
Acdee/
Valerie/
Bel/
 Divina

one fine san diego day

One of the remarkable traits that my parents-in-law have is their zest for life.  Last Thursday, just as the sun had risen, they called informing us that they were driving to San Diego from Las Vegas. “You're on your way here?” I heard my husband saying. A few hours after, they called and said “We’re in Barstow and we’ll be there soon!” said the chirpy voice of my mother in law. True enough, before we knew it, we heard Mama B’s warm “Hello!!! How’s everybody!” by the door.

Papa T and Mama B brought spring early to us. The house magically turned alive as my children joined in to devour all the food that they brought with them. From the shimmering gold and yellow color of the custard flan, to the strong scent of lemon grass and the greens that go with Pho, and to the grilled pork chop releasing an earthy flavor -- we enjoyed immensely the feast they brought to us. Everything turned warmer and brighter with their arrival.

The next day, while my husband was at work and the kids were at school, Papa T, Mama B and I drove around San Diego to try out his camera's new lens. Contently, I watched them from the rear end of the car, Mama B singing along Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me  on Sirius satellite radio and Papa T driving around the canyons in search of views to capture.  I was sitting alone at the back, quitely absorbing and basking in the strength and beauty of their relationship.  My in-laws have shown me how to look at the world in a new way.  A world full of optimism and hope, that when I get older I should look forward to the days to come, as these days will get even better.  I was there happy to look through a window into the future, wishful that in 20 years, my husband and I would enjoy the life that my in-laws currently have.

I've talked about them in this blog previuosly, here and there. With Papa T's permission, I am sharing the pictures he captured.   The sights are undeniably San Diego to me:  the sight of a Navy helicopter hovering the sky, the surfer riding the waves during winter, the breathtaking seascape of Torrey Pines in La Jolla that greets me as I drive down highway 101... ahhh indeed, such a fine San Diego day.  And I get to enjoy the experience twice... the second time through Papa T's lens.  Thank you also for letting me see life through a new view, like that of a new lens of a camera, able to capture the essence of the moment... and letting me get a glimpse of the future.

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With this inspiration and since it's the Lenten Season,  I made Fish Lumpia... (well  I had a difficulty finding a segway to introduce the recipe LOL!)  But ok I promise this lumpia is so easy to make:

Ingredients:

Catfish fillet (or any white fish fillet)
Lumpia Wrapper (spring roll wrapper)
Calamansi - zest and juice
salt and pepper

Sauce:
2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1Tbsp Soy Sauce
sugar
sesame oil
sesame seeds
2 tbsp calamansi or lemon juice
green onions

Procedure::

Slice the fillet into strips
Season with calamansi or lemon juice, salt and pepper Add some calamansi rind or zest.
Wrap the fillet using lumpia wrapper
Fry the lumpia in a pan until golden brown.  Set aside.

For the sauce:
Combine all the  ingredients together except for the sesame seeds.  Let it thicken.  Adjust according to your taste. You are now ready to enjoy your fish lumpia! See it was that easy!

I went one step higher... and added the sauce on the lumpia.  However, you should eat the lumpia right away it will become soggy.