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.Because they were the last group to arrive on theplantations, they were assigned the most menial jobs.The immigration laws did not permit them to bring families,and so the men lived in barracks.In the 1980s, the Filipinos were the only immigrant group to prefer other foods totheir own.7 Now they have opened a handful of restaurants, a number of grocery stores and bakeries, and theydominate the entrancing People's Open Markets.Although Filipino recipes crop up in a number of communitycookbooks, there is but one cookbook devoted to Hawaii Filipino food.8 Perhaps for these reasons Filipino food hasnot yet made it outside the Filipino community in Hawaii.9This is too bad because the Philippines possesses a rich and complex creole food of its own.Settled by Malays,trading for generations with the Chinese, ruled by the Spanish for 300 years and by the Americans for over halfacentury, Filipinos have a cuisine to be proud of.10 Apart from vegetables, they rely heavily on rice, fish, pork, andchicken.Many foods have a sour taste, and many are seasoned by patis, their thin fish sauce similar to many otherSoutheast Asian fish sauces, or bagoong, a thicker fish sauce.Filipinos also make a great variety of sweets, some ofthem deriving from the sweet rice flourcoconut tradition of Southeast Asia, others from the wheat floursugartraditions of the Spanish.In 1965, the immigration laws were changed and families were allowed to enter, so, with any luck, in a few yearsFilipino food will be fully accepted.It has too many delicious dishes to continue unappreciated. Page 153Sinigang(Sour Fish Soup)A Filipino classic, this soup is so basic to the cuisine that Knorr manufactures both a soup mix and stock cubes.Asian stores sell these, but the flavor is better if homemade.The most common souring agent is tamarind, andtamarind extract, too, can be found in Asian stores.You can also use kamias, or even lemon or lime, though theflavor will be different.This soup is adaptable, quick and simple to make, and adapts well to microwave cooking.4 cups water2 unripe tamarind pods or 34 kamias½ cup onion, sliced2 cloves garlic, finely chopped2 tomatoes, halved1 inch ginger, peeled and cut in chunks8 ounces firm white fish or shrimp1 cup marungay leaves or watercressSalt and patis (fish sauce) to tasteWash the tamarind pods (which will be furry brown on the outside and pale green inside) or the kamias, place in asaucepan, cover with 2 cups of the water, and simmer for 20 minutes or so until tender.Meanwhile, place onion,garlic, tomatoes, and ginger (which prevents the fish from tasting fishy) in a second saucepan and cover with theremaining 2 cups of water.Simmer for 20 minutes or so until tender.Mash the tomatoes against the side of the panto extract the flesh; scoop out and discard the tomato skin and the chunks of ginger.Take the first pan off the heat,mash the tamarind pods or kamias against the side to extract the juices, and then scoop out the flesh.The remainingliquid will taste quite sour.Then add the fish or shrimp and the greens to the saucepan of vegetables.Heat until fishis just cooked through.As you do so, add soured tamarind liquid, salt, patis, and water to make about six cups,adjusting the seasoning to taste.Yield: Four servingsNote: Traditionally, water from washing rice was used to thicken the soup very slightly.A teaspoon of cornstarchmixed with water and added in the final stages of cooking will give the same effect.But this should not be a thicksoup. Page 154Pinacbet(Filipino Mixed Vegetables)The ingredients in this Ilocano dish can be varied, as they can in all vegetable stews, though bitter melon, eggplant,and okra are musts.Bitter melon is bitter, a flavor I happen to love; with the increasing popularity of bittervegetables such as endive and radicchio, it may become a favored vegetable.If you are hesitant, pinacbet is a goodplace to try bitter melon because the bitter flavor is muted in the medley of vegetables.The bagoong (fish sauce) istypically Filipino.Soy sauce can be substitutedthe result will hardly be Filipino, but still tasty.3 or 4 eggplants, preferably the long Japanese kind, cut into strips about 1 inch long and ¼ inch on the side½ pound okra, wiped and the caps cut off2 bitter melons, cut into strips about 1 inch long and ¼ inch on the side23 tomatoes, cut in segments6 long beans or green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths1 medium onion, halved and sliced1½ inches of fresh ginger, peeled and crushed1 tablespoon bagoong or soy sauceSalt to tasteLayer all the ingredients in a shallow pan, preferably one that can be brought to the table.Add water almost to cover,loosely cover the pan, and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.Shake occasionally toensure that all the vegetables are evenly cooked but do not stir.The dish should be almost solid, but not dry.Servewith rice
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