Where It All Began

I have my grandparents to thank for my appreciation of entertaining friends and family. My grandfather is on the far left, Lolo Swally and my grandmother Lola Inday is standing in the middle. The picture above was taken in their garden in Cagayan de Oro City, Phillippines.

My grandparents cheerfully enjoyed sharing their home and company. In honor of their fondness for celebrating food and camaraderie I would like to share with you a favorite filipino dish of mine.

Pancit palabok

• 8 oz Pack rice noodles
• 1 Tablespoon Annato seeds (achuete)
• 1 cup Shrimp juice
• 2 Tablespoons Fish sauce (patis)
• 2 1⁄2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, mixed with ¼ cup water
• 1⁄2 lb. Shrimp, shelled and fried
• 3⁄4 cup Finely crushed chicharon-(pork rinds)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped and-fried
• 2 Tablspoons Green onions; chopped
• 2 Hard cooked eggs sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

First soak noodles in boiling water for 20 minutes or until softened. Drain well then set aside. Soak Annato seeds for 20 minutes, then roll seeds with your finger until you extract the color. Add Annato water to shrimp juice in a saucepan. Season with fish sauce, salt and black pepper. Stir in the cornstarch, simmer until thick, stirring continuously until thickened. Put noodles on a plate, pour sauce over it, then sprinkle with crushed pork rinds, shrimps, fried garlic, and green onions. Arrange sliced eggs on top and lemon wedges on the side. To serve, toss pancit mixture and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste.

Most of the above ingredients can be found in local Asian grocery stores. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family and I do. Cheers!