Cooking 101 with Katti Santa Ana . . .

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of accompanying my friend Katti to an Asian supermarket in d-town Baltimore City.

I have been to several Asian supermarkets, but none quite like this one. It was very small and super-friendly. Goods were piled floor to ceiling! Prices were half what I pay at the larger American grocery stores. It was absolutely amazing! I bought dumplings, vegetable buns, ginger candy, and sesame crackers. Katti bought several items, including a large pumpkin and a whole fish (eyes still attached).

When we got back to her house, she made the most wonderfully delicious meal! It's called, ginataang kalabasa at sitaw ,or pumpkin and vegetable curry in coconut milk over rice. (Best when eaten while listening to Filipino music!)

The ingredients included, in cooking order:
mantika (oil)
bawang (garlic)
sibuyas (onion)
kamatis (tomato)
kakang gata (coconut milk)
kalabasa (pumpkin)
sitaw (string beans)
curry
sili (chili)
Mrs. Dash

Kalabasa and sitaw get soaked and cleaned, while Katti cuts up sibuyas.

I helped cut up the pumpkin. I chopped it up like one would chop up a cantelope: large 1 inch cubes, off comes the rind and out come the seeds. The kitchen smells of Halloween and toasted pumpkin seeds!


The pumpkin gets tender while swimming in kakang gata with kamatis, bawang, and sibuyas.


A sprinkle of sili. It begins to bubble and thicken!


Katti adds the sitaw and stirs it up.


Jasmine rice completes the dish.

The pumpkin is so tender, it melts in your mouth!

Thank you, Katti, for introducing me to this fabulous Filipino cuisine!

I can't wait to come and visit you again, soon!