Marilu's Mung Bean Noodles

My favorite Marilu dish, adobo aside. A fun way to eat noodles if you prefer to avoid wheat. Serve with lemon wedges and your choice of chili sauce (I've been using a Japanese red chili & yuzu paste).

mung bean noodle

minced pork and chicken

haricots verts cut into mini julienne

minced carrot

organic chicken broth

juice of half fresh lemon

4 tblsp EVOO

fresh minced garlic

fresh minced shallots

fresh ground black pepper

thai fish sauce

3 tblsp soy sauce

1. saute garlic and shallot in a pan with the EVOO
2. when golden brown, add minced pork and chicken
3. when cooked, add 1/4 cup chicken broth
4. add minced carrots and haricots verts
5. cook for about 15 minutes more, then set aside
6. meanwhile, soak the mung bean noodles in a pot of hot water for ten minutes
7. in a pan, with 2 tblsp of EVOO, add half cup of chicken broth, the soy sauce, lemon and pepper
8. let simmer then add the softened mung bean noodles, keep tossing until cooked
9. add the sauteed pork, chicken and vegetables to the noodles

Filipino Cucumber Salad

Perfect with adobo, or anything else really.

1/8 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup cold water

1 tblsp of sugar

1/8 tsp of sea salt

dash of white pepper

1. peel and de-seed cucumbers, slice thinly into moon shapes
2. mix above ingredients and poor into bowl with cucumber

Marilu's Pork Adobo

A lovely pork adobo Marilu-style. Unlike many adobos, this one has a very intense and concentrated sauce. Serve with steamed rice and cucumber and rice vinegar dressing.

450 gr pork belly (or pork ribs)

3/4 rice wine vinegar

1/4 soy sauce

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

half head garlic (broken)

1. cut pork in 1.5 inch squares
2. put pork and rest of ingredients in pot
3. let boil, then lower heat and cook for an hour, checking every 15 minutes (stir if necessary to prevent sticking at bottom of pan)
4. cook until gravy is caramelized

Pimm's Porteno-Style

A great version of Pimm's from Sydney's Porteno...

Pimms

Cointreau

fresh lemon juice

cucumber juice

ginger ale

1. in a glass of ice, pour 1 part cointreau, 3 parts Pimms
2. add lemon and cucumber juice to taste
3. top up with ginger ale

Batanga

A seemingly great drink that I saw on the menu at Sydney's Porteno.

Calle 23 blanco tequila

juice of half lime

cola

salt

1. line part of the glass rim with salt
2. in the glass, squeeze the half lime, add a shot of tequila
3. fill up with ice, top up with coke

Antipodean Pinots

I will use this entry to list the pinots I discover in these parts, to be updated regularly. So far I like the Tasmanian's best...

• Bress Silver Chook Pinot Noire, Yarra Valley, Macedon (Victoria)

Ricotta, Cherry Jam & Pine Nuts

Another wonderful breakfast idea I must have picked up in Ayvalik, one of Turkey's true culinary capitals.

1. cut ricotta into pretty slices
2. plate, with a spoonful of best quality sour cherry preserves
3. sprinkle a few pine nuts all around