I am a serial roadside shopper. I admit this. And Mrs. MM and The Teen will confirm this. Roadtrips to new places with lots of roadside stalls is a recipe for carsickness for other occupants of the vehicle as we come to sudden stops fairly often. But if I thought I was bad, our traveling companions, Margarita Fores et al, probably stopped even MORE OFTEN than I would. :) Hence, the massive volume of food that we would peruse and often acquire on each day of the Bacolod trip. Just inside the town of Valladolid, on the day of the fiesta, we stopped at this roadside stand that offered a number of native deicacies, and the first thing that caught my eye was this wonderfully supple bucaio or bukayo. Grated coconut in fragrant brown sugar, it is like eating a fresh coconut macaroon with a heavier caramelized syrup. I was big on bukayo as a kid, but the dried harder versions from up North. This version was absolutely delicious!
They also had various shellfish meats in brine, in recycled water bottles…
…vinegars and sinamak also in a hygienically nighmarish melange of “omigod how did they sterilize those” bottles…
…and bihod in brine in a bottle that also had a frighteningly dirty looking cap!
I ended up with some bucaio while others in our party got some of this incredibly thick mango jam. The haleya/jam is cooked for ages with brown sugar and it is typically used inside pastries or slathered on bread… Also nearby were vendors of fantastic looking guimaras mangoes, pottery, etc. You can just imagine how many bags of goodies we had in the car by the end of the day… :)
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Everything here looks delicious and reminds me of my childhood days back in Iloilo. The bukayo is an all time favorite of mine.
Hi MM :) My dad is from Valladolid and i have fond memories of the fiestas there as their ancestral house is by the roadside so I enjoyed tasting stuff from a lot of these vendors…the bukayo was one of my favorites.
Just to think you were there for less than a day. Every wonder why those carousels from flights from Bacolod are lined up with boxes of food.
Gosh, I’m going to Bacolod on Tuesday. I will definitely look for everything you’ve mentioned. Marketmanila will be my travel guide for Bacolod :-)
Guimaras mangoes! Was just thinking about them as i made mango cheesecake and my kapampangan mangoes were a bit tart.
Betty q., I made your chocolate cake and it was moist and yummy! I didn’t even brush the syrup with coffee booze as I was lazy, but i did make the frosting. Also happened to have chocolate milk in the ref. I followed your instructions to the letter and it was a huge hit! I’m seriously thinking of replacing my standby chocolate cake recipe. =D
Zena: I’m glad you liked the chocolate cake! Hey, you can maybe supply your neighbourhoood “KAPEHAN”…
If your Kapampangan mangoes are a bit tart, how about making them instead into a compote and serving it with your cheesecake. I have been trying for years to make a cheesecake that is close to the quintessential cheesecake here…the one they have over at Cheesecake, etc. It is THE SMOOTHEST, UNFORGETTABLE CHEESECAKE in my book! That place is still busy as ever for the last 25+ years. Finally, I came across Craig Claiborne’s cheesecake recipe. Last time I made it, the boys couldn’t get enough of it. I have tweaked it a bit, added citrus zest, increased the vanilla (didn’t have rum at home!). Then made a BERRY COMPOTE and the boys poured it over their cheesecake. This type of cheesecake is not the dense kind. it is creamy, not cloyingly rich and not sweet. It doesn’t sit in your stomach! This cheesecake can compare to the ones at Chessecake, etc. I will post the tweaked recipe as soon as I find that piece of paper!
Sister, have you tried Craig Claiborne’s cheesecake recipe? If you like the creamy, velvety smooth kind, then it is a must try!!!
oh my gosh! the bihod in brine looks like a preserved fetus or even the small intestine of human in formaldehyde. hahaha. looks creepy to me..
Hi Betty Q: Have you posted your award winning chocolate cake recipe already? Have been searching in the archives but can’t seem to find it. Just wanted to know if I really missed out on it. Thanks.
Oh and also, Marketman, I’m doing your ensaimada again for my family and friends. Thought of giving some to my friends so they can also enjoy a “real” ensaimada. So far, I have done your leche flan, caldereta, and steamed fish and they all taste excellent! My husband says you’re my idol. I guess he’s jealous. Just kidding. :)
sanojmd: …hahaha …you sure painted a picture of that bihod to a T like a song that will be stuck in my head now!!!!!
The bukayo looks so good….and the sinamak looks good too…but how they sterilize the bottle is usually the BIG question…can imagine your haul….
I forgot, I also tried your paella and I have to admit it was a lot better than the one I always make and it all boils down to the sofrito. Thanks for the recipe. Sorry I’m off topic :)
i love the soft kiind of bukayo – made with buko like the one on top, and not niyog. maybe now i should call them the “bacolod”-type and the “ilocos”-type, respectively.
when my youngest son was 8, he came home from paying in a classmate’s house and reported that they had “some kind of sweet pasta” for merienda. it was only after close interrogation, and after he said it tasted “a bit like coconut” that we figured he meant this kind of bukayo. when the firm buco is scraped with the native macapuno/meon grater, it comes out in spaghetti-like shreds; hence, “some kind of sweet pasta”.
Millet, I have a mentally handicapped sister who learned to cook this and this alone and actually mastered this type of buco bucayo which she also learned to form into balls and oven-dry in tiny paper cups. She placed them in plastic candy jars for me to take back to Toronto from my annual home visits.
would someone have a recipe for bucayo to share please? or is it simply cooking shredded coconut in caramelised sugar? thanks.
the oven-dried ones that Apicio mentioned sounds yummy.
what’s “bihod”?
Kiko, bihod is the eggsack inside the tummy of a fish. So I guess you can call it fish roe. They are sometimes salted and used as spread on crackers, bread etc. Or cooked in the same soupy dish as the fish. Can be prepared in various ways.
Betty q.: awaiting your cheesecake recipe… i also have a standby that I like but I still await. =)
Maraming salamat zena!
Wow! ka namit sang bukayo, labi na ipares sa ibos…cant find ibos in Cebu sa Negros ra jud.
My apologies, Zena…went out of town. It’s spring break here. Marisse….go try this cheesecake too…it is really good and hindi nakakasawa! You will need a cheesecake pan with NO removable bottom…
Yield: 1 – 8 or 9 inch pan…3 inches high
2 pounds, cream cheese, room temp.
1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
4 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp.vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
2 to 3 tbsp. frsh lemon jiuce
1 cup whipping cream
Butter bottom and sides of pan. line bottom with parchment paper or wx paper. then butter again. Oven temp. 200 degrees.
Cream the cream cheese until no more lumps and smooth, scrapin gsides and bottom. Add vanilla. Blend. Add sugar and lemon zest and juice.blend until smooth. Add eggs one at a time scraping sides and bottom. Lastly, addd the whipping cream. Pour into the mould or pan. On the bottom rack of the oven, place a deep baking pan with hot water in it. Then put the cheesecake filled pan in the middle rack. Bake until set. he center will jiggle slightly and the top is stark white. I bake this cheesecake the night before. Since it takes the same amount of time to bake 1 or 3 cheesecakes, I bake 4 at a time para hindi sayang ang kuryente! This takes quite a bit of time to bake it.
This cheesecake is smooth, will not crack. Let it cool before unmoulding. Sprinkle some graham cracker crumbs. Then flip over, and gently remove the paper liner. Smoothen the top with a palette knife.
You have to have berry compote with this cheesecake!!!
Zena…the pan…no removable bottom if you follow Mr. Claiborne’s …and bake the cheesecake bain marie. But I bake mine with just pan of hot water on the botttom rack and cheesecake in middle rack…in so doing, you can use a springform cheesecake pan. Did i confuse you?
Thank you so much for this cheese cake recipe Betty Q. It gives someone like me hope and something to do when I lose my job come May of this year, because of outsourcing off shore. I could put my time in more productive way than feeling negative about the situation. I am still asking for your indulgence to share your award winning chocolate cake which I intend to bake for our farewell party. My e-mail is albeniaj1@aim.com. I don’t know how to express my gratitude Marketman because inspite of some criticism sometimes you still forged on and just thought of us here who needs your blog to learn and contribute . More power to you….
i tasted a bukayo made with macapuno. its yummier since its more maligat.
hi bettyq! i hope you had a great time during your spring break/vacation. just last sunday i sold cheesecake in a bazaar. the recipe instructed to bake bain-marie but i didnt have enough pans so just baked it at lower heat. but i think the steam from the water contributes to a softer and creamier texture. my cheesecake turned out okay, not extraordinarilygreat nor so-so. i used smitten kitchen’s dulce de leche cheesecake recipe.
i am going to try your recipe, bettyq. this appears to be crustless… its something new to me. btw, i hope i will soon have a taste of your chocolate cake via the recipe you will share. thanks again :)
Chris, you just have to try that cheesecakerecipe I posted. Cheesecake, etc. is a legendary institution here when it comes to cheesecake. Ask any Vancouverite! Years ago during the dinousaur time (that’s what i call during the days of long ago!), i came across an article indicating that the Cheesecake, etc.’s cake is baked really, really , really slow. i can only assume that the baker bakes it at night and left to bake overnight. Their cheesecake is crustless and absolutely stark white on top, no cracks and no embellishments on top.
You will swoon with every bite that you will agree that it doesn’t need any crust at all!
Yes, the steam from bain marie makes it really creamy but putting a pan of hot water in the botttom rack is good enough for me. Besides I usually bake 8 inch pans of cheesecake at a time for siblings and kapitbahays when i get the itch to bake cheesecakes…I don’t have a pan big enough to bake 8 pans bain marie.
BettyQ: thanks for the cheesecake recipe and the accompanying pointers and tips for coming up with a creamy and immaculately speckless cheesecake. Yes, you unravel here the secret of cheesecake baking – low temperature baking!
Roadside foodstalls and produce are always an eyecatcher to me and I am always rewarded with 100% satisfaction with their offerings where you cannot get them anwywhere else.
Hey, betty q., lotsa thanks! No confusion there. =) I also make crustless cheesecake depending on the adudience, but I make it like a leche flan with caramel at the bottom then flip over when cold. The bitter caramel cuts into the richness. I like your “inverted” crust version as it cuts down on some work. =)
I used to work in this dessert restaurant, Zena where we made crustless cheesecakes- Montreal style which I am not a huge fan of…it is dense like the Lindy’s cheesecakes and to me, it just feels like it sits in your stomach! Besides, it would be a pain in the ….to make 100 crusts and prebake them per day! But for home use, feeel free to make a crust, some people find the crust the best pan of the cake! Also, the crust works only if you have a springform pan or cheesecake pan with removable bottom….so it is easier to remove or transfer the cheesecake to serving platter.