Shanghai Fried Rice
(Philippine Shanghai-Style Fried Rice

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
1/4 cup finely minced shallots
4 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
3 Chinese sausages, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
1/2 cup finely sliced pork loin
1/2 cup chopped fresh shrimps, shelled
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
5 cups cold cooked rice (refrigerated leftover rice), mashed lightly with 1 cup of cold water
1/4 cup scallions

In a 10-inch frying pan, fry garlic and shallots in oil. Add sausages, pork, and shrimps. Season with soy sauce and parsley. Add rice. Continue frying and turning for 5 to 10 minutes, to blend all ingredients.When done, garnish with scallions.

Serves 8.

Adobong Hipon sa Gata
(Shrimp Adobo in Coconut Milk)

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
patis (fish sauce) or salt to taste
1 pound large fresh shrimps, unshelled
2 twelve-ounce cans coconut milk

In a medium-size stockpot, prepare the marinade (vinegar, water, pepper, garlic and patis or salt). Add shrimps and let stand for 1 hour. Cook in the same pot with the lid off, turning the shrimps often, until the pot is almost dry. Stir in the coconut milk and allow the sauce to thicken. This takes about 20 minutes.

Serves 2.

(For recipes for adobong baboy (pork adobo), pancit guisado (Sauteed vegetables with noodles) and other Filipino recipes see the The Philippine Cookbook by Reynaldo Alejandro.)