Bleeding Love for something Sweet, Spicy and Grilled!

One day in our International Cuisine class, we made this lovely dish..

A composed dish of 

Grilled Chicken with Plum Chili Sauce, Southwestern Potato Salad and Tomato Provençal.

Grilling is probably one of the simplest cooking method. So the critical part should be making the sauce that would best complement your grilled food.  Here's a look at the plum sauce as it is slowly cooked. The name doesn't sound complicated but my my my, the ingredients are quite a lot; and it doesn't sound nor look Asian, but palate embraced its flavors with much familiarity.

Here are the two main ingredients for the sauce:

Plum.

Here in Cebu,we rarely find fresh plum and I guess we got lucky because ate Iba, our purchaser, was able to buy some. So,yey! We always use dried plums as substitute, it being dried sometimes tastes too sweet and sometimes almost tasting like prunes. I'm just glad Rustan's had plum that time. 

I recall my weekends at Power Plant in Rockwell. My eyes wouldn't blink as I pass by and be amazed by the produce they sell. They'd have plums,cherries, blueberries, grapefruits, passion fruits, strawberries and blood orange all fresh and looking gorgeous. As I move from one stall to another, I die of envy and wishful-thinking -I wish Rustan's would have those fresh fruits too. I wish I can carry all those fruits from Manila to Cebu without it spoiling nor bruising. Oh well, gotta use and make good food out of local ingredients-as what my mentor always say. So this rant has got to stop now. On to the next!

Thai Chili.

This second main component of the sauce, is a great compliment to its overall sweetness and tartness. Some call this the Bird's Eye Chili and locally, this is called Siling Labuyo. As a chili-lover that I am, I added more to my pleasure.

Tomato Provençal 

This one is a French Classic and I always make this whenever I am uninspired in making a side dish. Why? Because I can make a good one anytime. 

The tomatoes right out of the oven.

 The scrumptious side dish plated.

Southwestern Potato Salad

One of the easiest potato salad that you can make, and this one I got from Bobby Flay. This is one of the few good recipes that he has on his book. I wouldn't recommend Bobby Flays books, if you ever plan on purchasing one. 

Grilled Chicken with Plum Chili Sauce

The star of the plate. Tanen! Oooh,look at that love dripping out of the chicken. Yummeh! I love this dish, probably one of the most unforgettable food I made in school because not only is it very simple to make but it is also very good. 

One thing I have learned in the culinary world is, it's not about the food being simple or complicated or molecular. What matters is the taste, if it is good or not. However, I also know that learning doesn't stop. So if you find a way to refine and apply some modern technique to that already good food, that would be better. 

Well, well.. This blog has got to end my night in a very inspired mood. I am in for some new lessons tomorrow. Good night!