Here is a recipe that is totally different from your everyday dish. It will surprise family and guests. Serve it in a nice platter garnished with thin slices of lemon to make it more appetizing.

Ingredients:

1 large frozen boneless milkfish (defrosted under cold water)
corn oil for basting
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
black sesame
sprigs of rosemary
3 small Chinese eggplants
squeeze of 1/2 lemon
half lemon, thinly sliced for garnishing

Methods:

1. The milkfish should be pat dried with paper towel. Baste the fish slightly with corn oil and sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then sprinkle liberally black sesame seeds over the flesh side. 2. Preheat skillet until it is hot but not hazing. (Heating the oil at the right temperature is vital because too low a heat will make the fish saggy, and too high a heat will cook it too quickly.) Place the fish (skin side up) in hot oil. Fry for 3-5 minutes until light golden, then turn over. While frying, lay the sprigs of rosemary over the fish. Fry the other side for 3-5 minutes. (Do not overcook.) Remove and transfer to a platter. 3. Wipe dry the same skillet. Cook the eggplant with just a small amount of corn oil. Stir fry and toss quickly. Season with salt and pepper, and squeeze over with juice of half lemon. When cooked, cut crosswise about half inch and pour evenly over the fish.

Chef’s tips:

1. Milkfish is always available in any Filipino store. It comes vacuumed packed in plastic. Defrost the fish while still in the plastic to keep the fish flesh intact.
2. In steaming the eggplants, check for doneness. They should not be overcooked and saggy. Rather they should be cooked just about right and firm. Household Hints: 1. Most of us cook rice in rice cookers. It is very important that when you do, the cooker should not be put directly under the kitchen cabinets. The steam will eventually warp the wood and ruin your cabinets. It will also leave black mildew on the wood surface.
3. In cleaning your TVs, stereos and VCRs, you probably found uninvited insects in and/or around them. To keep this from happening, keep food and drinks away from them to avoid attracting such pests. Also I have read that Endust spray is an anti-static product that helps minimize the dust that are attracted to electronic gadgets.

Editor’s note: Mrs. Evelyn S. Bunoan is Owner/Master Chef, Philippine Oriental Market & Deli (with more than 29 years of service to the Filipino-American community) - 3610 Lee Highway, Arlington, Virginia; (703)528-0300; Master Chef (French cuisine), Le Cordon Bleu, London, UK; recipe creator, improviser, food stylist, cake designer, and culinary writer; kitchen-tested and mastered more than 300 recipes, and counting. Host of the cooking show – “Evelyn’s Kitchen – Cooking with Friends”.