Ingredients:

5 tbsps vegetable or corn oil
4 tbsps minced garlic
1 2-inch piece ginger, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
10 cups water
1 1/4 kg chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 tsps fish sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
1. In a stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil and saute 2 tablespoons of the garlic, the ginger and the onion. The garlic is done when light brown and the onion translucent.
2. Add the rice and saute for 5 minutes then add water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. …read more

On a night when would-be ghouls and ghosts and goblins are a-wandering and the winds and dark skies cooperate to bring about a Halloween mood, nothing hits the spot like a bowl of piping hot soup. This evening I am going with a simple Filipino arroz caldo (recipe here, here, here, here and here), made with glutinous rice and one chicken, topped with nothing more than some fried garlic and chopped scallions… but as I do so I also excitedly fill my menu plan with several other Asian soups that will most certainly hit the spot as well, …read more