March 30th, 2009 § § permalink
This side dish is certified to boost your appetite. It is making me crave for it now as I write this entry. One of my favorites, this salad goes very well with your dull and boring fried dishes (especially fish and pork). It is also perfect with fried or broiled eggplant.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 green mango, peeled and diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large tomato, diced
- bagoong (shrimp paste)
PROCEDURE:
1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. The amount of bagoong depends on your preferred taste. Serves 2-3 people.
March 10th, 2009 § § permalink
When I was working in the provinces, I was surprised because not a lot of people in the Visayas and Mindanao eat tahong or mussels. Some of them think that tahong is dirty because they thrive in murky, muddy waters. I don’t know with some, although there are also fishing villages where they cultivate tahongs for commercial comsumptions.
Another reason is probably because of the abundance of other seafoods in the provinces that’s why the humble tahong is not getting its due respect. Why would I eat tahong if there is talaba (Oyster)? But talaba in Manila is very expensive especially if you order it out from a classy restaurant. Very unreasonable. I remember ordering talaba in Iloilo — a small basin full of oysters only cost 35 pesos. Super cheap, di ba? But that’s another story.
Anyway, here’s a popular tahong dish my family always prepares. Some call it Tinolang Tahong or Sabaw ng Tahong. There’s a term my Lola used to call this dish before, but I coudn’t remember it. There were two version — one is ginisa (sauted in garlic and onion) and the other one is nilaga (stew). What I have below is ginisa because it’s more flavorful. I’ll just call this dish Sinabawang Tahong for the mean time until I remember the name. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tspn cooking oil
- 1 tspn butter (optional)
- 1 tspn garlic, minced
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and julienned (cut into strips)
- 1 kilo mussels (tahong), shells cleansed
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tspn fish sauce (patis)
- salt (optional) and pepper to taste
PROCEDURE:
1. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, saute garlic, onion and ginger in oil and butter. When the onion becomes transluscent, add the tahong. Stir occasionally for about two minutes.
2. Add water, patis and pepper. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Simmer until the tahong shells have all opened (Do not overcook the tahong! The meat will shrink if cooked for too long.).
3. You may add more water if the soup has dried up. Taste the soup base, then add salt only if needed.
4. Serve with steamed rice. Eat with your hands! Preferred condiment is a mixture of white vinegar and patis.
March 10th, 2009 § § permalink
I’ve been out for about four months and I’ve never thought that people would still care to read this food blog. It was an overwhelming emotion that some of you actually tried out the recipes here and really liked it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I was on a job hunt after I resigned from the previous company I worked for in the province. To say it mildy, it was challenging. And now — after three legal holidays, my birthday, 15 job applications, three job offers, a college entrance exam, an on-going world recession, and an unpaid credit card bill — I am officially back.
What to expect next? I really don’t know. I honestly haven’t thought of any recipes yet as I write this entry. But probably expect a little more diversity and zest (I like this word). Again, just a reminder, I am not a chef, nor an expert in culinary arts. I don’t do fancy cutting, nor elaborate garnish. I don’t use hard-to-find (not to mention, expensive) ingredients. I make everything as traditional as possible.
So enjoy. Have a great summer. Don’t do drugs. Smile.
PS. My diet only worked for one month. And then, uhm, the holiday came along. ‘Nuf said.
