So, I’ve been staying at home for the past six days, nursing a flu (and a cold and a cough). My body finally gave up on me. I haven’t been sick for years now and I thought it can still take all the stress. I’m blaming everything on the weather; 34 degrees C (about 93.2 degrees F) of glorious summer heat practically envelopes the entire Metro Manila. And it’s still getting hotter!

There’s no comfort in being sick especially during the hot season. The rainy season is more merciful; you can easily find pleasure with a bowl of warm soup or a serving of porridge or a cup of hot something. In this weather, they might be a bit hard to appreciate. But, I still wanted my bowl of soup, so, I came down to a decision and gathered all my strength to get up and prepare my favorite comfort food – Ginisang Munggo.

I love Ginisang Munggo. I used to not like it when I was a child for reasons that I don’t remember, then started liking it when I was growing up. Ginisang Munggo is pure pleasure in a bowl. Although technically it’s a soup, most Pinoys would eat it with rice. It’s the perfect partner for your fried dishes, especially fish. Ginisang Munggo is usually served every Friday (if you know why, let me know by leaving a comment below!), but I’d eat it any day of the week anyway!

There are many ways to prepare Ginisang Munggo. If you can buy chicharon with laman (pork cracklings), you can use that instead of rendering raw meat. You can also make it vegan or vegetarian friendly by removing the pork and/or shrimp altogether and use tofu instead. For the leafy ingredient, I personally prefer malunggay (moringa or horseradish tree) because it’s packed with nutrients. The thickness of the soup depends on your desired consistency; just add more water and adjust the seasoning.

Note: If you have a high level of uric acid, this dish may not be for you. I’m looking at you, Larry.

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Bistek Tagalog is one of my all-time favorite Filipino dishes. Bistek is a local version of the very western beef steak, hence the name. What makes it distinct from the western version  is its mild, citrus-y flavor, which is produced by combining the essence of calamansi and the tang of soy sauce. Also, our Bistek is usually thin in slices, compared to the thick chunk of meat and large serving of beef steak.

Beef is the typical meat ingredient, that ‘s why it’s called Bistek. However, you can also use slices of pork, such as pork chops and liempo. I choose pork over beef anytime because I like the taste better, and I try to avoid red meat as much as possible. My favorite cut is liempo, because it’s easier to cook and the meat is more tender and tastier.

When you prepare Bistek, make sure not to overcook the onions to keep them crunchy. The potatoes are optional, but please, include them to your list of ingredients. Who doesn’t like potatoes, anyway? If beef steaks are great with mashed potato, consider this as our alternative.

Continue reading below to get the recipe:

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For our first recipe this year, I decided to share one of my favorite dishes — Adobo Flakes — which is another variation of the popular adobo. This recipe and our version of Adobong Tuyo has a few similarities in flavor. Both dishes exude the distinct aroma and savory of garlic. The big difference is in the texture because Adobo Flakes is shredded.

Another interesting reason why I love this recipe is that you can turn most leftover pork and chicken meat into Adobo Flakes. Your leftover Chicken Tinola or Pork Sinigang can be instantly transformed into this adobo version without the conflicting taste in your mouth. Garlic and vinegar are strong enough to overpower other flavors. Why throw and waste your food if you have ways to save time and money with leftover recipes like this? All you need is a little bit of kitchen prowess and, well,  this recipe.

Adobo Flakes can be served as toppings on rice (or fried rice) or as filling in bread. Add fried egg or salted egg and fresh sliced tomatoes on the side. Prepare it using your weekend leftover food and bring it to your school or office for lunch on Monday. You may now stop wondering how those yummy Adobo Flakes in fancy restaurants are being made. Read on to learn how.

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Let’s take a short break from the food events that have flooded my blog for the past weeks. It’s been a while since I posted a recipe here. But don’t worry, I will find time to post more of the events that I attended soon (I’m crossing my fingers). Writing a food blog is never easy, especially if it’s a recipe blog. It’s not like our family eats gourmet food everyday, you know. Plus the fact that I have to write the recipes and edit the pictures. I always want to make every post special so that you, the readers, would find it enjoyable every time you go to this site. But, yes, it does take time.

Anyway, for today’s recipe, let me give you one of my favorite Chinese dishes that I learned from my Tita — Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables.

Turn your ordinary day into something really special with Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables. Don’t feel intimidated by the list of ingredients on the recipe. This is, in fact, a quick and easy meal, which is what many Chinese dishes are known for. Your senses will be delighted with the combination of the sweetness of fresh vegetables and soothing aroma of ginger roots and soy sauce — very typical of many Asian dishes.

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Warning: the story of the origin of this dish is a tad nasty, but it has to be told. In case you cannot stomach such morbidity, please skip the proceeding paragraphs and go straight to the recipe below.

Okay, you’re still reading this, so I presume you have a huge appetite for adventure or probably you just don’t really care. Either way, I congratulate you for having great tolerance and unwavering courage in discovering the truth behind the everyday food that we greedily devour. Give yourself…er…a pat on the back!

Seriously, Chicken Talunan, as the name suggests, are “supposedly” fighting cocks who have lost their battles during cockfights. Talunan is a Filipino word that literally translates to defeated or in a more demeaning term — loser. In short, the chicken meat used in preparing this dish traditionally comes from cocks who are defeated or who died because of the fight. I don’t really know how cockfights are being played, (and, personally, I’m not a supporter of the game), but I presume the losing cock would go to the winner. That is when the dish Chicken Talunan was born.

That wasn’t much of an icky introduction, was it? Actually, if I’m not mistaken, the same term is also used for defeated horses. But that’s another story altogether.

Anyway, the meat in our Chicken Talunan recipe did not come from the battle ring, thank God. We bought them straight from the supermarket. The way it is prepared is so easy probably because it is meant to be a quick meal to be served immediately during victory celebration after winning the cockfight. In other words, as a pulutan.

The way Chicken Talunan is prepared is like a combination of Adobo and Paksiw, except that it has ginger and the meat is not fried in oil. Right, some Paksiw recipes have ginger, but your argument is still irrelevant. Fast and easy, it is almost a one-step recipe because the ingredients are dumped in all at once.

Try it out yourself at home without learning how to cockfight. I just hope you haven’t lost your appetite yet. Here’s the recipe for Chicken Talunan:

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