I love Globe’s SuperSurf!

In case you’re wondering why I mentioned Globe Telecom’s SuperSurf promo, I’m posting this article using my laptop while it’s connected to my Samsung Galazy SII on tether…and it’s fast! I simply subscribe to Globe SuperSurf Plan 999 and I can now stay online all day, anywhere I am, anywhere I go for 30 glorious days. Do you want to know how? Just dial *143# on your phone, press 5 for Surf promos, and choose the promo that you want. It’s as easy as that!

Now, that’s beyond amazing!

-oO0-

On today’s recipe, we have Minatamis na Saging or Kusilbang Saging. If the word kusilba is alien to you, it’s the Tagalog word for preserves, as in fruit preserves, such as jams and marmalades.

Minatamis na Saging is mouth-watering and very easy to prepare. This is your basic recipe for Saging con Yelo and also one of the ingredients of our favorite Halo-halo. Personally, I like Minatamis na Saging served as it is.

So, to make this sweet, simple, and short, check out the recipe below for Minatamis na Saging.

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The scorching summer heat in the Philippines is something that you either love or hate. You love it because a fine weather complements our picture-perfect beaches. You hate it because you don’t like the feeling of heat as you drip with sweat while commuting or walking along the streets of Metro Manila. The oppressively hot and humid weather in the past weeks has been getting worse — no thanks to climate change – and there are no signs of it alleviating anytime soon.

But, hey! We’re Pinoys! We can always find solutions in every problem. We are very adaptable to changes. Ika nga, if you can’t beat them, join them! And the summer heat, despite the temperature rising every year, is no exemption.

So, in order to cool us down, we have concocted different ice-cold sweets that are perfect in our tropical climate. One of which is the Ice Candy. Doesn’t it instantly remind you of your childhood? Don’t we all remember knocking on Aling Nena’s gate every afternoon to buy a stick of this amazing cold and refreshing treat? I’m sure you do!

Ice Candy comes in a variety of flavors, and I know everyone has his or her own personal choice. There’s red mung beans, mango, pinipig, chocolate,  and my favorite — avocado. In fact, even your preferred juice flavors can be turned into Ice Candy.

On this blog post, I am sharing my mother’s Avocado Ice Candy recipe which she made yesterday. Everyone in the family loves this flavor, and I’m pretty sure many of you would love it too. If you don’t like avocado, you can replace it with mango or any fruit that you like. Just make sure that your fruit of choice is in season. If you want to use red mung beans, click here to learn how to make the paste. Ice Candy is very easy and fun to make; you can actually involve the kids in making them. Not to mention, it’s easy on the budget.

Ready? Click below to grab the recipe:

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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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Our old folks undeniably love our local kakanin. My mother and father, even my lola and tita when they were still alive, are huge fans of these sweet rice cakes. They come in varieties of flavor, color, shape, and texture.

In Malabon, the town where I grew up, kakanin can be found everywhere. Go to one of our public markets and you will see a special section that sells different kinds of kakanin with names you probably have never heard of. In fact, the city is known for its delectable sapin-sapin, kutsinta, and biko elaborately served in a colorful array on a round bilao.

On this blog post, I will share to you my mother’s recipe for Palitaw. We call it dila-dila in Malabon because of its distinct shape (dila means tongue). The name palitaw was derived from how it is being prepared. Palitaw or litaw means “to appear,” or in this case, “to float,” because it starts to float in water once it’s cooked.

If you want to learn how to prepare palitaw, refer to the recipe below:

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