seven thousand one hundred islands continuation… So it took me almost a year to write the next instalment to my Filipino Food adventure. But here it is. Taal Batangas, a town booming with its local arts and craft which gave it its name as the Balisong and Barong Tagalog Capital of the Philippines. Both of which takes a lot of…
Inihaw na Liempo — Smoke, the Familiar Flavour, and the Memories
Seven Thousand One Hundred Islands… continuation In the kare-kare post, I promised you a part 2. This is it. Inihaw na liempo holds a different place in my heart. It is more than a smoky grilled treat. It carries layers of memory, each tied to a different chapter of my life. The family Sunday lunches,…
Kare-Kare — Aling Sosing’s Carinderia
Seven Thousand One Hundred Islands… continuation Part of any trip home is chasing down the places that made you. And on my last trip back, in 2018, just before the pandemic shut the whole world down, one place sat right at the top of my list. A little street-side carinderia in Makati called Sosing’s. Sosing’s…
Kinilaw — Pulutan for the Never Say Die Crowd
Mga Kwento sa Kusina… Stories from the Kitchen. Back in the 80s and 90s, basketball was big in the Philippines. Both local and international. It was more than a game. It was the thing that stopped everything. Ginebra was one of the biggest franchises in the PBA. And when they played, the streets went quiet….
Longganisa
Mga Kwento sa Kusina… Stories from the Kitchen. It is one of those days where you are craving something but will not settle for just what is available. That was me today. I wanted longganisa. But not the generic kind. I wanted a specific flavour. So I decided to make it myself. Traditionally longganisa is…
Paksiw na Dulong
Mga Kwento sa Kusina… Stories from the Kitchen. I was at Springvale Market again yesterday and saw some silverfish (Dulong as they call it in the Philippines). And just like that the memories came flooding back. There are 2 ways to cook this seasonal catch back home. Torta (local name for omelet) or Paksiw. I…
Namit Gid!!! A day in Iloilo
Seven Thousand One Hundred Islands… continuation How do you spend 24 hours in a place filled with great culinary spots? Eating. The moment you board the plane bound for Iloilo, two things hit your mind. Chicken Inasal. And the real Batchoy. Those were top of my list. And we had 24 hours to find them…
Puto — The Little Steamed Cake That Goes With Everything
Mga Kwento sa Kusina… Stories from the Kitchen. If you have ever been in the Philippines early in the morning, you know the sound. The tapping. The call. Manang going around the neighbourhood with her tray of puto, still warm from the steamer. Soft, pillowy, slightly sweet, with a little square of cheese on top….
Dinuguan — Bloody Good!!!
Mga Kwento sa Kusina… Stories from the Kitchen. Some dishes need no introduction. They just need a bowl, hot rice, and the right company. Dinuguan is one of them. A dish said to have come from the Mexicans or the Spanish during the galleon trade era in the Philippines. Centuries of history in a pot….
Bida ang Sarap! The craving that ended up in the kitchen.
Seven Thousand One Hundred Islands… continuation. There are a few places I would not miss whenever I am in the Philippines. And one of them is Jollibee. The ultimate comfort feeling of biting into a burger with pineapple, that makes you feel like a kid again. The cold glass of tinned pineapple juice that is…
Tapsilog — Tapa Will Take You Around the Philippines
Mga Kwento sa Kusina… Stories from the Kitchen. Tapa in itself will make you go around the Philippines. In Batangas they have tapang taal, made from pork. Then you have tapang kabayo — mostly in places in Luzon like Malabon — where horse meat is used instead of beef. Durning my stay in Davao City…
Cooking with Migs 