a continuation…

March 31, Day 4 of COVID Quarantine Lock Down…

Movie: Peaky Blinders (Netflix Series 5 Seasons) – A family movie that is not suitable for young children of the family. It is about a gangster family in Birmingham, England just after the first world war and during the time of the 1919 pandemic. It shows how Thomas Shelby the family leader carried out his ambition to be on top of everything. Building an empire from scratch armed only with his bladed newsboy cap and a dream.

What dreams do we have, that we want to achieve when all this shit settles down and life as we know it goes back to normal. What lessons have we learned from all of this madness so far?

I guess it’s safe to say that we have learned that no amount of power, influence, or money can save your life or that of your loved ones when the time is up. It’s not the guys on top of the ladder that ends up being our heroes, it’s the everyday joe that we most often take for granted. We have also established the fact that our family, no matter how imperfect it may be, is indeed the most important thing in our lives. Other things may change us, but we start and end with our family.

And when we talk about the comfort of being home with the family, it always relates to food we share with them. Maybe because of the true fact that “Food taste better when you eat it with the ones you LOVE”.

The dish I have in mind today is another comfort food blockbuster. It’s a dish I grew up eating at home, or out with the family, during parties or during gatherings of any sort. My mom made it, my grandma made it, my untie made it, each with their own twist but still each as good as the other. To a number of food critic wannabes it’s a bastardised representation of a classic, but to me it will always feel like HOME.

The Filipino Spaghetti

1 kg Spaghetti Pasta (cooked according to package directions)

500 gms Regular Beef Mince

200 gms Pork Mince

5 pcs Hotdogs (sliced diagonally)

1/4 cup (60mls) Oil (i used olive oil)

1 pc Large Oinion (chopped)

5 cloves Garlic (chopped)

2 pcs Tomatoes (quartered)

1 pc Red Capsicum (diced)

2 cups (480mls) Crushed Tomato

1 cup (240mls) Tomato Ketchup

1 cup (240mls) Beef Stock

2 tsp (10gms) White Sugar

3 TBSP (45gms) Salt

2 TBSP (25gms) Cracked Black Pepper

1 TBSP (10gms) Sweet Paprika

STEP 1 – Cooke the pasta make sure it’s done al dente, then set aside. While the pasta is cooking heat up your medium size pot and then add the oil. Once oil is nice and hot add your tomato, onions and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly brown.

STEP 2 – Add both the mince to your pot and saute till brown then add paprika, sugar, salt and pepper.

STEP 3 – Continue to saute for another 4 minutes then add stock and sauces. Bring to boil while continuously stirring, then simmer for 20 minutes. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Add the hot dogs and simmer for another 5 minutes.

STEP 4 – Heat up and arrange pasta in a serving plate/bowl and pour hot meat sauce over it. Top it generously with grated cheddar cheese and serve.

* I serve mine with toasted sliced white bread with garlic butter, you can do what ever you feel like.

Happy Cooking and always remember to cook with your heart…