INTRODUCTION

Renzo Maca

Philippines is rich in culture and traditions. Filipino Cuisine has a humble beginnings. The early Filipinos used simple ways of cooking like broiling on an open fire, boiling and roasting. But with the frequent visit of Asian neighbors like the Indonesians, Arabs, Indians, The Malays and the Chinese who used to come to the Philippine shores to barter their goods and produce, the Filipinos were introduce to their use of spices and herbs to enhance the flavor of the food they eat. Filipino Cuisine can be best described as a mixture of the eastern and western influences it provides an array of rich flavors, color and spices which made the Filipino cuisine unique, delicious and irresistible.

Our group decided to create this kind of blog to promote the district cuisine that the Filipino should be proud of. We can say that from a basic procedure of cooking, we filipino exceed to an highly and recognizable dishes. The Filipinos have a bold taste on food and combination ,from the mixture of sweet (tamis) , sour (asim), salty (alat), and spicy (anghang).Filipino cuisine relies on native foods such as coconut, mangos and fish. Our focus is to ensure that the filipino food will not be left out because of the influence of other country .

Sinigang na Baboy

By: Vaness Michael Rado

Sinigang na baboy with Gabi is a Filipino pork soup with taro cooked in a sour broth. Sinigang is my comfort food, and one of the first few dishes that I tried to make way back when I was starting to learn how to cook.

Sinigang na Baboy is the ultimate comfort food! Made with pork ribs, vegetables, and tamarind-flavored broth, it’s hearty and delicious on its own or served with steamed rice.

sinigang na baboy in a white bowl with a bowl of rice on the side — Courtesy:Kawaling Pinoy

Today has been a cold and wet day, with rain intermittent throughout. It was the type of weather that calls for a piping-hot pot sinigang na baboy, which was exactly what I made for lunch.

Chockful of crisp-tender vegetables and meaty ribs and thick with the sourness of tamarind, my steaming bowl of soup provided much-needed comfort against the harsh weather outside. It was delicious, filling, and the perfect way to warm up!

What is Sinigang

Sinigang is a classic Filipino soup characterized by its sour and savory medley of flavors. It’s popular comfort food in the Philippines, usually served on its own or paired with steamed rice on rainy days to ward off the cold.

Like Adobo, the term sinigang describes more a method of cooking than a particular dish as it comes with many variations. The soup can be made with various kinds of protein as such as pork,fish, shrimp, beef, and chicken as well as souring agents such tamarind, guava, green mango, calamansi, kamias, batuan, santol, and other native fruits.

Afritada

By: Marlon Isidro

Chicken Afritada or afritadang manok is a type of Filipino chicken stew with tomato based sauced. It is a simple dish that can be cooked on regular days. It is perfect for lunch and is better when eaten with warm white rice.

The basic version includes carrots and potato. This recipe is an improved version. I added green peas and hotdogs. It helped make the dish more appetizing visually. I recommend this recipe to everyone because the procedure is simple and straightforward.

I enjoy eating chicken afritada the same way with menudo. These are two dishes that I consider comfort food.

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. Chicken cut into serving pieces
2 piece potato cubed
1 piece carrot sliced
8 oz. tomato sauce
3 pieces hotdog sliced
½ cup green peas
3 pieces bay leaves
1 piece red onion chopped
2 teaspoons garlic minced
3 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

How to Cook Chicken Afritada

Start by sautéing garlic and onion. Do this by heating oil in a cooking pot. Add onion and garlic until the onion softens. It is ideal to use a pot with cover.

Add the sliced chicken afterwards. Bone-in chicken was used for this recipe. Boneless chicken breast or thighs can also be used. Cook each side of the chicken for around 30 seconds and then pour tomato sauce and water. We’ll need to tenderize the chicken at this point. This is when the pot cover gets handy. Add the bay leaves and then cover the pot and continue to cook until the chicken gets tender. This takes around 30 minutes. Remember to add more broth or water if needed.

At this point, we just need to add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook for 10 more minutes. I usually add the ingredients in this order: hot dogs, carrot, potato, green peas, seasoning. Fish sauce or patis can be used as an alternative ingredient to salt.

Lumpia-ntastic

By: Rona Robis

Lumpia or Lumpiang Shanghai is a type of Filipino egg roll. The basic filling is composed of ground pork along with minced onions, carrots, and seasonings such as salt and ground black pepper. This recipe post is all about how to make basic lumpia. Feel free to use this as a baseline.

Lumpia ingredients

This deep fried lumpia recipe still tastes great even if I kept the ingredients at a minimum. The main protein for this version is ground pork. I also added carrot for additional sweetness and parsley to make it taste fresh.

It is important to ensure that the flavor of the lumpia filling is flavorful. I don’t want to rely on the dipping sauce most of the time. Salt, sesame oil, garlic powder, and ground black pepper are simple ingredients that provide great results in terms of flavor.

How to Cook Lumpia

The procedure in cooking lumpia is simple. First is to combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, and them mix altogether until well blended. The next step is to wrap the lumpia mixture in egg roll wrapper. I showed how I did it in the video below. The final step is to deep-fry it until brown and crispy.

Let’s talk about the first step. You can simply add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. It can be done the manual way using your hands. An easier way is to use a stand mixer. Make sure to attach the dough hook when going this route.

This is a basic recipe. It will give you a good tasting lumpia. However, you can play around with it by adding more ingredients to bring it up to the next level. A good example is the addition of seasonings to bring-in more flavors. Another good suggestion is to add a bit of Italian sausage to the mixture. You can also try adding veggies such as celery.

Wrapping lumpia is easy. It is something that you can get used to after a few tries. The tricky part in this process is when using a wide wrapper. The video below shows my technique on how to wrap lumpia using wide egg roll wrappers. It is quick and easy. You should try it for yourself.

Pakbet na bet

By:Kaye Rollo

Pinakbet Tagalog is a Filipino vegetable dish. It is composed of a variety of vegetables and it also has a protein component. I made use of lechon kawali or crispy deep-fried pork belly for this recipe. And sometimes my mother add ” Baggoong” to put some saltiness.

Start by sautéing onion and garlic. I also add ginger to my pakbet tagalog. This is an optional ingredient. Make sure that the onion softens before adding pork.

The pork in this recipe is the lechon kawali. You may also use bagnet, fresh pork, or even leftover fried pork. Saute the pork for 1 to 2 minutes and then add water. Let the water boil. Add Knorr Shrimp Cube. This ingredient gives our pinakbet that nice shrimp taste. This is the point where the pork needs to be tenderized by boiling in water. Do this by covering the pot and cook the pork until tender. That will be 20 minutes for lechon kawali and 40 minutes for fresh pork.

Add the tomato and bagoong alamang. Cook this for a few minutes and then add the kalabasa and kamote. These veggies are added first because these takes longer to cook than the others. 7 minutes should be enough to initially cook these.

Add the remaining vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. I also intentionally kept the crunchy parts of the lechon kawali for this step. It gives the dish a nice texture when added towards the end of the cooking process. Season with ground black pepper and serve this with warm white rice. You may also add extra water if you want more sauce on your pinakbet.

And that was the procedure ,enjoy eating.

Ginataang Langka, lasapin sayong Bunganga

By: Mary Jeane Rodica

I enjoyed having Ginataang Langka with Pork for lunch. The combination of flavors was really good and the spice from the chili pepper made it even better. There is no other way to eat this but with warm steamed white rice. I suggest that you control your rice intake because this yummy spicy dish can make you eat without you consciously noticing.

Ginataang Langka with Pork is best if the pork is as tender as it can be. Simmering the pork in coconut milk for several minutes can do this. Do not be afraid to add a cup or more of water to the coconut milk if you think that the pork is not tender enough. The water will eventually evaporate and you will still get that thick creamy coconut sauce.

Langka is tropical fruit . It is usually seen in a tropical country like India , Thailand , Cambodia and the rest of southeast Asian countries. The fruit has a multipurpose use . You can use it as viand when it is not ripe. While when it is riped ,you can enjoy sweetness on it . Children in Philippines like to boil the hundreds seed of jackfruit and the eat after playing

How To Cook Ginataang Langka

Ingredients

20 oz. unripe jackfruit chopped
10 oz. pork cubed
2 cups coconut milk
4 pieces chili pepper chopped (optional)
1 medium onion sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Instructions

Heat the cooking oil in a pan.
Once the oil becomes hot, sauté the onion and garlic.
Add the pork. Cook until medium brown.
Pour the coconut milk in the pan. Let boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add water if needed.
Add the ground black pepper, chili, and fish sauce. Stir.
Add the jackfruit. Stir and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve.
Share and enjoy!

Instructions

Heat the cooking oil in a pan.
Once the oil becomes hot, sauté the onion and garlic.
Add the pork. Cook until medium brown.
Pour the coconut milk in the pan. Let boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add water if needed.
Add the ground black pepper, chili, and fish sauce. Stir.
Add the jackfruit. Stir and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve.
Share and enjoy!

Pancit,Come and get It !

By: Jack Ruallo

Pancit Bihon or Pancit Guisado is a Filipino noodle dish and is a staple second to rice. This was brought by the chinese and was localized since then. This Pancit Bihon Recipe uses “Bihon” or rice sticks mixed with pork, chicken, and vegetables. This dish is always served during Fiesta, birthday parties, and other special occasions.

Pancit bihon guisado is a Filipino noodle stir-fry popular for everyday meals as well as for special occasions. The dish is often served on birthdays as the long noodle strands signify long life in Asian culture.

A delicious hodge-podge of rice noodles, meat, shrimp, and vegetables, it’s a one-pot meal that’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

There are so many ways to make this dish, every cook or household is sure to have their own delicious spin. Sweet sausage hamonado, chicken, shrimp, carrots, cabbage, and celery are the standard ingredients in my version of pancit but feel free to swap or add your own favorite mix-ins such as pork, liver, sweet peas, and mushrooms.

Ingredients

1 lb pancit bihon Rice Noodles
1/2 lb. pork cut into small thin slices
1/2 lb. chicken cooked, deboned, and cut into thin slices
1/8 lb. pea pods or snow pea
1 cup carrot
1/2 small cabbage chopped
1 cup celery leaves chopped finely
1 medium sized onion chopped
1/2 tbsp garlic minced
1 pc chicken cube
5 tbsp soy sauce
3 to 4 cups water

Menudo , Comforts you!

By: Charlene Advincula

Pork Menudo is the number one on the list of my comfort foods and it’s hard for me to last a month without trying one – literally. Some would say that I am addicted to this food while others would use the term “obsession”, I just simply look at it as a necessity – a basic necessity that I cannot live without.Just like

In almost every Philippine town fiestas or gatherings, Pork Menudo can be seen in the dining table. This is one of the favorite “putahe” (dish) served and this was the reason why different variations of this dish existed. Many Pork Menudo recipes include hotdogs (pinoy red hotdogs), green peas, or garbanzos and others would add sun dried raisins too. I think that it is a regional thing because almost different provinces have their own version.

Filipinos use to pair it with white rice and children are fond of mixing it on their Filipino style spaghetti. Even though the cost of this will be high , the taste of it will be worth- tasting , just like the Filipino quote on food ” You can forget your name when you taste it”.

How to Cook Pork Menudo

This pork menudo recipe requires the meat to be marinated in soy sauce and lemon first before cooking. Combine the pork, soy sauce and lemon in a bowl. Mix well and let it stay for at least 1 hour. It will be better to store the bowl inside the refrigerator while you marinate to avoid contamination. Make sure to cover the bowl before doing this.

Take the pork out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Start to saute the garlic and onion. You will notice that this method is common in Filipino cuisine. Most Filipino foods are cooked starting with sauteing garlic and onion.

Once the onions are soft, add the marinated pork and cook until it browns. Add tomato sauce (you can also use crushed tomatoes), water (or beef broth), and bay leaves. We are using dried bay leaves for this recipe. Cover and simmer until the meat gets tender — which is usually 40 to 60 minutes depending on the quality of the meat. Once the meat is done, it is time to add the sliced liver. You can add the liver fresh or you can saute it first in ginger and garlic to make it less gamey. Add the veggies after this step and continue to cook for a few more minutes.

Add the salt and pepper depending on your preference. Also, try not to overcook the potato and carrots because it will get very soft — unless you prefer it that way.

Kare – Kereng Gawin

By: Helen Sauva

Kare Kare is a type of Filipino stew with a rich and thick peanut sauce. It is a popular dish in the Philippines served during special occasions. The traditional recipe is composed of ox tail. There are instances wherein both ox tripe and tail are used. The vegetable components of the dish are string beans, eggplant, bok choy, and banana blossoms. Lightly browned toasted ground rice is used to thicken the sauce.

Filipinos was known in eating stewed food like adobo, menudo, afritada ,caldereta and kare -kare . People who does not have allergy on peanut tend to love this stew. Another thing they love on kare- kare is its blanched vegetables that add flavor and playful color on kare-kare . The vegestables that can easily seen on a ordinary backyard of a filipino home such as Sitaw , Petchay Tagalog , Banana Heart and Eggplants.

Some Kare-kare has different version .It can be Chicken , pork , beef or even seafood.

Ingredients

3 lbs oxtail cut in 2 inch slices you an also use tripe or beef slices
1 piece small banana flower bud sliced
1 bundle pechay or bok choy
1 bundle string beans cut into 2 inch slices
4 pieces eggplants sliced
1 cup ground peanuts
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shrimp paste
34 Ounces water about 1 Liter
1/2 cup annatto seeds soaked in a cup of water
1/2 cup toasted ground rice
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 piece onion chopped
salt and pepper

How to Cook Kare Kare

Courtesy: Google.com/ pepper-garlic-star annise

There are three main processes: tenderize the meat, make the sauce, and prepare the vegetables.

Prepare the meat by boiling it along with chopped onion. This will make it tender while providing flavor at the same time. Oxtail needs to be very tender for best results. It takes around 3 hours to boil when cooking using the traditional method.A quicker way is to use a pressure cooker . It cuts the cooking time by more than half.

The peanut sauce can make or break your dish. It is important to have the proper ratio of ingredients to be able to achieve the ideal consistency of the sauce. It should not be too thick or very thin. I use both peanut butter and crushed peanuts to make the sauce. It provides a rich flavor to it. Annatto seeds make the color of the sauce reddish. You will need to extract the color from the seed by soaking it in warm water for around 12 minutes. The colored water is used to make the dish, not the seed. Discard the seed after use. Thicken the sauce with toasted ground rice.

Vegetable is an important component of kare kare. It can be cooked with the meat or it can be added when serving the dish. I opted to cook the vegetables separately by sautéing with garlic.

Cooking Tips

Use a pressure cooker to quickly tenderize the oxtail. It takes me 30 minutes to achieve the result, compared to around 3 hours when done the traditional way.

Adobong Manok , Sa handa’y patok na patok

By: Renzo Maca

Chicken Adobo is a type of Filipino chicken stew. Chicken pieces are marinated in soy sauce and spices, pan-fried, and stewed until tender. The dish gained popularity because of its delicious taste and ease in preparation. It tastes just right and the cooking time is around 30 minutes. The best way to eat chicken adobo is to have it with warm white rice. The combo is simply known as Chicken Adobo and Rice. Pouring some of the adobo sauce over rice before eating is a good idea because it makes it more flavorful.

Adobo was said to be originated in the Philippines. At first adobo was a simple dish combining salt,vinegar and heat it on the pot of there ”kalan” . But beacause the Chinese came in the country ,they were said to be the one who add this a soy sauce that came from there country. The dish is prepared using the Inadobo style of cooking. It means cooking meat or seafood with vinegar and mostly soy sauce. It is a popular method during the olden days when refrigerators and freezers were not yet available because vinegar helps extend the shelf life of food. Another popular is pork adobo using pork belly.

In every special occasions in the Philippines such as fiestas , Holiday , Birthday — Adobo set as one of the highlights in every home of the Filipinos . May it be Chicken , pork or even combined because of its distinct aroma, and the taste of saltiness and sweetness melt in the mouth , an individual can’t resist in adding more rice ” Unli-rice” –in Filipino term.

Ingredients

2 lbs. Chicken cut into serving pieces
1 piece Knorr Chicken Cube
1 head garlic crushed
1 piece onion chopped
6 pieces dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole peppercorn
½ cup soy sauce
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 cups water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a cooking pot. Saute garlic and onion until the garlic turns light brown and the onion softens.
Add chicken pieces. Cook until the chicken turns light brown.
Pour water, soy sauce, and vinegar. Let boil.
Add Knorr Chicken Cube, whole peppercorn, and dried bay leaves. Stir. Cover the pot and cook in medium heat for 15 minutes.
Turn the chicken pieces over. Cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
Add dark brown sugar and season with salt.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve. Share and enjoy!