Fried fish, is one of the common viands on the table in my hometown. We usually dipped it with vinegar or lemon, soy sauce, and if you like something spicy, just add a chili. Some people like to dip it in a fish sauce or fermented fish with vinegar or lemon. Or you can make a side dish of tomatoes, onion, fermented fish or fish sauce, and lemon or vinegar. When I was a kid, I just dipped it with soy sauce with vinegar and nothing else. Yesterday, I was craving for it so I went to the grocery store and bought. I cooked it right away when I got home. It has been a long time I have not eaten a deep-fried fish, so yesterday; I enjoyed eating such with one leg up on the chair. Ha!. I have not eaten it all, but I can re-fry it or mix it with green leafy vegetable later.

What about you, how do you eat a fried fish? Or, do you like eating such? How do you like it?

We greeted the day with different interpretations of breakfast: some have become classics in their own cultures and been adapted into others.

Americans, for instance, prepare a flurry of cereals such as corn flakes, oatmeal, porridge and grits. They like to linger over blueberry pancakes, waffles, and French toast, or settle down with a warm bagel or doughnut and brewed coffee. They also have bacon, smoked sausages, and patties.

For Filipinos, we have pork meat with noodles and vegetables (batchoy), arroz caldo (soupy rice with chicken) and sopas (elbow pasta with sausage and vegetable) to warm the stomach. But it is rice reincarnated as sinangag (fried rice), served with daing (dried fish), longganisa (local sausage), tocino (marinated pork meat with a variety of flavors), and the like. That comprises the complete Filipino breakfast. Often, the spread includes an "ulam" (viand) such as paksiw (fish with vinegar) or adobo (Filipinos all time favorite). For simple Filipino breakfast, pan-de-sal and coffee will do.

A day before the third day backwards from today (yeah, just on this week), I never thought I encountered a vegetable called "red spinach" which is far way different of what I expect of what it is after I heard from a co-blogger friend told me that she always bought it from their market in Norway. She said it's what we called an  " alugbati " vegetable in our birth country Philippines. Then, looking back the day I saw the label red spinach in the market where I shopped (yeah, last Wednesday this week) I immediately felt the giddy feeling that after how many years I can now eat one of my favorite leafy vegetable ("alugbati"). To my dismay, it isn't apparently. But still, I got it to try and test its taste. I am looking forward of cooking mixed vegetables in coconut milk ("ginataang-gulay") after this. I can just imagine the excitement journey. Ha!

I have a complete leafy vegetables of sweet potato tops, swamp spinach "kangkong" and that red spinach to go with the taro root "gabi", purple eggplant "talong", bitter melon "ampalaya" along with its spices like ginger, onion leaves, bell pepper (orange, red and green), lemon grass and tomato. Yay! I can't wait. Now, am hungry. Ha!

Journeying in our kitchen is one chore that I love now that I am a wife. As a Filipina I do really love eating Pinoy foods. The one that you cannot take away from me is the love of ‘adobo’. Adobo can be chicken or pork. Those are my favorite meat by the way. Adobo is a very well-known easy Pinoy food. It is actually one brand of Filipino when it comes to food. Smile. I can share on how to do it, here:

Ingredients:
1.) Chop chicken or pork meat
2.) Soy sauce
3.) Vinegar
4.) Black pepper & Pepper leaves
5.) Garlic
6.) Salt
7.) Water

How:
  Mix them all together in a casserole and cooked it until it will be totally done. It will take 20-30 minutes depends on how much meat you are cooking. Check from time to time. Then right after your adobo is ready for serving . Try this one and surely you will say yummy… adobo taste so good and very easy to do, no need step and steps of process. Not much ingredients, so light and easy! Good luck guys, let me know if you do. I can teach you more if you need help! Just leave on your comments here.

Do you love grilling during summer? I am one of those grill addict! I don’t know what to call it but I really love grilled foods.  Fish, chicken, pork, beef are the most likes and most wanted for me. I miss them actually, it is now time to do the grilling once again. I am planning to do it one of these days when we will be settled in at home. I cannot promise to do it alone because I have Sam to attend first.

For those who loves grilling, we are in the same boat! Grilled foods are healthy and they are delicious and super yummy right? Way back in Philippines, it is very easy to order grilled food in the restaurant and they really are oozing and tempting. So I do really miss it! Here, you must have to do on your own to eat such delicious food that you’ve missed from your birth or origin country or you will pay an extra, extra more bucks for somebody to do it for you (services from restaurant). Ouch! Okay, I usually do broiling instead of grilling since I can do it inside the house, turn on the timer and done! I can even broil dried fish which is so yummy-delicious in the oven to which hubby doesn't care (well, I heard that most American husbands does care when wife does it because of its odor? Am a lucky wife! Wink.). Okay, I just gave you a tip about cooking dried fish without a cooking oil if you cannot do it by grilling (also to be sure, make it when hubby isn't at home, do it in the name of odor?). Wink.

I love eating sea foods especially healthy tuna. It is either fresh from the ocean, canned or frozen is best for our health. As it has been said, tuna is pack with protein, omega-3, vitamin D, and selenium which plays an important role in our body. According to the research of scientific study, diet rich in fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, like canned tuna, can curb or prevent cognitive decline, dementia, depression, neuro-psychiatric disorders, asthma and inflammatory disorders. An issue between tuna and pregnant women questioned but scientific studies prove that tuna is safe to eat for pregnant women! It is even proven that pregnant women who always eat tuna boosts her child's brain. While it is true that pregnant women should stay-away see foods that have high-mercury (like shark, mackerel, swordfish, tilefish), it is actually SMART to eat seafood during pregnancy (following what your OB-GYN or doctor words about what fish to eat or not)!

For me, I prepare my healthy tuna food usually for sandwiches. My family (especially DH) likes it a lot and even always requests me of preparing him to bring to his work. Since I love pampering him and our tummy, I always do it. I also have come to search for another tuna recipe which I will have to prepare for my beloved in the next following days. I am chasing and been reading a Caribbean-Style Albacore recipe which I plan to cook. I find it good for us because we are into diet.

I can't wait to chase for tuna this coming days to cook this recipe. Ciao...

Picture below is a bowl of pompano fish soup with lots of vegetables which apparently you can see it in the middle. The one in the right side fish is the pompano, a kind of fish which is so yummy-delicious for soup. My first time for this fish as made into soup. I am glad my friend P introduced this fish to me and I declare as so delicious for this kind of fish recipe. To go with the fish meat, on the left side is a non-fat brown and white rice {yes, I mixed it. You would surprise how tasty it is when you try it. Try it to taste for yourself. :-) }

Have you ever put a beef meat for a mixed veges in a coconut milk recipe? How was it?

It was my first time to put a beef of a mixed vegetables in a coconut milk menu. Never in my life had I seen one with it, but out of curiosity and am craving of beef meat that time, I put it as a mix of such. For sure, it won't poison me because the beef and all of my ingredients are fresh. Then I began my kitchen journey for such menu. Yes, I put several ingredients of vegetables like leafy yum leaves, swamp cabbage/ kangkong, eggplant, string beans, taro root and squash along with the fresh spices like lemon grass, ginger, bell peppers of two different color, then a dash of salt and beef bouillon. Hoorah! I love the taste of it with beef! Well, for that time when it is still warm. Then since I cooked more than I one sitting of eating I  have the leftover to which I actually intent to stash for future meal(s) just a typical way when I cook such menu. But to my surprise, the time that I wanted to eat already, the food was not good anymore. It bubbled. It was not that I did not put it in the refrigerator directly because I did, I even put some in the freezer. And I thought of, because it is beef. Beef bubbles. I don't know but it will be a long time and have to persuade myself strongly with a strong proof that beef, is good to mixed vegetables in a coconut milk, that is hard to do. However, am not closing my mind for any experienced cook or chef about this. For now, I still cannot comprehend of mixing beef of such recipe. I promise myself of putting not. Really, it is a waste of ingredients thinking that such are not cheap. :-( Lesson learned for me.

For a gathering (either big or small) and it is for one person at a time, it could call as a "pot luck" but because it is just exchanging foods to each other, I call it as exchanging food(s).  I miss it in a province or even in a city, where a close neighbor will just give and take each other. What a close neighbor cooks give to her close neighbor and vice-versa. It would be fair that way. Ha ha! Oops, it is just a sign of kindness and trust each other, you know. Friendship is a blessing and I believe exchanging food(s) is one way of bonding.

Lately (we have done this for quite long time already), a not-so-close place of neighborhood of mine did an exchanging of foods. I actually did not expect Te Claudine have something for me too. I just want to share my cooked maja blanca and nothing else. I don't expect return either. Her goodness is already fine with me. But then as unexpected she had my favorite cooked vegetables in coconut milk (also known as "ginataang-gulay" in Filipino foods) with pieces of sweet strawberry as well as raw bitter melon. I had bitter melon but don't want to spoil the moment, so I just take it. I miss it this way from my birth country, Philippines. I can now sense the essence of neighborhood (though we are not that so close-by) and friendship which makes me feel better here in the place where I am now. 

What about you, do you like the idea of exchanging favorite foods on your close neighbor or friends?

And my kitchen journey continues. This is my second time to eat white pomfret fish stew. The first one was made and given by my sweet friend Preciel. Then this time, I was the one cooking it. I just knew that this fish is expensive than pompano fish (the smaller one which looks like white pomfret fish. You just don't know but I paid $7.97 for three pieces raw and I can recall my friend gave me four pieces and it's already cooked yummy-liciously. Thanks again Ciel for it. You're such a sweet friend! Anyway, I saw several friends picture that they put vegetables on it and I reminisced my grandmother how she cooked just like how they did it. And then I cooked the same way, my first time. Usually it would only have one kind of vegetable or two. And I did the latter, two kinds of vegetables with it. I put bitter melon and eggplant vegetables. I wanted okra but I cannot find it in the market so I settle with those two. Images (above and below) were taken during its cooking time. Yes, the skillet in the stove whilst it is in the process of cooking. Meaning, it was not yet cooked. As you can see the color of the eggplants. And I love its taste especially the bitter melon vegetable (aside from fish)! I really had a great food tirp. Yay!

I craved for corned beef, Purefoods. Martin corned beef was introduced unto my taste. I believe it was being made/manufactured just recently by the Purefoods Company. Its taste and appearance (not the packaging but the corned beef appearance itself) is just like its other corned beef, the Chunky Corned Beef. It tastes so good. And from that time I tasted it, I then liked it until this time (most of the time when I always taste it, it is then monotonous). I cannot find it in the nearby store here in the place  DH and I lives but have to drive 15 minutes or so to get it. What I did was just ordered online last Saturday (August 6th) and six days after (counting includes weekends, it must be it was being delivered to UPS Monday if punctually). And then today, just hours lately, it arrives with some other little stuffs. Take note, it's from New York! ;-) I don't care about how far it is because it is worth my pangs. :-)

If you can see (you can click image to enlarge) that includes dried fish which was being mailed together but was put in a separate wrapped bubbled envelope (so the smell won't go out, probably, or because it is delicate). That's it, it costs me $29+. And I don't care if it is pricey or what as long as I got what I craved for. :-) This is only sometimes so I have to indulge! Ha!

This picture was taken by my friend, Analou's husband. Thanks by the way for this image as I can share it to you the pigged-out we had in my friend Chelle's house last July 10th. Sure, it is great to have a whole roasted pig (Filipino party specialty and one of the important foods in every occasion when talking about Pinoy party) on the table together with the other foods (of course). Before, I really thought I could never eat this food anymore. Well, until I found my friends. It is really a good journey when precious friend are there along the way, isn't it? Knowing that my place is more of a Chinese community that's why I thought of such but then social network, telecommunication and Internet does miracle unlike the ole days. After that time, I was not able to do my do-it-your own other cooking recipe than pork as the main ingredient because I have the roasted pork "bring-home" to which I cooked through vinegar and soy sauce together with spices like garlic, black pepper leaf, black pepper seeds (to which DH don't like me to put unto it when it is whole, it is hassle for him to get it, *grin* . If it is crushed black pepper seeds, it's fine) and a little of water. Remember not to mix the laddle mix the ingredients when putting up vinegar, not until the vinegar already boiled. I got this tip from Panlasang Pinoy website and it works for me. My friend Chona by the way told me the easy way how to cook "paksiw" or the vinegar and soy sauce recipe. Thanks to Chelle for inviting me and to all the good friends as well as new friends. :-)

 (click image to enlarge)

I am a vegetables whore, tell me about it! Ha! But yep, am really into vegetables probably because I was born with a lot of vegetables than meat. I could even remember my grandfather has a garden of veges, most of it for consumption and some for commerce. But then lo and behold, I don't know how to cook of those until I got married. :-) Well, I have a lot of time of cooking now than then. Before, I enjoyed much on cleaning or washing than cooking but now I enjoyed it all especially the cooking thing because I have much time now as being a stay-at-home wife. Image below is a sauteed different kind of vegetables without meat mix but just a seasoning given from a friend called "magic sarap" and it did it's job, it made my sauteed vegetables "sarap" (sarap is a tagalog word for yummy/delicious)!

It has been long time I ate ready-to-cook bean thread in a pack as it label's as " pancit canton " with eggs or dried fish. Lately, not with eggs or with dried fish but with tender juicy " swift " mini pork hotdogs! I wasn't able to take a pic. I was hungry and ready to indulge my breakfast with a little rice. Oops, did I say two packs of "pancit canton" ? Yes! Okay, I did not ate it all. I reserved some for few hours. :-D I was full and contented. A little more of full but that's fine. I can handle my little tummy. Hehhehheh! Yesterday, was dried fish and noodles in a pack. Just one pack of beef noodles and a three-fourth of a "bisugo" dried fish. Of course with vinegar  (and a little water on the vinegar) in partner of the dried fish just to get rid of salty taste. Salty isn't good for pregnant woman like me.  I was used with that style of vinegar with water to pair with dried fish anyway. Okay, no tomatoes, I used to have it with such but that's fine. Indeed, I had an awesome breakfast! I still have two dozens of "pancit canton" and a box of beef noodles! Would you want some? ;-)

For Holy Friday I (with my friend Te Claudine), made a sweetened root crops with coconut milk or " binignit " (in my dialect, from Camiguin Island, Philippines) and my own version of fruit salad last Holy Thursday afternoon. I missed being in the Philippines having such during Holy two days (Holy Thursday and Holy Friday) for our fasting and abstinence of meat and meal. Yes, we served that as for such belief or we just used to that foods during such time. That was why I thought of made such. Glad Te Claudine and kids visited me. Then came another friend, Dorie to joined me during the second day. I was going to invite or gave Preciel  and Au but am thinking she could not make it, so I have to make it up for her next time. Oops, I have a pic for my fruit salad made of fruit cocktails in cans, bottles nata de coco (color red and white, the red made it beautiful to look at, i love this color to put on it), peaces slices, little oranges in can, whole kernel corn, young coconut strips (" buko " ) with nestle cream and condensed milk, but the picture was on my other camera. I will upload it next time. :-) For now, have a great Easter Sunday folks! Have fun tomorrow! (I still have " binignit " and a serve of fruit salad here)

Yep, I made a pork soup with yellow and green vegetables for my breakfast about a week ago. It was good as I had this for a long time already. I mean for so long, I wasn't able to cook a pork soup like this. I put cabbage, yellow sweet yum (or camote) tops, taro root, carrots and spices like ginger root, green onion, bell peppers and salt to taste. That's it! But too bad, the taro root became invisible. It became a mixed of water though its really great for soup as it puts slimy on it. Trust me the soup with it, taste great!