ILOILO FOOD TRIP

Halo-halo is most probably the most popular Pinoy dessert not only here in the Philippines but also abroad. It's a visual feast of colors of its different ingredients, a melange of flavors and texture, and a perfect cooler/dessert.  There are a thousand and one ways of making halo-halo but basically it's just a mix of crushed iced, milk, sugar and "the works". The latter includes  leche flan , ube halaya , kaong, nata, sago, sweetened beans, minatamis na saging, sweet potato, fresh fruit , and a whole lot more - yeah lots of it.). It is also often topped with ice cream, most popular of which is the ube (purple yam) flavor.

Often a perfect partner of fried or grilled fish and meat, ginisang monggo is a straple in Pinoy gastronomy. There many ways of making this mung bean soup as the recipe varies from household to household. Its just a mix and match of the leafy vegetables and sliced veggies plus the subak or meat/seafood add-ins.  Here's a simple recipe for Ginisang Monggo with many variations to choose from.

I love boiled saba bananas especially those ripe bordering on being over ripe. Its soft and sweeter thus more appetizing for me. And it gets even better with a butter spread oozing from its warm and smooth surface. Even with bananacue , I still prefer the over ripe one as it gets even sweet on every bite. So what's your nilagang saba like?

Guinamos is the local shrimp paste usually used flavouring dishes at the same time a favorite dip for green mangoes, when sauteed. Kalkag , on the hand, are dried "baby" shrimps usually half an inch long. They both come from these baby shrimps, with guinamos (it is salted and pounded until it becomes a paste) and for kalkag (it is salted and sundried).  Here's a recipe combining guinamos and kalkag into one crispy-licious treat!