ILOILO FOOD TRIP

Ramboys. Liempo. That's probably it. Ofcourse, you'll have to have some extra rice to go with that deliciously crispy liempo that would surely make you rave and crave for more. You'd never look at any other liempo when you tried Ramboy's version. In fact, that would become your standard for a great-tasting liempo. SM City Iloilo invited members of the Iloilo Bloggers for a gastronomic adventure showcasing SM Southpoint.  The newest hang-out of the Ilonggos is an al fresco wing of the biggest mall in the region consisting of local and home grown restaurants and cafes as well new local and "imported" players in the food service industry. It's time to discover what SM Southpoint has to offer ...

There could be a thousand and one ways of making LASWA. Or even more as this simple and nutritious Ilonggo vegetable recipe is just a mix and match of all the veggies and seafood available. It has so many variations despite its simplicity and is  mostly dependent on the availability of vegetables. Usually it has kalabasa, talong, okra, hantak (sitaw), tagabang (saluyot), patola and a host of other vegetables. For this recipe puso ng saging (banana heart) was added not only as "extender" but to add some texture. Cooking laswa is simple - just stew the vegetables and subak (usually fresh seafoods like shrimps, crabs, or even snails locals call bango-ngon ) then season with salt or use broth cubes . Others prefer to use dried and salted seafoods like pinakas for it adds more flavour to the dish at the same time makes this vegetable dish more appetizing. Or at times this is solely a vegetable dish (no subak whatsoever) and is perfect partnered with

Every region in the Philippines has it's own version of a spiced vinegar and a name for it. In most parts of Western Visayas especially in Iloilo, it is known as sinamak .  One can find it almost anywhere for it is a staple dip in almost every household and native restaurants. Be it chicken inasal or grilled pork chop to seafoods especially talaba, sinamak is the perfect dip to further one's appetite.

I love kutsinta! The stickier the consistency the better. As among the most popular native delicacies or kakanin , the are so many variations to its recipe. Some are not as sticky as the others yet still having that signature taste. Others also are visually different having colors like yellow or even green from the original dark orange-brown hue. But nonetheless, its still our own preference that would tell apart a delicious  kutsinta. Here's a simple Kutsinta recipe

Whether grilled, fried, sauced up, ground or in broth, there's one pork recipe that will surely tickle your tummy and fulfill your gastronomic fantasies!  Pork is probably the Pinoys most favored meat as there are as many pork dishes as the 7107 island making up the Philippine archipelago. 

So simple that this dish can be aced by first time cooks and can be whipped by experts even with eyes closed! This savory and delicious combination of pork, potatoes carrots in tomato sauce is alway an extra rice magnet. Much more so if I drizzle hot sauce on it. No need for fancy ingredients to give its Spanish origins a gastronomic salute but just in its simplest form, it could already be a hunger satisfier. Now let's begin...

We usually make Chicken macaroni soup if there are leftover pasta used in making salads. But at times, we just miss the home-made goodness of a hot and creamy macaroni soup that we just make one on the spot. It is very easy to make and the recipe is very versatile that you can make use of what available in the fridge and pantry. Here's a simple recipe on how to make a hearty chicken macaroni soup.

 Whenever there are some left over fried fish at home, chances it will end as either cardillo or sweet-and-sour. While the former is cooked by adding beaten egg to the sauteed fried fish for a savoury dish the latter has the vinegar and sugar combination that creates a flavourful sauce for the fish. And there so many variations to the sweet and sour fish recipe but all point to the delicious mix of " sugared vinegar "!  Here's the recipe for Sweet and Sour Fish

Eggs are often associated with breakfast. Aside from being an additional " sud-an " for " pamahaw " , it can also be topping on our favorite pancit, La Paz batchoy or Valenciana dish.  But eggs, when hard-boiled, fried or scrambled  are also delicious as sandwich palaman or filling. My all-time favorite is a simple combination of hardboiled egg, cheese and sandwich spread.  But here's a level up filling that will surely make breakfast or any meryenda a delicious treat as Victorias Foods Corporation is partnering with Chef Tope Arañador, a young and contemporary Ilonggo chef/owner of PUNOT Restaurant.  With this collab, VFC and Chef Tope has created 15 recipes using Victorias Foods signature products - Spanish Style Bangus and Sardines in Soya Oil.  And just in time for the Lenten celebrations, here's the an appetizing sandwich creation concocted by Chef Tope using hard-boiled eggs and Victorias Hot Sardines in Soya Oil.  Ingredients 6 pcs Victorias Hot Sard

On special occasions at home, these crispy golden brown liempo are always a staple. Aside from being visually appetizing and delicious, it is very easy to prepare - that is if you have the right equipment. Our ever reliable turbo oven (maybe over 20 years?) has been giving us these delicious crispy slabs of liempo ever since I can remember.

POCHERO. The most familiar recipes are the ones stewed with tomatoes (or tomato sauce) or the Cebu variant which is like bulalo or nilaga, but the pochero I grew up with is just very simple. It's just pork cooked with potatoes and/or saba (cooking banana) with kamote tops or pechay. I just love the mild sweetness of the broth brought about by the bananas to the savory broth. Or sometimes, it tends lean more of the tomato based recipe, just without the tomato itself or sauce. The recipe is just very simple - just boil the pork first until tender. Add the "hard" veggies like potatoes, saba, carrots, etc then finally when the leafy veggies when its almost done. Just season it with salt or broth cubes for a savory broth. Here's a recipe guide for a simple Pochero Ilonggo

What's your favorite native delicacy/ kakanin ?  Is it puto, kutsinta or bibingka ? Or those wrapped ones like suman sa ibos, alupi or but-ong ?  Maybe the sugary ones like bitso-bitso , muasi/palitaw and the likes.  Well, enough of the listing and let's start eating - with our eyes.  But if you really want to eat you can buy or even cook your own  kakanin .