ILOILO FOOD TRIP

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.

Ginat-an nga Tambo is truly an Ilonggo favorite!  It is a staple is most homes and carinderias as it is always a crowd and palate pleaser.  The dish is a mix of young bamboo shoots and coconut milk - the main ingredients, plus other vegetables and seafood. Depending on the availability and the taste preferences, the dish may have okra, saluyot, takway and corn kernels among others. For the seafood component, it may have shrimps, crabs, bago-ngon  (local freshwater snails),  dried fish like pinakas/daing . Whatever your choice of seafood and vegetables, this dish is always worth the extra cup of rice. So, let's make one of the most popular version of this Ilonggo favorite dish - Ginat-an nga Tambo with Pasayan Here's the simplest recipe of this dish Ingredients 1/2 kilo tambo or bamboo shoots, thinly sliced 2 cups pure coconut milk  1 onion (sibuyas), thinly sliced Shrimps, your take on how many pieces 1 bundle of tagabang (saluyot), w...

Don't be surprised if you're given this malagkit rice specialty when you ask for Suman when in Iloilo. While suman (sa ibos) to almost any part of the country is the native rice delicacy or kakanon wrapped in coconut leaves, that one is just called  ibos  in the Ilonggo community. Suman for that Ilonggos is that typical deep brown native delicacy and it may come topped topped with latik or not. The color of the suman depends on the sugar being used. Muscovado will give it a dark brown hue and richer flavour which is the most typical. Using washed sugar will give it lighter brown hue while refined white sugar gives it a somewhat typical ibos or suman Tagalog look. Here's a simple recipe for Suman Ilonggo or Biko.

Lechon Paskiw always comes second to Lechon Baboy as the former is just a literal aftermath dish. When there are home celebrations like fiestas or reunions, there would always be lechon baboy as the gastronomic centerpiece. And chances are there would be left-overs the following day/s or even weeks.   But you can always make one, even if there's no occasion just by buying lechon by the kilo or just making a turbo broiler made lechon. Check this previous recipe for Turbo Over Broiled Lechon Liempo Here's a simple recipe for Lechon Turbo Paksiw

While the original kilawin recipe calls for raw meat or seafood to be part of the dish "cooked" with  the acidity of vinegar, this dish is an offshoot adaptation of the recipe. Its more of friendly to those who don't want to ingest something "raw" but in some sense get the know how  kilawin  tastes. It's basically deep-fried pork (left-over   lechon kawali   is perfect for this recipe) served  kilawin -style.  Here's the recipe for Crispy Pork "Kilawin"

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

Grilled stuffed squid is one of the most inviting grilled seafood there is. Be it in a seafood restaurant serving grilled specialties or just in the comfort of your home, the gastronomic lure of inihaw na pusit is too tempting to resist. The preparation is just simple - just stuff the squid with tomatoes and onions , add seasoning and then grill until ready. The trickiest part when cooking squid in general is how to avoid making it rubbery as overcooking it will make it that way. Here's a basic Grilled Stuffed Squid recipe that you can make easily at home. Ingredients Squid, medium to large size (just big enough to be stuffed) Tomato, diced/chopped (enough to stuff the squid) White Onion, diced/chopped (enough to stuff the squid) Onion leaves Salt  Black pepper  Dip ( Calamansi, sliced Tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced Chilis, Vinegar, Soy sauce, Sugar ) Procedure Clean the squid, inside out. Remove the ink s...

One of the first questions always asked about Pancit Molo is " Where's the Pancit ?". With pancit as a sort of "prefix" to the name of the dish, first timers always for the noodle-like component of the dish. It's then explained that the pancit is actually the molo ball wrappers which is basically of the same mix as any pancit/noodles. Pancit Molo is more of a household specialty and the recipe varies from household to household. From the meat filling mix to the soup, there could be a hundred and one ways of making pancit molo. Here's a simple  Pancit Molo recipe.

Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in almost all occasions like fiesta, brithdays, reunions and all other occasions thus I love calling it as the "occasional dish".   Basically, " go, grow and glow " dish, it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful. And it can come in its simplest form with just malagkit rice, pork, chorizo and bell peppers to some fancy with additions like raisins, peas, chicken, hardboiled egg (just garnish though), etc.  Here's the recipe for Valenciana Ingredients 3 cups Glutinous Rice ( malagkit ) 2 cups Pork, sliced 1 cup Pork, Beef or Chicken  Liver, sliced 2-3 pieces Chinese sausage, sliced 2-3 large red bell peppers, sliced lengthwise 1 cup Green Peas 3 small boxes Raisins 2 pcs.Onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed salt and ground pepper to taste  2 pcs. pork/chicken bouillon/broth cube...

Inubaran  basically means the dish is cooked with ubad . No, it's not a typo error, it is really ubad not ubod  - different from but practically the same.  CONFUSING? Well  ubod  is the pith or the center of a coconut tree while  ubad  is the pith of a banana tree. To make this dish, one has to prepare an ubad for cooking - first thinly slice, around half a centimeter, the cleaned pith (must be very white and sized like a fluorescent lamp to be sure of the quality.) .  Ubad sold in local markets. You will only use the white center/core portion. Then using a barbecue stick, remove web like fibers "interconnecting" these slices (these are actually hardened banana sap). When finished you can crush is into smaller pieces and add to your cooking. Here's a popular recipe using ubad ...

My familiarity with Efuven started when it became a staple noodle dish prepared at home, whether on special occasion or just any given Sunday lunch.  I can only assume that we got curious about this noodle variety that we tried to use it instead of the usual pancit canton, bihon or sotanghon. Or we might also have heard others talked about it or ate in some restaurants serving this pancit.

This recipe is a favorite at home as it is appetizing and delicious at the same time easy and simple to cook. It just involves marinating and frying and is a versatile recipe so you can tweak it to suit your own taste. The ingredients are also easy to find or. substituted.  Here's the recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Onion and Bellpeppers "Stir-Fry"

If the coconut trees around the house are teeming with fruits, chances are there would always be some  Buko Salad in the fridge! Aside from being easy to make, it is also versatile to easily suit your taste and budget. Buko Salad is one of the most popular fruits salads not to mention refreshingly delicious too! And I like it frozen too - like halo halo or ice cream. The recipe is just easy that you can make it with eyes closed! Just follow your taste and you're good to go! Now, let's make some Buko Salad! Ingredients 5 cups young coconut meat strips, adjust 1 can regular size Fruit Cocktail ("Fiesta"), drained, adjust 1 can Condensed Milk 1 box all-Purpose Cream Optional * adjust amount Evaporated Milk Nata de Coco Kaong Sweet corn kernels Cheese, cubed Peanuts, crushed How to make Buko Salad In a large bowl, place cream then add condensed milk. Mix well for a uniform consistency and taste.  If you opt for a ligh...

Whenever there are some leftover grilled or fried fish, a simple rule is followed for its next gastronomic life. The former is cooked Linagpang for the next meal and the latter becomes Cardillo or Sarciado . And most of the time, the fried fishes tend to have more second chances. Both Cardillo and Sarciado recipes are almost identical but differ with the addition of beaten eggs in the sauce while the sarciado has none. The former also tends to be more versatile as it can be cooked with a range of different additional vegetables while the latter is quite limited. So let's make CARDILLO na BANGUS with PECHAY INGREDIENTS Fried Bangus, sliced into serving pieces 1 medium Onion, sliced 4 cloves Garlic, minced 2 pieces Tomatoes, sliced 3/4 cup Water, adjust Salt and Pepper to taste Soy sauce or other Liquid seasonings Pechay, washed and cleaned 1 to 2 egg/s, beaten How to Cook CARDILLO na BANGUS with PECHAY In a ...

One of my favorites and could be yours too, is Monggo Soup with a galore of vegetables and meat. And if it is pata or pig knuckles, wow, food heaven just descended on us. I love it even more with greens like malunggay, kamote and my favorite - alugbati. Then add some "bulky" veggies like jackfruit, unripe papaya or kalabasa to complement the pork pata. So here's another recipe for Pata with Monggo - this time with Papaya and Kamote Tops.

My childhood memories about muasi or palitaw are not that good. I consider it as one of my hated native delicacies given itsbland taste even with the sugar dip.  But as time passed, I learned to appreciate it especially when its freshly cooked with the muscovado teeming the aroma of roasted sesame seeds. So let's make some Palitaw!

So what's a White Salad? It's just a Fruit or Buko Salad with all the white (and off white ingredients). Simple as it may seem, this could turn into one of your favorite salads and desserts for any occasions and events. Preparation is easy and the recipe can be easily tweaked to add more of your favorite "white" ingredients.  Here's an easy recipe for White Salad

There could be a 1001 ways to make atsara and with the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables around, the possibilities are just limited by one's gastronomic imagination. From the popular papaya and bamboo shoots atsara to ampalaya and ubod little known dampalit (a weed), this Filipino pickle relish makes fried and grilled food tastes even better. Let's prepare a simple Radish (Labanos) Atsara

Making pinaksiw na pata is simple but tends to have a slow cooking time. But in the end its worth the wait nd you'll be almost screaming "extra rice"! It's basically just boiling and seasoning accordong to your taste preference. While basically, it got to have that hints of vinegary taste (or aftertaste) others prefer it on the sweeter side like Pork Estofado. The good thing about this Filipino recipe is that you can adjust it according to your taste preference or mood - even when the dish is almost off oven! Here is the recipe for Paksiw na Pata Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork leg), sliced to serving pieces 1 medium garlic head, crushed 1/3 cup vinegar, adjustable 1/2 cup soy sauce, adjustable 1/2 cup brown sugar (washed variety), adjustable 5 pieces laurel (bay) leaves 1 tbsp whole peppercorn 1 cup banana blossoms, optional Salt and ground pepper to taste Water for boiling, adjust How to make Paksiw na Pata In a pot, place pata slices and su...

Apan-apan is an Ilonggo favorite sidedish yet often times it can become a viand as it is a flavorful combination of kangkong and bago-ong cooked adobo style. One can even add slices of meat or even tulapho for a tastier version. As it is like adobo, the variations of this dish varies widely but still simple to make. One can even add slices of meat or even  tulapho  for a tastier version. As it is like adobo, the variations of this dish varies widely but still simple to make. Here's a simple recipe for Apan-apan Ingredients 2 bundles of Kangkong  3 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped 1 Medium sized Onion, sliced 1 tablespoon of Guinamos (you can also use ready to eat bago-ong sold in groceries) 1/4 cup Vinegar or more Cooking Oil Sugar (optional) Sili (optional) How to make Apan-apan  Cut the hard(er) stems/stalk of the kangkong . Wash and clean the kangkong then set aside. In a wok sauté garlic and onion then add guinamos ...

I just love Fried Lumpia. The gastronomic sensation of having crispy fried lumpia dipped in vinegar garlic sauce always makes me salivate just with the thought. Usually its a mixture of ground meat and vegetables when we make lumpia, but at times if we made a big batch of pancit molo filling then it also makes a good fried lumpia. Fishes like bangus and tilapia also makes delicious lumpia filling. Here's a basic Fried Lumpia recipe

Mention Valenciana to the Ilonggos and they’ll instantly crave for this special dish. Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and all other occasions thus I love calling it as the "occasional dish".     Basically, " go, grow and glow " dish, it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful. And it can come in its simplest form with just malagkit rice, pork, chorizo and bell peppers to some fancy with additions like raisins, peas, chicken, hardboiled egg (just garnish though), etc.  Here's a simple recipe for  Valenciana Ingredients 3 cups Glutinous Rice ( malagkit ) 1 cup plain rice (optional) 2 cups Pork, sliced 1 cup Pork or Beef    Liver, sliced 2-3 pieces Chinese sausage, sliced 2-3 large red bell peppers, sliced lengthwise 1 cup Green Peas 3 small boxes Raisins (optional) 1 large ilonion, chopped 6 clo...