Balikbayan Filipino Street Food at Centris Weekend Market

05/12/201505/11/2015 | Doyd

2014 was the year I feasted my eyes with local Filipino food at the Centris Weekend Market in Quezon City, Manila. This is a place where my sister would go every early Sunday morning to get her produce and ready-cooked Filipino food for a simple weekend treat.

It was a super humid day but I forgot about my sweaty nape and back, just by staring at all the local delicacies and fresh Filipino vegetable varieties.

Without a doubt, I had to have my Taho (soybean pudding with brown sugar syrup and sago pearls), my cheese and ube (yam) flavored Sorbetes (local Pinoy “dirty” street ice cream — it’s NOT dirty, it’s just the way Filipinos got used to calling it), my coffee Barako (fresh local Batangas coffee) and my Lumpiang Sariwa/Ubod (Vegetable egg rolls from the heart of Banana palms wrapped in crepe, served with sweet sauce infused with fresh minced garlic and ground roasted peanuts).

This is a must-see, a must-visit and a must-experience place to go to for all the Balikbayans going to Quezon City.

Mamang Sorbetero. Order your ice cream on a cup, a cake cone or a bun!! Yes, a BUN!

Wild Pig and Deer Tapas (Dried or Cured Meat)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar-apple — Sugar-Apple or Atis in Filipino… Childhood memories eating this for snack.

Ready to eat deep fried snack varieties (Fish, Pork belly, Ukoy, etc)

Heart-attack in a tray (Deep fried Pork skin and fat)

My favorite Filipino Pork Barbecue in a Stick!! A must eat for everyone.

Fried here, fried there, fried everywhere!!! Time to eat! Great with Spicy vinegar dipping sauce.

Daddy’s Filipino Pork and Chicken Adobo

06/10/201005/12/2015 | Doyd

Daddy Jun's Special Adobo — Daddy Jun’s Special Adobo

When I miss my Dad, I always think of Adobo. Pork and Chicken Adobo is a classic Filipino hearty meal served with steaming white rice and some fresh ripe mangoes on the side. My Dad used to make the BEST Adobo and he cooks it with precision and love. He even cooks adobo using other ingredients like squid, local vegetable greens, pork hocks and more.

I like to make adobo because it stores well in the fridge. Since it is cooked with a good quality vinegar, it lasts longer in the fridge than other meat recipes.

I remember when I was little and we had a school field trip for Girl Scouts, my Dad would cook adobo so I can pack it for our lunch. We did not have insulated lunch bags before 🙂 and keeping my rice and adobo in a Tupperware lunchbox was enough to keep my lunch fresh and ready for eating.

There are many recipes online on how to make this. My recipe was handed down to me by my Dad so to me, it is a very special recipe dear to my heart and unfortunately, I am not willing to share 😛

I may not be the best Adobo cook but still, each time I follow the step-by-step instructions my Dad taught me, it reminds me of the good happy days as I watch him do his tricks in our small kitchen.

I know maybe you’re thinking, then why am a blogging about Adobo??? Because I want to share my photos 🙂

Okay, here’s a link I found on how to cook Adobo.

I miss you Daddy! This is for you!

Philippine Tamarind Pork Soup (“American Sinigang”)

05/07/201005/07/2010 | Doyd

Philippine tamarind pork soup.
Originally uploaded by doyd74

Today, I want to share this all-time family favorite dish. Sinigang (as how we call it in Filipino) is a Philippine soup characterized by it’s sour flavor. To me it is somehow similar to Thai’s tom yam soup.

All the children in our family, both father and mother-side loves this soup. If we want the kids to eat a lot for dinner or lunch, just cook Sinigang 🙂

Here’s how to make it:

1 pound of Pork (short ribs, neckbone, belly, shoulder or even tenderloin)
1 large Tomato
1 medium Daikon (you can use Korean daikon too)
1 bunch or pack of Spinach
4-5 pieces of Taro corms (Gabi)
1 pack of Sinigang mix (can be purchased at a local Chinese/Filipino supermarket)
1 teaspoon of Fish Sauce

Cut/chop the pork into large bite sizes. Wash it well.
Boil 8-10 cups of water. Upon boiling, add the pork. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Remove all the pork scum or brown bubbles that forms on top of the soup making sure nothing’s left.

Add the tomatoes, sinigang mix and gabi. Reduce the fire to medium and cover the pot. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once the pork is tender, add the daikon and fish sauce. When daikon is cooked according to how you want it to be, you may add the spinach and simmer for another minute or two.

I call this my American Sinigang because I make it using the ingredients we have here in America. Originally, when I was small, my Dad would use pork neckbones and he would simmer it until the soup really tastes so good. Then he added water spinach (“kang-kong”) or yardlong beans/chinese string beans (“sitaw”), sometimes even eggplants and okra.

Most Filipinos like to cook Sinigang with a piece of green finger pepper. Here in the US, I use Korean green chili or anaheim peppers to enhance the taste while adding a little kick of spice to the soup.

Sinigang… a best-loved dish from my kitchen. Try it!!