Kaya kong kumain ng kanin ng tatlong beses sa isang araw. Tatak pinoy.
Pati nga pancit inuulam ko sa kanin. Tatak pinoy.
Kung minsan gabi na ang meryenda ko ay kanin. Tatak pinoy.
Tirador ng kaning lamig… ‘yan ang karamihan ng pinoy.

Masyado na akong nawili sa pagluluto ng bigas gamit ay rice cooker. Pero ng tumira ako sa isang motel dito sa NZ nung bago pa lamang ako dito, nadiskubre ko na hindi ko pa din pala nakakalimutan kung paano magsaing ng kanin sa tradisyunal na pamaaraan. Aba! Hindi ko na maalala kung kailan ako huling hindi gumamit ng rice cooker. At dahil parati akong girl scout, nakunan ko pa ang proseso.

Una. Hugasan ang bigas ng dalawang beses. (Pwedeng tatlo pero kung ako ay dalawa lang talaga. Pakiramdam ko kasi ay mauubos na ang sustansya.)

(Rinse rice at least twice.)

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Wish it is summer already but being further down under means I am experiencing the exact opposite of the official barbecue season. For the record, I am definitely not one of those who could have outdoor BBQ during cold winter months. So for Lasang Pinoy Sundays, here is looking back at my first summer in NZ. Simply fabulous.

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The last time I cooked sisig was about 10 Christmases ago. Hindi pa uso ang recipe online. In fact it was my first time. Of course, I am referring to the popular sisig nowadays, the kind that is synonymous with drinking beer and I cooked it the way I think it should be done; using leftover from roasted pig head the previous night. It was more like Marketman’s Lechon Sisig but a lot more sinful with pork brain – giving it a creamier texture served on a sizzling plate.

And yeah, I did it again. This time in a more traditional way sans pork brain, chili and the sizzling plate; wicked and deliciously served as an entrée with plain rice and steamed vegetables.

By the way, one of my favorite quick and easy recipes is quiló babi, which I posted ages ago (yummy, check it out). I was told it is similar to the older version of Kapampangan’s sisig babi.

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(Chocolate- Food for the Brain)

Sabi ng karamihan, ‘wag bigyan ng tsokolate ang mga bata. Makakasira ng ngipin, nakaka-hyper, nakaka-taba, etcetera at iba pa. Sa akin naman… OK lang yun. Para sa akin, masama lang naman ang isang bagay kung sobra.

Saka hindi kaya child abuse na yun pag pinigilan? (Hehehehe… joke lang po para sa mga kaaway ng tsokolate). Pero sino ba ang batang aayaw? Lalo pa at sa mga bagong pagsusuri, food for the brain daw ito. Mahusay sa memorya at tunay na nakaka-hyper ng ilang oras kaya maigi kainin habang nag-aaral o bago mag-exam.

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I have always thought that halo-halo – a popular dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice, fruits and what-nots - is something that only Filipinos have. But traveling through Asian countries, even living in one situated in the southeast and one in northern Asia, I have found out that mixing fruits and anything sweet with shaved ice definitely appeals to the Asian palate.

Halo-halo means ‘mix’. The usual ingredients or at least those that I like to get into my glass of halo-halo include mung beans, minatamis na saging na saba, nata de coco, kaong, macapuno, pinipig and sago, topped with ube and leche flan. Love it with lots of milk.

Then, there is air batu campur (pronounced ayir-batu-champur) or simply called ABC in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. Guess what air batu campur means? Air batu literally means ’stone water’ or ice and campur means… ‘mix’! Coincidence? It is also known as ais kacang – ais for ‘ice’ and kacang (pronounced ka-chang) meaning ‘beans’. Mung bean is a main ingredient, and so it is in our very own halo-halo. I tell you it’s very much similar to our famous dessert but with ingredients native to these countries and more to their palate.

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