KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – PORK AND PINEAPPLE STEW

This is another recipe for baon that I got from CASA Veneracion…you may have noticed by now that I usually do recipes that would require some pre-cooking or even marinating overnight because I like how the flavors develop and become more infused into the meat if it lies in seasonings overnight. It saves me some time too when I pre-cook or pre-boil meat and let its flavors seep in. So that in the morning, I would have less to do for their breakfast/baon… and I can have more time to do more things around the house.

Just like this next dish I cooked this morning for the kids’ baon. I marinated the meat last night in some soy sauce and BBQ sauce (the actual recipe called for steak sauce but I did not have any e) Then, the next day I boiled the meat together with its marinade. In another pan, I sautéed some garlic, onions in butter, added some tomatoes until they softened. Afterwards, I poured the sautéed mixture into the pan with the boiling pork, added some salt and lots of pepper, lowered the heat and let the pork simmer for an hour until tender. When the meat is tender, I added the pineapple tidbits and the calamansi juice then let it simmer some more for another ten minutes. And voila! Another tasty and nutritious baon for my kiddos!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – CHICKEN A LA POBRE

This is another tasty dish from my favorite food blogger, Connie who has a website named CASA Veneracion (just check out the exact recipe at her website). It was also easy to do since I marinated the chicken overnight then the next day, I simply browned some garlic then removed the chicken from its marinade and fried the chicken in the same pan. After that, I removed some oil from the pan, let the reserved marinade boil then I returned the chicken pieces making sure each piece is rolled and covered in the sauce. When it was done, I placed half the chicken in a serving platter, the other half went to my daughter’s lunch box and topped with toasted garlic.

I also bought some for our lunch and my daughter and the hubby said that the flavor was good it’s just that the chicken was a bit tough to chew, I guess I overcooked the chicken… hehehe. Oh well, next time I know better and follow Connie’s instructions to just cook the chicken for only a few minutes each side. Or maybe I will try using chicken fillets next time. Here’s a pic of my chicken ala pobre. By the way, I googled the term a la pobre and though its Spanish translation means ‘poor’ this is definitely one dish that both rich and poor would surely appreciate. But Connie said that the term ala pobre is in reference to the cheaper cuts of meat that the dish ala pobre uses as opposed to steak cuts…so there, some trivia for us to know. Thanks again Connie!

ISDAAN FOR A BFF’S BIRTHDAY

It’s my best friend’s birthday today and lucky for me it fell on a Sunday so I was able to go ahead and visit her at her restaurant at Isdaan, Laguna (finally!) The restaurant had been operational for I think three years already but this shall be the first time that I will be visiting her there…in fact, she has two restos already. The first one is in Tarlac but sad to say, I haven’t been there yet (hehehe) I guess it’s just too far for me to come visit but I do hope that the next time I go to Baguio, I will definitely make it a point to visit her resto.


It was also a good thing that my eldest son was still in Manila and so he and his baby boy (my grandson) were able to come with us. Expectedly, the hubby got left behind the house as it was too far away for him to drive us…besides, we may be getting home late as the invitation was for dinner and so it was around 2pm when the kids and I met up with eldest and his baby boy at the DLTB bus terminal at Cubao, EDSA. Then, we had to wait a bit before the bus left because there was a shooting of a GMA 7 teleserye with Katrina Halili and so we also watched a bit of the shooting before the bus finally left.


The trip took us more than two hours and we finally arrived at Isdaan, Laguna at around 5 and the waiters were expecting guests for her birthday (but I guess not just this early!) and so we were led to the big nipa hut where her birthday boodle fight shall be held. The head waiter told us that ‘Maam’ will be out shortly. In the meantime, we savored the sights and had our pictures taken with the humongous statues that littered the restaurant – there were giant buddhas, a humongous King Kong, Shrek was also there plus a lot of other cartoon characters that would surely delight the kids. She took us on a personal tour of the place and showed us the lagoon where the kids (even adults) can go boating, the taksiyapo wall where she made us try breaking some dishes (for free!), the fishing bridge (where one can have an entire bucket of tilapia for free if he/she succeeds in crossing the teeny-weeny bridge) and the numerous other things that one can do while waiting for the food to be cooked.


After some time, a few other guests arrive, including her family (her sister/model, her mom and dad), the hubby’s children and his kids from his previous marriage, some of our friends in college (UP Manila), and some other friends/business associates. Then, the boodle fight started and we were all treated to all the gastronomical delights that the restaurant had to offer – there was chicken tinupig, pancit, inihaw na tilapia, grilled liempo and of course, lechon! The food was great and it was fun eating over banana leaves and engaging in a boodle fight with the others at our table.


The dinner and chikahan would have lasted way into the night but alas we had to go home early because my grandson was getting restless and there was work tomorrow. So we reluctantly bade goodbye at past nine and thankfully, the traffic was a bit less (although we had a bit of difficulty getting a ride home as there were no more buses passing thru Isdaan so we had to take a jeep to Calamba first). It was around 12 when we finally got home to our place in Bulacan, but I felt happy finally seeing my good friend again and thankful that the kids still take the time to spend with me in visiting my good friend. I sure hope that they would continue going with me in my future visits. It was good bonding like this with my kids…being with friends, sharing stories, while savoring the sights and flavors of Isdaan. Thank you dear friend…till next year!

MY TRAVEL BUCKETLIST

I guess I have grown tired of making yearly resolutions already…since I never get to accomplish most of them anyway. So this year, I decided to just make my very own TRAVEL WISH LIST OR A BUCKET LIST, so to speak. But this does not mean that I intend to accomplish all the travelling I want for 2014, oh no, I don’t think I have the budget for that. It would, in fact, go beyond 2014 since we all know how expensive it is to travel and it would be lucky for me if I get to strike off two places in my list every year. But then again I also realize that I am not getting any younger and so I have listed down the places I want to visit before I am too old and gray to enjoy anymore travelling. Next time maybe I will come up with another list of the ‘daredevil’ things I want to do before I am fifty…hehehe but for the meantime here’s the list:


1. I consider myself a beach/water person but surprisingly the first place on my list is a mountain – the Banaue Rice Terraces. It is already considered a World Heritage Site so all the more reason why we must go and visit and gaze in wonder at the magnificence that the early Igorots have made in the countryside of Banaue and Ifugao. I had hoped to do this maybe next year, when the weather is cool and hopefully take along the older ones with us even if the trip requires a bit of trekking. Anyway, they can always stay at the hotel because even there they can gaze at the magnificence of the terraces in the comfort of their own rooms. Relatedly, I also want to include in this item the town of Sagada in Mt. Province. Though I know visiting both places in one swoop would be far-fetched, I still want to take a peek at the famous Sagada hanging coffins someday, even if it will be a different trip altogether.


2. Next place I want to visit, or maybe rather re-visit is Coron, Palawan. I had been there before way back in 200? But only with the hubby with the FAS for their teambuilding and the utter serenity and beauty of the lakes just made me want to go back again and again and take my kids with me, of course. But this would entail a lot of money as the island hopping tours are even higher than that of Puerto Princesa so I guess we all need to pool resources on this in order to make this dream happen.


3. The third place is one I consider close to my heart – the place of my dad’s birthplace and one place (aside from Baguio) that I frequented as a teenager – Cebu. There is another reason why I want to take my family there, so that they would be able to immerse themselves in the Visayan culture and way of life and get to know the people I have found dear and whom I consider my second family there. Besides, the beaches there are just divine and the food too! I just wish that when the time comes, I can have Mike there with us, as our tour guide to show us around.


4. The fourth place I want to go to (again!) is Davao. I have been there (I think) in 2008 but that was a working visit so I never really got to savor everything that Davao had to offer and so if there was one province that I want to take my kids in Mindanao region – Davao is it! I intend to take them to see the Philippine Eagle and maybe, if possible, have a peek at the majestic Mount Apo, our country’s highest mountain.


5. The fifth place on my list is one I have not yet been to but the place just beckons to me with its clear blue-green waters and like the fish that I am…I just seem to have no choice but be hypnotized by its awesome beauty – the Caramoan Islands of Bicol. I know the place had already achieved international recognition after being featured (not just once) in the Survivor series but I still hope it remains pristine as it is and not as commercialized and crowded (like Boracay)


6. The next is a place the family and I have actually been to when the kids were still young, way back in 2005 (I think) but at the time the kids were still small (Keith was 10 and Kaye was just three years old)…so I think they do not truly appreciate then the rich heritage that Ilocos had to offer. On that future trip, I intend to take them to as far up as Pagudpud (like we also did the last time) and take in as many local sites as possible including another World Heritage site Vigan, the historical city known for its Calle Crisologo, Paoay church, the Malacanang of the North, Batac, former Pres. Marcos burial/tomb, and new ones we weren’t able to visit like Chavit’s Baluarte, among others.


7. Another place that I want to visit is Batanes…although I know this would cause quite a considerable dent in the pocket since the airfares alone is not something to scoff at (10K each person, last I heard). But still, the place is breathtaking (in photos at least) and one that I also wish to bring my family to if not just to savor the sights but also the taste of its rich cuisine.


8. Another place on my bucket list is Romblon, yup that place of marble fame although that is not exactly all they are famous for – they have marvelous beaches and amazing caves…definitely a place I would want to visit. I just wish they would address the security concerns of the place because I heard that tourists who go there are not exactly satisfied with the brand of hospitality that they receive.


9. Up next on my list is the mystical island of Siquijor, nope it is not because of the proliferation of ‘ghostly spirits’ that I want to go there…partly lang siguro but the main reason is that Ateng (my father’s kasambahay) hails from that place and she had long been inviting us to visit her house which is just a stone’s throw away from the beach…how is that for being cool! Huh! Maybe we just might take her up on that invitation someday!


10. Lastly, of course, I also want to visit someday the overhyped beaches of Boracay. But not during summer…maybe when the place is not teeming with crowded tourists. I hate it already when a place becomes so commercialized that going there becomes a nightmare and totally un-enjoyable…so yes I still will go to Boracay but not to party like most tourists do…but to enjoy the fine white sands and explore the pristine beaches and fun activities that the place had to offer.

Ok so that’s it for now… I guess I’ll just add/update the list as more places crop up. After all, our country is made up of 7,100+ beautiful islands to explore. Next time, I’ll probably make another list of foreign destinations naman…