ang sinaing

the very first thing i learned is how to cook rice. i think i was like 8 years old when my lola allowed me to cook the sinaing. of course it is my lola who put the pot on the stove...

during those growing years, we don't have rice cooker, we used that "kaldero" a thick aluminum like heavy and with lid and handle. - bigat nga eh! and our measuring cup is the empty alaska milk can (wala pa ring tatalo sa alaska..) - the big one that is! so one can is one "gatang" to us ...

sabi da: wash the rice 2-3 times, then measure the water till the first line of the middle finger touching the top of the rice. well, sometimes, hilaw (uncooked), sometimes malata (mushy coz of too much water), eh it depends on the type of rice naman kasi ano!

if ang ulam namin eh with sabaw like sinigang or nilaga, i will always make some tutong - but not sunog na tutong ha! tapos agawan sa tutong - masarap kasi with the sabaw!

ayun, unang leksyon - ang sinaing.

pero ngayon, iba na lutuan nila ng sinaing. no, no rice cooker still - si bunsong kapatid ayaw kasi mahal daw kuryente so yung rice cooker andoon lang sa kahon sa kabinet! they are using that kaldero like double boiler - i forgot how they call that.. yun nga lang walang tutong!

menudo

the most requested dish sa handaan kahit dito sa dubai!

Mga sangkap:
½ kg. of beef ( I used rib-eye)
Soy sauce
Wescershire Sauce
Lemon juice
1 tbsp. garlic (minced)
1 onion, chopped (finely)
1 tetra pack tomato sauce
2 pcs. potatoes, cubed
2 pcs. carrots, cubed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small box raisin
1 medium can garbanzos
2 slices of beef liver – diced (or 1 small can liver spread)
1 bay leafsalt and pepper (to taste)


Paraan ng pagluluto:

Cut beef into squares. Marinate with soy sauce, weschershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Let stand at least one hour (or overnight is good if not in a hurry.)

When ready to cook, first place the marinated beef into a large pan and let boil for a few min. without adding water. Note when the meat gets hot, its natural juice will come out. When the juice is boiling, add a little water and let boil again for 3-5 min., remove from heat.

My Lola Orang call this “singkutsa” – I don’t know if this is the kapampangan term or a tagalog term for that, anyways, para daw maalis ang lansa….

Heat a large pan, add oil. When hot enough sauté the garlic, onion, when the onions are a bit cooked, scoop the meat from the pan and add to the garlic/onion and sauté for 5 min. Add the water from singkutsa and let boil for sometime. Note that this meat is tender so no need for long boiling…

Add the potatoes, cover for 2 min. Then add the carrots, cover again till 2 min. Check if the potato and carrots are almost half done, then add the tomato sauce. Reduce heat to low to allow the beef, potato and carrots seep the flavor of the tomato sauce. 2-3 min.

Add the liver spread, drained garbanzos, diced red/green bell peppers, raisins, and let simmer for few more minutes. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat…


Note:
1) di po ako mahilig mag-taste ng luto ko habang nagluluto kaya yung timpla eh according to your taste na lang po! nasarapan naman po sila! :)
2) most often than not - gamit ko po dito eh liver spread at maraming ayaw ng "fresh liver - atay".
3) mas masarap po ang menudo if prepared earlier kasi the flavours are infused na sa meat and veggies.

intro ...

after reading all those food blogs, i was enticed to do my own, not that i am boasting to know a lot of recipes, but just to be able to share the simple recipes i've learned during my growing days from my lola and nanay and others...

growing up with my lola, i learned to cook at a very young age, from watching her how to do it, first helping with the cutting of the vegetables, peeling of onions, garlic, etc. and with whatever i can lay my hands on.. just to be in the kitchen with her. from then on, i became her kitchen helper, but never the food taster! maybe this is why i sometimes do not taste what i am cooking?!?! my kid sister is the good taster, even today!

so now that I’m all grown up, I do my cooking simply from memories – kaya minsan, may kulang sa sangkap! ha ha ha .. :) but then again, my family and friends like/love my cooking (or napipilitan lang sila?!) just the same – let’s just have fun cooking!

halika na, luto na tayo !