Inihaw na Bangus

When I was still a little girl and my grandparents are still alive this food is one of those always present when our family go swimming in the nearby Lido Beach Resort every summer. Now all are just part of my wonderful memories... my grandparents already passed away ages ago and the beach is already polluted.

Inihaw na Bangus is Grilled milkfish stuffed with chopped tomatoes and onions. Served with a dipping sauce composed of soy sauce and calamansi juice.

Ingredients:
1 large milkfish
2 onions, chopped finely
5 tomatoes, chopped finely
1 tbsp salt

Procedure:
Clean milkfish but do not scrape scales. With a sharp slit back to make an opening up to the stomach. Wash and sprinkle salt. Mix onions and tomatoes together. Season with salt. Stuff in milkfish. Grill on hot charcoal for 1/2 hour.

Milkfish can be wrapped in banana leaves and foil before grilling for additional flavor.

Dipping sauce : soy sauce with calamansi juice

Camaron Rebusado

Camaron Rebusado is the shrimp tempura dish of the Philippines. Deep fried battered shrimps served with sweet chili sauce. This is one of my all time favorite shrimp dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo shrimps
calamansi juice
salt

For the batter:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs (medium size)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup water

Procedure:
Wash and remove shell of the shrimps. Remove head but leave tail intact. Cut a slit on the back. Marinate in salt, and a few drops of calamansi juice. Set aside.

Mix all batter ingredients until smooth.

Dip shrimps in this dough and drop one by one in boiling oil. If you want ‘double-size’ shrimps, after cooking halfway, dip again in dought and fry. Hold shrimps by the tail while dipping (first step) to be able to to take it out in oil and coat again with dough.

Serve with sweet sour sauce or soy sauce with calamansi juice.


Sweet & Sour Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 1/2 cup water
dash of salt

Procedure:
Blend sugar, salt, ketchup and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir in the cornflour mixture. Continue simmering until sauce is thick, stirring occasionally.

Remember this?

Old Cavite City Check Point

Tony's Bakery and old San Roque Parish Church

The San Roque Parish Church is under renovation for more than a decade now. I can't understand up to now why it has to be renovated into this tall and huge structure when all that is needed to be fixed in the old structure is the flooring and altar which badly needs elevation. Also noticed instead of finishing the altar first which is the most sacred part of the church what they are finishing and kept on renovating for so many times is the dormitory like structure at the back of the church which house the we all know who.


Cine Perla
One of the most popular movie theater in Cavite City. I remember movie stars visiting this theater to promote their films. It is also known for its architectural design but sadly this landmark was burned last 1994. What is left now is a vacant lot whose fence are occassionally hanged with promotional streamers.

Palutang

Palutang or more popularly known as palitaw in the Philippines is one of the staple native merienda.

Made from malagkít (sticky rice) washed, soaked, and then ground. The batter is scooped and dropped into boiling water where they float to the surface as flat discs which are then dipped in grated coconut and presented with a separate dip of sugar and toasted sesame seeds.

Ingredients:
2 cups malagkit (rice flour)
1 cup water
grated coconut
sugar
sesame seeds, toasted (optional)






Procedure:
Combine rice flour and water. Blend thoroughly. With floured hands, shape dough into egg-size ovals. Flatten with thumb.

In a casserole of boiling water and drop palutang one by one. Scoop out as soon as they float. Roll in grated coconut. Serve at once with sugar mixed with toasted sesame seeds.

Biernes Santo Procession 2010

Eversince I was a child it has been a family tradition to join the Good Friday procession. This is the first time I took photos of the procession.


Beautifully flower adorned karos


St.Peter... St.Mary Magdelene...





Over the years sadly in my observation the Catholic procession became more and more disorganized because of undisciplined people who keeps on walking along the side to overtake. Imagine you start the procession in front and you end up last unless you overtake too lol I also notice that fewer and fewer people and children line-up the street now a days to watch the procession a clear sign of the changing times.





Happy Easter !

Bacalao

Bacalao is a popular salted cod fish dish present in every Caviteñean house every Lenten season most especially on Good Friday. This is one the many dish we inherited from the Portuguese galleon traders that pre-dates Spanish occupation.

This is our version at home of the popular Spanish dish made of dried fish.

Ingredients:

2 big pieces bacalao (dried salted cod) or, as substitutes, dried salted lapu-lapu or barracuda (about 5 cups or more of shredded fish)

1 cup olive oil
4 large potatoes, cut to small cubes
1 head garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups garbanzos (chick peas), cooked
4 red bell peppers, diced
atchuete oil
laurel leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Soak the bacalao overnight. Drain. Flake fish, discarding bones.

Fry fish flakes in olive oil. Fry the potatoes to golden brown. Set aside. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Pour in atchuete oil and one cup water, and bring to a boil. Add the fish, garbanzos, peppers and laurel leaves, stirring. Then put in the fried potatoes. Add more olive oil, if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot rice.

Note: Some Caviteños add chopped cabbage as extenders. Others use tomato sauce for color rather than achuete oil.

Best paired with : Green Mango

Bacalao is also eaten as palaman for hot pandesal.

Via Crusis 2010

Via Crusis is an annual cultural tradition wherein the fourteen station of the cross is re-enacted live by the Caviteños. This tradition which started in Cavite City was staged for the first time on Holy Tuesday of 1974. It was in response to the challenge of the late parish priest, Msgr. Baraquiel E. Mojica of San Roque, Cavite City to create a venue for a more meaningful celebration of the Holy Week.

This tradition is held now every Holy Wednesday from late afternoon until evening but even its held every year don't expect it to be an organized event (magulo siya at medyo nakakahilong sundan) I'm not familiar how the parish church chooses who will portray who every year but anyway here's a glimpse of the Via Crusis yesterday.

Second station of the cross at the Thirteen Martyrs Monument at PN.

Jesus and the Jews walking along Zulueta street.

Third and fourth station of the cross at Manuel Rojas Elementary School and San Roque Parish Church respectively.



My dream for this tradition is to turn it into a school event. Once every 5 years all participants will be college students of different schools in Cavite City. I'm sure that would be more interesting but of course it's just a dream ^_^