Quote 105 - Seek

Quote 104 - Loving Arms

Food Trip 35 - Lapu-Lapu

Ever wondered why a lapu-lapu dish costs that much in restaurants?

The lapu-lapu meat is known for its excellent texture and flavor. A lapu-lapu dish is one of the favorites especially in Chinese restaurants.

I had a privilege to join a local community somewhere in Palawan where the source of livelihood of the locals is fishing. It was some sort of vacation/immersion and it was one good experience.

The businessmen in that local community maintain fish cages. These fish cages house the live catch of the prized lapu-lapu fish by the fishermen. The lapu-lapu fishes are feed and remain in the fish cages within the sea until they are nearly 3/4 or almost a kilo in weight. They said that those over a kilo are sold at a lower price. Once harvested, these fishes will be delivered to Manila or even exported to Hong Kong.

 I was told that a live lapu-lapu fish is very expensive in Manila. I was also oriented about the other species of lapu-lapu which they considered a "fake" or an "aswang." Thus, if one is unaware of it, he might be ordering a so-called "fake" lapu-lapu. And one more thing, if you are going to order a live lapu-lapu for your meal, have a keen observation of what you order and what is being serve on your table. You might be paying for a live lapu-lapu but the lapu-lapu on your plate might not be the one you ordered earlier. Hmmm. Fishy? Hehe.

Quote 103 - Purpose

Poem 35 - Blue Xmas

Quote 102 - Faith

Quote 101 - Loving Embrace

Food Trip 34 - Squash and Malunggay Patties

There are some kids and even adults that are not fond of eating vegetables.

One time, I was offered something to eat that had an enticing smell.  I got curious about the food and I readily gave it a try.  Some ingredients were unknown to me but its taste was good and it was a bit heavy on the stomach.

The raw squash is thinly sliced.  Together with malunggay leaves, the squash is then added with flour and egg and then formed into patties.  The patty is deep fried until it turns to golden brown.

For people who don’t eat vegetables, this food will definitely make them ask for more.

Quote 100 - True Believer

Poem 34 - Thank You

Quote 99 - Special

Quote 98 - Love

Food Trip 33 - Minatamis na Saging

Minatamis na saging is one dessert that anyone can practically prepare without much effort. You simply allow the water to boil, add a certain amount of sugar, and add the sliced ripe banana (saba). You may add a vanilla flavor to enhance its aroma and after some minutes, you can already eat your heart out.

I prefer to prepare this stuff if muscovado is available. Aside from being unadulterated, the syrup of muscovado is far better than any known commercial sugar. Its rich syrup brings a certain form of texture to the taste which is lacking in processed sugar. But others don't appreciate muscovado because of its strong sweet taste.

Minatamis na saging is a common ingredient in halo-halo and mais con hielo but it can be enjoyed as it is. Hmmm. I feel like I wanted a serving of this.

Quote 97 - Thankful Heart

Poem 33 - Pray

Quote 96 - Somebody

Quote 95 - Breathtaking

Food Trip 32 - Tuba

Bahal is a local wine equivalent to a red wine.  It comes from the trunk of the coconut tree where the coconut fruit grows.

During the early stage where the coconut trunk is ready to bear fruit, the trunk is tied and its tip is cut.  A small container is then placed underneath the trunk overnight.  The following day, the juice coming from the trunk fills the container.

In the Visayas region of the country, the gathered juice extract from the coconut tree is consumed right away.  But in some other areas, a preservative which is known locally as barok is added to the newly gathered juice extract so that it will not turn sour.  Afterwards, the solution is tucked in a place where it is left to age.  According to the locals, the older it gets, the better it tastes.

Quote 94 - Sweetest Thing

Poem 32 - Child

Quote 93 - Source of Joy

Quote 92 - Little Faith

Food Trip 31 - Fish Intestines

Since my growing up years, I come to love and appreciate fish intestines.  Of course, not all fish intestines are edible.  I am referring to the intestines of big fishes.

The common big fishes in our locality are tuna and salmon.  Whenever they are sold, they are being cut into slices which also include their intestines.  At times, these intestines are being sold separately. 

All the time, we prefer fresh fishes and that include their intestines.  Since I know how to prepare a fish dish, I am also particular how the fish intestines should be prepared.  The intestines should be opened first and using the blade of a knife, the inner walls of the intestines should be scrapped meticulously.  And in order to get rid of its smell, rubbing a good amount of salt on the cleaned intestines walls will do the trick.

A fried fish intestine is as good as its flesh but it tends to shrink once it is cooked.  I would prefer a dish with soup and it could be a plain pangat, sinabawan, or to a more lavish sinigang.

Quote 91 - Sweet Talks

Poem 31 - I Wish To Run To You

Quote 90 - Presence

Quote 89 - Light

Food Trip 30 - Chapchae

We were dining at Bonchon restaurant and my cousin was quite excited about this experience because it was her first time.  As always, she took her sweet time ordering something to eat and I gave her that moment.  She always has this appetite and asks so many questions before settling with what she thinks might satisfy her cravings.

We were already starting to eat and she kept glancing at a poster in a glass wall near our table.  She repeatedly stated that the food looked good.  Well, I cannot blame her because she is always adventurous when it comes to food and she loves Asian food.  And after a couple of minutes, she finally ordered the thing.

Chapchae, as they call it, is made from glass noodles.  It was my first time to see a glass noodle that thick because I happened to use only a Chinese vermicelli which is thinner compared with it.  Anyway, we were anticipating that order since we were already about to finish our food.  And right before our last bite, the order came.

I was not surprised at all about the appearance of chapchae because I use to prepare something similar at home.  Aside from the long strands of glass noodles, the other ingredients were somewhat too few and too small.  The very obvious one was the scrambled fried egg which was too small and hardly recognizable.  The other one were bits of chicken meat which were too small, likewise.  The rest of its ingredients are literally unknown to me and I did not ask about those things because they might be company secrets.  But what wowed me about chapchae is its odor.  The odor of the food is really very good.  I was trying to figure out the scent and may be they include an oyster sauce (which happened to be my favorite) in its preparation.  My cousin laughingly scolded me about smelling the food for sometime because I might be sending a wrong signal inside the restaurant.  But I said to her that I just could not help myself appreciating a good smelling food like that one.

And its taste?  I hardly finished a portion of that serving because I easily got satiated because it tastes sweet.  I was actually anticipating that it may taste spicy because it is an Asian food but I was wrong.  It was sweet and I usually don't appreciate a sweet dish like that one.

Quote 88 - Glorious Way

Poem 30 - Bless Me

Quote 87 - Flatter

Quote 86 - Being Together

Food Trip 29 - Crab Meatballs

In Divisoria, where people literally rub elbows with one another, street food are everywhere.  Everytime there are plenty of people, you may expect that food carts can be found along the sidewalk.

One time, I gave in to my appetite.  I just wanted to munch the big crab meatballs being o

Among the different food sticks, I just eyed on the crab meatballs.  Though I am already aware of its taste, I said to myself that I have to taste it again after a long haitus of crab meatballs.  I don't have problems or allergies with crabs.  It is just that for quite some time now, I don't have encounters with food containing crab meatballs.

May be that time, I just fancied on how it was prepared.  The claws of the crab were inserted on the tip of each meatballs which really caught my attention.  When it was cooked, it was simply deep fried in oil along with other stick goodies.  When it was served, the same confectionaries are offered depending on your taste. 

Since it is crab meat balls, the taste of the crab is still intact regardless of how it was cooked.

Quote 85 - Smile

Poem 29 - Shattered Reality

Quote 84 - Sing

Quote 83 - Romantic Fool

Food Trip 28 - Max's Pancit Lomi

I do not really have a big gusto over pancit lomi.  May be because from the past, all those pancit lomi I'd tasted were not that appealing to the taste.

One time, my cousin invited me to go out and the moment we were hungry, we went for a foodtrip.  Since it was already early evening, I opted for a rice meal while my cousin preferred a light meal.  She ordered a clubhouse together with pancit lomi. 

The serving of pancit lomi is good for two. Since the serving is too much for one person alone, I had no choice but to get some spoonfuls of pancit lomi.  And for the first time, I feel in love with pancit lomi.

When you visit Max's and you're looking for something hot to eat, their serving of pancit lomi will definitely make your day and worth every peso that you're going to spend.  The taste of their pancit lomi is definitely awesome and I can guarantee you that it will instantly become your favorite food.

Quote 82 - In Time

Poem 28 - When Evening Calls

Quote 81 - Feeling

Something Wonderful 27 - New Beginning

When we experience a 'dead end' in our existence, it is always wonderful to know that there is always a new beginning to look forward to.

A 'dead end' is such a dreadful sight and it is a scary reality when we fall into its abyss.  No one can really tell what lies within its depth and only the person experiencing its embrace can exactly tell what it's like to live in its fold.  If by chance you've been spared of this thing, lucky for you.  Because there is no telling if you have what it takes to find your way to the surface and accept the challenge of a new life, a new beginning.

May be, we have heard of the saying, 'As long as we breathe, we have to learn how to take charge of our own life and start anew. That despite how bad and hard we fall, we have to get up and give life another chance.'  After all, it is our life and before anyone can care for us, we have to take care of our own.

A new beginning is what we always desire when life takes a bad turn.  Perhaps, we might be wishing for a remote control or a refresh button for us to start all over again when life sucks.  Lucky for those who have several options to start all over again.  But when you actually have none to consider, you will definitely stay at the bottom of the abyss and wait for that moment when everything will be over.

And for those who simply refuse to give in to the embrace of the 'dead end', a new beginning is always a welcome opportunity to give life another chance to live and exist.  Once you are able to hurdle that first step and take control of yourself, there is no telling what you can do and what you will become afterwards.  

Quote 80 - Dream

Food Trip 27 - Suman

Every time there are special occassions such as new year, birthdays, all saints day, and xmas day, one will expect that there's always a family that will prepare suman.

Suman is a local delicacy made from sticky rice.  The sticky rice is cooked like an ordinary rice.  The coconut milk is then boiled until latik is formed.  Latik and oil are the results of boiling the coconut milk.  Once latik turns to golden brown, it is then removed from the pan. 

Muscovado is then added to the oil in the pan.  The muscado needs to be dissolved before addind the cooked sticky rice.  Once the sticky rice is added, it needs to be stirred vigorously in order to fully integrate the mixture of muscovado and coconut oil to the sticky rice.  The latik is then added as the toppings of this delicacy.

In our place, we oftentimes prefer to eat latik alone instead of topping it to suman.  It is good to the taste while latik is still hot.  Once latik becomes cold, it is no longer appealing to the taste.

Quote 79 - Compete

Poem 27 - Home

Quote 78 - Only Reason

Something Wonderful 26 - True Friends

I must say that I am blessed to have so many good friends in my lifetime.  Those I call and treat as friends as the ones that are already tried and tested.  Especially when I hit rock bottom,, they are there to support me without question nor reservation.  And they offer their best to lessen my burden, agony, and grief.

In this time where "friends" do come at the click of a button, only those that we learn to spend time  with and care about become the real ones.  In is like "investing" ourselves to them and learning to trust and love them.  It may be a rare find to have one in a thousand but they are the rarest of gems once we find them.  And the more we should treasure and take good care of
them as long as we live.

Quote 77 - Life

Food Trip 26 - Fried Chicken Skin

Fried chicken skin is one of the popular street food in the busy city streets of the country. 

Along with the growing population is also the demand for food.  Through time, the ingenuity of people about food is always surprising.  Who could have thought of raising a chicken purely made of skins? Haha

Kidding aside, the taste of crispy and tasty fried chicken skin cannot be questioned.  Anyone who is a meat lover will definitely give in to the temptation of fried chicken skin.  And with the growing number of vendors of this stuff, fried chicken skin becomes readily available at a reasonable price.

I, too, had my moments with this food.  A modest serving of rice or two, and an order of fried chicken skin made me survive a day with minimal spending.  Truly, it was a great help during those days when I was trying to make both ends meet.

But my glory days of enjoying the fried chicken skin was cut short because a friend of mine warned me about the ill effects of this food.  The cholesterol of her father who is also fond of this food rose to an alarming level.  It was scary because her father had to undergo some expensive medications.  Since I was afraid to suffer the same fate, I disassociate myself with this kind of food right away.