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