Amazing Appetite: Dinagyang 2012 Edition

Iloilo City's biggest buffet event of 2011 is back and this time it goes with the drumbeats and revelry of Dinagyang 2012. Amazing Appetite 2: The Dinagyang Festival Edition is a gastronomic event to look forward to this coming Dinagyang as Ms Pauline Gorriceta Banusing brings four ultimate buffets in five different restaurants. For two days - January 20 and 21, 2012 pay only Php 595 and to avail of all these buffet's at AL DENTE Ristorante Italiano,STEP of Rome , 101 LUNA, FRESKA Ilonggo Seafood and MAKI Japanese Restaurant.

Foodie Passport during the 1st Amazing Appetite

Here's what's on the menu during this 2 days of food binge in these four restaurants - Hala Bira-Bira!

Maki : California Maki, Chef’s Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Dynamite Maki, Tuna Sashimi, Tempura Shrimps, Gyoza, Japanese Siomai, Chicken Teriyaki, Yakisoba, Beef Sukiyaki, Misono Rice, Pork Katsudon

Freska: Binagoongang Baboy, Kare-Kare Pata, Kadios-Baboy at Langka, Steamed Talaba, Grilled Diwal, Fried Lumpia Shanghai, Chicken Inasal, Grilled Stuffed Squid, Crispy Hito with Green Mango Salad, Ensaladang Langka, Krispy Kangkong, Pancit Molo and Native Halo-Halo Station

Al Dente: Salad Bar with Three Kinds of Dressings, Pasta Station with Five Kinds of Noodles and 5 kinds of Sauces, Five different kinds of Thin Crust Pizzas, Crepe Station with Gelato.

101 Luna: Italian Baby Back Ribs, Callos Madrilena, Oxtongue with Mushrooms , Paella,U.S. Roast Beef Station.

This is the best way to treat all your friends arriving from out of town and show them the Ilonggo Hospitality. Tickets available in all participating outlets starting January 9, 2012. Get an Amazing Appetite passport and you can get a free cocktail from Steps of Rome at Plazuela and Beer from Rooftop Brewery.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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