FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

The easiest way to cook shrimps is halabos -  just boil in salt and water until almost dries up. It's perfect with your dip of choice like toyomansi or just a good eaten on its own. With this kind of simple cooking, many decided to complicate it a bit for some challenge thus born one of the most popular halabos recipe which uses lemon soda like 7Up or Sprite instead of water. And the experiment continues... Here's one of those more "complicated" recipe but still very easy to do even for first time cooks. Ingredients 1 kilo shrimps (big ones like the ones used in sinigang) 1 minced garlic 1 500-ml bottle 7-Up (or Sprite) 2 tbsp Calamansi/Lemon juice Salt Pepper Sesame Oil Procedure Wash and clean the shrimps. Use scissors to remove excesses (antennae, legs,etc) In a pan, place the shrimps then add the 7-Up, garlic and calamansi/lemon juice. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Heat the pan and let it boil until almost dry. Be sure to s...

I know you want one, especially that one in middle which is obviously burnt. I got these from a local bakeshop here in town and for less than PhP 10 a piece, it brings back the gastronomic memories of yesteryears. I remember it to be a favorite childhood treat - something you get as a reward for being good or just as pasalubong. Now, it still is a treat but more on bringing back the taste memories and sharing others too.  Short Stop Bakery here in Santa Barbara, Iloilo makes two varieties, this yellow one and one that is sort of very light brown.  But still both variants taste the same and we still fight over the burnt ones. Other places where these are available aside from the "neighbourhood" bakeries are Tinapayan at The Atrium and St. Paul's Bakery along Valeria Ext. But surely there could be more ...