FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

There are many ways of cooking adobo - be it pork, chicken or vegetables. And the recipes varies from region to region and even household to household. One of the variation of this favorite Pinoy recipe is  using achuete (annatto) to give a distinct flavour, color and aroma making it more visually appealing and of course more delicious. Here's a recipe for Pork Adobo with Achuete and one can tweak this recipe to suit his own taste and/or with the availability of ingredients especially those with limited sources. First, marinate the pork cubes in vinegar, atchuete mix (achuete powder, water and cooking oil), garlic, soy sauce (just a little bit), laurel leaves, pepper corn and salt . Set aside for at least an hour In a pan, sauté the garlic, onions and ginger then add pork (separated from the marinade and set aside) and stir-fry until light brown. In you're making a big recipe, try to fry the pork in batches to ensure uniform frying/browni...

The disreputable Adobo Ilonggo, a popular meal not only among Ilonggos but Filipinos from all walks of life, has come under fire from fellow culinary treats in Iloilo for conduct unbecoming, gross misrepresentation, etc. The legendary La Paz Batchoy , whose exploits and reputation has long surpassed the boundaries of Iloilo, has lodged a complaint with the Iloilo Culinary Association’s Board of Governors (ICABOG) saying that Abodo Ilongo has disgraced Iloilo Cuisine. “Adobo’s recent behavior is bringing disrepute to Ilonggo food and the people that love them unconditionally,” Mr. Batchoy said. Mang Inasal , ICABOG chairman, said Adobo Ilonggo, if found guilty of the charges, will suffer the penalty of prison correctional (being relegated to the kitchen, for the minor offense), or prison mayor for the major offense, which means cancellation of membership and a total ban from the franchise and other association member outlets. Here’s a litany of charges against Adobo Ilonggo: ●...

Now I'm back to my (un)usual food experimenting self. Without much thought, I just mixed bottled kimchi, left over lechon and pork adobo, added some tomato catsup and got this very appetizing mix of rice, meat and vegetables. I just "chopped" the kimchi a bit to have little strips of this Korean delicacy easy to eat. Both the lechon and pork adobo were also "stripped" to have a continuous eating experience - no need to cut, slice or wrestle with it. But I guess secret of having this appetizing mix is I mix them all with bare hands that each flavour easily infused and gave me something new to experiment more on next time.  Namit! Masarap! Now how'd you say delicious in Korean?