Do the grind

When Jenny mentioned that she needed to get some black pepper, I seized the chance to pitch for whole over her usual pre-ground.

“Is there a difference?”

“Only a world of it.”

Cold comfort

After several days of wet and gloom, the sun finally came out. Not a day too soon, too, or I would have had to start opening cans to feed the family.

No more slime

I try to keep an open mind about ingredients that normally don’t appeal to me. Litób (blood cockles), okra, alugbati (Malabar/vine spinach): they’re slimy, a texture I am averse to. Still, I try to find ways of cooking them that minimizes that undesirable aspect. Failing that, as with litób — eh, too bad; at least I gave it a shot.

The problem with polonchay

I have on occasion been chided for cooking with ingredients that are not available locally (or even in the broader domestic market). The implication being that I have no business sharing recipes with “ordinary” cooks here at home whose kitchens are not as well stocked.

Great scapes

Mention garlic and everybody knows what it is: a bulb, with individual cloves, pungent, and oh-so-good (for those into it, anyway, because I know some who can not abide this spice).

Cheeky delight

The one item that keeps me coming back to the local barbecue plaza is grilled pork cheeks. For ₱5 a stick, you get three or four flimsy slices of fatty jowl generously basted with sweet banana ketchup. I can easily finish ten sticks in one sitting and call that a happy meal. Too happy, in fact, that at times I can not wait for the barbecue plaza to open and so make my own at home.

Fish of the month

It was the day after Christmas and pickings were lean at the fish market, which made these creatures stand out all the more.

Crispy all the way

Traffic worsens whenever fish vendors make an impromptu market of the corner sidewalk in front of Andok’s. The area is at the heart of the commercial district. We parked the car in hazard mode, hoping the traffic aides would understand: it had been a good long while since we had seen bolináw.

Just do it

A torrential rain fell as we were having dinner. I thought, There goes tomorrow’s fish. Earlier that afternoon, we had checked out the Bato market a town away as there was nothing locally but mackerel tuna and milkfish, only to find more of the same there. Worse, the tuna looked like they had spent too much time in the icebox.

See you in December

“Here he is. Looking for balisa’a?”

“You bet — where?”

“Not today. I can bring some tomorrow.”

“So they’re not out of season or anything like that?”