Recipes From Central Luzon – Region III

Central Luzon comprises of six provinces: Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales, in central Luzon island. In terms of cuisine, it would appear from the list above that Pampanga has the edge in having its savory delights advertised and enjoyed not only locally but globally wherever a perceptible presence of Filipinos can be felt. Even Daly City in Northern California boasts of its own Pampango cuisine restaurant and other uniquely Pampango food products lining the shelves of ethnic grocery stores.


PAKSIW NA PATA WITH BEER

1 large pork pata, sliced
1 cup beer
½ cup dried banana blossoms, cleaned and soaked
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small laurel leaf
Oregano leaves
½ cup vinegar
Salt, soy sauce and pepper to taste
6 pieces saba banana, fried
Brown sugar to taste

Clean pata and place in deep saucepan. Add beer and enough water to cover and cook until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except bananas and continue cooking. Add bananas and simmer for 5 minutes more. Six servings.


PANCIT GUISADO PAMPANGO

¼ cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 pieces tokwa, cut into cubes
¼ kilo pork, lean, cut into cubes
¼ kilo shrimps, shelled
½ cup shrimp juice
½ cup atsuwete extract
Patis, salt and pepper for seasoning
¼ kilo cabbage, cut finely
Kintsay
¼ kilo bihon, soaked briskly in water
1 teaspoon, minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Green onions
½ cup finely cut kamias
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

Heat oil, sauté 1 teaspoon garlic. Add fried tokwa & pork, shrimp and shrimp juice. Season with patis, salt and pepper. Cover and allow to boil. Add cabbage and kintsay and cook for 1 minute. Add bihon and cook until done. Remove from fire. In another skillet sauté the rest of the minced garlic in a little oil until brown, add green onions and kamias. Sprinkle over cooked pansit. Garnish with hard-cooked eggs. Six Servings.


KAMANIANG

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon sliced onion
½ cup sliced tomatoes
½ cup shrimps, shelled
1-1/2cups shrimp juice
1-1/2teaspoons salt
Dash of pepper
2 cups cut squash fruit
1 cup cut kamaniang (sitaw) (2” lengths)

Sauté garlic, onion, tomatoes and shrimps. Cook 2 minutes and add shrimp juice. Season with salt and pepper. Let boil. Add squash fruit and sitaw. Cook 10 minutes. Six servings.


BINAGIS

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoons sliced onion
1 cup sliced boiled pork
1 cup cubed pork liver
¾ cup sliced boiled pork heart
¼ cup sliced oiled pork kidney
1 cup broth
1/3 cup vinegar
1-1/2teaspoons salt
½ cup red sweet pepper strips

Sauté garlic, onion, pork, liver, heart and kidney. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add broth, vinegar and salt. Boil and add sweet pepper. Cook 5 minutes longer. Serve hot. Six servings.


PINATISAN

½ cup sliced cleaned & cooked small intestines (2” lengths)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 slices lean pork
½ cup sliced pork liver
¼ cup vinegar
2 tablespoons patis
½ cup meat broth

Turn small intestines inside out and rub with salt. Rinse well with water. Boil 2 cups water and add small intestines. Cook over low heat for one hour until tender. Heat cooking oil and brown garlic. Mix in small intestines, pork and liver. Add vinegar, patis and ½ cup meat broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Serve hot. Six servings.


TALANGKA SOUP

30 pieces talangka
3 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon sliced onion
¼ cup sliced tomatoes
Patis to taste
2 pieces kamias
¼ kilo fresh miki
Green onions and kintsay for garnishing

Wash talangka very well. Extract aligi and set aside. Pound talangka shells until fine. Add water. Strain. Boil stock & set aside. Sauté onion, tomatoes and aligi; season with patis and add to the soup stock. Add kamias and cook until tender. Take out kamias and mash with a little stock. Strain and add to the soup stock. Boil. Add miki and cook 3 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with green onion and kintsay. Serve hot. Six servings.


MIKI WITH MUNGGO SPROUTS

2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 segments garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sliced onion
1 cup sliced boiled pork
1 cup munggo sprouts, sorted and washed
½ cup sliced tokwa
½ cup sliced petsay
½ cup sliced cabbage
½ kilo fresh miki
Soy Sauce to taste

Heat cooking oil. Sauté garlic, onion and pork. Add munggo sprouts, simmer, then ad tokwa. Season with soy sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. Add petsay and cabbage. Cook for 2 minutes. Add miki. Cook 3 minutes more. Serve hot. Six servings

A Photo Essay: Cagayan de Oro From Atop

Above the irritating din of both human and vehicular traffic, and the dank air at ground level cooked by a blistering sun, one can view a familiar city differently. Where the relative ages of building structures are clearly brought out by rusted GI sheets, and also their liberal use of timber materials as compared with the more modern use of concrete, steel structures, and more storeys.