bago ko makalimutan...

busy kami nitong mga nakaraang araw kaya ngayon ko lang kayo nasulatan. i just want to say thank you for a great year with each and every one of you, kahit minsan ay nagiging saksi kayo sa ka-kupalan ng personalidad ko. two years ago, ang lungkot ng holidays ko dahil sa break-up. last year i was still in "recovery mode." but this year was different - i met and made new friends and i was able to go to beautiful places - who knows what's in store next year?

i want to thank you all for the moments, the memories and the friendships we made along the way. sana madagdagan pa ang mga magagandang memories - i'll just be a text / instant / personal message away kung kailangan ninyo ng kausap, clown, tanggero or kusinero.

i don't want this to be too melodramatic na pang-MMK, so i will just end this by wishing that sana, lahat tayo ay magkaroon ng makabuluhang holidays sa taong ito at sa mga susunod pa. here's to being part of each other's lives. cheers!

at siyempre, dapat may kiss sa dulo. *mwah* =o)

(salamt kay Bb. Joyce Cairo at Bb. Cher Vinluan at kay Sky dahil napa-gwapo nila ako dito sa picture na ito)

Chicken and Pork Adobo

Description:
they say that there are plenty of ways to cook adobo, and each method is deemed as "the way." i'm not interested in any debates, though. this recipe isn't my idea (it's actually nanay's), i just tweaked the way to cook it to suit my taste. i couldn't take a decent picture even if my life depended on it, so you just have to take my word that this dish tastes decent.

Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken (the parts depend on you/your preference, but i'd use every part)
1 kilo pork (liempo or kasim, or both - as long as there's fat and skin)
garlic
onions
pepper
laurel/bay leaves
soy sauce
vinegar
cooking oil

Directions:
marinate your chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, garlic and onions - the dosage of the condiments depends on your taste - and seal in a zip-lock bag and put in your freezer overnight (but letting it stay for an additional day won't hurt either). do the same for your pork. in a big frying pan, heat up some cooking oil and saute a lot of garlic and onions, and then add your laurel/bay leaves (two big ones will do) and some pepper. add your pork along with the marinade, and cook in medium heat for about 10 minutes. add your chicken and its marinade and cook for another 10 minutes or until you notice the chicken fat rise in your liquid. remove your pork from the liquid and strain. do the same for your chicken. let them drain separately and set the liquid aside. you can skim the fat from the liquid and store that fat in a separate container, as this is good for garlic fried rice, gravy or what-have-you. heat up some oil again, and this time, fry your pork until brown. add your chicken and cook until brown. add more garlic and onions and keep sauteeing. season with pepper and keep sauteeing. season with soy sauce and vinegar, stir some more and then add about 4-6 cups of the liquid you've set aside earlier. simmer in medium to low heat until the liquid is reduced and the meat is tender. eat to your heart's content afterwards.

paintings and portraits in ACDSee (a.k.a. nag-aadik sa pag-eedit)

wala lang akong magawa sa kwarto nito kaya nag-decide akong kunan ang sarili ko habang nagkakalikot sa acoustic guitar, bass at electric guitar ko. yung sub-title in pharentheses nga pala ay idea ni Joyce kasi nabanggit ko sa kanyang na-wili ako sa pag-eedit ng mga ito using ACDSee, na unang in-introduce sa akin ni Archie - na friend namin ni Abet. kaya ayun, pa-tweak-tweak lang ng mga kulay, pa-oil painting filter here and there, at ito na ang kinalabasan. wala naman akong pine-play na partikular na piyesa o kanta, pakala-kalabit lang ng mga kwerdas at pa-tipa-tipa hanggang pumutok ang mga kalyo sa sakit. magkakaibang araw pala kinunan ang mga ito - yung pics with the acoustic guitar nung birthday ko (nov. 27, 2008, thursday), tinitipa ko lang yung "Panaginip" ng POT tapos yung isang chord pattern na matagal ko nang nilalaro pero wala namang pamagat, at saka mga generic na blues scale na hindi ko alam kung tama nga ang notes. na-realize ko na mahirap palang magpa-antok kapag busog na busog ka - nag-Mang Jimmy's kasi kami nung ilan kong officemates bago ako umuwi. sabi din nila na kapag hindi ka raw makatulog, baka may nag-iisip sa iyo - na hindi ko naman alam kung totoo nga sa kaso ko dahil i have no way of knowing. oh well, off-topic naman yun...

yung mga pictures naman with the bass ay kinunan nung november 30, 2008, sunday, bandang hapon na. kasi nga naman, nalasing ako the night before kasi binisita ako ng ilang mga kaibigan. iba't ibang moods din kasi ang naipahiwatig ko nung araw na iyon, from the tearfully melancholic [dahil may naalalang tragic two years ago] to the nervously euphoric [dahil may tumawag na kaibigan na hindi ko in-expect - yung friend ko sa "angelic" entry ko, si Anne]. before shooting pala, pinag-tripan kong pagkain ay yung dala nina Dhang na leche flan-filled eggs at yung dalang balut ni Terence - na, as i expected, ay panalo sa sarap. nang medyo mapagod ako, nagpasya akong matulog muna.

pag-gising ko nang mga bandang 10:30 ng gabi, kumain ako nung natirang adobo from the previous night's celebration at binawasan ang Pepsi Max na nasa ref. habang kumakain ako, nag-text si Anne at nangangamusta sa naging araw ko. sabi ko, ayun nga, kumakain ako nung ulam kagabi at saka mag-mamatamis pagkatapos - eh kasi itinabi ko sa isang lalagyan yung ginawang leche flan ng Mommy ni Jhen at dinala ni Jhen nung sabado. naubos ko yung kalahati, i.e., bale isang llanera kasi 2 yun eh - kasi ang tamis niya eh. salamat po ulit sa pasalubong =). tapos, nagkwentuhan lang kami ni Anne nang konti sa text tapos natulog na siya kasi napagod maghapon - birthday naman kasi nung Nanay ng boyfriend niya kaya medyo naging busy siguro. since kagigising ko nga lang at palibhasa'y wala namang pasok ng lunes, nagpaka-adik na ako sa pagkuha ng litrato habang tinitipa ang aking ever-reliable na RJ Strat. hay naku, siguro kung talentado lang talaga ako, baka may napala ako sa pag-gigitara kahit papaano - pero hindi eh, kahit anong praktis eh nangingibabaw pa rin ang tunog-garahe mentality ko. madaling-araw na ako natapos nito, tapos last week ay in-edit ko silang lahat. wala, nag-outlet lang ako dito, i guess. madami pa rin akong iniisip, at madaming bagay pa ring nag-re-rent ng space sa utak ko, 'ika nga nila - mga bagay na dapat hindi ko na iniisip, pero for some reason ay bumabalik-balik pa rin sa kamalayan ko, especially on bad or rough days. siguro nga, some things take a while to get over with - i'm roughly 80-85% over that "something," and maybe in time i'll be completely over it. 'ika nga ng mga katotong ka-inuman: "to the wounds that never heal..." , to which i candidly reply:

"to my one million pesos from Eddie Gil." - rhyme pa rin naman eh.

yung mga captions, sa mga kanta ko hiniram, gaya ng "Thinking About You" ng Radiohead, "Out of My Head" ng Fastball, "Freedom" at "Bullet in the Head" ng Rage Against The Machine, "Di Mo Lang Alam" at "Diwata" ng Indio I, at saka dun sa tula kong "purple". and then i end this album with a quote from blues legend Buddy Guy, as i've been having them blues lately, to be honest with you.

oh well, maybe this too, will pass.

chili-garlic oil

Description:
this is quite self-explanatory, i guess. you could use this to top your congee / tokwa't baboy combo, as part of your barbecue marinade / basting mixture, as: 1) a spicy dip by itself or perhaps: 2) mixed with mayonnaise (for chips, etc.), 3) ketchup (for fried chicken), 4) toyomansi (for siomai), 5) toyo / suka / sibuyas combo (your generic tokwa't baboy sauce), or maybe for 6) spaghetti or caldereta to give them an additional kick. be creative, try it on anything as much as possible. well, don't try it on your eyes, because you'll be screaming like hell afterwards.

Ingredients:
1/4 kilo of fresh red chili (siling labuyo), stems removed
1/2 kilo of garlic, peeled
1.5 liters of canola oil or ordinary cooking oil

Directions:
grind your garlic in a food processor or blender for a few seconds, or until the texture is to your liking, and then set aside. do the same for your fresh chili. heat your 1.5 liters of oil in a wok or frying pan that's big enough for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes or until you see slight traces of smoke rising. turn off the heat and then add your ground chili afterwards. be careful, as the oil may spill over if it's too hot, or the fumes could burn your skin/eyes if you're too close. stir constantly without heat and after 2 minutes, put your pan in low heat. keep stirring for about 5 minutes and then increase your heat to medium. keep stirring for about 1 minute, then turn your heat to low. stir continuously, and then increase your heat to medium after one minute, and then to high after another minute. add your garlic and keep stirring. after about 30 seconds, lower your heat to medium. keep stirring for 5 minutes on medium to low heat. increase your heat from medium to high in the next two minutes, just be cautious not to burn your chili and garlic. keep stirring for a couple of more minutes until your garlic is brown and crisp. remove from heat and let it cool before storing it in a stainless steel container. you could use an old ice cream tin half gallon, if you have one. just make sure it's clean and dry.

Baked Tahong / Sizzling Adobong Tahong

Description:
this can be a main dish or pulutan, depending on your preference. i'll be dicussing the version i prepared last November 29, 2008 as well as other variations/twists to this dish. the photo was taken by my friend, Cher Vinluan. thanks, Cher. =)

Ingredients:
buttered/sauteed version:

4 kilos tahong (mussels), cleaned
ginger, sliced into thin strips
4 tbsps. cooking oil
1 cup water
6 tbsps. butter or margarine
garlic, finely chopped
salt
pepper
a few pcs. fresh red chili or 2 tsps. chili-garlic oil (optional)
1 small bar of cheese

adobo/sizzling version:

4 kilos tahong (mussels)
ginger, sliced into thin strips
4 tbsps. cooking oil
1 cup water
6 tbsps. pork lard
garlic, finely chopped
red onion, coarsely chopped
salt
pepper
soy sauce
vinegar (plain or spiced, whichever you prefer)
2 pcs. fresh chopped green chili or 2 tsps. chili-garlic oil (whichever you prefer)
1 small bar of cheese


Directions:
for the buttered/sauteed version:

put the 4 tbsps. of cooking oil in a pan big enough to contain your mussels. saute your ginger for a few seconds and then add the mussels and water. cover your pan and let the mussels simmer until they open up. remove them from the fire and then let them cool down a bit. aftewards, remove the mussels from their shells and set them aside. in a heated pan, put your butter or margarine (whichever you prefer) and saute your garlic until golden brown. add the mussels and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. cook them for about 4-5 minutes and then set them aside. grate about half of the cheese at the bottom of your baking pan or dish, and then arrange the mussels on top. do not include the excess liquid in the pan/dish. grate the rest of the cheese on top of the mussels and then bake until the cheese melts. serve and enjoy afterwards.

for the baked adobo/sizzling adobo version:

put the 4 tbsps. of cooking oil in a pan big enough to contain your mussels. saute your ginger for a few seconds and then add the mussels and water. cover your pan and let the mussels simmer until they open up. remove them from the fire and then let them cool down a bit. aftewards, remove the mussels from their shells and set them aside. in a heated pan, put your pork lard and saute your garlic and onions. saute until the garlic is brown and the onions are transluscent. add the mussels and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. cook them for about 4-5 minutes and then season them with your soy sauce and vinegar. simmer until your liquid is reduced, and then add the chili. set your adobo aside. grate about half of the cheese at the bottom of your baking pan or dish, and then serve your adobo on top. grate the rest of the cheese on top of the adobo and then bake until the cheese melts. serve and enjoy afterwards.

OR

you can just serve it on a sizzling plate with some onions, cheese and more chili. the dosage is all up to you.

as i've said earlier, this could be your main dish or pulutan, depending on your preference. personally, i'd enjoy as a variation of our "-silog template" or just gorge on it while having ice-cold red horse, san mig, or my old school lambanog, Quezon style.

nga pala...

para sa mga nagpunta sa tahanan namin nung Sabado, November 29, 2008 para sa aking post-30^th birth anniversary celebration / kainan / inuman / kwentuhan / harutan, gusto ko lang magpasalamat from the bottom of my banana heart. masaya ako at nakapunta kayo – alam ko namang mga busy tayong lahat kaya let me tell you how much i appreciate that you gave me your time and effort on that night.

 

sana eh maging annual event ito sa mga calendars ninyo. mabuti at nasarapan din kayo sa mga niluto namin nina Kuya at Nanay, tradisyon na kasi sa amin na busugin ang mga bisita/tropa na dumadayo sa amin. hayaan ‘nyo, next year baka may take-out pa lahat – yung mga “suki” na kasi sa bahay (gaya nina “A”, “F”, at “K”) ay may kanya-kanyang “loot bag” everytime manggagaling sa amin. pati nga si Kuya natuwa at biglang dumami ulit ang mga “noisy” – kasi in recent years medyo hindi na rin makapunta ang mga tao kasi either mga busy, nasa abroad, may ibang lakad, etc. kaya this year was an improvement in terms of turnout / attendance.

 

salamat din pala Cher sa mga pics (at salamat din kay Sky), re-post ko na lang sila dito sa site ko later. pasensiya na kung hindi ko kayo masyadong naasikaso lahat, i hope you understand. medyo na-overwhelm lang kasi nanibago ako sa dami ng mga taong pumunta. sana next time makilala pa ninyo yung iba pa naming tropa nina Abet from college, para mas riot. =)

 

siyanga pala, na-touch ako dun sa mga isinulat ninyo sa notebook – nabasa ko lang nung magpapahinga na ako sa kwarto. para bang nabasa ninyo ang isip ko na i wanted something handwritten/personal – i remember nung college kasi, whenever merong may birthday sa student organization namin, bibili lang ng folder yung other mems tapos lahat sila susulat dun ng kahit ano para dun sa celebrator. wala lang, yung mga ganung klaseng regalo ang mas nakakapag-pasaya sa akin – mga simple lang, di naman kailangang magarbo. sa sobrang tuwa ko, narito ang mga sulat ni tinutukoy ko:

again, the words “thank you” may not be worth much sa ibang tao, but for someone like me, when i say “thank you”, i speak / shoot from my heart. maraming salamat ulit sa pagbibigay ninyo ng oras – you could have chosen to be somewhere else, but you chose to be with me that night. and i’ll never forget it, trust me.

 

- mic