Foot and Fire

The Medical and Legal Mission I envisioned in 2018 may not have pushed through but it went a long way. I already mentioned in my blog on the conclusion of the birthday project that the fund will help me publish my new book for another set of causes.   And it proved that it was a lucky streak! I was able to raise funds for my new project and was able to return the Specks Fund for the mission. It appears that there's no chance for that kind of project to benefit my batchmates in highschool, our 25th year, so I converted the cause to gift giving of food packs. 

Agogo for us Ilonggos in Negros Occidental means iced candies.  But aside from that, Agogo also means mixed shredded veges consisting of carrots, cabbage, sayote and baguio beans. One "tado" or pile of agogo is usually used in lomi, pansit, and bihon.  Agogo also means a night club dancer and it's commonly used in the 80s and 90s films in the Philippines.  Let's go back to Agogo as pictured above. The Agogo pictured above is an ice candy. Pictured above are two ice candies flavored with avocado and buko.  How to make ice candies: Buko / avocado Sugar Nonfat milk powder Buko juice or water Blend all ingredients. In an agogo wrapper, put through the liquid mixture and tie end. Repeat until all is done.  Put in freezer until the ice candies harden.  Enjoy eating the ice candies!

They say each decade of the 20th century contributed innovations and inventions from medicine to farming but the first two decades of the 21st century contributed PLASTIC. Sad but true. I avoid takeouts as much as possible as the plastic dishearten me.  I also admires packaging and got attracted to it actually. But I now go for reusable containers, glass bottles and less plaatic as much as possible. Thus, I am always flabbergasted by the news of innovation related to packaging. I am sharing what I got so far. Online shopping led me to information on this.  I found a few but important news in Shopee, an online shopping platform. Happybee has this box from  a sugarcane bagassse. I am simply amazed. This box is made of cornstarch and needless to emphasize that this biodegradable but I have to. Consumer has the power now to demand for bio products and refuse plastic. I'm not sure how this plastic becomes biodegradable and this needs furth

Well, not everyone is a fan of this leaf as it has a bitter aftertaste. The secret is to harvest the leaves young, as it is not too bitter. Aside from making it into a salad, i love adding it fresh to fish soup. But if everyone is not up for the fresh leaves, fermenting is the key. Fermented mustard can still be added to fish soup or tomato salad.  Mustard leaves Salt Glass jar Wash mustard leaves and separate each leaf. Discard root ends.  Massage enough salt to the leaves. Let stand for 12hrs to overnight.  Discard liquid. Place in a jar and refrigerate. 

Fermented vegetable gained popularity these days because it benefits the digestive system as well as immunity as it is rich in vitamin c and phytochemicals. Try making yours... Turnips, cut into strips Cucumber, cut into strips Mustard leaves, separate leaves Salt Apple, grated Chili pepper powder In a big bowl, add cut turnips, cucumber and mustard leaves. Massage with salt. Leave overnight with cover. Next day, drain mixture. Add grated apples and chili powder. Cover and let stay in room temperature. On the third day, sourness develop. Place in fridge to slow fermentation. 

To say that I missed my pesto is an undestatement. I duper missed it.  Yes, recently, I made one and I used 3 kinds of basils and added brazilian spinach as extender. I have the long italian basil, genovese basil and sweet basil in the garden but I harvested a handful only. My dream of growing a lot of sweet basils and harvesting a basin of it at a time is still not coming true. Here's my lesson or motto. I willnot try any more basil varieties except for sweet basil (too delicate to grow and I didn't get to make them last into woody maturity the last time I grew a lot of them) and genovese basil (proudly grew them into sturdy woody stems now). They both smell like basil. The long basil does not satisfy my olfactory craving. Bye bye to my great expectations.  Brazilian Spinach Pine nuts, toasted Garlic Parmesan cheese Olive oil Himalayan Salt Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend until creamy. Store in a glass jar.  Use a spoonful in your to