Foot and Fire

For lunch today, we had laswa. We mixed all solid vegetables available: papaya called kapayas here, squash or kalabasa, okra, takway (gabi roots) and saykwa or patola and the green leaves at hand: malunggay called balunggay here and saluyot called tugabang. The secret addition is the lemon grass known as tanglad here and some dried fish. .N.B. the ingredients are actually flexible; compare this laswa with my previous post.... Match this vegetable soup with fried fish and rice... Perfect!

By GERLIE M. UY FOR LUNCH. Pito ka klase sang panakot para sa laswa. The tradition among "experts" in laswa is that one has to have an odd number of ingredients in order for the laswa to taste good. We describe the mixture "sampat" here in Negros Occ. 1 L to 1 1/2 L water 2 medium ripe tomatoes onions dried fish or dilis (Balingon) (may use dried shrimp, if desired) about 100 g squash (kalabasa), cubed about 100 g Papaya or Kapayas, sliced about 100 g string beans (snake beans), sitaw or balatong, cut into an inch long about 100 g okra three handful Malunggay, Moringa or Balungay leaves three handful Saluyot or Tugabang leaves, slice a handful of Ampalaya or Amargoso leaves salt or fish sauce In a casserole, bring to boil the water with ripe tomatoes, onions and dried fish. Add the next four solid ingredients. To get the desired slimy soup, add this early a portion of the Saluyot (Tugabang). Let cook. Adjust flavor with salt or fish sauce (patis). Add the rest of t...