Foot and Fire

I bought the stringbeans from the junior high school trade fair. When I said how much is the "balatong" a girl corrected me that it is "sitaw." I laughed and said the song Bahay Kubo has mentioned Sitaw, it is tge Filipino word but for us Ilonggos, it is balatong in hiligaynon. She smiled! I made and adobong sitaw. Sone versions add alamang, meat or tofu but I made mine just the beans.  Adobong sitaw Stringbeans, cut 1 inch long Garlic, minced Onions, chopped Oil for sautè Water, if needed Soy sauce Fish sauce Vinegar (used banana vinegar I made, see previous posts) Bay leaf Sall & pepper Sautè garlic and onions in oil until transluscent. Add stringbeans. Close with lid for 3 minutes.  Add a little water if needed. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Close with lid for 3 minutes. Taste the stringbeans, it should be crunchy if you want it half-cooked or an eaay bite if you want it well done. Remove from fire. Serve hot over rice. 

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...

The tshirt that educates us... In Vigan, you can order these great food without being hurt. Kung gusto mo PATOLA, just say, "Manang gusto ko nang DINENGDENG NA KABATITI or try the delicious Ilocos tortang talong, PUKI-PUKI o baka sabik ka sa freshly picked UTONG, yan ang Ilokano ng sitaw... WAREK WAREK, sisig naman yan.... native garlic abounds! Balicotcha or butong-butong for Ilonggos... Also called same as here, Tableya, a coarse cacao chocolate!  Bagnet, a crispy pata for us here. The difference  between the two is that the bagnet is  dried for two or three days before fying, hence less fat... Chichacorn is a hit... the corn pops like popcorn... chichacorn, up close and personal. onion and garlic tobacco cigars!!! Lastly, i am sorry. Out of excitement of sending some to a friend, I failed to photograph the Longganisa of Vigan... By GERLIE M. UY