Isang Linggong Pagibig

Pansin ko lang na last few weeks, eh medyo napapasarap yata ang luto namin dito sa Kiwinoy Big Brother House.

Like nung Monday...

Tossed baby salad greens, topped with cherry tomatoes, flaked tuna and olive oil...


Tuesday...

Oven baked New Zealand mussels, topped with butter, garlic and parmessan cheese...

Wednesday...

Fruit salad, made with fresh cut watermelon, pineapple, mango, mixed light sugar syrup..

Thursday...

Deep-fried fresh caught snapper, topped with red and green capsicum, carrots, onion and garlic...




And Friday...

NYEAHHHHHH!!! Anu yan???

Photos by Karl.

Hehe.. Galing sa beach ang nasa kabilang flat at namitas ng talaba. Syempre nilabas namin ang legs namin sa pinto at nagpapansin, hehehehe. Pinakuluan ko then binuksan ni Gene at Netzie. Nilagyan ko ng konting suka, sili, onion, brown sugar at madaming ginger. Yumm...

Kantahan muna tayo mga kapatid:

Kiwinoy Big Brother: Genuine Pinoy Task (2)

Episode 2

At eto na nga po at mukhang na challenge ang flatmates sa kanilang genuine pinoy task. Magwagi kaya ang mga mokong? Ang sumusunod ay mga eksena ng mga nakalipas na araw sa Kiwinoy Big Brother House.

Syempre po kelangan me sound track

Val & Karl, making balot the lumpia ...

... habang dini-dictate ni Gene ang susunod na steps (and at th same time, chatting
with his gurlz, sweet-azz...)

Pak-tay tayo dyan, kinamay na po! Mej maliliit yata ang nabili nilang lumpia wrapper, hmm...

Since dalawa lang ang kasya sa kitchen sa Kiwinoy Big Brother House,
lumabas muna ang dalawang para magpahangin... at nag-pose(infront of the appartment,
Sky Tower on the background)...

... At nag pose pa. Aba at nakarating pa sa Motorway??? (St. Benedict's Church on the
background, where the flatmates go to mass).

Aba, mukha nagmumukhang lumpia, pero lasang lumpia din kaya?

What the.. me pancit canton pa (out of nowhere!!)

At habang kumakain ang flatmates ng kanilang first ever home made lumpia (Karl: Whooww, sarap! Who needs women! Men rule!Uh-uh-uh-uh!!!)...

Big Brother: Flatmates, announcement...
Tuny: What the fu&%?? Tang-nang bahay na to, bigla-bigla na lang nagsasalita...
Big Brother: Ikinalulungkot ko, you guys failed in your task, I'm sorry...
Gene: Huh? But Big Brother, that's unfair!
Karl: Woahhhh, that's not cool.. (mannerism po nya yan, 8X na nya sinabi today, which is cool, hehehe)
Val: Snorkk... (tulog, kasi puyat na, napagod pa sa kababalot ng lumpia)

Big Brother: Totoo, masarap ang niluto nyo, at nagtulungan kayo, which is important kasi sino pa bang aasahan nyo dito sa Middle Earth? Imagine, hindi kayo magkakakilala 7 months ago, pero here you are, forced to bond by need, yet I feel friendship growing... Uyyy, mga bakla! (Hanep din 'tong Big Brother na 'to ah..ed.)...

Ngunit, subalit, datapwat, bagamat, there's one problem. Ang task nyo kasi ay magluto ng Lumpiang Shanghai at hindi...

... Tempura.

Nyek, kasi naman, sino ba kasi nagsabing wanton wrapper ang gamitin nyo??

Bayan Ni Juan/Mike Hanopol

Bayanihan dito sa bayan ni Juan
Isang daing mo lamang, ikaw ay tutulungan
Bayan ni Juan, uso ang bayanihan
Lahat sila'y kasali
Dyan mo mapupuri

Kiwinoy Big Brother: Genuine Pinoy Task

Episode 1

9AM. Habang nagaalmusal ang mga flatmates at nanunuod ng TV...


Big Brother: Flatmates, announcement!
Karl: Huh?
Gene: Si Big Brother!
Val: Zzzzzz.... snork! [puyat gumawa kasi ng school project]
Tuny: What the fu@*! [asa banyo kasi]
Big Brother: Makinig kayong lahat. Ngayon at matagal-tagal na kayo sa Middle Earth at sa bahay ko, ang task nyo ay makagawa ng isang gawain na truly Pinoy.
Tuny: [pasigaw from the CR] Hmmm! Ano kaya yun!?! Magsasarswela!?! Gagawa ng Philippine flag!?!
Gene: Baka magtutumbang preso, or sasayaw ng tinikling...
Val: Di pwede, di kasya kawayan dito. Baka sasayaw ng maglalatik. Yari tayo maninigas tayo sa lamig....
Big Brother: Mali. mas Pinoy pa dyan ang gagawin nyo. Gagawa kayo ng lumpiang shanghai, and it will involve skill, para maghanap ng recipe online. It will take patience, magtadtad ng ingredients. And ingenuity, kasi siguradong di kumpleto recipe dito. At cooperation, kasi isa lang ang kutsilyo nyo. So goodluck house mates... Sweetazz...

Magtatagumpay kaya ang flatmates sa task nila? Abangan...

Wala lang, nakita ko lang online (Photog: Oh, sayaw lang ha.. freeze![click!])

#47 Sun Appartments, along Wakefield St., location of the Kiwinoy Big Brother House. View from SkyTower (more pics soon)

Why wait for the flatmates recipe, baka malason pa kayo. Click here for Sassy Lawyer's Lumpiang Shanghai recipe.

No Salt? Big deal!

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JUNE 6, 2006

I tried going on a no-salt diet.

First thought: "Salt? Big deal!"

Big deal until I tried cooking without salt. Everything tasted bland (paper bland). I tried putting paprika, turmeric, lemon, garlic powder, onion powder, anise, italian seasoning, curry powder, white pepper, black papper and the entire McCormik product line on fish, meat or poultry, but everything still tasted like paper. It came to a point that cooking became a big effort, and eating a chore.

I'm reminded of this bible passage c/o Armind:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." -- Matthew 5:13

Laing for five

I'm on my second week of low protein, low salt, semi vegan, semi junk food diet. This morning I had ginisang sitaw and rice for breakfast, ginataang puso ng saging for lunch, and two small packs of Boy Bawang and a bar of Gardenia chocolate buns for meryenda.

For dinner, I decided to treat myself by making Laing, a Bicolano delicacy mainly made up of dried taro/gabi leaves in coconut milk or gata.

Here's the ingredients:
- 1 supot of dried laing leaves (I bought 2 plastic bags at StarMall Las Pinas)
- 2 gratted coconuts (or you can buy those unsweatened tetra packs, about 3)
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 2 small red onion, minced
- Lots of luya, maybe mince one which is the size of your hand
- 2 pieces siling pangsigang
- 1 small pack hibi (maliliit na hipon)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- About 5 strips of pork with lots of fat (just for taste)

Instructions:
Heat pan and place meat. Add a small amount of water to extract fat. If the water dries up and konti lang lumabas na mantika, add a little oil and and make gisa(hhwhatttt? Sorry nakalimutan ko english nito eh.. ah Sauté pala, hehehe) the bawang, sibuyas and luya.

While this is happening, ask your Lola to place the coconut meat in a deep bowl, pour in a cup of hot water, then have her extract the gata by making piga(like a pigsa) the meat till her kili-kili becomes red.

[pic ni Lola]

Note: if you don't have a Lola to help you, too bad ;P.

When the onion caramelizes or becomes transparent, add gata. When it simmers add the hibi, sili, laing leaves and pour gata ng nyog into pot. Let it simmer with frequent stirs para hindi masunog ilalim.

By this time my Mother arrived and tasted it (Mother:"Pweh! Walang lasa!"). She suggested I add more ingredients:

- Alamang
- a small amount of Magi Meaty Seasoning (Nyahahaha, secret weapon!)

Add alamang in small portions to taste. Be carefull not to put too much though. The laing should be ready when the oil starts to come out.

I didn't taste it anymore as there's no point (it was already 8PM), and I had already made a mess in the kitchen, much to my Lola's chagrin (Lola: "ANOOHH BAAAHH!! ISA LANG NELUTO MO ANG KALAT-KALAT MOOHHH, 'LIS DYAN!!).

Over diner, I found out that the laing is OK.

Here are the reviews:
- Pam: "Lasang laing nga! Pero hindi masarap.."
- Mother: "OK sya(sabay inom ng tubig)"
- Lola: "Hmmph, ang kalat-kalat mo magluto!"
- Yaya: "Masarap kuya(Good girl, me increase ka sakin next month)"

Prawns in Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients:
- Lots of prawns, enough to feed the folks at home (here that's about half the population of Nigeria).
- Sweet chili sauce (enough to cover yourself and the prawns)
- Flour (Ditto, aint this fun?!?)
- Drinking water
- Salt & pepper
- 1 head Garlic (minced)
- 1 head Onion (minced)
- Oil (1 vat)

Instructions:
Mix flour, salt & pepper, half of onion & garlic, and add enough water to make a smooth, snotty (sorry) consistency. Add and cover prawns with mixture, then add spoon for texture. Set aside.



In a pan, heat 1 vat of oil, then remove about 95% of it because I was just kidding (you only need about a cup, he-heee). Fry prawns until golden. Set aside (Jeez this recipe takes too long!)



In the same pan, stir fry remaining onion and garlic until onion becomes transparent. Pour sweet chili sauce in pan, and then add cooked prawns. Stir prawns until covered in gooey-ectoplasm like sauce.



Serve hot with rice, preferably while wearing a dress if you’re a guy (Why are you the one cooking??).



Note: Suck the head, its not only delish, it also keeps you young (you die young!).

Show her you love her

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I ran my first (and only) traithlon in 2005 at the Extri sa Balai in Laiya, Batangas. I was so inspired that I wrote this poem. Then it sounded great, but reading it back it feels to cheesy to post, but what da heck, hahaha.
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Take her out for a late night run... and after a few miles, go home together and give her a bath... if possible, take one together...

And before you go to bed, tuck her comfortably by your side and sleep and dream of marathons, duathlons and triathlons, both of you finishing side-by-side...

Lastly, reassure her that, although new and sexier ones arrive (by ship, plane or freight, from Bangkok, Korea, China or Japan), that you won't replace her. The miles you've spent together on (and off road) have molded you both and made your relationship a perfect..... fit.

I love my running shoes.

Happy Valentines everyone ;)