Filipino Food: A Basic Guide

The only way to truly get a feel for what Filipino food is like is to try it, but for those of you who haven't had the opportunity yet, I'll do my best to describe the basics.  Like in most Asian countries, rice is the staple food, so almost every meal will consist of steamed white rice and some type of meat dish. Filipinos love meat. Even the vegetables have meat! If you're a vegetarian (especially if you're vegan), good luck; you'll have a hard time finding dishes that let you stick to your diet.

Like the Filipino people themselves, Filipino cuisine is influenced by an eclectic mix of primarily Chinese, Malay, and Spanish heritage, and if you're familiar with food from other parts of Southeast Asia, you may find a number of similarities. The Chinese influence, for example, is especially apparent in various noodle dishes.

This list is by no means complete.  The cuisine of the Philippines is as diverse as its people (did you know over 170 languages are spoken in the Philippines?).  I just want to present you with a few of the most common Filipino entrees, side dishes, and desserts. If you ever have the good fortune of being invited to a Filipino party or traveling in the Philippines, this guide will (hopefully) come in handy, either in knowing what it is you're chowing down on (are you really ready for the pork innards with blood sauce?), or just to impress some Filipinos with your knowledge of their culture.

Ham and Chicken Calzones

Here in Borongan, where we live, the choice of good restaurants is very limited, so J and I cook at home all the time. We've been on a clean-eating diet since January, but every Wednesday is our "cheat day." This past Wednesday, we were craving some pizza (and pizza places here are terrible), so we decided to make calzones. A calzone, for those who don't know, is basically a pizza folded in half.

When it comes to cooking, J and I are pretty much polar opposites. I like to follow recipes; he just makes stuff up. I guess I'm lucky to have a husband who can cook, since 98% of the time the things he creates come out good. When we combine our efforts in the kitchen, we usually make some delicious stuff. I don't mean to brag, but these calzones are no exception.

For this recipe, I made the dough and J made the filling. You might notice from the picture that these things are absolutely GIGANTIC. Underestimating the size of the dough, we just split it in 2, which gave us calzones that could easily feed 3-4 people. Instead of doing that, we recommend dividing the dough in 4 to make 4 regular-sized calzones that work well as a hearty portion for 1 and can even be shared.

DIY: Homemade Deodorant

I'm all about saving money {so that I have more money to spend on travel!}. Not only does this mean not spending money, it also means trying to cut costs where I can-- including small things that may not seem like a big deal at the time, but in the long run can add up-- i.e. antiperspirant/deodorant.

I came across this recipe for homemade deodorant and I tried it right away and I have to say- I'm in love with this stuff!

But before I get into why I love it and the recipe, let's discuss antiperspirants for a moment. Our bodies are these complicated machines, each part doing its job to keep us functioning. Part of our natural bodily function is to perspire. Antiperspirants are designed to help fight body odor by reducing sweat by clogging up our sweat glands... they stop something that's supposed to occur naturally in our bodies. Um, that doesn't sound too healthy for us, right? Health risks have been found with using antiperspirants (duh!) {click here, here, here & here for more information about the risks of using antiperspirants}.

Cranberry White Chocolate Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Quite a mouthful to say, right?

Every Wednesday is cheat day for my husband and I where we get to cheat on our diet and eat whatever we want for lunch (well, as long as it's reasonable of course). Today we had homemade hamburgers and fries. And I also decided I wanted to bake some cookies since I haven't baked since we started this diet. It's our 8th week on the diet-- the 2 month mark-- so it's cause for celebration, you know?

This recipe is a mix of a couple of recipes I came across on the web. I've never tasted this combination of flavors before and I wanted to give it a try. This is the first time I've ever used pudding mix in my cookies, and let me tell you- I'm a huge fan now!

These cookies taste so good. The flavors of the cranberries, pistachio pudding and white chocolate chips go together really well. It's like a combination made in heaven. The sweetness of the pudding + white chocolate chips + the tartness of the cranberries= really yummy! These cookies are extra soft and the texture is just right- not too cakey and not too dense-- I'm sure the pudding mix has something to do with that.

How to Earn like a Beggar and Live like a Baller

Portugal

My husband and I didn't have to file income tax this year because we didn't make enough money. In fact, we haven't made enough money to file taxes in a few years. And still we manage to travel. A lot. In the past six years, we've been to the Philippines, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Mexico, Palau, and Thailand. People often ask how we're able to travel so much, so we put our heads together and came up with some things that make our gypsy lifestyle possible—a few tips for anyone who is looking to do a little vagabonding. Jason wrote some of these and I wrote others, in case the narration gets confusing. Most of these tips have to do with either saving up for a trip in advance or staying thrifty while you're on the road. Not all of these tips will be practical for everyone, but they work for us and a lot of people we know.

2012: In Review

 2012 was overall a pretty good year. There were ups and there were downs (just a couple)-- but what's life without those, right? From California, to South Korea and then to the Philippines-- many adventures were had. Here is my (very brief) review of what happened during the year along with many pictures. I also backlink to many of my older posts-- just because 1. I'm lazy, 2. this is just a 'review', and 3. I don't want to bore you with repeated details.





So let's begin...

DIY: Self-Watering Seed Starter Pots

Jason has been planting a lot of crops lately and he has a lot of seedlings. We also have quite a few plastic bottles. They don't have the easiest or most convenient waste management system in this town, so we try to not make a lot of waste. When I came across these self-watering seed starters that use plastic soda bottles, I thought it was a perfect idea- we'd be helping the garden AND reusing materials that would otherwise just be thrown away.

And so far- they really work!

Boracay, Philippines

If you've heard about the Philippines, it's highly probable you've also heard of Boracay. Boracay is world famous for its pristine beaches. Tourists flock here by the hundreds, even thousands. You'll find people from all over the world here. Some foreigners love it so much, they stay.

We had the opportunity to take a trip there for a few days to meet up with some friends from the States. The first day we got there, we just hung out because we got in in the afternoon. We ate dinner at Tilapia N Chips, located at D'Mall. They had really good fish and chips, and the pieces of fish were BIG. We stayed at a place called Culpepper Lodge in Station 2, which was just a 2 minute walk to the beach. They had pretty nice rooms, our bed was HUGE and the price was within our budget (1,000php).

How-to Trip: Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines

Caramoan is the name of a peninsula in the south-eastern area of Luzon island in the Bicol region of the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the main towns on the peninsula. Along the coast of Caramoan, there are many beautiful islands you can explore. The beaches are nice, white sand beaches and the water is crystal clear-- it's paradise! You can hire local boatmen to take you island hopping for a full day for cheap.

If you're planning a trip to the Philippines, Caramoan is a must-do! Largely due to the reality TV show Survivor having filmed here, it's currently gaining popularity as a tourist destination and people are saying that it could become the next Boracay. My husband and I decided to make a 3day/2night trip for our wedding anniversary. It was an amazing experience and incredibly beautiful. I highly recommend a trip to Caramoan to everybody-- from those who just like to lounge around on the beach to the more adventurous types who like to snorkel and climb rocks.

Throwback: Costa Rica- the First Trip

This is a long one.

In the summer of 2006, Jason and I took our first trip together to Costa Rica.

We spent about the first week exploring the Pacific coast. Then the 2nd week we explored the Caribbean coast, while exploring the city (San Jose & San Pedro) before, in between, and after. We also did a few days in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We planned to do and see so much, so we were almost constantly on the go.

Now, since this trip was 6 years ago (crazy!!), I can't remember everything about the trip, but these are some things that still have stuck with me (in no particular order):

Yeonji Park

We like the area that our apartment is located. It's close to good shopping, restaurants, the light-rail, and it's only a 15 minute walk to work. We also live 5 minutes from Yeonji Park, which is this beautiful park that surrounds a small lake. It's always filled with picnickers, love birds strolling hand in hand, people playing basketball, bike riders, small vendors, and those getting their daily exercise in. Jason and I "accidentally" stumbled upon it while we were walking around the city a few weeks ago. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and it was absolutely beautiful. We've gone back a couple of times and plan to go more often as the weather warms up.

Koreans & food

First off, let me just say my favorite part of Korea so far has been the food, hands down. I've always been a fan of Korean food, but in California, Korean food is pricey and you have to drive quite a ways for some good stuff. But here-- it's EVERYWHERE (because duh- it IS Korea) and it is pretty darn cheap. Needless to say- I am in food heaven over here!

But this is not my reason for this post. My reason for this post is that I've come to a realization-- Koreans can EAT! Where they put it all in their small bodies perplexes me!

Here are the few instances which have helped me come to this realization:

1. A few weekends ago we went out with some co-workers, a couple of them are Korean. First we went to eat dinner. Then after dinner, we went to a karaoke place (which was awesome- we got our own room complete with a disco ball and everything- legit!!). MORE food was ordered-- so we stuffed ourselves even more while singing lovely tunes from Ace of Base, Justin Beiber, etc. etc.

2. Last Friday we had a staff meeting. After work, everyone went to this all-you-can-eat buffet. It was really awesome because all the tables had a little grill and you go and choose which meat you want and you just cook it right there at your table. We were there for about 2 and a half hours-- we were all pretty stuffed to the brim.

After dinner, we all went back to the school for the meeting. We spent the first hour or so introducing ourselves. After that was over, there was a small break, and small snacks-- chips and dried squid-- and even beer was brought out. THEN during another break-- ice cream and chicken was brought out! Me and Jason were in shock- but happy- that all this was being fed to us, when not too long ago we had stuffed ourselves at a buffet. And everyone ate... and again, I was thinking "Where do these small women put all this food!!"

Snacks, ice cream, beer-- at our staff meeting.

And chicken!!

3. Last night we went out with our co-workers again. We went to another all-you-can-eat place in which you choose your meats and cook it on the grill at your table. We were there for quite a while. Maybe an hour and a half into the meal, when everyone- or so I thought- was slowing down a bit, I look over and one of the girls (who is very skinny, might I add!) has this HUGE pile of beef-- like no joke HUGE. I was quite impressed. I looked over at Jason and I said "Koreans know how to get down!"

What I've learned about Koreans and food is that it's a social thing. When you're socializing, there's always food present. I also learned that not very many of them eat meat on a regular basis, hence why they were eating so much at the buffet-- gotta get their protein in!

Anyways, Jason and I are eating pretty well over here and we're enjoying it.

Here are a few more food pictures:

Food at the food court is even really good here!

This place has meat on sticks and the coal grill has a contraption that rotates the skewers for you. So yummy! We ate Easter dinner here.

We found a good Vietnamese place by our house. Their pho is good!

King-sized bowls of Korean noodle soup.

We get our pizza fix in once in a while.

Welcome!

I'm excited to finally start this thing! I should have started it years ago, but was too lazy, and now I have so much to backtrack on. My plan with this blog is to not only talk about my present travel experiences, but also my past travels (and future travel plans).

I can say that I became addicted to traveling in the summer of 2006, when Jason and I went to Costa Rica. From there, it just took off. Since then I have been to Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Philippines (I've actually been there 3 times), Palau, Costa Rica (again). Ecuador, Peru, and in a week and 2 days Jason and I move to South Korea.

I feel kind of sad because I have seen and experienced so many incredible places and never documented anything- except for a couple of photos. (Although- some experiences need no documentation and will just stick with me forever).

I'm hoping this blog will help me feel a little better and a little less sad as I try and remember things from my past travels. I'm also excited to start writing about my experiences in South Korea.

So if you want to come along for the ride, feel free. If you have Blogger, you can follow this blog, or follow by e-mail (via the buttons on the right column).