Bagoong (fermented fish sauce) Made Even More Delicous

Hello guys, no dish recipe for today. However, I would like to share this to those who love bagoong (fermented fish sauce). Bottled bagoong are usually delicious as is when you buy it from the groceries. But did you know that you can make these bottled fermented fish sauce even more delicious?

It's funny even a friend from Balayan, Batangas, where fish bagoong is made, didn't know that we can make it even tastier and more delicious. Yup, he discovered it a decade ago when he went over to our house and ate dinner with us.

Here's how it's done and it's actually so simple.

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle - fish bagoong (small)
• 1 pc - onion (diced)
• 2 tbsp - ginger (pounded)
• 2 cloves - garlic (pounded)
• a handful of leek or spring onions (chopped)
• 1 tbsp - ground pepper
• 1 tbsp - vinegar
• 1 tsp - sugar
• 2 tbsp - cooking oil

Cooking:

• Heat the cooking oil in a pan.
• Saute the ginger until golden brown.
• Add in garlic and saute until golden brown.
• Add in the onion. Saute until cooked.
• Sprinkle the ground pepper.
• Pour in the fish bagoong.
• Add the sugar and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add the vinegar (don't stir until it simmers). Let simmer for another minute.
• Remove heat and sprinkle the chopped spring onions or leek.

Now you have a more delicious bagoong perfect for fried or grilled fish. This sauce is also perfect for grilled pork. 

By the way, it's even more delicious when you add some calamansi or lemon juice when serving. 

Happy eating!

Bistek (Beef Steak)

Bistek or beef steak is a common dish for Filipinos. Seasoned with soy sauce and calamansi juice, this dish can be perfect for any occasion. Here's how I cook this delicious dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg - beef (sliced thinly)
• 1 pc - potato
• 1 pc - white onion
• 3 cloves - garlic
• 1 tsp - ground pepper
• 1/4 cup - soy sauce
• 1/2 cup - water
• 5 pcs - calamansi
• 3 tbsp - cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp - sugar

Preparation:

• Season the beef with soy sauce and ground pepper. Marinade for at least an hour. (overnight is better)
• Peel the potatoes and slice thinly.
• Cut the onion in rings
• Mince the garlic.
• Take the juice of the calamansi.

Cooking:

• Heat the cooking oil in a pan.
• Fry the sliced potato for at least 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Fry the marinated beef until cooked. Set aside. (Please set aside the marinade too)
• Saute garlic and half of the onion rings.
• Put in the fried beef, water and the remaining marinade. Simmer until beef is tender.
• Pour in the calamansi juice and sugar. Simmer for another minute.
• Taste for saltiness. Add a little amount of soy sauce to match your desired saltiness. Taste before you add more. 
• Put the remaining onion rings and fried potatoes on top while hot.

Serve hot. This is perfect with steamed rice.

What is Project Flavors?

Welcome to the Project Flavors food blog. 

As a child, I was early exposed to recipe books. My mom loves to cook and she had this collection of recipe books. Oftentimes, I see collection of cut-out pages from magazines containing various recipes. As a small kid, I really didn't pay much attention to the recipes. However, I used to ask my mom to cook the food I see from her recipe collection. I think at that time I was more into eating than cooking :).

I really had not discovered my cooking talent until I went to college. It's funny to tell that it's not my mom who really taught me how to cook, or should I say she's really not the one who made me discover my talent. It's actually my grandmother :). Yes, and she just turned 97 two months ago. So how did my grandma helped me discovered my cooking talent? She let me do the cooking while she gives out the instructions. My first delicious dish is the "paksiw na isda" (fish in vinegar sauce). Yup, it all started with that dish, and now I believe I can cook almost any dish my mom could cook :D. And I believe, I'm a better cook than her.....sshhhhhh don't tell her huh. 

As a person who loves to cook, I don't want to have limitations when it comes to flavors. I love learning new things and want to try different recipes from around the world. This is what Project Flavors is all about - continuous learning, exploration of the different flavors and experimenting on various ways of cooking meals. Well, of course the ultimate purpose of this blog is to share my cooking adventures to readers.

Read on, let's start and help me make this project a success.

Beef Stew (Nilagang Bulalo)

Who would not love nilagang baka (beef stew)? Nilagang baka is very popular in the Philippines. You can see bulalohan (beef stew eateries) almost everywhere. These bulalohan's are often the favorite stop-over place for travelers. 

Today's recipe is obviously beef stew :). There are many varieties of how beef stew is cooked.  Some beef stew recipes use too many ingredients. But, Bread and the Word would stick to its idea of keeping the recipe simple and quick to cook. As much as possible, Bread and the Word will just use the most ordinary ingredients commonly found in your kitchen. 

So, let's start cooking.


Below are what you need:

• 1 kg - beef shank (with bone marrow)
• 1 pc - cabbage or chinese cabbage
• 2 pcs - potatoes
• 3 to 4 cloves - garlic
• 1 tbsp - whole black pepper
• Salt or fish sauce to taste
• 1 pc - lemon or 4 pcs calamansi
• Chilies (optional)
• 1 pc - onion
• 2 tbsp - oyster sauce (optional)

Preparation:

Put 2 liters of water in a stock pot, put in the beef shank, onion (cut in half), minced garlic, peppers and a tablespoon of salt or fish sauce. Simmer until beef is tender. Scum will form above the soup, remove it. When beef is tender enough, add the quartered potatoes until cooked. Add the cabbage and let simmer for at least 2 minutes. Add more water if needed. Add the oyster sauce. Add more salt or fish sauce gradually according to your taste preference.

Enjoy your beef stew by mixing fish sauce and calamansi or lemon. You may add chilies if you want it really hot.

Pork Leg with Banana Heart

Pork leg is usually cooked as crispy pata here in the Philippines. However, many of us don't like a dry meal. Typically, we Filipinos like sabaw (soup) when eating. Today, let me share to you my mom's recipe of pork leg with banana heart, or in Tagalog, paksiw na pata with puso ng saging.

Things you need:

• 1 whole - front pork leg (sliced)
• 1/2 - cup vinegar
• 1/4 - cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp - whole peppers
• 2 tbsp - sugar (add more if you want a sweeter taste)
• 1 whole - banana heart
• 1 cup - water
• 1 pc - bay leaf

Preparation:

• In a bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar.
• Cut the banana heart (big slices), wash and drain. Set aside.

Cooking:

• In a pan, put together all the ingredients except the banana heart.
• Simmer until pork leg is soft.
• Add water if the sauce dries up.
• Add a bit of sugar or soy sauce depending on your taste. Do this gradually, adding just very small amounts.
• Add the banana heart. Simmer until cooked.

You now have something perfect for lunch. I would however like to remind you people that this dish is not good for those who have hypertension and heart problems. Eat moderately.

Ground Beef Omelet

Due to the rising cost of primary commodities, students, as well as employees want to save at least a little sum of money. To do this, people often pack their lunch. Today, I would like to share to you my packed lunch yesterday - ground beef omelet. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kg - ground beef
• 1/2 tsp - ground pepper
• 2 pcs - tomatoes
• 1 pc - red onion
• 3 cloves - garlic
• 1/2 tsp - salt
• 4 tbsp - cooking oil
• 4 pcs - eggs

Cooking:

• Heat the oil in a pan.
• Saute garlic, onion and tomatoes.
• Add ground beef, pepper and salt.
• Cover, let the juice of the ground beef come out.
• Simmer until the beef juice dries up.
• Stir until the ground beef is golden brown.
• Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Beat the eggs and mix in the sauteed ground beef.
• Heat the remaining cooking oil in a pan.
• Pour in the omelet mix. 
• My mom uses banana leaf when cooking this omelet. The leaf adds flavor to this dish. So if there's available banana leaf just cut the leaf to fit the pan. Lay the leaf in the pan before putting in the omelet mix.

There you have it, another simple but delicious meal to put on your dining table. By the way, you can mix patis(fish sauce) and calamansi for the sauce. If you want it spicy, just add some chilies.

Pasta Shrimp Soup

Last night, my wife told me that she wants something to eat. She said she wants something like a soup. So, I looked inside the refrigerator for some available ingredients. I found a few leftover shrimps in the freezer. In the cabinet, I found elbow macaroni. So I asked myself, what soup could I make out of these ingredients? 

As I was thinking, I remembered the instant noodle soup that my mom brought home from their trip to Thailand. I think its tom yum soup, the one with a spicy and sour taste. I liked that soup so I thought of making my own version of tom yum. Honestly, it was my first time to try cooking that soup so I'm a bit hesitant if I could get the taste my wife wanted.

The result was great. My wife, sister, my cousin, niece and my daughter liked it.

So, how did I do it?

Ingredients you need:

• 3 - 5 pcs - Shrimp or prawn
• 1 tbsp - Ginger
• 200 gms - Elbow macaroni (other pasta will do)
• 4.5 cups - Water
• 1 pck - Seasoning (for this soup I used Maggi Magic Sarap, I think shrimp cubes will do)
• 1 tbsp - Chili garlic paste
• 3 pcs - Calamansi or 1 pc lemon
• 1 pc - Onion
• 1/4 tsp - Ground pepper
• 2 tbsp - cooking oil
• 2 drops - Sesame oil (optional)

Preparation:

• Slice the shrimp thinly.
• Slice the ginger into very small cubes.
• Finely chop the onion.
• Extract the juice of calamansi or lemon. (Remove the seeds)

Cooking:

• Heat the oil in casserole.
• Saute the ginger until golden brown.
• Saute the onions.
• Put in the macaroni and saute.
• Add the seasoning, ground pepper and the chili garlic paste.
• Add water. Let it boil until macaroni is cooked.
• Mix in the calamansi or lemon juice.
• If you have sesame oil, add at least 2 drops and stir.

Now you have your own version of tom yum. Serve while hot. It's spicy so it's good for the rainy or cold season.

Oftentimes, leftovers from your refrigerator could be useful for some other purpose. So, don't just throw away leftover food. In the coming days, I will post some recipes that make use of leftover food :).