Bangus Belly Steak Filipino Style

Bangus or Milkfish is the Philippines' National Fish. This fish has a unique taste which I can only describe in one word:  delicious. Bangus can be cooked in different ways from the most complicated Relleno to the simplest Fried or Prito. Somewhere in between are paksiw, sinigang, totso, lumpia (yes, you can make lumpia out of the fish' flesh), and a lot more.

In our family, we all love the belly and head part and it's a good thing that we can buy boneless belly in groceries now. A pack is enough for about 4 servings so we can buy only the choice cuts in bulk instead of wasting the tail part. This sells much higher than the regular fresh Bangus but the hassle free experience is all worth it.

One of the most requested  recipe of Bangus that I always get is belly steak, pinoy style. The fish is cooked ala bistek Tagalog or Filipino beef steak using kalamansi and soy sauce and topped with lots of onion rings. This dish is very easy to prepare and I highly recommend this to kitchen newbies. Just be careful though when frying bangus, the oil will splatter to no end so you must lower the heat before turning the fish over to cook the other side. And always, always, use a pan lid to avoid skin burns and messy clothes. 

What's in my Pantry? - Ragú Pasta Sauce

I'm starting a series of "What's in my Pantry?" to let you readers get a glimpse of the ingredients or products I use for cooking. On a similar note, I plan to have another series of the tools or appliances that I find invaluable in my gastronomic adventures. Earlier in my blog post, I have featured Tefal Actifry which has proven to help minimize the need for oil in fried foods that I prepare.

Going back to this post's featured product, Ragú, which is the favorite pasta sauce brand in our home. According to Ragú's website, the brand has been in the market for 75 years and is currently the most preferred pasta sauce in the U.S.

Tribute to Mang Dolphy

The most memorable trivia I remember about Dolphy is his love for women and food.

In one interview, if my memory serves me right, it was with Arnold Clavio, Dolphy told an anecdote about his favorite food of all time, Kare-Kare. He even cared to emphasize with "maanghang-anghang na bagoong".

Cran-Grape: Cranberry or Grape Juice for UTI?

If you are Googling for UTI or Urinary Tract Infection home remedy, chances are you will come across Cranberry or Grapes as the recommended solution.

Cranberries have long been regarded as a good source of vitamin C. The fruit's high acidity combined with its natural proanthocyanidin content prevents bacteria to linger on the linings of our urinary tract. In this acidic environment, bacterias cannot multiply and eventually die until they are completely eliminated.

In addition, cranberries are considered rich in anti-oxidants that helps prevent cancer and other illnesses. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which hastens recovery from infection.

The same goes to grapes, the purple variety in particular. These small rounded fruits also contain anti-inflamatory substances and are said to work better than cranberries (although this is still debatable) since grapes can somehow make the urine less acidic and therefore helps bladder to recover fast from an infection.

RIP Dolphy

Dolphy, Rodolfo Vera Quizon in real life, passed away at the age of 83 tonight while being confined at Makati Medical Center (MMC).

Heralded as the Philippines' King of Comedy, Quizon has been confined in the said hospital for several weeks due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In its official statement, MMC said, "We would like to inform you that Mr. Rodolfo "Dolphy" Quizon passed away at 20:34 due to multiple organ failure secondary to complications brought about by severe pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute renal failure."

RIP Dolphy. Thank you for bringing laughter in our lives.


Photo credit: wikipedia