Aside from fresh produce, what you ought to be looking for is a friend in the market
Funny how almost everyone you talk to these days have become doctors. They all have the solution on how to solve this COVID pandemic. They give you advice on what vaccine is best based on what they’ve read on their Viber groups or Facebook page, etc. Others have a lot to say also about Ivermectin and how to use it. Personally, what I do is listen to testimonies of people I know and decide what to do. Somehow, this pandemic has made us all doctors, myself included!
My daily activities, which are all at home, continue and are still focused on my kids. Every dinner is a surprise. I like them to enjoy our evening meals the most. This week I had a few surprises for them.
Whenever I’d go to Bacolod, I would always order a delicious and unusual tapa and squid to bring home. Both are flat and dried and only need a few seconds of frying. As a snack, the squid is the first to disappear in our bible studies long ago. The tapa is great for breakfast. With sinangag and fried egg, it is a meal I look forward to.
Recently, I found a store very similar to the one in Bacolod. It has both dried beef tapa and dried squid. Both are delicious. Just fry a few seconds and voila, crispy, delicious, and different. You may purchase Oscar’s Crispy Dried Beef Tapa and Pusit by calling 0950 346 9641. You can also find it on Facebook and Instagram.
Another thing I’ve shifted to is adlai. This is a rice substitute far more healthy than rice. A complex carbohydrate high in fiber and gluten free, it gives high energy. I use it as a substitute to anything rice. It is also known as Chinese pearl barley. Now I remember having it in one of the top tonkatsu restaurants in Tokyo. It was delicious. You may use if for sinangag, arroz caldo, paella, Hainanese chicken rice, etc. In fact, I will be making a Hainanese adlai rice in my next taping for Casa Daza. This’ll be perfect for people with sugar issues. For orders and delivery, call 0917 700 7267.
I try not to go to the market. Scary! What I do though is I text this nice lady who has a stall at Farmers Market in Cubao. She is a suki of my sister and fellow Manila Bulletin columnist Nina Daza Puyat. I send her my orders through text—suahe, panga ng tuna, sashimi, salmon, tuna or blue marlin belly, mussels, clams, and whatever you can imagine Farmers has. She texts me the total amount, I answer with how much money I have, and she prepares the change. I bring a styro container and she has someone meet me in front of the fruit stands. (If the seafood leaks it will stink to high heavens for days) I open my back car window where my styro is, he drops my orders into the box, I pay, he gives me change, and off I go. (I also give a tip to the deliverer). Safe for me and I get fresh seafood. It’s always best to deal with a “suki.” Call or text Rizza at 0917 877 7493.
I try not to go to the market. Scary! What I do though is I text this nice lady who has a stall at Farmers Market in Cubao. She is a suki of my sister and fellow Manila Bulletin columnist Nina Daza Puyat.
What I do with the panga is I grill it over charcoal. I mix one cup soy sauce, one cup brown sugar, ¼ cup calamansi, and two tablespoons of sriracha. I grill the meat side first and rub the sauce on both sides. After 15 minutes, I turn it over and brush the meat while grilling using the skin like a frying pan. Press the meat to check doneness. I simmer the basting sauce in a pot and use that as my dipping sauce when eating. You may use the same sauce for basting tuna or marlin belly. Since I’m grilling anyway, I grill some eggplant. Peel and lay on a serving dish. I throw in coconut milk, some vinegar, freshly chopped garlic, and freshly chopped red onions, season with salt and pepper, and mix. Pour that all over the talong and serve with the inihaw. Use your hands. Trust me, your family will love you for this.
So that’s what I’ve been doing in this lockdown. Being a cook and doctor!
Happy eating!