Cooking 101: Holy Week Special (Part One)

The first week of April signifies the beginning of the Holy Week in the Philippines. Our Church taught us that we need to abstain from eating meat every Friday starting Ash Wednesday. Since we were not able to do it (due to several occasions, which I know are not good reasons), our family pledged to abstain from eating meat for the whole holy week, starting on Palm Sunday (April 1st), which happens to fall on April Fool's Day as well.

Abstinence from meat is not the only sacrifice you can give for our Lord. Sometimes, it could mean giving up your favorite food or simply, giving up what you like most. Our family decided on doing a meatless week as part of our sacrifice. Hopefully, this would encourage other young families to do the same. In lieu with this idea, here is a list of recipes I have cooked from Sunday until today:

Palm Sunday: Adobong Pusit

Ingredients:
1/2k squid, cleaned
1/4c soy sauce
1/4c vinegar
3tsp oil
3pcs garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 bay leaf
couple of peppercorn
salt & pepper to taste
1 green siling pang-sigang

Procedure:
1) Heat wok. Add cooking oil. Saute garlic, onion and tomato.
2) Add squid. Do not overcook as squid has a tendency to become hard.
3) Add soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf and peppercorn. Let it simmer. Do not stir to avoid getting a raw vinegar taste.
4) Add water if you feel like the sauce is not enough.
5) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add the chili. Let it simmer for another five minutes until the squid becomes tender. Serve hot with a bowl of steaming rice.

Holy Monday: Daing na Bangus

Ingredients:
1 big-sized milkfish, cleaned and cut in the middle
cooking oil for frying

for the marinade
Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
1 head garlic, crushed

Procedure:
1) Soak the milkfish in vinegar, garlic and salt&pepper overnight.
2) Heat wok, half filling it cooking oil. Fry fish.
3) Remove excess oil by using paper towels. Serve with tomatoes.

Holy Tuesday: Seafood Chopsuey

Ingredients:
1pc sayote
1/2 head of a cabbage
1pc carrot
1pc red bell pepper
3pcs garlic, crushed
1pc onion, chopped
1pc tomato, chopped
2tsp cornstarch dissolved in water
3pcs big squid, ink and innards removed
1/4k shrimp, deveined and heads removed
salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:
*This is an invention test. If you wish to add more seafood, go ahead.
1) Saute garlic, onion and tomato in a wok.
2) Add squid. Wait until the fleshy parts turn a bit whitish before adding in the shrimps. You'll know that the shrimps are cooked when they turn orange.
3) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4) Add carrots. When a bit tender, add 1 cup of water and dissolved cornstarch. Let it simmer.
5) Add the sayote, cabbage and bell pepper. Do not overcook the vegetables to avoid getting soggy results. Let it simmer for about five minutes until the vegetables are just right. Serve hot with a bowl of steaming rice.

My husband totally loved my invention test tonight. Watch out for more of my Holy Week Specials. For now, gotta sleep. My husband kept waking up and he still needs to go to work tomorrow! I'm on official leave starting today until Monday, April 9th. Can't wait to enjoy my super long weekend! Have a safe Holy Week!

Book Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I have always been a fan of Sophie Kinsella, ever since I got my hands on her Confessions of a Shopaholic book. Now, I have her entire collection and I cannot wait for her newest novel after this.

I find chick-lit books to be funny, light, witty and very entertaining. I think this could be considered as one of my guilty pleasures, just like watching reality shows on the television.

Anyway, it has been quite awhile since I was able to read a non-baby related book so it was like a breath of fresh air when I saw this book in Powerbooks. With no second thoughts, I grabbed a copy and finished it in one seating. Yep, I finished reading it in Starbucks, while I was waiting for my husband to fetch me.

UK and US covers. I got the US version :)

Like any other Kinsella book, I've Got Your Number is a hilarious read, with tons of cheeky situations and grandiose lessons. The characters, especially that of Magnus, Poppy and Sam, could have existed in the real world. I mean, I could relate to Poppy's character of being "wanting to be always liked" that when it was first brought to attention, I literally cried.

If you're a young mom who wants to feel like a romantic heroine again, I recommend this book. Not only will you survive other round of diaper change but it will also remind you how fascinating it is to be dating again --- not that I am complaining about being married or anything. It's a refreshing story, one that you'll have a hard time forgetting, especially the comedic turn of events! Oh gosh, I do hope Sophie Kinsella writes a new book soon!