TBK cooks - My favourite Pinoy recipes

 

The British Kabayan serves his Manok and Baboy Adobo

Just like there is no such thing as curry in India so there is no single cuisine in the Philippines. How could there be with 7641 islands, 180 languages or dialects, and over the centuries influence from Spain, America, Japan, China, Malaysia and so on. Each area has its regional specialties from Empanada and Longganisa in Vigan to Lechon , Tapa , Torta , Kaldereta , Mechado and Puchero.

Making sure its not Matabang for Kuya Patrick

There are two languages spoken in most of the Philippines (Tagalog and English), and there is one dish that is loved throughout the Philippines, Adobo. I learnt in Bahrain that there are regional variations of Adobo (" that's Matabang ( bland) Tatay" Patrick ( from Mindanao) would moan when I made Adobo the way Vin ( from Vigan) taught me so we would add more vinegar to make it "Masarap"( delicious). However for Christmas 2018 my great friend and Chef , Mama Jam, gave me a series of old Pinoy cookery books. They had been given to him in 2001. One was called "The Little Adobo Cookbook" and I was amazed to see it contained 29 Adobo recipes. One that caught my eye was "adobo pusit sa saging"( squid in banana blossoms), along with "adobong sili" which I know Patrick would love ( Chili Adobo) .

Sarap

When I put together a calendar , and later an on line recipe book, with my favourite dishes from 12 countries it was very easy to select the Philippine National dish- Manok and Baboy Adobo ( chicken and pork) . I cooked it so many times in my 11 years in Bahrain for all my Pinoy boyfriends, Houseboys, work colleagues and friends that I perfected the dish. My version gained much critical acclaim. My favourite was when my Physiotherapist ,Ara, took it home to her family and served it for dinner. She omitted to say I had made it and when she told them, after they had proclaimed how Masarap it was, they refused to believe it had been made by a Maputing Tao ( white man) and not a Pinoy! That was one of the greatest compliments I ever received as I transitioned to be a Kabayan!

Why am I eating in every photo????

 So in this blog I will share my adobo recipe with you....

From the British Kabayan 2018 recipe calendar

 This is what it looks like:

I would like to thank everyone who made the recipe calendar possible:

James Colcol for the amazing photos
Corleen Durero for the Chef's costumes
Chester, Delos- Santos Porter for the graphic design
Kuya Vin- cooking the rice, food styling and washing up!

Until my next recipe...