Pacham Series #1 - Sweet & Spicy Pork Belly with Potatoes and String Beans

I’m neither a foodie nor a pro-chef but I really like cooking my own food. I like to have control on the spices and the taste. You have to excuse me but for the lack of a better name on some of the recipes and because almost all of them are a bit experimental (tantsahan lang), I’ll just call them the “Pacham Series” (Pacham, a Filipino term short for Pa-tsamba or having to depend on luck/chance). I think this blog would be the best way to immortalize these recipes, don’t you think? 

Well to start off, here’s one for pork belly lovers. Pork belly or liempo has this distinct flavour in it so the spices blend well. This can serve 3-5. You can just adjust the chilli depending on how spicy you want it to be.

Update: My cousins said it taste just like adobo. So this maybe just a version of adobo then. hehe.. 

Ingredients:

½ kilo Pork Belly (liempo) cut into 3 inches slices

1 tie of string beans cut into 1 inch slices

5 medium-sized potatoes, quartered

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium-sized red onion, sliced

3 spoons Sugar

4 pcs of siling haba, chopped (or use any kind of chilli)

¼ cup of soy sauce

¼ cup vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

5 ½ cups Water

** I thought of adding in 1 cup of Pineapple Chunks but I don’t have it then so maybe some other time.

Procedure:

1)      In a deep frying pan, mix 5 cups of water, pork belly, salt and pepper then leave it in medium heat until the water completely evaporates. Stir once in a while. The pork’s fat should melt then.

2)      Fry the pork in its own oil until it’s a bit brown on both sides. Stir constantly; you don’t want it to burn.

3)      Lower down the heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and chilli with the pork for about 2 minutes.

4)      Add in the potatoes and stir for another 3 minutes. 

5)      Toss in the String Beans with constant stirring for another minute.

6)      Add in the soy sauce, sugar and ½ cup of water (substitute pineapple juice with water if you have, also add in the pineapple chunks).

7)      Reduce the sauce with constant stirring.

8)      Plate and Serve. Don’t forget to enjoy.

That's So '90s: This is My Decade

Original artwork by Bren DJ. Adofina

So there must be a million versions of write ups about this era. And it actually is getting more and more over rated. But I really miss the decade, so from now on this is gonna be one of my filters.

Whenever I remember my childhood in the 90s, it always makes me smile. Especially the Tagalog-dubbed-Japanese-made-shows. I remember the very first time I saw Dragonball, i think it was aired in ABC 5 then (now TV5).  Who would forget Bioman, Mask Rider Black, Shaider, and all other Japanese superheroes. Ultraman (for all the version that they’ve had), I remember a time when they had an episode where one of the Ultraman died and all the other versions of Ultraman got together. BTX, Magic Knights Rayearth, Flame of Recca, Ghost Fighter, Gundam Wing, Animes were a big hit for the 90s kids and kids at heart. 

“Esmuski!” the famous line of  Ang TV, an afternoon kiddie gag show that airs 4:30pm (four thirty na! Ang TV na!). Also, POWER RANGERS (the originals), with their robot dinosaurs that combines and forms a gigantic Megazoid (This is the only Power Ranger Show that has been made into a movie, oh what I give to have a complete set of those).

A Simple Life.

          "Life is simple but living isn't easy". This is the premise that I have believed in ever since I was a child. If you're family is poor, everything seems expensive. It was always not enough. I had no choice back then (of course, what can a child do other than to accept the situation he's in). Don't get me wrong, I love my parents more than anything. I'm very thankful that we have always had meals three times a day and had never have to stop school. I know how hard they worked to provide for me and my brother and I will forever be grateful for everything that they have done. Everything was because of their sacrifices. And really, I just have to say, back then, others have had it harder, even worst than me. Although as far as I know, we may have lived a simple life, still everyday was a challenge.

Another page.

And so it really has begun. Just this morning, I had my orientation with the company: about the products/services; the workplace; the training; and everything that we should know about the position we have been hired for. 

'Was nervous during the whole recruitment process. But even I was surprised with the way I handled the it like  the mock calls, the initial and the final interviews, and the exams. This might not be much but hey this is my first call center experience.

I think that my time in Singapore really did helped me a lot. Every hardshipssss (yeah hardshipssss), have taught me to look on the bright side of things. There may not be much of a difference in personality but a lot has changed in perspective. 

This new path with Convergys... I'm sure would be very challenging. Nontheless, I know it shall further develop me as a person. I pray that I will pass the training and ultimately the tests of patience up ahead. 

Singapore Zoo.

Singapore is a very beautiful, systematic, and in some corners majestic (hmmm... Ok maybe in a lot of corners). Singapore Zoo is and maybe always will be one of those corners. The place is just awesome that's why it has always been lauded as one of the best zoos in the world in all aspects.

So Why Start a Blog?

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

                                                                                                      – Don’t know who said that.

A lot of times, I can be a real mess.  A friend and a co-officer back then in college once told me that in able for me to be more systematic, I should put it all into writing. So she showed me how to make a to-do list... But a stubborn me didn't follow the instructions so I ended up being reprimanded at times. (Not telling you what happened! All in the past now and I did learn a valuable lesson........ Really!!)

A CHOICE TO BEGIN ANEW

Invitation from my sponsor. (a day before the flight)

...this post traces back to my Facebook note. Click here to read the note.

March 10, 2012
11:45 PM
Aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR505 to Singapore

I never thought I’d be boarding a plane ever in my life. But then here I am, beside me are 2 empty chairs, people sleeping, and I am in my corner writing about this wonderful experience...

I have so many things in my bucket list. To top my Ultimate-Most-Insanely-Unreal-Dream Category is to have the power to fly, for me to touch the clouds and go to places I’ve always wanted to go. I dreamt of flying over cities and mountains and oceans with my arms outstretched and my eyes closed while the wind is blowing on my face.