Parties Make The World Go Round

By: Sarah

 

Money makes the world go round. Love makes the world go round. Coffee, Music, Stock Market and the list goes on. But what I always look forward to are THE PARTIES…Parties make “my world” go round and round. What shall I wear? What unique gifts I could give? And yes, I got to make somethin’ special, a dish or dessert that’s make-ahead, effortless, easily transportable, crowd-pleasing and most of all, visually stunning and definitely an updated classics. You know what, I’ve been seeing recipes with unexpected ingredients or fusion twists. Consider these. Dinuguan with coconut milk, 5-hour baked biko, Pandesal with 12 eggyolks, Moist Chocolate Cake with Boiled Condensed Milk for Filling.
Stir-Fried Soy Bean Sprouts (not mung-bean sprouts) with Tofu, Mechado Tacos, Creamy Pancit Palabok blended with Coconut and Evaporated Milk, Sans Rival Balls. Time to dig in to my million recipes folder… not kidding here, it’s a chore, it’s what I go through when party potluck invitations are received. But of course, how can I not give in to repeats/encore food or dessert versions. Here’s what I usually do or bring. One that is requested, and another one that is totally experimental. Hungry guinea pigs can’t complain lol. After all, it’s food, it’s delicious offerings, it’s cravings satisfied.
Photos featured this month: The big 4 birthday celebrants (Marie, Luisa, Gerry and Malou), Glenn’s Sister Ginger and hubby Braulio (from Colorado) road trip visit and Christine and Jun’s Birthday at Katy’s Honey Pig and Larina’s Korean AYCE birthday treat. It’s Party Time, it’s time to laugh and pass the wine, and it’s time to do the “Crazy Rich Asian” mahjong that even America is getting obsessed with it.
Main recipe is a twist on IGADO, the popular Ilocano dish (sans pig’s innards or offal, sorry, I just am not a fan). It’s a liver dish primarily, Filipinos calling it Igado, misheard it I guess from Spanish term Higado meaning liver. Second to Adobo, this is I considered another stand out in Filipino cooking. It has almost same flavor profile as Adobo with its soy sauce, white vinegar and meat components. When cooking Igado minus the liver or the Liver-free version, again for obvious reasons, you just hate disappointing overcooked tough liver or undercooked liver with pink juices pouring out of it, the addition of canned liver spread, yes that Reno liver spread we grew up loving, creates a delicious no-hassle twist. Who’s ready to try this unique Ilocano twist today for ulam or for a perfect “pulutan”? Let’s go.
The not Classic PORK IGADO WITH LIVER SPREAD
Ingredients:
750 grams Pork Belly or Shoulder, cut into thin strips, about 2 inches
Marinade: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup calamansi or lemon juice,
ground black pepper
Seasoning Base:
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 thumb sized ginger, finely chopped
1 pork broth cube
2 bay leaves
Sauce/Flavor:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar (do not stir immediately)
1 can (approximate 85-100g) liver spread
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
Vegetables:
1 large carrot, julienned
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 cup green peas
1 large red potato, julienned
Instructions:
In a bowl, marinate the pork in soy sauce, calamansi, and pepper for at least 30 minutes. While the meat is marinating, prepare the vegetables.
Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion and ginger until fragrant and onion becomes translucent. Add the marinated pork and cook until the meat is browned. Add the marinade, soy sauce, bay leaves, pork broth cube and 1- 2 cups annato water (add 1-2 tablespoons annato seeds in a liquid measuring cup, coat with 1 teaspoon lihia/lye water, then add 1/4 cup water to start to develop red color). Cover and simmer until pork is tender (about 15-20 minutes). Stir in the liver spread and simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Add the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Pour in the vinegar, do not mix, continue to simmer for 5 minutes to avoid raw vinegar taste. Taste and season with sugar, extra soy sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper. Cook for another
2 minutes until everything is cooked through.
Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot with steamed rice. Enjoy the deliciousness!
Bonus recipe, this is always requested. Easy-peasy and make-ahead sweets for a crowd.
BUCO PANDAN SALAD
In a saucepot,
5 cups Buko Juice (or half coconut water and half plain water)
1 sachet (25g) MR GULAMAN Buko Pandan gulaman powder
1/4 cup sugar
Stir until gulaman powder is dissolved. Let it boil, while stirring continuously. Once boiling, remove from heat and transfer to 2 Pyrex trays or baking pans. Let it cool and set.
In another clean saucepot, 6 cups water, boiling 1/2 cup uncooked tapioca pearls. Stir to prevent pearls sticking together. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. Drain, add cold water while stirring. Cover and soak with cold water
until pearls are translucent and ready to use.
Once the jelly is firm and set, start with 1 tray and cut jelly into cubes. Grate the other half with coconut grater to create jelly strings.
In a large bowl, add
2 cups Shredded young coconut (buko), 1 can young coconut meat
1 bottle (12oz) nata de coco (coconut gel), syrup drained and rinsed
gulaman cubes and strings cooked tapioca pearls.
Mix, then add 2 cups all-purpose cream, 1 cup condensed milk, few drops of pandan flavor and half packet of Instant Vanilla Pie Pudding mix.
Mix until well combined. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving. Best ever potluck dessert!
A really yummy, huge, scratch made bakery favorite is coming up next ish! Don’t miss it. Meanwhile, who doesn’t love the warmer weather…it’s beginning to feel like summer, we are all indeed grateful to God!