SINIGANG NA ALIMANGO SA BAYABAS

When I was young, Sunday lunch was always special. We lived in my Grandmother’s house then and Sundays means all are present. My 3 Uncles have no work, my Mom and Dad and my sisters, we are all at home. My Tito Boy usually is the self-appointed cook every Sunday and I am the self-appointed Coke runner (Coca-Cola that is). I usually will grab a rattan basket and buy 2 bottles of Coke Litro at either Ka Linda’s Store or Ka Inggo’s.

A break from the usual “halabos” na alimango was the Sinigang na Alimango sa Bayabas. I always like slurping the sweet tangy soup of this dish and pouring it on a heaping serving of rice. Taking off the shell always creates anticipation as to how much “alige” there is. We always eat with our hands to easily take off the meat from the shell of the crab even if it’s difficult to scoop the rice due to the soup. Of course the meal would not be complete without “patis” to dip your fingers at before taking a handful of wet rice and putting it in your mouth and swallowing it. As always, you finish the meal with a glass of ice-cold Coke.

As I was in the market one Sunday morning, I saw a lady selling it and suddenly, I know what to cook for lunch. Here is my take on the dish with a little help from my Mom as I called her to recall how it is done.

Ingredients:

1 kilo Alimango (Mud Crabs)

½ kilo ripe guava

2 medium size onions

1 liter water for the soup

¼ cup patis

2 teaspoon rock salt

¼ cup sugar

Procedure:

1.       Boil water.

2.       Slice guava and put in water. Boil until cooked.

3.       Remove from water using a strainer. Mash on a bowl and strain the juice back on the soup.

4.       Add patis, rock salt and sugar. Reduce or add quantity according to taste. (It should be sweet-salty-fruity taste).

5.       Put in onions.

6.        Bring to a boil.

7.       Add the Alimango (if the crabs are too big, cut them in half if you like).

8.       Boil until it’s done. ( the crabs are done when they turned orange)

9.       Serve with rice and patis. Ice cold Coke is a must!

10.   Enjoy!

TINUMIS

T I N U M I S

Tinumis is one of the foods I grew up eating. When I was young, my Tito Boy used to cook it every Saturday. He usually finished cooking it around 10:30 am and I remember getting a cupful of this hot black soup and eating it while watching cartoons.  I’ll be eating a lot with rice during lunch time and adding to the yum factor is the “sawsawang patis na may pinigang siling panigang”.

Now, my Mom cooks it and has become a somewhat a staple food in every occasion lately. Oddly enough, it is served not only during our lunch or dinner time, it is requested whenever there are birthdays, fiesta and get togethers.

As I grew fondly of cooking, I was eager to learn how cook this somewhat ‘heirloom recipe’ if we may call it. With the basic knowledge from my Inang (that’s how we call our Lola Elena) Tito Boy, Ninong Baby and Tito Tony (yes, all in the family knows how to cook and they all have their specialties), this made it easy for me to learn how to cook it from my mother. The secret of it all as she says is the “pangsangkutsa” or pre-cooking of the meat. “Sangkutsahin mo hanggang lumabas ang mantika” was always her reminder for the flavour of the meat to be enhanced.

Tinumis may be similar in appearance with Dinuguan, but as I learned from experience and by family tradition, they are different because of the ingredients mainly the souring agent. Tinumis uses Sampalok while Dinuguan uses Suka or Vinegar. So far, in other places I visited, their Tinumis were almost the same as ours. But some use pork instead of the Cara Beef we usually use.

This is how to cook Tinumis as I learned from my Mother.

INGREDIENTS:

1 kilo Cara Beef (Carabao’s meat. You could use beef or pork)

1 bowl Pig’s blood

Half a head of Garlic

1 Onion

3 Tomatoes

3 bunch Mustasa

1/2 kilo Sampalok

Isang tumpok na Sampalok Leaves (usbong ng Sampalok)

1 Liter water

1/2 cup Patis

4 pieces Siling Panigang

Salt to taste.

PROCEDURE:     

1.       Sautee garlic, Onion and tomatoes. Make sure they are cooked thoroughly. Mash the tomatoes until they are pureed. 

2.       Put meat. Add ½ cup of patis. ( I never use vetsin, Patis is my vetsin). 

3.       “Sangkutsahin mo hanggang lumabas ang katas ng karne.” Save some of the juice coming from the meat during the "sangkutsa" process.  This will make the soup tasty.

4.       When all the juice from meat has come out and meat oil comes sizzling, fry the meat a little until it turned slightly brown. Then pour the blood, stirring constantly to prevent coagulation. Cook blood thoroughly. Blood is cooked when it turned chocolaty brown.

5.       As the water boils, sing “sampalok ay… inyong nilalaga, pinipiga, sinasala.” If you have a bad voice, buy the instant sampalok instead. But I suggest, you do a little voice lesson because natural sampalok is way better than the instant. The difference in taste is miles away. (Sing that also). Seriously, use the REAL SAMPALOK! Just don’t sing na lang.

6.       Add water and bring to a boil until the meat is tender. Put the saved meat juice. 

7.       Put salt and additional patis according to your liking.

8.       Cut the mustasa leaves an inch. It is somewhat bitter and to get rid of its bitter taste, put it in a container, pour hot water and salt over. Crush it by hand gently and wash with cold water.

9.       Put in the boiling soup and then lower the fire. Put the usbong ng Sampalok after being finely cut.

10.    After 5 minutes turn the fire off.

11.   Then it is ready. Enjoy!

Sampalok

Siling Panigang

USbong ng Sampalok

Garlic, the more the better.

Tomatoes and Mustasa Leaves

The whole cast

Enjoy with hot steaming rice and patis with chilies.

The Taal Batangas Heritage Tour

I have never been to Taal, Batangas before, but I was inkling to go there for the longest time. It being a Heritage town obtained my attention knowing that there is so much history to be learned from visiting. 

I was unable to join a tour organized months before. Eric my photography classmate invited me but my schedule did not permitted me. 

June 12, 2013, the same organizers conducted the tour, led by Sir Derrick Gerardo C. Manas, dubbed as "Taal Batangas Tour - Independence Day Special".

I was with my wife Rheeza and our friend Bing and Eric (second time around). We left Manila at around 6:30 am expecting to arrive in Taal at 9am. We took SLEX and exit at Sta. Rosa to take the Tagaytay route, which we found out was the long way instead taking another route. We got lost as usual so we arrived at Taal around 9:30 am.

We met in front of the Municipal Hall began with some introduction of our selves. Sir Derrick then led us to the Casa Real and told the history of it.

Casa Real - Taal Municipal Hall

Our next stop was the Marcela Agoncillo House. As we know, she was one of the makers of our flag. 

Marcela Agoncillo House

Marcela Agoncillo Shrine

 

Details inside the Agoncillo house

 Our next stop was Villa Tortuga. Villa Tortuga is an old house where you can have your pictures taken wearing period costumes. You can also dine upstairs wearing those costumes like the Spaniards and the Illustrados used to in those old days.

For only P250.00 you can have you pictures taken wearing costumes. My tour mates grabbed the opportunity and rummaged through the pile and gamely posed. For us photo enthusiast, this is a different photo shoot. This could have been a Cosplay 19th Century edition!!

Feel how people dress in those days

 
 

The groups take on the making of the Philippine flag.

On a less serious note...

The big shells will lead you upstairs and see the intricate interior of the house.

We enjoyed our stay here specially the photo shoot. It is not always that you have the chance to shoot with this kind of theme. if ever I'll be fortunate to come back, I'll see to it that I will wear those costumes and give my best Jose Rizal pose.

Our next stop is the Apacible house and the Galleria Taal where the Camera Museum is housed, but let us discuss that in the next blog, The Taal, Batangas Heritage Tour Part 2!



All photos Property of Jonathan P. Hernandez. Please do not reproduce or publish without the author's permission or knowledge. Copyright 2013

Batangas Province Photo Tour

October 22, 2011

FPPF was invited by the Batangas government to join this tour along with its affiliated camera clubs. Despite not belonging to a club,  we were lucky to be included in the list of people to join the Tour.

This is in connection with the Ala Eh Festival... considered as the "mother of all the festivals in Batangas".
This is also to promote their Photo Contest that even non-Batangueno can join.

I was with my FPPF Basic Photography Workshop classmate, Boyet Mabini II.

Our first stop is Nasugbu. We were welcomed by the Tourism officers of the province. Snacks were served as we were on our way to Hamilo Coast Pico De Loro Cove. A property owned by SM.

Jump shot!

Boyet my Men!!!

Our next stop was Nasugbu each Park owned by the Batangas Goverment. 

Nyarp! hehehe...

Locals 

A marker of the Landing of the Nasugbu Liberation stands honoring the liberation of Batangas from the Japanese Government during World War II.

Here's Boyet again...serious!

Photographers reflections.

Fisherfolks hauling their catch for the day. 

I like the color combination... of the outfit of this gorgeous fellow photog... ; - )

After some clickings, we boarded the bus for the Enrique Zobel Foundation in Calatagan where they make candles. But the candle makers were on a field trip although we were entertained by it's Chairperson, Miss Dee Anne Hora-Zobel.

Chairperson Dee Anne Hora-Zobel.

It's about 12noon and our next stop is the Calatagan Mangrove Forest Conservation Park in Brgy Quilitisan which is popularly known as "Ang Pulo". 

The guidelines that you must follow when you enter it's premises. Take note of item no. 9... wapak!

One should walk this long board walk made of bamboo to reach the boarding edge. Squeaks as you take a step.  

The participants boarding the "balsa". We were not able to board it all at once and we needed a second raft to bring  us to the Ang Pulo.

I was part of the second batch. We tried to while the ennui and the hunger by taking pics.

Sir Amir sharing the secrets of the trade. 

Side view.

Shot taken bago muntik ng mag swimming kasama ang camera... 

Sumakay kasi sya sa balsa ni Manong e hindi balanse kaya tumagilid... buti na lang swerte pa nakahawak.

Here's our ride.

let's go!!!

Sir George Cabig in orange shirt. He let us joined this tour despite not belonging to a legitimate camera club. 

SIRENA!!!

Ate.. may jollibee ba dyan??

Parang disyerto

It's almost 3pm and we haven't had our lunch. Its an hour travel to reach Calaca where our lunch is at. Snacks were distributed to augment our hunger. The  ensaymada will not taste the same again after this trip.

After almost an hour and "madaming tulog" we reached Calaca who is celebrating thei 7th Calacachara Festival. 

 I was smitten by the their Municipal Hall. It was so big and modern. No pictures were taken after this because we had our lunch. Sorry, Tom Jones na e. 

It was the most fulfilling lunch in my life, to exaggerate a bit. It was 4pm and it was a combination of lunch and snacks. They were expecting us at 12pm but due to the activities we lost track of time although being reminded by the occasional crumbling of our stomach. I'll say the lunch was superb!!! The adobo and the mechado goes well with the atsara! and the atsara i'll say is the best! They would not have an Atsara Festival for nothing!

Sarap ng Atsara dito. Promise!

We were taken to a photowalk around town by the Calaca Camera Club.

Old store where the "istante" is full of "paninda". 

When my little daughter saw this, he asked why I did not buy her one. 

Kakainin...

...este... kakanin.

"pano naman kami?"

This is their old municipal hall. Quite a contrast on their present hall and a big improvement!

St. Raphael Archangel Parish Church

Altar boys

The church's altar

Church's Dome

may pusa...

There's a lot of old houses around.

Rasta-grapher!

The goat oblivious of what's happening around him.

Silip

This was customary before.You will immediately know who lives in the house

 It was tiring but it was a nice photowalk. Back to the bus as we prepare to travel to our last destination, The Batangas capitol. Due to lack of time, the organizers decided to forgo the Taal Heritage Town shoot.

Sayang! We said our gratitude for the warm welcome and accommodations as we boarded the bus for the capitol. Daming tulog na naman ito!

Past 7pm when we arrived at the capitol. Evidence of rain was seen as the foreground to the Provincial Capitol Hall was wet, reflecting the lights that illuminates the facade. 

As I was taking long exposure shot of the hall, an organizer approached me carrying a box where the ensaymada was earlier placed. Snacks were served, the last for the trip. We were expecting the same but it was different this time. It was "mamon"! Maiba naman.

After some shots, an announcement from the megaphone instructed us to board the bus for our return to Manila. We settled and the organizers also said their gratitude for the well received tour. Reminded us of the photo contest and distributed application forms. Said our thank you and good byes and as we travel back, I felt my back ache as a result of the whole day of travel, sights, scenes, people and PHOTGRAPHY but no regrets!

As Ms Cecille Andres wrote in her Hymn to Photography:

"Photography has taken me
Beyond the hills across the sea,
From verdant fields to mountain peaks,
Long beaches white and winding rocks"

Enough said.


All photos, Property of Jonathan Hernandez. Please do not reproduce or publish without the author's permission or knowledge. Copyright 2011