breakfast at tiffany's.....ooopss in the philippines!

since living in europe for years, i am always accustomed to eat cold breakfast like cereals (which i am also used to at home back in the phils), toasted bread, assortiment of cheeses, finely chopped salmon, wursts (sausages), salamis and cold cuts and germans go ga-ga over me if i eat rice and warm meals in morning :D but nothing would compare to the delicious colorful breakfast from the philippines that i learned to cook here in europe.

the philippines staple food is rice, three meals a day was/always accompanied by rice in it, in the neighborhood i grew up - as a child before my schoolbus came to fetch me, i had a wonderful breakfast already waiting for me at the table. my neighbor "nanay saling" (mother saling) (deceased) has a "karinderya" (eatery) and as much as the little childrens hate her (including me) because if somehow our balls (volleyball, softball, tennis ball - everyball in earth produced accidentally went to her backyard she hides them or never gave it back - she also gave an ultimatum to us, the last straw, was she took a volleyball that accidentally flew over her backyard while were playing, took a big knife and plunge at the poor helpless ball. hahahahahaha we were in a state of shock - anyway - even when she's mean and scares little children, her foods from the "karinderya" are heaven to people working early in the morning, before going to school or just dont have time to prepare breakfast. she makes delicious "champorado", "lugaw" and "sopas" and across from her is also a small "karinderya" owned by "manang patricia" (madame patricia) they always bicker at each other - on who's the best and finally i decided that the "sopas" and "champorado" of "nanay saling" was better but the "lugaw" of "manang patricia" was more delicious.

im excited now to describe these wonderful and other breakfast from the philippines, so i'll begin now, shall i? :)

lugaw - glutinous rice cooked in chickens broth (can also be inner things from pigs (tripe)but thats not "lugaw" anymore but called "goto" thats for the evening snack) where the "sabaw" (sauce) is so thick and creamy, with ginger, spring onions, hard-boiled eggs and roasted garlic as toppings.

champorado - gloutinous rice cooked in "kokwa" (cacao) sauce, very sweet and evaporated milk is topped all over it.

sopas - macaroni noodles cooked in chicken broth and milk together. the "sabaw" (sauce) is not that thicky as lugaw and accompanied with shredded cabbage, diced carrots and spring onions.

pandesal - the classic filipino breakfast - the bread is hotly served straight fron the "paninderya" (bakery) only accompanied by "kape" (coffee) and the best part of this, is that you pinch a part of the "pandesal" and dip it into the coffee and eat it! :)) yummy!

then there are the classic "SI-LOG" groups: you can see this menu anywhere in the "karinderyas" in the philippines.

1. TAP-SI-LOG (TApa - SInangag - itLOG) - tapas (beef cuts) fried rice and egg.

2. LONG-SI-LOG (LONGganisa - SInangag - itLOG) - longganisa (spanish salami) fried rice and egg.

3. CORN-SI-LOG (CORNed beef - SInangag - itLOG) - corned beef, fried rice and egg.

4. BANG-SI-LOG (BANGus - SInangag - itLOG) bangus (milkfish), fried rice and egg.

5. PA-KAP-LOG (PANdesal - KApe - itLOG) padesal, coffee and eggs.


from 1-4 the dish is very hearty and full and always accompanied by an "atsara" (pickeled green papaya) and dip sauce "sukang paombong" or fermented vinegar from coconuts sometimes you can ask for the spicy one which is a shock because the bottle of "suka" (vinegar) is full of red and green chillis, garlic, onions and pepper.