Domestic Goddess

Now that you guys mention that calamansi can be grown in countries that have 4 seasons, I'll have my dad mail me calamansi seeds for me to grow and propagate here. I'll be planting mine in a big jar and letting it stay out in the veranda. We live on the 9th floor of this apartment building and have no community gardens below. Calamansi has always been used in its green state. If you look at my first post in this topic, the picture in the article/blog link, the calamansi slice is definitely green. For the Philippine cerviche (kinilaw), the calamansi is added to the kinilaw before it is served. It is important to strain the seeds out of the juice when one sprinkles it over the kinilaw dish.

Mine would be cleaning the livers up and then wrapping it up with bacon strips. Pop into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is done and crispy. Delicious!

I echo Carnitas and now tomato bruschetta!

I don't know about you guys, but my mouth started watering at the sight of that stone pork chunk. Yum!

Jaymes, I am so envious of you. Kinilaw is not kinilaw without the very important addition of calamansi. Here in Korea, I'd had to settle for calamansi in powdered form or just plain lemon or lime juice. Wish I had a big plant like what we had back in Manila and just harvest the fruit when we need it for kinilaw or the ever present dip of soysauce and vinegar+calamansi.

In the Philippines, we have our own version of the cerviche, called kinilaw. Spanish, portuguese and mexican tradesmen/sailors have brought the dish to my country during the galleon trade in the 1600's. There are different versions of the kinilaw, from simply cleaning and marinating the fish in cane vinegar to the addition of coconut milk. Kinilaw can be made from tuna, cod, flying fish (my mom's favorite), even big anchovies (my favorite). Of course, the anchovies are beheaded, gutted and filleted. For my mom's recipe for kinilaw, I'd like to share Robyn's link to her blogsite EatingAsia. She and her hubby had the fortune of having my mom prepare kinilaw for them. The Kindness of Strangers (Kinilaw recipe included) For me, kinilaw is best eaten with grilled pork chops or pork ribs and steamed rice. By the beach, with your hands.

Last night, I made tomato bruschetta for the first time. OMG, I never had anything so good, so fresh and so flavorful. The only thing that involved heat was toasting my garlic baguette. The tomatoes I chopped, tossed with minced garlic and herbs and then drizzled with EVOO. Topped on my toasted baguette slics, it was a nice refreshing and light dinner. I finished half a baguette and hubby was all

Inspired by Kathleen in her blog, I decided to make her bananana bread with chocolate chunks. Here's a slice, still warm and fresh from the oven...

I have never rendered lard before I joined eGullet. Now I render my own lard (have about 4-5 jars), pure white and makes my pie crusts and empanadas so flaky. I also have seasoned lard from my carnitas recipe. Lard, when used sparingly and right, is oh so good.

Wow! We're in Madrid, Spain now! I look forward to your blog Kathleen and may I say I am absolutely wowed that you're an opera singer (coming from one whose voice is like a cockroach). Oh, and I've pm'ed you ...

My neighbor gave me 5 huge peaches and I found a great recipe online. Peach Cobbler Plated for hubby... (who ooh'ed and aah'ed about it)

Monovano, I have 5 huge peaches given to me by my neighbor. Can you share your recipe for the peach crisp?

Johnny, the end of your blog has brought a lump in my throat. I have thoroughly enjoyed your weeklong blog and can't believe it is over. Your pictures of the sea and its bountiful harvest has reminded me of home (granddaughter of a deepsea fisherman). May the seas always be calm and may you always return home to land safe. - (Filipino fisherman prayer) Doddie

Papaya is also good for fiber. No need to worry about constipation when you got papaya for brekkies in the morning.

Sparrowgrass - OUCH! I can almost feel your pain. OW!

NikaBoyce, my kentuckian hubby just ooh'ed and aah'ed over your picks. I swear he was practically drooling when we browsed the picture collage of yummy smoked meat goodness.

I remembered my grandmother told me when she was a little girl during World War II under Japanese occupation (In the Philippines) that her father would watch the Japanese troops during their meal times and whenever they throw out their leftovers and wash their dishes. When the troops retire to their offices, he would pick up every scrap of food and rice grains on the ground/sewer and wash it several times in the river. They would subsist on this plus root crops that they can find in the nearby mountains/hills. Her uncle would also would go fishing and whatever he caught he used to barter for rice, coffee and sugar. The tiniest fish was left for the family dinner.

When I was growing up (in the Philippines), there was rule that one doesn't eat siopao (chinese steamed bun) from off the street because it was probably made out of stray cat meat. This was urban folk lore and it was probably more expensive and laborous to catch the numerous stray cats in the city than use real pork.

I believe you need to keep them in a paperbag for a couple of days and they will ripen. My mom used to put them in our rice keeper and it helps ripen it (I have no idea how). I usually eat them half ripe, I love the cruchy-tart-sweet combination.

Gastro888, I don't make my own gochujang. My korean friends give me a lot of theirs. My jar of gochujang is now almost a year old and still taste great. I've heard some of my friends' gochujang made by their moms are still there in their kimchi refrigerators, about several years and still is as good.

Ktepi - looks like a manzanita fruit to me.

I DO SO AGREE! (where's the drool icon?)

It's Johnnyd! Hey, don't forget to show us buckets and buckets of fried clams. I can't wait for your blog to develop!

I DEFINITELY need another clue. Looks like Holland to me but then I have always been geographically-clooless. (Hey, I get lost in the mall).

Aaaah, there they are! Great pics and great kimchi!