Lasang Pinoy7: Almusal

This post is an offshoot of Stef's  second invite to join Lasang Pinoy. The first invite was last December when I was still  clumsily finding my bearings in the world of food blogging. It's just  been  over two months since I debuted as a blogger. There is still a  vast terrain to explore and interesting discoveries to stumble on. Anyhow, as a blogging newbie, it is certainly a boost to my fledgling blogger's ego to be invited to join Lasang Pinoy7. Here then is my contribution.

                   

What  can one really whip up on a Sunday when the the winter temperature is traipsing on the extremes? It is  -32C with a  windchill that feels like its 10 degrees  colder. Certainly one thinks, nay, dreams it's a sunrise summer  at the home country where the ocean is a shimmering blue. One can even hear a cock crow. Really, the worn out sofa cushions like Boracay sand.

With the tummy grumbling, you grudgingly accept life's freezing fate. Just the same, you still want  a piece of home. So you rush to the fridge's crisper  where  the precious contraband  of dwindling dried sea bounty from Estancia , Iloilo are stashed. The balingon uga(dilis) and the tiny dried lukos(pusit) catches the fancy of your eye. Suddenly the temperature rises in the kitchen as  the quintessential seaside breakfast is churned. You boil the chicken eggs as the  tomatoes are sliced for the itlog ensalada. Simple.You hear yourself whistle.Then another burner gets going, heating  the garlic oil on the well seasoned wok ready for the day-old cold rice.That,a pinch or so of salt, and some cool stir-fry moves gets the calo-calo (fried rice)drizzled with lots of fried garlic going.

The final act, but of course, is to fry the divinely pungent salty dried creatures of the ocean. But first you need an ancient ritual --a heartfelt prayer pleading your neighbors won't wake up thinking  their super efficient sewage system had leaked.  Second, the windows needs to be opened, the electric fan--brrrrrr-and  the exhaust fan set to nuts.Well, unless you want to wear fish perfume on your shirt on Monday morning. Third, doors need to be locked so no wandering neighbor can come in and see you light about half a dozen esperma (long candles) to contain the smell of your mummified delicacy. They might think you're an occult fanatic.

When all these are done, you retire to the table with a secret version of  sawsawan and begin to nip, dip and tuck  to your anxious mouth the dried fish of your labor. Kinamot style.
                                                       
                                           

 

 

Comments

[Jenny Case]

Ange,

I have found a sure fire way to get rid of the uga smell. Coffee beans - stick them on tin foil and in the broiler or oven for about 5 - 10 minutes. Sure, your house smells like burnt coffee but its better than - as you say - fish perfume! Although you have to be a coffee lover to tolerate the smell. But works very well for me, thank you very much!!

[joey]

Oh my god! My family also calls it calo-calo! :) This looks amazing and so yummy...I love those dried seafood delicacies (simple isda tuyo is my favorite). I feel for you...we (me and my fiance) will be moving to a flat soon and this was one of the first things I thought of: "No more tuyo...waaaah!" So thanks for the candles tip (and thanks Jenny for the coffee bean tip) :)

Thank you for joining Lasang Pinoy 7 and I hope to see you in more LP events!

[angelo]

jen,the coffee bean thing is surefire idea indeed. i wouldn't mind the smell of coffee circulating in the room. i love coffee. the neaighbors will be seduced by the aroma as well. ok, to market, to market for some dark roasted beans.

[angelo]

miss joey, your family might have their roots in either negros or iloilo just like mine.

discovering about the etymology of the words is oftentimes as interesting as the food itself.

with the coffee beans tip, i hope you won't have to give up your tuyo binges. hope your hubby-to-be will learn to love it as well.

thanks for visiting

[sha]

KINAMOT GYUD!!! THIS IS A VERY WICKED POST PAMAHAW... am starving, drooling and laughing...

balingon uga in Cebuano is bulinaw
calo calo sad sa Cebu ayyy...
wait its only 10pm here my time

I shall wait for my sister to arrive from UK and we shall have this "ancient ritual" soon.. coz we will be eating like this way when we are together!

this is just sooo good!

[angelo]

well,sha-- have a wonderful reunion with your sis. may the flavors and aroma of your bulinaw meal bring back happy memories of home and beyond.

[iska]

this post really makes me giggly :D ... wonderful wonderful post! nakakagutom pa...

[xtine]

This is the real and true Filipino breakfast - I love that last picture you have - Pinoy gyud!

Tin

[xtine]

Hi it's me again...

Just want you to know that I add you on my link - I apologize I already did before I ask your permission but i hope it's okay with you...

Thanks for visiting my blog as well...

Tin

[mae]

Hi there, found you through Sha's link to Celia K. Am surfing for virtual breakfast this morning... and found your site!

I love your ritual prayers. Hahaha. I must try that when i replicate this breakfast! Eating by hand is just oh so authentic. Sarap.

[stef]

when my mom was a student in chicago, they would fry filipino breakfast items and the landlady would knock and ask if they were eating "dead alligators". you should invite your neighbors over LOL:D

am so envious -- no small dried pusit here!

[peng]

So funny eat matter, the ritual you do before cooking this dried creatures of the ocean is exactly what i need to do when i have the craving for this almusal. And oh i have to wait until the husband gone to work!!hehehe

[angelo]

stef,i know of a pinoy couple here who had to vacate their seniors apartment unit because of the "harassment" they get from their neighbors everytime they cook the stuff. They had to buy a house again.

peng,you're like my friend jenny from colorado who makes sure the hubby is away before she can satisfy her dried fish cravings.

[ces]

hi!
browsing through tin's site and it landed me here...just to have a few laughs! i'm adding you in ok?
btw, candles, oil burners, windows and exhaust all work for me..but i'll try that coffee bean tip..:)btw, my entry is also pusit! sarap!

[mae]

Ok... because of this Almusal round-up, i'm now officially addicted to fried dried pusit! I was telling CES how i ate them 2 nights in a row! I have to go and get some more now.

I can't stand the smell either but for the love of food...

I had jasmine + gardenia candle going all night in every room because of it. hehe.

[angelo]

hi mae,
that's what you call eating pusit with ambience.i hope u didn't forget to dim the lights.