WELCOME TO MY SITE AND HAVE A GOOD DAY

Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada- the Gambling Capital of US and the City that never sleeps! So, what has this city have to do with this site. The answer is none. I just love the photo, I took during our vacation to this city a couple of years ago. In this site, you will find articles from my autobiography, global warming, senior citizens issues, tourism, politics in PI, music appreciation and articles about our current experiences as retirees enjoying the "snow bird" lifestyle between US and the Philippines. Your comments will be highly appreciated. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on infringement of your copyrights. Cheers!

Saturday, October 31, 2020

Have You Heard of Sous-vide Cooking?


 Cooking via Sous-vide-Photo Credit-Wikipedia

I was communicating with a European friend now residing in the Philippines about the best way to cook exotic and expensive meat like ostrich steaks the other day. I told him I am not comfortable in cooking expensive and exotic meat like ostrich steaks or lamb chops for I might ruin the cooking either under or over cooking.

He suggested I try cooking Sous-vide. This was my first time to hear of the word Sous-vide.  The technique of cooking in a vacuum-sealed bags in a water bath  had been done by Macrine (RIP) in her younger years. I just did not know what the name of the process or technique was at that time.

Sous Vide is a French cooking technique, which translates to “under vacuum." In this technique food is vacuum-sealed in a cooking pouch and heated up at a precise temperature in a water oven. Instead of relying on perfect timing, sous vide relies on precise temperature control. You simply set the machine and can expect the technique to deliver consistent, perfect results. Foods cooked sous vide develop flavors and textures that simply cannot be duplicated using any other traditional cooking method. Here are the advantages of cooking sous-vide.

  • Enhanced flavours.
  • Healthier result.
  • Better textures and tenderness.
  • Never overcooked.
  • Perfect every time.

Sous vide water bath cooker could vary from $9.99 to $ 4,000 + depending on brand 


The  $9.99 water bath cooker from Amazon

The most expensive sous vide water bath cooker commercially available listed for $4,200.99  
  • Here are three links about Sous-vide cooking.

https://sousvidesupreme.com/pages/10-great-reasons-to-get-a-sousvide-supreme

https://anovaculinary.com/what-is-sous-vide/

https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/cook-your-meat-in-a-beer-cooler-the-worlds-best-sous-vide-hack.html?fbclid=IwAR1WcsHJTszppMFf1b3D0Q_7VUMKtkvywWtgCKmwnPsd4lgo_s7vVvNuBig 

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of coconut lobster from Marinduque, Philippines


Live Coconut Lobsters ( Crabs) from Marinduque, Philippines
 


 

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Cooking Filipino Dishes Using an Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

In the late 1980's Macrine (RIP-my late spouse)) had been using a Presto Pressure Cooking for Lengua( Beef Tongue) Estofado and Pigs Knuckles for her Kare-kare and other Pinoy dishes until 2013 when she was diagnosed with Parkinson. Since then I was the cook in the House but I did not use our old pressure cooker because I was scared it will blow up on me and I hate the noise of the cooker. However the other day, Ditas my youngest daughter showed me her Instant Pot and my fear of cooking using a pressure cooker had vanished.

The other day, Ditas cooked kare-kare (pig knuckles)using her modern Instant Pot. The pigs feet was soft and tender for only 30 minutes versus cooking in a regular oven top which will require from 2 to 3 hours.

Two months ago, I joined a FB  Filipino cooking group and I ask the following question.

What Pinoy Dishes have you cooked using the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker?

I had 133 comments as of today. I am posting a few of the comments below:

Pinapaitan 🤙🏿‼️😋
Arroz caldo, adobo, sinigang
I prefer to use simmer when cooking bulalo, nilaga stew chicken to get the real flavor!!
sinigang, adobo, afritada, calderitA and menudo
Oxtail for kare kare
Chicken feet
Bistek, bulalo, kare kare, adobo.
Humba with banana flower.
Mechado, adobo and kare kare
Nilaga crispy pata and kaldereta
Lechon belly 😋
Paa ng baka
The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook: Classic and Modern Filipino Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker
The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook: Classic and Modern Filipino Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker
Use pressure cooker to all meat before finalize the recipe.
Menudo, arroz caldo
Adobo, afritada, nilaga
Kare kare
Beef pares
Kare Kare
Kaldereta
Nilaga…
Piglets oxtail soup
Karekare,kaldereta,mechado, nilagang baka, goto.
Pork leg and baked beans
Kare kare.
Kare kare, calderetang kambing, sinigang, tinola and kanin!!!!
Any meat that takes time to boil and soften
paella, put rice seafood stock and at 1 teaspoon saffron and put chicken , shrimp , sausages
Papaitan,karekare,nilaga
Kare kare, sinigang, nilaga, mechado
Karekare, bulalo
Sinigang na Beef Pata with a Twist. Easy and delicious.
Sinigang na Beef Pata with a Twist. Easy and delicious.
Leche flan
Other than bulalo at kare Kare. Adobo, rice minsan spaghetti 😊
I never use pressure cooker in My entire life
Kare kare...for the oxtail and tendons
Chicken adobo
Beef stew Adobo chicken/pork, Menudo.


Meanwhile enjoy this video -Cooking Lengua Estofado- one of my favorite Filipino Dish and a coconut lobster from Chateau Du Mer, Boac, Marindque, Philippines



 

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Celebration of Life: Macrine J.Katague via her Favorite Music ( Filipino)-Part 5

This is a continuation of the series, Celebration of Life: Macrine J. Katague via her favorite music, Part 5 of 14. This part are three of her favorite Filipino songs.

 

Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko (Even if My Hair Had Gone White) (Tagalog). See English translation:

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Rey-Valera/Kahit-Maputi-Na-Ang-Buhok-Ko/translation/english

 

Matud Nila-They Say (Said)( Cebuano-Visayan)

They said I was not fit
Matud nila ako dili angay

To be rich in your love,
Nga magmamanggad sa imong gugma,

They say you will not be happy,
Matud nila ikaw dili malipay,

I have no comparison with you,
Kai wa ako'y bahanding nga kanimo igasa,
Charity is a commitment
Gugmang putli mao day pasalig

It is worth more than gold
Maoy bahanding labaw sa bulawan

They said it was just a coincidence
Matud nila kaanugon lamang

In your love and favor,
Sa imong gugma ug parayeg,
This feeling will not go away
Dili maluba kining pagbati

For whatever reason
Bisan sa unsa nga katarungan

For what else is this life worth?
Kay unsa pay bili ning kinabuhi

If in love you are deprived
Kon sa gugma mo hinikawan
Tell me you will not believe
Ingna ko nga dili ka motuo

Of the insults I received
Sa mga pagtamay kong naangkon

Tell me you will not be fooled
Ingna ko nga dili mo kawangon

I dream of a commitment to your love
Damgo ko'g pasalig sa gugma mo

At Times (Usahay)

[I]
At times,
I dream
that you and I have fallen in love
And why do I yearn for you?
Yearn (for you) for always in my solitude?
[II]
At times,
my heart
regrets *having ever been born* on this earth,
Because you have just *toyed with*
my love that is genuine,
(this love) of my dream,
within this heart
(that) I feel
[III]
At times,
(It) confounds me
why our life has anguish
And if only it could be all of revelry instead,
of unadulterated joviality
on this earth
 
A choral presentation of Usahay by the Philippines Madrigal Singers 
 
Meanwhile, enjoy these other Philippine Folk songs that both Macrine and I also loved.
 



 

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Food for Thought for Today: Tortoise, Stillness and Patience

I was reading a FB comment of a relative the other day. It reminded me of my two collection of turtles ( a ceramic and wood) that I am posting today.

This is my Turtle Nite Light-Guiding Me in the Darkness of the Night

Do you know the differences between turtles and Tortoises?

Tortoises ARE Turtles

All the animals alive today that protect themselves with a shell — basically just a modified rib cage — are in the order Testudines. Collectively, we call this group of animals "turtles," but individually, we might call them different things based on where they live and some morphological and physiological traits.

"They say that not all turtles are tortoises, but all tortoises are turtles," says Smith. "The turtles are organisms with a shell, which might be in water or might be on land. A tortoise is a type of turtle."

In general, both turtles and tortoises (as well as other reptiles) lay their eggs on land — it's what makes them different from amphibians, which need water for egg-laying and at least part of their life cycle.

Because tortoises are turtles, it's difficult to lay down hard and fast rules about what makes something tortoise-ish rather than turtle-ish. But in general, tortoises are always found on land, whereas turtles can be found in aquatic or marine habitats as well as land.

( https://animals.howstuffworks.com/reptiles/tortoise-turtle-difference.htm )

Quote from a FB friend: TORTOISE AND STILLNESS. For years I had been drawn to turtles and what they teach me. The more simple lesson being.. "Though it make take years to manifest... the answer will come!" Patience". Of course, I still struggle and, admittedly, in many other times, esp. during "chaos" in mind and spirit , but at least in my Quiet Time each early morning for decades now, I have had turtles surrounding me, reminding me! And I believe it..the ANSWER will come!

My wooden turtle dwarfed by my wooden horse wood carving from the Philippines. Meanwhile, enjoy this photo:

 

My crystal collection of animals: horse, 2 turtle doves, swan, dolphin and elephant

Also, enjoy this video -one of Macrine's Favorite Music


Somewhere in Time/Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini-Rachmaninoff  

 

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