Kare Kare-I am proud to say that this delicious Filipino, peanut based stew originated in Pampanga :) Whenever I cook this, I make sure to use lots of peanut butter, lots of ground toasted peanuts, and actually incorporate some of the bagoong (Which is usually served on the side) while sauteing…I also make sure the sauce has just the right consistency, not too thick and not too runny either. A little manyaman tip for you all: after you get the right consitency and desired tenderness of your meat, add about a half stick of butter into your Kare Kare. It will make your sauce more smooth, more savory, and of course more manyaman!
Pinakbet Kapampangan- This is my version of the classic Pinakbet, cooked the Pampango way…meaning it was sauteed in lots of Bagoong Alamang hahah. I like to keep things simple when making this dish, so the only vegetables I used were Squash, String Beans, Eggplant, and Tomato. Lastly, just to give it that Manyaman bite every Pinakbet dish needs, I topped it with some fried pork and lots of sauteed shrimp.
Sisig Kapampangan- Once again, I am proud to say that this Manyaman Filipino Favorite originated in Pampanga :) Thanks to Aling Lucing of Angeles, Pampanga-Dakal a Salamat Pu! I’ll be honest, cooking sisig is definitely NOT an easy dish to cook…there are several specific cooking processes that go into it, and if even one of these cooking processes are not executed properly, the whole dish could go wrong. Thankfully, my sisig came out successfully, and more importantly, it came out Manyaman! The only thing that was missing was a case of San Miguel Beer hahah
Sipo Egg-This is another traditional Kapampangan dish made up of a medley of Crab Meat, Shrimp, Quail Eggs, Carrots, and Green Peas in a delicious creamy sauce. Manyaman food at it’s best =)
Asadong Matwa: Kapampangan Style Pork Asado-I got this recipe from my Auntie in Pampanga who is one of the best cooks I know. She learned how to cook this dish from her Lola, and now, I’m so fortunate to know how to cook it myself (Thanks Auntie!) After a few hours of cooking up a rich tomato based sauce and searing off the meat, my Asadong Matwa was finished. Truly Kapampangan, truly Manyaman.
Pistu-This is a traditional Pampango dish that is usually served at breakfast as filling for Hot Pandesal, or a side to Sinangag (Garlic Fried Rice). It consists of classic Manyaman ingredients like Shrimp, Chopped Hot Dogs & Ground Pork. I remember my grandma would ALWAYS cook this on Saturday mornings. It’s one of those dishes that brings me back to my childhood every time I take a bite <3 I would post the recipe up, but unfortunately this one is gonna have to stay between my Grandma and me. Sorry guys!
This dish will always hold a special place in my cook book because well, it was the VERY FIRST REAL dish I cooked! IN MY LIFE. Before cooking this dish, Torta was just my favorite comfort food. Now, it’s my favorite comfort food AND my favorite dish to make. Hands Down.
But before I end this, let me get something straight. The Kapampangan way of cooking Torta is very similar to how Giniling is made in many other regions of the Philippines. So if you’re wondering why our Torta looks like Giniling and isn’t shaped into egg patties, re-read this post about 50 more times. And if you haven’t tried this version of Torta before, all I can say is…YOU HAVE TO, SOON! Probably the most Manyaman thing you’ll ever eat in your life. really.
