"TapSiLog" (Befriegg)

Filipinos like us really love to eat perhaps that’s why we are so creative in naming our dishes. Who will not be familiar with the “SiLog”meals? “SiLog” or “sinangag” (garlic-fried rice) and “itlog” (fried egg) is a meal combined with another dish which primarily served during breakfast. There are the “Longsilog” (longganisa (sausage), fried rice and fried egg), “Tosilog” (tocino, fried rice and fried egg), “Chiksilog” (fried chicken, fried rice and fried egg), “Hotsilog” (hotdog, fried rice and fried egg), and etc. but the most popular is “Tapsilog” or the combination of “tapa” (cured beef ), fried rice, and fried egg. Actually most of the restaurant that serves “tapsilog” was called “tapsihan or tapsilugan”. This slang word was accepted by the people and considered as a standard word in Filipino language.

There is no clear data that says where “tapsilog” was originated. Many restaurants and some people were claiming the discovery of “tapsilog” so no one can trace where the dish actually originated. According to my research “tapsilog” was first served in 1970s and popularized inthe 80’s comedy show “Iskul Bukol” by Tito, Vic and Joey. But what is clear is that we should thank whoever created this meal. Personally “tapsilog” is one of my favorite dishes and one of the “tapsilog” I find so delectable is the one served at “Tapsi Ni Vivian”. It is 80 pesos only but sure you’ll be satisfied and just right for your appetite. We maybe have different preferences on the way our “tapsilog” was served but what I love about their “tapsilog” is the sweet and salty favor and softness of the meat of their “tapa”, combined with the perfect blend of garlic in their fried rice, topped with sunny-side-up egg; Perfect match! My mouth is watering and it makes my taste buds tickling while describing it. I guess if your thinking that I’m over reacting you can try it for yourself and maybe you will taste what I’m saying. Just last Saturday my friends and I went at one of their branches at Project 3, Quezon City and just an opinion aside from delicious foods the place was relaxing, I love the ambiance and the crew was friendly and approachable. I think I can personally recommend it to you.

"LIEMPOSILOG"- a new and best SILOG ever!

Tapsilog is one of the most popular dishes that usually serve in the morning. It is a combination of beef (TAP -“tapa”), fried rice (SI-“sinangag”) and egg (Log- “itlog”). Tapsilog are slang words. However, these terms are used by those restaurants and many Filipinos of all social strata. Tapsilog therefore, may be considered standard words in the Filipino language and not slang. The word tapsilog has spawned many other dishes, all having fried rice (or garlic fried rice) and fried egg in it and suffixed with silog. One of the best examples of that is “LIEMPOSILOG”. Liemposilog is a combination of liempo, fried rice and egg. Pork liempo is one of the Filipino's favorites. Liempo is a pork belly, marinated with soy sauce, vinegar, onion, garlic and dashes of black pepper, chilli pepper and turmeric powder. Then grill it to cook and presto! You have already your grilled liempo or also known as “inihaw na liempo”. There is nothing like a hot “liemposilog” to start-up-my day. It is new to hear and new to my taste buds but this combination is perfectly delicious.

"Choose your Silogs"

My friends and I really love to eat and hangout, we enjoy the moment of being together, talking gossip things and other than that, we also love to hunt boys or the barkadas called as “bird watching” hahaha… kind of creepy, but we’re doing this just for fun, (we’re not what you thinking of). Going back to the barkadas favorite habit which is eating, though this habit doesn’t manifest on our bodies. (Yeah! We’re not fat). Last Saturday, we go at “Tapsi ni Vivian at Bulaluhan” along project 3, Quezon City. We chose “tapsi ni Vivian” as our third place to go, for our third theme entry on our blog. “Tapsi ni Vivian” is a business which started since 1984 as a small time Tapsilugan, and now is a booming business.

We're Filipinos love to combine words and names, like silog, it is a suffix which combine at the end, and referring to the fried rice (sinangag) and the eggs (itlog). We have different kind of “Silogs” here in the Philippines which has different taste; this can be eaten in any meal and really great in breakfast. Like on “Tapsi ni Vivian” Place, they offered different “Silogs” like Tocilog, Tapsilog (Combination of Tapa, Sunny side up egg and fried rice), Chicksilog (Combination of Friend Chicken, Sunny side up egg and Friend rice), Liemposilog (Combination of Liempo, Sunny side up egg and Friend rice), Longsilog (Combination of longganisa, Sunny side up egg and Friend rice) and many more, which made me hungry while making this article. Moreover their place has refreshing ambiance and their services was good and fast. I ordered Garlic Rice and sunny side up egg with Tocino or here in the Philippines known as “Tocilog” as my meal worth php80 only. But for me, I didn’t like the taste of it, there’s something on the dish which made me to dislike the food. Perhaps that’s only on that time. But on the other hand, my two co-bloggers ordered their own “silogs”; they ordered Liemposilog and Tapsilog, which were really delicious and tasty. And if I will go home on my province I will ask my father to make some of these.

And Now I preferred "Tapsilog" and "Liemposilog" the next time I would be ordered that kind of Dish together with my friends or with my family.

A glimpse to modern day Kakanin

Rice is the staple foods of the Filipinos and with our creativity, we make it flavorful and extraordinary. It is called “Kakanin”; it is the native desserts or snacks of Pinoy.  It is made from rice (kanin), it can from whole grain, powdered rice or soaked in water for an hour then ground. It is regular rice or glutinous or sticky rice (malagkit) most of the time it has coconut milk and sugar to make it sweet. Kakanin are usually baked, steamed or boiled and always prepared or covered with banana leaves that add more favor to it. We have variety of kakanin in the Philippines, it came from different provinces and usually they have different versions of different kakanin.

Before kakanin was sold in the market (palengke), streets or vendors carrying "bilao" (basket) that peddle in the communities. Today kakanin can be found in the malls, restaurants, fast-food chain and also streets but with stall. The traditional cooking that usually took a lot of time and uses “coal” or uling that create a lot of smokes are now improved with technology. It is now smoke free, fast and effortless. The tastes were developed and add twist that makes it more flavorful and mouthwatering.

Kakanin is really a part of Filipinos rich culture. It is one of the distinctive identities of Pinoys that will always remain and preserved. As this week is the first week of “ber” months or for the Filipinos like us is the start of Christmas season and during this season the most popular kakanin are “bibingka and puto-bumbong”. People usually bought bibingka or puto-bumbong after “simbang gabi” or Dawn mass. Since “bibingka” is the most popular “kakanin” every Christmas season, here is a recipe of “bibingka” for you to taste it yourself or use it in your business this season.

Bibingka Recipe

banana leaves, optional

1½ cups rice flour (galapong)

1 tablespoon baking powder

pinch of salt

¾ cup powdered sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup coconut milk

4 tablespoons melted butter

kesong puti (farmer's white cheese), sliced into 1 inch x ¼-inch thick pieces

Procedures:

• Preheat oven toaster to 425°F.
• Line muffin cups with banana leaves. In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients, except cheese, until well incorporated. Butter should be runny; add more milk to adjust consistency. Fill the cups half-full. Top with 2 pieces of cheese and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
• Spread some butter and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired.
• Best served with hot "salabat" (ginger tea)

kutsinta (Brown Rice Cake) as Juan's native delicacy

Kakanin are commonly known rice cakes. This Filipino word comes from kanin (rice) it also means to eat hence kakanin. Kakanin are native’s delicacies of Filipinos which come in different forms, taste and bases, typically made from various forms of whole grains powdered, soaked in water then ground of regular rice and glutinous or sticky rice usually and combined with coconut. We have different kinds of rice cakes here in the Philippines such as palitaw sa latik (sweet rice dumplings in coconut milk), espasol, kutsinta (brown rice cake), puto (steamed rice cake), sapin-sapin, biko, bibingka, puto bumbong and many more (many to mention). For every kakanin I’ve been tasted there’s an extraordinary taste and its unique presentations made the kakanin more attractive which is to be considered as pinoy pride and part of Filipino culture and tradition. But my most favorite out of these delicious foody is really the kutsinta (brown rice cake), it is a type of kakanin usually made with or containing any or combination of coconut, coconut milk, rice flour, glutinous rice and cassava. It is tasty super easy to make, and said to be healthy because it is almost fat free and low in calories. I remembered we used to buy it regularly from a peddler on a bike when I was in my province. We usually have this at morning in addition to our breakfast and on snack time. When I hear the familiar sound of the peddler’s horn I will run to the street, wave him down and shout "kuya pabili po" and buy my favorite kakanin – kutsinta (brown rice cake). I actually surprised how is it really easy to have, when I asked my mom to make some of these.

Here’s the process to have a delicious kutsinta:

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of all purpose flour
2. 1 cup of brown sugar
3. 2 cups of water
4. 1 tease spoon lihiya
5. Minute amount of yellow food coloring (optional)
6. Cheese/latik/fresh grated coconut

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients (purpose flour, brown sugar, water, lihiya, and coloring food) and mix well.
2. Pour into muffin cups, until half full.
3. Steam in a large pan with a cover; the water should be 2 inches deep.
4. Cook for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Add more water if needed until cooking is done.
5. Remove from the muffin pans and serve with what you want toppings: freshly grated coconut, latik or cheese.

Pinoy Sweets

We Filipinos especially I really love to eat sweets and I think you are not a Filipino if you are not going to eat rice every day. The combination of these two is having a product of “Kakanin”, imagine! Having two likes of Filipinos in one is so delicious. One of the best delicacies of every Filipino in the Philippines is what we called “Kakanin”. It is very popular when month of “ber” was/is coming, because “ber” month is a month of winter season, that’s why people always want of some hot and heavy food to fill up their needs and that is “Kakanin”. It gives extra benefits for those people who ate it. First, it can satisfy your stomach needs. Second, since it was made up of ground rice it can help your body to supply lots of nutrients and lastly, it is “sulit” or get more what we pay for, since it was affordable and available in every season.

Without “Kakanin” on your table during Christmas feels like an ordinary day, because having “Kakanin” in Christmas gives more excitement in every Filipinos. Now that is month of “ber”, lots of vendor selling it along the streets so, it is easy to find, affordable and yummy and especially it is pure Filipino so we better patronize it. “Kakanin”! Gawang Pinoy.