Home cooking is such a domestic affair that this endeavor has been a bit difficult to do for an adventurer ( moi ), who is constantly traveling and on the road.
I'm the type of person, who feels more comfortable with structured learning first before free falling into improvisation ( just the way I was wired ). Exposure to the the latter technique definitely helps. After Dakak, we stayed at my cousin's home in Dipolog City, and had time to experiment.
The first dish my cousin cooked involved Sambagon ( a fish with a meat as chunky as tuna and beef ), tomato sauce, and pineapple bits ( on the spot labeled as Pesces de Robenito or Baby Rob's Fish ). She and her husband stumbled upon this recipe through family hearsay, experimentation, and necessity. Sambagon can at least be sauteed in Adobo sauce or fried.
I noticed that fresh ingredients were bought in small quantity and used immediately ( refrigeration is still susceptible to brown-outs/black-outs ). Packaged food, such as noodles, instant coffee, powder milk, and flavorings were likely to be purchased in bulk ( depending on storage spaces ).
Next day's dish was made by my younger cousin ( Adobo octopus in coconut milk ). First he boiled the octopus to soften it. Then he used butter as oil mixing in the chopped octopus. He added sliced onions, garlic, and ginger before mixing in the soy sauce, vinegar, and coconut milk. And finally, the secret ingredient: Magic.
Forget about strict proportions. An octopus tentacle ( 3/4ths? ); one red onion ( smaller than a kiwi ); a piece of ginger ( same size as red onion ); 1 coconut ( 12 ounce ); and the rest were measured by intuition. Process is prominent in the art of improv home cooking.
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| From Left: Wet Market, fresh octopus, Pesces de Robenito with rice, fishing at the Port. |
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