Ginataang Kalabasa Recipe

GINATAANG KALABASA

1 kilo squash, cut into cubes (1"x1")
1/4 kilo shrimp, shelled and deveined or
 1/2 kilo pork belly
 3pcs okra cut into 2
3pcs string beans, cut 1 inch
3 pieces tomatoes, diced
2 onions, chopped
1 head garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of ginger root, crushed and minced
4 tablespoons of cooking or olive oil
2 pieces long chili peppers
2 tablespoons of shrimp paste (bagoong)
2 cups coconut milk
1 cups coconut cream (katang gata)
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons of fish sauce (patis)

On a big pan, heat oil. Sauté garlic, onions until light brown then add ginger, cook until onions become translucent.
Add the tomatoes, squash, chicken stock, shrimp paste and the coconut milk. Let boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the squash becomes tender.
Add the coconut cream, long chili peppers and the shrimps. Bring again to a boil and simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve hot with plain rice.

Pinakbet Recipe, best ilocano vegetable dish

PINAKBET

8 pcs medium sized shrimp, cleaned/ de-veined (optional)
100 grams pork belly, sliced
1 onion, medium sized, chopped
2 tablespoon cooking oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, big, chopped
1 medium ampalaya (bitter gourd), seeds removed and sliced
1 eggplant, cut into pieces (diagonally)
1 1/2 cups squash, diced or sliced
7 pieces okra(lady finger), each sliced diagonally into 2 with both ends cut
5 pcs string beans, cut
2 tablespoons shrimp paste (bagoong) or more according to taste
1 cup water or broth from boiled shrimp shell/peeling

In a pan, heat the cooking oil, saute garlic, tomato slices and onion until onion is translucent . Add pork and cook until browned.

Add all other ingredients, except the shrimp, mix well while stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

5. Add water or broth and shrimp then cover and bring to a boil then simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.

6.Serve with hot steamed rice.

I miss Filipino foods

Simple living is beautiful. Simple foods makes me craving, most especially Ilocano foods. Most Ilocano vegetable dishes cook or prepared with bagoong like pinakbet, salad na talbos, dinengdeng or inabraw. I could not cook the same way as Ilocono does because there is no bagoong available in the market. And I could not also cook even though I have bagoong, mostly given to me by Ilocano friends because it does not smell good, says my bf. So without bagoong in pinakbet and dinengdeng, the taste is very different. So sometimes I used other ingredients. I gathered some Ilocano vegetable foods in internet.   Here are some pictures of Filipino foods I am craving for.  I am sure most of my Ilocano friends miss these foods too. Hmmmmmm delicious  ( for some people who are not Ilocano or not Pinoy,  for them its not delicious )

Dinengdeng with Bangus

Pinakbet

Summer blouses

This is a blue summer blouse for my niece Shiela

This one is for me

This is turquoise summer blouse for my niece Algine Grace

  

 At last, I madethese four summer blouses for me and my sister and two nieces. I made these during my travel going to work and going back home inside the train and busses. Sometimes I sit in the bus for almost an hour, thats why I bring with me my yarn and hook.,At night after dinner I hold my hook again and continue crocheting. One after the other, I hooked these for 3 weeks. My nieces will be haply to wear theirs.

New crocheted blouse and hat for summer

Look what I made these past days! I made two crocheted blouse and a beautiful hat for summer. I made  one blouse for me and one for my sister. Crocheting make addiction. Once I hold my hook, there is no more break. Look how beautiful  they are! So fullfilling. For crocheters, I will post the pattern of the blouse and the hat soon.

Bonn, Germany a nice city.

University of Bonn

Kennedy bridge

Münsterplatz Church

House of Beethoven

Beethoven  Statue at Münsterplatz

Villa Hammerschmidt Front

Villa Hammerschmidt  view from the other side of the Rheinriver

Some beautiful birdsview of my home now, the beautiful city of Bonn. Bonn was the capital of West Germany during the division of Germany after the world war II. Once, this city accomodated and home of different Ambassadors , diplomats and their families of many countries during its capitalhood.There are still many buildings , offices and structures as symbol of the Republic of Germany . After the fall of the Berliner wall, the two countries decided to unite again as one,  the capital city become Berlin . Most of the government offices as well as Embassies transfered to Berlin. But still Bonn is one of the tourist spots in the Republic.

Learning Deutsch or German

As I clean  my room, I saw some papers where I wrote some German sentences and expressions for the preparation of my Deutschkurs or German language test level B1. I want to share some of German words, expressions or maybe these are Idioms that the Germans commonly used in their everyday life. Some are really funny because the meaning is not what the word means.   Here are some and their meaning in English.

1.  Das ist Bescheuert- Thats ridiculous, that's sucks. 
2. Na? So? -How you're doing?
3.  Das ist mir  Wurst -( That's sausage for me)- What do I care, I don't care .
4.  Ich besorge das Bier( I take care of the beer) -I'll get that beer.
5.  Kein Schwein da- ( No pig there) Nobody  was there
6. Kein Schwein hat mir geholfen ( No pig had helped me)- noone helped me .
7.  Eine Schweinearbeit ( a pig's job)- a tough job. 
8. Schwein haben( have a pig)- to be lucky . 
9. Der spinnt (the spider)- he is nuts. 
10. Das kannst du deiner Oma( grandma) erzählen( you can tell that to your grandma)- unbelievable. 
11. Langsam langsam(slowly, slowly)- little by little . 
12. Ich habe  die Nase(nose) voll davon( My nose is full from that)- I'm sick of it. 
13. Toi, toi, toi- goodluck. 
14. Weichei( soft egg)- someone who is weak and coward.
15. Fernweh(  far pain) -feeling of wanting to be somewhere else. Antonym of homesick

These are just some German words which are complicated and confusing but it is fun knowing the true meaning. Learning German is hard but enjoyable for me.