Pakbet Tagalog

Notice that I used the title pakbet and not pinakbet to what I cooked today. Although some people would take the two terms interchangeably, being an Ilocano, I would like to delineate the two.

Yes, there is a difference between pakbet and pinakbet.

To me, pakbet is the southern vegetable stew while pinakbet would be the northern vegetable stew.  So as you go north (Ilocos) it's pinakbet and as you go towards south (Tagalog) it becomes pakbet.  There is also a difference in cooking.  Pinakbet is stewed while pakbet is more stir-fried.  Pinakbet uses bagoong (fish paste) while pakbet uses bagoong alamang (shrimp paste).  Aside from the staple vegetables: eggplant, string beans, okra, ampalaya and tomatoes, pakbet may also have squash.  And pakbet doesn't use ginger while pinakbet does.

Cooking pakbet is easy enough.  I fried pork in used oil (note that I recycle ingredients) and garlic.  Then I added my vegetables: onion, eggplant, string beans, ampalaya and tomatoes -- these were the only available vegetables in the ref and are almost inedible.  To complicate matters, I added ginger.  I then added the bagoong alamang from the other day's kare-kare.  I used patis (fish sauce) and instant ginisa granules to taste.  I cooked the vegetables until done or have an identity crisis, whichever comes first.

My grade: yummy!  Ate a lot.

Pakbet Tagalog.  Picture taken using iPod touch.

Kare-kareng Baboy

I've learned the value of store-bought instant mixes in cooking and today, I cooked kare-kare (meat stewed in peanut sauce).

The packet's instructions are simple enough.  I boiled the meat, in our case, pork, in water until cooked.  I added the instant mix powder then the vegetables: eggplant, string beans, and puso ng saging.  Simmer until the the sauce is thick.

But here's where I deviated:  I added patis and ginisa mix powder to taste -- which I shouldn't have since the ginisa taste now seems to overpower the peanut-y taste.

Kare-kare.  Picture taken using iPod touch.

The secret to kare-kare is actually the interplay of taste:  the sweet taste of the peanut sauce and the saltiness of the bagoong alamang -- which I also bought ready-made from the store.

I've searched the internet and everywhere for the legend of kare-kare.  I mean who would have thought of cooking meat with peanut sauce to begin with?

Since I couldn't find the story of its origin, I'm going to write one -- a romance -- and hopefully post it here someday.  For now, I'm doing a research on the subject, and if you are reading this blog and knows its peculiar story, please send me a message or comment. :)