It's that time of the month again where I go a trifle crazy and can't think of anything else but food.
Right now, I'm thinking of these to go with my rice and fried fish or crispy fried pork chops:
Indian Mango Pickles. I developed a taste for this while working in Singapore. My
Maleyali colleagues would bring jars of these coming from their vacation and I was their favorite non-Indian guinea pig since I was always willing to try any delicacy at least once. I immediately took to the taste and have missed it since I resigned in 2006. Lucky for me, I saw some bottles being sold at our favorite grocery and bought myself one. :D
Sambal. Another one that I discovered in Singapore. I first had a taste when I ate
nasi lemak. It was very spicy but I later found it a perfect accompaniment to almost everything. The hawker stalls selling Singaporean and Malaysian food would have this lined up along with other condiments at the counter so I'd always spoon some onto my food. It's a good thing that J's best friend works in SG now so she brought me back two small jars of
sambal last January and I'm using it sparingly until next time. :)
Alavar Bagoong. This is a specialty of one of Zamboanga City's seafood restos. It's unlike your usual
bagoong (shrimp paste) because it's been cooked in coconut cream. It's not too salty nor too sweet, it's rich and addicting. My friends from Manila and Cebu used to make me buy several bottles every time I had a trip because they couldn't get enough of it. Another version that Zamboangue
ños make is cooking the bagoong in coconut cream with finely chopped fresh tomatoes. It's really good.
Okay, that's enough torture for now. I'm supposed to be on a diet for goodness' sake! xo
Mood Music: Food by The Turtles
