When I was younger, my mother would leave us and return in the evening because she had to work. My other older siblings are not at home; some are at work, and I remember my one sister being at my uncle's place since they are providing her with allowance to her schooling at the time. I, my father, and my youngest brother are always the only ones that live in the house, and because my father was addicted to alcohol at the time, I am the only one in charge of cooking. I only knew how to prepare rice at the time, which was occasionally imperfect. Haha. I believe it is determined by the type of rice used. I've only ever cooked fried foods like hotdogs, eggs, ham, and a few others.

When I was in grade 8, I lived at our Pastor's house. He gave me an allowance for school, but I had to live with them. Cooking is one of my daily responsibilities. I had no choice but to practice cooking at the age of 15, but I know I learnt a lot even if I didn't have a choice at the time. Life's difficulties may shape us to be good at something, thus I believe it is acceptable to be uncertain.

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I will now discuss many dishes that I enjoy cooking as well as how I prepare them. We prepare them in a variety of ways based on where we live and how our elder family or relatives taught us. Today I'm going to tell you how I make it or anything unique about it.

Different Filipino Dishes That I Love Cooking

Different Kinds Of Adobo

Source: Adobo

In any case, who doesn't know how to adobo? Adobo is a very popular Filipino cuisine that we are always happy to have tasted by many tourists or foreigners that visit our country. I prepared many types of adobo, including my personal favorite, chicken liver and gizzard, as well as pork, beef, and chicken. I prepare them as if they will be dried or without broth or flavor; I just prefer them dipping in its own meat oil. The best way to cook is to boil and boil until the meat is tender and the broth has evaporated, then let the meat drain and sprinkle with chili.

Different Kinds Of Sinigang

Source: Sinigang

I think I have prepared every type of Sinigang found in the Philippines. I've tried with cooking sinigang na hipon, pork, fish, and even chicken. But I always like to make the pork one; all you need to do is boil until the pork flesh softens, then prepare the other spices and condiments such as onions, garlic, sinigang mix or natural types to taste it sour like tamarind or unripe mango or lime, and of course pepper and salt to give flavor. To complete the dish, I like to add tomatoes, long green chiles, spinach, or other green vegetables. I always add the sinigang mix last so that all of the other ingredients catch the sour flavor of the sinigang mix. After that, it's ready to serve with a coke on the side. Hihi.

Kaldereta

Source: Kaldereta

I first cooked this in my Uncle's house in Manila, where I was living prior to the pandemic for which I was working at the time. Seriously, I have no idea how to prepare it, but I have faith that I can and will follow the instructions on the internet. Fortunately, I prepared it so well that I still can't believe it. I used pork because we didn't have any other meat to use, such as goat or beef. I boiled the beef first, and then fried the potatoes and carrots in another pan. After that, I sauté garlic and onions before adding the meat and simmering it till browned or toasted slightly. I add all of the ingredients and condiments and set the fire to low. I add the kaldereta mix last and always taste it to see if it's good. I didn't watch it to add cheese, but because we had some in the fridge, I added a few and viola, it tastes better since we can taste a little bit of creaminess. It is unusual to make something for the first time and have it turn out so delicious. Well, depending to what they taste. Haha.

Chopsuey

Source: Chopsuey

Of course, I know how to make this because it is my favorite Filipino food at all times. Hihi. It is ideal to make this when we have chicken liver and gizzard since it adds a delicious flavor to the dish. If there is extra money, I will also add quill eggs. The main vegetable that is never missing while preparing this is cabbage. I love cabbage, and it tastes especially wonderful with chopsuey. I could eat this all day since it is both nutritious and delicious.

Bulalo

Source: Bulalo

Bulalo is a favorite cuisine of Ivana Alawi, a Filipino actress, YouTube vlogger, and influencer. I first saw her video on Facebook a few years ago, when she and her sister Mona were having mukbang with their meal Bulalo. Anyway, my method of cooking is standard, in that you boil the beef until it softens before adding other seasonings and ingredients. We usually include vegetables like bagiuo petchay, potatoes, and bananas (we call it saba). If you have additional money, sweet corn will add sweetness to the soup. Believe me, this one is delectable, and we'll need a lot of water to make plenty of soup. We always make this for dinner and eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day.

Conclusion

I'm not bragging or anything, but I cook a lot of different dishes. It's not like I'm boasting since it took me a long time to learn how to cook them. There are times when I fail to prepare a particular dish and my sister or other people who taste it tell me it is not delicious, but I use it as encouragement to learn more about cooking. I am proud that I have something in my life that I am good at without a doubt. So, if we have the opportunity to meet in the future, I would be delighted to make anything for you all, whatever you choose. I hope you enjoy it soon. Hihi.

Thank you for reading!

The lead image and other pictures are from the internet, with links provided below the particular image.

Publishing Date: May 13, 2022