Porstik for a bad day

My hangover from last Friday's killer spree spilling over to Tuesday, was it David Pewter singing "Bad Day" running in my head?



Waking up drowsily at 4:30 a.m with no recipe in mind, I thought of an easy preparation that will entice Andres to wake up and savor his breakfast. What could be easier than a Pork Steak Tagalog or Visaya or whatever regional bias one has, swimming in soy sauce and packed with onions. Its a less expensive version of Bistek (beefsteak) and can be prepared in a snap. There are however certain mixes needed to reach the desired taste. One should balance the chi between the soy sauce and calamansi to get that perfect pork steak sauce. Good thing we live near the market, so we rushed to get lean good fresh pork while preparing the ingredients. Cutting up the garlic, onions, and calamansi at 5:00 in the morning somehow uplifted my sagging spirit knowing that there is a delicious pork steak with steaming hot rice waiting at the end of the crying game. Just put everything in the pot, let it simmer, and everything will fall into place. Tenderizing the pork is fast and that pinch of sugar, some milk, and tons of onion will assure you that complete pork steak goodness.

A good pork steak Tagalog on a bad day is not bad.

no taste, i mind

I am someone who has vetsin in the tongue. Almost every food taste delicious. I try to look at the positive side of every food I eat and not delve on the negative vibes that sometimes comes with the service or the lack of preparations thereof.

But at the moment, I am stuck with a bad case of flu-like symptoms that numbed my taste buds giving me that helpless feeling of not being able to experience that mystical joy I encounter everytime I have my repast. Shit, and I was craving for Tinolang Manok this early morning and it was given to me according to my word with a side dish of quesadillas meant for Andres' breaktime food in school. Fucking soul foods for my freaking cravings and I cannot taste it because of my snot-filled nose.

But just the same, I indulged with the early morning blessings only to eat lowly because of that blind taste that creates a barrier between me and the tinola and the quesadilla. I just used my imagination and recalled how tinola and quesadilla should taste and was swept in the drowsiness of the morning rush that never uplifted my sagging numb taste.

longganisa

Longganisa, or native or local or pork sausage, whatever, is a fascinating food as it transforms its looks, composition, and taste depending on its point of origin in the Philippines. Nueva Ecija's Cabanatuan Longganisa, Quezon's Longganisa Lucban, Vigan Longganisa, Tuguegarao Longganisa, and the Longganisa list just goes on and on.

Its a miss and hit trick in finding the best longganisa for each one. We have our taste preferences and it takes a lot of patience, trial and error, and lots of trust built and trust reneged (for sellers claiming to have the best longganisa).

I am for the garlicky longganisa with ground pork stuffed with lots of garlic and maybe, other mysterious ingredients health buffs are known to barf about. I like the Nueva Ecija Cabanatuan longganisa with its tighter than a nun's ass garlic packed sausage.

Longganisa with garlic rice and sunny side up eggs, with vinegar dip and the not so healthy orange juice mixed from a sachet powder, makes a good breakfast morning.