When Tuyo Is On The Table, It's Love

One fine Friday when I had my usual stop over at the Asian Supermarket, my foodie heart skipped a beat when I saw frozen-packed dried fish (Tuyo) imported from the Philippines. The Tuyo lover in me grabbed a pack and right there and then changed whatever dinner plans we had and told the Husband, "We are having Tuyo for dinner!"

Now here's what I do to lessen the fishy smell in our home whenever I cook Tuyo:

At home, I filled our oil burner with new oil and lighted all the scented candles we had at home to counter (or at least lessen) the fishy smell that these yummy tuyo will generate while I cook them. Once all scented candles were lit, I fried them as fast as I could. My trick is to fry them in an almost high heat and cover the pan while frying them. Once I'm done cooking, I clean up the stove and kitchen counters and walls so they won't smell like fish and spray some air freshener. As soon as the frying pan is cold, I immediately wash them. 

A favourite siding to Tuyo are tomatoes and boiled eggs. Some people eat them with salted eggs. Since the Tuyo is already salty on its own, I just boil eggs, slice them up and combine them with tomatoes.

If there are no frozen Tuyo available in Asian supermarkets, I almost always have a bottle of Gourmet Tuyo at home so when the craving for Tuyo hits, we can readily have it in whatever meal of the day. Having a bottled Tuyo is very handy and versatile . Sometimes we enjoy it with Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge) for breakfast.

I also make pasta dishes with my bottled Tuyo. It's so easy. Just saute the Tuyo in oil, garlic and tomatoes, add a bit of seasoning and voila! You have a tasty, healthy meal that only took less than 20 minutes to prepare.

Whenever we vacation in Manila, my parents always make sure we get to eat Tuyo at home. They'd always get us Danggit from Cebu. I love Danggit! It's one of my favourite kind of Tuyo. I didn't have a proper photo of the Danggit we ate but below is one where I took a photo of my breakfast at home. Although the Bacon took most of the frame (and in focused too!), the Danggit was equally enjoyed. I remember dipping it in vinegar and it was sooo yum!

When in Manila, there is always an abundance of foodie gifts from friends and we deeply appreciate all of their thoughtfulness. One of the foodie gifts we got were these little dried fish from Bicol. It was perfect with fried rice and salted egg and tomatoes.  

There's something about eating Tuyo that gives me and the Husband so much comfort. It's a humble dish that brings a certain warmth to our hearts and home while we enjoy eating it together. Maybe because it reminds us of our home in Manila, our childhood, of times spent eating it with family or when we'd have beach outing with friends. Whatever the reason is, when Tuyo is on the table, it's love.

Related Posts:

Ahhhh...Tuyo (Dried Salty Fish), How I've Missed You!

Foodie Love In A Bottle of Gourmet Tuyo

Cookie Butter Spreads

I learned about cookie butter spreads via instagram photos, specifically from IGers in the Philippines. It has become sought-after that it's being sold at expensive prices. One of the famous brands being sold in Manila is the Trader Joe's Cookie Butter and though I came across it in Rockwell, I didn't buy it because I found the cost unreasonably expensive.

I mentioned the cookie butter spread to a friend who was about to go to America for a holiday. However, when she got there, all three Trader Joe's branches she went to were sold out on the cookie butter. According to one of the owners, a lot of Filipinos hoard the cookie butters. So instead of the TJ Cookie Butter, my friend brought home the original cookie butter spread made from Belgium, Lotus Biscoff Spread (a.k.a. cookie butter).

On the other hand, I discovered that we can also get Lotus Cookie Butter spreads here in Australia via the online store: DutchStore.com.au (thanks to an IGmate for the tip!) So I went online and got ourselves a bottle of each: Lotus Speculoos, Lotus Speculoos with Chocolate and Duo Penotti.

We have tried all three and all were good-tasting spreads. The Speculoos spread tastes like the real cookie butter wherein I can very much taste the cinnamon and nutmeg. I like the Speculoos spread enough to have it once in a while and alternate it with other spreads. I've learned a tip to put it in pancakes and oatmeals so maybe one day I'll try that too.

The Speculoos with Chocolate tastes exactly like a cookie butter dipped in chocolate. I ordered this in the hopes that the Husband will like it because he's a choco-holic, however, he wasn't impressed with this spread. He said it wasn't chocolate-y enough. It seemed okay with me though, me being an average chocolate lover. 

Because of this Speculoos phenomenon in the Phils, I realized we have a very boring selection of spreads at home. For years, it has always been just peanut butter, strawberry jam and Nutella for us. 

I'm glad we got to try these Speculoos spreads. We weren't blown away by it but we appreciate being able to try other spreads for a change. This also got me thinking to have a look out for different spreads available in cafes here. You'll know know, right? I might just find a delicious spread that our home will love.

Discovered Inspirations: The Happy Quote Book (And My Thoughts On Being Happy)

Happy 1st day of July, everyone!

Let's start the second half of the year with a cheerful post, shall we? 

I discovered this book at kikki.K early this year and the first thing I thought of was to get a few pieces to give to friends. I have always believed that happiness felt from within should always be shared with the people you hold dearly. As much as I would love to give a copy of this book to everyone I love, well, some of them would have to wait (haha!) because I can't afford to give each one a copy--yet.

The HAPPY Quote Book is a compilation of quotes on Happiness interpreted thru wonderful artworks and illustrations. It also includes a fold-out poster which you can frame and hang on your wall.

Here are a few of my favourite Happy Quotes and a bit of comments from me:

Think happy thoughts. 

Most times, it's the little everyday things that give us a joy. 

This quote supports my belief that happiness should come from within us. The pursuit of happiness must start in us and we should never depend on someone else or some things to make us happy. 

A quote from a famous song which I love. One of the recipients of the books I gave out took a photo of this quote via instagram and tagged me. I was very touched by my friend's gesture.

Dedicated to the love of my life. 

I always relate happiness to gratitude. I believe that being happy is appreciating the blessings we have ALL the time. It's like seeing rainbows of opportunities in a sea of challenges. And I also believe that as long as there are things to be grateful for, there is no reason to be unhappy.

Happiness is a choice.

I love this book! It's inspiring and fun (because of its adorable illustrations) at the same time. A pocketful of reminders to live a life filled with happiness and inspiration.

The Happy Quote Book is available at kikki.K.

Related Posts:
My Affirmation Today (Focus on Happy Thoughts)
Discovered Inspirations: 10 Ways To Be Happy

Where I Buy Filipino Longganisa In Sydney Metro

I've very fond of eating Longganisa (Filipino sausage) that everytime I'm in Manila, my Mom makes sure that the household has enough Longganisas to feed me all throughout my stay. She also makes an effort of buying different kinds such as the ones from Vigan, Lucban, and Caloocan.

When we moved here, I learned how to do it but I was never patient enough making them (I'm more inclined to make Tocino). I once settled  buying the frozen ones imported from the Philippines (they're available in Asian supermarkets) but I long for Longganisa made fresh and available from the butcher. 

During one of my usual visits at my "suking" butcher, I found that they're selling Filipino Longganisa! Wow!!! I immediately asked him if they were made them by a Filipino and he confirmed with a smile. Since then I've been coming back to our butcher not just for the usual meat products that we need but also for my beloved Filipino Longganisa.

This Longganisa I found tastes very similar to the Filipino Longganisa that my Mom buys in Caloocan. The only difference is it's not as sweet but the taste is really Pinoy, a balance of sweet, salty and peppery taste. The good thing about it too is that it's not laden with food colouring.

If you're a Filipino in Sydney Metro craving for Longganisa, check them out at Good Luck Butcher Shop, located at Good Luck Plaza Blacktown. The Longganisas are not available everyday so I suggest you call them first (02-9261-6696).

The Longganisas are priced at 9.99 a kilo.