Lent Season starts today, Ash Wednesday and as Catholics, we try to observe not eating meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday for the next six weeks. While there are a lot of probable non-meat meals I can serve at home, the challenge is preparing them as I'm usually not up to cooking on Friday nights. While it is always easy to just eat out, I prefer that we minimize this during Lent Season as part of our sacrifice.
My usual choices for meatless meals are a combination of seafood and vegetables. I also take this chance to sometimes cook Tuyo (dried salty fish), a kind of fish I grew up eating in the Philippines. The problem with cooking Tuyo is that it leaves a strong smell at home. We don't really mind the smell as we're used to it. However, we're careful to cause inconvenience in the building we live in. One can smell it in the corridors and the smell stays at home for a while even if you light scented candles and incense or spray air freshener. It is a hassle but it's all worth it especially you eat it with steamed rice and tomatoes or pair it up with Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge). Ohhh yum! It's one of my comfort food.
It seemed like an answered prayer when I chanced upon a bottle of Gourmet Tuyo at G&L Supermarket. I've read about bottled gourmet tuyos in the Philippines and I was hoping one day it would reach the shores of Sydney. And it finally did!
My "first Tuyo love" will always be the fried Tuyo but this will do on days when I'm craving for Tuyo and wouldn't want to face the hassles of cooking it.
I hope G&L Supermarket will constantly have bottled Gourmet Tuyo available. This is a great alternative to cooking Tuyo at home as you just need to open that bottle and voila! You've got delicious Tuyo to enjoy with steamed rice or Champorado.
Note: I discovered Connie's Gourmet Tuyo at G&L Supermarket located at 17-21 First Avenue, Blacktown NSW.
