Beautiful peaches...peaches for me...


Sigh...summer is here. And with it, its languid air, its lazy breezes, and its feeling-hothothot sunshine. I look out the window at the sun shining gloriously on our mango tree and think: "Where have I been?" Where have I been indeed. Buried in piles of work, busily putting out the fires there. Rushing from one wedding-related errand to the next. Running around with C and trying to coax our new home into shape. I have not been able to cook or bake, or visit this blog (or any of yours) for almost a month. That I missed it, that is certain. But, as sometimes is the case, life stepped in to pull me this way and that, and all the energy I had left at the end of the day was only enough to place my weary little head on my pillow for some much craved for sleep.

In the midst of all this bustle, i received an email from a fellow blogger, Kai:

Hi Joey, there are some fabulous white and golden peaches now being sold at an imported fruits stall along the middle aisle of the basement at Power Plant Rockwell. I haven't bought some yet since I splurged on nectarines, but I was given a free slice to taste and it was better than the ones I've had abroad in summer. FYI, if you haven't noticed it yet...Kai

In the great big world of food blogging, had someone actually taken notice of my pitiable whining about fresh peaches? Not just taken notice, but also taken steps to rectify my plight? What a sweet surprise! And, mark my words, I hurried off to the aforementioned place as soon as I could to procure myself a share.

As I sat at my breakfast soon afterwards, enjoying my peaches with yogurt and honey, I thought about how horrible life would be if we didn't take the time to stop and taste the peaches. So thanks, Kai, intentioned or not, for the little reminder! :)

Lasang Pinoy 7: Gising na! ALMUSAL! The round up...

It's time for the round up of the 7th edition of Lasang Pinoy! I was honored to be asked to host and I hope I've been able to make you guys enjoy some of your "old favorites" when it comes to that wonderful meal known affectionately as Pinoy Breakfast. I know I enjoyed, not only making (and eating!) one of my beloved Filipino breakfasts, but also reading all the wonderful entries! Each one provides a succulent shade, a glorious brushstroke, to the masterpiece of the Pinoy Breakfast. So enough chat...here are the entries...


The Puto, Mangga ug Sikwate (Rice Pudding, Mango & Hot Cocoa) served up by the world-traveller Sha of Wanderlust. Who can resist hot chocolate, for breakfast or otherwise? All the way in Greece, her breakfasts brought back memories of her childhood in Cebu.






Tuyo! I had to enter with my all time favorite Pinoy Breakfast (longanisa being a close second). I had this delicious salted and dried fish with garlic fried rice (sinangag) and fried quail's eggs. Suffice to say that it didn't last long after this picture was taken, as it was attacked by one hungry breakfast-eater!




Karen of the popular The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans has another yummy version of tuyo...with fresh and creamy carabao's milk poured over steaming rice! Read about a traditional Filipino breakfast with a "pre-meal" followed by the breakfast proper...we sure know how to eat breakfast over here! A very informative entry as always Karen :)


Midge over at Sybaritic Diversions joins Lasang Pinoy for the first time...hooray Midge! Just in time for breakfast! She shares with us her favorite: Tosilog. Ah yes, the famous 'silogs...this one with tocino, fried egg, sinangag (fried rice), and some achara on the side. To top it all off? Kapeng Barako of course!




Blogging from the UK, Mae of the luscious Rice and Noodles makes her own Skinless Longanisa. I have never made my own longanisa before...now I must. Mae makes it seem all very easy. Served (of course!) with fried rice and some red onion salsa...yum! Look at those little sausages glisten...such a mouth watering picture Mae! You tempt us all!




Another Pinoy breakfast favorite pops up at Pinoy Food Talk, care of Sassy: Pan de Sal! Served with kesong puti (white cheese), one of my favorite pan de sal fillings...hunger definitely setting in at this point...




And over at Pinoy Cook, our very own Connie (aka Sassy same as above) shares this delicious looking Potato Omelet. A dish she learned from her father and now enjoyed immensely by her kids. Hmmm, I would enjoy it too!



All who attended the Market Manila EB will remember the yummy homemade ensaimada Marketman gave out as gifts. Well, for this month's Lasang Pinoy he gives us the recipe too! This ensaimada is really a labor of love and a family effort. Read the poignant first post for a wonderful ensaimada story...




And now how about a warm welcome to a new Pinoy food blogger, Kusinera Wannabe, blogging from California. She shares with us her favorite almusal...paksiw and sinangag. The sinangag reminds her of her grandmother. It seems breakfast brings back childhood memories for a lot of us...




A slice of breakfast bounty from Jmom of In Our Kitchen: Potato and Ground Beef Torta! Definitely a breakfast to get you going. She takes you through farming and frugality and how it led to this wonderful looking, and I'm sure, equally wonderful tasting torta :)




Dexie the Ilocana Chef braves morning sickness and pregnancy exhaustion to whip up a scrumptious almusal: Scrambled Eggs with Ampalaya, Longanisa and Sinangag. She also shares an endearing breakfast story from when she and her husband were still dating...




Relly, based in France, and blogging from the Franco-Pinay Food Adventure, shares with us her the almusal her mother used to prepare for her during her younger years...a tummy-warming meal of sinangag and daing (the daing which she makes from scratch!). She also puts together a list of Filipino breakfast foods...



Ces of essenCes expertly prepares another version of our famous 'silogs...Pusitlog! Another entry recalling sweet memories of breakfasts past prepared by mom :) Served with tomato omelet and sinangag cooked, not only with garlic, but also with scallions and bacon (YUM!)...and to drink? Coffee with whipped cream and cinnamon, and orange juice (a delicious little twist on tradition).


Celia Kusinera, based in the UK, and mistress of English Patis, makes Pan de Sal from scratch...I can almost smell it from here! Check out the picture of the dough proofing...looks like a beautiful mushroom :) Sigh...baking pan de sal from scratch is another in a long list of 2006 food resolutions for me. Celia, thanks for the recipe and please send some over! Heehee :)



From the blog Edible Experiments in Beijing, Iska prepares another example of our yummy 'silogs...Tosilog! She also gives a run down of the other 'silogs out there. Hmmm...pakaplog anyone? Thanks Iska, that's the first time I've come across that one! :)



Angelo from Saskatoon, Canada puts together a tempting spread of dilis and dried pusit (squid), with garlic fried rice and itlog ensalada (a salad of tomatoes and egg) on his blog Eat Matters...with a few tips on keeping the fishy smell (from frying our dried delicacies) at bay. He also adds another entry for Lasang Pinoy (Lasang Pinoy 7.01) of Pinamalhan (how industrious!)...check it out!





CJ, in the USA, of CJ's Food & Discovery (now CJ's Food Fantasy), puts together another 'silog: longanisa, dilis, fried rice, and itlog na maalat (salted egg). A complete breakfast! What should we call this CJ? Longdilisilog? :) Any way you call it, it spells a delicious almusal!




Tina in New Jersey blogs about tuyo (tuyo lovers unite!) at the Choppingboard. She serves her tuyo with eggs and fried rice with kalkag (dried salted shrimps). Sounds great Tina! As with a lot of Lasang Pinoy 7 entries, mom's influence reigns once more. Moms and breakfasts seem to go hand in hand :)




Back in the Philippines, in Quezon City, Lani of Chibog Chicka Lakwacha ATBP blogs about eggs and the roles it plays in various Pinoy breakfasts. Aside from featuring a couple more 'silogs, she also whips up a corned beef omelet, which she likens to tortang giniling, and is a favorite of her son.



Kai in Pangasinan, of the sweet blog Bucaio, tells an enthralling tale of her family's chocolate-making history. The perfect story to go with a decadent cup of hot Tsokolate. The perfect Pinoy breakfast for the sweet tooth in all of us. Kai, I was transported by your story!



Stef of Stefoodie.net get inspired and prepares a Trio of 'Silogs. I had some problems uploading a picture but let me assure you the pictures will have you drooling so check them out! Stef prepares tapsilog, longsilog, and tosilog for her little black-belters after big tournaments.

Mila at Watergirl (my first entry!) give us a list of heavenly breakfast foods as an answer to the hypothetical question: "What would be your first meal in heaven?" It is a heavenly list indeed so please do not read when hungry lest violent tummy-churning occurs. I love how she refers to tsokolate..."dark, bold tsokolate ah/eh/i/o/u".

Divagap emailed in her thoughts on Filipino breakfasts which I am including here:
When I was in the Phils. my favorite breakfast is tortang itlog and kamatis, longanisa , tinapang bangus, rice and of course coffee. The thing is I don't drink the coffee, I pour it over my rice(plain boiled rice not sinangag but I guess you can use this, too). Yes I "sabaw" it in my rice. I really love this combination of coffee, rice and eggs with tomatoes, tinapang bangus and of course longanisa or langonisa as I call it.
MORE ENTRIES:
Mike of Lafang shares with us a wonderful breakfast he had at Sonya's Bed & Breakfast in Tagaytay. The delectable array of food included Chicken Pork Adobo, Mango Salsa with Coriander, Crispy Fried Pork Adobo, Garlic Fried Rice with Daing (dried salted fish), as well as rich Chocolate Eh, a perfectly made Omelette, fresh ripe mangoes, and Hispanis (or Spanish) bread.
From Lutong Disyerto we have Paksiw (pickled fish or fish cooked in vinegar) with sinangag (garlic fried rice). A great looking repast and another favorite (see Kusinera Wannabe's entry above).
Another new entry! Mirsbin's Kitchen shares with us some Champorado and Tuyo...another well loved favorite! So go over there and check out her "Ado at Away" story....
So there you have it! All the wonderful shades and colors of a Pinoy Breakfast, complete with stories and memories to warm the hearts and whet the appetites. I hope everyone enjoyed coming up with their entries as much as I enjoyed hosting this round. Until the next Lasang Pinoy...don't forget your breakfast! :)