Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a vegetable medley cooked in bagoong or shrimp paste. While it originally hails from the Ilocos region, a lot of other regions have their own versions of it.

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized eggplants, sliced lengthwise then cut into 1-inch segments
  
• 1 medium-sized ampalaya (bittermelon), sliced lengthwise, seeded, then cut into thin slices
  
• 1 large tomato, diced
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons bagoong or shrimp paste
  
• 1 cup pork, diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 cup hugas bigas (water drained from washing rice) or water
  
• Patis (fish sauce)
  

1. Saute garlic, onion, tomato, bagoong and pork.
   
2. Let simmer until pork is tender.
   
3. Add eggplant and ampalaya, then cover with hugas bigas.
   
4. Simmer until veggies are done.
   
5. If necessary, season with patis.
   

Guinatang Mais

Guinatang Mais, literally corn cooked in coconut, is a sweet rice, coconut cream and corn porridge. It's traditionally served for merienda or the mid-afternoon snack.

Ingredients

• 3 young ears of corn, shredded from the cob or 1 can Cream-style Corn
  
• 1 can coconut milk
  
• 6 cups water
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 3/4 cup sweet glutinous rice
  

1. Mix together in a pan water, coconut milk, sugar and sweet rice.
   
2. Simmer until the rice is soft.
   
3. Add the corn.
   
4. Cook until corn is done.
   

Pork Adobo

Adobo is a definitive Filipino dish. It's meat cooked adobo-style, that is, with vinegar, peppercorns and lots of garlic. This version uses pork.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean pork
  
• 1 1/2 cups water
  
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
  
• 10 peppercorns
  
• 1/2 cup sukang puti (white vinegar)
  
• salt to taste
  

1. Clean pork and cube into serving-sized pieces.
   
2. In a pan, place pork, water, garlic, vinegar, peppercorns and salt.
   
3. Simmer until the pork is tender.
   

Leche Flan (Filipino Flan Caramel)

Leche flan is a Spanish-inspired, traditional Filipino dessert that's made with milk and egg yolks. It is traditionally served during fiestas and other celebrations.

Ingredients

• 7 large egg yolks

• 1 can (378 ml) evaporated milk

• 1/2 can (150 ml) condensed milk

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• sugar
  

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Lightly mix together the egg yolks, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Don't beat too hard to minimize the formation of bubbles.
   
3. Sprinkle sugar in your llanera. Hold the llanera over open flame until sugar caramelizes and spreads evenly.
   
4. Distribute the egg yolk mix between two llanera. Set llanera in a baine marie / oven steam bath then bake for 50 minutes to one hour.
   
5. Test for doneness using a toothpick. It should come out clean when done.
   
6. To serve, slide a butter knife around the edges of your flan, then invert over a large plate.
   

Llanera is an oval aluminum pan designed especially for leche flan. If you don't have one, a thin cake pan will do.