Flip-si-log

Contrary to popular belief, I am filipino! My middle name is my mom's maiden name. I have a rosary hanging on the rear view mirror of my car. I have "The Last Supper" hanging on my wall. I have a piano used only for decoration and never is played. I understand Tagolog but can't speak it. But I still have people who refuse to consider me filipino. I even have an African American coworker who proclaims "I'm more filipino than you" just cuz she eats more filipino food than me...haha!

I grew up eating filipino food. My parents would always cook it...and boy did they make some good filipino dishes! But as my sister and I grew older, we discovered that we liked other types of food as well. My parents eventually saw that, and their filipino cooking became less and less through the years. Nowadays, I hardly crave filipino food, but I'll eat it if it's in front of me.

Today brought about a visit from my parents (aside: Since they moved out, I kinda miss having them around...ahh). For dinner, they had a craving for fresh (ie. not fried) lumpia from Goldilocks (note: caught me off guard but this Goldilocks is trying to be a restaurant now with menus and waiters, and no more lines where you pick your food... not sure if they are all doing this). Anyways, I decided to get a fresh lumpia as well. I've had it before but it tasted really good tonight! It got me thinking...what are my favorite filipino dishes? So of course, I had to come up with another list (without pictures):

11) SISIG: barbeque seasoned pork that can be hit or miss depending on who cooks it
10) BEEF/PORK SINIGANG: the bitter soup adds good flavor to the tender meat
9) GARLIC FRIED RICE: such the best staple for the "___-si-log" dishes!
8) KARE KARE: ox tail in peanut sauce; so good when you get a lot of the ox tail meat
7) LECHON: pork with the fat; so good with the Mama Sita sauce
6) BBQ ON A STICK: the sauce they put on the meat always has been a favorite of mine
5) ADOBO: when the sauce is right, adds so much flavor to the meat and rice
4) ARROZ CALDO: chicken and rice "porridge"; my parents make a pretty damn good one
3) DINUGUAN: "chocolate" meat and rice! store near my house makes an awesome one!
2) LUMPIA SHANGHAI: can't go wrong with fried wrapped up meat in the sweet/sour sauce
1) LONGANISA: the sweet juices from this sausage to flavor your rice mixed with the "chunks" in the sausage is pure heaven in my mouth! It will never drop from #1!

Just missed the cut (so I won't describe them): TINOLA, KALDERETA, TOCINO, AND PANCIT MIKI BIHON.

Maybe if I knew how to make these dishes, I'd eat them more. But I do know how to make longanisa...and that's all that matters!

Psssst! Who's doubting my filipino-ness now?