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The Philippines
by Katrina Dovey


Home is where the heart is.

This is why a lot of people feel as if the Philippines could be a home to them, the country opens up its arms to everyone wanting to be a part of it. A lot of people feel as if the Philippines is already home to them, and it's no question why.

The Philippines is a country filled with culture. From its festivals to their wildlife, the food it offers, the places to see, the people you meet, there is so much to see. Everyone should travel to the Philippines because of all the things there is to see, every direction you face there is always something new to discover in this beautiful country,

Photo credits: http://www.justonewayticket.com/2012/12/05/why-you-should-travel-philippines/

Manila is the capital of the Philippines and is populated by approximately 102 million people. Some of the popular tourist destinations in Manila are the Rizal Park, Fort Santiago or the Cultural Center of the Philippines. 

Photo credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eralviz/

Although Manila is the capital of the country, the real adventure starts when you step out of the city.

One of the most popular tourist spots in the country would be Boracay which is a white beach located in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. The beach is lined with restaurants, hotels, bars, and other activities to do, it has truly become one of the biggest tourist destinations in the country.

Photo credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/35173034@N04/3259854237

A big part of the Filipino culture is its food. The food of the country is a combination of the mixed cuisine of countries like Malaysia, India, China, America and other countries that give it a sense of originality. 

Photo credits:http://www.expatch.org/2014/09/29/in-tagalog-dumalo-tayo-sa-pista/fiesta1/

Adobo is one of the most popular Filipino dishes and is unofficially considered to be the national dish of the country. The name adobo came from the spanish word "adobar" which means "marinade" or "sauce". The main ingredients tend to be meat, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking oil, garlic, and bay leaf. For this blog, I wanted to share with you all a dish that is a part of the culture but... with a twist.

The recipe I will be sharing today is Pork Adobo with Baby Back Ribs.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup Light soy sauce
• ½ cup Rice vinegar
• ½ cup Rice wine
• 1 Tbs.Fish sauce
• 3 Tbs. Brown sugar
• ⅓ cup Chopped garlic (approximately 18 to 20 cloves)
• 4 Bay leaves
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbs. Cooking oil
• 1 Rack of baby back ribs (approximately 3½ lb.), cut into single pieces
• 3 Green onions, chopped
• Fresh lime juice from 1 lime
• 6 Lime wedges to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine soy sauce and next 7 ingredients(until black pepper) and whisk to dissolve sugar into sauce, set aside.
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3. preheat oven over 350 degrees.
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5. Heat a braising pan or deep skillet (I recommend to use oven-safe pan such as dutch oven or cast iron pan) over high heat; add oil. Sear pork ribs 3 minutes each side or until golden brown. It doesn't need to be cooked- we just want nice sear on each ribs. Do 2 batches if that’s necessary for really nice golden brown seared ribs.
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8. Tap excess oil on pan with kitchen paper towel and place seared pork ribs all back into pan or roasting pan if you are using. Pour sauce we made earlier. Cover with aluminum foil first then cover with lid. If not, you might ruin your lid from splashing soy sauce and sugar mixture. Place into preheated oven, braise for 1 hour 30 minutes.
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13. Remove pan from oven and bring back to stove. Uncover and cook for additional 10 minutes until meat has a nice caramelization and liquid reduced- as sticky glaze on ribs.
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16. Transfer ribs on a serving plate and spoon out most fat out from pan. Add in green onion and lime juice to sauce and mix.
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20. Pour sauce over ribs and serve warm. Enjoy with a warm cooked jasmine rice! :-D
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*Recipe and pictures retrieved from: http://seonkyounglongest.com/filipino-baby-back-ribs-adobo/*

The Philippines has so much more to offer than what anyone can write. It is filled with hidden treasures and secrets waiting to be found.

Photo credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cb_agulto/5770275195

Sources:

Filipino Adobo Recipe : Filipino Adobo with Baby Back Ribs - Asian at Home. (2015, January 22). Retrieved March 09, 2016, from http://seonkyounglongest.com/filipino-baby-back-ribs-adobo/

Laureta, I. (2015, March 10). 28 Reasons You Should Absolutely Never Visit The Philippines. Retrieved March 09, 2016, from http://www.buzzfeed.com/isabellelaureta/sarcasm-its-more-fun-in-the-philippines#.binGpeVxx

Manila, C. (2016, January 04). PopCom: PH population expected to hit 104 million in 2016. Retrieved March 09, 2016, from http://manila.coconuts.co/2016/01/04/popcom-ph-population-expected-hit-104-million-2016

Lobino, S. (2012). 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TRAVEL TO THE PHILIPPINES. Retrieved March 09, 2016, from http://www.justonewayticket.com/2012/12/05/why-you-should-travel-philippines/

Boracay - Lonely Planet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 09, 2016, from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/the-visayas/boracay 

Boodle Fighting: Family Reunion in Pampanga (2016)

by: Sandra Kahn

 Whenever there would be a family reunion, I would honestly dread it. There would always be the same awkward greetings, and the same old questions. "Where do you want to go for college?" "Do you have a boyfriend?" And I was tired of answering these questions.

But this reunion wasn't like the any other reunion. We had to drive 2-3 hours to reach my aunt's fishing lake. I got to meet my cousins from my grandmother's side and we all went fishing.

After staying under the sun for quite some time, it was finally time to eat. As I sat down at the table, I noticed something odd. There were no utensils and plates served. Everything was placed on a big banana leaf.

My mom saw my confusion and explained it to me. "This is called boodle fighting, and the rule is the whole table is your plate and you can only use your hands"

I never heard of this before, I was a bit nervous to try it. But seeing my family members doing this, I was eager and began eating. My aunt served oysters, grilled pork chop and so much more. Everyone was trying to get a piece of each viand. This was a fun experience and I enjoyed eating in an unusual way, its not everyday that I would "fight" for my food.

To learn more about boodle fights, check this blog out too! http://megasardines.com/blog/pinoy-101-the-boodle-fight-tradition/