#KAKANINGPINOY

                                        BIBINGKA

Bibingka is a type of rice cake from the Philippines traditionally eaten during the Christmas season. Traditionally cooked in clay pots lined with banana leaves. Bibingka is a traditional Philippine Christmastime food. It is usually eaten along with puto bumbóng right after the Simbang Gabi ('Night mass', the Filipino version of Misa de Gallo). They are sold outside of churches during the nine-day novena for worshippers to eat for breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup coconut cream, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 75 grams cheese, grated
• 2 salted eggs, sliced

 Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line 3 (5-inch) round baking pans with wax paper or banana leaves.
3. In a bowl, combine rice flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder.
4. In another bowl, combine water, eggs, sugar, coconut cream, and butter. Mix well.
5. Slowly pour dry ingredients over wet ingredients, mixing with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. Make sure there are no lumps. If lumps do form, strain mixture using a sieve.
6. Fill prepared pans until three-fourths full. Top with grated cheese and salted egg.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.

                                          PALITAW

Ingredients

• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup sesame seeds, roasted
• 1 cup grated coconut

Cooking Instructions:

1. Combine glutinous rice flour with water and mix until a dough is formed.
2. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough then mold it into a ball-shaped figure.
3. Flatten the ball-shaped dough using the palm of your hands.
4. Boil water in a cooking pot then put-in the flattened dough.
5. When the flattened dough starts to float, remove them from the pot and set it aside allowing water to drip.
6. Combine sugar and roasted sesame seeds then mix well.
7. Roll the rice cake in grated coconut then in the sugar-sesame seed mixture.
8. Arrange in a serving plate then serve. Share and enjoy!

#LutongPaborito

Bagoong

Bagoóng is an encompassing term for Philippine condiments made from fish or tiny shrimps that are salted and fermented for several weeks. The color varies from light pink to dark brown, the texture from firm to watery.

Binagoong Mannga
In general, the shrimps produce a firmer, more colorful paste, while bagoong made from fish is liquid and darker.

Different areas of the Philippines have their own version of bagoóng. For example, the Ilocos region has its bagoóng terong, which is made with bonnetmouth fish.  Another Ilocano bagoong is bugguong munamon, made from anchovies. There is also padas, which is rabbitfish.

Other fish used are hairtail, roundscad and sardinella. Bagoóng alamang is a variant that uses small shrimps or krill as the main ingredient. (see photo right below)