At last, I was able to cook “Pinakbet” today. Thanks to my dear husband, who painstakingly went over my list and miraculously got everything I wanted from the Asian store. He used to get the wrong item I put on the list. Either because some words are not in English (items such as miswa, patis, datu puti suka,etc.) or my handwriting is not that good (which is partly true :-)).
Since I got two kids, I rarely went out grocery shopping with family, so my other half became responsible for the task. He is actually quite good at it, and able to get most of the things fast and efficiently. So today before heading out to the store, I made the grocery list and explained to him the items I wanted him to get. I even use his phone to photograph the products just to make sure he got the right stuff!
When he came home, I was so delighted he got the right squash (kalabasa)!By using mental picture of what I told him, he was able to get the right vegetable. “Get a squash that looks like a pumpkin but green on the outside. Not the yellow squash that looks like a zucchini”. I applauded him for this technique! The same thing goes with the okra, eggplant, and the rest of the ingredients to make “pinakbet”. Thanks for his ingenuity; I got every ingredient I needed. I was craving to eat this Filipino dish for so long that I couldn’t wait to cook and made a hearty meal for myself.
“Pinakbet” or “pakbet” is a Filipino dish consisting of meat and vegetables. My version of “pinakbet” has pork, salted shrimp fry (bagoong), yellow squash (kalabasa), okra, eggplant, and bitter melon (“ampalaya”).
So my wish was granted and I feel happy! I had my delicious “pinakbet” for dinner with generous serving of rice. Once in a while I love to spoil myself by eating more than a cup of rice when I have something scrumptious to go with it (Filipino meat or veggie dishes, of course!) While at the table, I contemplated how lucky I am to be able to access some of my favorite foods I love to eat in Philippines. Although the prices of the ingredients are a little bit expensive in the US, I’m still thankful that somehow they are available. Each time I eat foods that remind me as a Filipino, my heart swells with pride because they are part of who I am. I don’t mind much how “stinky” some ingredients are to others (thankfully my honey doesn’t mind much, although he loves to tease me once in a while), as long as they taste good, I am contented.
So here's the veggie dish I am talking about. :-)
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