Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a stew with a variety of vegetables usually picked fresh from the garden or Palengke.  This dish is very popular among the Ilocanos, Tarlqueños, and Pamgueños.  However, the cooking style differ on the way it is prepared.  Ilocanos are known for boiling their dish and salty condiments such as Bagoong (shrimp paste) and Patis (fish sauce) are usually added and this dish is no exception to that method.  The neighboring peoples of Tarlac and Pampanga known throughout the archipelago as the culinary capitals of the Philippines, this dish like most dishes they prepare, it is sauteed first with garlic and onion.  This dish is also garnished with meat such as fried pork chopped in pieces, fried fish such Bangus (Milk fish) or Galungong and flaked, or shrimps.

Ingredients:

• Sitaw cut into pieces about 3 inches long
• Okra - whole or cut in half
• Bataw or Lablab (Hyacinth bean)
• Talong (eggplant) long or round -  cut into bite size pieces
• Kalabasa (Calabaza) - peeled and cut into squares*
• Ampalaya cut into bite size pieces
• Sigarilyas
• Pork cut into tiny pieces**
• 4 cloves of garlic - crushed
• 1 large onion - chopped
• 3 tablespoons of bagoong (shrimp paste)***
• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

• In a large skillet, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, and cut pork until pork is golden brown.
• Add all vegetables and let it simmer for 5 minutes
• Add the bagoong and water and stir.  Let it simmer.  Do not cover for it will turn vegetables mushy.
• Add pepper to taste.

Sitaw	Okra	Bataw
Talong	Kalabasa (Calabaza)	Ampalaya
Sigarilyas	Bawang	Sibuyas

Ilocandia:  A brief history

Ilocandia is the term given to the traditional homeland of the Ilocano people.From the original western strip of Northern Luzon (now known as the Region 1 or Ilocos Region), Ilocandia has spread throughout the Cagayan Valley and some parts of Central Luzon.Although there are also a large number of Ilocanos in other parts of the Philippines like, Palawan and Mindanao, these are not considered to be a part of Ilocandia, as they are not part of the traditional Ilocano homeland.  see more