So the real housewives (Sarj and I) went to Queens again to eat spaghetti and Yumburger with cheese in Jollibee. Next stop was the Filipino store, just to see what they have. I had no plans to shop for groceries but I just could not leave the place without stocking up on essentials (ie kare-kare mix because Dear Hubby loves kare-kare, bouillon cubes, Maggi Savor) plus stuff from home I've missed so bad!
Our best find? This!
Finally! After almost 2 years, I found calamansi juice for patis and toyo! And I can make authentic bistek tagalog now! Lemons really have nothing against calamansi!
Next is this! Champorado mix! Last time I had champorado was at Cendrillon in SoHo with my friend Ivy some months back and it was just so comforting! Cendrillon has now closed and is moving to Brooklyn, and will reopen as Purple Yam.
Sarj said champorado will not be complete without salted fish, so I got convinced to get this ready-to-eat daing which they funnily call Jeprox! I wonder why?
Ok, I know pregnant women should avoid eating this...spicy Century tuna (the doctor said once a week is fine anyway, and was mercury content in tuna from Philippine and Indonesian waters ever an issue?) and corned beef (nitrates? what nitrates? besides, its the hard to find Palm corned beef!) but I just had to get it. Gotta squeeze out our trip to Queens for all its worth you know!
Ginataan! I love the glutinous rice balls, I've been craving for this since I don't know when. It's far from the taste of the ginataan from home that I grew up with, and the ginataan made by Auntie Lilian's cook, but well oh well, it'll do...
Oh, and this I've got to try! I grew up eating Italian style spaghetti sauce, with oregano and basil, olive oil and all that jazz. My mom is all about authentic, as much as possible, natural food so I missed out on a lot, haha! I only got to eat the ketchup-y spaghetti when attending kiddie parties or when ordering in Jollibee. When I was in grad school, my friend and roommate Jaraiza would bring this super yummy spaghetti from their home, made with McJolly sauce (which I only saw once in a grocery store back home and never saw again!) that was so sweet and spicy I got hooked on Pinoy style spaghetti! It was just so good! The best Pinoy style spaghetti ever! I'll see if I can replicate that with this! Sorry Mom! I love your spaghetti, but sometimes, I just need to switch Marcella Hazan with this!
Sigh, the things we used to take for granted when we were back home are exactly the sort of things that transport us back home, even for just a while!
8 comments:
I do the same thing whenever I visit my folks near downtown Vancouver area, like an hour away from my house LOL (I made it sound like I live way too far)
I go to these amazing Filipino stores and buy almost everything! I always stock up with the same food you just bought! Specially the corned beef and century tuna!!! Except Asian produce here in Vancouver usually carry real calamansi.
LOL @ "jeprox"
tin! just use a tablea and rice and water and sugar for champorado! it will taste so much better than the boxed one!
Also, you can plant a calamansi tree there! just bring it indoors during the cold months! Spring time is a good time to start that!
I love Palm corned beef! It's made in New Zealand, not Philippines. It's very close to Filipino style corned beef so I guess it's sold in Filipino stores.
ate, our mom from cali sent us lots of palm cornbeef and some sinigang mix, too!!! and you're so right! whilst i adore mom's spaghetti, my fave spaghetti is jollibee spaghetti!!! i love the hotdogs! (we weren't allowed hotdogs, too. i remember in kinder getting raisin box and banana for lunch whilst my classmates had hotdog and id swap my raisins for the hotdog peel. i was only 4!!!) ~trina
PALM corned beef is LOVE!! They come now in different flavors. Try the barbecue one. WINNER! :)
i just can imagine the joy you feel when your relatives bring you Pinoy stuff when they visit you. i remembered visiting my friend in Singapore (though it's super near compared to you) recently, half of my luggage space contains Lucky Me Pancit Canton, Cans of corned beef, Boy Bawang, and Chocnut. And believe it or not, i had to leave my perfume or il go beyond the weight limit. Haha! -diet :)
This is so touching! I have a sister in Australia and she always asks for goods from Manila like lucky me, knorr, etc :)
I can almost feel your excitement with your haul from the grocery store.
Cheers from Manila,
Lace
Yeah, I hear they have real calamansi there in Vancouver! So lucky!!!
I don't have tablea though! And where to buy a calamansi plant Lorr?
Palm corned beef <3! It is not from the Phils, but its the best corned beef I've had ever! It's sold back home, much cheaper too!
Trina, care to send Palm corned beef our way? Haha!
There's barbecue now? Hmmm! I like their garlic and onion, and the spicy one too! The bbq i have got to try!
Very true Diet! The joy the joy! Oh my and chocnut! Yum! Sigh, if only I can eat Boy Bawang and Lucky Me now, I'm tempted, but too much MSG heehee! When it's safe, I definitely will indulge, haha!
Heehee, yes Lace, I was very excited! You can't imagine how excited I was to get home and unpack all these haha!
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