Ginagmay ( Beef and Potato Hash )

           My friend, Connie and I were talking yesterday, while snacking on Pansit Palabok and Siopao Asado. She was telling me about the time she stayed in the US for 2 years while her husband was attending school. Her Lumpiang Ubod ( coconut pith spring rolls ) and Pansit Bihon ( Rice Sticks Noodles ) was always consumed first, whenever they attended parties. We both laughed at the fact that most Filipino dishes have sweet notes underneath all flavors. I always wondered how the Italians would react if they knew that Filipinos have Sweet-Style Spaghetti? She was quick to note that we, Filipinos go all the way in terms of flavor. If we went for sour, it will be really sour, or really spicy or really salty or really sweet. Bland is never an option, simply because practically everything is served with rice, the viand has to really stand out. I can only agree.

        A quick trivia or two on Filipino sweet tooth: 1. When McDonald's went head to head competing with homegrown fastfood success story Jollibee, the one thing that McDonald's immediately set out to put on the menu, was a sweet-sour spaghetti. McDonald's serve spaghetti in all of its branches nationwide. Elsewhere on this planet, you won't find spaghetti on McDonald's menu. Only in the Philippines, did you know?

        The second story is TANG. When I was a 2nd grader, Tang was the only orange juice drink powder available on grocery shelves. But I can still remember why as a kid, I never asked for a glass. I found it too sour and to have to finish a glass was an unpleasant chore. A few years later, Kool-Aid entered the scene, but it was not until homegrown Sugarland Corporation came up with Eight O'Clock Orange Juice drink, that every family was now drinking orange juice by the pitcher. The difference? the level of sweetness. The makers of TANG took an entire year to finally come up with a version that Filipinos can love. If you ask me, there is no hint of tanginess in Tang juices in my country, just absolute pure fruity sweetness. Then, they made money.

          Our dish today is popular in the Visayas and Mindanao region and goes by different names such as Ginamay, Ginagmay or Picadillo. The names maybe different, but they all look the same. Different regions also have variations, some use atsuete (annatto) seeds, soy sauce, or tomato sauce interchangeably. 

Ginagmay

INGREDIENTS:

300 g. ground pork or beef

1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced

2 potatoes,diced

1 carrot, diced

1 small tomato, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic

salt and pepper to taste

choice of soy sauce or annatto seeds soaked in 1/4 cup hot water or tomato sauce 1 pouch

a little sugar

ginagmay ingredients

PROCEDURE:

1. Saute, garlic, onions and tomatoes in 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the meat and cook until brown.

2. Add 1 cup water and let boil. ( If using beef, cook longer)

3. Add the diced vegetables, choice of broth flavoring, then season to taste.

boiling away

4.  Add sugar to balance any sour notes from the tomatoes or the tomato sauce. The dish will naturally give off more oil from the meat.

5. Serve hot over rice.

NOTE: Mom raised me for many years, with a table set with at least a pair of 2 dishes that compliment each other. So, I try to do the same for my family. Below, you will see the ubiquitous dried fish served with slices of fresh tomatoes and the spiced vinegar; Pinakurat I made last week.

bulad ( dried fish ) and Pinakurat ( spiced vinegar )

Ginagmay  and Bulad with Pinakurat

This is one typical Filipino dinner or lunch, no frills, no fluff, just straightforward homestyle cooking.

Enjoy!

Misua Soup

        Yesterday was fun! A friend and I went out for a Mommy's Day out. This stay at home mom  has three small children, and is practically a prisoner in her house So, I offered for her to come bring her kids over for an afternoon with my own kids, so we moms, could get that much needed break. My kids, 17,16 and 10 were in charge of babysitting, and the little ones love being around them, too, so it was a win-win situation.

        After the kids were settled, and the snacks and change of clothes readied, my friend and I slipped out. First stop was scheduling a 5-hour salon date for another day, next, a little tire-hunting ( yes, tires as in car wheels ) and finally Ukay-ukay hunting! ( Ukay-ukay, which literally means a combination of hunt, scavenge and mix also means all clothing, shoes and bags that are used and imported from countries such as Korea, Japan and the US )

        Ukay-ukay has become a national hobby of sorts of the rich and poor alike. It's the great equalizer among Filipinos, as most great finds can be found when a 5 ft by 5 ft bundle is opened and spread out on the floor, lined with sacks. Then its a free for all. No one gets special treatment. The big come on of Ukay-ukay is the pleasure of getting so many branded  and trendy items for cheap! By branded, I mean Louis Vuitton, Salvatorre Ferragamo, Guess, Lee, Levi's, Forever 21, Banana Republic, Champion, Elle, Fruit of the Looms, Ralph Lauren, Polo, Gucci, Prada, among others. Get the picture?

        We went home lugging a heavy bag of ukay-ukay items, but there was no hint of exhaustion on our faces. The only time anyone will ever feel sorry from ukay-ukay hunting, is when the cash has ran out.

        So, home we went, to find 6 hungry kids. It's a good thing my husband is already home and had just made them a big bowl of hot soup and was now frying Daing na Bangus ( Marinated Boneless Milkfish ) Obviously, I couldn't take a picture of it, because it was devoured as soon as the table was set.

        Today, we will feature a quick and light soup. Misua Soup is the easiest of all Filipino soups to put together. It's a welcome treat for cold, rainy nights and a usual compliment to fried fish. Misua, or miswa is a very thin, fragile, wheat noodle that comes in either cream or yellow color, that originated in Fujian, China. It is so fragile, that a small package can be crushed to a fine powder with one hand. But it's also the easiest noodle to cook; 30 seconds! and impossible to fail. I guess this would be an excellent soup for beginner cooks. The texture is velvety and pleasing, even toddlers and elderly people will have no problem eating bowls of it. 

Let's get started.

Misua Soup

INGREDIENTS:

100 g. ground pork ( sliced porkchops may be used )
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c onion, sliced
1 small tomato, sliced
1 small, young patola ( sponge gourd, ridge gourd or loofah gourd), peeled, sliced thinly
1 egg, beaten
5 small packs misua 5 g. each, or 1 small package
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown garlic in 1 T. oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the tomato slices. ( Do not put a lot or the soup will be sour.)

2. Add the pork slices or ground pork and cook for 10 minutes or so in its own juices.

3. Add 3-4 cups water or stock and let boil. Season to taste. Add the patola, misua and the beaten egg, stirring until well dispersed.Adjust seasonings. When the egg is cooked, the soup is ready. Its optional to garnish with sliced spring onions.

4. Serve hot alone or with crackers, crusty bread or as a viand.

NOTE: As the soup cools, the noodles will be absorbing more and more of the stock, so don't be surprised that at the end of the meal, you will have a bowl of soupy noodles, instead of a noodley soup. But the thickest misua can get is 1/3 the diameter of a toothpick. 

        If you have leftovers, which is unusual, add more stock and adjust the seasonings when reheating over a stove.

        Hmmm!  I guess, it would only be fair to show you guys my Ukay-ukay finds yesterday. I didn't find popular branded items, but found the colors, fabrics and cuts I liked for me and the girls. Some are still wet, because I washed them well last night. We're still waiting for them to dry, so we can try them on.  The two items that both have sparkly lettering caught my eye, and another customer, who was an online seller, begged me to give her those. How can I? they're perfect for my Erika and Arianne? Here they are:

ribbon detail on electric blue top

plain tee in blush

plain tee in muted gray

puff-sleeved baby pink tee

hot pink tee with cap sleeves

grey button down shirt with glitter lettering

puff-sleeved tee in red and white stripes

chiffon floral top

peasant top in teal, love!

Love, love, these! Ukay-ukay is one adventure you never should miss if you ever visit the Philippines!

Prepping in the Philippines

          Prepping is largely unknown among Filipinos. Most people I mention the word to, often react with 'what's that?"

          Despite the Philippines sitting on top of the Pacific Rim of Fire ( the SouthEast Asian map of hotspots for active volcanoes), annual visits by a minimum of 28 tropical storms that causes massive agricultural damage, flooding, loss of property and lives; prepping is a foreign concept in this country. Practiced mostly in the USA, and parts of Europe, it has gained a unique following as an underground American subculture. 

          Most preppers depicted in cable tv look paranoid, are dressed in drab, unattractive clothes and have some far-out ideas of the world coming to an end. They have been shown training their family members in hand-to-hand combat, shooting rifles and guns, storing massive amounts of food, water and ammunition. Some even go to the extent of foraging and eating insects and other critters to ensure survival skills.

          As a matter of fact, there is a big possibility that I might be the first Filipino to discuss the matter. Preppers have been demonized and ostracized by media. Even the airing of "Doomsday Preppers" 2nd season was shelved. I myself haven't watched an entire episode finish. I mostly got my information reading blogs and survival skills from various sources since November last year.

 
          But instead of brushing off their near-paranoid view of the world, I admired the lengths at which they have resorted to living self-sufficiently, by installing improvised solar heating and electricity sources. Many have installed wind turbines to generate free wind power. They have perfected, and are already using their own water purification systems which may include treating grey water and rain harvesting. Every prepper family is homesteading. Meaning they grow their own food sources complete with fruit, herb and vegetable garden, have chicken coops, raise goats, pigs and a cow or two for meat and milk. To complete their independence, they process and can their own grocery staples from butter to eggs, to meat and legumes.

homestead garden

emergency medical supplies

a pantry full of foodstuffs

          There are even top survival/prepping websites where ordinary, uninitiated people like me and you can learn a thing or two from these survivalists. Good thing is, they share all the information, and Do It Yourself is the order of the day. From flashlights, guns, to stoves, water purifiers, dehydrators, food smokers, ovens, even cheese presses. There is a tutorial for every conceivable equipment or concern. Did I even mention that they no longer need nor pay government utilities like light and water or ever need banks for that matter? This is partly what it means to live off-grid.

rocket stove tutorials

So what is Prepping? And why talk about it? Let's first look at how dictionaries define it.

PREPPING: Verb
1. Make ready
2 Prepare for an event

          Okay, prepare for an event such as what, you may ask? Events that preppers talk about is somehow captured in the popular prepper term SHTF scenario. SHTF means a lot of different things to many people. Allow me to put it as mildly as I can. SHTF means any situation where the possibility of getting help from firefighters, emergency medical services and law enforcement is reduced to zero. Meaning, you will be needing assistance from any of these and similar agencies but will no longer have access to, like medical attention, police and fire.

nuclear disaster

fires or chemical explosions

earthquakes

        

         What are the possible scenarios where these could happen? War, nuclear attack, medical epidemic that has gone to a regional level or higher, natural disasters that cut off one place from the rest of the world, the end of society as we know it, Biomedical terrorism, chemical disasters or pandemic. Wait! before you roll your eyes and think this is weird stuff, isn't the recent extreme weather events lately bother you?

          In the Philippines for example, the recent Typhoon Pablo that flattened most of Compostela Valley in December of 2012. It denuded vast tracts of land and left several hundred thousands homeless, with no source of livelihood or food, or clothing for weeks and months. That Typhoon caught everyone in the area totally unawares as typhoon appears once every 10 years. There is now a growing realization that Typhoon Pablo may not be the last and something much more worse is coming next.

makeshift signage asking for donations

casualties of the flooding

the devastation

bananas ripe for harvest, ravaged by Typhoon Pablo

         

           It is not possible to capture the entire concept of Prepping in one article, but I hope I may have shed some light on the issue specifically to those who may never had any idea what it is. My purpose is to somehow educate, increase awareness, and then introduce the survival skills that anyone from any country can benefit from, whether SHTF happens or not. 

          I agree with someone who once said, "better to be prepared when things happen, than to convince oneself that everything is fine and then SHTF happens."

          Let me know what your thoughts are about this post. I am by no means an expert on the matter, but I have started with my baby steps. 

         Please leave your comments below.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Today was a really busy day. I went out to finish shopping for my 5th grader's school needs. I'm just so glad I was able to get really good buys, really fast. I'm no big fan of last-minute shopping as that usually translates to overspending. Turns out, the week before classes begins is still not last-minute as I encountered no long queues.

Classes begin for majority of Philippine schools on Monday, June 3rd. This weekend, I will be making large batches of my breakfast and lunch meals to grab and go. 

While most busy moms will be stocking up on store-bought hotdogs, breakfast sausages, tvp burgers, tocinos ( marinated meats ), chicken nuggets, cereals and artificial juices in tetrapacks, yours truly will be making fruited yogurt drinks and fruit concentrates for the kids to go.

It may sound daunting, but a little preparation and menu planning goes a long way. Since most kids love to eat favorite meals interchangeably for breakfast and lunch, making extra portions for freezing and later reheating will go a long way.

I just got off the phone with a mother of 3 small kids. Her concern is all too real, since her kids' have very different needs and food preferences; she has to prepare three different menus for every meal, every single day. This is one of those times, I'm thankful my kids like the same things.

This is where my previous posts come in handy: ziplock bags of homemade pancake mixes, skinless longganizas, chicken nuggets, spanish sardines, tuna flakes in oil, daing na isda ( marinated fish ), boneless bangus ( milkfish ) belly, lumpia shanghai (pork spring rolls), porkchops  and chicken fillet come in handy. These, I pretty much covered already in my posts.

For the pre-cooked meals; chicken and pork adobo, bistek tagalog ( beefsteak Filipino style), beef teriyaki, Korean beef, tonkatsu ( breaded Japanese porkchop), katsudon ( Japanese pork topping) and gyudon ( Japanese beef rice topping ) are my children's list-toppers. These, I haven't yet but encourage parent's to try.

It should not come as a surprise that each one of the above choices are paired with rice. We're Asian after all.

Today will be about homemade chocolate syrup. It's so easy to put together and is so versatile.  I'm sure moms will be grateful to have it on hand in the kitchen. Kid's of all ages will love this! 

We use this as syrup for pancakes, topping for ice cream, frosting, or desserts, flavoring for oatmeal, yogurt, also as a spread. If we ever run out of MyChoco, they squirt this on to a glass of milk for instant chocolate milk drink. Neat, right?

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c. Hershey's or any premium brand of Dutch processed (alkaline) cocoa powder
1 to 1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 c. water
1 T butter ( optional)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt

PROCEDURE:

1. In a pot, combine cocoa powder, white sugar, salt and water. Turn heat on medium high.

2. Once it boils, and while stirring with a whisk, boil for 1 minute and not any longer. Remove from heat. Cool a little, and add vanilla and butter. Syrup will thicken as it cools.

3. Cool completely and transfer to a squeezeable plastic bottle dispenser or reuse a pancake syrup bottle. How easy is that?

NOTE: Use only the best cocoa powder for excellent, smooth and creamy results. Anything less will result into a grainy product.

A big plastic bottle of Hershey's or any other brand of chocolate syrup costs about PhP150 ( US $ 4. Double this recipe is only about P70 ( US $1.50 )and lasts 2-4 weeks depending on usage. Big savings again!

Thanks once more for visiting, and please leave a comment on what you would like me to post next. I hope you found this post helpful.

Pansit Bam-I ( Mixed Noodle Dish )

          

Pansit Bam-I

          Though the Chinese and Japanese are better known for their noodles, there are a few noodle dishes uniquely Filipino in taste and origin. And Bam-I will take center stage today.

          Bam-i ( pronounced 'bum-e')  is known to have come from the Visayas region ( the group of islands in central Philippines) and is little-known in Manila, therefore it is seldom featured in recipe books. But the dish is a favorite among folks in the South, and is served interchangeably with Cantonese Noodles in parties and get-togethers, great and small. After all, no restaurant meal or feast is complete without some noodle dish.

         Bam-i presents a welcome change of pace, because it features a combination of miki , ( pronounced 'mickey') freshly made noodles, and sotanghon ( pronounced 'so-tang-hon')  or vermicelli. The former is firm, yellow and spaghetti-like, while the latter is slippery, satiny, and always delicious. This delicious combination also presents a challenge, as the cooking time differ for both noodles. There is a possibility of undercooking the fresh noodles, or the vermicelli appearing soggy. But, fret not, I realized that after my first attempt yesterday, it really is not hard to perfect Bam-i, and noodles are a forgiving dish to cook.

          Yesterday, I had the opportunity to cook Bam-I for 400 persons. I had to divide the recipe three ways as I don't have a large wok, or 'kawa.'  

          This recipe will be good for a get-together, potluck or as tv dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. pork meat, thinly sliced
1 c. chicken breast meat, thinly sliced
1 c. pork liver, slivered
1 c. shrimps, peeled, and deveined ( set aside heads)
2 pounds or 1 kilogram fresh miki noodles, rinsed and drained
350 g. vermicelli ( soaked in water to soften, cut into 4 inch lengths, drained )
1/4 c. garlic, minced
1 whole onion, sliced
3 - 4 cups chinese bokchoy or cabbage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 c. carrots, julienne cut
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 pc. shrimp cube
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 c. monkey ears ( a type of mushroom ), soaked in water to soften, drain and slice
3 cups + 1 cup water
1/2 cup sitsaro or snow peas, tops and tough 'veins' removed
salt to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Make sure all the ingredients are prepped and ready before you start. Also, prepare a large serving dish in advance. Place the shrimp heads inside your mortar and crush them with your pestle. Add a cup of very hot water in it and then strain the juice with a metal or plastic strainer. Set aside the shrimp juice, and discard the shrimp heads.

2. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a wok, fry garlic until brown and fragrant. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

3. Turning the heat on high, add the pork meat, simmer 8 minutes before adding chicken meat, simmering 5 minutes. Then add pork livers and cook for 7 minutes. Add the shrimps and cook until it turns pink. Sprinkle salt on the meats. The natural liquid coming from the meats will cook the meats through. Add the shrimp juice, shrimp cube and 3 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil.

adding the pork

adding the livers

cooking the meats in their own juices

4. Add the carrots, monkey ears, soy sauce and  pepper.  Adjust seasonings. Add the fresh miki noodles and cover 3 minutes. Add the vermicelli and the rest of the vegetables, and toss to mix both noodles and the vegetables. The sauce will be fully absorbed by the noodles in three minutes or less. Turn off the heat and transfer the dish on a serving platter. Serve piping hot!

almost done!

NOTE: Bam-i can be served as a stand-alone meal in itself. Most Filipinos still eat it with rice, haha! I know, right? Carbs with carbs, oh well, Filipinos.

Leftovers, if any, can be refrigerated in covered containers and then reheated in the microwave. It is not uncommon though that you will be coming back to the fridge again and again to snack on it.

For a truly authentic presentation, serve the Bam-i on banana leaf-lined bamboo trays. 

Thanks for visiting! I hope you try this one. Have a nice day, everyone!

Homemade Tuna Flakes in Oil

          

          One canned food that always made it to my shopping cart on a weekly basis, is tuna flakes in oil.  Its a versatile ingredient for sandwiches, omelettes, pasta, salads and whenever we want a change of pace from meats.

          The children will happily substitute canned tuna for recipes calling for meat. And for a very long while, I too felt it was healthier, considering that tuna is an excellent source of Omega 3 which is good cholesterol. I was serving these several times per week, until I found USFDA and Oceana reports of tuna canners mislabeling and using cheaper and more readily available fish, other than tuna. This includes, among others; dolphins, halibut, snapper, salmon, cod, sole and grouper. If that was not enough,  related reports also reveal dangerous levels of Mercury in canned tuna products in certain areas. If you want to read the entire article and its supporting studies, read the report here.

          Instead of acting defeated, and banning canned tuna from the dinner table altogether, I simply scoured the internet for a recipe for making healthy homemade canned tuna. This should be good, because I can make sure my family is getting the REAL thing plus, I can get the freshest catch and make more, for a fraction of the cost.

          So, go to the market and seek out the freshest tuna with the brightest of eyes, reddest of gills and firmest of flesh and have the vendor slice you a juicy piece so you can make a good 3 weeks supply of healthy tuna.

INGREDIENTS:

500 g. fresh tuna, dark meat removed

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 pc. bay leaf

1 T. sliced ginger or lemon zest

1 tsp. peppercorns

1 tsp. salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cover

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash tuna well, pat dry with paper towel. Slice into pieces 1/4 inch thick.

2. Arrange in a pot and add the remaining ingredients. Pour enough EVOO to cover.

3. Turn on the heat to low, and slowly bring to a bubbly froth ( not really a boil, and definitely not deep frying!). for a good 10 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Oil and broth will have separated.

5. Carefully transfer chunks to prepared, sterilized bottles and add the oil and broth, leaving out the spices. If you desire to have flakes, transfer the chunks to a plate, and carefully flake with two forks. Spoon it back in the bottles.

NOTE: The ginger or lemon zest removes the fishy smell. The tuna may be eaten straight from the bottle. Keep the rest in the refrigerator.  It is lightly salted so that additional spices and or seasonings may be added to it for other recipes. Yield: 750 g or the equivalent content of 6 small cans.

Tuna flakes in oil is my kids' favorite for Carbonara and omelette, it's a lot healthier and packed with body-building protein unlike the unhealthy, heart clogging fat from bacon. And because it's homemade, I can have the peace of mind that my family is not chomping on some trusting, friendly but unfortunate dolphin. 

Do take the time to read the report by Oceana and the USFDA. I find useful information and no-holds-barred health news from naturalnews.com on an almost daily basis. 

Do it yourself cooking always outweighs the convenience of ready to eat grocery food by a wide mile. Working moms should find this recipe so easy to put together, and they will be thanking themselves to have something to pull out of the fridge, on the laziest of days.

I'm still trying to break the code for Corned Tuna, the latest canned tuna game changer. When I do, I will be making quadruple the recipe all at once, and you will, of course learn how to make them too.

Happy Sunday everyone!

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Pinakurat Spiced Vinegar Copycat

          This next recipe comes with a warning, both to the cook and to the would-be user: The cook,  because handling chilies,  always run the risk of getting into the eyes or burning one's hands. The user, because to the uninitiated, the dipping sauce will send shockwaves to the tongue, hence the name "Pinakurat", literally meaning, made to shock.

          Pinakurat Spiced Vinegar originated in Iligan City in Mindanao. It slowly penetrated households all over Mindanao, travelling as far north as Manila, mainly by word of mouth advertisement, and the pasalubong concept. 

         Before the advent of Pinakurat,  Bicol Express ( a spicy soup dish from the Luzon region) reigned supreme, as the spiciest food in the country. Needless to say, that the supercharged spice and catchy name caught on fast. Before long, the entire country was hooked. And this truly original Filipino sauce has traveled across oceans wherever you may find Asian stores.

          Now, almost every other commercial brand of sauces have their own version. That, in itself is testimony to the fact that Pinakurat created a new trend in dipping sauces, that others had to follow, or be left behind.

            Pinakurat is made with natural coconut sap vinegar, naturally reddish-brown 

and fragrant. The nearest thing to this would be Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, with the mother of vinegar but without the fruity undertones of apple. It usually sells anywhere between $3 - $4 per 8 oz bottle in Filipino stores in the US. 

           It goes really well with fried or grilled dishes, and is a surprisingly excellent dipping sauce for the ultimate Filipino feast; Lechon ( Roast Pig ) and Chicharon, or pork rind crackling.

           Along with its popularity, came the hefty price tag. So much so, that it would be highly unreasonable not to enjoy this spice, when all the natural ingredients are in abundance, and just laying around.

So, to make 3 bottles, and get huge savings, we will need:

INGREDIENTS: 

4 c. Suka Tuba ( Organic, Raw Coconut Sap Vinegar ) or Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 c. bird's eye chillies, divided ( siling labuyo in Tagalog,  kulikot in Cebuano)

1/4 c ginger, slivered, divided

1/4 c. red onions, sliced

8 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1 c Patis ( Fish Sauce ), any brand

sugar to taste ( optional )

PROCEDURE:

1. Combine 2 c. vinegar, 1/2 of the chillies, ginger and garlic in a food processor or blender. Process until spices are reduced to fine sediment.

2. Stir in the Fish sauce, and the remaining vinegar.

3. Add 1 or more tablespoons of sugar to temper the spice. Adjust the seasonings, ( careful, it's hot! )

4. Pour into prepared glass bottles using a funnel. There will be sediments, include those. 

5. Insert the onion slices and remaining garlic, chili pieces and ginger  into the bottles. Seal and let sit until the sediments settle at the bottom.

6. To serve: shake well and pour desired amount on to a shallow sauce dish and use as a dip.

7. Keep in a cool, dry place.

Let me know if you've tasted or tried this one. Thank you for visiting and magandang umaga! 

( Good morning! )