I am so happy that several of the reviews for Boracay Vows have mentioned the food.

An Amazon customer titled her review, “Made me sooo hungry,” and proceeded to say, “I also loved the setting and learning a little about the Philippines and the amazing food that I HAVE to try!”

An iBook reader enthused, “Congratulations and now I want Filipino foooooooood!!!!!”

A photographer friend endorsed Boracay Vows on her page and inspired the quote I used here, “… it’s got plenty of steam and mouth-watering descriptions of food.”

In the Author’s Note, I promised I will post recipes here and I’m starting with adobo, the unofficial national dish of the Philippines.

On Chapter Four, Blake and Krista had their first meal together. Blake ordered chicken and pork adobo, one of his favorite Filipino dishes and raved about it.

““Hmm, sarap!” The garlic saltiness of the adobo sauce and the perfect tenderness of the meat hit his taste buds and made him groan in satisfaction.”

With 100 Million Filipinos scattered over 7,100+ islands, it is not surprising that adobo is cooked in a variety of ways. Pork and chicken are most commonly used, but other meats, seafood, and vegetables can substitute as well. This recipe is the way I’ve cooked it for more than 20 years. It serves four and can be prepared in as short as 2 hours to as long as 10.

CHICKEN AND PORK ADOBO

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pork belly (loin for leaner option), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lb. chicken (boneless/skinless for lower-fat), cut into serving pieces
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced or crushed
• 4 pieces dried bay leaves
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (low-sodium, if available)
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 1 cup water
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Instructions: 

1. Combine first seven ingredients and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Best if left in a closed container overnight.
2. Heat pot, put in meat, marinating liquid, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for one hour, or until meat is tender. If necessary, add more water.
3. Strain the meat from liquid, then set aside. In a skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the crushed garlic. Stir in the meat and cook until all sides are browned. Pour the liquid over the meat and continue simmering until sauce thickens.
4. Serve hot over rice or with your favorite pancit.

Boracay Vows is available in ebook from your favorite etailers and in paperback from Amazon and The Ripped Bodice.

Credits:

• Feature image – Mouthwatering by Render Compose.
• Similar recipes can be found on allrecipes.com and Panlasang Pinoy.