Hello Hive Users! This time I am inspired to continue sharing what I have learned and how I adopted things from other people!
Now let's talk about food. I am a food lover but I was not used to make food until I started to work abroad. Then, in Hong Kong, my main duty was to make food for a family.
I am working since 14 years for the same family.
Okay! I will tell you a little story: I already work for this same family since almost 14 years. And in early March 2022, still during the COVID-19 pandemic, the family I was working for moved to the USA. But they kept me still as a housekeeper. Now I am just taking care of the house. Anyway, it's quite boring if every day I am alone in their big house and have nothing else to do than cleaning from time to time.
That is also the reason why I am doing side jobs like selling food and being a dog walker. My dream is to earn enough extra money to open my own business one day in future.
Meeting my employer's mother again!
Anyway, from time to time my employers come to visit their residence in Hong Kong which also means more work plus cooking for me!
And today the interesting thing is that the mother of my boss came along with him here to Hong Kong. She came from Taiwan, where also my employer stems from, and its been a long time since I have seen her. So now we are having a lot of chitchat and things to share. Especially because originally she was the reason why I learned cooking.
She taught me many ideas how to make healthy and yummy food. She is already at the age of almost 70 years. But I like to talk with her since she teaches me - apart from cooking - much about life.
In our conversations she was curiously asking me how I've been here in this house and I answered "Well, a little boring!" Whereupon she asked me "Why? You have a nice life here. So free and nothing to worry about, not much work but still earnings every month."
We talk a lot and I never get bored of her as she suggests me some ideas how to move forward in life. But when I told her that to kill my boredom I started to make and sell some food she smiled and said "Wow! Really you are selling food, so you're earning some extra money?" I told her that, apart from earning money, it's big help for me, mentally and physically. Now I can at least go out, meet other people around and make new friends while doing my business. Like that I make a living without using too much money from my salary. She was impressed that my food business is running so well and applauded me for the good job which she agreed is so much better than doing nothing! Such kind words are really nice to hear at times! Hehe. And I agree, well yes, I am happy doing it. And being happy is most important!
Me in Taiwan, 2019, where I met my employer's mother for the first time.
So here we are! My dishes I am talking about today:
Paksiw na Bangus!
Oh yeah people, I love Paksiw, especially as I add bitter gourd and eggplants to the bangus. But what I do, is to prepare it already at night so that it is ready to be cooked in the morning! So at night I already add some of the ingredients like garlic, ginger, shallots, vinegar, soy-sauce plus lemon which overlays the smell of the bangus and makes it taste more yummy.
I love my food having a natural taste and being healthy so I see no need to add anything like Magic Sarap or any other flavor enhancer.
Pakbet!
As a Bisaya I am not really familiar with Pakbet so I did lots of research concerning this food: how to prepare it and create a yummy yet healthy dish with a natural taste!
Pakbet is more popular in regions where people speak Ilocano or Tagalog.
Learning to make a good food requires love ... and also thinking, hehe.
Anyway my pakbet is simple: I don't use the bagnet (already cooked crispy fried pork belly) but the uncooked belly part of the meat, and I love meat which contains a little bit more fat. The only necessary thing to create a very good taste is adding isdang bagoong at alamang (fermented fish and shrimp paste) ... Hmmmm... I feel so hungry again now.
When I fry the meat with fat to infuse the oil then I add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, and after that the isdang bagoong... hmmmm the smell is sooo good already. Makes you feel hungry, right? Good together with rice!
