Eggs! What a theme for this month’s Is My Blog Burning?, the classic online food event which has given life to several sub-themes! This edition is hosted by Viv, the Seattle Bon Vivant herself.

“Salvation is in the ordinary”, our retreat director told us one Holy Week. At the risk of being blasphemous, I thought this could be applied to Filipino daily fare in general, for the ingredients are taken from the most ordinary components in the locality and transformed into something which nourishes the stomach and the heart. Salvation for my IMBB entry as well because I was in danger of not having one. Since we are to make use of such a versatile ingredient this month, it would be a shame if I missed out. True enough, the ordinariness and versatility saved me. This recipe is my take on the regular Filipino tortang talong or aubergine fritatta. The Filipinised torta can either be a fritatta or an omelette.

The original tortang talong has some ground meat in the filling but I came up with this version years ago when I had to use up the contents of the vegetable compartment but wanted something light at the same time. There were some aubergines and eggs but I wanted something more than the plain vertically sliced pieces dipped in eggs then fried. Since then, it has become a favourite.
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Working (cramming!) on a paper, pressured to accept a project, finishing my best friend’s sister’s wedding missalette (already for Saturday!) and it’s drizzling. To sleep is a temptation but no, so what’s the best alternative?

Give in to the munchies: mental effort makes me hungrier than the most strenuous physical exertion.

Hopia ube, balitog or cornik, pionono, santol juice. Of course, there’s always the paksing bangus (paksiw or vinegar stewed milk fish - Chanos chanos) with some sauteed bagoong alamang (shrimp fry paste) and steaming rice. But that can wait till breakfast.

This is obscene, almost like food porn. I originally posted this in the other blog but will post it here too. Shows some method in this madness. What method? I’ll have to figure that out.

To continue the ice cream post below, I’ll post a new one after IMBB. I liked learning about the sorbetes of our respective pasts, and the ice creams of the present. I believe there is an overlapping area of all-time favourites, just like the buco (strips of very young coconut) with lime zest sherbet of our town.

Lynn, I’ll be working on the cookbook meme soonest! Thanks for passing it on to me.

… and what better way to say goodbye to sweltering days than by indulging in a large mug of ice cream! What I had was the ordinary on-the-street sorbetes peddled by the sorbetero pushing his cart, with the seeming ceremony of announcing his arrival with a bell.

Melon and mango, those are the flavours in the mug. In Santa Rita, the sorbetes is not just some artificially-flavoured concoction but home-made ice cream. One can even taste and feel the morsels of the fruits used.

The Pilgrim is off doing interviews, this entry shall be continued soon.

P.S. Kongwi, if you’re reading this, perhaps you can help me with the entry by telling us who was your favourite sorbetero, maybe the one stationed at the side of the church in front of your house, and the flavours you chose from his cart. Hehehe!