In the wake of the very successful Lasang Pinoy event, I now have a long list of must try recipes. One of the posts that tickled my tastebuds, is a post from WatsOn about foods cooked with coconut milk. It reminded my of my mom's guinataan. She cooked some while I was in California last month, and it was really delicious. Unfortunately, the next night, on the second go round of it, she forgot about it being on the stove heating, and burned the bottom, ruining our second helpings. WatsOn's post about coconut milk just made me crave it again, so I thought I've make us a batch this past weekend. So pareng WatsOn, this one's for you ;-)

Continue for the recipe...

The first Lasang Pinoy event is here, and it is to commemorate Ninoy Aquino Day. I am ignorant to political details so I wouldn't be able to tell you much about the background of Philippine politics that catapulted Benigno Aquino Jr. to legendary status.

This dish is an acquired taste and some would say it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Read more about why I chose Pinapaitan for this first round of Lasang Pinoy.

In the wake of a Filipino being named head chef at the White House, let me invite you to another event celebrating Filipino cuisine and the Pinoy Cooks who manage to infuse the taste of the islands in everything they do, Lasang Pinoy!

Pinoy cooks and food bloggers will post recipes monthly, depending on a common theme. To kick off this venture, we will be posting recipes commemorating Ninoy Aquino Day which is this month. What were you doing between 1983-1986? Check out Karen's description of the event and I hope you will be able to join us. You don't have to have a food blog, or even a blog for that matter. Just let Karen know and she or one of us can host your entry.




Thanks to Dexie for the buttons for this event

The news article says she is the first female to head the White House Kitchen. What's even greater for us as Filipinos is that she is one! Cristeta Comerford, who graduated from the University of the Philippines was the assistant chef prior to this promotion. Hubby and I saw her in a previous news story and we had been wondering what her nationality is. He'll be glad to know his guess has been confirmed ;-)

Congratulations, Ms. Comerford!

Titos Tacos is not only a dive, but is also an institution. If you grew up in West Los Angeles, you would know what I'm talking about. They have been at this location for over twenty years. The line never ends, no matter what time of day you go. If you talk to the people in line, you would inevitably run into people like me who have moved out of the area but still come back for a dose whenever they are back in town. A couple of ladies I was talking to while waiting for my order now live outside of L.A., but happened to be in the neighborhood, so they were stocking up on burritos and tamales.


The menu is simple and straight forward, the prices have not changed much either.

The food is nothing special by most standards, just chile con carne, made into tacos, burritos, tamales or enchiladas. Served alone or with beans and/or rice, and the always present homemade chips and salsa. Actually everything is homemade, even the guacamole. Titos Tacos is comfort food. Something you remember from your childhood that somehow has infused into your veins.


Though the lines usually stretch all the way to the sidewalk, the wait is never as long as you would expect, thanks to the well oiled operation that Titos Tacos is. They have a large staff of ladies and men who turn out your orders in a jiffy. It really is a marvel to watch.

The food is just as comforting as I remember, when we used to drive down from our high school, which was just down the street on Venice, for lunch or for an after school snack before heading home. One of my high school friends who went home to the Philippines for college would always make a point of getting her Titos Tacos fix whenever she came to visit and she always ordered extra to freeze and take back with her. I do the same, I make this yearly pilgrimage now that I live out of state, just to get a dose of nostalgia.

Before my summer vacation, I was tagged by the Baby Rambutan, Stel, for this meme. So here it is finally, a bit late.


1. Total number of cookbooks I own: 40-50 Not including magazines

2. Last cookbook I bought: The latest cookbook I own, I did not buy but a birthday gift from Jade, who truly knows what pleases me the most.



3. Last food/cookbook read: Still reading...Monet's Cookery Notebooks by Claire Joyes. Blending Monet's biography, artwork, and cooking; what could be a better combination?

4. 5 cookbooks that mean a lot to me:
Fanny Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham - the first cookbook I ever purchased for me, and has been my bible ever since.
Let's Cook with Nora by Nora Daza - a gift from a very good friend who is great at Filipino cooking.
Lutuing Pilipino (katutubo at Makabago) ni Aling Charing - Another gift from another friend who also knew I needed a lot of help in Filipino cooking :-)
Old North State Cooking - a gift from my Mother-in-Law, to help me cook the North Carolina way.
Great Dishes of the World by Robert Carrier - probably the oldest book I own, found at a rummage sale.

5. 5 other people whom you'd like to see fill in this tag...
I think this tag has found the end of the line. I think most of the food bloggers on my links have been tagged already. If there are any readers out there who haven't been tagged, please feel free to continue on.