Tocino

Mom's favorite meal every breakfast. Even though she had cooked this once when I was growing up, our housekeeper has always been the one making this dish from her own family recipe. It's sweeter than the ones I usually get at the local Asian Market where I live. Sometimes, I just use Mama Sita's® Tocino Mix. Different Philippine regions have their own way of cooking this dish. Nevertheless, the main ingredient is the same: Pork.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork (butt, shoulder, ham or belly)*link from Pampangan Blogger.
• 1 tablespoon Cane sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Annatto powder
• 1/4 cup Calamansi juice or Pineapple Juice 
• 1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soya sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet soy sauce 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• a dash of pepper

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix the ingredients together. Add pork slices. Leave to marinate for an hour or if you wish, you can marinade the meat overnight.
2. If you have pans that do not wash well with burnt sugar, it is best to add 1/4 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of butter to simmer at medium heat before cooking. Once the water has resided, lower the heat. 
3. Cook the meat until marinade turns reddish brown or the meat is tender.
4. Serve with rice or pandesal

Cheese sauce that melts like butter

Ingredients

▪  1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
▪  1 cup milk
▪  1 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
▪  1/4 Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a medium pot, bring the heavy whipping cream to simmer at medium heat.

2. Whisk in Cheddar cheese until smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese

3. Whisk until consistency of bubbly gelatin like colloid forms.

4. Pour in milk and lower heat. Wisk until smooth. You can add more cheese to your cheesey goodness preference.

5. Remove from heat and serve.

Great for Macaroni or vegetables.