A Filipino Dinner: Chicken Binakol

I've been trying to find something to cook for dinner and I'm rearing to have something very Filipino. I don't like the common ones and miss something in particular. When I was in Negros Oriental in the hacienda of my Uncle, a dish which I haven't been able to taste before was served to us. They called it Chicken Binakol. They cooked it around noon and it only took a few minutes to prepare. Here's the recipe.

1 Whole Chicken cut into 3 pieces per section

2 pcs. Young coconut, separate water and save largely chopped coconut meat for later

1/2 liter Chicken Broth or 1 Chicken Bullion cube dissolved in boiling water

3 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 green papaya (small), cut into wedges

1 bunch Chili leaves

2 stalks lemon grass, cut into two and bruised

1 medium onion and 2 cloves garlic chopped

1 thumbsized ginger root chopped

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

They sauteed the usual onions, garlic, ginger in a clay pot. They put in the chicken to cook it a little then poured in the Young Coconut Water and Chicken Broth and let it simmer until it boiled over. Then they put in the lemon grass, boiled it further, then the green Papaya. When it was already tender, they put in the cleaned Chili leaves and simmer or another two minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you serve this with hot white rice and Fish Sauce with bruised Thai Bird Chili on the side. It's so good you'll feel like you're back in Negros again. Oh it was so good, I loved the broth so much I had a cup of it solely for my own consumption! Now I wonder, what if I cook this with state of the art appliances from Samsung? Hmmm...

The Chicken Binakol was placed on the top left of this photo, right below the sweet mangoes. I loved it.

It was placed right beside the crispy skinned lechon. It was time with family, and time with them was really priceless! (circa 2011 in San Carlos City, Negros Oriental)

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Barbie Forteza and Francis Magundayao Stars in "#Ewankosau Saranghaeyo": Now Showing!

Do you still remember the first time you fell in love? Who was it? Do you know how he/she ended up now? Don't you miss the feeling? Well, this film by Director Roman Perez Jr. might actually make you feel that same way again in this film about young love, a light romantic comedy film called #EwanKoSau Saranghaeyo. Their goal is to give you a little hope about love again. To see how fresh, how hopeful and how happy you can be when you are in that state. It stars a ton of today's young artists from different TV stations, and that alone may have already been an achievement because suffice to say, it would have been near impossible for this to happen.

You'll hear lines, actually a ton of them. You'll sit on the theater and realize that each one might actually apply to your own life... or it might have already been decades for you to realize that falling in love was much like fate. If you had that time of hurt, for sure, you'll also have that time where you cherish the feelings the most. The film also stars Barbie Forteza, who also is part of the successful show Half Sisters on GMA. She's paired with Kapamilya young actor Francis Magundayao, who's parents also partly produced this independent film. Aside from them, they are joined with Jon Lucas and Elisse Joson who's also from different managements. They are known as Kai, Baste, Mandy and River, all of whom came from different upbringings, and ultimately spun together by their feelings, and taste of first love.

During the press conference, they told us how much fun they had in making the film. I was there during their story conference and it involved a few far flung locations, but they were able to accomplish it in a very short time. Their schedules also did fit the filming so they were excited to see how the public would react in this light film. I must say, I was a little off on Twitter because Barbie Forteza wasn't in the press conference that afternoon, but really, I totally understand how busy she is. Jun Lalin who was promoting this was a little upset though, because I can see how he wanted to help them but felt she should have been there. They are also joined by Martin Del Rosario, Alwyn Uytingco, John Matthew Uy, Michelle Vito, Jayvhot Galang, Joshua Rafael Davis and a lot more. They are also introducing Isabel Tuazon in this film.

I saw the full trailer and I must say, the plot isn't corny, actually, I was very impressed. They do have chemistry. Here's the trailer!

It's already out this week and if you haven't watched it yet, I need a date haha. Joke! Let's all watch it!

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Atty. Mel Sta. Maria, Arnel Ignacio and Gelli De Belen for TV5's "Solved na Solved"

It started this Monday, January 19 and will be shown all weekdays at 11:30AM, Solved na Solved will be your partner before lunch as Arnel Ignacio, Atty. Mel Sta. Maria and Gelli De Belen try to solve your problems from A to Z in a legal, practical way. It's a touch of courtroom drama, comedy show, and a little Jerry Springer show thrown in the mix. Gelli has been known to have made waves moderating in previous shows, Arnel also got us laughing for years and Atty. Mel Sta. Maria has given us no nonsense practical advise when it comes to taking people off the hook. It's either they follow his advice, or he shows how they'd get in trouble. It's all new this January and they're taking the the town by storm. No small problems, no small conflicts, no big ones too. They're all going to show you no frozen wastelands but more of how to keep sanity in this megalomania of a place we call Manila. 

Will you agree with them or not? Will you side with the people or follow the advise of their experts? Who knows, you might end up in their show too! Make sure you watch Solved na Solved on TV5!  

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TV5 Features Basketball Wives on "Happy Wife, Happy Life!"

The hosts of Happy Wife, Happy Life!

I think this show's title came from the CEO of TV5 himself. He chuckled a little when he heard it announced on the event that evening. Whoever so not agrees on this statement, will perish of course not have a happy home. Four ladies, who's life has been intertwined by one common denominator, their husbands. Yes, their partners are all professional basketball players. Their successful relationships and families won't survive without the resourcefulness and dedication of these women, who are ultimately just like you at home. They're going to show you the ropes on how to survive, how to make your time useful while you're there. Give you practical home ideas, especially for first time Moms who's probably going through the same phase as they are. When you see the show, they hope you get to connect, because as much as they would like to be different, they are ultimately the same as you.

RR Enriquez and Jeck Maierhoffer

When we talked to Jeck and Rr, they said that they are so blessed that the project was given to them after Amazing Race. They didn't expect it so they were very thankful. They almost didn't accept it because they thought it was going to be a reality show again. We know how that went in Amazing Race where they had a huge fight. They now see that it's different, they see how nice it is. Being with Danica and LJ was also special because they're all Christians. It's clear that it fits Rr because she's single but someday she wants to be like them, married and all. It was the first time when they had to fight during Amazing Race and that wasn't something RR wanted. They realized they couldn't control anything, it was something more of a lesson and she accepts that they're both a work in progress. 

LJ Moreno Alapag

Danica Sotto Pingris

They don't want to have that in a show of course. It's also the way they edited it in the show, and how people would perceive it. Rr also thinned a bit, she said she had to lose weight because she has a skin care clinic on the side. The stress and all during Amazing Race actually made it worse she says because sometimes they didn't eat just to get ahead of the others. Actually, their friends know that they are going to butt heads even if they were still not in the race. They expected it but says still, it was fun. The show for them will be segmented. Danica will cook, LJ will give advise on first time moms, Jeck will give business or entrepreneurial advise while Rr will concentrate on beauty. That's what they should watch out in this morning show slated 10:30AM everyday. It's like a magazine show on TV and in the pilot episodes, you'll see our families and have a grand time seeing our lives even before the actual show.  

Now that they're all together, you'll see how they will all gel together in this show, their lives on and off the court.

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