Giddy!

While checking my e-mails this morning, I was surprised to receive a reply from Mr. Sammy, the owner of Saramsam Resto in Laoag City.

Of course, I was thrilled! No, I didn't win a year-round free meal gift certificate in their restaurant. I got giddy because he shared a recipe with me!

I think Mr. Sammy was pleased about the nice things I said about Poque-poque (see Northern Exposure). And I'm glad. Because I couldn't wait to try the recipe!

So today, I will buy eggplants and make some. I'll take a picture of my version and post it here, I promise. In the meantime, I will share the e-mail (and the recipe, of course) with all of you. So we can all have a taste of Ilocandia this weekend.

Hello Alma,

Thank you very much for the blog. I am very sorry for not responding sooner. It is fiesta time in Laoag. So many activities I am involved in.

Below is the basic recipe for poque-poque or p**i-p**i. The latter being the original word but I changed it to the former to make it audibly palatable hehehe. It is a very simple dish just like most Ilocano dishes. It is a cross between torta and salad.

Ingredients:

2 pcs medium- size eggplant, grilled.
1 egg scrambled with pinch of salt
4 small tomatoes coarsely chopped
2 green onions (lasona) chopped - separate bulb from leaves.
oil for sauteeing
salt
pepper

Remove charred skin from eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, sprinkle salt, set aside.
Heat oil, sautee chopped onion (bulb part), eggplant then egg - 15 second succession. Add a pinch of salt (to taste) and pepper and it is done!!. See how simple. Don't overcook. Remember it is almost a salad. So the onion and the tomatoes should still be crisp. Plate the dish and sprinkle the finely chopped lasona leaves. Bon Appetit!!!

Variation: Chopped bell pepper can be added. Cilantro instead of lasona. Some people put garlic. I don't like it. It makes the taste muddled. The egg can also be put in directly instead of scrambling it.

Enjoy cooking!!! and eating of course. Mangantayon Apo!!!

Cheers!!

Sammy

Agyaman-ak, Mr. Sammy! God bless you! And next time I pass through Laoag, I will visit your nice restaurant again.

P.S. Here is my version of Poque-poque, which I had for lunch today (Sunday, February 7), together with tinapa (smoked fish) and hot rice. I followed Mr. Sammy's recipe to the letter. I may have put too much tomatoes, though, but it was okay. Also, I used the skinny native eggplants, not the ones you buy from the grocery. The native ones have a stronger flavor than the grocery eggplants.

And while buying the veggies from the Tandang Sora market, I met an old lady who owns a nearby stall. She's Ilocana, so I'm making her one of my official "consultants" on Ilocano cuisine. For starters, I asked her how saluyot is prepared. I'm gonna try that next time!