if i were a rich man...

...or woman. yes, it's from fiddler on the roof, which was put on by our school as the annual production. i was in the chorus. i had one line. i LOVED it. that was also the end of any promise of a showbiz career. 

anywaaaaay, if i were rich, on the top of my list to spend on would be unlimited fast shipping to our house in costa rica. boy, i could come up with a hundreds of things to ship from manila. and high up on this list (contents of my walk-in closet are top 1...OF COURSE) are...

these! oh my precious little loves...

during my hubby's 30th birthday party, a friend who had lived in the philippines for 4 years had spent a good 30 minutes describing (with me drooling. true story. i actually to wipe off some from the corner of my mouth. gross, i know. but that's me.) every single fantasmic culinary delight - you name it, he got it. adobo, bistek, pork barbeque, jollibee chicken joy (oh boy), sisig, tapa, etc... you get the point. we also got into a discussion about how soy sauce from the philippines is THE best for cooking - it's rich, flavorful, and just plain AWESOME. he has his own stock of soy sauce and other condiments so he can cook up his favorite dishes. and so... i want mine too. give. me. my. toyo. dammit. 

and in the spirit of dreaming and drooling over food tango with these condiments, i give you the best dishes i've ever had with these lovelies: 

banana ketchup 

hands down the best for anything fried - chicken, porkchop, heck even fish. BUT nothing will ever beat spaketchup - the BEST, most comforting food. ever. spaghetti oozing with banana ketchup goodness in the sauce. yum-meeee. if you're in for instant gratification, go to jollibee. otherwise, try this recipe.

mang tomas

who doesn't love lechon (roast pig)? well, a good friend of mine doesn't and we ate an entire one in front of her out of protest. anyway, mang tomas got it right and now i use it for anything grilled - especially pork liempo. oh. my. good God. i thank Thee for the gift of this condiment. but the best is still lechon paksiw, which is the reason thou shall always make sure there is leftover lechon from any party. when supply is running low, direct guests to the...chicken. 

knorr seasoning

your food ain't tasting good? load your rice with this. instant foodgasm. 

soy sauce

the mother of all condiments and the base of lots of filipino dishes, the best of which are: adobo, bistek tagalog (which my husband LOVES), and...shoot me for not knowing this...caldereta. of course, if mang tomas and grilled meat are not your type, you can always just mix soy sauce with vinegar, chopped red onions, and some chilies. dip, pour, drink it. whatever floats you boat. point is, enjoy. 

xoxo,

Janice

P.S. i write this in envy of my sister who lives in new jersey and has ready access to these through the nearby filipino store. lucky woman.