Vigan Longganisa
There is nothing in the world like a longganisa burp. Heehee. I kid you not. Not even the most expensive mouthwash can prevent those frequent, pungent mouth toots filled with the potent mix of garlic, vinegar and 
spices that almost any pinoy could identify in an instant, even in a darkened room and/or if s/he were blindfolded! And for some reason, the mouth toots continue for most of the day! Worse, if you are on a road trip and are confined to a small car after eating longganisa for breakfast, it will be a long trip indeed, regardless of destination. And forget a mixture of Diet Coke and longganisa, we are talking nuclear emissions of the most offensive kind! Yesterday at the market I spied some pretty interesting longganisa at a vendor beside my suki tinapa dealer. What caught my eye is the fact that she had at least 70+ kilos of longganisa under her bilao…anyone who brings that much sausage to a day market is confident about sales!
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these blossoms are more like the individual fingers that might turn into the actual banana fruit. They are the things hidden by the tough red or maroon sheaths that peel away from the banana heart. They are used in some stews and sometimes are substituted for lily blossoms called for in some Chinese dishes such as hot & sour soup (they have a similar look and feel but are not the same thing). The banana blossoms are more interesting for their texture, chewy, yielding and an unusual mouthfeel…although they have a very faint flavor as well. Visually, they add interest to a stew as well. I got some because I have seen these many times before and I figured if I bough the ingredient, an interesting use would probably present itself…
kaffir lime that I had carefully marcotted from our tree at home and had promised him months ago. He took one look and asked me to pick a few items as a barter for the tree. I ended up with four items… first, up top, a small package of edible flowers that are great for a garnish or to incorporate in a salad. Frankly, I find them a bit bizarre tasting but they are great for making a plate look terrific, whether you eat them or not! Next, I picked some gotu kola, which I have eyed before and have no idea what it is used for. I think this is the plant/herb that I saw on Santos’ website 
realize the cost of pre-peeled crab meat is probably well justified… The first step to a delicious rellenong alimasag is obviously a lot of freshly steamed and cleanly picked crab meat. I plan on about two and a half whole crabs to make one well-stuffed shell. If you are preparing your own crab meat, steam the alimasag for 12 or so minutes until cooked and cool them in the shell for an hour or so before picking the flesh. Set aside the nicest crab shells for eventual stuffing. I like the larger alimasag shells so that the individual servings are substantial rather than the airy thin servings you tend to get in restaurants… Some folks suggest leaving the claws and legs on and only picking the “white” meat from the main body…the reason being this would make a better looking crustacean when cooked and plated…I find that too much of a bother.
decided to steam them and let them cool before extracting the crab meat. Alimasag crab meat is “lighter” and less “rich” when compared to alimango (mud crabs) but it works well in several dishes. Their shells turn a spectacular orange and oddly, some crabs have more distinct and stunning patterns than others. In fact, some crab shells are almost monochromatic and boring. I’m not sure why there is a difference, whether it is driven by gender, maturity, life cycle, etc. but once the main shells were separated from the legs and cleaned out and placed on plate, they were an impressive sight. “Crab Shell Orange” should be a patented color for housepaint…
