Sunday 21 July 2013

Summery Treats

Halo-Halo    
     It's not your phone ringing but it's a especial Philippine delicacy eaten by legions of Pin@ys migrants in their host countries or what we call now country of destination or new homes. Halo-halo is summer treat made of sweet "Panghalo" or ingredients like cooked and sweetened red or white kidney beans, caramelized plantains, garbanzos, "Kaong" sugar palm fruit, "macapuno" coconut sport, sweet potatoes, gelatine, sweet corn, jackfruit, and "Buko" young coconut meat. Shaved ice are added and evaporated or fresh milk is pour into the mixture.  Toppings of leche flan, ice cream and ube jam add to the especialty of this Philippine all time merienda favorites. As alternative to using shaved ice with milk, many Pin@ys are freezing packed milk or milk in cartons and let them thaw a bit for easy mixing or halo-halo. Try it and enjoy your summer!   
                                        

                      Halo-halo                                                                          Guinumis

Guinumis topped with pinipig (pounded young rice)


For Guinumis recipe, I goggled this one made by Ms. Nina Daza Puyat.


Pandan guinumis by Nina Daza Puyat
  • 2 halves panotsa
  • 2 cups Water
  • 2-3 pcs pandan leaves , cut into pieces
  • 1 cup fresh coconut milk
  • 1 cup Cooked small sago
  • 1 cup prepared gulaman , diced
  • pinipig
  • shaved ice
steps
  1. Prepare pandan syrup by melting panotsa in water over low heat. Add pandan leaves to infuse the syrup with pandan flavor.  Strain and let cool.
  2. Mix 1 cup cooked sago with 1 cup cooled pandan syrup. Set aside the other cup of plain pandan syrup.
  3. To assemble: In a tall glass or wide dessert glass, place about 2 Tablespoons of sago and syrup at the bottom layer of the glass. Top with gulaman.
  4. Scoop some shaved ice on top. Pour coconut milk, followed by a drizzle of plain pandan syrup. sprinkle some pinipig and serve immediately.
 Other Summery Treats alla Pinay
Vanilla Ice Cream Topped with Mango and Strawberry

Sago and Gulaman

Ingredients for Making Sago and Gulaman (forget the artificial banana flavouring)




Monday 8 July 2013

Cologne Pride. Christopher Street Day Parade in Cologne. Demonstrating for the Rights of LGBT

Love is in the Air

Orange Queens

Black and Pink Duo

Can I have a photo, please, pretty please.

Aren't we too overdressed for this hot day?

Baraka - meeting point for LGBT

"Fighting the Bad Guys" (Amnesty International)

Amnesty International calling attention for the rights of LGBTs

Aids Help

Blue or Pink or White. We are.

Russia-do you hear us?

Alohah!

Tourists wanting to grab souvenir posing with attractive parade participants

Mixture of all Pink and Pro-LGBT

On the way to the parade

Pretty Women
Christopher Street Day (CSD) - a yearly celebration and demonstration for the rights of LGBT
(Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders) has this motto for 2013 "Wir sind. So oder so." (Rough translation: We are. Like This or That.) Cologne Pride  (video of the parade) ends its yearly weekend activities focussing on the situation of LGBT and demand for equal treatment for married LGBTs with a colorful parade presenting LGBT different organizations and their concerns.

It traces its origin on the Stonewall Riots, the first big uprising of LGBT people against police assaults that took place at the Stonewall Inn, a bar in New York's Christopher Street in the district of Greenich Village on June 28, 1969. (Source: Wikipedia)