From the Philippines to Florida Salt Life

I was fortunate enough to be raised just few miles away from the sea shore that seafood was one the main staple. Just be in the market early in the morning and you will be amazed of the abundance of fish, crabs, shrimps, humongous squids, odd fish and shells, anything that you can imagine. It's been many years since I left and it will always be a place for me that I believe have the best choice of seafood. Images of Philippines seafood I still live next to the sea, but now it is Florida.I do not know if it's just me but the seafood from my old town seems to have more robust flavor with salt and pepper as spices. Truthfully, my Dear Mother seasoned everything just perfect, and that's it...  No offense Florida, I find myself seasoning the local seafood with different spices just to reach that certain seafood flavor. Your snapper is no doubt to be one of the best as well as the king mackerels, cobia, swordfish, dolphin (not the big dolphin) and lots more. But where are the huge squids?

Would you like to try my Vegetable Beef Fried Rice... they are so good.

List of MercifulG's Recipes

How to make Sweet and Spicy Chili Shrimps
How to make sweet and sour sauce
How to make sweet and sour pork
How to cook Vegetable Beef Fried Rice
How to make Stuffed Bell Peppers
How to make Turon - Sweet Dessert
How to make Hot Chili Oil Sauce or Condiment
How to make BBQ Pork on the Sticks - Philippine style
How to make Chicken BBQ on the sticks
How to make Lumpia Shanghai or Spring rolls
How to make Lumpia Shanghai with shrimps

How to cook Sweet and Spicy Chili Shrimps

 Sweet and Spicy ShrimpsIngredients:
4 pcs of jumbo shrimp ( this is for one serving and that's me) 1/2 lb
1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
3 Spring onions, washed and sliced 1 inch
1/4 cup of slice onions
Lemon
My fresh home made hot chili sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Sugar

1.  Turn the burner on, 350 degrees. Fry the garlic, followed by onion, then green onions in 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Always stir as you add the ingredients. Fry for one minute.

2.  Add 2 tspn of hot chili pepper sauce, use 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes and more if you like it hot. Stir.

3.  Add the shrimps, I don't take the heads off, if you prefer with no heads, remove them before serving. It seems the head boosts the flavor of the dish.

4. Squeeze some lemon juice.  Add 1 teaspoon of the Fish sauce Very flavorful if added in soup or stir-fried dishes.

5.  Add freshly ground pepper, dash of salt and a pinch of granulated sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until shrimps are pink color. Serve hot.

6.  The cooked onions may be served over hot cooked rice and serve the shrimp on the side. Peel the shrimps with your bare hands and start eating.

Sweet and Sour Pork

www.mercifulg.blogspot.com/  Serve them hot and crispy. How to cook tasty sweet and sour pork. Slice the pork in bite size, coat before frying, leave in the hot oven to keep them hot and then serve with  homemade sauce and topped with some sweet onions, sliced carrots and green peppers.

                                                                                                                                                                   Directions:

Cut the loin into 1 inch cubes, slice the fat away and the bones.  Save the bones.

Mix the batter ingredients.

Coat the meat with batter.

Heat the pan 350 degrees.

Fry the meat until golden brown.

Drain the oil.

Leave and set in warm oven.

The Veggies:

2 cloves garlic (crushed and sliced)

1 inch of sliced ginger

1/2 cup sliced onions

1/4 cup sliced carrots

1 tsp of sliced lemon peel

1/2 cup mixed of red and green bell peppers

Instructions:

Heat the pan with 2 tbsp oil , 350  degree heat.

Fry the garlic, followed by ginger and some onions until light brown.

Remove the ginger.

Add the carrots, followed by red and green pepper.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

The Sweet and Sour Sauce

The sweet and sour sauce seasonings:

1 tbsp sugar,

2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

2 tbsp flavored vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup,

 1/2 cup brown sugar

cooking oil

1 packet of chicken bouillon seasoning dissolved in 1 cup water

2 tbsp of crushed pineapple

Instructions:

Mix all the sauce seasoning ingredients.

Bring to a boil.

Add the pork bones.

Cook for 5 minutes

Strain the liquid and discard the solid ingredients.

When the sauce thickens add the sliced lemon peels.

Add the stir-fried veggies and cook for 1 minute or less.

How to serve:

Grab the pork from the oven and place in a nice plate.

Pour the sauce on top of the fried pork.

Top with remaining raw onions.

Serve over hot rice or as a side dish.

How to Cook Beef Fried Rice

http://mercifulg.blogspot.com/ How to make fried rice. My video is showing you how I cook cold left-over rice and turned it to a tasty fried rice dish. Serve as side dish or plain meal by itself. Delicious and quick dish. Save your cold left-over rice and turn them to a delicious fried rice. 

Ingredients:

half pound ground beef
diced turkey sausage about 2 inches
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
half-cup of onion
red and green bell peppers - washed, diced
chopped mushroom- 5 buttons
1 cup of cooked brown rice
1/4 tsp of basil (optional)
1 packet of chicken seasonings
dash of salt
fresh ground pepper


Directions:
1. Turn the top burner on to mid heat, set the frying pan.
2. Brown the meat in the heated frying pan.  I didn't put any oil since the meat has some fat on them already.
3. Drain the fat..
4. Add the diced turkey sausage, garlic, onion, diced peppers, chopped mushrooms consecutively.  Stir the mixture as you add each ingredients.
5.  Add 1/4 tsp of dried basil (optional). If you want it spicy, add crushed red pepper flakes.
6.  Add dash of salt and fresh ground pepper.
7. Add the cheese (optional).
8. Add the cooked rice and mix all the ingredients.
9. Sprinkle the chicken broth dry mix seasonings.  Stir and cook for additional 3 minutes.
10.  Serve them hot and enjoy.

This can be prepared as Stuffed Bell Pepper also.

How to cook Stuffed Bell Peppers

http://mercifulg.blogspot.com/   Stuff the bell pepper with sausage, rice, especial seasoning, topped with stewed tomatoes, bake and serve. The dish turned out pretty good. Easy to find ingredients, cost less and  leftover turned out tasty.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef.

2-3 Red or green bell peppers (washed, seeds and stems removed, top portion cut off).

1 cup of cooked brown rice (optional).

1/2 cup Grated cheese ( sharp cheese are better) I used veggie cheese for my recipe.

1/2 cup slices of red and green pepper.

1/2 cup of diced turkey sausage about 2 inches.

1 cup chopped mushroom- 5 buttons.

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped.

1/2 cup of onion (red or yellow).

1 packet of chicken seasonings.

1/2 tsp of basil.

dash of salt.

dash of fresh ground pepper.

1/2  of canned  stewed tomatoes (tomato paste or sauce works too).

Directions:

1. Boil 2 cups of water. Put 1 tbsp of salt.

2. Drop the peppers into salted boiling water. for five minutes.

3. Remove the peppers from the pot and place in a baking dish.

4. Turn the top burner on to mid heat, set the frying pan.

5. Grab the half pound of ground beef. Brown the meat in the heated frying pan. Drain the fat.

6. Add the diced turkey sausage into the pan.
7. Stir and fry for 1 minute, move the meat on the side to make a hole in the middle.

8.  Add the chopped garlic.  Stir.

9. Add the onions, stir.

10.  Add the diced peppers. Stir.

11. Add the chopped mushrooms. Stir.

12, Incoroporate all the ingredients, add the basil.

13. Add ground pepper and salt.

14. Add the grated cheese.  Stir.

15. Add the cooked rice, stir.

16. Turn the burner heat to low and add a packet of chicken seasonings.  Stir for one minute and turn the burner off.

17. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

18. Fill the peppers with the mixture, pack them in.

19. Top with stewed tomato sauce and slices of stewed tomatoes.

20. Cover with foil and put in the oven.

21. Bake for 45 minutes.

22. On the last ten minutes, add grated cheese on top.

23. Serve hot.

Living in small town

Hope the following sites will give you an idea about the town of Callaway. I've been living here for over 10 years and all I can say is "The place is just too small for me."  Time for a change.  I wish President Obama visits our town and maybe he will say that word "Change."

Top ten things I wish I could change in the small town of Callaway.

 
10.  Lower the water bill - Sewer minimum charge is on $30's, solid waste $7.92, additional 25% for residents living outside the city limits. Minimum monthly is on the 50's.
9.  More sidewalks. Very few roads and streets that has sidewalks.
8.  Bicycle path.  Good luck.
7.  Street sweeper.
10/11/2012 The city hall replied on my request and here's their respond:

The City of Callaway still has the Street Sweeping Truck , however the funding for the driver has not been budgeted for the last two years so we are only able to do it when one of the Street Operators become available. With grass mowing and ditch work taking up the summer working hours the sweeping is primarily done in the fall through spring months. We will make every effort to get in your area as soon as possible.

 

Thank you,

 

Bobby Baker

Director of Public Works

T: (850) 871-1033

F: (850) 871-2416

bbaker@cityofcallaway.com

6.  Have good cell tower on our street.
5.  Good restaurants.  Had enough of fast food. Real seafood restaurant. 
4.  Support for small businessmen.  Very slim chance of success.
3.  Real nice boat launch with adequate parking, not too stiff, year-round accessible.
2.  Real mall.  Had enough of Walmart, Beall's, and Winn-Dixie. 
1.  Have Christmas decoration on street poles.
  
Callaway, Florida
Callaway, FL Official Website
Average earnings and other interesting information
Map
In 2007, it was on top places to live? 
Latest news via  local newspaper - Newsherald.    -  

Callaway/Panama City, FL Entertainments

Fishing and fishing and fishing
Catch crabs, snorkel, diving, playing - St. Andrews State Park
Swimming and swimming and swimming - not Callaway but Panama City Beach Aquatic Center
Eat, eat, eat plenty of fast food restaurants
The Churches of Callaway
Tyndall AFB
Sharing some of my plants:

My  hot chili oil