Yes, it’s still true!

The old adage “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” { De liefde van de man gaat door de maag} is a definite win-win way on how to win someone’s heart and appetite !

Well, I’m not generalizing but I can only speak for myself.My husband loved Adobo the first time he tasted it and from then on, He was a convert. He said he never misses the Dutch threats like  Frikandels, Bitterballen, or even Gehaktballen but He sure misses Adobo if we don’t have it for a straight 2 weeks!

So why does one native Dutch guy go crazy over Adobo?

And what is Adobo by the way?

The answer is simple. Because Adobo is delicious and its tangy flavor is unique. Period.

But someone needs to taste it so they can have the experience. Every adobo dish has its own distinct flavor depending on how they have been prepared & cooking styles. It’s no secret anymore that Filipinos are scattered all over the world. In every continent there are Filipino Expats and for sure, Adobo, their cultural marker is tagged along with them. If there’s any dish that can never be taken away from Filipinos,its Adobo and of course, this dish can be better enjoyed with warm steamed rice. Adobo is considered as national dish of the Philippines so you can expect that in every household, Adobo is the star of the table for family lunches & dinners.It is made of very simple ingredients and pantry essentials .

Its typical to make chicken, pork and sometimes the combination of both. But there are many variations that veggies and seafood are cooked as well in Adobo-style.Its ingredients are pantry basics like soy sauce, white vinegar, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves. the standard way to prepare it is by marinating the meat first overnight then cook it the following day. My childhood favorite is the Chicken Pork adobo that my Mother  cooked deliciously. She sometimes garnished it with pineapples, potatoes and string beans. Our house is filled with its aroma the moment it starts to simmer and we wait for anticipation until the meat becomes tender. It’s always a hearty meal when we have this dish.

My husband is actually a veeerryyy picky eater & I was really surprised that He loved it, and He grew fond of it. He said that the best way to enjoy it is by using his fingers because even the sauce, he devours.On the first year of our marriage I  tried many things for him. Some he liked, some he just don’t get why I am eating those.The same reason why I asked myself why Dutch loved Potatoes on a serious level !

When my parents-in law came by to visit after I gave birth to my daughter, I prepared chicken Adobo in one of our family dinner. I really love making this dish because it’s so easy and I can never go wrong with it as long as I have my favorite brand of soy sauce & vinegar and my spices. The moment it simmers, my mother-in-law immediately inhaled and says “Lekker “ ( or delicious) and the rest was history.

If you are curious and wanna try how to make this dish, Here I wanna share with you how to make it. It’s quite simple.The ingredients can be bought on any Asian store or aisle in any supermarket.

This Recipe is from my Mother. I learned it from her so I give her the whole credit to my cooking skills :

1 pound pork loin, butt or shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks (same if you would have chicken, choose your best parts like the breast, thighs & wings )

1 head garlic, cloves peeled, crushed

1/2 cup white vinegar ( my  brand is Silver Swan )

1/4 cup soy sauce (my brand is Silver Swan)

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil

2-3 pcs Bay leaves

1. Place pork/ chicken, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce , bay leaves and pepper in a medium-size pot; let stand at room temperature 2 hours or better marinate overnight.Then  Cook slowly over low- heat in the same pot until pork is tender, about 30-45 minutes.

2. Heat oil in large skillet. Transfer pieces of garlic from the pot to the skillet; fry until brown. Add pork pieces to skillet; fry until brown. Drain. Add soy-vinegar broth to fried pork and garlic in skillet; simmer 10 minutes.Add salt if desired to suit your taste. You can garnish it with potatoes or pineapples  as desired.

3. Serve along with hot steamed white rice.

When you are in an interracial marriage, you took time to discover the things that could make your lives even closer ,just like for example cooking something for them. I am happy every time my husband devours Adobo as He is ecstatically glad when I devour Spekulaas, Gevuldekoek and Poffertjes.These Dutch threats that I fell in love from the first time I sunk my teeth on them. It really makes sense when you go an extra mile to put a smile into someone.

Do you have foreign dishes that you eventually got addicted to?Have you ever tried cooking your native dishes to your friends & love-ones?