Snowbirds Living in the Philippines : My Favorite Side Dishes, Enhancers and Wine for Dinner

Saturday, September 3, 2022

My Favorite Side Dishes, Enhancers and Wine for Dinner

From Left to Right: Chili/vinegar sauces, Ginisang Bagoong, Greek Peperoncini and Picante Sauce. The only brand I will used for the shrimp paste ( bagoong) is Barrio Fiesta. The Picante sauce I like is Medium spicy-not mild or Hot and the Peperoncini is a substitute for the Papaya Atchara(pickled green juliene papaya) that I do not have. The chili/vinegar sauce, I used for my Pasta and Empanada Dishes.

The two bottles are Muscat Blanc and Gerwurztraminer Grape Juice from Navarro Vineyards. These two wines are excellent pairings for Fish or Seafood Dishes.

If you are following my food blogs, you already know I am not a Meat and Potato person. I have an adventurous palate and will try any edible food commercially available. However, there is one Filipino food item ( sauce) that I dislike- Patis or Fish Sauce. In place of Patis, I used soy sauce, rice vinegar, shrimp paste or oyster sauce. The other side dishes and sauces that I enjoyed are shown in the above photo.

This is my favorite side Dish-It is an excellent substitute for Papaya Atchara

Atchara is a pickle made from grated unripe papaya originating from the Philippines. This dish is often served as a side dish for fried or grilled foods such as pork barbecue.

How about you? What side dishes and sauces do you use? I know a few relatives who do not used side dishes and sauces for their dishes. But to me the side dishes enhanced the flavor and enjoyment of the main dishes. Allow me to end this blog with following quotes:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” “We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.” “You don't need a silver fork to eat good food.” “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relatives.”

Meanwhile, here's my latest purchase from Shef.com- A Side Dish That I really enjoy- mango salad.

Main ingredients: Chili, mangoes, carrots, red onions, red bell peppers, crispy onions, crispy prawns, cucumber, jicama, mirin, olive oil.

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Joys of Retirement

I have been retired from USFDA since 2002. At first, I feel I have lost my identity as an individual or have lost my contribution to society. However, within a few weeks all these feelings were gone. It started when my wife and I started baby sitting one of our grandchildren. As some economics professor states: "Your children are your capital investments, but your grandchildren are your profits. That is why you love your grandchildren more than your children". I really agree with the statement. Retirement also gives you lots of time to do things you like to do, such as your hobbies and of course travel. In my case, I turned my hobby of gardening and landscaping into a small business in the Philippines. This endeavor was planned about five years before 2002. That year my wife and I started construction of our retirement home in Boac, Marinduque , Philippines. The next year we built a beach house, followed by a Conference Hall two years later. Needless to say, planning and executing the landscaping was a challenge and very enjoyable. With the help of local labor, I not only enjoy the time gardening and landscaping, but also help improved the economic situation of the province by providing work and jobs to the local residents. With plenty of time, I have engaged into two specific activities as follows: First, I created a website for my small business. By trial and error, I created and design the website, www.chateaudumer.com I have never been a computer nerd or expert. But with plenty of time and patience, the fruits of my labor could be enjoyed if you visit the website above. The second activity, I have not done before was to utilize on-line activities, such as shopping, paying bills ( save you stamps) and playing computer games in the Internet. I really enjoyed playing duplicate bridge on line. You play with players all over the world and can chat in between games. But be careful, you are not spending too much time in the computer. It is very addictive. With a lots of time, my wife and I devoted more time on our favorite humanitarian project. For the last 15 years, we have been involved with medical mission to the province of Marinduque. For details please visit the website: www.marinduqueinternational.org As a summary, the joy one gets on retirement is very specific for an individual. Some enjoy their free time by learning new activities, getting involved with humanitarian projects or spending more time with their grandchildren. Others hate it, since they missed their former jobs and co-workers. Others with no children still enjoy retirement by traveling, turning their hobbies into business or more community involvement. Of course those that retire and hate it, is believe to die earlier than those that enjoy their retirement years. So, plan your retirement as early as you can. The happier you are on retirement, the longer you will live.