It’s summer time time again and our kids are having their vacation. And most of us are thinking of a nice get away or out of town experience. Since just staying at home all summer will be boring to most of us and one popular destinations that are affordable is heading to the beach or swimming resorts to cool down and enjoy. In the Philippines, holy week also falls in summer months most of the time and since not everyone is observing the Lenten season, (and its because it is a holiday) and it is usually the only time most families can enjoy going to the beach on the summer months because of the long holiday.
So if you made up your mind what beach or resorts you are going to, the next thing to remember is what kinds of foods or viands that are most commonly prepared and brought? Usually the things that we bring are grilled foods or foods that are not easily spoiled. So below are only suggestions and you can pick whatever you think is suitable for you and your family.
1. Inihaw na bangus – bangus is one of the popular grilled fish cooked in any occasions and it is ideally suited in bringing to swimming resorts. It is easy to prepare and cook this fish and will easily spoil. You can prepare this at home already stuffed and veggies and spices then grill it on where you will spend your swimming vacation.
2. Barbecued Pork Liempo with Beer – this kind of pork barbecue is easier to prepare than the regular pork barbecue on bamboo skewers. All you have to do is marinate it overnight and bring it to the beach the next day. If you are not a health buff and a little lazy preparing grilled fish, then this is perfect for you.
3. Chicken Adobo – can you miss this food in any occasion? I think this dish will never be forgotten in any picnic or outing because it is the easiest and tasty (if not tastiest) food to prepare and it takes a longer time for it to spoil. Just forget to bring a lot of cooked rice.
4. Pork Adobo – not everyone likes chicken but the fact is, most Pinoys loves chicken. If you love to eat pork and adobo is one of your favorite Filipino dish, then this pork adobo is well suited to you. It is easy to cook and prepare and has a long shelf life even if not refrigerated like the chicken adobo.
5. Meaty Spaghetti – the most favorite pasta of Pinoys and will usually be present in any occasion. But since it contains tomato sauce, it will spoil easily specially if you will not use serving spoon. You also need to cool it down before packing and bringing it to the picnic place. If you have a box cooler, the better so you can store it for the next eating time within the day.
6. Pancit Malabon – next to spaghetti is the pancit malabon. This pasta is a little tedious to prepare depending on the amount of ingredients you are going to use (e.g. squid, shrimps, mussels, etc) but you can always buy an already cooked pancit malabon usually sold and placed in a bilao (a round tray made from bamboo).
7. Pork Menudo – this is also an all time favorite meat dish and served usually in fiestas or holidays or even birthdays. But what is stopping you to cook this for a picnic in your swimming vacation? Amazingly this won’t spoil immediately even though it has tomatoes or tomato sauce so it can be enjoyed in your get away.
8. Grilled Squid (inihaw na pusit) – if you are thinking of grilled seafood, then this grilled squid stuffed with tomatoes and onions is a good choice. At least it is safer to eat than grilled prawns and cheaper too. Some people are allergic to shrimps or prawns so squid is a better alternative.
9. Pinaputok na Tilapia – this stuffed fried tilapia stuffed with tomatoes and onions is absolutely a perfect viand you can bring in your picnic. You don’t need to cook on the swimming resort which will sometime spoil your enjoyment specially if you are the only one who does the cooking. You can cook it at home and just bring and eat it. The banana leaves enhances the flavor of the tilapia and you will really enjoy the taste, its like eating in a fiesta while having fun on your vacation.
10. Ginisang Pinakbet – for those who also wants to eat vegetables on a picnic, then I think pinakbet is a good choice. Because it has shrimp paste and the way it is cooked it seems that it won’t spoil easily. I also have other dish in mind that is suitable like the Bicol express but since it has coconut milk, it might spoil easily in warm temperatures.
