I ♥ JOLOGHETTI

The recent pop culture phenomenon that is Jejemon is currently being milked by the media like it's an Australian cow on steroids. What?! You ain't heard of them? Here's a YouTube clip (by Jeffre Yumol)  explaining the what's and hows' of being Jejemon.

 

The subculture of the unwanted, unpopularly-styled youth is not new to us. Each generation has a name for these outsiders-- the Y2K EMOs, the Jolina Magdangal- lovin'  Jologs of the 90s, D' 80s Punks, ang mga Baduy back in the 70s and the Bakya crowd of the 60s and 50s. 

And as much as we love to hate them, it is undeniable that they bookmark certain phases of our lives, defining moments in our youth that makes us cringe, blush and sporadically erupt in giggly fits of embarrassment. 

I find that when it comes to food there, too, are certain recipes that are branded as too hoi polloi. One of these outsiders to the world of haute cuisine is the Pinoy spaghetti with its stark red sweet sauce,

plump noodles,  cheap cheddar and hotdog slices.

I call it the Jologhetti.

The name is a term of endearment, lest you think I am demeaning the dish. It always reminds me of my childhood birthday celebrations. Money was always tight on my birthdays because most of it had been spent on enrolling me. but no mater how hard up we were, the Jologhetti always appeared on the table during my birthday. It was the meal that would be served to celebrate me, and validated my existence. Thus, my affinity for this popular pasta dish.

Forgive the melodrama as I share my Jologhetti recipe with you.

JOLOGHETTI RECIPE

Ingredients:

500 g. spaghetti pasta

1/4 cup cooking oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

4 pcs. onion, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

500 g. ground beef

500 g. hotdog, sliced into 1/2 inch thick diagonal pieces

1 kg. Tomato sauce*
1/3 cup water
225 g. cheddar cheese, grated  (I use the brand Quez-O)
ground black pepper to taste

* if  Pinoy style spaghetti sauce is not available, add 2 tbsp brown sugar

Cook the pasta as per packet instructions and drain.
As you are cooking the pasta, saute the garlic and onions.

Add the beef and brown it with the help of the soy sauce. When the meat has darkened, add the hotdog slices and the tomato sauce (and brown sugar, if needed).

Add the ground black pepper and more soy sauce (instead of salt) to taste. Let the dish simmer.When the sauce is thick enough for your liking, turn off the heat.

Place the pasta noodles on the serving dish and mix in half of the sauce, making sure the sauce coats the noodles. Arange the pasta and pour the remainign sauce on top. Add the grated cheese and serve.