Vigan Longganisa Pizza and Pasta ai Frutti de Mare

Last night was spent drinking blue cocktails to celebrate the birthday of a friend who passed away last year. There was no singing of "Seasons of Love" nor any form of group prayer. Those who came gathered to simply enjoy each other's company, rejoicing the fact that we're still here, alive and wondering which road to hell the country is going to take in the next few weeks.

As we enjoyed our pizza and pasta, talk turned to the elections and the possibility of a failure of elections. The first time  the phrase "failure of elections" was said out loud, someone discreetly knocked on wood three times to ward off the bad vibe that came with the phrase. Like the possibility of death, everyone seemed to be thinking about it, talked about it in whispers and hoped to high heavens that it wouldn't happen soon. Nobody had the courage to go on a full discourse on the matter. As if silence would make the possibility go away.

I think this very Pinoy habit of turning a blind eye is one reason why we have earned a reputation as pushovers. We like to keep quiet until our patience runs thin and we are on the verge of a major meltdown. I do hope that tomorrow, those can vote will exercise their right to be heard.

I do hope talk of the elections and our country's future hasn't ruined your appetite yet because I'm sharing my recipes for the pizza and pasta dish we had last night.

Vigan Longganisa Pizza

                                                                  
Ingredients:
2 small Frozen Pizza crusts
250 gms or 4 packs of Kesong Puti (Cheese from Carabao's Milk), sliced
6 pieces Vigan Longganisa
4-6 pieces of medium-sized native tomatoes, sliced1 onion, sliced into rings, soaked in orange juice for 15 minutes

Procedure:

Thaw the frozen pizza crust.
Slice the tomatoes and place on top of the crust, covering as much crust as possible.
Crumble the Kesong Puti and place on top of the tomatoes.
Remove the onion rings from the orange juice, pat dry and place on top of the Kesong Puti.
Remove the ground Vigan longganisa meat from its casing and crumble on the pizza surface.

Pre-heat your oven toaster for 10 minutes at 250degrees. Bake the Pizza for 15 minutes,  the crust should be toasted and the longganisa should turn a darker shade.
Slice and serve.

Pasta ai Frutti de Mare (Pasta with the fruits of the sea)

Ingredients:
- 500 grams spaghetti (or linguini)
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (approx 480 grams)
-  200 grams sun dried tomatoes
- 2 heads of garlic, finely chopped
- 4 onions, finely chopped
- 1 bottle tuyo fillet in olive oil, drained and shredded
- 1 kilo tahong (mussels), shucked
- 200 grams scallops, shucked

- 1 kilo halaan (clams), shucked (set aside a few unshucked shells)
- 200 grams squid, cleaned and cut into rings
- 200 grams shrimps, shelled
- 1 cup olive oil- 50 grams butter
- 100 grams olives, sliced
- a sprig or two of fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook the pasta as directed. Drain and set aside.

In high heat, sautee the seafoods, one at a time, in succession, using butter, 1/ 4 cup olive oil, garlic and onion.

My order of things are as follows: Shrimps, squid, scallops, tahong, halaan.  As the sauteeing progresses, the sauce in the pan gets more watery. Do not add salt. Let the fruits of the sea cook in their own juices and cook them only until they change color. Be careful not to overcook.

Add the remaining olive oil and canned tomatoes. Bring to a slow boil then lower the fire and add the sun dried tomatoes. When the sauce has thickened, about 10-15 minutes later, sadd the olives and the shredded bottled tuyo (do not include the oil and other spices from the bottle). You want to use the tuyo as the main source of salt. Shredding it adds a different texture to the sauce. I would not recommend anchovies as a replacement though, as it gives a more malansa (fishy) taste to the dish.  Add pepper and more salt, if so desired.  Add the basil and the seafoods last. 

Take the pan off the fire and ladle half of the sauce into a bowl. Bring back the pan to the fire and add in your pasta. Mix gently. Add in more sauce, as needed. Put the pasta mixture in a serving dish and top off with the remaining sauce. Generously sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.