This post is dedicated to my father who is celebrating his
47th birthday today. Happy birthday Pa!

My father is the “founder” cook in our little family. The
truth is he was the one who taught my mother how to cook when they were newly
married. Funny huh? My mother grew up in a household with maids and servant
boys so she never learned how to do household chores until she was in college.
And right after she finished college, she got married. Domestic goddess she
definitely was not (at the start, but NOW is a different story). Anyway, Papa
taught her Ilocano dishes that his mother (my paternal grandma) taught
him. Most were vegetable viands like pinakbet and law-oy. Stuff that I
never ate, ever! Google its ingredients and you’ll know why I won’t eat it,
hehe! Like me, papa never measures his ingredients. We just throw it all in the
pot or pan, let it cook, and it would come out savory and tasty. That’s talent,
my father would always say, and that I was the one who got it in our family. Hurray
for me! =)
.
One of Papa’s favorite fish dish is panga cooked
adobo-style. That’s stewed fish head in the simplest English terms I could
find, hehe! This is very healthy as there’s no oil coz no sautéing is needed.
Perfect for Papa who is a borderline hypertensive. Tsk! Anyway, here are the
ingredients:

Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce and vinegar to taste
FRESH tuna heads, cleaned (see pics below; my, what BIG eyes they have!)

   
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1. Mix all ingredients in a large pot and add to water to
cover–

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2. Boil for 5min then simmer until cooked–

.
3. Served piping hot with rice and
enjoy! =)