Lasang Pinoy 12: Pinoy Pizza

Fusion is the topic of this month’s Lasang Pinoy event which is hosted by Ces. According to Encarta Dictionary fusion food is food with international influences: a style of cooking that uses ingredients and techniques from around the world, especially one that combines Eastern and Western influences.

Globalization plays an important role in the evolution of Filipino fusion cuisine. High-paying jobs overseas lure many Filipinos away from the Philippines. I can say that there’s nothing wrong with migration because it improves lives of our countrymen. Immigrants to a country bring in their culture traits and some kind of exchange of cultural characteristics will ensue.

Many pinoy fusion cuisines were created out of sheer desire of our “kababayans” to bring with them the taste of food back home. Not all local ingredients can be found in other countries, that’s why Filipinos substitute the ingredients which are available in their host country just to satisfy their longing for pinoy food. And from that Filipino ingenuity, I think pinoy fusion foods were born. In London, they used English leeks and lemons for their sinigang because our souring agents like kamias (bilimbi), sampaloc or santol are not available there.

With regards to Cendrillon (although I haven’t yet been to NY), they offer fusion cuisine not only for Filipino palates but also because they want to capture the taste of other nationalities.

For this LP event, I chose Pinoy Pizza as my entry. Filipinos love to eat pizza, that’s why there are many pizza parlors here in the country and also some restaurants here are offering different kinds of pizza.

According to Wikipedia, in its original form, a pizza is an oven-baked, flat, usually circular bread covered with tomato sauce and cheese with optional toppings. The cheese is usually mozzarella, or sometimes mixture of several cheeses such as parmesan, romano, and ricotta. Various other toppings may be added.

The etymology of the word pizza is disputed. The form pizza first appears in Naples in 16th century. Pizzo, which means point in Italian, may have been an influence.

Our family loves pizza. Well, I would say that not all day can we afford to buy pizza at Yellow Cab, Shakeys, Don Henricos, CPK or Pizza Hut that’s why I always make it a point to find some way to serve it to my family without spending too much. Like Lumen in the Surf detergent soap commercial, I’m also a wais (wise) mom.

This is my version of pinoy pizza. I used sisig, diced onion and cheese as toppings. You can also use pork or chicken adobo as topping.





Here's my recipe:

Ingredients:
6 (individual size) pizza crust (store-bought)
1 can sisig (either Argentina or Purefoods)
2 onions, diced
cheese, grated
1 small pouch Del Monte Pizza Sauce (Italian Style)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread a layer of cheese on the dough before brushing with the sauce (this makes for a crispier crust). After putting the sauce, add the toppings then put more cheese if desired. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese melted.

Note: I was listening to GMA's grandstanding (ngek SONA pala) while cooking this.