Pinacbet (short for Pinacebbet) means "Pinakulubot" in Iloco. This quintessential Ilocano-pride vegetable stew are prepared from choice young eggplant (talong na bilog), okra, ampalaya (almond sized), sweet potatoes, onions bulbs. Seasonal vegetables are also added to the stew like patani, kardis, malungay pods, bataw, or pallang. The sauce is made of juiced sun-riped cherry tomatoes, fish bagoong and little amout of water (sometimes none). Vegetables are ceremoniously arranged inside the pot (clay pot) according to cooking time and so that the individual flavors gets preserved. The stew is then cooked on a very slow fire without stirring. Fried pork cutlets, chicharon baboy or the commonly known Bagnet is topped on the dish when the stew is about to be cooked to preserved the crispiness. Usually, charbroiled mudfish (dalag), dried squid is preferred over meat to enhance the flavours. Pinacbet is not sauteed, and there's no kalabasa or sitaw added on it. Ginger is only added when fish is used instead of meat. The stew is cooked slowly by the steam coming out from the juices of tomatoes and vegetables, hence the texture of the when cooked. The trick actually is during preparation. For example, the eggplants and ampalaya are not cut into halves or quarters but a with a small cut on one end just enough to allow its juices to come out during cooking process. Next would be the sauce. The secret is not exactly the fish bagoong but with the tomatoes which give you that sour taste that compliments perfectly with bitter (ampalaya), sweet (potatoes), and salty (bagoong) tastes of the mix. The tomatoes are juiced with rock salt, (remove the seeds if you want the sauce not to be so watery) and placed at the bottom part of the pot. Canned sun-dried tomatoes or whole tomatoes sauce can be used as an alternative during off-season. Sampaloc flowers can also be substituted for this.

It’s rather exceptional that I eat meat substitute. For this dish, for instance, I could make nutsballs or tofuballs… but I’m often too lazy for that. For the original recipe (from “BBC Good Food magazine”), Swedish meatballs are used. – I don’t know what they are. Recipe for 4: 350g (12oz) dried spaghetti 1 tbsp oil 350g pack Swedish meatballs (from the chiller cabinet in the supermarket) *I use vegballs (“meatballs” for vegetarian) 1 tbsp honey 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard 300ml (1/2pint) (chicken or) vegetable stock (a cube is fine) 3 tbsp creme fraiche 4 spring onions, sliced 2 fat cloves of garlic (optional=not in the original recipe. I’m a garlicoholic) 1) Cook the spaghetti following the pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide pan, add the meatballs and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until browned all over. 2) Stir in the honey, mustard and stock. Add garlic, squeezed or very finely chopped, if you like. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 3) Stir in the creme fraiche and spring onions and bring to a gentle simmer, just to heat through. 4) Drain the spaghetti, top with meatballs and sauce and serve.