chong

Joe-

You left out "Karé-karé". Beef stew in peanut sauce with chunks of banana flower (the whole heart - not just the blossom)*, yard long beans, eggplant, and depending on the region - radish. (Needs the condiment - salted shrimp fries (bagoong) sautéd with crispy pork rinds and garlic)

And - "Paksiw na Pata". Pork (leg or feet) stewed in vinegar, garlic, onions, whole pepper corns, and dried banana blossoms** (not the whole heart). Fish, like mackerel, hasa-hasa, milkfish, etc., may be substituted for pork. In which case, it becomes "Paksiw na Isda".

*Until 10 years ago, we were substituting Artichoke hearts for banana flower. The taste for this application is pretty close.

**Also, for dried banana blossoms, we have been substituting dried lotus blossoms. Here the taste is very similar, though the lotus' texture is a little tougher than the banana's. The banana's is definitely a lot more tender. But it's still pretty scarce around here.