Filipino-style Chicken BBQ

What I would give to be able to eat squid, shrimp, crabs, lobsters and crabs without having any allergic reaction! I don't know why but when I was a kid the most severe reaction I had was itchiness in my throat and the insides of my ears (both of which I tolerated), until one day I blacked out from an anaphylactic shock caused by eating shrimp, and there was this other time when I took a small bite of squid and my mouth swelled like Jynx's from Pokémon.

In case you've forgotten (I used to remember all the Pokémon from the first season haha)

Ever since then I've tried to stay away from them and was just thankful that I wasn't allergic to chocolate and bivalves. But ever since moving to Maryland (known for crabs!), I've had difficulty avoiding them especially during the summertime when they're plentiful and everyone craves for seafood. The jealousy is gone though, and I've learned to have fun around other people even when they're elbow-deep in discarded crab shells and old bay seasoning (although I can't help but smack my lips whenever Ma used to order spider rolls from Yoyogi sushi, her absolute favorite). One can't be bitter forever, and besides it never fails to bring a smile to my face when I see people around me having a great time whilst eating.

So tempting!

About three weeks ago our Catholic community, Singles For Christ, had a crabfeast and at first I was bummed because I thought there was only going to be crabs there, but then we were told to bring meats for grilling. Perfect timing too, because I had been craving for Filipino-style chicken barbecue - the kind that's uniquely sweet (us Filipinos and our sweet tooth, hehe!), juicy, and marinated in a soda mixture. It took me a week, but I was able to single out a recipe based on the heaps of praises that the author received and the pictures she posted. And boy, did the recipe deliver! It was a little watered-down - or should I say, "soda-ed" down - because I reduced the marinade by a smidgen and made it too thick so I had to add more Sprite, but if I had turned the burner off at the right time it would have been perfect. Seriously. An additional note: drumsticks take FOREVER to grill, use thighs instead. I went home smelling of smoke and exhausted from grilling, but I was giddy about the recipe that I told everyone about it. Easy, simple and delish. Here it is! :)

Filipino Chicken BBQ by Ivoryhut <--click here! :)

Crabs got nothing on this grilled chicken! So good :)

As a bonus, here's a shot of the grilled pork belly that a grilling-expert-friend marinated. Glad I sampled 3 pieces because when I went back (in the middle of grilling chicken) it was nowhere to be found. Hehe a friend even complained that she didn't get to eat a lot of it, but when I grilled asked her how much she had, it was a LOT more than what I had. Hahaha. If you want, I can ask for his recipe, just tell me in the comments section :)

Sorry for the long hiatus, I had a lot of things going on recently like my recent move, a lot of events, and relatives here on vacation, but I hope I will start blogging regularly again. Til next time! :)

<3,