The Fruit Cake Lady

I rarely bake at home. As I am more of a hot kitchen cook than a baker, Christmastime is the only time of the year when the baker in me works overtime and prepares its annual, limited edition fruit cakes.

Don't get me wrong, baking is something that I enjoy doing, but, working on fruit cakes every year goes against my stand on food innovations and trendy cooking. It is, for a fact, such an old traditional baked product that, to me, gets a little too boring for my taste.

I grew up witnessing the preparation of fruit cakes by my mother. Since elementary grade, I have joined her in the procurement of the ingredients necessary to create this product. It is such a joy going to our old reliable supplier in Chinatown and bringing home with us the candied fruits and packaging materials needed for my mom's cakes. Mom (whom I secretly call the Fruit Cake lady), would set aside weekends to create these treats which were reserved for our family and close friends. As traditional as fruit cakes can be, the loaf format is always made and about a hundred cakes will be given away. My role as the able assistant would be to monitor the oven, wrap the finished products, write on the cards and ensure that each and everyone on the list gets their share.

Eventually, I took over the baking. Though Mom and I would still do our annual Chinatown visit for the raw materials, I was left to do the baking since Mom had just become too busy (and lazy!)to work on it. Trusting my baking skills, making the cakes were a challenge given that we had a small, home-type oven which can only fit a maximum of 10 loaves at one time. A days' yield would sometimes only total a maximum of 60 cakes given the small oven.

Up until now, we still have that small oven. Somehow, we continue to keep the same oven, as it is only maximized during Christmastime. Using the same recipe, I have reformatted the fruit cakes, making it in round formats, minis and bars, but, at the end of the day, it still goes back to the basic loaf format as Mom used to make. I have proposed several other products to Mom in place of the fruit cake, you know, maybe some coffee streusel bars or rugelach, or probably a chocolate rum cake -just so we could provide variety and something new to our recipients, but no, Mom wouldn't oblige. She insists that our fruit cakes are most awaited and there can be no other food gift coming from us except that.

I really do not know whether her friends and relatives are just being polite, but what I do know is, this year, it is fruit cake that we will give once again. I am amazed that it has reached Canada, Hongkong and the US. Despite my protests, we have had orders from a few friends and relatives. If I am lucky, maybe next year, it'll be an all new product altogether. Maybe.

Happy Holidays!

Sweet Cebu

I managed to get out of town this week for an official business trip. The destination - Cebu which is one of my favorite food spots. I have lost count on how many times I have gone to Cebu, however, It has never failed to excite me with its innumerable culinary offerings.

The trip to Cebu is just an hour away by plane. As I am always a light packer and traveler (I was only going to stay there overnight), I didn't check in my luggage. With just one duffel bag in tow plus my overused body bag, I was at the airport an hour prior to departure. Check in was a breeze and we boarded at designated time. The plane taxis through the runway, proceeding to its position prior to take off. We wait for a few more minutes, and some more. The captain then announced that there was a technical problem, with I can't really fathom - hydraulics of some sort, and so, we deplaned and went back to the airport, and waited for further announcements. Well, in as much as I wanted to leave at 9:05, we finally left Manila at around 1 PM. I barely made it to our event, but was somehow saved since our gracious host and organizer conveniently moved my presentation towards the end of the program. My lesson: never fly the same day of your event, even if all these airlines claim that they will fly you on time.

Fortunately, the following day proved to be my reward. After a brief meeting with a local culinary expert, I grabbed the chance to go and visit a few of my favorite places. Of course, my Cebu visit will not be complete without a stop at CNT lechon, which sells at Php280 per kilo, definitely a bargain compared to Manila Lechon prices. Do not ask for lechon sauce - you know, the typical thick sweet soy-liver sauce we are familiar with in Manila, because they will definitely frown at you for your ignorance, as Cebu lechon is more salty than its Manila counterparts, thus there is no need for sauce. It is slow-roasted and stuffed with a variety of herbs and spices which gives its meat, particularly around the trunk area a flavorful aroma of anise, tanglad, garlic and salt.

Next stop was Leona's Bakeshop, known for its Guava Chiffon Cake. I go there primarily for Angel cake which is my mom's favorite, and it is only there that I find it commercially available. I remember a family friend who gives it to us during the yuletide season but her version is sweeter than Leona's. To me, that of Leona's is just right with its light and airy texture, it somehow reminds me of cotton candy, really.

I never really liked guava, in fact, I particularly dislike Sinigang na Isda sa Bayabas. However, Leona's guava cake is one for the books. Chiffon cake based, it is frosted lightly with guava laced cream and though, just upon opening the box, you find the off odor of the local pink guava eminent, a bite will send you to heaven as its spongy texture and light sweetness covers your mouth. And as cheap as Php280 for a whole cake, what more can you ask for?

A friend on the other hand went out to get danggit of all forms, shapes and sizes at the palengke. Since the sellers know that a big percentage of those who purchase bring it back to Manila, they conveniently package and seal it. A kilo of dangit (unsalted) is at Php360.

As we head for the airport, with more than just my bag in tow, I do a balancing act of carrying my cakes and danggit through the X-ray machines and the ticket lines. Thankfully, my flight leaves as scheduled this time.

Read and Bite

Being under the weather for the past few days, I succumb to catch up on my reading. The books i refer to were bought early this year. I found myself spending more on books than on clothes and other "kikay" stuff during a recent trip abroad, as I am totally hypnotized with such wide selections and find it absolutely unable to control myself getting as much especially when they are on sale.

Being a food stylist, I adore cookbooks particularly with fabulous photography. I don't care much about the recipes really, as I rarely try them to the letter. Of course, the ideas that these books provide are always considered, but more often than not, I tweak what I have tasted and tried and reformat it as mentioned in some books. The food styling though, provide more appeal to me. Details such as the plates used, the propping, and the garnishes however simple, come out magnificently with the right lighting and treatment. Australian publishers such as Donna Hay and Marie Clare provide such distinct personalities and styles that brings me in awe and almost always hungry. I learned that when they style their plates, it is with bare hands and no complicated gadgets are used to achieve the look that they want.

Another book which I tend to buy are kitchen idea books. I love looking at the photographs and forever imagining how else I could improve my own kitchen (that is, when I finally have the time and finances to support it). My recent purchase was one of Small Kitchens by Evergreen. My own kitchen, it being petite will definitely benefit with how over a hundred kitchen ideas are shown in this book.


The convention I attended also provided a venue for a "meet and greet" with some celebrity chefs which I definitely had no plan to miss. It was the best time to buy at discounted prices. My long-lost boyfriend (yeah, right) Ming Tsai was there, as well as Gale Gand of Sweet treats. Though I have yet to try their recipes in the book, Simply Ming and Blue Ginger provide fusion and asian inspired recipes while Gand's Just a Bite brings timely single-serve creations for dessert lovers.


Other than cookbooks, coffee table books is also part of my collection. I had to wait to get my copy of Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan for a couple of weeks. As a proud Pinay, I had to have this one which highlights the reason why Filipino food should be given worth the attention similar to how our regional counterparts have been given. Another book given by a friend is My Life in France by Julia Child which narrates how one of my culinary idols developed her passion of French cuisine and food in general. Meanwhile, short story collections of Claude Tayag in Food Tour is another easy read for those who want to know more about Filipino food finds and cuisine, in Claude's candid (and funny) approach.





With so much to read, being ill may not necessarily mean being bored at all.

Hurray Team Lolo Dad's!

A dinner hosted by the Meat and Livestock Australia which featured delegates and creations of its Black Box competition was recently held at the Blue Leaf in Fort Bonifacio. The competition featured various hotels, restaurants and schools in the Philippines featuring young chefs. Those who joined the contest were Lolo Dad's Cafe, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Makati Shangri-La, MezzaLuna, The Palms and St. Therese Culinary School.

The venue was at the Blue Leaf in Upper Mckinley in Fort Bonifacio. As it was my first time there, it proved to be a nice and beautiful venue for gatherings such as corporate parties. The downside however is that, because the area is still surrounded by residential and commercial lots being developed, the roads were poorly lit and you'd easily get lost as some of the attendees of the event did.

Cocktails were served and fine wines from Australia (of course) complemented the hors d'oeuvres. The hall was finally opened after 2 hours of waiting and each guest was directed to his assigned seat. Each table is assigned to a particular establishment and will be served a three course meal - appetizer, main course and dessert. I was very lucky to have been seated in the Lolo Dad's table with Chef Ariel Manuel and his wife and partner Mia, as well as their family members and special friends. As soon as the welcome speeches have been delivered, the competing groups were given their signal to start serving their assigned tables. Each group was tasked to serve 2 tables that seats 10 people per table.

Our appetizer was delicious! Imagine having compressed and lightly seared lamb served with warm poached pear, fruit jelly, herbed butter panini and roasted garlic aioli. We were off to a good start. At this point, I couldn't wait for the main course.

But we had to wait. In between courses, we were served raspberry sorbet laced with basil essence to cleanse off our palates. This was served in pretty teeny-weeny tea pots,with its cover upturned and topped with a scoop of sorbet. To keep it from melting, the pots were stuffed with dry ice. Absolutely wonderful!

Then came the main dish. Using beef rump, the Lolo Dad's team rolled it in gremolata and roasted it to medium doneness, while the trimmings were sauteed and served as the bed of the roasted fillet. Served with potato terrine, vegetable flan and tomato confit, it was well executed and truly deserved the Best Main Course award.

The grand finale of our dinner also proved to be a conversational piece. Dessert was composed of Italian meringe with chocolate and pineapple filling, strawberry coulis and mocha ice cream. As you cut through the towering meringue, you will find the oozing mixture inside with its tartness complementing the sweetness of the meringue itself. As I type this piece, I am still salivating with the gustatory pleasure this course has given.


It is not a surprise that given the careful preparation of the Lolo Dad's team and the delightful flavors our three-course dinner has imparted, the team was chosen to represent the Philippines to compete in the MLA's Black Box global competition (to be participated by 22 countries) in Dubai. No doubt, the Philippines has a great chance in bringing home the gold once more.

Congratulations to the Lolo Dad's team!

It's Halloween!

I've never seen such cute little wickeds like I did yesterday. My son's halloween costume party in the small school was such an anticipated event and sure enough, the kids came well prepared. Thanks to the parents of these kids (and their investments too, am sure the costumes didn't come cheap), little fairies, princesses, devils and counts happily flaunted their attires with utter gusto.

My boys were clad in their black ninja and master-of-the-shadows costumes. My youngest felt that he was a real ninja and was ready to strike anybody who dared to challenge him anytime. My eldest however was still the kind hearted one indeed, despite the drab-looking master of the shadows costume he absolutely disliked - he was saying that it looked like it was a girl's costume given that it was one dark, long frock similar to that of priests with a funny hat.

I was however, still able to let them wear the costumes, and me being a "stage mom" forever had to control myself from crying, realizing that my little ones are getting older as I type. Armed with my digicam, and glaring at my husband for not re-charging the batteries for the event, I had to wait until we get the c-store to get new batteries and document these precious moments.

I was very impressed with the preparations of the teachers for the event. The classrooms were decorated with webs, jack-o-lanterns, spiders and other scary paraphernalia. Decors of orange, purple and black were all over the place. The teachers were also in their signature halloween styles - a pirate, an angel, a witch, a mouse. If I didn't have work, I would have come in a costume myself - guess what? A chef, hehehe.

To me, the food of course is the highlight of any party, and sure enough, the teachers did a really good job preparing it. In fact, my kids have been talking about it in anticipation, a few days prior to the event. They are still talking about it now and can't get over the "blood juice", "spider cookies", "pizza mummies" and "eyeball munchkins". The centerpiece was the "choco-mud fountain (chocolate fountain) with ghost mallows". If you are planning your own party, be creative with your preparations. Like how the teachers made their party food, they utilized readily available items (in fact, almost all are ready to eat), but was presented in a very unique and fun way. Check out mygreatfood.com for more halloween food ideas. Keep in mind however that anything for the kids should be prepared in the most safe way and prevent the choking hazards please.

Enjoy trick or treating!
Happy Halloween!

Cooking on Air

One of the things I love about my job is the fact that I get to meet and sometimes work with interesting personalities - renowned local chefs, showbiz personalities, public figures and the like. I recently taped a few cooking segments for a breakfast show and it still gives me the jitters - it is never the same when cooking on cam. I am forever conscious of what I am about to say next, and if the person I am working with will ask me something I absolutely have no answer for.

Chop it all up!
And so, as I tell everyone in my team, preparation is key. Do your mise en place, meaning, all your ingredients should already be in place. Arranged on a tray per recipe, this gives you the impression that the recipes are pretty easy to make even though it is really not. I tell you, though I love to cook, I just hate it when I need to do a lot of chopping and pre-preparations, that by the time I get to the actual cooking part, hell, I am already exhausted. However, this part is something that you should do, otherwise, your demo will look extremely cluttered and disorganized.

Tool of the trade
The tools of course, need to be prepared as well,and mind you, make sure they are all working. I remember doing a taped show in another stations breakfast show and gosh, the food processor wouldn't work, I had to squat down and re-plug the damn thing, and imagine me being out of frame for a few seconds - everybody was wondering if I slipped or dropped something. Good thing it was a taped show. I watched it when it aired, and did you think the director edited that part? He didn't! I never guested on that show again.

Spiel it out
The script is another thing you need to focus on. I prefer doing a pre-taped segment since it allows me to move at a more reasonable pace rather than going live and praying the whole time that the steak doesn't burn while I am saying my spiels or that the sauce doesn't become too thick while I am explaining a tip or two to my partner. And boy, the lines that you need to memorize - that so and so product is rich in what-have-you nutrients; that you can get it in blah-blah-blah stores at so and so sizes; or that you have to text 123 to win an instant prize. Hohum. I gotta give it to the showbiz people, how can they do it all with grace?!

Ask away
The questions of course are a given. Usually, the segment producer will allow us (meaning me and my celeb partner) to interact with each other, maybe share with him/her a tip or two about the dish. Though I love to cook and doing this on cam is something that I really enjoy, I don't however like it when people ask me silly questions like, if the dish I am preparing is a breakfast dish, and you ask me if this is also okay for lunch, well - Of course, I'll say its okay anytime of the day! You eat want you want anyhow right? Ever heard of all-day breakfast? But of course, that wasn't how I answered my celeb partner at that time. Don't get me wrong though, I have worked with some pretty fascinating and witty celebs and it will be a joy to work with them again. But, give me one dumdidumdum partner, and I just wish the tapings all over man!

So, the next time you watch cooking shows and food segments, remember, behind the scenes, there might just be an even more interesting thing happening.

Secret Recipe - No More

So off I went one weekday for a lunch out with some colleagues. T'was quite a drive from Pasig to the Fort given that it was drizzling. Yet because we were all sick of the same old restaurants in the Pasig area, we all agreed to drive all the way to Makati to try out something new.

It was a celebratory lunch after all, given that my some of precious staff recently passed a food safety exam. Armed with the added know-how on food safety, not to mention our empty and growling stomachs, we excitedly browsed through the modern and beautifully made menu of Secret Recipe, just a stone's throw away from S&R in the Fort. Situated beside Zhu, I just can't remember the name of the building, well, we ordered 4 different dishes for all of us to try. Laksa, Tom Yum, Grilled chicken with peppercorn sauce and Lamb stew.

Laksa-rap
We started our meal with the Laksa, deliciously warm and spicy, the flat noodles and fragrant broth was a welcome treat to us hungry monsters. We all agreed that it was good to the last drop. Portions are actually for sharing - for two really, but if you have a big appetite like I do, you can definitely finish one serving yourself. Served with cubes of crunchy tofu and slices of squid tofu, the medley of soft and crunchy was an interesting meal in itself. I had to stop myself from slurping noisily the beautiful broth it had.

More spicy stuff
Next was our Tom Yum with prawns and again, it was deliciously good. The fragrance of the kaffir and the acid coming from the lemon provided a perfect balance to the dish. I don't know if we were just too hungry, but as soon as our next dish came - that's the Lamb stew, we all came to the conclusion that the drive was sure worth it. The stew used a meaty lamb shank and if you are like me and hate the "gamey" flavor inherent in lamb, you will definitely like this one since their preparation somehow masked the gaminess and the brown sauce complemented it well. Nope, this one isn't spicy at all. It is also served with mashed potatoes and is good for sharing. We had to order plain rice though - we aren't fans of Atkins, that's for sure. Gimme rice please?!

Call the fire department!
The grilled chicken with peppercorn sauce reminded me of a similar sauce made by a certain fastfood when they had in their menu a burger steak with peppercorn sauce. This one's really hot and of course, you had to stuff yourself with mouthfulls of rice just to counter the hotness. I on the other hand, love spicy dishes so this one's generally okay, although I felt that the chicken per se should have been seasoned more for a more flavorful version.

Happy Ending?
Secret Recipe boasts of its wide array of displayed cakes and pastries in its chiller showcase. The cakes are huge, about 10" in diameter and very tall that a slice of each is good for two as well. We ordered the mocha crunch, cheese choco and mango cake. We learned that the cakes were shipped from hmm, was it malaysia? singapore? gosh, i can't remember, however, all I can say is, I've have much better desserts made in Manila.

For the price of Php500 per head, I'd say it was reasonable and I'd come back for more of the meals.

Sweet!

Let's Party!

I wasn't necessarily proud of how I prepared for my son's school birthday party last year. Everything was last minute and I wasn't even there to celebrate it with him. This year, I vowed to make up for it and make it extra special.

The Party Planner
I focused my energies in basically coordinating with suppliers and making sure that everything is ready on that special day. Parties do not mean that you would have to do everything by yourself. No need to do it all by yourself that come party time, you are so stressed you did not even enjoy it yourself. Trust your suppliers. Get referrals from friends. Get help from relatives and friends. This surely is a handy tip for working parents like me.

Books for Less
Given that my kids are starting to learn how to read, I personally chose books to provide as give-aways for the kids, a welcome change from the usual candies, small toys and knick-knacks other parties would usually have. The mall is not the only place to get these things - try the tiangge's around - like me, I was able to get the books at 50% discount. Great bargain indeed!

Kiddie Menu
Of course, the menu I chose still had the usual party fare - chicken, pasta and cake for the kids. The menu should always be age appropriate and safe. No choking hazards please. I opted to just have reliable suppliers prepare the food for me. No sense in slaving over these when you can get quality food items minus the hassle. Check out the more popular and established restaurants to ensure food quality and safety.

French Kiss
The cake being the centerpiece in any kid's party, I was happy to discover through a friend French Kiss Pastries. They are actually a dessert commissary run by a group of friends and accepts orders for desserts and specialty cakes that you could think of. Reasonably priced, I ordered cupcakes for my son's party, as well as a 5 inch cake to be placed on a cupcake tower which you can lease from them. My son loving everything about the characters "Cars" and "Thomas the train", the cake with its pretty character toppers was a welcome treat and made us all excited.



The 5-inch cake



The cupcakes come in chocolate, vanilla and lemon flavors. I personally prefer the vanilla chiffon. The frosting they use is a buttercream one and turned out with just the right sweetness that'll make you ask for more.


Cupcake Tower

Did the kids love it or leave it?

Check out these photos and find out for yourself.






YumYum!

Thanks to my son's teachers, the party was a hit. They were the one's who facilitated the games and up until now, how I wish I have their energies in patiently handling all these kids at one time - imagine 35 kids in a party - gosh!



Pull!

Party on!

The 2PM Makati Lunch

After a 2 hour wait at my doctor's clinic, my hubby and I vowed to reward ourselves with a real good late lunch (it was already 2 o'clock). Given that we were already in the Makati area, we both agreed to have it in our favorite place, Amici de De Bosco (friends of Don Bosco). With its typical cafeteria ambiance and informal charm, the food is enough reason to make you a regular.

Sango Tango
Driving by Amorsolo though, we passed Sango burgers and decided to check it out for ourselves. Just like that, we made a u-turn and went for it. I ordered the master cheeseburger while hubby ordered the chili dog. Surprisingly, the master cheeseburger was served with a generous amount of their version of the chili which wasn't hot at all. Twas more of a thick spag sauce to me than a chili. A grilled beef patty lies underneath with a slice of melted cheese hugging it. The bun was soft and typical, nothing great really, and with its Php116 cost, I'd say it was enough to fill you up but not necessarily make you rave about. I would have wanted the patty to be more flavorful.

Prior to ordering, hubby and I were looking at the menu board situated by the door and one of the staff immediately joined us and offered the specials, one of which is the chili dog, which is why hubby decided to order it. They claim that the hotdog is their own formulation. The hotdog was split lengthwise and grilled. Topped with jalapeno slices and the same chili they used with the burger I ordered, it was actually good. The hotdog's profile was similar to a breakfast sausage, with just the right saltiness, and it complemented well with the other sandwich components.

With our sodas finished, hubby and I decided to have coffee and dessert, still at our favorite place, Amici. While ordering though, we saw on the menu that they have a new pasta addition, vongole gambasetti. Denying the fact that we already had our fill of sandwiches, we decided to go for it and mind our bulging wastelines later. Of course, my visit wouldn't be complete without their coffee - just pure unadelterated Italian coffee, tiramisu and brazo de mercedes.

Amici Fever
So there, I am not really a fan of olive oil pasta, but hubby for some reason has been craving and wanting it for over a month now. But yeah, I won't deny it, we shared the dish (yup, still ate pasta) and it was absolutely worth the wait and calories. If you haven't been to Amici, you'd have to wait around 10 minutes for your pasta coz it is made "ala minute". Two large sized prawns, scallop on the half shell, clams, al dente spaghetti coated with a flavorful balance of white wine, seafood stock and olive oil topped with a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese served with a slice of baguette (crisp outside, soft inside) and smothered with pesto. All at Php180!

To cap off the meal, I just had to get my caffeine fix and their coffee is cheap (php40) and excellent. And the froth, hmm, it is just always there - never fails. I was telling hubby earlier that I was never a fan of brazo de mercedes, until I tried that of Amici. Now, I just need to grab a slice every time i visit. It is neither "egg-y" nor too sweet. The texture is just right, airy for the whites, rich for the custard. Oooh lala! The tiramisu has that delicate balance of coffee liquor and mascarpone. The best thing about it is that you never have to pay for good food at such high costs. Theirs is food at affordable prices.
I had to skip gelato this time though. Until the next visit.


Ah-Amici!

Hot cocoa and pandesal

I wrote this a few weeks ago and posted it in another site in honor of my grandpa who recently passed away. Reading and re-writing this post here just makes it easier for me now considering that we as a family still grieves and doing this somehow makes me feel that my dear grandpa is just here with me enveloping me with all the love and goodness he always had in his heart.

If you love food like I do, I bet there is something or someone who has influenced you, or driven you to have the passion for it. The most common thing I observed with co-foodies is that they associate this culinary passion with a former event which made such a big impression, a big impact on them that all these years, they have brought it with them - cherished, treasured.
People have asked me if I already knew during my younger years that I will be working with and around food. I've always answered yes - I've never seen myself working desk bound in an office setting. I've always wanted to be in the kitchen, discovering new flavors, testing crazy ideas and sharing gustatory pleasures. There were a few people with whom I can associate my interest with food. Ironically, most of these individuals are not really cooking professionally. They however, drove me to spike my interest and hone my talent which will eventually be the source of my livelihood.

Lolo Trudo (my grandpa) is one of them. When summertime comes, off I go to SAn Pablo city where Lolo Trudo and Lola Meding awaits. I was still in grade school at that time and the vacation was an event that I have always anticipated. Breakfast was Lolo's specialty. Given that Lola had to leave early to open their RTW market stall on a daily basis, it is Lolo who is tasked to ensure that his first apo (me?!) gets a hearty and sumptuous first meal of the day.

His fried rice is the best that I have ever tried. I have yet to find an establishment that could beat his sinangag. He starts with the perfect "bahaw" (left-over rice) and saute's this with either pork lard (from his adobo dish) or longanisa oil (the left-over oil he used for frying local sausage). With all the mixing and frying, the fried rice is infused with the right flavor, with the garlic browned and not burnt, and the rice grains generously coated with oil. Eating it with as plain as fried egg makes of a deliciously satifying meal. Better yet, his perfect fried rice would be served with Lola Meding's sinaing na tulingan. What more can you ask for?

I also remember that Lolo had his food idiosyncracies. Imagine having hot chocolate with cut-up pandesal, eaten warm with a spoon. Sometimes, the pandesal would be replaced with bits and pieces of suman sa ibus (sticky rice wrapped in coconut leaves) or what we sometimes call Antipolo suman, also soaked in hot choco. I believe that was his favorite breakfast because up until my adult years, I would see him having this for snacks.

What probably made our meals together more interesting are the stories he would generously share on how he and Lola met, or how they hid during the war, and how he loved to teach. I also recall how he loved to hum and sing the old OPM songs, and how he would proudly show me off his co-teachers and bring me to their school events and parties during the summer. I also recall us watching the procession during Holy week and how he would complain because he had to carry me almost the entire duration of the procession.

Our meals together were simple. Quite ordinary, in fact. But they were special. I would have wanted to have more of our summertime bonding, but given the demands of adult life, it became difficult. So the summertime bonding stopped and became limited to seasonal visits attributed to Christmas reunions and his birthdays.

I lost him last Sunday. We lost him. He died due to cardiac arrest. In his typical non-imposing way, he died quietly at home. I wasn't able to say goodbye. But in my heart, I know that one day, I will see him again. One day, I will share a cup of hot chocolate and pandesal with him amidst interesting stories of life and love.

I love you Lolo Trudo.

Vigan Empanada, Longanisa at Bagnet

Photos: Vigan Longanisa being air-dried; Filling assembly of Vigan Empanada; Bagnet in its 1st stage of frying

I haven't been on a culinary tour for quite a while, so when the opportunity came for me to join a group of foodies in a recent trip to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, I had no second thoughts at all.

Our schedules were hectic. We were off to see how the Ilocos Sur specialties were done. Longanisa, Bagnet, Empanada. We were on to learning more about these gustatory pleasures. In anticipation, I felt like a teenager going on a first date. Armed with an empty stomach anticipating all the food tastings, we went to our first stop - Vigan Longanisa making.

Vigan longanisa has a distinct garlic and vinegar flavor with its yellow-orange tinge from the use of annatto seeds. Given the artisan ways each of the makers use (it is mostly done by hand), there is no standard formulation, just the feel and taste of the "manangs" (elderly ladies) who make it. They use hog intestines for casing and is air dried prior to selling. A dozen sells for about Php120 and it is a welcome change from the usual sweet longanisa one is used to.

Bagnet (chunks of deep fried pork shoulder), I found is cooked the same way my former employer would make chicharon. Using low heat, the chunks of pork shoulder (kasim) is cooked in a vat full of oil until the skin is quite dry but still quite pale. The meat is then taken out of the oil and the "manong" (elderly male) would increase the heat for the oil to reach almost boiling. He then returns the meat chunks into the vat and cooks the bagnet for a few more minutes, until the skin gets blistered and the meat golden. It is then taken out of the vat and arranged on trays, left to air dry for a few more hours and then delivered to the marketplace.

During the mid afternoon, we went to one Vigan empanada maker and saw how each piece is made with such labor of love. A dough made of ground rice and water is rolled and filled with crumbled longanisa, eggyolk and grated papaya and deep fried in melted pork lard. Crisp and warm, each bite is savored best with Sukang Iloco complete with chopped chillies and garlic.

Surely, Ilocos sur boasts more than all these. Will share with you more of my food finds during this trip. Need to go on a break now. I'm hungry.