Idiot-proof Cooking and Creative Writing (Dish #3: Adobong Pusit)

I remember once when Mama asked me to help make a sponge cake, and for some reason- whether it was the mixing part or the sifting part or the baking part, the entire cake collapsed. The center part of the cake caved in while the sides were relatively firm. That was my last attempt at baking. I despised using measuring cups and spoons- apparently accuracy was not on top of my list, so I left the baking for good to my Mom who was more adept with measurements.

My grandmother, on the other hand was good with estimates. If you notice my recipes, there are hardly measurements- it is because when my grandmother cooks, she usually fine-tunes the taste on the spot. As if by magic, she always knows how much seasoning or which herbs to use. That's 75 years of cooking experience in action, I suppose.

Growing up in a coastal community, there was always fish and other seafood on the table. Strangely enough, I've never grown tired of it because even when I visit the highlands I always find myself veering toward the seafood aisle in the supermarket. Squid has always been a favorite, and believe me I've tasted it in almost all possible ways of preparation- even slicing raw squid, dipping it in vinegar, and eating it (courtesy of the fishermen on my aunt's boat when we hitched a ride in their fishing boat once during my childhood). The dish I'll prepare tonight is more classic though- Adobong Pusit.

ADOBONG PUSIT

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 kilo medium sized fresh squid
2. Vinegar
3. Soy sauce
4. Cooking oil
5. Garlic
6. Onions
7. Brown sugar


Procedure:

Clean squid and slice into rings or small pieces (note that this would shrink once its cook so don't overdo it). Mince the garlic and onions. Heat the pan and add the cooking oil, then, yup you guessed it- sauté, sauté, sauté! Walang katapusang gisa. Then add the sliced squid and vinegar. Bring this to a boil, then add the soy sauce.

This part is optional but hey, we won't be pinoy unless we like it sweet right? Add a few tablespoons of brown sugar according to taste. Mix well, allow to simmer in low fire for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally. When squid is tender or malapot na ang sabaw (shit I don't know how to say that the Martha Stewart way.. hmm wait till the mixture is viscous? ay basta yun na yun!), stir and serve.

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Idiot-proof Cooking and Creative Writing (Dish #2: Kinilaw na Tanigue)

I woke up early today because I wanted to go jogging at dawn. Incidentally, the best catch of the day- fresh Tanigue at very low price- is usually available at the wet market. Tanigue (King Mackerel) is best prepared the quintessential Visayan way which is "kinilaw". After working up a sweat, I went straight to the Tacloban public market still huffing and puffing from the run.

For P140 I was able to buy a 1 kilo whole fish. Without additional cost, I had the vendor fillet the fish (I can hardly slice a tomato, you can't possibly expect me to have the expertise of removing fish bones) before wrapping it. With a little instruction from Nanay, my 83 year-old grandmother who is visiting for the weekend, I was able to prepare a dish that brought up childhood memories of growing up in a coastal town.


KINILAW

Ingredients:
1. Fresh Tanigue
2. Very sour vinegar (those commercially prepared are usually weak)
3. Calamansi
4. Tomatoes, chopped
5. Onions, chopped
6. Bell pepper (optional)
7. Ginger, chopped
8. Salt

Procedure:

Slice the Tanigue into cubes (or just as long as they are sliced into small pieces), soak in vinegar until it appears somewhat opaque (raw fish meat looks translucent). Then firmly squeeze the fish meat to remove the vinegar and place in a clean bowl. Add Calamansi juice making sure to soak the fish meat. Season with salt.

Wash the tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, and ginger, then chop, chop, chop! Simply add this to the fish and mix thoroughly. You may add more seasoning according to taste. Some prefer to add gata (coconut milk), but I like kinilaw with just the calamansi juice. Refrigerate before serving (oh well this is actually more of a personal preference).

Enjoy!
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Idiot-proof Cooking and Creative Writing (Dish #1: Beef with Broccoli)

They say creative writing is like learning to ride a bike. Even when you haven't done it in a while, the skill itself is never forgotten- it's as if some of the motor and balance centers of your brain became permanently hardwired, and the moment you get a feel of the grips and levers or the pedals beneath your feet again, it all comes rushing back.

I think the last time I picked up a pen to write an article was last December. The past three months truly had been the most hectic, and try as I might to read a novel or an essay leisurely it just wasn't possible with our schedule. From January 4 to March 10, the only free days we had was on January 31 and a single day in February (I know because I counted), the rest of those days we toiled with our readings and neverending exams and requirements.

Having answered a total of about 2,000 questions (pretests alone) and 1,250 questions for post-tests and major exams in total, we barely had time to rest and breathe- hardly any room for me do some soul-searching to get my blogging mojo back.

Today is March 20. I just returned to Tacloban after a 10 day hiatus from the crazy life of a graduating student nurse. As I tried to deperately fill in the free time we suddenly had (ironic, isn't it?) I tried everything from reading a novel- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, to inspire me to write, to trying to cook, because my partner always rants about how I never had any interest in cooking. I decided it was best to do both, by blogging about the food I learn to prepare or cook. I call this "The Idiot's Guide to Cooking", me of course being the cuisine idiot.

There are two reasons why I never really learned to cook(or had any interest in cooking): first, I'm not really that particular with food- I mean I'm a guy who can live on Instant Pancit Canton dinners for a straight month, and second, growing up we always had household help to do that job. To this N. simply pointed out that I was neither wealthy nor jaded enough to be bored with the intricacies of braising, brewing, frying, and of course, sauté, sauté, sauté. So I reluctantly picked up a butcher's knife to begin my transformation from food moron to chef-from-hell (kidding).

BEEF with BROCCOLI

This is the first dish I became familiar with (well, after frying random things from chicken to hotdogs). Very easy to prepare and it takes only a few minutes to cook. Since this was my first time to prepare, I made a lot of bloopers even before cooking- like improperly sharpening the knife, cutting the beef too slowly and too carefully for fear of accidentally amputating my fingers, cutting on the wrong side of the butcher block, and many more, which had my partner's vein on his forehead throb like it was going to explode. Peace, we are just cooking Hun.

Ingredients:
1. Beef, cut into strips. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Garlic, peeled and minced.
3. Onions, cut into rings.
4. Broccoli, cut into bite size pieces.
5. Cooking oil
6. Oyster sauce.

Procedure:

If the beef is fresh you may go ahead an cut them into strips, if frozen allow to thaw. Season with salt and pepper- use freshly ground because it tastes better and you can really smell the aroma. Prepare the broccoli and set aside. You may actually opt to either add the broccoli to the dish or make it a side dish by microwaving it with a little butter and seasoning.

Pour oil into the frying pan. Sauté the garlic (gosh how I love using that word haha I feel like a chef already), and add the beef strips. When the beef turns brown, you may add some oyster sauce and a little water. The amount of oyster sauce is according to taste. You add the onions last, or if you prefer you add the broccoli.

Serve with plain rice. If you are feeling particularly snotty, you may have a glass of red wine made from Bordeaux grapes. Oh laban? Hahaha

Stick around for more bloopers and recipes of doom. This is Chef Thadie G signing out.

To Market

What can you buy with 500 pesos nowadays? I usually go to the market myself unless busy with school. And though the Tacloban City Market isn’t exactly the most fragrant place to be, I wanted to see how much food I can buy for that budget. Here’s what I got:

Cabbage- P50 1 kilo
Onion- P17.50 ¼ kilo
Tomato- P9.50 ¼ kilo
Garlic- P12.50 ¼ kilo
Ginger- P13 ¼ kilo
Okra- P10
Pumpkin- P20 ½

Chorizo- P25/ dozen
Chicken- P120 whole
Daing- P60 ¼ kilo
Fish- P40 ½ kilo
Alimango- P120 1 kilo

I guess one of the perks of living in a coastal city is having very affordable (imagine, Buranday- a variety of Mussels cost only P20 ½ kilo) seafood- a personal favorite. Fish and crustaceans are better to eat than pork, I’d like to think- less fattening. The ones I bought should last a few days for our household.

The alimango was still alive when I bought it, and I was worried they’d slip out of the bag (their pinchers were held in place only by rubber bands) and I’d have to chase them around the jeepney to catch them. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

With a little malunggay plucked from our front yard and few cups of coconut milk- the alimango was good to go! Image credit: Tacloban Market(above) by Gary Landry

Chicken Adobo, Humba, and Homemade Love

While I was heedlessly living the "bachelor's life" in the big city, my meals more or less consisted of takeouts, canned goods and noodles, or leftover bread with instant coffee. I've never learned to cook, and was even lazier with the dishes. Besides, food wasn't that much of a big deal to me- except when I go home to the province. Being in Tacloban after months of living on overly-processed food proved to be extra special occasions when I get to eat real food which didn't come from a foil pack (or something I ate right out of a can).

My late mother loved to bake, but my favorite food was chicken, which she prepared in almost every imaginable way: fried, grilled, curried, and of course adobo. I do not think great chefs would find anything spectacular about that dish, I mean she had no secret ingredient or elixir to make it extra savory, but as the vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic cooked the chicken to perfection- there was a certain magic and fragrance. Maybe I'm biased, because even if my mom just prepared instant pancit canton I'd say it was the best I ever tasted.

My grandmother whom we all call Nanay was Mama's mentor when it came to cooking. Her specialty was the Visayan dish Humba (Braised Pork Belly with Sugar and Peanuts). She prepared it meticulously, with the accuracy of a chemist, and at the same time the versatility of an artist. She can make it sweeter or a little tangy. She can serve it in large chunks or smaller, softer pieces. The dish came out always, with no exception, just right. And seeing her brows knit in concentration as she mixes the ingredients, or having that smug smile as she receives praises for her dish must have been the special ingredient that made it better than what a chef in an expensive restaurant can cook.

Nanay is now in her eighties, and after my mom's passing, the responsibility for her care has recently been claimed by her children. While Mama was still with us Nanay had also lived with us since we were kids. Now I stay in our ancestral home, but without Nanay's presence it seems empty. I have begun eating in fast food joints again. I've stocked up on canned goods. Making this adjustment is more than just my palate missing her cooking- my heart is missing my mother's love.

Comfort Foods

Feeling down? We all have our own coping mechanisms. Some do a little introspection to get a new perspective, some turn to friends, while some turn to alcohol to drown their sorrows.

I have a very classic, modelesque way (sans the bulimia): I eat. With a vengeance, drowning out the voice in my head saying “food is not love!”, I would chow down on anything my tempestuous palate demanded. And then bliss.

Here are my addictions:

Kiamoy- 100 grams will do. I pair this salty treat with diet soda, and would nibble like crazy till all that’s left are the shells of the seeds. If I get really depressed, I would crack the seeds with my molars just for the heck of it. Side effect: orange-colored mouth and fingers.

Cake- Choco Nilusko (from a tiny bakeshop here in Tacloban) and Mango Cake are the ones to die for. Great for foreplay, too. Haha!

Mangosteen- This exotic fruit is from Davao. The taste is complete heaven- almost as sweet as Mangoes, but with a pinch of that saltiness you would taste in Rambutan. It’s hard to explain… Whenever I eat Mangosteen its like I’m tasting it for the first time. The downside? It's frightfully pricey compared to most fruits, and only available when in season.

Double Stuffed Oreos- a bad habit I got from work. These sweet, sweet treats are a must if I’m watching a movie or reading a book, although I’d be compelled to do an extra hour at the gym the following day for my caloric sin.

Junk food- Oh yes. And I’m not talking about those “healthy chips” with fiber. I want MSG, baby. The best source? Those one-peso-per-pack junk foods they sell to elementary kids. Grrrr!

The mere act of indulgence temporarily covers up the annoyance. On a sugar high, everything feels pleasant; and when it fades- I’m ready to deal with the problem.

Kwentong Pagkain

This will be my first post in Filipino, which I’m a little squeamish about. My lowest grades since time immemorial had always been: Math, PE (I hated sports when I was younger, though I crave for it now), and Filipino. Ask me to read aloud in Filipino and I’d stammer a lot, but ask me to read in English and I can deliver it either with an American or a British accent with no trouble. Nakakahiya! Pero, Waray Waray ako, hindi Tagalog so I never really use Filipino that often. Lusot!!


Ayoko ng lasa ng Beefloaf. Yung Fiesta, alam mo yun? Baon ko kasi yun mula 9 yrs old ako hanggang mag-graduate ako ng Grade Six. Napurga na yata ako. Ewan, masarap naman sa akin yun dati, pero ngayon, amoy pa lang naduduwal na ako.

Isda rin. Pero hindi naman lahat. Isda palagi ang ulam namin noon, kung hindi yung kartun-kartong Karne Norte na padala ni Papa galing Saudi. Mangingisda kasi ang Tiyahin ko kaya meron kami palaging isda. Hindi sa nagrereklamo ako pero subukan nyong ulamin ang isda araw-araw sa siyam na taon at tingnan natin kung di kayo magsawa. Kakatwa, pero gustong gusto ko naman yung lasa ng mga pagkaing dagat tulad ng hipon, alimango (yung may gata), tahong, pusit, at tinapa.

Minsan, isinama akong mangisda noong mga 12 taon pa lamang ako. Madaling-araw pa lang ay sumakay na kami sa fishing boat na naglayag papuntang laot. Unti-unting sumikat ang araw, at sinimulan nilang itapon ang mga lambat sa dagat. Ako naman ay nakaupo lamang sa isang sulok, nanonood sa ginagawa ng mga tauhan.

Makalipas ang isang oras, hinila nila ang lambat pabalik sa pump boat. Daan-daang mga isda at lamang dagat ang nagtatalunan sa sahig. Isa-isa itong pinulot at inilagay sa kahong Styrofoam na may yelo, para daw hindi masira ang mga ito. Inulit pa ito ng ilang beses, hanggang mapuno ang lahat ng mga kahon.

Merong tauhang nagsaing ng kanin, at ang ulam namin ay inihanda ng aking tiyuhin. Namili sya ng ilan sa mga buhay na isda, at iyon ay nilinisan at ibinabad sa suka at mga rekado. Doon ko unang natikman ang Kinilaw. Pati ang pusit na ibinabad lang din sa suka ay pinatikim sa akin. Gabi na ng kami ay dumaong (at ako ay amoy pusit na rin).

Kahit hanggang nagkatrabaho na ako, gustong-gusto ko pa rin ang mga pagkaing dagat. Naalala ko noong minsang kumain kami sa Circles sa Shangri-La Makati, bilang handa ng boss namin dahil sa bagong account na kasing laki ng Sprint PCS.

Pabalik-balik ako sa seafood dishes. Ibat-ibang luto ng mga pagkaing dagat: baked scallops, indian shrimp dish, cracked crab on ice, grilled salmon, at seafood pasta. Dalawang oras na yata akong kumakain (himala na hindi ako nagka-LBM), at hindi lamang yun ang sinubukan ko. Pati na steak, lamb chops, mga pastries, mga cakes, crème brule, at tiramisu. At nang malapit ng pumutok ang tiyan ko, pumunta kami sa chocolate fountain at kumain ng isang platong chocolate-covered fruits.

Ah, mabuti na lang walang Fiesta Beefloaf sa Circles!