of childhood memories and kimchi

SOME of my fondest childhood memories were spent watching my Lola Maria make buro (fermented sauces).
       I remember slumping on the table as she would take a clean and empty large bottle and alternately place bangus (which she had rolled into salt) and boiled rice in it. Fascinated, I would watch her patiently arranging the fish and rice. Back then I didn't like burong isda and would liken it to kaning baboy whenever she would saute it in garlic,
onion and plenty of tomatoes. Well, times change and now, I could just about kick myself for not asking her for the exact recipe.
       While I hated burong isda then, I just loved taba ng talangka and the adventure  it presented when my lola prepared it. My lola would choose those that were literally still alive and kicking and then place them in a pail. She would then take them out one by one to squeeze the fat out. Later, she'd add vinegar and cook it on low fire. You can be sure
that I'd have more than a plateful of rice come dinner time.
       I think watching my lola make sauces was the start of my love affair with them. Nowadays I can't seem to eat fried anything without the requisite sauce.
       And then there's kimchi. While many have raved about it to me, my parents included, I still can't find the guts to quite eat it yet. A Korean couple friend prepared some in our house the other week and it did look mighty delicious. Maybe one of these days, I will find the courage to eat it.  Meantime, I'll just share with you courtesy of Choi Eun Young and  her husband, Rev. Park Sun Ho how to make kimchi.

      

KIMCHI 


Ingredients:

 10 pieces (5 kg) of Chinese cabbage or Baguio pechay,

 2 kg Salt, 

100 ml of kimchi sauce (juj kal)

 400 gm. ground dried red chili, 

12 cloves of garlic, 

3 onions, 

medium ginger

2 cups of ground rice, cooked.

       Cut the Chinese cabbage/Baguio pechay into 4 laterally (pahaba, then

into about 2 inches long. Sprinkle some salt on strips. Wash the cut

strips. Arrange strips into layers in a basin and sprinkle salt on

every layer.  Keep for one hour or two.

Cut finely the onion, garlic,

ginger and ground cooked rice. Mix these thoroughly, use blender mixer

if available.  Rinse the salt-soaked strips of Chinese cabbage/Baguio

pechay. Feel the texture if tender, not hard or soggy. Squeeze strips

and taste. If salty, do another rinse and squeeze. Spread strips and

sprinkle red chili. Add according to taste preference. If you like it

hotter, put more chili. The red color is natural. Add mixture of

onion, garlic, ginger and ground rice. Add kimchi sauce juj kal (patis

for Pinoy) to taste. Add 2 tbsp. Sugar.
Taste to suit your

preference. Put in bottle or plastic container.

You may keep in room

temperature for one day and refrigerate after that. Can keep for a

month or two but after a few days the Kimchi will be ready to eat.

Lenten Recipes

Meatless and fish recipes --   perfect for this Holy Week -- and heart-friendly, too. 

Naki's former Manang, Narda, tweaked this recipes to suit the needs of our mainly hypertensive family. 

SQUASH SOUP

1/4  kalabasa (squash)

shrimps

red pepper

carrots

dahon ng sibuyas (shallots)

garlic

 onion 

2 cups water

1/2 cup milk

Boil kalabasa until tender then mash. Saute garlic, onion, shrimps until brown (or in the case of the shrimps, pink). Pour two cups water, the mashed squash; sliced very small shallots, diced carrots and red bell pepper. Let it boil before adding milk.

Mmmmmmmmm!

Now, you may also want to gry the fish recipes that are Narda's specialties that are not only delicious but also light on the budget.

SARDINAS NA TAMBAN 

(TAMBAN SARDINES)

1 kilo tamban

4 sili (labuyo)

1/2 c pickle relish

carrots

salt 

pepper

bayleaf

1 cup vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup oil

Clean fish. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, oil and add to fish. Cook in pressure cooker until even fishbones are tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for another 30 minutes.

GULUNGGONG NA

 LUMPIANG SHANGHAI

1/2 kilo galunggong

1 carrot

1 small turnip

2 onions

10 pieces lumpia wrapper

1 egg

1 cup oil

1 red bell pepper

Boil fish and then remove moves. Dice onion, turnip, red bell pepper and add to flaked fish. Season with salt (and pepper if desired). Wrap one spoon of mixture in lumpia wrapper. Dip in beaten egg and deep fry.

Indulge not! Remember it is  Lent. Instead, contemplate with these heart-friendly fare.

pobreng chef

A long, loooong time ago when my son was eight years old, I wrote this:

I can cook.
I know I can.

I may not be an excellent cook or even a very good one but I can turn out a fairly good meal.
Ask me to slice, dice, mince, chop, marinate, toss, fry, steam or whatever it is the recipe requires, I can probably do it.

At age nine, when my sister was born, I learned the art of sauteing to help out my mom in the kitchen. At age 10, I was already venturing into more adventurous stuff. I would watch my mom while she cooked  and, she, in turn, would explain to me the steps needed in churning out a fine dish. Later on, I (sometimes with my cousin, Mike), would watch my lola, a Kampamgangan and a mighty good cook, do wonders in the kitchen.

I can cook Pinoy fare, some Chinese and Thai and manage fine with pasta and Italian dishes. Baking was once a passion that I intend to go back to once I get to replacing the oven. I also like to experiment, watch cooking shows and devour cookbooks online and collect the real thing.

So why am I offering all my credentials in the kitchen front? Well.... mainly because my feelings were hurt. Sort of.

Here's what happened. My eight-year-old son and I were walking to the tricycle station and were talking about what he had eaten when he went over to his friend's house.

"You ate singang for lunch?" I asked Mr.-Doesn't-Want-To-Touch-Anything-That's-Not-Fried. I was truly amazed, "I thought you didn't like sinigang. You never eat it when I cook it at home."

"Masarap, 'Nay e," the little traitor answered.

"Oh," I replied softly, at first, but my eyes already flashing with the next question, "So what else did you have?
"Beefsteak," he replied.

"But you don't eat beef!" I protested.

"Ahmm...there's something about the way Rie's lola cooks," said Judas.

"Ha? How?" asked I, trying to focus my eyes as they seemed to be blurring with water.

"Maybe it's because she's Kapampangan..." he answered.

"But we're Kapampangan, too!" I hollered at my poor boy, who hastily shut up. End of discussion. 

Ever since that enlightening conversation, I've not been the same. I still love to cook but when I do, I look carefully at Naki whenever he takes his first bite.

"Good?" I'd ask from the sidelines.

"I think it needs a little salt," the litle pipsqueak dared  tell me.

"Ikaw na lang ang magluto!" I told him.

He got up, gave me a big smile and hugged me.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My son is nearing 18 and "my cooking" has become a form of teasing between us.

I see him eating a big serving of dinner and I corner him, "Sarap ba, anak?" I cajole, with a big smile on my face.  "Ako nagluto nyan."

"Hinde," he turns to me and shakes his head vehemently.

"Hindi masarap, 'Nay," he adds, "kaya nga marami kinain ko."

He he he. That's fine by me. This pobreng chef is mighty pleased.