Hello Childhood!

Remember that scene in Ratatouille when Anton Ego took one bite of Remy's Ratatouille and immediately the most feared food critic remembered his mom's cooking and was immediately transported to his childhood.  This week I had a ratatouille of sorts, not from Mamu's cooking, but from all the "street food" that I had.  If you must know, like any other good intentioned parent, Mamu forbade me from eating street food with the usual reason, "you don't know how the food was prepared."

Well, I had my fair share of street food, behind Mamu's back of course.  I never got sick nor suffered from food poisoning.

First off, I had Chocnut, the quintessential Filipino candy that's part chocolate and part peanut, hence the name chocnut.  Though, not really considered as street food, this sweet treat is available in your friendly sari-sari store.  Mamu never really understood my fondness for Chocnut, which she describes as "lasang chalk".  I never tasted chalk so I really don't have a point of comparison.  One bite from this easy to shatter into powder treat and I'm transported to the days where I would play patintero, piko and jackstone with my neighborhood playmates.

I got up early one morning and heard a familiar call.  "Tahooo!  Tahooo!"  I all but ran to the gate in my not so presentable pantulog and answered "Manong Taho!"  Taho is fresh silken tofu drizzled with arnibal (dark sugar syrup) then topped with sago (tapioca balls) and peddled by ambulatory vendors with aluminum containers balanced on their shoulders.

Taho was the only street food allowed in our house and enjoyed at breakfast until Mamu heard this rumor that some vendors add plaster of paris, which I think is some sort of chemical used to the casts of fracture victims.  Since then, taho was banned from our house. 

Finally, the big kahuna of childhood street food.  I just had scramble!  I was in SM walking around when I saw a queue.  I was trying to figure out the cause of all this anticipation when lo and behold!  It was Ice Scamble.  The scramble of old but now available in a more sanitized version.  I joined the line and when finally it was my turn I told Ate Scamble, no topping (now you have a choice between rice crispies, chocolate spinkles and marshmallows), just powdered sugar.  I'm a scramble purist.  Then she poured a Brown Cow like container, I was expecting chocolate syrup but alas, it was stawberry.  Oh well, you can't have it all.

Hmmm...how to describe scramble?  It's this pink ice dessert peddled on the streets by Manong Scramble that's topped with powdered milk and Brown Cow chocolate syrup.  Come to think of it, I never really gave much thought on what goes into a cup of scramble or how it's made.  All I know is that it came from a scramble machine.  As to what a scramble machine is, I have no idea.

Scramble in all its pink glory!

One spoonful and I was in elementary again, waiting in anticipation for Manong Scramble to finish churning his machine.  I took my cup and happily walked all the home.  I stopped before the last street going to our house then threw the cup (I wasn't as environmentally conscious then) because I knew Mamu would go ballistic on me.  I knew her pet peeve when it comes to street food is scramble.  I greet Mamu and she asks me how my day went, I told her that it was a happy day.  She smiles at me, I smile back, that secret smile of knowing that I just enjoyed scramble all the way home.

It's so nice to stroll down memory lane again.

Goodies from Vigan

One of Mamu's friends who's from Vigan gave us some goodies from her recent trip home.

Chichacorn is a snack made from a special variety of corn then popped making it very crunchy.  It comes in a variety of flavors like garlic, spicy, adobo, barbecue and cheese.  I prefer the classic garlic. Believe me, once you start popping, you just can't stop.  It's that addictive!  Perfect with a glass of ice cold coke.

Ilocos Royal Bibingka is a sticky rice cake native to Ilocos Sur.  This type of bibingka is different from the simbang gabi staple which is more cake-y or breadlike.  Royal Bibingka is stickier, more like the consistency of sapin-sapin or kalamay.  This goes so well with coffee or hot chocolate. 

I saved the best for last.  Vigan longanisa is something I always ask as pasalubong whenever I hear of someone planning a trip to Vigan.  These local sausages are flavored using Ilocos' native and very potent garlic and Sukang Iloko, a local dark vinegar made from sugar cane.  Because of the presence of Vigan longanisa in our house, I've been having garlic rice these past few days.  The cholesterol laden kind, fried in the rendered longanisa fat.  Dip the longanisa in Sukang Iloko with chilies, throw in a sunny side up, over easy, please.  Haay...life is good.  Walang diet-diet. 

P.S.

We also have a gallon of Sukang Iloko.

Conversations Over Cherries

Until recently, I never saw or tasted fresh cherries.  I'm used to the bright red bottled kind that is a constant garnish on ice creams and cocktail drinks.  Seeing one for the first time resulted to some funny conversations.

C: Gusto mo?

Me: Ano yan?

C: Hulaan mo.

Me: (looking at a dark looking fruit) Ay duhat.  Di ako kumakain ng duhat.

C: Di yan duhat.  Tikman mo.

Me: Ayoko nga.  Duhat yan, baka mapakla pa.

C: Hindi nga yan duhat.  I-try mo na.

Me: (after one bite) Ang sarap naman.  Ano to?

C: Cherry!

Me: As in, yung fresh?  E, bakit hindi pula?

C: Malay ko.  Binigay lang sa akin yan.  

 

I went to the source of the cherries.

Me: Ang sarap naman ng cherries mo.

D: Oo nga.  Freshly picked kasi. Konti nga lang napadala kasi siningit lang sa hand carry.

Me: Fresh talaga sya?  E bakit hindi red?

D: Red lang sya pag hindi pa hinog.  Pero pag ripe na talaga sya, dark red na.

Me: Ganon?

D: Ganon talaga yun.  Gusto mo pa? (offering me her bag of cherries)

I brought some cherries home for Mamu.

Me:  Mamu, pasalubong for you.

M:  Ano yan?

Me:  Hulaan mo?
M:  Uy duhat!  Tagal ko na di nakakain nito.

Me:  Di yan duhat!  Ano akala mo sa akin, small time?

M:  E, ano to?

Me:  Tikman mo muna.

M:  (after one cherry) Masarap!  Ano to, imported na duhat?

Me:  Hindi nga yan duhat!

M:  E, ano to?

Me:  Fresh cherries.

M:  Cherry to? E, bakit hindi pula?

Me:  Pula lang sya pag hindi pa hinog.  Pag fully ripe na sya, ganyan na yung kulay.

M:  Ganun ba yun?

Me:  (sounding very knowledgeable) Ganon talaga yun.

M:  Ahhh... Ipunin mo yung buto, itatanim ko.

 

Mamu's Homemade Bangus Sardines

Mamu was bursting with excitement when she told me that she received a text message from her suki. "Meron silang bangus na pang sardines," she told me.

I don't like bangus but I was really excited because this means homemade bangus sardines.  One of Mamu's best dishes ever!

I told her to get 10 kilos, but she said 5 would be more than enough for us.

Bangus sardines is pretty easy to prepare.  The hardest part is cleaning the bangus because Mamu never makes this unless the bangus is really small, about 4-5 inches.  The smaller the better.

First, she layers the bangus in a pressure cooker then pours olive oil (or canola). Next, she tops everything with spices and aromatics; carrots, chili peppers, bay leaves, whole peppercorns, a secret ingredient which Mamu refuses to divulge, unless your family (clue: a fragrant spice that reminds me of Christmas), and salt. 

After two hours, the smell of the sardines fills the room.

I swear no sardines comes close to this.  Nary a bone in sight because it's soft and edible.  Real sarap to the bones goodness.

Best with garlic fried rice and patis with a lot of sili. 

I always tell Mamu, "Magbenta na tayo ng sardines.  Ikakayaman natin 'to."  It's really that good!

True enough, the five kilos was a little bitin.  It was compete wiped out by day 4 (we're a family of four).  To be fair, Mamu gave some to her friends.

Next time she receives a text from her suki, I'll tell her to get 10 kilos.

Tulingan for Breakfast

Mamu made Sinaing na Tulingan yesterday.

I know it doesn't look appetizing at all but this is one of my favorite dishes.  That's saying a lot coming from someone who's not really into fish.

From what Mamu told me, this dish hails from Batangas and the recipe is handed down from her Lola to my Lola to her, you get the picture.  Most of my relatives from her side have their own recipe for Sinaing na Tulingan, but I think our version is the best.

Everytime we have this dish, I look forward to breakfast.  I rarely have breakfast but waking up early to this is so worth it.

This is one of my favorite breakfasts ever.

We always fry our tulingan.

Fried rice with a lot garlic.

Best with an ice cold glass of Coke and a siding of green mango with fish sauce and garlic. 

Haaay...life is good.

Mamu's Boullabaise

Mamu hurriedly went to market because we were expecting company for lunch.  

She came home all excited and announced that she is cooking Boullabaise.  Not to be confused with the classic French fish stew, Mamu's Boullabaise is actually a creamy seafood stew.  
  

Saute garlic and onions

 

Then carrots, celery and green peppers (I forgot to take a picture of the celery)

Add water (or stock), then the seafood.

Bring to a boil, then add Cream of Mushroom (I prefer the canned variety but Mamu always uses the powdered one in a a pouch)

Voila! Seafood creamy goodness!

Boullabaise has been one of our comfort foods growing up but it's been awhile since Mamu cooked this. Tough I can easily replicate this dish, as I've done a couple of times, it's still different if Mamu makes it.  I know it sounds cheesy, but she really makes comfort food more comforting.

Roadtrips with Mamu

After months of thinking about it, weeks of talking about it with friends (eyes roll everytime the topic comes up) and days of researching I finally have my own blog! Yehey!

This was actually harder than I expected. I've been staring in front of the monitor for than two days contemplating on what my first blog should be. My friend (Henry) told me that it should be something about the site, sort of a bird's eye view.

So here goes... My brother left for the US a couple of days ago to pursue his medical internship training at West Virginia. Judging from the daily calls my mom and I could easily surmise that he was homesick. So to ease his homesickness and to keep him updated with what's going on I decided to start blogging.

Who is Mamu? She is my beloved Mamu who who like me, misses Johann (my brother). I promised her that we would be taking trips together to ease both our pangs of loneliness. I hope to take her to drive her around, that is when I finally learn how to drive, wherever the road will lead us.

In a nutshell, this is what the site is all about. Happenings in the Philippines to keep a loved one abroad updated and somehow ease their homesickness. I'll write about food, trips, experiences and anything about home.