Mirsbin’s Kitchen

Unlike other kids, I was never allowed to go out in the streets to play during summer (well I was actually not allowed to play outside also during school days). I would normally spend my afternoons with my sisters and my brother. Since I was not allowed to play in the streets, I wasn’t allowed too to buy food from the streets. So I could say I missed a lot of good stuff to eat during those days.

My friends would talk about scramble, corn, manggang hilaw and fishballs. But I wouldn’t get to taste them until I was in U.P. Just the other day, I was running from the resto to the streets because I saw a man sellling scramble. So, pathetic as it sounds I finally tasted what scramble was. Well, I didn’t like it hehehe but that’s another story.

My mom prepared a lot of good stuff to eat. If it’s summer then it’s definitely mango tart season. My mom would receive mangoes in their “kaings” from our small land in Pangasinan and would check it if it was suitable for mango tart, mango shake or just to be eaten with our hands. Last friday, I suddenly thought of making and eating mango tart again.

The memories that came back as soon as the melted butter hit the ground graham crackers. The sweet and tangy taste of cream cheese and cottage cheese made me feel that my mom was making the tart with me. I found joy in arranging each mango slice on top of the cream cheese mixture. I was surprised that I was able to do it in less then an hour. During my younger years, it was all a big production number. Someone was assigned in making ground graham crackers, pounding and sifting until it was in powder form. The another was tasked to peel and slice the mangoes according to the desired size. Then my other sister would mix the cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar in a manual mixer. Imagine the scents it created in the kitchen.

Here’s the guarded Mango Tart recipe of my mom. I still have the orginal piece of paper where she wrote the recipe. Whenever I feel sad, I just look at her handwriting and start thinking of the good old days.

Mango Tart

Crust:
2 1/2 cups ground Graham crackers or any digestive will do
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar

Filling:
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 bar cream cheese soften
1 cup cottage cheese

Mango slices
1 pack clear gelatin

Combine graham crackers, butter, cinnamon and sugar. Press mixture at the bottom of a pyrex dish or any square pan. Keep it in the refrigerator while mixing the filling. Beat the whipping cream for 2 minutes then add cottage cheese, cream cheese and sugar. Pour on top of the crust the refrigerate for 3 hours. Arrange the mango slices. Then cook the gelatin according to the package directions and pour on top of the mango slices. Chill for another 3 hours.

This LP 11 is hosted by JMom

I lost my dad last week, so I found it more fitting to write about my food memories with him for LP10. My dad loved to eat and so did the whole Angeles family. Each gathering we had was celebrated with too much food and a lot of laughter. During the wake most of the guests told us it looked like it was a big party. We had a lot of food, most of it Daddy liked.

As a child, daddy introduced me to different kinds of food, from hotel dishes to really good food found in the many restos here in Manila. As early as 5 years old I was already exposed to hotel cuisine. My favorite at that time was the halo halo at the Westin Philippine Plaza. I could not remember though if I liked the halo halo for it’s taste or was it because it was served in a big glass bowl with a small umbrella. I was fascinated at the dishes served at the Intercon’s Jeepney shop. Plus I truly loved the truffles at the Manila Peninsula.

I remember the first time I drank Iced Tea (brewed tea from Lipton’s brisk tea) it was served to me at the Philippine Columbian. It was there I also saw how Caesar Salad was made from scratch. Waiters in their bow ties would make the salad dressing in wooden bowls, mixing the egg yolk with the olive oil.

The best times that we had was when we ate Chicken Bbq in Aristocrat near Malate Church after Simbang Gabi. Daddy would always order the “flying saucer” – adobo sandwich that was heated and cut into a circle.

Too many food memories to write about. But during these times of grief, I think about these one by one. I was flooded with these fond memories as he was laid to rest. No more pain, no more sadness. I wonder what he’s having for dinner in heaven.

My mom was never a hands on cook, she would always attend cooking classes in the Maya Kitchen or wherever there is a cooking demo but she never cooked it, she only discussed the recipe to my yaya. I only saw her hold a mixing spoon for buko salad and for macaroni salad during Christmas but never a knife to prepare the ingredients for a certain dish. The person who always executed the many recipes that she learned was my yaya. It was my yaya Flor also known as Waps who became my mentor in the kitchen plus the cooking show Cooking It Up with Nora Daza.

I spent many afternoons watching Waps while she prepared dinner for the family. By the time I was eight she let me peel carrots. But during the first time, I managed not only to peel the carrots but also part of my thumb. To the horror of Waps the carrot started to turn red. But this did not discourage me from cooking more meals. Today we still cook together sometimes we argue on the techniques used in cooking, she still believes that the “pang gisa” should be boiled first while I want it stir fried over high heat. As I start my new career in cooking, I attribute my love for cooking to Waps who was patient enough to teach me things in the kitchen and to my mom who let me be her assistant.

I once remember Waps fixing the taste of the meatsauce that I cooked according to what my sisters liked. They like the sweet party spaghetti kind, while I liked the Italian style. I simply brushed it off but noted that the I didn’t get her approval. But the moment we were seated at the dinner table, she announced that it was I who cooked dinner.

Today as my niece and nephews begin to enjoy helping in the kitchen, I find it amusing as I start to mentor them too. They would always ask me -”Cook ka ba Iya? Pag luto ka sama ako ha?” Then they would be happy even just to hand me a carrot or a spoonful of sugar. I wonder who among these 4 small kids would be the one interested in pursuing a career in the kitchen.

Here is Waps’ recipe for BBQ Chicken (you have to taste it from time to time since she only mixes the marinade according to taste, there are no measurements). We loved eating this when we were kids and my sisters still request for it now that they have their own kids!

1 kilo chicken legs
worcestershire sauce
a lot of garlic
brown sugar
calamansi
soy sauce
salt and pepper

Mix the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, calamansi with salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and marinate if overnight. You can choose to bake or grill the chicken until cooked.

And I’m super late with this Lasang Pinoy on Breakfast. I’m so late it’s almost “brunch” (past breakfast but not yet lunch) just like what I’ve been having these past few days. I was waiting for my sister who promised to bring home breakfast from a restaurant in Tomas Morato named Heaven and Eggs she was super late I ended up eating my order during lunch. While waiting, our dear cook served me champorado and two pieces of tuyo.

Days before I was trying to write this article I was thinking of a good breakfast to write about. Then I remembered how I loved champorado with milk and sugar. My original article was supposed to be entitled “Ado at Away”. “Ado” in our house means champorado and “away” is sugar. I grew up hearing this story again and again. My eldest sister could not pronounce champorado when she was just 3 years old thus the reason for “Ado” then “Away” well they just couldn’t understand why hehe. The story is now being retold again and again for the amusement of my niece and nephews who have started to like champorado.

As a child I loved champorado but I usually pair it with salami. My sisters found me weird since they ate it with tuyo. I like pairing food especially if it’s sweet, I then pair it with something salty. One thing I also love when I eat champorado is when I still feel the grains of the sugar. I don’t mix it too well so that the sugar won’t be dissolved. Sometimes I eat the champorado with milk sometimes I like it without. I also sometimes like it cold compared to the steaming hot. And it’s definitely a must during rainy days when you wished you can just stay at home.

Lasang Pinoy 7 Round up by Chichajo

It was Oktoberfest in 2002 when we I was invited by my friend, Micky Fenix to taste and check out the beer in Dusit Hotel Nikko. It used to be a German resto complete with a big beer brewing machine in the middle. I’ve never been back but my brother told me that they now serve freshly brewed San Miguel beer. I wasn’t really after the beer but I wanted to try out German dishes. As pulutan, we had an all meat platter from lamb chops to grilled beef and a lot of sausages. We we’re really full when we finished. All those meat that was either grilled or fried.

In another get together at Craic an Irish pub in Jupiter street way back again in 2002, we also had beer that time while watching Top TV commercials. What I really liked are the pig knuckles and the crispy beef that was named I think after an actor. I’m not sure if it was Tom Cruise or somebody else.

As for me, beer drinking is just a once in a blue moon thing but I really do enjoy making pulutan for the my friends. They will have the usual chicharon, peanuts or garlic mushrooms, but here are two recipes that they’ve enjoyed and it’s good “ulam” material too

Here are two recipes that have ketchup as a sauce, I’ve made it a number of times but I sure want to share it with you the next time you have a beer drinking night

Shrimps in Sweet and Spicy sauce

1 kilo of shrimps or prawns
1 head of garlic
1 medium sized onion
1 cup ketchup
2 cups of 7-up or sprite
chili sauce

Saute the garlic and onions until brown, then add the shrimps. Before the shrimps turn orange add the 7-up or Sprite then let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the ketchup, chili sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce becomes thick. You can also try to add some sugar to make it a little sweet.

Sausages with Caramelized Onions

1 pack of frankfurters or any hotdog, sliced diagonally (except the red kind)
1 cup onions
2 tbps olive oil
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsps sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
tabasco (optional)

Saute onions in olive oil until caramelized. Once the onions are a bit brown add the hotdogs or frankfurters then cook for 3 mins. Pour the ketchup, soy sauce and sugar and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add tobasco or chili sauce if you want to make it spicy then season with salt and pepper.