Time
for Filipino Food
Here is an abbreviated version of a recent article I wrote for "VIA Times Newsmagazine." I had been writing about history and politics for a while and decided that it was time for a change, time for a word about Filipino Food. Enjoy:
"I
recently emailed my Sheboygan, Wisconsin nephew Nick (not his real name) who
has a Filipino fiancée. The subject was
food. He replied promptly and
enthusiastically. We both love Filipino food.
Nick and fiancée Clara (not her real
name) from central Mindanao have been going together for several years now, so
I was curious to know what their favorite Filipino foods were. In looking back now at Nick’s email reply, I
can see that my nephew was writing at the end of a tiring day. He was thinking about my question, but his
answers were coming to him slowly at first.
Thus I was not surprised that his first thoughts were about baked goods
since Nick is noted for his sweet-tooth.
“In terms of my favorite Filipino recipe,” he said, “I would have to say
Puto.” (Nick has adopted the common
Filipino culinary usage for ‘puto’.) “That’s
the steamed muffin-type snack commonly served with cheese on top. Clara makes some great puto and she makes it
for sale.” Nick then adds that “chicken
or pork adobo are good served with rice.
These would be Clara’s favorites,” that is the adobos and puto.
Nick
went on to describe some of his own sweet-type recipes that he shared with
Clara and her family. He was clearly more alert now. “I enjoy
cooking, and when I travelled to the Philippines I thought it would be good to
cook some of my favorite recipes from the USA for Clara’s family. For years I have been travelling to the Philippines
just prior to the New Year. As you may
already know, Filipinos enjoy celebrating the New Year by partying all night
long with fireworks and a lot of food. I
offered to cook some food for the occasion.
One of my kids’ favorites is my homemade pizza and bread sticks. It also seemed to be a favorite of Clara’s
family too. It seemed they like many of
the recipes I brought with me . . . angel food cake, chocolate chip cookies,
homemade cheese cake.” A sweet-tooth
indeed.
Reading
his next food observation, I could tell that Nick’s food-memories were cooking. “In many celebrations in the
Philippines it is common to roast a pig. Families would raise a pig until it
was big enough to slaughter and roast over a big fire. Clara’s daughter did just that. She got a pig
and raised it for months. The last time
I visited, the pig was there at their house, kept like we might keep a
dog. But the pig was meant for a feast. I witnessed the roasting of one of these pigs
for one feast. It is a major undertaking. Getting enough wood together, setting up the
pipe for the spit that will be able to hold the weight of the pig and be able
to turn. Then roasting the pig for hours
until it is fully cooked. They would
take turns turning the spit by hand.
Serving the pig was just a matter of putting the whole pig on a table
for everyone to carve off a piece of meat.”
Nick’s description of the pig roast resonated with me entirely. I particularly enjoy Filipino pork adobo and
have made it myself on a couple of special occasions, though I have never
attended a pork roast such as he described, though I have often heard about them.
Nick
then ended rather abruptly: “Unfortunately it is time for me to sleep.” I sent him a thank-you email and said that it was nice to observe someone else who can be kept awake by the thought of good food. Then come the happy dreams."
Bob Boyer
November 14, 2019
