I had a string of yayas (nannies) before I was old enough to go to school but none was more memorable than Nanay Juaning. She was only four feet tall, wore a patadyong (locally woven checkered wrap around skirt) , chewed nganga (betel nut) and cursed like a sailor.
I guess I remember her best because she was the only one who did not shoo me away from the kitchen when I wanted to watch her cook.
She would patiently demonstrate how to clean rice grains before cooking. The process, called pagtatahip, was to place the rice on a shallow, rounded woven basket and to flip it around letting the wind gently blow away the husk and powdered bits. Her stubby fingers would then trace a wavy pattern on the rice grains and pick out small stones and pieces of dirt (this was way before hypermarkets). Before cooking the rice she would squat beside the kitchen door and chew on her nganga, spitting out red saliva every minute or so. Once she finished her chewing habit, she would quietly proceed to the kitchen and cook the rice.
She would let me taste the food that she liked, including fried tiyan ng bangus, pajo (small mango) and tuba (sweet palm wine). I would stop playing pretend Wonder Woman everytime she calls me to the kitchen. Time in the kitchen with her was always spent discovering new tastes and textures.
When we left Iloilo for Manila, she went with us but only stayed a while before returning to her hometown. I can't recall whatever happened to her but I will always remember her for being one of the first people who made me appreciate working in the kitchen.
I rediscovered tuba a few years back on a trip to Cagayan de Oro when I came across a commercially produced vinegar made out of tuba. I brought home a bottle and used it for adobo. The recipe eventually transformed into the one that I am sharing with you now.
I guess I remember her best because she was the only one who did not shoo me away from the kitchen when I wanted to watch her cook.
She would patiently demonstrate how to clean rice grains before cooking. The process, called pagtatahip, was to place the rice on a shallow, rounded woven basket and to flip it around letting the wind gently blow away the husk and powdered bits. Her stubby fingers would then trace a wavy pattern on the rice grains and pick out small stones and pieces of dirt (this was way before hypermarkets). Before cooking the rice she would squat beside the kitchen door and chew on her nganga, spitting out red saliva every minute or so. Once she finished her chewing habit, she would quietly proceed to the kitchen and cook the rice.
She would let me taste the food that she liked, including fried tiyan ng bangus, pajo (small mango) and tuba (sweet palm wine). I would stop playing pretend Wonder Woman everytime she calls me to the kitchen. Time in the kitchen with her was always spent discovering new tastes and textures.
When we left Iloilo for Manila, she went with us but only stayed a while before returning to her hometown. I can't recall whatever happened to her but I will always remember her for being one of the first people who made me appreciate working in the kitchen.
I rediscovered tuba a few years back on a trip to Cagayan de Oro when I came across a commercially produced vinegar made out of tuba. I brought home a bottle and used it for adobo. The recipe eventually transformed into the one that I am sharing with you now.
INGREDIENTS:
- 12 pcs. Chicken lollipop
- 1 cup sukang tuba (vinegar made from coconut wine)
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 garlic cloe
- 1 tbsp pepper corn
- 2 tsp honey
PROCEDURE:
Place the chicken wings in a wok or round pan. Peel and crush the garlic. Place on top of chicken together with peppercorn. Pour in the vinegar and the soy sauce. Turn the fire on to medium heat. When the sauce boils, mix the honey in and lower the heat. Let it simmer until it reaches a thick consistency.
it's chicken adobo that smells and tastes like inasal! yummy!
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