A recent dinner with friends in Charlotte gave us cravings for sumptuous Filipino dishes we enjoyed at my grandparents home. Proof that you do not know what you have been blessed with until you no longer have it. It was somewhat a wake up call for me. How will I teach my children to savour Filipino food if I don’t know how to cook them myself?
One website asserted Filipino dishes were simple and easy to cook. Certainly not in my humble opinion! I recall toiling under Mum’s supervision, chopping vegetables and meat on end and keeping the pot under strict surveillance lest we overcook or forget to include that key ingredient. It is a challenge sourcing all the vegetables from the legendary bahay kubo, and equally exhausting trying to remember exactly how Mum or Mama prepared the dish to get the flavours just right!
And in a blend of cultures, “What’s for tea*?” takes an interesting twist. These last few weeks has seen a reneissance of delightful Filipino dishes on our table (as authentic as being cooked by a Philippine-born Australian living in the United States). Pasta, potatoes and bread will just have to take a back seat for now.
[*To our Southern friends, tea translates to supper or dinner!* Sigh and simmering shoulda-coulda-beans (should-have and could-have-beens). Should have paid more attention as an apprentice in Mum's kitchen. Could have mastered classic Filipino dishes such as kare-kare, mungo, and pansit minus the stress. Paumanhin. None of the recipes were actually followed to the tee, but Market Manila was one website I enjoyed reading while searching for recipes to build our cooking repertoire. North Carolina, March 2009]
