Mama had a list of favorite dishes for parties and I wished she wrote down her recipes. I only had one written copy of her chicken macaroni salad. She didn’t teach me how to cook and I wasn’t really interested that time but she allowed me to help prepare garlic, onions (which I hated for making me cry) and veggies that needed to be cut. Paco wet market is her favorite and she would practice her art of haggling. She would haggle and try to walk away slowly until the vendor will be forced to agree with her price. She would buy me garlic peanuts once we completed her purchase.
Mama used basic kitchen tools without the luxury of microwave, pressure cooker or any fancy gadget. Just a trusty pot, pans and gas stove. She was also able to feed a basketball team numerous times plus us on a limited budget. She was the manager of my brothers’ sports team and victory celebrations were always held at home. We were not rich but I never felt lack in food. Mama knew how to feed us in creative and healthy ways. I think Ma prayed for the multiplication of loaves and fishes in that small kitchen counter and God granted it. Mama’s act of love is service and feeding people gave her so much joy.
Ate Elma, Mama and Me with pancit bihon
Party dishes:
Lumpiang shanghai – she would prepare and lovingly hand-wrapped each lumpia with water wash. My task would be to untangle the lumpia wrapper.
Pancit bihon – there was a time when G-Anne didn’t like vegetables as a child so she separated just the pancit for her. She sometimes mixed bihon with canton but for me the classic bihon is the best.
Fried chicken – crunchy, flavorful and one of my best childhood memories.
Pineapple juice – she had the glass container with mugs
Tomato based – spaghetti, menudo
Chicken macaroni salad – Ate Elma makes one exactly like hers. It has pineapples, raisins and shredded chicken strips.
Fruit salad – with buko strips, fruit cocktail mix
Ginataang bilo-bilo – this takes a long time to prepare and my task was to roll the bilo bilo.
Pink Gulaman with Pineapples – it always had to be pink for some reason and placed in a metal llanera.
Everyday menu
Sinigang Ribs – my super comfort food. I remember having my first heartbreak and Mama made sinigang spare ribs. I was completely healed.
Pork liver – fried with onion and best paired with banana catsup. I grew up with UFC banana catsup, I didn’t know catsup was supposed to be tomato in other countries.
Mince meat – with potatoes and leafy veggies soup
Champorado – with tablea or Ricoa powder and tuyo
Monggo – this one she makes a sweet bowl for me before making it savory as a meal.
Seafood – Bangus, dalagang bukid and galunggong, adobong pusit
Pinakbet – being Ilokana and Pangasinense, her pinakbet is either bagoong alamang or isda.
Adobo – either chicken or pork or both
Fruits – She loved fruits in season – chico, lanzones, atis (she said pinaglihi nya ko dito), bananas, dalandan, caimito, mangoes
Favorite Restaurants
Max’s – this is their wedding reception venue in San Juan so Max’s is a sentimental favorite
Savory – I was old when I realized this restaurant is pronounced as “seiveri” and not “savoree”. Our favorite Kalaw branch where we would eat out when Dad has money.
Chowking – one of the earliest branches is at the ground floor of Bel-Air which meant our go-to place for take-out. Its kitchen is literally behind our house so Mama would order halo-halo at the back kitchen and the staff served it using our own bowl.
Maxim’s – located at the corner of Kalaw and the service road, my parents would order chicken feet and siopao – and I truly thought the secret ingredient is cat meat.
Baker’s Fair – we would go to Binondo and Ma would buy pastries and bread here.
Favorite Food
Snickers – Dad would buy Mama a Snickers bar regularly and she would not eat the peanuts because of her dentures. So all along, I kept thinking she should’ve chosen Mars instead.
Chocnut – nutty goodness
Ham – there’s a ham that her friend gives her during the holidays
Food She Sold
Leche flan – Ma ordered leche flan from a friend
Pampanga’s Best – tocino, cheesedog and longganisa from a supplier friend