“I don’t think that’s a good idea. There are a lot of snakes there.”, was the response of my Dad.
My father has long passed away and I never got to visit his hometown. Until this year. Somehow everything clicked: a recent invite from his relatives to visit; cheap airfare; and, the travel itch to be somewhere new. I had brought along my mother who was eager to rekindle ties and introduce me to my father’s relatives.
Although declared recently a city, the birthplace of my father is 20 times less than that if compared with the urban jungle I came from. Rice fields and coconut groves; banana plantations and fish ponds; cattle ranches and chicken farms surround the town center--- and not one movie house in sight!
The house where my father grew up in is no longer there. But the river that run beside the house continues silently to empty itself to the nearby sea.
Did you ever get the feeling of looking at something or someone and realize that it’s both familiar and unfamiliar? Maybe it’s from all the black and white pictures of said place and people that I used to look at as a kid. Or is it possible that my father’s childhood memories reside in the deepest part of my brain?
While there, my mother and I were graciously received at the ancestral house—my great-grandfather’s house. What made the visit more interesting was learning about my father’s family tree as patiently explained by my father’s cousins. And it took me sometime to grasp the connections considering that my great-grandfather had so many relationships!
Best of all were the stories about the magical powers my great-grandfather possessed; the illicit affairs; the ghosts that continue to walk the halls of the ancestral house; and, the struggle to keep the land in the family name. Many enjoyable hours were spent at the dining table with the retelling of these stories.
The sincere and warm invitation to come back for another visit will surely be taken up again. I see it as another way of keeping and staying in touch with my father.
During the visit, we were constantly warned to watch out for snakes. And indeed, as if to prove my father correct, a cobra had come out of the tall grass and was quickly killed by a farm hand. It’s a good thing I don’t scare easily.
-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-
The ancestral home is kept humming with a retinue of loyal staff. Memorable were the delicious meals lovingly prepared. One such dish served was Humba—braised pork belly in a soy sauce and black bean sauce. This was paired with Young Fern Salad and Sauted Ampalaya with Egg. Such a winning combination! The recipes that follow were generously shared by an Aunt charged with the supervision of the kitchen staff.
HUMBA
Ingredients:
1 kilo pork belly, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 small can of pineapple juice
2-3 tablespoon of vinegar
3-4 tablespoon of soy sauce
3-4 tablespoon of brown sugar or moscovado sugar
10 peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
a handful of dried banana blossoms
3- 4 tablespoons preserved salted black beans with canned liquid
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
Fry the sliced pork until golden brown. Place in a pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Pour water enough to cover the pork. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and allow to simmer until the pork is fork-tender.
Ampalaya with Egg
2 medium size ampalaya or bitter gourd
Minced garlic
Sliced onion
A handful of diced pork
2 eggs
Procedure:
Cut the ampalaya diagonally and remove the seeds. Cut into very thin slices and place in salted water for about 15 minutes. Once done, drain and set aside.
Break the eggs into a bowl and scramble them slightly. Set aside.
Saute the garlic, onion and follow this with the diced pork. Once cooked, add the ampalaya and stir until tender. Pour in the scrambled eggs and continue to stir until just done and not dried out. Season with salt and pepper. Serve piping hot.
Fern Salad
1 bunch fern (Pako variety)
Diced tomatoes and onions and some ginger
Vinegarette (vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, a little water)
Blanch the ferns—be careful to quickly drain as the ferns can get soft very quickly and loss its crunch.
Place in a bowl and add the tomatoes and onion. Stir in the vinegarette. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment