Going Bananas

H comes back from a morning at the market and as always I ask her if there was anything interesting that she saw or heard. What kinds of fish or fruit was on sale; if my favorite rice cake was available; or, whether she was able to get a good bargain on the vegetables. She proceeds to recount her conversation with her favorite veggie vendor.

“Ate, mayroon ka bang salary?”, H asked.
“Ano?”, the vendor retorted.
“Ay! Celery pala.”, H corrected herself.

H gave out a good laugh and I too joined in her laughter.

The ability to laugh at oneself speaks volume of the type of person one is. A trait most Filipinos are blessed with. And yes, like most Filipinos, H smiles freely, has a good disposition, and overall is a happy person. No one would guess that she, like countless Filipinos, has her share of family problems and cares.

No wonder Filipinos are known world-wide to be one of the happiest people.

Have you laughed at yourself lately?

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It must be the bananas that give Filipinos a happy disposition. When I visit local markets, I am pleasantly surprise at the variety of bananas displayed for sale. Abroad, specially in the western part of the world, you will be lucky to see two different types of bananas. (Does that tell you something?)

And happily, the Filipinos have come up with just as many ways to enjoy the different types of bananas. And as with all recipes, everyone has their own version. So you can literally come up with a thousand and one recipes for bananas. What follows is a simple “turon” recipe —or sometimes referred to as banana spring roll. How funny is that?!?!

Turon

6 saba (cardaba) (not green, not too ripe, just ripe & firm enough)
Lumpia wrapper (spring roll wrapper)
Cooking oil
Brown sugar

Quarter a peeled saba length-wise. You will have 4 slices per banana. This will make for a dainty finish product.

Place a slice of banana on a lumpia wrapper and proceed to wrap up the banana like you would a spring roll.



Set aside.



Heat up some cooking oil—enough to submerge your “turon”. Once oil is hot, gently slide each turon into the oil. Have a bowl with brown sugar ready and near by.



When Turon starts to turn golden, sprinkle liberally with brown sugar (or not if you wish to cut on the sugar). The sugar will melt and adhere to the turon.
Remove the turon quickly as soon as it’s deliciously brown and place upright in a colander.



Serve piping hot with your favorite iced drink.



Note: Traditionally, strips of jackfruit are included in the turon. But for lack of jackfruit, try adding half to one teaspoon of your favorite jam or jelly to your turon for a delightful twist.

If you would rather have a healthy option, arrange your unpeeled saba in a pot. Add enough water to cover and bring up the heat. Once it boils, lower the flame to a simmer. It’s ready once a fork can easily prick through its peel.



A banana a day keeps depression away.

TB or not TB

I am a hypochondriac. The smallest ache, the slightest skin discoloration, a drop in weight can set me off into a mindless journey into a tunnel of despair.

Recently, I came from such a journey. It all started with a sore throat and joint aches. I did not think about it much—at first. A little warm salt water gargle, a pain killer and mega-dose of Vitamin C would do the trick.



The malaise I felt did not go away as quickly as I expected. It lingered on like an unwelcomed guest. Then early one morning, I woke up and coughed up a mean looking phlegm.

Enter the working of a crazy mind of a hypochondriac. I had TB. I knew it. I got it from my contact with the poor kids I mentor to once a month. I was not careful when I held their hands, touched their faces and partook of Holy Communion with them.

I am going to die all because of my exposure; my involvement. I should have heeded my family’s warning about picking up a disease from my excursions to the poor neighborhood.

I then started to think of how to disengage myself from the mentoring program. Donate money would be a better and cleaner option. Even better, just stay at home and limit any form of human contact.

But wait! Somewhere deep down instead of me, sanity surfaced. I realized that I am going to die— someday. Maybe from TB, maybe not. Maybe from food poisoning picked up from my trips; or a tragedy less poignant as dying from old age.

Surely the tragedy would not be contracting some dreaded disease. There are remedies for that. The tragedy would be letting the fear of dying hold me back from doing something good for the least of my neighbors. This would be the greater malaise, the greater disease that would rob me of living a full life.

Thankfully, the mindless journey came to an end. I am on the road to recovery.

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My participation at a recent pre-Advent retreat gave me a better understanding on living a full life. It was an opportunity to listen to two young priests who were very articulate. But their joyful aura gave more testament to their talk on life and eternity.

But besides the memorable talks, there were also the simple but flavorful meals served by the sisters managing the retreat house. One dish that I enjoyed a lot was Fish Sarsiado. Or also called Kardilyong Isda. It’s a dish that in its simplicity one can derive great pleasure.

Here’s my version of such a recipe that captures the simple joys of eating.

Fish Sarsiado

You will need:
½ kilo of alumahan ( striped mackerel) or Matang Baka (Big-eyed Scad)



Oil for frying fish
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ c stock or water
1-2 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper and patis (Optional)

What to do:
After cleaning the fish, season with salt and pepper. Heat up oil in a pan and fry the fish.Set aside once done.

In another pan, add about a tablespoon of oil. Saute the garlic, onions and the tomatoes until tender. Add just enough stock or water to half-cover the veggies (some use rice washing— resulting water from washing your rice prior to cooking). Add the fried fish and bring to a quick boil before lowering the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes so that the fish can soak up some of the moisture. Stir in the beaten eggs and continue to simmer until the eggs have set. Season with salt and pepper and maybe some fish sauce.

Transfer to your serving dish and as always this goes very well with steaming rice.

(picture to follow when I cook this again at home)

“Eternity begins when we live a full and joyful life. A full life that can only be attained by following in the teaching of Jesus (or in the teaching of ones chosen faith). Fear only holds us back from living life to the fullest.”

Garden Duty

A cloudy day and the garden calls for attention.



Weeds to pull; baby basil plants to transfer from recycled sardine cans to a proper home in the ground;



grass to cut and unruly vines to trim.



Thankfully, I had M to assist me and we quietly went to work.

There is something to be said about the calming, almost trance-like, experience I get when I work in my tiny plot. Bothersome thoughts would come but would not stay long. How could they when my focus was on tilling the soil around my plants. By tilling around their base, the plants and I allow each other to breath easy.



A slow breeze try to cool off my flashed face. A butterfly leisurely float from one tiny flower to the next. A ladybug lands on my thumb. Everything seems to be right in the world.

Before I knew it, we were done. I stand to admire the result of our ministration.



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I held myself back from picking the leaves off my basil plants. I would need at least 2 cups of leaves to make a decent pesto. Perhaps in two weeks time. For now I turn my attention on my bushy oregano plant. It’s been more than two years now since I planted my oregano. Just running my hands through it’s tiny leaves send up a pleasing aromatic scent— reminding me of summer and all things Mediterranean.

Speaking of the oregano, I share with you today a recipe I got out of a Williams- Sonoma recipe book on chicken. It calls for some oregano.



When I first came across it, I was intrigued by it’s title, “Basque Chicken”. You see my mother’s father was a Basque. But that’s another story which I will reserve for another time.

Now on to the recipe. Like me, I am sure, you will find it easy to do and has an aroma that is sure to captivate you.

Basque Chicken
Adoptation From Williams- Sonoma Kitchen Library

1 chicken, about 1.5 kilos (In my case, I use thighs & legs)
3 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme (I omit this if I don’t have it)
½ teaspoon dried oregano (in my case, I use 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano)
2 shallots, chopped ( I used 1 medium size onion)
2 tomatoes, sliced ( I used 5 tiny pinoy tomatoes)
1 cup chicken stock (I used ½ cube of chicken buillion dissolved in 1 cup water)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup green olives, preferably Italian (I used whatever the supermarket is selling)
½ cup black olives, preferably Italian
Note on olives: I used ½ cup only of either black or green olives

Skin the chicken and cut into 8 pieces. Time off any excess fat.
Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Stir in the thyme and oregano and add the chicken.
Saute, turning the pieces as they become golden, 3-4 minutes on each side. (set aside)



Add the shallots (or onions) and tomatoes to the skillet and stir until soft, 2-3 minutes. Pour in ½ cup of the stock and bring to a boil. De glaze the pan by stirring to dislodge any browned bits. Add the olives.



Return the chicken back into the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.



Stir the sauce and then pour in the remaining ½ cup stock. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter with sauce and serve.



Serves 4-6.

Good Copy

When I was growing up, copying was a no-no. Teachers would always announce before a test, “No copying”. It was fashion suicide if you find that you have on the same dress or blouse as another guest at a party. Woe to you if you were caught passing counterfeit bills. There was always the call to be original, to be a trail blazer, a one-of-a-kind.

As I grew older, I realize that like anything in life, there are always two sides to a coin. And copying too can be positive. Positive when one tries to emulate someone’s noble action— a favorite hero or saint or a child’s unconditional love; positive if the outcome brings some benefit to oneself or to others-- like copying best practices picked up in the corporate world and incorporate in ones business or outreach program; positive if you feel joy and fulfillment— like singing or dancing ala Byonce (in your room).

I did a lot of copying while I was recuperating from a strained back muscle. It brought me much joy and a feeling of accomplishment when I gave water coloring a try. I tried my best to make a water color copy a picture I took of a gumamela. Can't compete with nature but as they say, "Copying is sincerest form of flattery".


Nature's Beauty


My sincere attempt at Flattery

The second was to copy a beadwork done by some African tribe woman on a bottle. My copying skills were truly put to a test with wonderful results. I have then moved on to teach my help how to copy what I copied in an effort to give them something new to learn and occupy their time.


The original


My copy

How about you? Copied anything interesting lately?

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For lunch today, we are having Sauted Beef with Eggplant & Alugbati (Malabar spinach). The original recipe I copied from my mother. To lend some bit of originality to it, I have tweaked the recipe and used oyster sauce instead of soy sauce. You are most welcome to copy and give it your own special tweak.

Sauted Beef Strips with Eggplant & Alugbati

1 ½- 2 cups of chopped eggplants (soak in water to keep from discoloring)



2-3 cups of rinsed alugbati leaves
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped



¼ kilo of beef strips (if you suspect it to be tough, give it some pounding)
2-3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
½ c of stock or water
1 green chili pepper (sili espada or mahaba)
Salt and pepper and fish sauce (patis- optional)

Saute the garlic then follow this up with the onions. When the onions become translucent, add the tomatoes. Saute until tomatoes are tender before adding the beef strips. Cook lightly over medium to low heat. Add a splash of water or stock and the oyster sauce. Toss in a green chili pepper and the eggplants. Let simmer for awhile. Season with salt and pepper and fish sauce (patis) if the spirit moves you.

Add the alugbati leaves once the eggplants become tender. Stir to wilt the leaves. Check the flavor and correct if necessary with more salt and pepper.

Serve piping hot with steamed rice.

Now Na!

In preparation for Advent, I was tasked by the Parish Scholarship Committee to give a 5-minute talk about sacrifice. My talk would be given to 70 scholars whose ages range from 7years old to 18 years old and a sprinkling of parents. Although I have never been comfortable speaking before a crowd, it was made doubly difficult as the talk had to be in Tagalog. The Committee felt that because of my difficulty with the language and my tendency to be goofy when nervous, the resulting talk would have some comedy element.

If I am to speak about sacrifice, then I too must walk the talk. Please allow me now to share with you the sacrifice I made by giving the short talk below (and the sacrifice my listeners had to go through).. Comments on how else I could improve my tagalog is most welcomed. Who knows, there maybe a career for me as a stand-up comedian. Then again, this could be painful so you can just skip this part and scroll down for the recipe.
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Sino sa inyo ay may gustong pumunta sa langit? (A lot of hands were raised)
Alam nyo ba kung paano makarating sa langit? (you could hear a pin drop. Alam nyo pumunta sa Cubao o Makati pero hindi nyo alam paano pumunta sa langit…. finally some brave souls ventured to speak …magpakabait, masunurin sa batas ng bayan at simbahan— hindi magnakaw, mag simba, mag compisal, tumulong sa kawa, ,..etc…etc. )

Kung tutuosin, madaling pumunta sa langit kung tularin natin si Jesus. Si Jesus ay suma cum laude sa pag-gawa ng sacripisyo para sa atin.

Madali talaga ang mag-sabi o isipin kung anong mga paraan para tularin natin si Jesus. Ang problema, mahirap gawin ang tama. Ang nakakalungkot pa, mas madali gumawa ang mali… hindi nakakapagod, hindi nakaka-abala sa atin, minsan nakakatuwa pa. Wag nalang pumasok sa paaralan—kapoy! (smiles from the Visayans in the crowd) Wag nalang tumulong maglinis sa bahay— nakakadistorbo sa pag nood ng TV! (guilty smiles from the kids) Mas masarap matulog kaysa pumunta sa simbahan. Mas-fresco kung sexy ang suot natin kung mag-simba tayo. Nakakatuwa mang-asar sa teacher o magulang (lots of nodding of heads from parents).

Pero nakita at narinig ko ang mga boses natin. Gusto natin pumunta sa langit. Pero kung talaga yon ang gusto natin, dapat simulan natin ang pag-sacripisyo o pag-alay ng mga mabuting gawain para kay Jesus ngayon na. As in NOW NA. Wag hintayin na mag-anonsyo si Kabayan Noli de Castro (news reporter) na may parating na malakas na bagyo. Wag hintayin na matapos ang away ni Pacman at Marquez. Wag hintayin na magka-pera tayo; wag hintahin ang birthday natin o retirement; wag hintayin ang bukas. Kasi, paano kung hindi dumating ang bukas. Porgatorio ang landing natin. O imperno—kung BIG Time ang mga kasalanan natin.

Ngayon, ito ang hamon ko sa inyo—sa atin lahat. Sa papel na ibibigay sa inyo ng mga mentors, i-sulat kung anong pwede nyo i-sacrifice or offer para kay Jesus. Hindi kaylangan BUNGA. Ang isulat nyo ay dapat kayang-kaya nyong gawin, kayang-kaya nyo i-promise ng gawing araw-araw. Isipin nyo na ang i-alay o sacripisyo nyo ay parang barya na iniipon sa isang alkansia. Sana, kung matapos ang buhay natin sa mundong ito—magkasakit, ma-aksidente, ma-kalamidad, tumanda-- puno na ang alkansia ng mga pang alay o sacripisyo at sapat gamitin para maka-pasok sa langit at umupo sa tabi ni Jesus.

Pagkatapos nyong isulat ang promise nyo, paki-bigay nalang sa mga mentors. Sa Christmas party natin, ibabalik ito sa inyo at i-alay ninyo ito sa sanggol na Jesus.



(When I asked a Grade 1 scholar assigned to me what his sacrifice was, his exact response with matching naughty smile was, “Hindi na mag-cut ng clase.” That is enough for me. )

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A feeding program takes place every Sunday at the same depressed area. Since our mentoring sessions only happens on the 2nd Sunday of each month, I sometimes get a chance to see what’s being served to the children ages 7 and below. The meal is very simple: chicken porridge, chicken adobo, boiled egg, chicken afritada or pancit in all its variation.

Interesting enough, a pancit that I saw being served at one Sunday was pancit miki (fresh egg noodle). Before I ever had sotanghon, bihon, or any other Asian noodles-- pancit miki was the first. I remember the plumpness, roundness, yellowness of the noodle and how my mother would purchase this fresh only at the wet market. Now-a-days, it’s a staple dish in many carenderia. So do give this lowly noodle a try when you need to get a noodle fix.

Mommy's Pancit Miki

½ kilo fresh pancit miki (rinse in hot water to remove some of the saltiness)
Some oil for sauting
pork, sliced into strips- about ½ c
½ chicken breast, sliced into strips
100 grams shrimps, shelled, deveined and chopped coarsely
½ Chinese sausage, thinly sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
About 1 cup of sliced cabbage
½ c carrot, sliced into strips
½ c sliced bagiou beans
1 ½ c stock or water
2 T soy sauce
Salt and pepper
1 t cornstarch dispersed in 1 T water (maybe omitted)

Heat oil and sauté the garlic, onions followed by the pork, chicken, shrimps and Chinese sausage. After a few minutes of stirring the ingredients around, pour in the stock or water. Bring to a boil then quickly lower heat so that mixture just simmers away. Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and leave allow for about 5 minutes.

While continuing to simmer add the carrots and beans. After about 3 minutes, add the noodles and mix. Move the noddles to the side and add the cornstarch mixture. Stir in the remaining stock until it thickens. Add the cabbage and give the noodles a quick toss about. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serve while piping hot with a sauce of soy sauce & calamansi (lemon).



As there are a million ways with noodles, there are many ingredients you can add or omit:
-soften & sliced dried mushrooms
-cubes of fried tokwa (tofu)
- patola, peeled and cubed
- bell peppers
- ham
The sky’s the limit.

The Other Way Around

One morning, I decided to hitch a ride with my daughter. She had called for a cab to take her to work and by joining her, I would be spared the effort of having to walk to a nearby house of a friend.

In the short ride, my daughter exclaimed out of the blue, “Come to work with me mommy.”

I laughed at the request and told her that her boss would surely be alarmed if he saw a grey-haired lady sitting at the back of her desk busy making cut-out dolls.

In the short ride, we both recalled the many times she went with me to the office and the activities she did to keep from being bored: taking one document from me and bringing it to my staff at a near by room; punching holes and collecting the punched out dots; using the dater and pretend to be busy stamping away a stack of newspaper; and, best of all going to the canteen for some snacks. On top of that, she had to make herself as invisible to the boss as possible— a tough challenge not to call out loudly, “Mommy, come here.” Or “Mommy, I need to go.”



Soon I was at my friend’s house. I bid my daughter good-bye as I got out of the cab. As her cab sped away, I wondered if there will indeed come a time when daughters or sons will be allowed to bring their parent/s to work. The most compelling reason for doing so: the parent’s caretaker was sick or had not returned and there was no one who could spend time with the parent. It’s the same major reason why parents bring their kids to work.

Several companies now provide daycare centers for the children of their employees. Would companies in the future provide elderly daycare centers for the parents of their employees?

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What do both kids and the elderly have in common? They are usually served oatmeal. And rightly so. It's healthy, it's rich in fiber and can be mixed with a variety of fruits and nuts. Its preparation is only limited by ones imagination.

Now here's a recipe that will not only delight both the young and the old but everyone else in between.

Mookies

recipe found in Sunset's 1997 Recipe Annual Edition
It says that Pam Afpinall, a coffee shop owner, was experimenting, trying to make the best oatmeal cookie around. Her customers picked the cookie made using this recipe. It resembled a muffin, so they called it a "mookie."

* Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups regular rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened shredded dried coconut
1/2 cup raisins
* Instructions:
Mix butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended.



Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.



In another bowl, combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder.



Blend oat mixture with butter mixture.



Stir in walnuts, coconut and raisins.



Pack cookie dough into an ice cream scoop (4-ounce size) or 1/2-cup measuring cup. Scrape dough level with rim and empty onto lightly oiled baking sheets, spacing dough about 3 inches apart.



Bake at 350 degrees until cookie edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes. If using one oven, switch pans halfway through baking.



Cool cookies on a rack, serve or store airtight up to 2 days.

Letting Go

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Khalil Gibran

My sister’s son—- her only child— is getting ready to leave the “nest”.

For almost a year now, my sister and her husband have been busy psyching themselves of the inevitable. The dutiful son has in turn listened to their wise advise on how to prepare for an independent life.

Relations on both sides of the family have come to rally around my nephew. Consoling words have also been offered to my sister and her husband. It’s probably more difficult for the parents than the child.

As a mother who has gone through the experience almost 7 year ago, it is hard to find the right words that would capture the emotional turmoil going on inside. Happy to see a child finally getting ready to take on the world; apprehensive of what lies ahead; and, hopeful that all the lessons you have repeatedly taught through the growing years would have been absorbed and be of immense value … brush your teeth before you sleep; be alert; say your prayers; eat right; be grateful; lock your doors; be respectful; save; and, always keep in touch. Just a few of the 1001 lessons to remember when leaving the nest.

So, even if it breaks our hearts to see them off, we let go of our darling children. For it’s the only way they can learn how to fly.



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Leaving home can be daunting and exciting at the same time. But knowing how well my sister and her husband guided their son, I am confident that everything will be alright. My sister has also included a crash cooking course in her lesson plan. So if fastfood or teevee dinners start to loss its charm, my nephew will have a skill that would come in handy.

I never got around to teaching my son how to cook. The most I got to do was show him how to operate a gas stove. If I were to do it again, I would teach him how to make an omelette. Not only is it nutritious and easy to do, but it’s very versatile in terms of the numerous filling options one can stuff into it.

An omelette is just a fancy name for a stuffed scrambled egg. And you only need to break two eggs (per person) and not the bank nor your back : )

Easy Omelette
1. Break two eggs into a bowl, add some salt and pepper and beat lightly up to a point that you can still see some whites in the mixture.
(You may also add two tablespoon of milk or water—suppose to make for a fluffy result.)



2. Heat up a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of cooking oil. You can cut down on the oils if you use a non-stick pan.
3. When pan is hot enough, pour in your egg mixture.
4. Let mixture set just a tiny bit before pushing the sides into the center. Your mixture will then result to something comparable to an unmade bed.



5. Once you notice that the mixture is almost set but not dried out, pour your filling in the center of the mixture and flip one side over it.

6. Slide your omelette to your plate and Viola, a meal is made.



Below are some of just a few suggested fillings which you first sauté quickly or cook prior to stuffing your omelette:
a) sliced tomatoes and onions
b) drained canned tuna sauted with onions (or you can just drain the tuna)
c) diced ham and cubed cheese (no need to sauté before or this will be a mess)
d) an assortment of veggies that have been julienned (sliced into matchstick sized) like: sayote, cabbage, onions, leeks,or chives)
e) sliced mushrooms ( top omelette with shredded cheese)

Do remember not to over-stuff your omelette. A good rule of thumb is keep your stuffing to about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup at the most.

R & R (Resting & Reading)

There is only one thing to do if, like me, you need to take to your bed for some length of time. Read.

Luckily, I had two books that were longing to be read—they had been on my bedside table for a long time; a stack of magazines that had started to gather dust; and, a collection of cookbooks that have not been revisited for sometime.

Today, I decided to go through my horde of cookbooks. I heard or read somewhere that one needed only two cookbooks: one, a cookbook that served as a general go-to or manual, containing basic cooking terms and processes. Better if the book had a measurement conversion table. Best still if the book contained a substitution table. The second cookbook would be one containing tried and tested recipes—usually one that is of one’s country or a notebook filled with recipes from dear mama, siblings and friends. I find this to be true as I go through my books in my collection. But I will stretch the number to about 6—the number of dog-eared and food stained go-to books that I have.



The rest, I continue to treasure because 1) I love old cookbooks for the memories they evoke;



2) I love dessert cookbooks for the possible challenges to give a recipe a try;



3) I love cookbooks containing dishes of other countries for the cultural insights they give and sometimes for the fond memories of a country visited.



I expect to be fully recovered in a day or two and alas, I will not be able to go through all of my cookbooks one by one. But for now, I count myself lucky to have them for company.

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I found that there are a couple of recipes I would like to do as soon as I am energized enough to get the ingredients and spend time in the kitchen.

One of them is apple pie. I need to practice my pie crust making skills again in time for the Christmas season. ‘Coz it won’t be Christmas in my house without the scent of cinnamon and apples baking in the kitchen.

I have used this recipe for the apple pie filling for the longest time. Maybe this could become a keeper in your files as well.

Old Fashioned Apple Pie



Recipe for two-crust pie (check out prior post for this or you can use your own recipe)

Apple Pie Filling
½ c sugar
½ c brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ c flour
½ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg (optional)
1/8 t salt
¼ c butter
6-8 medium sized tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced (6 cups)
2 t lemon juice (calamansi will do)

Prepare 2-pie crust recipe and divide into 2. Roll out one-half of the recipe to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the 2nd crust and set aside.

Mix together the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Set Aside.
Sprinkle apples with lemon juice in large bowl; add 1 ½ cs of sugar mixture; toss gently to coat apples evenly. Arrange apples in prepared pastry shell, sprinkle with remaining ½ c sugar mixture. Cut up the butter and put on top of the apples.
Cover top with remaining pie crust and tuck this under the lower crust before crimping. This seals in the juices of the pie. Press edges together with the tines of a fork. Cut gashes on top of the pie to allow steam to escape.

Brush the crust with a lightly beaten egg yolk. This will give the crust a nice brown toasty color once baked. Bake in a hot oven (450 F) for 10 minutes; reduce heat to moderate (350F) continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes until apples are just tender. Carefully remove from the oven and cool before serving.

Note:
a) to keep bottom crust from soaking the juices, sprinkle some of the sugar mixture over the bottom crust before filling the pie.
b) To prevent juices from boiling over and onto your oven, place your pie pan on top of a larger pan. Hopefully, the pan will catch all the drippings.
c) You may top slices of your pie with vanilla ice cream. (pie ala mode)

Practice makes for the picture perfect pie.