Staying Positive

My mom turned 79 early this year. With the celebration came the realization she would need more than her loyal home staff to manage her needs. Being retired and the most eligible among my siblings, I have taken on the task. And I have relocated to Cebu to manage as best as I can my mother’s affairs. 

I blogged about the mixed emotions my siblings, my friends and I go through when dealing with the care of a parent who, once was so independent, is now experiencing memory lapses. (The Quest ; Still Mommy; To Everything Turn Turn Turn).  A year ago, I would call her daily to check how things where. I also flew to Cebu at least four times a year to keep her company. And when she had to visit my siblings in the States, I would be her travel companion.

The Quest

The annual visit of my mother to the States always includes visits to her doctor for the once-a-year routine check-up.   She used to confidently manage these visits on her own with a sibling offering to drive her for the appointments.  But a year ago, she needed to be accompanied to these visits.  We took charge in filling out the usual questionnaire given out and sat with her as she met with her doctors.  (Still Mommy)

Maybe, we reasoned, it was because she was getting on in years.  Slower, more careful with her steps; quieter, more introspective.  On the other hand, she was easily agitated in unfamiliar surroundings; and quick to declare, “I cannot!” 

To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn

Not too long ago, friends and I would spend hours on the topic of child-rearing techniques.  The topics range from the best way to sooth a colic baby; how to prepare delicious meals for picky eaters;  proven approaches to easing the pains of separation anxieties; teaching methods to improve memory; sure-fire tactics on how to deal with rebellious and moody teens.

With our children all grown-up and living their own lives, my friends and I still spend time talking about the same things but this time we speak of our mothers and not our children.  Just like children, our mothers have come to need care, need understanding, need patience, need company, need help.

Reflect to Refresh

Since I retired, I find myself spending more time keeping a close eye on my spiritual growth.  Like most Catholics, my watchfulness peaks during Lent.  And why not? Mass homilies during the Lenten season focus on the need to pray, to change, to repent, to forgive, to listen, to follow. 

And I love that I am reminded again and again. Unlike some of my friends who can quote bible verses by heart, I stumble to remember the exact words or instructions.  

78 and Counting

The Special Morning

The morning sun’s rays were streaming into the window and onto my face. 

“Get up!”,  The sun seemed to say, “It’s your mother’s birthday.”

While I washed my face and tried to make my curls presentable, I recalled the events that lead to this bright January morning.

There really were no plans to celebrate my mother’s birthday this year.  My siblings and I had agreed to wait until my mom turned 80 to have that one big bang of a celebration. 

“But hey!”, One of us declared, “Why wait until mommy turned 80? Every year after 70, nay 60 is cause for celebration.”

The Best Medicine

It began with an itchy throat in the morning.  Good thing I brought some lozenges and the irksome bother was gone. Or so I thought. 

By the afternoon, my body felt heavy and my joints were painful.  Oh, Oh.  This was not good. Specially when I was away from home to accompany my mother with her medical check-ups in the States. An early night to catch some sleep should do the trick and by morning I would be as good as new. Or so I thought. I was up every hour because of a nagging cough.

I did not fare well the next day.  The itchy throat was back with a vengeance and gave me a cough that came at the most embarrassing times. Like in the middle of a conversation with my sister, M. 

Before I had my next coughing spell, M had emptied her medicine cabinet of its cold-cough-flu arsenal of quick fix.   

Still Mommy

“Must not worry.”

I found some comfort from repeating this mantra to myself.   

It all started so unceremoniously. A forgotten name, a story repeated more than twice in a short span of time,  a misplaced list.  So easily and lightheartedly brushed aside and attributed as part of the aging process.

There was a debate on whether a medical explanation should be sought.  But we were all in denial. For really, what was the point.  There still is no cure for memory loss. 

And so it was for my mother.  And for us, her children.   We laughed.  We cried.  We moved on as we left matters up to time.

Then that time came and my mother herself realized she needed to face this memory eating monster head-on.   And we, her children, planned with her, stood by her and held her hand as we moved forward.

Moving forward, my mother has recently completed  the necessary medical rounds— tests and scans.

The jury is still out on her case.  In the meantime, I should take in the positive and must not worry. She is still mommy.

---xoxoxox---

While visiting with my sisters, M and V, I had the opportunity to watch our mother cook up meals for us. again  She started to apologize for her forgetfulness and hesitated. She felt she would mess things up.  But these negative thoughts vanished as everything came together so naturally.  A chopping board, a sharp knife, a good pan and her confidence was back. 

She outdid herself with her Sotanghon Pancit (recipe here) , Chicken Asado (recipe here) and Pork Sinigang (recipe here).   She also did a green peppers and beans with ground beef dish.  This was something new and delicious for me. I quickly took notes so I won't forget.  And thought it worth passing on to you.

Mom’s Sauted Green Peppers and Beans with Ground Beef

1/2 k ground beef
3 strips of bacon, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, cored and sliced into strips
A handful of green beans (about a cup), string removed and chopped diagonally
Splash of worchestershire, perrins, or soy sauce—whatever you have on hand
Salt and pepper

Place the bacon in a pan and render the oil.  Remove the bacon and set aside. In the bacon oil, saute the garlic and onions then add the beef.  When beef is done, return the bacon and throw in the peppers and beans.  Stir quickly and season with seasoning sauce, salt and pepper.  Remember: Do not overcook or your veggies will be mushy.

Goes very well with steamed rice.

Rainy Days are for…

Weeding out never-to-be used again stuff that has outlived its usefulness from closets, cabinets, drawers, bookshelves and every hoarder’s hiding places in the house.

Lying down to nap

Go through the stack of mail— bank notices, subdivision flyers, bills--  that has piled up over the last month

Lying down to flip through a food magazine

Staring out of the window to see how flooded my garden is.

 

Lying down to watch cable teevee: Anthony Bordain eating his way through L.A., New York, Singapore, Bangkok…..

Going through my music CDs and occasionally join in the singing….. “Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain”….

Reflections

“Mirror, mirror on the wall

   Is that you mommy

   Looking back at me?”

Growing up, you could say that my relationship with my mother conformed to the usual phases that most girls go through: 

Up to age 11-  I looked up to my mother.  She knew everything.  I wanted to grow up and be like her. Specially the part about baking goodies for my children. 

Reversal of Roles

My mother was opening cabinets in the kitchen.  It was still early in the morning and she was looking forward to her morning cup of coffee. But she needed to find the kettle to boil water in. There is a microwave oven that could easily heat up some water but my mother was afraid she might set my sister’s house on fire. Lately, it takes so little to make her anxious. And being in a kitchen that is not hers made her uneasy.

If not for the need to seek a second medical opinion in the States, my mother would be puttering around her kitchen in Cebu. She would have easily prepared her coffee by then.

For the duration of the visit, I was her companion. While my sister, M, and her husband, J, went off to work each day, having someone to spend the days with in a house not her own made the visit bearable for my mother.

Luckily, another sister, V, was available to drive for my mother during the days of her medical appointments.

Going to the Doctor

It also was a relief for her that she had someone to fill out the forms required before a medical examination can be conducted to validate results on tests she had done in Cebu. Lately, questionnaires, forms, and interviews intimidate my mother.

As we sat at the waiting room of the laboratory and at the doctor’s office, I could not help remembering the many times my mother accompanied me to the doctor’s office. I was and still am such a scaredy cat. There were countless times she held my hand when I had to be given a vaccine shot. There was also the time she flew in from Cebu to arrive at my bedside a few minutes before they wheeled me into the operating room. And how could I ever forget the scandalous time I screamed for her as I was in labor with my first child. Demanding “I want my mommy”.

Calmly my mother waited and when her name was called, she confidently walked into the doctor’s office knowing that she had two daughters who would be with her when the doctor explained her condition to her.

☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻

The visit to the doctor happened almost a month ago. The doctor is optimistic that all will be well but there is need to monitor my mother’s health. Meanwhile, my mother is happily back in Cebu in familiar surroundings doing the things she loves.

☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻

My mother may be getting more forgetful as the years go by. But there are some things she will never forget: the names of the people who owe her money; and, her skill at whipping up delicious dishes with the simplest of ingredients.

While in the States, I was her kitchen assistant. My task was to put out the chopping board, the knife, the ingredients and the pans. Once these were ready, she would begin and would rather I stayed a short distance away so as not to crowd her. I would only be called in when she needed for me to increase or decrease the heat of my sister’s range.

My mother allowing a sister to help her

Of the many dishes she prepared while we visited, the following soup is one that my siblings and I enjoy for the comfort and satisfaction it brought us --- not to mention the large amount of rice we end up consuming. Best paired with crispy fried budburon (Visayan) or galonggong (Tagalog) or scad (English).

Mother’s Pork Sinigang

1 kilo pork (preferably with bone—ribs would do fine) or 1 kilo chicken ( i prefer drumsticks and thighs)
1 lemon grass bulb
2 thumb-size ginger, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 jalapeno or sili pahaba or espada
2 bunches of spinach, washed
1-2 t Knorr sinigang mix (amount will depend on how sour you want your soup to be)
Salt and pepper

Place the meat, the lemon grass and ginger in a pot and add water to cover. After bringing to a quick boil, lower the fire to allow the water to simmer. Continue to cook until meat is tender. Remove and place in a bowl.

In the same pot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté the onion and garlic. Once done, return back the meat and the resulting broth. Add the jalapeno, some knorr sinigang mix and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the spinach and cover the pot to allow the steam to wilt the spinach for another 5-10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and once to your liking, transfer to a soup bowl.

Serve piping hot.

Pork Sinigang

Chicken Sinigang

May: The Mary Month

I had an unexpected adventure last Sunday. A good friend and neighbor called me up to inquire if I would be interested to join her in a Flores de Mayo activity as well as view a Marian exhibit all the way in Malolos, Bulacan.

There were three reasons why I quickly accepted: one, I love visiting places I have never been to. Now was a chance to visit a historic location I use to read about in school; two, I like joining local activities— there is much excitement mixed with reverence in the air during processions; and, three, it being the month of Mother Mary— the mother of all mothers-- what better way than to spend some time looking at the many statues, painting and prints coming from private collections. It’s a mystical mix of art and faith.

Because of the addition of a new highway, it took a mere 40 minutes to get to Malolos. Bulacan is also well known for its many plant nurseries and it was so tempting to stop to check out the array of plants being displayed in outlets along the roadside. “Next time”, I and my friends promised.

The host was around to meet my friend and guide our vehicle to the chapel where a special mass was being celebrated.

 It indeed was a special occasion and we were fortunate to attend the 20th year anniversary of the founding of the Hermandad dela Virgen Maria of Malolos.

This is an organization whose mission is to propagate the devotion to Mother Mary as well as continue with the Many Marian traditions that have been handed down from one generation to the next. What a noble cause indeed!!

After the mass came the procession.

A group of teenagers dressed in Filipino attire took the lead and gracefully danced to contemporary Filipino music.

The rest followed with lit candles in hand while saying the rosary. Interesting enough was the route that saw the procession moving through the main road of Malolos—passing the Basilica Minore de Immaculada Concepcion (another historial venue);

and old houses;

and, some of these old houses were turned into museums.

The procession ended at the entrance of a Museum adjacent to the Barasoain Church – yet still another heritage site.

After some words from the host and sponsors of the event, the ceremonial ribbon was cut and the exhibit was officially opened. A total of 80 images of Mother Mary was on display—lovingly decorated with flowers. Rose petals were given to each guest to toss in thanksgiving and praise at the images. Here are just some of the many faces of Mother Mary— each one different from the next but evoking the same feeling of reverence and awe.

Regal Mary

Termite ravaged but still lovely

Virgen de Regla (Virgin of the Rue)

So Expressively Tearful

Our Lady of Aparicida (Brazil)

Let me not forget the angels-- so many of them

After spending quite a considerable time at the museum, it was time to bid our host good-bye. Three things run through my mind as the vehicle taking us home speed thru the moonlit night:

1) how have I valued the independence fought by our forefathers? Given the opportunity, would I stand up and fight…. Or take flight?

2) Slowly but surely, small towns will go the way of big cities. With progress comes a lot of good as well as bad developments. Is there ever a way to hold on to the “Good Old Days” for the next generation to learn from?

3) Mother Mary symbolizes what it is to be a mother  —loving, forgiving, generous, accepting and kind—just a few of her many attributes. Taking her as my model will be a challenge but I have faith that she will show me how one rosary bead at a time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nothing can compare to a mother's warm presence.  Like a chick, we cuddle as close as we can to her side; to her stomach; to her breast; to her back.  Like young monkeys we cling to her for dear life-- encircling her waist with our tiny legs, her neck with our sticky arms. And at times, hold on fast to one of her legs as she trys to dash out of the house to work.

And when we can't have our mother around us,  we find comfort in food that she likes making for us.  I don't know if it's the same with you, but when I need a "mommy fix", I go to my pantry to  get a packet of chicken noodle soup.  It's the quickest way for me to get close as I can get to my mother.  Growing up, I remember how my mother would cook us some "Royco Chicken Noodle Soup" when we were sick-- sometimes preparing the soup way past midnight.

So go ahead. Stock up on a couple of chicken noodle soup packets--- the brand and flavour that you like best.  You'll remember to thank me the next time you need a "mommy fix".

Home Chefs

My mother (MM) and my mother-in-law (MIL) are different in so many aspects. MM was a stay-at-home mom while MMIL reported to a desk job until 60. MM is a provincial lady and was relatively a babe in the woods when my father married her.



MMIL is a city girl, the only girl with 6 brothers and naturally the apple of her father’s eyes. MM is spirited and when properly encouraged, would oblige with a song or two. MMIL, although not shy, would rather stay in the background. MM subscribe to the art of “tough love” while MMIL is all tender and solicitous.



But despite their differences, they have two things in common: their love for mahjong games with close friends; and, their wide knowledge and cooking experience of tried and tested recipes.

I remember when I was newly married, how I would call long distance to either one of them when I needed to ask pointers in preparing a particular dish that my husband or children liked. Many times, the dish did not turn out exactly as expected and a scoop of ice cream would be the best consolation. Through all that cooking experiences, I have learned that to be good at cooking, like anything in life, one has to practice, practice, practice. Usually the first tries are so-so but in time, I received the words I long to hear: “This taste just like Mom’s/Lola’s”.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Much of what I know about cooking comes from MM and MMIL. I continue to draw much from their teachings to come up with daily meals served at home. And the great thing is, there will sometimes be two delicious ways to cook up a dish. What follows is such an example. Both delicious, both easy to prepare.

MM’s Roast Beef

2 Kilos round roast or chuck roast (Kasing in bisaya or Kalitiran in Tagalog)*
1 T calamansi/lemon juice
2 T Perrins
A dusting of grounded pepper
2 cubes of Beef Bouillion



Marinate the beef preferrably overnight in the fridge.



Drain the beef of the marinate juices and dry with papper towels. Then roll in some flour. Fry quickly in about 4 T of olive oil. Once brown, put in a baking dish. Set aside.

Add about 1 cup of water to the marinate juices. Include 1 chopped medium onion, two stalks of celery, and powdered garlic.



Pour over beef and bake in a 300 degree oven for about 3 hours. Baste the roast to prevent it from drying out. (If using pressure cooker, increase water to 2 cups)

Once done, reserve the drippings for gravy. Cut the roast to desired thickness. Serve with gravy, mashed potatoes, and buttered steam veggies.

Gravy

Add about 2 teaspoon of corn starch to 1 T of water. Set aside. Strain the drippings into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce thickens and clears up. Again— you will need to feel your way through. (that’s why you need to practice, practice, practice)



Note:
Beef cuts in my part of the world are not the most tender and can be expensive. If this is the case with your beef, opt to use the pressure cooker instead of the oven. It worked for me. Instead of the 3-hr cooking time, I only needed 1 hour with the pressure cooker. For my 6 quart pressure cooker, I made sure I had at least 2 ½ cups of liquid. So adjust as needed.


MMIL’s Mechado

1.5 kilos of round beef or chuck/ “kalitiran”
Have the butcher insert a strip of pork fat in the middle of your beef



1/2 c cubed pork fat
1 1/2 c chopped tomatoes
1 c chopped onions
1 Bay leaf
2 sliced cloves of garlic
6-10 whole pepper corns
1 pack of tomato sauce (250 g)
1 beef bouillion
Salt and pepper to taste
Water



Place all the ingredients into a pot with a tight lid. Add water to just barely cover the meat—about 2-3 cups.



Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer until beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth fork tender. This could be anywhere from 2 hours to 3 hours of very slow cooking. Once tasted, you will think you died and went to heaven. Just don’t make this too often or else you will indeed be heaven bound.



Note:
You may also use the pressure cooker for about 30 minutes to soften the meat. Then continue slow cooking for a shorter period of time.

Moving On

Mama Mary and baby Jesus found new homes. Winter coats and flannel robes will keep someone else warm this year. Fancy jewelries and sequined dresses must go as well. All the other stuff went into 7 boxes.

My mother had finally closed up her home in America. 25 years stuffed into 7 boxes.
Comfort wear: Cotton blouses, denim pants, bedroom slippers and walking shoes.
Serving platters, measuring spoons, mixer and blender plus 4 kitchen knives. They will continue to see more parties and feed more guests. Dated pictures, greeting cards, letters from far away places and tiny notes to self will soon find warmer storage space.



Watching her tenderly wrap a fragile vase or pause to take in again the words from a thank you note was cause for joy but at the same time made her shed a tear at the remembrance. I kept my distance as my mother meticulously went through each and every personal article. Only she could decide what to pass on or put in the boxes. I could not and would not deny her that.



In between the sorting and the packing, there were phone calls made to relatives and friends. And those who lived near-by happily dropped in for a chat and to accept gratefully some personal items.

“Yes, I am leaving,” my mother tells them all, “ but if God is merciful, I will be back soon. This time more of a visitor than a resident.”

It is heartening to hear friends and family vie to host her stay when she does visit.

^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^

Moving on brings mixed feelings. Sadness at putting closure to a life that had many memories and happiness at the thought of starting fresh. But such is life--- a continuing process of moving on.
One lesson learned from being with my mother those two weeks: travel light. A second lesson learned from my mother, is the following recipe:

USA Styled Sotanghon Pancit

250 grams of sotanghon noodle, soaked in water
1 c cubed cooked ham
1 c sliced breast of left-over rotisserie chicken
½ c sliced boiled pork (optional)
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ c chicaro (peas)
1 sliced small carrot
1 1/2 c sliced chinese cabbage (pechay) or cabbage
1-2 green jalapeno (sili espada or sili mahaba)—maybe omitted
Soy Sauce, salt and pepper—to taste
4-5 c Chicken stock (may come from or a mixture of boiling the left over bones of the rotisserie chicken; canned stock; or made from 2 knorr chicken cubes dissolved in 4 cups of water)—my mother prefers the canned chicken stock

Saute the garlic and onion in a deep pot. Drop in the cubed ham and the sliced chicken and pork if using. After a quick stir, add the stock. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the carrots and the peas and simmer for 1-2 minutes—do not overcook. Add the jalapeno pepper/s. Season with soyu sauce, salt and pepper. Please note to add more of the seasoning as adding the noodles tend to make the dish bland. Add the drained noodles and mix. If the mixture looks dry, add more stock. Lastly, add the Chinese cabbage and close the lid of the pot to wilt the leaves. Season to taste with more soy sauce. Before serving, remove the jalapeno. Serve with more soy sauce and lemon on the side.

Note:
Pancit is a very personal dish —so you can add other ingredients of choice: shelled shrimps, sliced mushrooms, kinchay and the like.
If you want more noodles than meat, you can go ahead and increase amount of noodles.
To facilitate easy serving, you might want to cut the noodles as they soaked to reasonable length.
You could also boil some fresh chicken breast instead of using left over chicken.
Noodles will mop up the liquid, so be sure to have lots of chicken stock to add as you cook this dish.



That’s it, Pancit : )

Paseo

"Come on kids," called my father. "Let's go for a paseo."

Quickly, sometimes forgetting a slipper or to brush our hairs, my four sisters, 2 brothers and I climbed into the car, jeep, panel— whatever vehicle my father owned or was assigned with at the time he said the magic word—"paseo". This was a word synonymous to adventure. In our child's mind, we did not care how we looked or dressed. What was important was that we were ready for adventure in our ride around our town. There was no telling what we would see or experience along the way—a new neon sign, maybe some barbeque on a stick or boiled peanuts bought at the park, or just the chance to be the first to seat by the open window and feel the rush of the wind in our tangled hairs.



Every now and then these "paseos", with the able assistance of my mother, would become the never-to-forget, one-of-a-kind outings in the summer of my youth—a trip to a small town on the outskirts of the province to look at an old church; a tour to the Southern tip of our island; barge rides to access secluded white sand beaches; rough terrain that was considered to be a road to my grandmother's farm hidden up in the mountains; a ride on a motorized banca to reach a sandbar in the middle of the deep blue sea.



That was a long time ago. Now I continue the “paseos” with my children. And I am glad to report that they are certified bitten by the "paseo" bug. Indeed, travel, even local in scope, opens one's senses to the beauty and wonder of life.

"….life is a journey not a destination. Life is about wanting to experience the world and its myriad of colors with your own senses."



-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Do you want to be adventurous but have a cautious nature? Well, I have just the recipe for you. Green Bellpepper Soup! This was a favorite of my father. It has lots of vitamins and it's so easy to prepare.

Green Bell pepper Soup

You will need:
2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 tablespoon of ground beef
2 cloves garlic, sliced thingly
2 tablespoon of sliced onions
2 cups broth (you may use a beef or chicken buillion cube & follow the directions to make the broth)
sale and pepper

What you need to do:
Saute the garlic, then add the onions. Once the onions are translucent, add the beef and stir it about. When cooked, add the broth and let simmer. After 5 minutes or so, add the sliced bell pepper. Continue to simmer until the pepper is tender but still holds it's shape.

Season with salt and pepper. Savour the new adventure in taste.

Mother Knows Best

I am back in my hometown. A brother and a sister were visiting and I wanted to make sure that I was in the thick of things-- endless reminiscing, partaking once more of the delicious meals that only my mother could wipe up, and visits to old haunts and excursions to the beach.

Now on a return home from a day at the beach, everyone thought it would be a great idea to have dinner at a new resto that had gotten a lot of good reviews. Excitedly, upon reaching the house, there was a race to hit the shower and get all cleaned up. One by one, each member of the family came down from their rooms to wait for the rest. My mom was still in her house dress when she suggested that it might be a better idea to just send the driver out for food, heat up some of yesterday’s party left overs and have a leisure no-fuss dinner at home.

My mom’s announcement was received with lukewarm reception but we all know that mothers know best. So my sister and I set the table and got busy with micro-waving the left-overs. Our cook of 40 years had fried some fish to a crisp and had a pot of “utan” simmering on the stove.



With the lechon manok (roasted chicken) brought in by the driver, the spread laid out was a feast.

Gathered around the dining table, grace was said and everyone filled their plates. Soon stories of past misdeeds and mishaps were swapped. Stories that must have been told a hundred times before but in it’s retelling continued to elicit roars of laughter, stamping of feet and banging of fists on table.

The teasing and the reminiscing continued into desserts of ice cream and my mom's leche flan (custard). Loud laughter broke out during each narration.



It was a long while before everyone stood up from the table to move on to the terrace for more stories and beer while glancing at the view of the city below.



It was another feel-good moment with family--- a moment that would not have been as boisterous in a public place nor as spontaneous. Indeed, mother does know best.

-----------------------

A hit at dinner that night was the leftover chicken asado my mother had made the night before. Nothing fancy nor complicated. It’s a favorite dish my brothers and sisters love. A dish that has been part of wonderful memories that only a mother could cook up. Now here’s a dish no restaurant could come up with.

Chicken Asado



You will need to marinate a whole chicken* in the following: some vinegar, soy sauce, crushed garlic and pepper corns, and salt. Best to leave this overnight in the fridge. The next day, fry the chicken in a wok (kawali). Once brown, remove the chicken. Remove most of the oil to leave about 2-3 tablespoons in the pan. Fish out the crushed garlic in the marinate and fry lightly. Add slices of one big onion and a small can of drained mushrooms (optional). Saute until the onions are translucent. Bring back in the chicken; pour some of the marinate and add about a cup of water and a bay leaf into the pan. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add two to four potatoes (depending on size) that have been peeled and quartered.



Adjust the seasoning by adding more of the marinate or water, if vinegar flavor is too strong. Continue to simmer until the potatoes and chicken are fork tender. Serve to family with a side dish of happy memories.

*you could op to cut up a whole chicken for quick absorption of the marinate and easy frying.
** sorry that I can’t be exact with measurements. This is a dish that like love cannot be measured. It’s all a matter of practice and experience.