Because it is Thanksgiving, because food is very much on self’s mind, and because self is feeling *quite* nostalgic, she decides to draw up a list of Filipino food she taught herself to cook after coming to California, 1979:
NOTE: Food descriptions are quotes from Reynaldo Alejandro’s The Philippine Cookbook
Arroz a la Cubana
Bistek (Steak, Philippine-Style)
Chicken Adobo
Pancit Molo (Philippine Wonton Soup)
Picadillo (Ground Beef Soup)
Sinigang
Togue Salad (Bean Sprout Salad)
Tortilla (Ground Beef Omelet)
Pesang Manok (Boiled Chicken with Vegetables)
Humba
Apritadang Baboy (Pork Stew)
Menudo (Diced Pork with Potatoes and Chick Peas)
Almondigas (Pork with Vermicelli)
Before they got married, hubby was a much better cook than self. Now, he rarely cooks, but when he does, whatever he makes is delicious.
Looking at the above list, self sees that it’s been years — perhaps even decades — since she cooked some of these dishes. Almondigas, for example. The one self has cooked most recently is Picadillo, which she always associates with her aunt, Dearest Mum’s younger sister, because it was the first dish self ever actually witnessed being made. In Manila, self almost never stepped into the kitchen. The few occasions when she did, it was only to be served breakfast or merienda at the kitchen table. In light of which, self thinks it is no mean feat that she has managed to turn herself into a pretty decent cook. Especially when she compares herself to aunt in Daly City who, after 25 years in America, has learned to cook nothing, not one single thing. Her family orders take-out from various Chinese, Filipino, or Mexican restaurants in Daly City — almost every day.
Stay tuned, dear blog readers, stay tuned.
Kathleen Burkhalter said,
November 28, 2008 at 10:49 pm
It’s interesting to see how we’ve become good cooks in the USA. It’s a joy, I think. Food, creativity, fun, togetherness. All my kids cooks, all six of them. And they all started by just being around me. I used to watch our maids and cooks in action. It seemed like alchemy.
anthropologist said,
November 29, 2008 at 3:20 am
Kathleen,
If I didn’t know how to cook, I wouldn’t feel my house was really a home
And, yes, now it’s become fun.
Maya said,
December 1, 2008 at 6:51 am
Wow, you can make Pancit Molo? Yum. I’m very impressed.
anthropologist said,
December 1, 2008 at 11:09 am
Oh, a friend of mine from Ateneo taught me how! She was from Iloilo, and whenever I visited her, she’d be making brazo de mercedes, pancit molo, fresh lumpia. She still makes these things, in LA. And her son, who’s only in high school, is already a pretty good cook!