A Trip from South to North

After the invitation to visit the Liberato family in Pangasinan was confirmed and finalized, Inay and I prepared for our long trip. Inay cooked her delicious leche flan as gifts to them. We would be staying in Pangasinan over the weekend for their mother's 90th birthday.

We left Manila at 1am and came to Asingan, Pangasinan around 5am. A trip that would ordinarily take around 5-6 hours by bus, Tito was able to do it in four. We crashed into their youngest brother's house and tried to get some sleep.

Our host family consisted of 10 siblings, and lots of grandchildren. We met with the birthday celebrant and she reminded me of my late grandmother. She may be frail and has memory loss from time to time but she wasn't bed-ridden. She didn't know that the party was for her.

The birthday feast included local dishes such as Pinakbet (of course), Dagupan bangus, and Pancit. Inay's leche flan immediately vanished on the table. The old house was filled with chatter and laughter, especially during picture taking.

I hoped my parents would reach that ripe old age, with many grandchildren at their feet.

Long Lost Friends

In the 1970s, when my mother was in college, she, her sister and younger brother lived in an apartment in Manila with another set of siblings from Pangasinan. They lived like one family, sharing meals and stories. The two families had similar backgrounds, both came from the province, were from poor families and both had many siblings. Years passed and after graduating from college and starting new jobs in the city, they lost touch.

Forty-three years later, through Facebook, Inay was able to reconnect with her roommates from Pangasinan. Messages were exchanged, as well as mobile numbers, and they were able to meet again after decades without communication. Truly, a strong relationship and beautiful memories will never be forgotten. They were able to visit our home twice and they invited Inay to visit them in Pangasinan for their mother's 90th birthday.

Holy Week in the Philippines

It's out!

The article I wrote for my cousin's food website is already posted. You can read it here. Sorry, my post about this news is late, tho.

Sinaing na Tulingan

Tulingan or Mackerel tuna is a type of fish abundant in our province. They have a silver-gray color and always looked firm and fresh. Usually, it is cooked as a Sinaing (boiled) dish. During this Holy Week, almost all households in our community cook Sinaing na tulingan.

I grew up having Sinaing na tulingan almost every week and having it is not something I look forward to during mealtimes. As they say, when you have something all the time, it loses its charm and significance.

But now, I'm starting to revive my appreciation to this ubiquitous fish. Sinaing na tulingan is part of my culture and history and I always think of my former colleague who always got excited when I brought her this dish.

Fish vendors in some markets can prepare tulingan for you. They will gut the fish, score both sides and press the body. The flatter, the better.

Here is how we cook Sinaing na tulingan at home:

1. Salt the prepared tulingan. Don't be shy on the salt.

2. At the bottom of a clay pot, put banana stalks, banana leaves, crushed garlic, ginger, and chilies. Sometimes, we put pork fat for more flavor.

3. Place the tulingan in the clay pot and put water, just about the middle of the pot.

4. When the water comes to a boil, lower the fire and let it simmer until the fish is very tender and much of the water has evaporated. The juice of the fish will mix with the water, creating a salty, fishy, sauce.

Here is the finished product. It may smell funky to unfamiliar noses but it's delicious, especially when eaten with tomatoes and onions. Tada!

Palm Sunday