Farewell Tea

Posted on 26 May 2013 by sheg4184

tea.1The bane of expat life is the constant ebb and flow of friends. Every year, about this time, I start deleting names from my cellphone, as a clutch of my old mates disperse to new postings, and the talk revolves around moving companies, garage sales and new schools for the kids. The diary is filled with farewell drinks, dinners and final play dates, and of course I have to arrange the odd afternoon tea as a grand finale.

Raffles has recently arrived in Makati, complete with a copy of the original Singaporean Long Bar where – for some mysterious reason – customers are invited to fling peanut shells around the floor, and the Singapore Slings give the afternoon a truly misty quality. In the Writers Bar – ‘created as a tribute to the the host of literati who have stayed at or written about Raffles’ – they serve afternoon tea with REAL clotted cream, an essential part of any true cream tea. It seemed a fitting place to say goodbye to a good friend who has been part of the scenery since we first arrived in Manila.

tea.2So last week a group of us gathered in the Writer’s Bar, just off the main lobby, armed with tissues and a boxed Pinatubo teapot as a keepsake. (Valet parking is still free, which is a lovely little luxury, but be prepared for a lengthy wait when you want it back.) As we were ushered through the main entrance, our first glimpse of the lobby is striking: modern chandeliers of dripping ice crystals that look like Christmas have been blended with floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with ancient tomes no one will probably ever read. There is also some great artwork and a couple of eye-catching statues to entrance you. The atmosphere at Raffles is one of refined elegance, the waitresses are calm and quietly spoken, and the afternoon tea is practically perfect – although I did cringe at being handed a knife and fork to eat a sandwich.

Tea for two at 995 pesos (20US$)  is a reasonable price for Manila, and you definitely get your money’s worth: smoked salmon on an eye-catching marbled tea.3bread;  a bite-sized egg brioche; a cucumber delicacy designed like a piece of art; a small, fresh ham roll, and a beef wrap amuse bouche are all arranged two-by-two on a long glass platter.  There are medium-sized scones – although I would love them to have been warmed up – with proper Devonshire clotted cream that you could eat with a teaspoon. And the three-tiered tray of cakes was fit for the sweetest Filipino tooth with a huge array of brightly coloured macaroons, morsels of rich chocolate cakes and profiteroles shaped like snowmen.

A pianist played wistful music on the grand piano in the corner. She almost drowned out our conversation, but we just talked louder. We decided not to share champagne for a change, as the price per glass was prohibitive at 900 pesos for a doll-sized glass only half-filled. Albeit they were top quality bubbles, I would prefer a cheaper bottle in a larger glass, as the former would had evaporated into the ether before the froth had settled. Instead, there was a lovely selection of teas to choose from, and as we sipped in a lady-like manner from deep armchairs and cushion-strewn sofas, the sandwiches and the scones quietly disappeared. Later, our teenagers would enjoy the box of sweeter offerings we could not manage, so everyone was happy, and hopefully my dear friend has a lovely memory to take home with her…

Afternoon tea is served daily in the Writer’s Bar from 2.30 – 5.30pm

For reservations please call: +632 555 9777
Email: dining.makati@raffles.com

 

Posted in Food & Wine, Lifestyle, Philippines | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Farewell Tea

Memories of Manila (1)

Posted on 19 May 2013 by sheg4184

Jenny WallumJennifer Gordon-Russell, a.k.a. Jenny Wallum, first arrived in the Philippines in the early 80s with her economist husband Peter Wallum and younger daughter. These were the years of martial law and the Marcos’s sovereignty; the days when traffic was light and spouses of ADB staff were not allowed to work in the Philippines. Jennifer may not have wanted to take on a presidential dictatorship but she was not willing to put up with the dictates of a bank. She was told to go home if she didn’t like it. “Home is where your husband is,” she insists. And eventually, with help, she persuaded the bank to let her work, and has stayed firmly at her husband’s side ever since.

In the meantime, she established a pre-kindergarten class at the British School Manila (BSM) for 4-5 year olds. Back then BSM was a simple, low level building on spacious grounds in Merville Park, somewhere behind Nomads, and there she taught these kids to read and write, a role she truly loved.

Jenny also loves to write poetry, and has even published a short book of poems, many about her experiences in the Philippines. Her profile page made me laugh at her acute self-analysis:

…’raised in a senior boys Approved School ensured that originality of thought, tenacity and totally annoying behaviour started early.’

This learned behaviour was enhanced by the fact that she was born of mixed ancestry in the north of England, a region renowned for its spirited individuality and feisty attitude, which Jenny has in spades.

Jenny and Peter have lived through all the natural disasters of the past thirty years in Manila: the earthquake that measured 7.8 in 1990 and killed almost 7,000 people; the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, and Typhoon Ondoi in 2009, which dumped more rain on Quezon City than Hurricane Katrina did on Louisiana.

Out of Pinatubo came a new phase in Jenny’s life, organizing EVAC Foundation (Entrepreneur Volunteer Assistance Charity) which helps the indigenous Aeta, reputedly the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines, who had been living in the forests and mountains of northern Luzon. Pinatubo’s rivers of lahar swept them dramatically from the forests and a way of life they had enjoyed for thousands of years, and cast them adrift in the twentieth century. The EVAC Foundation has developed a range of training and micro-loan programs, educational scholarships, adult literacy and livelihood projects.

We also talked about the People’s Power Revolution in 1986 which deposed President Marcos and restored democracy to the Philippines.  Expatriates had been warned to stay away from EDSA as General Fabian Ver, Marcos’s Chief of Staff, was threatening to fire on the protestors, so they watched everything on local television. “We stayed on for the revolution and every coup that followed” she tells me. “We did not run away.”

Jennifer remembers yellow ribbons tied on every tree in memory of assassinated Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino and as a symbol of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

She also remembers climbing over the back wall of the Magallanes estate to watch the rebels strafing the runway at Villamor Airbase. When I asked if she had been scared, she told me that she had never been afraid. “I felt that I could trust the Filipino people…  I felt [they] were above base cruelty.

We sit in her den, sharing the sofa with her family of cats, and discuss how Manila has changed in thirty years. There were 10 pesos to the US dollar back then, she tells me. There were no shopping malls and only primitive supermarkets: SM was just starting up. Refrigeration was scarce even for meat and frozen goods. Fresh food was hard to come by. There were no high rise apartment buildings, and EDSA was a wide, open road with trees up the central strip. McKinley Road was almost deserted, a road that ended at the Fort Bonifacio army base, secured from the general public.

Despite the changes in the scenery, Jenny continues to stay busy and involved, displaying a humanitarian, pro-active patronage towards her host country that is incredibly inspiring. Her other long-standing commitment is more light-hearted. Jenny loves singing and has sung in the Asia Minors and her church choir for many years. Every year, on Remembrance Day, she leads a quartet in singing “I Vow to Thee My Country.”

Yet I find myself wondering which country she is singing about: England or the Philippines?

*Originally written for Inklings Magazine, May 2013

Posted in Local Culture, Philippines | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Memories of Manila (1)

Mother’s Day in Manila: saccharine or sincere?

Posted on 14 May 2013 by sheg4184

Antonios 036

…yet though you dance in living light, I am the earth, I am the root, I am the stem that fed the fruit, the link that joins you to the night. ~ Judith Wright from ‘Woman to Child’

This year my Facebook page was awash with Mother’s Day message for at least three days beforehand: pictures of flower arrangements, special meals, loving salutations and heartfelt homages to mothers in general and our own mothers in particular.

Mother’s Day, like any festive day in the Philippines, is HUGE. And, doubtless with calculated forethought, the general election has tied in nicely with this Mother’s Day weekend, to ensure workers in Manila can go home to the provinces to vote not only for new leaders, but for the world’s best mum.

Mothers have been celebrated throughout history. The Greeks worshipped the mother goddess Cybele. In the UK, Mothering Sunday was originally a regional custom adopted by the Church of England in the 17th century as a worthy vernacular celebration that could be linked to the Virgin Mary and the Mother Church.

In the early 20th century, Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia held a memorial for her mother and subsequently began to campaign for a national Mother’s Day. She specifically noted that ‘Mother’s’ should be a singular possessive, for each family to honour its own mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world. By the 1920s, it had been universally adopted and post-World War II it gained further success as a commercial marketing tool, since when it has gone from strength to strength.

In some countries the date has been altered to fit in with local religious observances, such as Virgin Mary Day in Catholic countries, or Bolivia’s Mother’s Day which is celebrated on 27 May to commemorate the Battle of La Coronilla. This took place during the Bolivian War of Independence in 1812, when many women fought for the country’s independence and were slaughtered by the Spanish Army. China and some ex-communist countries usually celebrate the socialist International Women’s Day on March 8, rather than the capitalist Mother’s Day. In Thailand, Mother’s Day is celebrated on 12th August, the birthday of Queen Sirikit. In Ethiopia, Antrosht is a feast day honouring motherhood held on an unfixed date at the end of the rainy season.

My own mother refused to allow us to acknowledge it, especially once the day was disassociated from Mothering Sunday, claiming it was invented by Hallmark, purely commercial and therefore not worthy. It has indeed, become highly commercial, as the Filipino shopping malls will verify, but certainly no worse than Christmas or Valentine’s Day.

And I can’t help feeling that anything that reminds us to acknowledge and appreciate our partners, families, friends or even teachers, is not such a bad thing. While we never made much of it either, with our own children, I am forever grateful to the teachers who provided memories of handmade cards covered in wonky hearts (cut out with small clumsy fingers) or coloured handprints like autumn leaves . Cooling tea and Vegemite on cold, damp toast may hardly have been a gastronomic feast, but the effort put in by eager-to-please, Hobbit-sized children will always be appreciated, and I suddenly find it is more about the sweet memories Mother’s-Day-Past has left me with, as opposed to any sense of smug worthiness. This year my teenage boys cooked a three course dinner for eleven, with the help of three mates and a guitar all scrunched into our less-than-spacious kitchen. What’s more, they all helped with the washing up. A gift indeed! And what have these memories to do with commercialism?

My One & Only’s best memory – so well, and so often told, I feel I must have been there – was the acquisition of a chopping board for his domestically-uninspired mother, nonetheless acclaiming her “World’s Best Mother” by a nonjudgmental son. Some years later, it would break in half across his bottom, wielded by that same ‘World’s Best Mother,’ undoubtedly driven to distraction by her troublesome teenager. Well, we all have those imperfect moments!

A friend posted an article on Facebook entitled ‘Why I Hate Mother’s Day.’ The writer, the Scrooge of all days of celebration apparently, ridicules the sentimentalization of Mother’s Day – what a word! –  designed to make children feel obligated to buy presents and mothers to feel inadequate. Well, bah, humbug to her, I say! It is all in how you perceive it. For me, it is not about gifts or flowery words, duty or expectation; it is a day to focus on family. At our house, as the children get older, busier, and increasingly independent, we too rarely seem to find the time to be together. For me, it should not be about perfection or failure, inadequacy, complacence, or ‘Superior Beings’ as Ms. Scrooge suggests, it is simply an opportunity to hug your mum and to love her, warts and all. If your mother really was the Wicked Witch of the West, buy yourself a bottle of bubbles and celebrate your survival!

For the rest of us, it is one day in the year to remember your mother and to allow her the chance to celebrate her children in return. It is an opportunity to think of someone other than yourself and acknowledge that, for better or worse, your mother played a role in making you into the person you are today. If nothing else, she gave birth to you, and while that may be a natural function, it is still one hell of a gift that you can’t buy in a shopping mall!

Posted in Biography, Lifestyle | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Mother’s Day in Manila: saccharine or sincere?

La Cocina de Tita Moning: Stepping Back in Time

Posted on 11 May 2013 by sheg4184

La Cucina 054 In the San Miguel District of Manila, once Manila’s most elegant district,  and just around the corner from Malacanang Palace, Lory Vi Valdes had a childhood brimming with family, where aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents lived in a row of six tall, Spanish-style houses on a leafy street. Don  Alejandro Legarda and his wife, Dona Ramona,  regularly threw lavish dinner parties, and the family flocked willingly to the house for her unsurpassed cooking, no doubt using the interconnecting doors in the garden wall.

Built in 1937 by Dona Filomena Roces Legarda, it was one of the first Art Deco houses in Metro Manila. Today the Legarda’s ancestral home has been converted into a restaurant so that everyone can enjoy Tita Moning’s superb cooking. Her granddaughter, Suzette Montinola runs the kitchen now, using many of her grandmother’s traditional recipes. It began as a simple experiment to immortalize her grandmother’s recipes, and it has evolved into a popular and highly respected fine-dining restaurant. Maintained in all the elegant, sumptuous splendour of its  nineteenth century owners,  La Cocina de Tita Moning is a living museum to the Legarda family history.

As the sun set, we gathered in the leafy back garden under the fairy lights to sip on iced tea, wine and beer, before taking a tour of the house. Don Alejandro was a gynacologist and a collector, with a real skeleton garnered from the local cemetery, a room full of cameras and another of antique radios. Every room is filled to overflowing with furniture, paintings and ornaments, many dating back over a hundred years: Murano glass centerpieces from Venice; Chinese hand painted crockery, and artwork by Luna and Hidalgo, renowned Filipino painters of the nineteenth century.

As we climbed the highly polished wooden staircase, it was like turning back theLa Cucina 052 clock to a by-gone era of elaborate elegance. The dining room was magnificent: two long dining tables had been decorated with embroidered red table cloths and scattered with rose petals; our names and the evening’s menu had been handwritten on parchment, and crystal chandeliers twinkled above our heads. Despite being part of a group of almost twenty, there was a lovely sense of intimacy that made everyone feel comfortable and relaxed.

The service was professional and efficient. Suzette, our diminutive hostess in her chef’s apron and a sassy blue and white headscarf, introduced us to her waiting staff many of whom have worked for the Lagardas  for years, both centre stage and behind the scene. Leonor Techo, for example, has been the family driver for over half a century. And as far as the Lagarda family is concerned, the staff is as vital and important a part of the business as Tita Moning’s recipes.

Our menu excited everyone’s taste buds. Lory Vi and Suzette had chosen carefully to ensure we got a good sample of Dona Romano’s favourite dishes. The cuisine is Filipino, heavily influenced by Spain, and I have rarely eaten so luxuriously.

A tapas sampler came to the table beautifully presented on a serving plate of cups and glasses: a thick wedge of pork belly sunk into a glass of almond pili milk; a tiny La Cucina 056teacup of gazpacho with crab and avocado; a dish of rich, shallow fried gambas (prawns) and chorizo with enough succulent oil to wipe the dish clean with the soft bread roll on our side plates.

A serve of pan seared lapu lapu was cooked beautifully in port and red wine demi-glaze,  but a little too sweet a sauce to accompany the fish for my taste buds. The Chicken Ballotine, however, was unforgettable. Stuffed with herbs and nuts, this rolled chicken was so moreish, I struggled to get through the Paella Valencia and vegetables served on the side, but as my neighbour preferred the paella we were sharing, no dish felt neglected.

The dessert sampler was magnificent, but as I don’t have a wildly sweet tooth, I flagged a little at this point. A whisper of fresh mango tart and the Sagada orange icecream was sufficient. I could probably have managed a little more of that light, citrusy ice cream, but I had to leave room to test the bread and butter pudding we had watched Suzette create earlier. Fresh ‘American’ bread, spread thickly with salted butter, soaked in milk and punctuated with homemade marmalade, this desert will raise cholesterol levels to the moon and back, but it may just be worth the trip. I am not a huge bread and butter pud fan, but this was something special, topped in a crown of pili nuts dipped in toffee. The bread and milk had turned into thick, creamy custard and was comfort food at its best. It is also La Cucina’s signature dish, and well deserving of the title.

We finished off with a light tarragon tea, the herbs picked fresh from the garden, with a delicate taste of aniseed. ¡Buen apetito! and Tayo’y magsikain.

*Lory Vi Valdes is one of our gracious TourFlair hostesses, and the dinner at La Cocina was a delightful introduction to her family history at the end of a day spent wandering through Malacanang Palace and Intramuros.

 

Posted in Food & Wine, Philippines | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on La Cocina de Tita Moning: Stepping Back in Time

The Inn at Cliffhouse: a romantic escape

Posted on 6 May 2013 by sheg4184

Cliffhouse Inn (23)The Inn at Cliffhouse: a secret destination in Tagaytay – so secret we drove past it three times. That’s the way owner Jennifer Dee likes it: discreetly tucked away behind an unassuming entrance just off the General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway.

Here Jennifer Dee and her family have created an attractive, appealing oasis, a step – and yet a world – away from the endless traffic jams, noise and pollution along the main road. From the tree-lined car park down to the small plaza nestled on the edge of the cliff, we walked along a winding path through the trees to a terrace perched high on the southern ridge above Lake Taal. The view is spectacular, overlooking lake and island, volcano and forest reserve – and a glorious new Ferris Wheel to the west that lights up at night like a fireworks display.

Opened in November 2009, Cliffhouse is a haven of calm, even when it is swarming with weekend visitors.  Many of the original trees on the property have been retained and incorporated into the pretty landscaped gardens in the centre of the complex, which are lit up in the evenings by coloured lanterns hanging from the branches.

Cliffhouse was built in the style of America’s eastern seaboard, with white weatherboard shop fronts. The complex contains a choice of four restaurants: an Italian restaurant ‘Buon Giorno’;  the Filipino ‘Café Platito’; a Café Breton crêperie, and ‘The Fire Lake Grill.‘ There are also a couple of ice-cream vendors and gift shops. A quick tip: for non-Filipinos, beware the sweetened spaghetti sauces at Buon Giorno.

Cliffhouse Inn (5)And then, hidden away from the madding crowd like hobbit holes,  down a secret stairway, are four elegant suites named after four North American lighthouses: Minet’s Ledge; Mantouk Point; Brant Point and West Queddy. Each has a private terrace, two with outdoor jacuzzis, and a view to send you into raptures. The rooms have been beautifully appointed: contemporary five star luxury blended with a strong flavour of coastal New England, each room decorated in different styles and colours.

Every suite has two premium queen beds, with feather pillows, feather mattresses and fine cotton linen that ensured us of a blissfully comfortable and luxurious night’s sleep. There is a shower big enough to hold a party, complimentary wireless internet access, a spacious sitting room and lots of sweet little treats.

We awoke to bird song and breakfast, cuddled into a cozy nook overlooking the garden, which was wonderfully peaceful at that time of day. Our personalized menu at breakfast was a lovely touch, although a three course Cliffhouse Inn (10)breakfast was more than either of us could face so early in the day. I think we both would have preferred a simple plate of eggs-and-bacon or toast and honey, but the coffee was great. When visitors began to arrive, we simply retired to our private terrace to quietly soak in the view, and dabble out toes in the Jacuzzi.

Most of the reviews I read online were highly complimentary about the Cliffhouse Inn, and I definitely agree that this tiny slice of heaven has a view to die for, but I would also agree with those who suggest it is not a great place for children. It is, however, perfect for a romantic getaway. And if you are planning a wedding, ask about the property next door. It’s a really beautiful place for an al fresco ceremony and reception.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner on the terrace at the Fire Lake Grill, huge trees bejewelled in fiery red flowers, cool breezes whispering around us  – a far cry from the humid mugginess we had left behind in Makati. When we returned to our room, the bed had been turned down, a small soft toy lay on the pillow, and a handwritten note from the manager wished us pleasant dreams and a happy anniversary. It was a weekend full of these thoughtful touches that made us feel both special and important, as we sipped our complementary champagne in the jacuzzi!

Cliffhouse Inn (17)This boutique hotel is a charming, indulgent hideaway, a gentle escape from the endless hustle and bustle of Manila. It doesn’t come cheap, but for a special occasion, we thought it was worth every peso to come home feeling thoroughly rested and pampered. And of course, if you prefer a little more activity, it is a great base for exploring Tagaytay. For us, feeling quite simply in need of rest and relaxation after a hectic term, and a little romance for our anniversary, there was no call to move from the terrace. So we didn’t.

http://theinnatcliffhousetagaytay.com/

*Adapted from an article written for the May/June issue of ANZA News, and with thanks to the One & Only for his photos.

Posted in Philippines, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Inn at Cliffhouse: a romantic escape

Home Help: a challenge and a joy

Posted on 30 April 2013 by sheg4184

AB.3As an Australian, the concept of household staff is a foreign one, and I constantly find myself bewildered by the presence in my life of a full-time driver and a part-time maid or ‘helper’ and all the unwritten rules and expectations that accompany them.

The concept of sharing my apartment with live-in help has always been anathema to me. We tried it once, with two tiny kids, while I was being hideously pregnant with the third. Mary Anne was a sweetheart, and I fully appreciated everything she did for me (and I mean everything, as I lay like some traumatized Victorian lady on the sofa – with a bucket beside me – for nine months). I have never felt so totally useless, frustrated and dependent. I loathed it.

It is always interesting to watch the different reactions to dealing with staff: those who have never had home help before, but instantly become prima donna employers, demanding and impatient; those who have grown up with it, and can take it comfortably and graciously in their stride; those, like me, who have no idea how to find a comfortable balance with the notion that this very kind, helpful person  is doing all the things I dislike or don’t fancy doing in 35’C heat and 500% humidity for a miniscule wage but at the same time is unintentionally invading my personal space and testing my tolerance to the limits.

The need for privacy does not seem to rate on the Filipino radar, where togetherness and social support is a way of life. So it can be a nerve-racking juggling act to have someone living in your home with whom you want to maintain the distance of an employer while she irons your underwear, inhabits your kitchen, cleans your toilets and, inevitably, becomes part of the family.

My ‘Arrival Survival’ guide book assures me that having domestic staff is ‘not a problem.’ It repeats this several times. Not a problem for whom, I wonder? While IAB.2 am very fond of and incredibly grateful to our helper for everything she does, and I would certainly never have survived the last two years without the endless calming presence and practical assistance of our wonderful driver, I have realized that I do not like giving orders or the feeling of being looked after, and for me, it is a real problem to swallow the daily frustrations of being a “ma’am.”

‘Culture Shock in the Philippines’  is more realistic, claiming honestly that one third of the issues faced by expatriates in the Philippines comes from having to deal with home help, when so many of us are ‘unprepared by training or background to handle a large household staff.’ (Or even a small one!) Being up this close and personal with the locals can require cultural knowledge and navigational skills we just don’t possess.

Then there is the guilt of paying someone what sounds like an embarrassingly low wage to be at your beck and call at all hours, six days a week. Yet here in the Philippines there is an expectation that they will cheerfully provide loyalty and availability in return for your care and support. You may think you have employed a cleaning lady on a nine-to-five basis, but this is rarely the case. As they become a part of your daily routine and your family, they will expect you to become part of theirs. This can be as uninvasive as remembering birthdays, acknowledging births, deaths and marriages and sharing a chat over a coffee. It can also include constant loans, help to employ family members, education for their kids and sudden absences to deal with illness, drama and death amongst a large extended family.

And despite a shared language, as any expatriate here knows, there is English and there is Taglish. Often the misunderstandings that arise from the chasm in communication can be incredibly frustrating for both parties. Speaking simply helps, but I so hate giving orders, I tend to talk too fast and usually issue them over my shoulder as I am dashing out the door, from sheer embarrassment. So it is hardly surprising that things go wrong, especially when I quickly learned not to expect staff to ask if they haven’t understood me properly, as they would never presume to put me in the wrong by questioning my instructions.

Expats like to moan and groan about their helpers, and yet somehow we all muddle along. Each of us finds our own way of dealing with those daily irritations and adapts to the situation until that moment when we find ourselves wondering how we ever lived without household staff – or will ever cope without them!

Personally, I am slowly learning that, for the best results, it is always better to smile AB.1and swallow any frustrations, or try to turn it into a joke against myself rather than lose my temper. Especially as I am realizing any mistakes or misunderstandings usually start with me. So, reminder to me: helpers need clear, precise instructions, and most prefer supervision, at least while they are learning something new. Routine works well too – something rarely on my agenda! Be organized and, like a good boy scout, always prepared. Don’t expect miracles, but do remember to praise and thank them for the things they do well. I guess we all like to know when we have done a good job.

Occasionally I step into my old role of ‘Jack of all Trades’ just to make sure I remember how – but mostly when Phoebe isn’t looking for fear I am doing it wrong! In the meantime, there is a wonderful sense of freedom about being allowed to avoid the joys of a waltz with the ironing board or a heart-to-heart with the kitchen sink…

*Pictures of my favourite old Amelia Bedelia books courtesy of Google images.

Posted in Lifestyle, Local Culture, Philippines | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Home Help: a challenge and a joy

Cooking with Frieda

Posted on 25 April 2013 by sheg4184

Stilts 138Since I arrived in the Philippines almost two and a half years ago, finding someone to teach me Filipino cooking has been like an endless game of hunt-the-thimble, but I have finally found the treasure: an everyday Filipino cooking class with Frieda. And please note it was one of the best cooking classes I have ever attended. Frieda presented us with recipes for half a dozen dishes and proceeded to make it look like a piece of cake to recreate them.

We were welcomed with a glass of cold, refreshing calamansi juice, the Filipino version of homemade lemonade, before we gathered round the stove to watch Frieda prepare a simple feast of traditional Filipino dishes: pork barbecue skewers, chicken tinola soup, chicken adobo with rice, fried lumpia and a fruit platter with a delicious mango dip. Every dish delighted our taste buds and we learned a few useful cooking tips , as well as getting a lesson on tropical fruits, many of which we hadn’t seen before.

Frieda has a real skill for entertaining cooking and we laughed as we learned. Each recipe was an interesting mix of traditional cuisine and modern convenience. The pork skewers – a fiesta favourite – were marinated in the ever-present soy sauce with a can of lemonade to combine sweet, sour and salty in one fell swoop. And I really appreciated the tip to pre-bake the pork before grilling on the barbecue to avoid burning the meat. In fact, we learned that the skewers can actually be baked from start to finish, and you need never turn on the grill at all. As I do not have a barbecue on the thirty second floor, but only a petulant oven with dubious grilling skills, I was much cheered by this alternative.

Chicken Tinola, the national soup, also seemed remarkably straightforward in Frieda’s capable hands. A basic chicken broth flavoured with ginger to which she chicken tinola soupadded green papaya that looked like sliced apple. It seemed a peculiar choice with its rubbery texture and uneventful taste, and yet, cooked in the chicken broth it softened and soaked up the chicken flavours beautifully – more effectively even than potatoes, as it maintained a firmer texture. Replacing the more traditional malunggay and chili leaves with spinach, Frieda tossed in a handful at the last minute for a splash of colour. Served up in the scooped out skins of the papaya, the soup looked really pretty and fresh and tasted light and soothing on a hot day.  Chicken Tinola soup is a traditional comfort food that many Filipinos grew up on, and it is also well-known as a restorative.

The fried lumpia is the Filipino version of a south eastern Chinese egg roll. A filling of pre-cooked minced (ground) pork, cabbage, onions and carrots is bundled up neatly in a lumpia wrap (like a small crepe), and fried until golden brown. It would be the perfect finger food for a drinks party, served with sweet chili sauce or a thick, sweet sauce.

And at last, we watched Frieda create a wonderful chicken adobo. Local Chicken Adoborestaurants tend to chop up a whole chicken, tossing in bone and greasy skin willy-nilly, which might add to the flavour, but does nothing for the texture as you pick splintered bones from between your teeth. Frieda used boneless chicken thighs, which are far more flavoursome than the breast, covering them in a marinade of peppercorns, garlic, vinegar and soy sauce. The chicken was then simmered briefly in water, before being lightly sautéed in garlic. Finally Frieda sliced up the chicken and served it in the deglazed marinade, adding a final, delicious caramelized flavour that had us all tripping back surreptitiously for seconds.

Our dessert was simple, easy and effective: a beautifully arranged platter of tropicalFruit platter and mango dip fruits, served with a quick and creamy mango dip:  fresh mango whipped up with cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Watermelon and ripe red papaya, mango and melon, senorita (lady finger) bananas and small, crispy rose apples… and soursops: large, green tropical fruits with soft spines and shiny black seeds, and a custard-like, fibrous creamy centre that tastes like over-ripe bananas or pineapple.

Inspired and enlightened, I am now going to burrow amongst my recipe books for more Filipino recipes. Here’s hoping it is all as easy as Frieda made it look!

*With thanks to Elise for her lovely photos – I was obviously too busy eating!

Posted in Cooking, Philippines | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Cooking with Frieda

“How’s the serenity?”

Posted on 20 April 2013 by sheg4184

Stilts 013‘I tune into the wind and to the sea and I begin to breathe more easily…’

The wind-ruffled water laps against the pylons, the thatch rustles, the coloured flags slaps the flag poles as I sit on the deck of our cabin on stilts, looking out to sea, luxuriating in a foot spa and reflexology massage, while the girls have facials and Swedish massages with the bedroom doors flung wide to let in the breeze.

When we arrived yesterday, the air was humid and heavy, the cabins becalmed on a mirror-like sea, the sun penetrating eyeballs and skulls with fierce determination. We gratefully retreated to our cool, white, air conditioned cabin and curled up on the psychedelic green armchairs with a  G&T and a sigh of relief. Today the wind has cut the humidity in half, and the air is breathable.

‘Stilts’ is located on twenty four hectares at the end of the Calatagan Highway, Batangas facing the South China Sea. The trip from Manila would normally take 2.5-3 hours.  (It took us four hours after an unintentional and lengthy detour down EDSA when I missed the turn-off, and a break for lunch in Tagaytay.) On a Monday, the roads are free of the bumper-to-bumper weekend traffic and once we got onto the expressway, the smooth run was only disrupted by unhurried motorbikes and tricycles piled high with people and goods, as we dipped deeper into the countryside.

We found this glorious spot last year, searching for a venue for lunch withStilts 084 my sister and her family, and I have been awaiting an opportune moment for an overnight stay. Our daughter and her friend arriving in the Philippines for a belated Easter break seemed the perfect excuse: a girly trip to the coast for a little R&R and an escape from the summer smog and suffocating heat in Manila.

I am glad I had been before: the coast road takes you into the middle of nowhere, and the final lap along a cracked concrete rural lane past goats and carabou is a puzzling approach to a beach resort. Yet we finally emerged into a gravelled car park set amidst colourful flower beds. Local Sherpas loaded themselves up with our ridiculous number of suitcases and ice boxes (bother, we forgot the Scrabble) and lugged them down to the sea.

Here, rickety wooden jetties weave between the half dozen or so cabins nesting above the waves, pretty coloured-glass windows in green and yellow and blue are framed by white weatherboard and palm leaf thatch. There is a double bed and a single bed in the large, cool, airy bedroom, a sofa bed in the living area and another single bed in the mezzanine loft space. We have a good sized fridge (as opposed to a mini bar) which we stock with cheeses, fresh milk and champagne, and a water cooler with enough water to last our stay, instead of the usual two small bottles. It was brilliant. Every hotel should have one.

Stilts 070Needing to stretch my legs, I wandered through the gardens around the pool, which were dressed in the ubiquitous tropical green smudged with scarlet and peach hibiscus, white and shiraz-coloured frangipani, hot pink bougainvillea, and other flowers with fluted orange petals I did not recognize. The trees, walls and flower beds are also decorated with painted signs full of homilies, song lyrics and pointed quotations from the rich and famous. The grass was looking familiarly burnt and dry, like an Australian summer lawn, and the water lured me to the edge of the pool, the scent of the frangipani seeping, thickly scented, through the still afternoon air.

Meals are served in an open air pavilion restaurant above the beach, a bowl of frangipani the colour of a tropical sunset is set in the centre of the table to welcome us. For breakfast, there is a Filipino buffet of rice and hot dogs, dried fish and fresh fruit, or a ‘continental breakfast’ with almost any Stilts 071combination of eggs and bacon, hash browns, omlettes, pancakes or sausages, which is hotter and fresher than the buffet. The lunch and dinner menu, apart from the wood oven pizzas and barbecue, consists largely of regional dishes, all made with fresh  ingredients, and a heavy emphasis on coconut milk and chili: Bicol Express, tasting reminiscently of green curry; tilapia (a local freshwater fish) cooked in coconut milk; banana hearts and pork served in coconut milk; sinigang, chicken adobo, lechon kawali, sisig and stuffed squid. Soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and banana ketchup featured as ever-present condiments. Halo halo, turon (fried banana spring rolls) and leche flan add a sweet finishing touch.

For busier bodies than we intended to be, there were plenty of activities available: 21 hectares to be explored on foot, on horseback or by quad bike; kayaks, pedal boats and bancas waited on the beach; several balsa rafts float just off-shore waiting for sunset; snorkels and goggles could be hired to explore the world beneath the glittering surface of the sea. We settled for massages and facials in our cabins, and simply hanging about in a hammock to catch the afternoon breeze, G&Ts in hand. We did manage a slow stroll down a white sandy beach at sunset, and the girls got up early to ride ATVs (quad bikes) through the flower beds! 

Stilts is a bit pricier than other resorts in the area, but it is also prettier, and more comfortable, and I have found that clean sandy beaches are a rarity in southern Luzon. The resort is spotless and the sea is crystal clear. We didn’t need goggles and flippers to see the fish, we could just lean over the side of our veranda. The staff are friendly, and while they didn’t always understand Stilts 020what we wanted (due to my limited Tagalog and their limited English), they did try!

Our final evening, we ordered take-away pizza and sat peacefully on the veranda as the sun sank sulkily into the sea, leaving the sky retrospectively musk and grey behind him. It was a blissfully tranquil break, but the hours passed all too quickly and we were reluctant to leave so soon. But we will  be back next time we need a break from the madding crowd…

Posted in Food & Wine, Philippines, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Grace Park: Just Around the Corner

Posted on 16 April 2013 by sheg4184

Grace Park 003 Margarita (Gaita) Forés has joined the organic craze, opening Grace Park just last month at One Rockwell, a tiny paddock-to-plate restaurant with an Italian flavour. It is named after her grandmother’s home in Caloocan, apparently the inspiration for her farmhouse comfort-food cooking. She is quoted in the Philippine Daily Inquirer as saying: “Grace Park is a back-to-basics concept… it celebrates the organic produce of our farmers and artisan producers here and abroad. It honors the old ways of doing things, like slow-food cooking techniques.”

As soon as you walk in the décor is both inviting and unusual: a blend Grace Park 008of recycled and rustic kitchen, quite different from anything I have seen in Manila before, the work of renowned Filipino architect Jorge Yulo. There is a glorious wrought iron balcony on the mezzanine, a broad, heavy staircase of recycled wood and industrial iron plating and a feature wall of recycled bricks.

Many of the decorations had obviously been salvaged from old buildings and second hand shops. A beautiful metal orb surrounds a small chandelier hanging above the stairs, and a rack on the wall is decorated in an assortment of old cooking utensils. Square stone tables squat solidly on polished concrete floors, the centerpieces of which are Grace Park 002small tub of herbs wrapped in hessian – tarragon, mint or basil – that adds a charmingly scented kitchen garden ambience.  

Water is served in an eclectic collection of pretty, coloured, textured glasses. The service was warm and friendly and there was a prompt answer to every question we asked. We sat in the cosier space downstairs, where there are only a half dozen small tables, but the mezzanine is a great L-shaped space for larger groups.

The menu at Grace Park is printed on brown paper and pegged to a piece of cardboard, continuing the recycled theme, and is just the right size: a good selection of dishes without getting over-excited or over-whelming, based on seasonal ingredients, and including a cross-cultural mix of organic Scotch eggs, three cheese meatballs (provolone, ricotta and pecorino romano), Eton mess and cassava cake. We had come for a light lunch. Suffice to say we left feeling kilos heavier.

Grace Park 005The food was fresh and temptingly presented, and as there were only two of us, we joined forces with the table beside us to compare notes. My friend and I had decided to go vegetarian for the day, with a box of tempura style mixed Japanese mushrooms followed by pasta. The mushrooms, served in a small cake tin, were healthy, if a bit bland, but were accompanied by a jazzy and moreish anchovy sauce that livened things up a bit.

Our pasta sauces were carbonara creamy, but surprisingly light. Mine had a delightful citrus tang with the contrasting crunch of pistachios Grace Park 007and a soft, crumbled goat’s cheese, served with squash-infused pasta ribbons. We could smell the earthy truffle sauce as soon as it emerged from the kitchen, served on spinach fettuccine and topped with a perfectly fried egg, sunny side up. Our carnivorous neighbours meanwhile were indulging in Muscovado Beef Belly, pork chops and a whole fish served, still sizzling, on an oval, cast iron frying pan at the table – serving sizes that were definitely designed for sharing.

We finished off – ‘Dessert? Really?’ – sharing a Key lime pie that did not need the mountain of whipped cream it came with at all, but stood alone extremely well. A fine ending to a thoroughly satisfying lunch.

We will undoubtedly return to sample more from this great new menu in its novel setting, with the added bonus of finding it is only around the corner.

Posted in Food & Wine, Philippines | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ethical Entrepreneurs

Posted on 10 April 2013 by sheg4184

 fruit & veg.1‘Eating is, or should be, one of life’s great pleasures,’ says food writer Angela Crocombe.  Filipinos agree. In the Philippines, eating is a communal, convivial pastime.

In the provinces, regional cuisines have been influenced by hundreds of years of Chinese, Spanish and American colonization and trade, while maintaining their Filipino essence.  Metro Manila is a different scenario. Home to myriad cafés, bars and restaurants, nobody is ever more than two steps away from the next mouthful. The streets are packed with international restaurant chains; the supermarket shelves are stacked with largely imported produce. It is a city gone mad on processed junk food and the term globalization is a daunting reality. An example of where priorities lie? Dial 911 for pizza!

Amy Besa, Filipina food historian and co-owner of New York restaurant Purple Yam, is determined not to lose the old traditions and recipes.

profile-110Our true palate …has been eroded during the last two decades of fast food and MSG-laden packaged mixes… Filipino food is getting commercial and artificial. The Filipino food landscape is vibrant.  We do not want to lose its value to commercially produced flavoring pastes and powders, mass produced traditional foods and other … convenience products.

Her book ‘Memories of Philippine Kitchens’ has been my bible on the road to understanding Philippine cuisine, and Amy Besa has all the vibrant fanaticism of a prophet.

Crocombe remains positive:

In recent years there has been a heartening rise in international movements that endorse traditional methods of small-scale [and] focus on the importance of eating fresh, local foods.

This global trend has spread to the Philippines, where there is a new urban food trend happening – a shift away from imported, processed food and back to regional, organic produce. A growing number of local chefs, often with overseas experience, have been trying to choreograph a cultural change in the Philippines by teaching the gospel of quality organic produce and encouraging national pride in regional Filipino cuisine.

Part of the process has been to draw in an increasing number of regional, entrepreneurial farmers to grow quality, organic produce and help them put the heart, health and sense of community back into Philippine cuisine.

Sau del RosarioA third generation chef from Pampanga, Chef Sau del Rosario is a passionate advocate for sustainable, organic ingredients and regional cuisine. His interest began over 20 years ago. Back then, he says, it was almost impossible to source organic produce. Now it is gradually becoming main stream.

Chef Sau fervently believes that organic is not a trend, it is a choice, and the direction in which everyone is heading. His inner city menus, his sideline as the signature chef with TourFlair (a food safari that promotes regional Filipino cuisine) and his growing clout as a TV celebrity chef are all helping to spread the word.

Local chef and Slow Food advocate Sandralyn Hataway outlines the need to educate consumers as a critical part of changing consumption patterns. She is determined to teach Filipinos to be more than wannabe Americans and is a firm believer in the theory ‘eat who you are’.

Her menus reflect this, in her use of fresh local produce rather than imported Sandra Lyn Hattawayingredients, which she claims, change the flavour of traditional dishes. On the wall of her last restaurant Tourné, Chef Sandra painted the words of iconic American restaurateur Alice Waters in eye-catching colours:

If you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is.

In 2010 Chef Sau and his partner Pacita (Chit) Juan opened Le Bistro Vert in Makati City, a restaurant espousing the benefits of organic food. Chef Sau sourced many ingredients from local farmers and producers, with the underlying intention of educating their clients about sustainable, organic produce. In a recent interview for the Manila Bulletin Sau del Rosario stated:

People are becoming more aware about the food they eat. With a little more education, and dissemination of information, we will get there.

Other chefs and restaurateurs across Metro Manila are become noticeably more tuned in to healthy eating and marketing their menus with trendy catch phrases like ‘organic,’ ‘anti-oxidants’ and ‘pro-biotic’ (a dietary supplement containing beneficial live bacteria) that can make a meal feel more like a science experiment.

However, Makati newcomer Sugarleaf is managing to combine taste, health and farmeducation. Strategically located at the crossroads of Paseo de Roxas and Buendia, above the MEDICard Lifestyle Center, the Sugarleaf menu claims to address your nutritional and energy requirements, as well as those grumbling tummies. The menu is full of light, healthy dishes, fresh and beautifully displayed, if sometimes inclined to overdose on lettuce, and skimp on flavour. It is certainly something different from the usual Filipino spread of high cholesterol local food with its heavy emphasis on the carnivorous.

Chef Tatung is renowned as the chef who uses local, sustainable ingredients to make world-class fusion and regional dishes for his eponymous restaurant in Taguig and it seems customers are thrilled with this distinctly Filipino cuisine. Chef Tatung calls it ‘Filipino with a twist, but without taking away the essence and familiarity of the flavors.’

Chef Robby Goco is another Filipino chef on a mission. Executive Chef and owner of Greek chain Cyma and Mexican restaurant Achiote, amongst others, Chef Robby has organized his local suppliers to provide top quality produce to all his restaurants, and has joined forces with other local restaurateurs to ensure the farmers have a strong customer base. The consequent quality of the menu is remarkable.

It can be extremely difficult to get such innovative projects up and running in the Philippines, due to the lack of standardization, quality control and regulation enforcement. Chef Sandra also notes the lack of understanding, amongst small-scale producers for the term ‘organic’. She tells a story about visiting a regional market where one stall holder had painted a sign proclaiming that his pork was organic. When asked what he meant by organic, the man replied proudly, ‘It’s oven-baked ma’am’.

This amusing anecdote illustrates a problem recognized by many restaurateurs who say many farmers and consumers still fail to understand what ‘organic’ means. It is ‘a flexible terminology in the Philippines,’ says Chef Sau, but he also believes it is simply a case of educating producers to protect consumers from misrepresentation.

When he and partner Chit Juan first opened Le Bistro Vert in Salcedo, they faced the problem of sourcing truly organic produce. So they set up a small farm in Chit JuanCavite. The organic produce they grew supplied the restaurant, and also began to be sourced by friends. As more friends inquired, serial entrepreneur, Chit Juan, recognized the opportunity to expand into fresh produce.

Her latest venture, Echostore, is a retail outlet and café on Serendra Plaza espousing sustainable living, with organic produce sourced from small rural communities. She now has suppliers from all over the Philippines. Her entrepreneurial attitude has even inspired some of them to develop new initiatives. One tomato farmer, for example, was encouraged to invest in a solar drier to save excess tomatoes from rotting, and she now provides Echostore with a regular supply of sundried tomatoes.

Chit Juan believes that small producers are shaping the future with the aid of entrepreneurs like her. ‘It is not a trend, but a growing consciousness,’ she affirms. ‘People are getting behind the cause, and word of mouth is very strong in the Philippines’.

And, as Chef Sandra says optimistically, ‘It has to start somewhere!’

*An extended version of this paper was presented at the 2nd Australasian Regional Food Networks & Cultures Conference, Barossa Valley, South Australia, November 11-14, 2012, and also in the April issue of Inklings Magazine.

 

 

Posted in Food & Wine, Philippines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ethical Entrepreneurs