Northern Living: 2016 October

October 2016 Volume 11 | Issue 02

SMORGASBORD

2016 0927 NOLI OCT COVER.indd 3

9/28/16 3:10 PM

Untitled-2 1 Untitled-3

9/14/16 9/15/16 10:55 5:51 PM AM

CONT ENTS 14 COVER STORY Plotting the origins of Philippine cuisine

06 FEATURE Saucy encounters

Cover photo by Gabby Cantero 22 EATS A return to the fundamentals

OCTOBER 2016 04 FIXTURE A scientific approach to food security 26 RECIPE Leftover bread and greens in a salad 28 THE GET Unearthing traditions with tableware

EDITOR’S NOTE What’s in the pot?

“Eating is the occasion for the rites and rituals of our lives. Eating is praxis in social amenities. Eating is language that speaks of the nuances of what we are.

Eating is making alive the various and variegated conjugation of our lives.”

Renowned food journalist Doreen Fernandez couldn’t have said it any better in the introduction of Tikim.

Chefs and farmers alike are consciously making efforts to bring back the glory days of Filipino food.

Last August, the Department of Agriculture organized an organic, natural, and indigenous food fair called Philippine Harvest. Also earlier this year, chef Tatung Sarthou released his

first cookbook Philippine Cookery, which revolves around pre-Hispanic cooking techniques.

Living in an archipelago has its advantages. We get fresh produce from the highlands, the lowlands, and our bountiful seas.We have rich traditions of indigenous cookery— though many are now lost in this fast-modernizing nation. In our October issue, we take time to hit the history books to rediscover the beauty and diversity of Filipino food culture, in the hopes of inspiring you to hit the wet market, find what’s in season, and get cooking without preservatives.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 1

Northern Living is published by Hinge Inquirer Publications. 4F Media Resource Plaza, Mola corner Pasong Tirad Streets, Barangay La Paz, Makati City. Visit www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine now. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @nlivingph.

We’d love to hear from you.

Email us at nliving@hip.ph.

For advertising, email sales@hip.ph.

This magazine was printed responsibly using recycled papers with biodegradable inks.

01

9/27/16 4:56 PM

FEEDBACK

STANDARD DEVIATION

NORTHERNliving GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA MANAGING EDITOR DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA ASSOCIATE EDITOR PRISTINE L. DE LEON EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS OLIVER EMOCLING, RENZ NOLLASE CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM ART DIRECTOR EDRIC DELA ROSA GRAPHIC ARTIST DANICA CONDEZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PATRICK SEGOVIA

Hello, Northern Living!

I like how your cover story conveys the truth about the process of creating and screening indie films in the Philippines. You made Brillante more relatable to students like me. I believe that much time, effort, and research is put into filmmaking, and true to what he said, our society has yet to appreciate its growing potential.

CONTRIBUTORS WRITER SAM LIM PHOTOGRAPHERS GABBY CANTERO, SAM LIM STYLISTS SAM LIM COPY EDITOR SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PROOFREADER PAM BROOKE CASIN EDITORIAL CONSULTANT RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO

-Marie Beth Villena

BOARD CHAIRPERSON ALEXANDRA PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ FINANCE ADVISOR AND TREASURER J. FERDINAND DE LUZURIAGA LEGAL ADVISOR ATTY. RUDYARD ARBOLADO HR STRATEGY HEAD RAYMUND SOBERANO VP AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER IMELDA C. ALCANTARA CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER JULIE ANDREA SANTIAGO SVP AND GROUP SALES HEAD FELIPE R. OLARTE AVP FOR SALES MA. KATRINA MAE GARCIA-DALUSONG SALES SUPERVISOR JOY SANTOS-PILAR KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ALETHEIA ORDIALES, ABEGAIL GINAGA, ERNEST EMMANUEL SY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANDIE ZUÑIGA, CHARM BANZUELO, LIZA JISON SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, MANILYN ILUMIN MANAGING EDITOR ANGELA VELASCO ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR PAM BROOKE CASIN SENIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT PAULINE MIRANDA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS KHEENA ALELOJO, KRYZETTE PAPAGAYO, CHRISTELLE TOLISORA SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES SARAH CABALATUNGAN, SHANNA MALING, MICHELLE REGINA MAPA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INA MATEO GRAPHIC ARTISTS RACHELL FLORES, KATRICE MONTES, YAYIE MOTOS, NICO ORTIGOZA, JAYCELINE SORIANO

Read us online or subscribe for free.

Call 403-8825 or Visit www.hip.ph for more information

@nlivingph

NOLI Others.indd 6-7

9/14/16 1:17 PM

nlivingph@hip.ph

Share your thoughts on our latest issue through comments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and get a chance to win this tote bag.

Call 403-8825 to claim your prize.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 2

MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER JELLIC TAPIA EVENTS SUPERVISOR BIANCA DALUMPINES EVENTS ASSISTANTS KIM MARIANO, MERJORIE MAY YOUNG GRAPHIC ARTISTS JANINE DELA CUESTA, ROI DE CASTRO DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER MARC RICHARD CHUA DIGITAL COMMUNITY SPECIALISTS ALLISA MENDOZA, MIGUEL LUIS VASALLO

@nlivingph www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine

PRODUCTION MANAGER JAN CARIQUITAN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MARICEL GAVINO FINAL ART SUPERVISOR DENNIS CRUZ FA ARTIST KRISTINE MAY PAZ

FIND YOUR FREE COPIES OF NORTHERN LIVING AT

STARBUCKS COFFEE, EDSA SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, AYALA MUSEUM, LOPEZ MUSEUM, VALLE VERDE COUNTRY CLUB, SALON DE MANILA, AND FULLY BOOKED.

02

9/27/16 4:56 PM

Untitled-4 1

9/21/16 11:39 AM

FIXT URE

FOOD FOR THOUGHT What we keep on and off the table reflects our way of thinking TEXT RENZ NOLLASE

Food always harks back to its origin. Seeing food along grocery aisles, we engage in a quiet deliberation: Is this organic? How is it grown? Is the production sustainable?

Beyond the supermarket, food can be traced back to the hands of the farmers and fishermen, to the earth and the seas that provide it.

According to several studies, food production would have to increase by 60 percent in order to feed a world population of nine billion come 2050. Many agree that in order to cater to this growing appetite, a system should be put in place to ensure food security, not only on the local level but also on a worldwide scale while ensuring affordable and stable prices on the market. This means innovating, maximizing our resources’ efficiency and ensuring sustainable food production practices. We rely even more on science to guide the workings of this system. However, two major players in food production, agro-industries and the organic movement, are in constant quarrel, a result, it appears, of disagreement in philosophy more so than in actual logic.

In December 2015, the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision to uphold the Court of Appeals’ 2013 ruling on banning the field testing of Bt Talong and the SC’s rule to stop all activities concerned with genetically modified organisms (GMO) threw the agricultural and scientific community in an unnecessary limbo.

Greenpeace and other anti-GMO groups were able to halt research and development and importation of GMOs through the Writ of Kalikasan, a legal remedy that allows plaintiffs to stop activities that are deemed harmful to the environment or that would deprive citizens the right “to a balanced and healthful ecology

in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.”

The scientific community rallied against the ruling, some even called the act as anti-science and anti-poor.

GRAY AREAS IN GM TECHNOLOGIES GMO is a relatively new technology that began with the creation of the first GMO in 1973. However, genetic manipulation is not an entirely new and unnatural process. Humans have been selectively breeding crops for centuries—even organic farmers practice selective breeding to create better crops. With genetic engineering, scientists are able to directly inject specific genes into organisms, even introducing the genes of other species into the mix. In the case of Bt Talong, the eggplant genome has been injected with the genes of soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, an organism found in bacterial pesticide used in conventional and organic farming, that gives it the bacteria’s inherent ability to produce proteins that kill off pests.

Anti-GMO protesters decry this “unnatural” mixing of species. When the technology was first introduced, a fear of creating “frankenfoods” that could harm the human body was at the forefront of anti-GMO consumption. However, tests conducted by multiple credible scientific institutions have seen little to no harm in consuming GMO products. Despite this, the fear of GMOs’ effects on the body continues. The greatest argument on GMO, however, is its impact on the environment. The argument being GMOs, with their built-in advantages such as pest-resistance, could affect biodiversity by overtaking their non-pest-resistant wild counterpart, affecting genetic diversity within the specie, and even take away space from other species

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 4

04

9/27/16 4:57 PM

FIXT URE

“To continue to deny science-based solutions, to insist on ideological thinking as the sole bearer of the answers to these realities is regressive.”

of flora entirely when released in the wild. GMOs’ possible effects on biodiversity were at the forefront of anti-GMO protesters’ arguments against Bt Talong in 2015 when they invoked the Writ of Kalikasan.

The concern on biodiversity is one that the scientists themselves who create GMOs address. To curb the problem of crossbreeding and uncontrolled spread of GMOs, scientists are experimenting with making second generation seeds sterile and reprogramming GMO plants’ genes so that they cannot crossbreed with non-GMO plants.

A BATTLE OF WITS: ORGANIC VS ARTIFICIAL Anti-GMO sentiment is not entirely isolated in the organic community. They do, however, have written standards that oppose it. Organic certification requires farmers not to use GMOs, despite GMOs actually promoting lesser use of pesticides, making it a more eco-friendly crop. In 1997, in fact, when the National Organic Program was being drafted in the U.S., GMOs were not excluded from organic farming certification because of its perceived eco-friendly effects. This drew criticism from the organic communities, however, and GMOs were barred from organic certification to the surprise of biotechnology practitioners who thought that with the promise of Bt crops’ ability to produce its own pesticide naturally, organic farmers would patronise it. The move to exclude GMO from organic certification seemed more like a shunning based on personal preference rather than a pragmatic move on the side of the organic community.

Before it was called organic farming, the method of farming that relied solely on existing agro-ecosystems and refrained from the use of synthetic materials was called humus farming. Humus farming put emphasis on conserving and regenerating soil health for better crops which made it a more sustainable practice of growing crops. However, from a farming method, the organic movement has since evolved into a whole philosophy and even ideology that sees “natural” as “good” and “unnatural” as “bad,” and in this ideology, GMO is “bad” and unworthy of the organic label.

CREATING LABELS AND MISGUIDED CONDUCT Like all ideologies stripped of its philosophy, illinformed followers can sometimes blindingly follow ways of thinking without thought. Blind adherence to a way of thinking leads to misunderstanding, and misunderstanding, in turn, can manifest in irrational acts. One such act involves members of Greenpeace.

One morning in 2011, Greenpeace members in hazmat suits uprooted Bt Talong plants in the testing fields. On their website, Greenpeace published photos of the act with the headline: “Greenpeace moves to decontaminate Bt eggplant trial site in the Philippines.” It was an act of vandalism, but more so, it was an act of fear mongering. The image of hazmat suits would suggest that the Bt Talong are somewhat biohazard materials (they are not). Even the word “decontaminate” could potentially lead to misunderstanding that GMOs are toxic (they are not).

The scientific community was quick to jump on this lapse of judgement by the group and were quick to label the vandals as anti-science and backwards, creating a bigger rift between the two. In fact, some members of the scientific community may be at fault, too, of not advancing the arguments for food security forward when they choose to dismiss concerns raised against GM technologies, such as the bigger question of its effects on biodiversity. These reactionary acts hinder meaningful conversations between two groups that could otherwise hold vital information and resources necessary for building a better food production system.

While food has always been an important part of ideology−think kosher, halal, and even gluten-free diets that now fall into ideological consumption for some−we must not entirely succumb to the realm of thought, whether it be the realm of science or of philosophy when dealing with reality. Hunger is real.

The growing population and problems of sustainability are real. To continue to deny the creation of solutions or to insist on being the sole solution to these realities based only on biased ideological thinking is backwards.

It simply creates fear and misunderstanding, something which we have too much of already.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 5

05

9/27/16 4:57 PM

FEAT URE

ROLLING IN THE DIP A saucy feast for every gathering

TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO

“What do you prefer: suka or toyo?” This is a common question whenever fried bangus or tilapia is served.

Underneath the umbrella of choices, there is still the question of whether to mix tomatoes with soy sauce or let it stand with calamansi. For vinegar, it’s a question of what kind to use: pinakurat, paumbong, or a simple mixture of vinegar with siling labuyo. The case of sawsawan can be overwhelming yet we naturally gravitate towards it.

We often ask, “What makes something Filipino?”

In terms of food, the answer is probably grounded in the sawsawan. The identity of most Filipino dishes is distinguished by a platito of sawsawan on the side, allowing everyone to tweak the flavors according to their preference. The late food writer Doreen Fernandez wrote, “Patis as flavoring ‘indigenizes’ the dish, and…. ‘tame’ the alien to their taste.” Perhaps this is also true for other sauces in the kitchen pantry. The most important thing about your favorite sawsawan is that it’s an accepted fixture on the table.

PATIS INGREDIENTS

Anchovies or other small fish of choice Salt PROCEDURE

1. Layer fish and salt in a jar. Add water just enough to cover the fish and salt, making sure to leave some airspace. The ratio between fish and salt should be 1:2. Lemon rind, peppercorns, sugar, and other herbs may be added to enhance the flavor.

2. Slightly cover the jar and keep it in a cool, dry place for 13 days or longer, opening the lid every few days.

3. Strain the remaining solids. The strained liquid would be the fish sauce.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 6

06

9/27/16 4:57 PM

Untitled-2 1

4/21/16 4:22 PM

FEAT URE

ALTERNATIVE SOY SAUCE INGREDIENTS

2 cups beef broth 2 tsp. blackstrap molasses 1/2 tsp. white vinegar (other types of vinegar may be used depending on your preference) 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional) A dash of ginger powder (optional) 1/2 tsp. onion powder (optional) A pinch of pepper Salt PROCEDURE

Mix ingredients in a pot and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced to half. Let it stand if you prefer soy sauce with less sodium, or add more salt according to your preference.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0920 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 8

08

9/20/16 4:57 PM

FEAT URE

VINEGAR INGREDIENTS

1 liter coconut water 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 tsp. yeast 1 cup mother vinegar PROCEDURE

1. Filter fresh coconut water and add in sugar.

2. Boil for five minutes. Let it cool before transferring into a jar or bottle.

3. Add yeast. Cover the jar or bottle with cheesecloth or slightly cover it with its lid.

4. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunshine to ferment for one to two weeks.

5. Transfer the fermented mixture into a pot and boil it for 20 minutes.

6. Put the mixture in a jar and add mother vinegar.

7. Store it again for one month before use.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0920 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 9

09

9/20/16 4:57 PM

FEAT URE

LECHON SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1/2 kg. pork liver 2 cups water 1/3 cup white onions, minced 2 tbsp. garlic, minced 3 tbsp. lard 1/3 cup vinegar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup bread crumbs Ground black pepper Salt PROCEDURE

1. Boil liver until half done.

Ground with a food processor or finely chop it.

2. Add water and mash the liver.

Set aside.

3. Toast bread crumbs and crumble them further afterward.

4. Sauté garlic and onions with lard. Add in the liver extract, bread crumbs, and vinegar.

5. Simmer over medium heat until thick.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0920 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 10

10

9/20/16 4:57 PM

7.25 x 10.indd 1

5/22/15 3:12 PM

FEAT URE

BAGOONG ALAMANG INGREDIENTS

1 kg. alamang or krill 300g. rock salt PROCEDURE

1. Mix the ingredients and put the mixture in a jar or bottle, leaving some airspace to allow fermentation.

2. Keep in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight for 1 to 2 months.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0920 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 12

12

9/20/16 4:57 PM

Untitled-1 1

9/26/16 9:39 AM

COV ER STORY

LOCAL INDULGENCE

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 14

14

9/28/16 2:49 PM

COV ER STORY

In the capital of Palawan, Puerto Princesa, there lies a “Viet Village” where refugees from the Vietnam war reside. Unknown to many, there are a few restaurants serving authentic pho and banh mi (left).

Tamales, the Philippine version of the Mexican tamal, is another product of the Galleon Trade. Different versions are seen in different regions like Pampanga, Tarlac, and Samar (bottom).

The complex case of finding Filipino identity in food TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO F OOD CHEF RICKY SISON OF BALAY DAKO

One Saturday afternoon at my grandmother’s house, a grating sound woke me from my siesta. I was six then. I rose and followed the sound, which led me to the garage. There I saw my grandmother, sitting on a thin, low, wooden bench with a sharp blade on one end. There she sat, stooped, putting all her power into shredding a root crop larger than a potato. She said she would make a cake out if it, a cassava bibingka.

I stayed with her that afternoon, observed, and attempted to offer whatever help I could. There was the occasional mixing while she looked over her kodigo, a hand-written recipe in her years-old recipe notebook, and prepared the next step. We don’t have many cookbooks at home, but we’ve always had our lola’s trusty notebook that we now have a photocopied version of.

Sometimes, I would watch her write down new recipes in perfect script. Flipping through them is like finding snapshots of different moments in her life.

Some recipes were from her travels abroad, some were

obviously given by amigas because of the inclusion of “a la” in the titles, with the amiga’s name at the end, and some were personal discoveries with the occasional edits. Her notebook has recipes of embutido, as shared by her former neighbor Mrs. Lomboc; homemade broas, a dessert we have every Christmas; and even dishes as simple as fried kangkong.

Nora Daza mentions in the preface of her cookbook A Culinary Life: Personal Recipe Collection, “I have decided that being Filipino doesn’t mean disregarding all foreign influences. It means including everything— yes, the food that may have originated somewhere else but have settled here to become an integral part of Filipino fare.” My grandmother was no Nora Daza, but the wide variety of recipes in both the latter’s published cookbook and my grandmother’s handwritten recipes was no coincidence. Recipes written in notebooks or index cards kept in small boxes and outlined in cookbooks are like stills of a time past and a colorful culinary history.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0920 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 15

15

9/20/16 4:57 PM

Diversity among flavor preferences is apparent among the different regions. The Ilonggos’ binacol represents their preference for the mild and sweet.

COV ER STORY

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 16

16

9/27/16 4:57 PM

COV ER STORY BREAKING GROUND Our country’s geographic composition speaks volumes of who we are as a people and what can be found in both land and sea. The food produced varies from one terrain to another, most unknown to each other.

Many are regarded as endemic, adding more nuances to our edible landscape.

On the other hand, there is produce such as coconuts that are present in almost every island, with each cultural group creating different ways to cook the ubiquitous fruit and finding purposes and uses for every stage of its lifespan.

The impact of this abundance is very evident in the myriad dialects in the Philippines. For example, rice has several names in Tagalog: palay for unmilled rice, bigas for milled rice, kanin for cooked rice, lugaw for rice porridge, tutong for burnt rice, bahaw for leftover rice, and sinangag for fried rice. The same is true with the different stages of ripeness in fruits.

Inihaw, nilaga, adobo—Filipino food will always be named after the manner a dish is cooked. Before traders and colonizers entered the Philippine seas, Malay culture was the foundation. According to Doreen Fernandez’s Tikim, the dishes from this tradition are, in general, simply cooked: steamed, boiled, roasted on coal, simmered in vinegar—as befits food taken from immediate surroundings. The most typical and widespread styles are sinigang and kinilaw, which has many variations depending on the region.

No complicated technique is necessary to create good Filipino dishes, Filipinos simply find ways to bring out the freshness and goodness of each and every ingredient. Asia’s Best Female Chef Margarita Fores mentions kinilaw, the Filipino ceviche, as one of the most unique Filipino dishes, “There is evidence that this dish already existed a thousand years ago, way before outside influence affected us.” It is the pursuit to preserve the meat’s freshest state that instigated the creation of such a simple yet satisfying dish.

TONY BOY ESCALANTE Chef, Antonio’s Group “In my opinion, I think sinigang best represents what we Filipinos love in food.

We love the sour broth in our rice, soft meat and mix of vegetable. The sour and spicy flavors (when served with a chili-infused fish sauce) and newly-milled rice are the best combination. We love flavorful food. With the rainy tropical climate we have, having a bowl of sinigang is always soothing.”

EAST VS. WEST The Chinese seemed to have had a head start in global invasion, given the numerous Chinatowns present all over the world. However, Manila’s Chinatown in Binondo takes the cake as the oldest and largest in the world, underscoring China’s impact on Philippine culture.

The one great dish that epitomizes their seamless integration to Filipino cuisine is the pancit. With the many variations that the Filipinos’ indigenization of the noodles has produced, it’s a staple in every household, even a known delicacy for some regions.

Each permutation is named after the kind of noodle used (sotanghon, bihon, habhab, etc.), the way it is made and presented (mami, palabok, luglog, etc.), or the place it originated from (Lucban, Malabon,

FELICE PRUDENTE Food historian “The one-pot boiled meal: from the simplest linaga, to the sourish sinigang, to the most complex putsero. The onepot boiled meal accomodates whatever ingredients are available. It produces a comforting broth whatever the weather.

And it provides solid accompaniments to rice. Likewise, an individual serving is meant to be personalized to suit one’s desired flavors for the moment: a dribble of calamansi juice, a dash of patis, a lathering of salsa de tomate accompanied by eggplant and garlic relish. What an accomodating dish. Just like the Filipino who seeks to share happiness with every meal.”

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 17

17

9/27/16 4:57 PM

COV ER STORY

Filipinos continue to personalize Chinese noodles with the ingredients available in their respective homes and regions. Today, a serving of pancit would not be complete without pandesal or puto.

SHOT ON LOCATION BALAY DAKO ILLUSTRATION TRISTAN TAMAYO

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 18

18

9/27/16 4:57 PM

COV ER STORY

SHOT ON LOCATION BALAY DAKO ILLUSTRATION TRISTAN TAMAYO

etc.). Other than pancit, mainstays such as soybean derivatives toyo and tokwa, dumplings, and siopao are widely consumed across the nation.

Then there was our three-century-long colonization under Spanish conquistadores who brought with them the rich, crimson brown stews we now call afritada, caldereta, cocido, and pochero. We have them to thank for bringing us the mighty and sinful lechon, and indulgent desserts such as flan, sans rival, and brazo de Mercedes. The presence of Spaniards also taught us a refined manner of dining and preparing food.

From cooking more opulent dishes, food preparation became an indication of one’s status. Moreover, through the Galleon Trade, many of Mexico’s produce were also assimilated into our landscape. Cacao, corn, guava, pineapple, avocado, tomato, and camote are now indispensable components of Philippine cuisine.

Our food today is more or less patterned after the American diet: almost everything has to be made fast, portable, compact, and for mass consumption. See: pizza, pasta, hamburgers, and sundaes. Yet this is also where Filipino’s ingenuity and cultural strength are displayed, as we’ve found ways to present local produce and resources in even the most American dishes, such as the famous mango pizza from Guimaras and the addition of sawsawan on the dining spread.

JORDY NAVARRA Chef, Toyo Eatery “It would be sinigang for me. Because I feel that sour notes are very much part of the flavor profile of Philippine cuisine.

In addition to that, the souring agents used are reflective of the region they’re in. So regardless of where you are in the Philippines, there are variations of sinigang but it’s constant in principle and flavor profile. Not to mention, you can use different proteins with it.”

“I have decided that being Filipino doesn’t mean disregarding all foreign influences.”

FUTURE OF FILIPINO FOOD There is more to Filipino food than adobo, pancit, or kare-kare; simply travel to see and savor the diverse gastronomic universe of our islands. Preserving our culinary heritage starts with rummaging through our grandmothers’ storage for handwritten recipes that were lovingly written down, either on yellowing index cards or notebooks. Return to the kitchen and make it our playground, rediscovering age-old cooking techniques. Scour for “lost” ingredients in wet markets and make them relevant again.

Many question the future of Filipino cookery, and food historian Felice Prudente Sta. Maria proffers an answer in the preface of Slow Food: “While Philippine culinary heritage is under threat from the newness brought by each generation, it is also maturing as it undergoes vibrant changes initiated by innovative and cutting-edge people, products, and technologies.”

JP ANGLO Chef, Sarsa Group “You’ll know there’s a celebration when there’s lechon on the table. It brings everyone together. When there’s lechon on the table, people from all walks of life gather ’round and feast together. There are different roasted pigs in the world but we have the best version, even Anthony Bourdain swears by it. But there are also different variations of lechon across the Philippines. We have different stuffings and techniques. In Bacolod, we stuff the lechon with batwan (a local souring agent). Even different lechoneros have their own secrets.

Because the roasting itself takes five to six hours, they sometimes drink and brush the lechon with whatever they’re drinking like beer (during evenings) or Royal and Sprite (during the day).”

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 19

19

9/27/16 4:57 PM

The Malay influence in Mindanao has endured through time and is still evident in their food culture.

Hailing from Tawi-Tawi, Pyalam is a dish very similar to paksiw and pinangat.

COV ER STORY

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 20

20

9/27/16 4:57 PM

Broadband

Watch videos with speeds up to

50Mbps

*

for only

For more information call, 0915-7908820 * Plans at speeds from 50Mbps and up have minimum guaranteed connection speed of 30% of the subscribed speed at 80% minimum service reliability

Untitled-4 1 Untitled-2 Untitled-1

9/15/16 9/20/16 8/9/16 6:12 6:05 PM 6:22

EATS

QUALITY TIME

With their home-cooked specials, a detour to this neighborhood café is always worth the effort TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM

While everyone is still deep in slumber and dreaming, Apero’s baking staff reports to work at 2 in the morning to start preparing and hand-mixing dough. “We start baking at 5 a.m.,” says the café’s part-owner Valline Go, ensuring that their bread is freshly baked every day. Meanwhile, the hot kitchen chefs make their daily trip to the wet market to source freshly caught fish and seasonal ingredients they could play with to offer on the specials board. Apero, the newest café in Corinthian Hills, departs from shortcut cooking and is an advocate of bringing back slow cooking to Manila’s dining scene.

This neighborhood pit stop, with its view of the bustling city, offers two menus—AM (from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and PM (from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.)—making it a refuge for harried working people looking for

quick breakfast takeaways, titas who brunch, and even couples craving for quality steak and drinks. Basically, they could serve anything you’re craving for at any time of the day.

Enter the modern, tropical-inspired café at 8 in the morning for a quick breakfast run and get energized by the smell of brewing coffee and baking bread. The best example of familiar flavors presented in an unexpected package is their sourdough croissant. This naturally leavened bread has the same flaky crust of the croissant, but has the pleasing chewiness of sourdough inside.

Butter and jams that go with the bread are also made from scratch, with Apero fermenting their own butter and importing berries for their jams. For a more filling meal, they offer a hefty serving of specialty porridge waffles with home-cured corned beef and peppercorn

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 22

22

9/27/16 4:57 PM

EATS

Opposite page: Bread basket consists of slices of sourdough, duck fat pandesal, homemade butter, and raspberry jam.

This page (clockwise from top): Smoke Roasted Organic Chicken; Lillet on ice; Apero also injects Filipino craftsmanship into the café’s design.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 23

23

9/27/16 4:57 PM

EATS

gravy. While porridge sounds like an odd base for a waffle, Apero uses a mix of grains—oats, quinoa, chia seeds, and flax—creating chewy and soft pastry while retaining a crisp crust. For a bracing morning brew, they offer Intelligentsia coffee, a U.S. coffee roasting company and retailer and a major representative of the global third wave coffee community. On hot days, the Mocha Angelano, their version of the frappe, surprises with the subtle sweetness in its strong coffee taste.

An ode to home cooking, Smoke Roasted Organic Chicken is part of both their brunch and dinner lineup and has easily been their patrons’ favorite. Go boasts that there are no shortcuts made to put together such a simple yet satisfying dish. “We brine the chicken for a day, season it with only salt and pepper, and cook it in our brick oven.” To highlight their attention to detail, part-owner Bryan Chua adds, “We use an 11-week-old free range bird—old enough so you can taste its flavor

but not too old that it’s already too tough.”

Their dinner and cocktail menu is their most recent offering, an enticing treat for the after-work crowd who wants to wait out the rush hour traffic. The Apero (or apéritif ) is recommended to be paired with a cocktail before the main course, and myriad textures are present in their Marinated Beet and Pumpkin Salad, consisting of goat cheese, crispy rice, and rocket arugula; it’s best paired with a sweet glass of Lillet.

Basically, Apero is another comfort food joint in the north, but their attempt to merge the worlds of old (meticulous and time-consuming cooking) and new (flavorful twists on all-time favorites) is quite successful. “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—just good food from fresh ingredients,” Julia Child once said. Add to that the value of patience, and it sums up Apero’s philosophy: that good things take their time.

Other than their French porridge waffle (in photo), they also offer an American version consisting of bacon, onion jam and poached eggs.

Apero. The Clubhouse, Corinthian Hills, Temple Drive, White Plains, Quezon City. 532-8064. www.facebook.com/apero.ph.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0920 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 24

24

9/20/16 4:57 PM

Untitled-2 1

9/13/16 3:06 PM

RECIPE

GREEN AND WHITE

Chunks of stale bread tossed with leafy greens and herbs TEXT AND STYLING SAM LIM PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

CHICKEN PANZANELLA INGREDIENTS

1/4 kilo chicken breast fillet, skinned 15 cherry tomatoes 6 salad tomatoes 1 bell pepper, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 4 anchovy fillets 1/2 cup capers 2 red onions 3 cups basil Leftover bread Fresh thyme 2 lemons Paprika Salt and pepper 3 cups olive oil

PROCEDURE

1. Heat oil in a pan. Season chicken breast with paprika, salt, and pepper. Grill the chicken on both sides until cooked. Let it rest then set aside.

2. Toss torn leftover bread and a drizzle of olive oil on a baking sheet.

Toast until golden brown.

3. Mince the anchovy fillets to a fine paste. In a large mixing bowl, combine anchovies, garlic, mustard, white wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

4. Slice the salad tomato into quarters. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper along with the red onions to your vinaigrette mixture.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 26

5. Tear basil into smaller pieces then add to the rest of the ingredients.

Add fresh thyme. Squeeze in some lemon juice and grate some lemon zest for the salad.

Adjust for seasoning.

6. Slice the grilled chicken to smaller pieces then place them atop the salad. Serve.

26

9/27/16 4:57 PM

Untitled-1 1

9/27/16 9:53 AM

T HE GET

MELTING POT

Bringing a piece of earth on the table TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

Pottery has played a curious part in Philippine culture. Our ancestors buried their dead inside manunggul jars, our patis and local wines like basi and tapuy are fermented in burnay jars, and the dinengdeng of Ilocanos are traditionally cooked in earthen pots.

Potter Joey De Castro continues to embed pottery into the culture of modern Filipinos. With clay that he mixes himself using raw materials from all over Asia, De Castro creates everyday functional items usually taken for granted. It could be a simple bowl containing the ubiquitous sinigang for dinner or a mug for your morning coffee. The designs, either shiny or matte, are simple yet ergonomically unique as he makes every piece by himself.

De Castro’s collections are nameless for the reason that his creations are here to stay and evolve. With every piece, every time you sit down to eat, your comedor becomes a setting for the continuation of Philippine pottery’s long history.

Joey De Castro Sierra Madre Pottery Studio. 586 Sierra Madre St., Brgy. Malamig, Mandaluyong City. 0917-8315904.

NORTHERNliving 2016 0927 NOLI OCT INSIDE.indd 28

28

9/27/16 4:57 PM

Untitled-1 1

9/7/16 11:18 AM

Untitled-1 1

9/13/16 12:55 PM