Mom taught me lessons they never taught in cooking schools

Studying in the world’s best schools and learning from the masters have certainly honed my skills and equipped me with the tools I need to succeed. But it was my mother who laid the foundation that kept me on solid ground through the years. The lessons I learned from her were simple yet essential, and most of all priceless. These gems of wisdom would pave the way to a fulfilling and endless culinary journey, continually changing and breaking new grounds.

Let me share with you some valuable lessons I’ve learned from my all-time favorite teacher, my mom Lily Banzon.

• Wake up early. That’s if you want to purchase the freshest produce in the market.This I learned when I was only five years old. She would rouse me from bed and we’d hie off to the market as early as 5 a.m. My family used to operate fish ponds in my hometown in Orani, Bataan, and she was a hands-on lady who never relegated her responsibilities to anyone else. With that out of the way, she would go on with her marketing chores, picking out the freshest of vegetables and fruits. She explained to me that anything bought after 5 in the morning had been picked and tossed about by countless customers, and were considered no good, at least according to her standards.

• Feel, touch and see. My mom would never rely on the vendor’s recommendations outright. Rely on your senses, she would teach me by example. She would also teach me how to pick, sort and distinguish ripe fruits from the mature or the under-riped. She would do this by tapping and checking for spots or marks in the fruit as if they were being scrutinized under a microscope.The same principle applies when choosing meat. Do not settle for anything less than the best.

• Taste. If there is one virtue that I inherited from my mom, it’s the value of patience, especially when it comes to cooking. In front of the stovetop, my mother would stir, taste then stir and taste some more. At times, I’d watch with fascination – which gradually dissipated into boredom – as I waited for her to transfer the dish from the boiling pot to the plate. Finally, with a satisfied look on her face (and probably an inch added to her waistline from all that tasting!) she would beam and say, " "Never give up till you get the right taste, for it is indeed worth the wait."

• Listen. My mother has a real unorthodox way of distinguishing if a dish is cooked, undercooked, or overcooked. She listens to it. Unlike other housewives who can do two things at the same time (e.g. cooking while watching TV or chopping onions while empathizing with the heroine’s plight in a radio soap), my mother is totally focused on the task at hand as she strangely cocks her ear towards the pan. She explains that she’s waiting for a particular sizzling sound that would tell if the dish is well-done. This technique has never failed her as it has never failed me. For her, a dish that is not properly cooked will spoil easily.

• Be generous. No one should ever be deprived of good food. This should be an inalienable right and privilege of every living citizen. The same goes for recipes and food ideas. Learn to be giving when it comes to sharing recipes, she tells me. Never keep any secrets when it comes to food. Never worry, the market of the food industry is so wide that competing food businesses actually complement and support one another. And at the end of the day, nothing could be more heartwarming than your signature dish being joyfully served in another family’s table.

• Break from the mold and just be yourself. In a time when the woman’s place is in the home, my mother was everywhere all at once, being the perfect housewife and hostess. But once out of the house, she did a complete 360-degree turn as she stepped into the role of a strong-willed, independent businesswoman at the head of several businesses. She broke conventions in an era when a woman was often seen as being under her husband’s shadow. She too had ups and downs but managed to step out of the shade. She was driven by her own passions and lived a fulfilling life beyond her dreams. Like my mom, I took a bold step towards my field of specialization and set up a cooking school during a time when it wasn’t lucrative to do so. Trusting my instincts and following my heart against my father’s wishes (who wanted me to either be a doctor or manage the family business), I pursued my dream. Of course, my mother had been my staunchest supporter.

• Schools can only teach you so much, but values can never be bought at any price. My mother inspired me to live life to the fullest, and she taught me the finest way how – living by example. She is mother, best friend, role model and inspiration, and when it comes to life matters, she is indeed my best teacher! In honor of my mentor, I share with you, dear readers, favorite family recipes. She would definitely like that!

Adobong Alimango

1 kilo crabs babae
1/2 cup calamansi juice
1 tsp. rock salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups water
1 to 2 Tbsps. cooking oil

Wash crabs very well before cutting. Remove the aligi of the crabs using a fork. Place the aligi in a medium bowl and slightly beat until smooth. Cut each crab into 4 pieces.

Put the cut-up crabs in a saucepan. Add calamansi juice, 1 clove of garlic, salt and water. Boil for about 15 minutes. Drain the liquid and set aside.

In a frying pan, sauté the remaining garlic in oil until golden brown. Add the cooked crabs. Cook for about five minutes. Add the reserved liquid followed by the slightly beaten aligi. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat.

Embutido

3 kilos ground pork
250 g. red bell pepper, finely chopped
500 g. hotdog, finely chopped
2 pcs. chorizo de bilbao, finely chopped
250 g. raisins
1 Tbsp. rock salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can luncheon meat, finely chopped
15 pcs. eggs
2 Tbsps. sugar
5 pcs. onion, finely chopped
10 pcs. hard-boiled eggs, each egg cut into 4 slices
Margarine for brushing the cellophane

4 pcs. cellophane cut into 14 x 14 square
Kitchen twine for tying the wrapped embutido

Mix ground pork, red bell pepper, hotdog, onions, chorizo de bilbao, raisins,pickles, salt, ground black pepper, grated cheese, luncheon meat, eggs and sugar until well blended.

Grease each cellophane with margarine. Put about 1 cup of the mixture in the center of the greased cellophane. Top with slices of boiled eggs before wrapping and forming into a tight elongated shape. Tie with the kitchen twine. Set aside.

Meantime, make the marinade for cooking the wrapped embutido:

1 cup corn oil
1 clove garlic
2 pcs. onions, sliced
small can tomato sauce plus enough water to cover the embutido

Sauté onion and garlic in a saucepan. Add tomato sauce, mix with enough water to cover the embutido in a stockpot. Boil for two hours.

After cooking, drain the liquid. Cool the embutido at room temperature. Put in the refrigerator or keep in the freezer for longer shelf life.

Tamales

1 kilo rice flour, toasted and ground
4 cups coconut cream
12 cups water
500 g. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 1/2 cups coconut cream
1/2 kilo rice flour
225 g. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup oil
1/4 cup garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups shallots, sliced
2 cups pork stock
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups boiled chicken fillet, cut in strips then fried
1 cup Chinese ham, sliced
2 3/4 cups pork (leeg), boiled then fried
1 3/4 cups peanuts, boiled then fried
6 pcs. hard-boiled eggs
banana leaves, steamed to be used for wrapping the tamales

Sauté garlic in 1/2 cup oil until golden. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add the stocks. Boil then simmer.

In a big bowl, combine 4 cups coconut cream, ground toasted rice, water, 500 g. sugar, salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer in another bowl to cool. Set aside.

In a big sautéing pan, combine 6 1/2 cups coconut cream, 1/2 kilo rice flour, 225 g. sugar and 1 tsp. salt. Cook over medium fire until thick and oily. Set aside.

To assemble:

Use two banana leaves. Put about 1 cup of the dark mixture then top with the light mixture and shape into 3-inch square. Top with peanuts, ham, pork, chicken and eggs.

Wrap the mixture. Tie using a kitchen twine. Repeat until all mixture is consumed. Arrange the wrapped pieces on a steamer. Steam for 20 minutes or until the banana leaves look wilted.