Oldies but goodies never fail to entertain

May the joys of the Christmas Season be with you and your family.

Today, most families all over the country will be crossing over to homes of other family members, waking up to a late Saturday breakfast or foregoing breakfast altogether for a late Christmas family lunch. Some will opt for a simple but hearty brunch of last night’s left-over Noche Buena. The Christmas breakfast, although not as momentous as the great Christmas lunch or dinner which has informally been turned into a yearly reunion, varies for many families.

Most of us are too sleepy to prepare another feast, having just gone through one the night before. However, the leg of ham that is perennially present in every Christmas table in every home, however humble, will still have a few slices left on the bone; the Marca Pina or Marca Pato quezo de bola will have about a quarter left from last night’s noche buena. Paired with pan de sal and a cup of strong coffee after a late night, these indefatigable Christmas duo makes for a great breakfast. Others I know anticipate a pot of rich hot chocolate with a plate of ensaymada and perhaps some quezo de bola, the saltiness the perfect foil for the rich ensaymada. They have decided to turn their backs completely on last night’s rich food, turning a completely different page in the morning for another treat that smacks of the Christmas season as well. A couple whom I’ve known for ages says Christmas is having hot chocolate and great ensaymada the morning after.

For some family members whose taste buds and tummies have been tortured to satiety for the weeks leading to Christmas Day with endless holiday parties, there is no more yearning for the callos, paella and roast turkey of the night before. NO more saucy meals, no fatty rib eyes or creamy pasta. For my brother Rey for instance, and for me as well, if we wake up with hunger pangs the morning after, with a little hang-over perhaps from too many “one for the road” calls, give us a plate of sinangag, hot from the pan, paired with crispy tuyo or danggit, or small dried dilis as my wife Baby likes, with sunny side up eggs and a fresh cup of coffee, and we’re made. Or perhaps a big fat boneless tinapang bangus from Malabon, the kind that has glistening copper scales that open up to a thick layer of fish fat lining the whole sides, black and gleaming. The fatty stomach melts in your mouth, goes perfectly with sinangag and a plateful of red eggs mixed with sliced ripe tomatoes. The red eggs, especially those from Pateros, have firm egg yolks that ooze oil, and this is the kind that has really salty whites, my idea of what red eggs should be. And this, dear readers, is the perfect combination—good boneless tinapa, sinangag and perfect sunny-side-up eggs whose yolks are undisturbed, the whites not runny but crisply curled on the edges, and oily/salty red eggs. Now that’s good Filipino Christmas breakfast for me.

A plea from a reader

I know this isn’t Christmas fare but a reader’s recent e-mail touched a chord in me, so here I am responding to her plea. Frankly, I don’t even think this space is the proper forum for it, but from one music lover to another, and for whatever it’s worth, I hope someone hears your plea and acts on it.

Ms. Tina Sy, who says she is a regular reader of this paper and this column together with the rest of her family for several years now, sent me a very long essay entitled Sunday Afternoon Delight, opening up “That soothing voice over the airwaves exuding love, comfort, compassion and understanding makes listeners feel nostalgic, recalling the romane, reminiscing on days gone by. Tears sometimes flow when reminded of past pains but smiles come too at remembrances of happy times. That sums up the emotions evoked by listening to Jo San Diego’s program. THIS I LIKE, Sunday afternoons from 1 -3 on DWBR-FM radio 104.3 mhz.”

Ms. Sy, who says she is a cancer patient, is clearly a big fan of the iconic Ms. Jo San Diego and her essay pays tribute not only to Jo but to other veteran radio announcers of DWBR like Lito Gorospe, Barr Samson and Ernie Sarate and lately Rene Quetorio who, if I’m not mistaken is the same Rene I worked with at the old J. Walter Thompson many, many moons back.. As a cancer patient, Ms. Sy says that listening to these veteran deejays is a “big stress-buster, stress being the greatest enemy of cancer. With gratitude in my heart and with much trepidation too that management might suddenly decide to change the station format and do away with playing old songs, I decided to send this to you and it is up to you na lang po whatever you want to do with it.”

I didn’t even know that the station is considering a change in format, which is what Ms. Sy fears. When on the road on Sunday afternoons, I also never fail to switch to this station, finding the soothing voices pleasant and reassuring, their mix of songs perfect for a Sunday drive. I must say their voices have not changed over the years, with special mention of Lito Gorospe, Jo San Diego, Barr Samson and Ernie Sarate whom we junior dee jays of yore looked up to as our “mistahs” and gurus.

If the station management is indeed even entertaining the idea, please consider that there are still a great majority of baby boomers who enjoy the “oldies but goodies” and prefer the soothing voices of the seasoned dee jays over the incessant blabbering of some young newcomer on radio. Give me the good old likes of Bingo Lacson, Rolly Grande, brothers Angelo and Naldie Castro, Raffy Marcelo, et al (my peers all) anytime.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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