Pinoy delicacies I grew up with

There was a wild exchange of food gifts during this past holiday season — from Lilibeth Vera-Perez’s Nakpil’s Belgian chocolate cookies to my friend Emma Oco’s Patchie candies that she sent in from Riyadh. (Patchi comes from Lebanon, but it now has a local outlet in Global City.) There were also healthy foods: Gigi Sarmenta and Rosan Cruz’s organic items and Sen. Loren Legarda’s basket of small, but sweet chicos.

The Pinoy in me, however, equally treasured those simple Filipino goodies I had known as a child growing up in this country. Dr. Jun Jacob’s Prime Orthodontics Studies and Training group from Batangas gave me pakaskas. That may sound funny and naughty to the city mouse, but those from the south of Luzon know that it is actually solidified muscavado (it’s softer than panocha). Along with it came bite-sized matamis na mani (peanuts candied in brown sugar) and polvoron coated in both white and dark chocolate (the concept may not be all-Filipino, but it’s really polvoron with a twist).

Ali Sotto distributed this Christmas boxes of pianono or jelly rolls. But her pianono is not the typical sweetmeat sold in neighborhood bakeries. Ali’s pianonos are softer and moist and most delectable with its yema and cheese filling. These are far from the dry and almost crusty pianono that we bought from the panaderia for our afternoon snacks. Her pianonos are from the kitchen of her friend Joy de Leon. Joy used to be based in Calabasas in California, but is now home for good. She also sells chicken galantina, which is a pain to prepare (you spend some 45 minutes just de-boning the bird), and crisp Korean wings that stay crunchy for hours. (For orders, call 0937-6625757 or 927-7297.)

Also part of my holiday loot was the copy of Susan Calo-Medina’s Travel Time magazine. Of course, I read it from cover to cover and would have reviewed it, except that somebody else already did that for this paper.

Helen Gamboa: Viands she herself prepared

Oh, but I can never get over that section about the flavors of Pampanga: The San Nicolas cookies (biscuits with imprint of the saint’s image on it), the province’s version of espasol and the tibok-tibok, which is our maja blanca, except that in San Fernando, they use carabao’s milk that makes it almost snow white and not yellowish in color. Their tibok-tibok is also so much softer.

There was also a separate mini feature on the Medinas’ ensaymada. Susan is from Butuan City, but she married a Pampango and their son, Marc, continues the tradition of baking the family’s ensaymada, which — so I found out from the article — came from another clan’s recipe.

I was first introduced to Marc Medina’s ensaymada some three, four years ago. Susan would send a few pieces for Christmas, but I would later demand for more. Actually, I offered to pay when I found out that they were selling this treat, except that Susan wouldn’t accept my money. And so she now sends me a bigger batch come Yuletide season, enough to keep my mouth full — and shut — so that I wouldn’t ask for more.

To tell you honestly, her Travel Time magazine was what kept my sanity intact during the dizzying holiday season. To relax and unwind after grading three film festival entries at the end of each day, I would read in bed the magazine — savoring every page and would read and reread the Pampango food section while munching on the now getting famous Medina ensaimada. Yes, I eat in bed — so what?

In the ensaymada article written by Marc himself, he reveals the step-by-step process and ingredients on how to make this heavenly baked product. Oh, thank you Marc for sharing with the readers the treasured ensaymada recipe. But after reading how tedious the procedure is, I’d rather visit your stall in Salcedo market on Saturday morning. Or better yet, I’ll nag your Mom to send over a few pieces. So be a sweet little boy and follow Mommy’s orders. If Mom says bake, bake. Mothers know best.

Those who cannot charm Susan Calo-Medina the way I do are advised to call 896-5523 for orders. I swear it’s “the” to die for ensaymada. Oh, but it’s really sure death what with all the eggs and butter in it. But promise - it’s worth a thousand deaths.

Susan Calo-Medina: A copy of Travel Time magazine

For those who want to kill their back trying to copy the Medina ensaymada recipe, however, grab a copy of Travel Time magazine’s maiden issue. There are other interesting articles there aside from food. But again, I warn you it’s cheaper to buy the ensaymadas from Marc than paying for a chiropractor.

However, there is no deal sweeter than what I have with Helen Gamboa. From time to time, she sends me viands that she herself prepares in the kitchen of her White Plains home. Sometimes it’s kare-kare. Or it could be pochero. Anything she makes is delicious. This woman can do anything: from cooking to singing to acting — and she gets excellent marks for each one.

Last Christmas, she sent me a tray of baked macaroni. Every bite was sinful, but delicious. After the meal, it was like I died and went to heaven. It was my comfort food, the dish that saw me through that most stressful holiday season.