Using our coconut

With money anyone can offer succulent dishes and famous wines, but courtesy and kindness cannot be bought. — Lucien Tendret (1825-1896) French lawyer

Last week our family took advantage of the mini break and sought refuge in our vacation house in Tagaytay. Its close proximity to Manila and excellent weather is the perfect setting for a time of relaxation and peace. These are the moments when you pause, smell the air and enjoy the ambiance of a place I proudly call my second home. As I look out my window, I see the picturesque Taal volcano, one of the most beautiful sights in the Philippines. It’s here where I search for inspiration, and, lo and behold, I see a huge coconut tree swaying in full view. I smile knowing that I have discovered my next topic, and thank God for a beautiful blessing like Tagaytay, a site that is heaven on earth.

As the song goes, a coconut is not a nut but a class of fruits called drupes, and the part we love to eat or drink is the seed. It is very versatile, and every inch has a purpose. The trunk for lumber and charcoal cooking (compressed coconut chips are fragrant and last longer than regular charcoal), the oil used in various beauty products, the sap boiled to form palm sugar, fermented to make the famous Quezonian alcoholic drink lambanog (coco vodka or coconut palm wine in Europe and the United States), and even the hard outer shell called bunot was used to shine floors in the early days. Its high content of saturated fat prevents it from becoming rancid. The dried flesh is called copra and it contains a lot of oil which is now used for cooking in many Southeast Asian countries. It’s a good source of iron, and fiber, and it has fatty acids easy to digest.

When I was young, in my dad’s hometown in Sariaya, Quezon, we would knock the shell to check if there was a lot of liquid inside. A hallow sound meant little juice while a thick sound meant plenty. Like extra virgin and regular olive oil, there are two extractions to create coconut cream and coconut milk. The first pressing, which is thicker has a higher fat content, is the cream while the second pressing is the milk. During our Thai cooking class at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, our teacher demonstrated a quick way to extract milk. Simply combine the white meat and hot water, mix in a blender, and blend for 30 seconds. Let cool for five minutes, then press in cloth and squeeze as much juice, and you get coconut milk. For coconut cream, just use less water or none at all.

When buying, look at the indentations that are called eyes. They should not be wet and have no molds. A shell can be kept one week while the shredded meat will only last three days in the refrigerator. The dried meat sold in supermarkets and used to top cookies and macaroons is called desiccated coconut. It should be very white as a yellowish color indicates that it is an old stock and not so suitable.

Buco Fruit Salad

1) Put in a bowl: 4 cups grated young buco for fruit salad (drain, save juice from approximately 4 coconuts, 1-450 ml can fruit cocktail (drain reserve syrup), 1 cup bottled nata de coco or nata de piña (drain and reserve syrup).

2) In a separate bowl, beat at high speed of electric hand mixer until thick: 2-225 ml tetrapak very cold all purpose cream. Gently fold in cocktail mixture. Top with red and green bottled kaong or cherries with stem. Cover with plastic cling and refrigerate until ready to serve. Will last four days, serves six to eight.

3) Tip: Always store all purpose cream in the refrigerator. Never freeze as it will curdle.

4) Note: For very special fruit salad, use 1 cup cold all purpose cream and 1 cup (220 grams box) cream cheese instead of 2 cups all purpose cream. Consume within two days.

Christmas Punch

1) Put in a punch bowl and mix: 8 cups buco juice from the 4 coconuts, 1 cup fruit cocktail juice,1/2 cup syrup from bottled nata de coco or pina, 1/2 cup powdered orange or pineapple or any drink of your choice, 4 cups cooked small sago ( tapioca)

2) When ready to serve, add 4 cups ice cubes and 1 cup Philippine rum, if desired. Serves 16.

3) Note: You can buy cooked sago from the market. Wash well. Or boil 5 cups water. Add 1 cup uncooked sago. Mix once in awhile and cook uncovered until clear, about 15 minutes. Drain. Put in a bowl with twice the amount of tap water to the sago to prevent it from sticking. Drain when ready to use.

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For schedule of classes visit www.sylviareynosogala.com