Lost in Bulacan

But we found a treasure. We were told to take the Bocaue exit, but the toll lady said we could not go that way. We paid the fee and drove through, in pouring rain that morning. The exit was not closed, after all. We tried to find our way to Bulacan, Bulacan through small narrow roads, some of which had already started flooding, through Barangay Wawa, where no one could tell us the landmark we were asked to find. The cell phone was very helpful, and we found the town of Bulacan and the ancestral home of the Enriquezes.

Our quest was the lady of the house, 80-something Mila Santiago Enriquez, who in 1993 wrote the award-winning cookbook in Filipino, Kasaysayan ng Kaluto ng Bayan. Her aim was to let the rest of the country, specially the young, into the cookery that emerged from the various periods of Philippine history–from Pre-Hispanic, Spanish, Revolution, Commonwealth and Japanese occupation, Liberation to EDSA 1. While she said kaluto means recipe, we also think that it can relate to cuisine. Thus we went back to days of simple paksiw and chicken curry which surprisingly she did with beer. Mrs. Enriquez’s book is well researched, she having lived during practically all those periods and having made the acquaintance of some descendants of heroes who informed her about their respective favorites, such as tinola for Rizal and putsero for Gen. Gregorio del Pilar.

Fast forward to the present. Mrs. Enriquez, an icon to Bulakeños and to us a treasure, is still called upon to participate in culinary exhibitions by private and public organizations. She is an expert in cooking demonstrations, since her mother, from the time she was young, had been giving lessons to the townspeople of her native Malolos. She is an alumna of the Philippine Women’s University, the widow of Jacinto of the prominent Enriquez family and mother of 8 children. She is a good-looking, well-groomed lady. Lunching with her is a pleasure, specially as she regales her guests with all the kuwentos of long ago and serves delicious meals, like what we had–Pancit Palabok to start, for which she uses stale pan de sal (soaked and crushed) as the thickening element, salads of radish and bagoong, paksiw na lechon, steamed tilapia wrapped in foil, fried tiny daing na bangus and dinuguang pisngi.

She continues to research and experiment. Recently, with daughter-in-law Nina, she established Pamana ni Ka Mila Nipa Palm Products, which has a line of vinegar labeled "Sukang Bulacan", made from nipa sap (sasa). Nipa fronds surround their fish ponds and this gave them the idea of producing vinegar after Nina attended seminars. She believes vinegar from nipa sap will be used by most housewives, since it is 100% natural. Harvesters kick the nipa fronds to stimulate the flow of sap (pag-uuntag). It is fermented from 15 to 20 days in vitrified jars. Nipa sap vinegar is not as sharp but slightly sweeter than vinegar from coconut and a bit salty because the palm grows in brackish water.

They have a trio of products–vinegar from sasa palm which sells at P65 a bottle of 750 gms, the nerve-soothing tuba (sasa juice) for P45 and nipa syrup for P300 a bottle, the latter after discovering that sap has sugar content. It is like honey and caramelized enough, it would be like candy. Available at Deli Fresh at Shangri-la EDSA Mall.

We got the following tips from the Enriquezes. Aside from using vinegar in cooking and preserving food, it can also be used for preserving. The tuba juice is a healthy refreshing beverage, and the syrup of course sweetens beverages but it can be spread on bread and biscuits, used as dip for suman and also for pickling purposes. These have all been endorsed in the "Tatak Bulakeno" roster by the provincial government of Bulacan.

Pizza-making time. We were convinced by a sibling that instead of buying we must make pizza ourself. So we hied off to Makati Supermarket in Alabang for all the toppings– pepperoni, Hungarian sausage, sweet ham, mozzarella cheese, etc–but we could not find any pizza sauce. The store’s Jo, a very helpful lady, took the time to look for it and voila! she found Del Monte’s mixes. Classic, spicy and sweet. With the Gourmet crust, we made our first pizza with great success. Try it, you’ll enjoy it.

A smiling face behind any counter is always a great come on for shoppers. The lady at Dayrit’s in Magallanes might want to try it. It is unfortunate that in some cases, their smiles are reserved for their suki, but they appear wary of new customers.

Now hear this–you need to reserve a ride in the elevators at Makati Medical Center. This aggravates the existing situation where it’s a very long to wait for one, going up and down.

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