PAMPANGA FOOD TOUR, Saturday, August 13, 2016

Dateline Angeles, Pampanga, one stormy Saturday in August 2016.

A total of 54 brave souls refused to be intimated by the threat of rains and flooding in the Pampanga area, and proceeded with the planned food tour; they did not regret it.

CHOP considers itself very lucky indeed, because the whole tour was painstakingly organized by none other than the renowned Chef Sau del Rosario, with the much-appreciated collaboration of Chef Edith Singian (we are proud to say both are CHOP members). The result was the largest group that CHOP has ever assembled before (we've had to turn down late registrants as the quota was quickly filled), and the most incredible day of learning about Pampanga's cuisine and indulging in not one, but two fiesta-like meals--a heavy brunch and then a late, heavier, lunch. On offer was Chef Sau's signature Kapmpangan dishes as well as other local delicacies, sweet and savory alike.There were also several cooking demos of Kapampangan fare. 

Owing to the bad weather and threats of flooding in some areas of Pampanga, Chef Sau had to reconfigure the planned itinerary, cancelling those events in venues that had already flooded (among them Bacoor, Mexico, Guagua, and Candaba). We got lucky in that Angeles City, Chef Sau's hometown, was not flooded; it was where the planned two main meals were going to be held -- the brunch at Chef Sau's elegant restaurant, Cafe Fleur, and the proper lunch at the ancestral Museum of Angeles City.

Headlining this post are some of the group photos:

The 45 participants, at the entrance of Cafe Fleur, after the big BRUNCH.

Enjoying the Brunch at Cafe Fleur, followed by the cooking demos by Chef Sau on how to prepare (and to eat) two popular Pampanga condiments, Burong Hipon (fermented shrimp) and Burong Isda (fermented fish); and two separate demos on cooking Okoy (locally called Miruya) and Sisig.

At the well-preserved and renovated Museum of Angeles City.

The group surrounding the grand entrance to the Museum of Angeles City.

Watching a video presentation of the history of Angeles City.

An impressive collection of local "Pidayit" artist Philip Dizon Torres awaited the group at the lobby of the Museum of Angeles City, as they arrived for the lunch upstairs. ("Pidayit" means putting together clothing materials to create new ones.)

THE FOOD

THE BIG BRUNCH
At Cafe Fleur, Angeles City, Pampanga


The "Ulang Bulanglang (Sinigang)" (Prawns in Sour Guava Broth).

Chef Sau's "Pako Sauvage" (Fern Salad with Salted Eggs and Native Vinegar Dressing)

 

An attractively plated "Okoy," locally known as "Miruya" (Deep-Fried Shrimp Patties).

"Shrimp Halabos" with Spicy Vinegar Dip.

"Burong Hipon at Isda" (Fermented Shrimp & Fish) with Blanched Eggplant & Ampalaya (Bittermelon).

The fermented shrimp and fish, with the eggplant and ampalaya, wrapped in fresh mustard leaves.

"Pork Sisig," one of a number of dishes that are originally Filipino, made of pork cheeks and meat boiled then chopped and sautéed with garlic, onions, and seasonings. It's traditionally served topped with a poached egg.

"Tinape Babi," a ground-pork-stuffed Pan de Sal.

[Not photographed were the Tarragon Kalamansi Tea and Tsokolate Batirol (hot chocolate).]

THE COOKING DEMOS AFTER LUNCH

Chef Sau demo'ing the making of Burong Hipon & Isda (fermented shrimp and fish).

Left photo: The cooked rice and live small shrimp with salt in a palayok (clay pot) ready for fermentation.

Right photo:  The fermented buro after finishing by sautéing in garlic, onion, ginger, tomatoes, and annatto oil.

The jarred buro for sale at Cafe Fleur.

Demo of the "Okoy" (locally known as "Miruya") deep-fried shrimp patties.

Demo of the "Sisig."

 The group was divided into two, one for the Sisig demo and the other for the Okoy demo--they exchanged places later.

THE BIG LUNCH

At the Museum of Angeles City, Pampanga

LAMB SHANK CALDERETA  -- this is Chef Sau's Mom's recipe, who preferred to use lamb instead of the typical goat meat because it is meatier and tastes less gamy. It's braised for a long time in a tomato sauce-based mixture with plenty of spices and seasonings, and garnished with olives and vegetables and topped with kesong puti (carabao milk cheese). 

BRINGHE - Pampanga's delicious version of Arroz Valenciana (or Paella, as others would say). The main ingredients are glutinous rice, chicken, chorizo de bilbao, coconut milk, various vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs. It's always a crowd pleaser, and is typically served during special occasions. For some, the prized part of the Bringhe, like the Paella for the Spanish people, is the burnt bottom, or "socarrat" ("tutong" in Tagalog).

What is a Filipino banquet without a whole Roasted Suckling Pig (Lechon)? 

TAMALES -- there are many versions of Tamales in the different regions of the Philippines, and in Pampanga it's called "bobotu" presumably because the womenfolk used to gather together to cook this dish when their husbands went out to vote ("boto" means vote), thus the name bobotu. (That's a Sau trivia.) Main ingredients are ground rice, coconut milk, cooked chicken, cooked ham, salted eggs--all wrapped up in banana leaves and then steamed.

RELLENONG BANGUS (Stuffed Milkfish) -- this must be the most labor-intensive dish to cook (at least for me). The flesh of the raw fish is removed while keeping the skin intact and still attached to the head. Then the millions of bones, big and microscopic alike, are picked by hand and discarded. The fish meat is then cooked, sometimes with some ground pork or chicken (but sometimes not), and some finely chopped vegetables and seasonings. The cooked mixture is then stuffed back into the skin of the fish until it takes the original shape of the fish, and then the whole thing is baked, roasted or deep-fried. I got exhausted just typing that! It's delicious though. 

CRISPY LECHON KARE-KARE with MACADAMIA - another of Chef Sau's Mom's recipes. Macadamia nuts are added to the typical ground rice and ground peanut sauce base, which gives it a more delicate flavor. The pork is cooked separately lechon-kawali-style (or you can make boneless crispy pata). What a treat! 

SWEETS & LOCAL DELICACIES

Kapampangan Mochi - a mixture of sticky rice, sugar, water, and oil filled with sweet beans; it is sometimes topped with a special coconut milk sauce.

Sapin-sapin, Pampanga's version - layers of multi-color sticky rice cakes topped with young coconut strips and "latik" (coconut milk cooked down until brown curds are formed, truly a super concentrated form of coconut milk).

Tibok-tibok - Pampanga's version of Maja Blanca, a sticky cake made not with sticky rice, but with carabao's milk (or goat's milk or coconut milk), cooked down with sugar, and topped once again with "latik," the curds that form when coconut milk is cooked down for a long time. This practically melted in my mouth, and it was a challenge to stop eating it.

Kalame Nasi (Kalamay in Tagalog) - made of ground glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar; some say it's similar to the Chinese "Tikoy" but is a little sweeter and most viscous. It is sometimes topped with a more liquid version or "latik" (the brown curds that result from cooking down coconut cream), and broiled briefly to give it that splotchy burnt spots.

[MORE TO FOLLOW!]

* * * *
CHOP President Pia Lim-Castillo sent the following announcement to all members days before the tour.

Hi, fellow CHOP members,

We have a slight change of plans. After not going on a food tour since April, we now have our next one to PAMPANGA guided by no other than one of our members, Chef Sau del Rosario, who is from there.

Here is what's in store for us:

Demo by Aching Lillian, to teach us how to make Pan de San Nicolas, Tibok Tibok, and Tsokolate Batiro. We will also learn how to make kalamay and tamales.

Then, to burn off the above interesting and traditionally Kapampangan food, we will visit the baroque Betis Church in Betis, Guagua, which was built in 1607.

Chef Sau is still finalizing the other places that we will visit; for sure, we will have a taste of the following interesting local foods, some of which we will eat at his restaurant called Cafe Fleur in Angeles City, where we will end our tour.

MENU (to be finalized):

Appetizers (street-food style):

    Buro & Hito sa Mustasa

    Ukoy with Vinegar

    Sisig

    Paku Salad with Shrimps

    Tinape Babi (Tortang Baby sa Pandesal)

Soup:
    Bulanglang with Ulang

Main Courses:
    Crispy Kare-Kare with Macadamia Truffle Sauce
    Rellenong Capampangan
    Dry Adoring Bibe (Fried Duck Adobo)
    Garlic Fried Rice

Desserts:
    Lechemon
    Jackfruit sans Rival
    Halo-halo Capampangan

Cost of the tour is P2,000 per member, and P2,200 per non-member. [For security reasons, the instructions and bank details for depositing the payment are in the email that Pia sent to CHOP members. Please note that SEC now requires that the official full name of the organization is spelled out on the deposit slip: Association of Culinary Historians of the Phil.

Upon deposit, please email me the deposit date and bank branch so I can credit payment to you.

Deadline for confirmation will be one week before the even, or on Saturday, August 7.

We will start from Manila and spend the whole day in Pampanga. More details to follow. Please coordinate with your trip mates on your vehicle.
Lastly, as a teaser of what's in store for us, you might want to check out this youtube video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLp6d2PUMQs&feature=youtu.be

In behalf of Chef Sau and Edith Singian who are helping arrange the trip, we all look forward to having you join us.

Please feel free to share with your friends who may want to join us.

Best regards,
PIA