"Maligno" @ Puregold Jr.

It's Halloween alright!

Puregold Jr. at BF Homes Paranaque celebrated Halloween by having a brief program for kids and letting loose some "maligno" characters into the grocery section.

The dark characters moved around the grocery aisles and greeted shoppers with their growls and howls, scaring little kids with their smiles:

Kipp's Chicken and SM Southmall

Crispy Fried Chicken and Java Rice.

I got my wish a few days ago when went to SM Southmall in Las Pinas for a doctor's appointment at Casa Medica.

I have always equated tasty fried chicken and java rice with Kipp's Chicken. And I believe it's only in SM Southmall that I have tasted Kipp's. That's also probably because they only have 2 other branches: SM North EDSA and SM Megamall foodcourts.

For those who haven't tried Kipp's Chicken, you'll definitely love the gravy. I usually buy extra at 4 pesos, because unlike KFC or Jollibee where gravy is overflowing, at Kipp's, you'll have to buy for an extra small tub. It's worth it anyway.

It's been years since I stepped into SM Southmall. When there wasn't any other SM in Paranaque or Las Pinas, Southmall was the place to do our groceries. They're now doing a lot of renovations in the mall. There's even some construction at the covered parking in the basement.

On this recent visit, I chanced upon Ballet Philippines' performance. Lovely!

Do you know why it took us a very long time to go back to SM Southmall? Sadly, when my then-12-year old son was abducted there, I swore to never go back to Southmall. Yes, Karl was abducted at Bio Research, brought to a nearby establishment outside the mall, and the abductor left him at a nearby arcade when he got Karl's cellphone. Thank God for prayers, Karl wasn't hurt and miraculously returned to us in 2 hours. I hope SM in general has improved it's security over the years. Otherwise, beware!

Panciteria Lido's Pugon Roasted Asado

From Chinatown to the south of Metro.

Panciteria Lido is a famous Chinese resto in Tomas Alonzo, Sta. Cruz, Manila. It's reportedly a favorite habitue of Mayor Fred Lim. Established in 1936, this authentic Chinese restaurant serves the best commercially available pugon-roasted asado. Commercially, I say, because my mother-in-law and my wife cook the best asado I have tasted (yes, really!).

A branch just opened along President's Avenue in BF Homes Paranaque, just across the Hap Chan restaurant, another equally authentic Chinese dining place.

I tried their specialties pugon-roasted asado and pancit plus the beef with broccoli. Yes, they taste good alright. But if they are the best-tasting ever, that needs to be contested still. Then again, if you're looking for some authentic Chinese food around BF Homes, Panciteria Lido is worth trying. Just be ready to pay a steeper price versus Hap Chan, compared to the the latter's better-dining experience.

Four Philippine Presidents Came to Dine with Chris

Unbelievable.

I haven't met anyone in my life who has dined with four presidents of the Republic of the Philippines -- except for my friend, Chris. And it wasn't some kind of an official occasion. They just came to see him all at the same time. I saw the pictures myself. No photoshop involved, folks. :)

For security reasons, I will not mention my friend's family name. Let's just say, that by way of a hefty contribution during one of the Spanish uprisings, his family was bequeathed by the Queen with a Conde (Count) status for all males in all generations to come. He's a Filipino, yet with royal blood. Cool, noh?

So last Wednesday afternoon, I went to a quaint house in Ayala Alabang where I met Chris and his nephew Ramon. They served me moringa lime juice and finger foods from Deli France. The meeting took us only 10 minutes but the whole conversation and reminiscing went on for 3 hours.

You see, Chris, like me, besides being a malunggay fan, is also an EDSA People Power Revolution veteran. The main difference is that he is more of a servant leader and king-maker, while I am, err.... just Homer. :)

I enjoyed listening to a lot of anecdotes and stories about the 4 presidents: Cory, Ramos, Erap and Gloria whom Chris knew up-close and personal. Even stories about personalities such as Cardinal Sin, FPJ, Susan Roces and P-Noy were educational, to say the least.

So what did I find out based on Chris' first-hand accounts? Here you go...

1) Cory was a saint. I guess every God-fearing and freedom-loving Filipino knew that.

2) Ramos was a decent and fair man. Though lately, it was Ramos who called Chris a tiger.

3) Cardinal Sin voted for Ramos even as he celebrated mass for Mitra in the 1992 elections.

4) Erap was straight-forward and candid.

5) Gloria was allegedly small and terrible.

6) FPJ was a true friend who never abused his close ties with Erap.

7) Susan Roces loves to dance and could have been a very good First Lady.

8) P-Noy's siblings initially didn't want him to run for President.

There are a lot more but I just can't put them in print.

Chris was a Cory raving fan. He has one part of his house dedicated to her memory and has at least three Cory paintings on display. Chris even has one of Cory's hand-written prayers. What's intriguing though, is that my friend Chris is also a super-fan of Marilyn Monroe. Is there some kind of conflict? Well, as Cory herself put it in answer to someone's query to Chris about his fanaticism to Monroe versus his religiosity: "By today's standards, Marilyn Monroe was decent."

Ending my 3-hour visit to Chris' humble abode, he toured me around the house. He has a private chapel, a working jukebox and the family coat-of-arms in his bar at the basement, some collage pictures of both Monroe and Cory, and an office that houses EDSA memorabilia.

What I liked most were the Cory paintings on 3 fans.

I believe everyone's so intrigued about my friend Chris. Here's this humble man with royal blood who was offered a juicy post by one of the Presidents (which he refused!?!) but has still maintained a low profile, far away from radars and satellites.

Let me just say that Chris will always be the man who loves God, his country and his family (in that order) and seeks to keep the spirit of EDSA alive forever as a reminder that the Filipino is indeed worth dying for.

Tahanan Village Residents need P66M for Maynilad Services?

Public service time.

I chanced upon an open letter addressed to P-Noy published in The Philippine Catholic Herald. The letter was written by senior citizens with an appeal for Maynilad services. Water is essential to everyone. If basic utilities such as this is still unreachable to middle class families, then there's still a long way to go for this country. I have reprinted the letter in this space to help the older generation use electronic media to seek help and support.

I shall also be sending a copy of this directly to a friend who can hopefully give our senior citizens the proper reply needed.

Here's the letter:

An open letter to our beloved president Noy

We, concerned residents, mostly retirees are appealing for your kind intervention to solve our water problem.

The Maynilad Water Services, Inc. has informed our subdivision that the financing needed is about Sixty Six Million Pesos (P66M) to install water system and to enable them to install individual water connection.

It is worth making "sumbong"to His Excellency that our present water bills are comparably higher than our neighboring subdivisions like BF Homes, Teoville, etc. Perhaps there is a "straight method" or "paraang matuwid"which can provide us an affordable contract for our water needs through your assistance.

We, the old generation, will treat this us your legacy to our heirs who belong to new generations.


Thank you.
-Concerned Residents of Tahanan Village
Paranaque City

Ellen Guerrero's "Kitchen Recipes from the Heart"

Sunduan Restaurant.

Does it ring a bell? If you're from metro south, especially the Parañaque and Las Piñas areas, you would have passed by this once unique restaurant near the Freshfood Market and the now popular Dampa and Borakay paluto establishments. If you now recall Sunduan Restaurant, then it will be easier to associate the name Ellen Guerrero, or Mommy Ellen, as she owned the restaurant that was in the midst of salt beds and fishponds then.

Mommy Ellen launched her recipe tour aptly titled "Kitchen Recipes from the Heart" at SM City Bicutan recently. She gamely shared two of her recipes of all-time family favorites: "Pinaputukang Pla-Pla" and "Yema Balls." These two dishes, as Mommy Ellen puts it, are labors of love and should be prepared only for those who are closest to your heart as both require patience and hard work.

An authentic Parañaque dish, the delectable Pinaputukang Pla-pla viand was passed on to Mommy Ellen by her dear mother-in-law and was made a specialty of Sunduan. The yummy Yema balls, on the other hand, uses ingredients that are a twist from your usual store-bought Yema and tastes almost like the Brazo de Mercedez Crema fillings. Your family will surely love this mouth-watering dessert that you will definitely make this a regular cast of your Sunday meals.

Now, you can prepare this dish right at the comfort of your homes as Mommy Ellen and SM City Bicutan share with you the secrets of these recipes. Yeah, right here, right now!

Pinaputukang Pla-Pla

Ingredients:

Marinade:
1 kl. Pla-pla (scaled and with the back of the fish opened to serve as pockets for stuffings)
3 pcs. Calamansi
4 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

Stuffings:
½ kl. Chopped tomatoes
¼ kl. Onion
200 gms. Red bell pepper
¼ cup oil
4 beaten eggs
4 tbsp fish sauce

Procedure:
1.Marinate the fish on the marinade sauce for one hour. Set aside.
2.Sautee all stuffing ingredients following the order as listed here. Simmer for 5 minutes then set aside 1 cup of the mixture for stuffings. Simmer the remaining mixture until it is almost dry.
3.Using the 1 cup stuffing mixture, stuff the pockets of the fish then wrap then fish with banana leaves. Secure the wrap with a banana leaf knot.
4.Deep fry the fish in banana leaves on hot oil for 7 minutes per side.
5.To serve, unwrap the fish on a large dish and add more stuffing mixture.

Yummy Yema

Ingredients:
14 pieces egg yolks from large eggs
1 can condensed milk
2 tbsp butter

Procedure:
Pour all egg yolks and can of milk onto a hot pan. Stir continuously until the mixture achieves a thick consistency. Add 2 tbsp butter and continue stirring for about an hour. To serve, form the yema into balls as big as a golf ball. Roll in on white refined sugar then wrap in assorted colored celophane. Makes 15-20 balls.

I hope you enjoyed this piece. Save some for me! :)

Ugu Bigyan's House of Pottery

We are made of clay from the The Potter's hands.

As a Christian, I believe we were made and molded from clay by God, The Master Potter. This is probably what Ugu Bigyan's pieces may also believe in. :)

On a trip to Casa San Pablo in San Pablo City, Laguna, Boots Alcantara, the inn's owner, confided that the design of his inn was influenced by his long-time friend Ugu, when the master potter was starting his craft. So off we went to Lusacan in the town of Tiaong, Quezon, which was just 20 minutes away from San Pablo.

The place isn't hard to find as Ugu is well-known in the town.

His brick residence is large enough to accommodate his workshop at the back. Walking through the small garden in front, you are guided by one of the workers through the showcase area. You can then make your own discovery tour of the place from the kiln and dryer (oven) area, to where the workers make a bunch of creative products. I'd say Ugu's works are made using traditional ottery techniques which makes his products and designs almost one-of-a-kind. Though he also mass produces products such as tiles, the technique is the same.

Expect a bit of a steep price on many works that Ugu himself glazed. There are a lot of products ranging from plates, tea sets, wall decor, and various pots and vases. The wall decor and plates with leaf designs are my favorite. A dinner plate I bought as souvenir cost me 1,800 pesos. Well, it's a work of art and is one-of-a-kind in design. :)









How to get there.

Ugu Bigyan's house and workshop is in Alvarez Village. From the Tiaong market, go on further till you pass by the municipal hall and about a kilometer away, there's an old building to your left which was the former rural bank of Tiaong (it's a faded sign). Turn left on that street till you hit the village where Ugu's residence is. It's a brick house with a wide entrance.

Ugu Bigyan's place is not merely a small pottery factory. It's more of an art gallery for his unique pieces. His residence describes his talent and character. It's who Ugu Bigyan is.

Let the journey begin.