A taste of Leyte

BEFORE I proceed with the Leyte sampler recipes I promised

you last week, let me make a few corrections in the Nov. 2

column.

Inadvertently omitted from the recipe for lemon cake are the

instructions for the use of the egg whites. After creaming the

butter-sugar-egg yolk mixture, you set it aside and beat the egg

whites to soft peaks with a little amount of the sugar specified in

the recipe. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, pour into

the prepared pan and bake as earlier directed.

There's bound to be some confusion with the published recipe

for mango bread. You use fresh mangoes, not dried. They must

be diced.

Thanks again to my friend Cora who goes over my columns with

a discerning eye, which is not surprising in a teacher.

Now for the Leyte recipes. I have chosen beef tongue adobo

because it's a different way of cooking beef tongue which you

may want to serve during the coming holidays. Also the

unusual Leyteqo chicken adobo with coconut milk which

includes green papaya and sweet basil leaves.

And because pako (fiddlehead fern) is now easily available

even in Metro Manila where you can find it, very fresh, at

Sidcor in Cubao, Sundays, or at Magallanes Market, Saturdays

and Sundays.

You may serve any of these two recipes for pako to go with the

rich food you usually prepare for the holidays.

Beef tongue 'adobo'

= kl beef tongue

2 cloves garlic, pounded

1 onion, chopped

= c soy sauce

= c vinegar

= c water

1/8 c cooking oil

Salt to taste

Clean and scald the beef tongue. Peel off the outer layer of the

tongue. Slice the tongue into small cubes. Place in a pan with

the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until tender, adjusting salt to

taste.

Chicken 'adobo' with coconut milk

1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces

2 coconuts, grated

1 papaya, peeled, seeded and sliced

2 stems of sweet basil leaves

Salt to taste

Wash chicken and place in a pan. Add salt. Squeeze coconuts

to get 2 cups of thick milk. Add papaya, thick coconut milk and

sweet basil to chicken. Cook covered over low fire until almost

dry.

'Kinilaw na pako'

1 bundle pako

1 onion, sliced

1 piece tomato, sliced

7-10 pieces calamansi, juiced

Salt to taste

Pick tender parts of pako and blanch. Mix onion and tomato

with blanched fern. Add calamansi juice and season with salt.

Serve.

'Pako' salad with coconut

1 bundle pako

1 coconut, grated

1 onion, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

2 tbsps vinegar

Salt to taste

Blanch pako for 2 minutes. Set aside. Wrap grated coconut in

banana leaves and broil until coconut exudes aroma. Mix broiled

coconut with pako, onion, tomato and add vinegar. Salt to taste.

Mix well and serve.

Last weekend I was able to get Leyte Moron and suman in a

bazaar at the Makati Sports Club but Maribel Garcia who get

these Leyte delicacies from her sister Marirose G. Veloso in

Tacloban has not even heard of the cookbook ''Saru-Saro Kita!''

I think UP Tacloban College had better publicize this wonderful

book more.