I’d like to share with you this delicious recipe for Spinach Salad that I got from my sister, Ellie who lives in Daly City. I first tasted it at a party she threw at her condo many years ago. The recipe was given to her by Sally Dillon, a former neighbor in Gellert Boulevard. Her husband, Lt. Col. (ret.) James Dillon found a common bond with our family because he fought in the 2nd world war in the Philippines just like my father, who although already retired, was called back to active duty.

Even after my mother and sisters moved to another neighborhood they remained in touch with the Dillons. I had a chance to meet this super nice couple when my mother died in San Francisco and they came to pay their last respects. In American fashion, they bought a huge casserole to spare our grief-stricken selves from having to think about (and prepare) food. That was really thoughtful of them.

Try this salad, it’s very good.

Spinach Salad

1 1/2 lbs. fresh spinach (washed & cut into bite size pieces)
1/4 bag Pepperidge farm stuffing mix (optional)
3 hard boiled eggs – sliced
6 or 7 slices of bacon – fried & diced
1 small red onion – thinly sliced

Pour dressing over salad & toss.

Salad Dressing

1/3 cup sugar
1 cup salad oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 teaspoons yellow prepared mustard (the kind that’s used in hot dogs)
1 teaspoon celery seed

Shake the dressing ingredients & refrigerate for several hours.

I once read about an American food writer, who after dining in restaurants in Spain, complained, “One does get tired of eating caramel custard.” Unlike him, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it. Here’s the recipe:

6 egg yolks

2 cups evaporated milk

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp. calamansi rind or vanilla

!/2 cup white sugar

¼ cup hot water

Make syrup by melting 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy metal pan. When sugar turns brown, add ¼ cup hot water to dissolve the caramelized sugar Scald milk in a double boiler. Cool slightly and add to egg yolks, sugar and rind. Mix well but do not beat. Pour into pan coated with syrup, using a strainer to avoid bubbles. Steam or bake for an hour.

Here’s a limerick:

Long, long ago, there was a woman,
Oh, how she loved to dance the cancan
She hit upon a plan
With members of her clan
To eat lots and lots of leche flan!

The following limericks are my way of remembering and honoring the great singer and dancer. The first touches on his unhappy childhood (perhaps the reason behind his Neverland ranch) while the second focuses on how his death affected the world.

Michael, was he lonely as a boy?
Did he have friends, did he have a toy?
He was a fantastic singer
And a phenomenal dancer
Watching him perform was such a joy!

Michael’s sudden death was so distressing
Millions around the globe mourned his passing
Hailed as the king of pop
Adored, he was on top
He changed the world of singing and dancing

Michael Jackson, I think, was misunderstood.  He didn’t have a normal childhood because his father insensitively forbade him to play with other kids.  All he ever did was practice singing with his older brothers. He longed to climb a tree and romp with other kids.   Having no playmates, he never experienced sleep-overs and pajama parties.  Unlike other children who have dogs or cats, the only pet he ever had was a mouse immortalized in the song “Ben.”  And yet his father took the only animal that Michael loved away from him.   I’m not surprised that when he grew up, he did all the things he sorely missed as a child.   Maybe that’s s why he built a huge playground complete with trees where he could play with children.  Too bad he died too soon.

I wish this extremely talented man were still here on earth entertaining us with his songs and that phenomenal dance, “Moonwalk.”

Because of its thin strands, angel hair pasta cooks quickly.  So it’s perfect for times when you’re in a rush. You don’t have to wait for meat to be thawed, either, because this recipe calls for Spanish sardines that you can stock in your pantry.   

Angel Hair Pasta with Spanish Sardines

 1 can or bottle of Spanish sardines

1 pack angel hair pasta

1 pack cream

1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

Dash of pepper

Cooking oil 

 Cook angel hair pasta al dente.  Follow directions in package.  Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

Sauté the onions, celery and bell pepper in a little oil. Add in Spanish sardines that had been sliced into pieces. Add in cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour over angel hair pasta and serve hot.

 Here’s the limerick for the day:

               Give me a pasta like angel hair

               For other carbs, what do I care?

               I like it al dente

               Said el presidente

               Make it meatless, no cheese, just bare

After breakfast, we rode a water taxi—actually just a boat—to Venice.  Some parts of the city were still flooded (from an earlier downpour) so we walked on wooden planks.  Sounds like Manila? Everyone gravitated to Piazza San Marco, probably one of Europe’s most famous squares, named after St. Mark’s cathedral nearby. We gazed at the grandiose palaces and churches around us, breathing in all that antiquity.  Hordes of pigeons surrounded us as we posed for pictures. From a vendor hawking souvenirs, I bought a cute carnival mask.  Isn’t Venice famous for its masquerade balls?  We explored the byways and bridges of Venice.  So crowded were the streets, it was wall to wall people.  Coming upon the Rialto, the city’s best known bridge, was another occasion for picture-taking. 

Venice is also the home of Murano glass so one does not pass up a chance to see how it’s made.  We marveled at how expertly the craftsman blew on the tube dripping with hot, molten glass until he formed a delicate vase.  After the numbing cold outside, the heat from the furnace was very welcome.  We oohed and aahed at the displays of exquisite vases and glass jewelry.  We admired a beautiful necklace of multicolored beads that someone tried on as a salesgirl hovered solicitously.  By the way, did you know why it’s called Murano glass?  That’s because the furnaces used for making glass were transferred to Murano, a smaller island in the 13^th century.  What a disaster it would be if the historic buildings caught fire.  What we watched was just a show for tourists.    

All of us four sisters traveling together eagerly rode a gondola.  What tourist visiting Venice for the first time, doesn’t?  Although one of my sisters had visited Venice before, she wanted to ride a gondola again.  We also sampled authentic Italian cuisine, light and delicious pasta flavored only with olive oil and parmesan cheese.    

This reminds me of a favorite pasta recipe (with an accompanying limerick) that I’ll share with you in my next post.

If you make your own tocino, you’ll do away with preservatives used in store-bought ones. As you know, chemicals like nitrates are toxic and can lead to cancer.  Not only will you be healthier, you’ll save money, too.  Besides, making tocino is not as hard as you think.  Here’s how to do it:

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork, skin removed and sliced thinly (ask  your butcher to do this for you)

3 heaping tbsp. brown sugar

1 heaping tbsp. iodized salt

¼ cup pineapple juice

¼ tsp. red food coloring (optional)

Procedure:

Mix salt and sugar well in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over meat, mixing well by hand. Add pineapple juice and layer meat slices in a container. Let stand in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Turn layers daily to marinate each slice uniformly. When the curing is done, cook with a little water in a covered frying pan, to tenderize the meat.  When water has evaporated, add a little cooking oil and stir fry.  Stir-frying prevents burning.  Serve hot with sliced tomatoes and patis (fish sauce). Enjoy your creation!

Here’s another limerick:

To eat or not to eat tocino

Both asked a Pinoy and Latino

A perfect match for rice

A good choice for the wise

How they love it in San Marino!

By the way, San Marino, located inside Italy has the distinction of having the world’s oldest constitution that’s still in use today.  It is also the smallest republic in Europe. True, the Vatican and Monte Carlo are smaller but are not republics.

The Sunset

As I watched the purple sky

I also saw the sun go by

I found some orange and some red

It seemed as if the sun bled

The water had pretty shades

Then I found the small green blades

Soon I saw the midnight black

Night had come so I packed up my sack

Probably inspired by his granddaughter’s talent in poetry, Eddie wrote limericks and asked for contributions from the family. Here’s his limerick.

There was a girl from Manila

Who loved drinking vats of vanilla

Her tummy got bloated

While swimming she floated

And landed on an Italian villa

Limericks, popularized by Edward Lear in the 19^th century, consist of 5 lines.  The 1^st, 2^nd and 5^th have 7 to 10 syllables that rhyme.  The 3^rd and 4^th consist of 5 to 7 syllables that also rhyme.  The subject could be comical or anatomical (risqué). Some may think that a limerick is a poor cousin of poetry but even Shakespeare wrote limericks in 2 of his plays. Intrigued, I also tried my hand at making this limerick:

In the court of Queen Nefertiti

Lived a chef who’d say, “Bon appetit!”

To everyone who dined

Even men who just wined

And to ladies sipping cups of tea

Today, things have changed.  Cuisine is the in thing to do.  Celebrity chefs basking in the limelight dazzle us with recipes from around the world.   Suddenly, we see young men and women aspiring to be chefs.

So let’s cook happily away.  How about starting with eggs?  Perfect for breakfast, omelets are easy to cook.   Satisfying, too, for lunch, dinner and when unexpected guests drop in.  Myriad are the ways to whip up an omelet but have you ever tried making one out of a banana heart?  Here’s how to prepare this unusual dish:

Banana Heart Omelet

Ingredients:

1 medium–sized banana heart

3 large eggs

1 cube beef bouillon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

A dash of black pepper

Cooking oil

Procedure:

Peel off and discard tough layers.  Slice the inner part into quarters.  Boil and simmer in a little water with bouillon until cooked.  Slice thinly and add to well-beaten eggs.  Add cornstarch and pepper.  No need to add salt.   Make into patties and fry in a hot pan.  Bon appetit!