Back in the day: Lola’s kitchen
Many of us turn sentimental, and start craving for good food we grew up whenever we look back at the dishes prepared for us by our grandmothers and elders.
They may have passed on, but the traditional, delectable dishes passionately prepared by my maternal grandmother and mother-in-law will always linger in my taste buds – and in their families’ hearts.
My Lola Charlotte, a half-German school teacher raised in Naic, Cavite, was also a kitchen genius, making every family gathering or special ocassion a culinary feast to look forward to.
Like her, my in-law, Emilia Lacap Pan of Masantol, Pampanga, weaved magic in her kitchen with unforgettable culinary blockbusters.
No cookbooks or guides, just good ol’ cooking shaped and perfected by Kapampangan tradition and passion.
I once wondered why they would patiently grind peanuts to paste ahead of preparing my favorite kare-kare.
It turns out, they were going the traditonal (and yummier) route in preparing peanut sauce, rather than going for the quick fix — a bottle of peanut butter.
They would also set out at dawn to get the best, freshest ingredients for their recipes from the nearby palengke despite their advancing age.
Other than the most authentic kare-kare, Lola Charlotte likewise shared with us here savory dinuguan, Paella Valenciana, baked whole leg Chinese ham with crusted pineapple juice/syrup, embotido, baked tahong with perfectly crusted cheese and garlic, and pochero.
Her oven also produced baked goodies — Queen Elizath cake with pecans and walnuts and moist banana cake which have become sought-after deserts even by family guests.
Mama Mel’s thick, rich bringhe, the so-called Capampanga paella with coconut milk, and slices of liver, sausages, chicken and other ingredients, the most tender lengua in thick mushroom sauce, squid adobo and rellenong bangus, among others, made our regular visits to her dining table in Caloocan City more than worth it.
She would make even the simplest dishes a special treat, from the simple fried fish, fried rice and macaroni soup.
Her apo to this day raves over her perfectly minced and toasted garlic flakes.
We will always be thankful and fondly remember Lola Charlotte, Mama Mel, and many others like them, who shared their culinary gifts with us and fed our body, mind and soul.