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The US Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is the day when the United States of America commemorates the adoption of Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. There are fireworks, parades, picnics, barbecues, fairs and ceremonies celebrating the American way of life.
My American classmates in the U.P. College of Veterinary Medicine introduced me to the nuances of their culture and traditions. During the first days of school, at lunch break, Filipinos gravitate on one side and the Americans on the opposite side. I broke the ice realizing that we were going to be classmates for the next four years. I knew very little about American culture then and when they invited me to their party, I thought that there would be plenty of food and drinks supplied by the host. Big mistake! Guests were supposed to bring food and booze, and they expected you to eat and drink standing up. On their next invite, I bought two bottles of Philippine coconut vodka, Lambanog wine, aged for six months with raisins.
This year, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu GM Brian Connelly, an American of Irish ancestry, invited the local media to a lunch called “Star Spangled Celebrations” last July 4. There are plans to include the Fourth of July in the series of Culinary Journeys that made Café Marco popular.
Food Stations on the media lunch displayed the elements of American Cuisine. The Salad section served Tex-Mex Chicken Chopped Salad, Tortilla Salad with Tomatillo, Black Beans, Beef Fajitas and Cilantro, Pinto Bean Salad with Corn and Lime Cilantro, Tortilla Rollups with Cream Cheese and, my favourite, Spicy Shrimp Salad with Cucumber, Avocado and Lime Chilli Dressing.
A Tortilla (small cake) is a thin type of flat bread made with corn or wheat. Taco is a tortilla folded or rolled around a filling while Fajita is grilled meat cooked with onions and bell pepper and served in a taco. The Tomatillo (Mexican husk tomato) is a vegetable that looks like a tomato. I wonder who supplies the Tomatillo at Marco Polo.
Soup was Mexican Tortilla, and the Roast Meats section served Beef Ribs, Crispy Pork Knuckle, Herb Roast Chicken, Salt-Baked Whole Fish, BBQs and Hamburger Sliders. I took small portions of everything and the best were the Beef Ribs.
Mexican-American dishes featured were the Chicken Fajitas, Beef Fajitas, Chilli con Carne and Chilli Chicken and Pork Carnitas. The latter is made by simmering pork in lard under very low heat until tender. My favorite was the Chilli con Carne which was a spicy stew made with beef, beans, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions. And it has been years, excuse me, since I tasted a real good one!
On display at the Desserts Section were the Classic Apple Pie, Raspberry Flag Pie, Blueberry Cobbler with Sugar Star Shortcake, Fourth of July Roulade, Berries with Tequila Cream, Berry Shortcake and Bizcocho. My taste patterns still preferred classic desserts like the Apple Pie, but I had to taste the roulades that were quite attractive and practically begging to be consumed.