The proof of the pudding is in the eating...

My verdict: yum, yum!

'The proof of the pudding is in the eating' is an ancient proverb.

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations dates it back to the early 14th century. Although some would attribute the phrase to Cervantes (The History of Don Quixote), some scholars believe that this was not even known to Cervantes, and the earliest printed example of this adage is in William Camden's Remaines of a Greater Worke Concerning Britaine, 1605:

"All the proof of a pudding is in the eating."

In 1682, a  translation by Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux Le Lutrin (written between 1672 and 1674) reads: "The proof of th' pudding's seen i' the eating."

When used, this idiomatic expression means: to fully know or understand something (test), you have to experience it.

Yayang's Kitchen: Stretching the Peso

 Tips on Buying and Storing Food

Having spent several years in the metropolis, I have learned how to (fairly) predict the lifeline of a P500. So I was very much surprised and impressed when Netnet (whom I mentioned in the previous post) came home with so much good food stuff with the P300 I gave her for marketing day. The supplies she got was enough to last the family for three days. Perhaps it was also an advantage that seafood wasn't sold at very high prices despite the storms.

As I helped her prepare for lunch, Netnet told me that "money isn't everything when planning and preparing tasty, nutritious meals." Well-balanced and highly-palatable dishes can be prepared just as well on a small budget as on a lavish one. 

As I helped her prepare for lunch, Netnet told me that "money isn't everything when planning and preparing tasty, nutritious meals." Well-balanced and highly-palatable dishes can be prepared just as well on a small budget as on a lavish one.

How is this possible? Let's start with these pointers she gave:

1. Check the available supplies at home before making your shopping list.

• You know how impulse buying ruins a budget so stick with your list.

•  Make only the necessary changes when a product is unavailable or the market has special offers.
  

2. Buy perishable goods as needed.

• If your budget allows, buy staples such as sugar, rice, and salt in larger amounts. You save a lot this way than going out every now and then to get them from the nearest convenient stores.  Just make sure to put them in airtight containers to keep them from moisture and insects (such as ants, bugs, and roaches).

3. Buy fruits in season.

•  They are cheaper, but they can provide you with the same vitamins and minerals needed by your family.

4. Buy and prepare just enough for the day's meals.

• Purchasing plenty of fruits and vegetables is not very practical because even with the fridge, they get easily over-ripe and spoiled.
  

• Minimize table waste by cooking and serving small to medium portions. You're the better judge of this; think of how much your family can finish. Leftovers deteriorate in nutritive value and reheating also reduces palatability. Your mom will not eat the vegetables have grown stale and soggy. Even if your sister likes pork, she will get tired of it when she sees it on the table for a whole week. 

• The same applies to canned goods. Buying in large cans is only economical if you need the entire content or you 'll be needing it for other dishes in the near future. But once the can has been opened, it's subject to spoilage.
  

5. Lastly, know where to get the goods.

•  Check out which stores in the market sell fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables.
  

• When buying canned goods, a-25 centavo difference still matters--as long as it's just in a nearby stall.

Well, there you go. Netnet has indeed a way of stretching the peso.

NOTE: The photos in this entry are all Netnet's purchase for the day. ;-)

Mom's Pacbet or Pinakbet

Another best-seller at home is Mama's pinakbet. We're always going for second, or even the third helping--as long as there's still rice in the 'caldero' (iron-cast cooking pot).

Originally an Ilocano meal, the dish gots its mane from the Ilocano word "pinakebbet", meaning shrunk or shrivelled. Adding chicharon or leftover lechon is another option.

Here's her recipe and a modified version of it, which I learned from  Netnet, our trusted companion at home.

Pakbet or Pinakbet (Pinacbet) Recipe
Serves: 5-7 persons
Estimated Cooking Time: 25-35 minutes

What you'll need:

•     1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces
•     2 ampalaya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces
•     2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces
•     5 pieces of okra, cut in bite size pieces
•     1 head garlic, minced
•     2 onions, diced
•     5 tomatoes, sliced
•     2 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang
•     3 tablespoons of oil
•     4 tablespoons of soy sauce
•     1 1/2 cup water
•     Salt and pepper to taste

How it's done:

  *This is the fast-paced version of Pinakbet.

1. Sauté the garlic, onion and tomatoes. Add the pork and the bagoong.

3. Place the stringbeans, ampalaya and the squash. Then add 1 1/2 cup of water.

4. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Put in the rest of the vegetables

5. Cook until vegetables are tender, but not overcooked.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

  If my Mom were cooking, she would:

1. Fry the pork in its own oil. (She has something against excessively oily food).Set aside.

2. Then in a separate saucepan,  sauté the garlic, onion, and tomatoes.

3. Add 1 1/2 cup water and  bagoong. 

3. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Mom's Chicken Recipes

When we were younger, we would look forward to Sundays for two reasons: I get to wear my Sunday best, and our palates engage in a simple feast. After church, we used to stop by the market. While mom bought ingredients for her "cook-for-the day," we would feed on ice cream (or any sweets vendors were peddling--not to mention those that our kiddie pockets could afford to buy).

Then, mom would busy herself in the kitchen as soon as we get home,and although lunch was served usually after 12 o'clock, the meal she would prepare for us is always worth the wait. Homemade bangus (milkfish) sardines, pinakbet, chopsuey, and adobo are among her specialties.

Since I was then too young (and too puny) to work with knives or other kitchen utensils, I never got the chance to be her kitchen apprentice. My very contribution was being an errand girl--running to the nearest convenient store--to buy an overlooked ingredient in the list...

It was not until a few weeks ago that we started to reminsce, over dessert, how much we miss her cooking. So for two weekends, I became the household cook--not just an apprentice, mind you--attempting to master mom's recipes, which, thank God,turned out well.

"Chicken Pork Adobo"

(or plain chicken/ pork adobo)

Serves: 4-6 Persons
Estimated cooking time: 35 minutes

For this recipe, you'll need:

3/4 kilo of dressed chicken, cut into serving pieces (choiced cut though mom prefers thigh

and breast parts for this recipe)

3/4 kilo of pork belly

1/2 cup dark soy sauce (add more to taste)

1/8 cup of calamansi

1/4 cup or 1 small can of pineapple juice

3 tablespoons of Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce with Roasted Garlic

5 medium-sized bay leaf, crushed

1 head of garlic, minced and peeled

1 onion, diced

black peppercorns

whole hardboiled chicken or quail eggs (optional)

Here's how it's done:

1. Place the chicken and/or pork pieces in a large skillet.

2. Blend in the soy sauce, pineapple juice, calamansi, and marinade sauce. Pour into the

skillet and let it stand for at least 30 minutes. (But for best results, my mom marinates

the meat overnight).

3. Sprinkle with black peppercorns, garlic and onion. Add the crushed bay leaf.

4. Set over medium-high heat until the mixture boils.

5. Turn the meat over and pour 2 cups of water.

6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and lower heat until the meat becomes golden brown and tender.

(Remove excess oil and check on the meat. Add a little water if the chicken and/or pork

adobo dries up. Add boiled quail eggs.)

"Chicken with Pork and Beans"

Serves: 4-6 Persons
Estimated cooking time: 35 minutes

For this recipe, you'll need:

3/4 to 1 kilo of dressed chicken, cut into serving pieces

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup of calamansi

3 tablespoons of Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce with Roasted Garlic

1 cup Del Monte Tomato Sauce

1 head of garlic, minced and peeled

1 big can of pork and beans

carrots (optional)

Here's how it's done:

1. Marinate the chicken meat in a mixture of teriyaki marinade sauce, calamansi, and soy

sauce.

2. Saute the garlic until golden brown in a large skillet.

3. Pour in the the chicken meat and the marinade sauce. Add 1 cup of Del Monte Tomato Sauce.

4. Add 2 cups of water. Set over medium heat.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the meat becomes tender (and almost falling

off the bones).

7. Add the pork and beans. (You may add carrots to make it a balanced meal).