Gwyneth's bruschetta & my nilupak

Gwyneth Paltrow loves bruschetta, I love saging na saba and camote. She’s a princess in Hollywood and I am a Waray blabber boy. Even as I have spent more years in Manila than in Samar, I still hanker for camote and saging na saba. In fact my “diet” meals are not complete without these two. In Eastern Samar, saging na saba and camote are staples. We don’t have huge rice plantations like they do in Luzon. We have beautiful mountains and forests. I remember when Metro Manila went into “panic mode” because of the rice scare, government thought of making camote and kamoteng kahoy staple foods. I was fine with that.

I once saw Oprah Winfrey raving about the fabulous camote in her show. She gave the entire audience boxes of camote. I had a good laugh. The audience loved the camote. I felt proud in my Pinoy heart.

Camote is rich in vitamins and minerals. Saging na saba, on the other hand, is rich in potassium. We know what potassium and vitamins do to our body. These are organic foods with plenty of the necessary nutrients needed by our overworked bodies.

When Oprah was rhapsodizing about how beautiful the camote was (it was displayed conspicuously on the set and once in a while the camera man would pan and do a close up of the proud camote), I figured, someone should also introduce Oprah and her staff kamoteng kahoy.

I love kamoteng kahoy’s feel in the mouth, so soft and silky. You can cook kamoteng kahoy like you would camote and saging na saba — wash in running water, then boil and when cooked just right, it becomes a sybaritic treat.

When I was young, my mother would make kurokod made of either grated camote or kamoteng kahoy wrapped in banana leaves. You can also make kamoteng kahoy into a nilupak — a sweet delicacy where kamoteng kahoy is pound into pulp using mortar and pestle. The process of making nilupak or a kurokod becomes a neighborhood bonding activity. Someone gets banana leaves at a neighbor’s backyard, another is assigned to grate the camote or kamoteng kahoy, and still another, the wrapping. Kurokod  is cooked for about 30 minutes to an hour. It is best cooked using charcoal. They were the most delicious merienda we ever had in my hometown, Borongan. Nilupak is popular during summer because young men and women use the process of making nilupak as an occasion to bond and flirt. Camote and kamoteng kahoy are best eaten with kinilaw. 

Here is a recipe of the Waray kinilaw:

1 kilo tanguige cut into cubes

1 cup coconut milk

1 large size white onion chopped

1 large size red onion chopped

1 big red bell pepper chopped

1 big green bell pepper chopped

3 pieces finely chopped siling labuyo

1 cup vinegar

Lemon extract

1 ginger finely chopped

Spring onion chopped

Pinch of salt

Wash tanguige and cut into cubes. Marinate tanguige cubes in vinegar for 20 minutes. Drain and lightly squeeze. Place tanguige in a bowl. Add all the ingredients and mix. Chill inside the refrigerator. With tuba, kinilaw is haute cuisine.

Back to Gwyneth. The Hollywood superstar also loves to cook. She has these beautiful recipes she shares with everyone.

She said, “This week, I bring you five recipes for a stress-free luncheon or dinner party. Four of these beautiful antipasti can be served at room temperature, which almost eliminates the stress of cooking for friends (or at least it does for me). You can serve this with a lovely cold white wine for an entirely vegetarian feast, or you can grill tuna or steak if you want to make it a more substantial meal. Your grill will already be fired up to make bruschetta, my favorite food in the world.”

Here is Gwyneth’s bruschetta:

Serves at least eight

Time: 10 minutes

Two loaves of fresh pane pugliese (or your favorite country-style bread), cut into 3/4" thick slices

Three large garlic cloves, cut in half

Olive oil

Coarse salt

Grill the bread over a medium flame for about a minute on each side or until toasted and just barely charred at spots. Rub both sides of the bread with the cut side of the garlic. Drizzle one side generously with olive oil (at least a tablespoon and a half per slice). Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.

So take your pick. Is it kurokod, tuba with kinilaw or Gwyneth’s bruschetta? Have fun!