Serkele, Anyone?

That’s dinuguan to you and me, but serkele is how the people of Polo, Valenzuela City in Bulacan call that dish. It is cooked with beef, not with pork but we still spotted some pork fat in the servings that we bought to take home.

Anyway, we made this discovery when we motored to Polo for its Puto Festival, coinciding with the feast of their patron saint San Diego de Alcala. We have not seen so much puto as there was that day–and, believe it or not, puto made into angels, Santa Claus, miniature houses and even a painting! That was at the parade which highlighted the event. Puto also trimmed the lovely buntal hats of the beauty contestants and of course, lots of puto was displayed and being sold by the original and late-day makers of this popular delicacy.

The late Apolinario Nieva created this rice cake, unique in shape and taste–sweetish and glutinous–even while others like Pesang Gutierrez entered puto making at the same time. Today, Mang Elias, who was one of the staff of Nieva, is the recognized Puto King of Bulacan. Puto is still cooked the same old way, although grinding rice is now done mechanically. Rice is soaked and then mixed with sugar and baking powder, left to stand for about two hours and then spooned into small cone-like molds for steaming in a lansungan. Some of today’s makers add cheese and serve with grated coconut. We remember Puto Polo in small brown bags, but now they are packed more attractively–arranged pyramid-style in bilaos or stacked symmetrically in plastic containers, prettied up with ribbons. They cost from P20 a pack of 25 to P80 for 100 pieces.

This Putong Polo Festival, held at the Polo Park, is the brainchild of the mayor’s wife, Rita Carlos who felt they have something to be proud of and to impress upon all puto lovers that indeed this particular rice cake was born in Polo, a town about 1 1/2 hours away from Manila, through a combination of good and often flooded narrow roads. It must also be noted that Polo is a place for many other kakanin, like suman (of different kinds), tamales, pichi-pichi and others. This is evidently a means of livelihood for the women of the town, as lots of them are scattered all over town, specially in the vicinity of churches, schools and markets, vending these specialties.

And now comes brown rice. Some years back not a few raised their eyebrows when a handful of women started asking for brown sugar in first class restaurants and hotels. Today, it is chic to use brown sugar, and healthier as well. Getting a second look at present is brown rice. A brown rice campaign was launched recently in Quezon City by the Asia Rice Foundation, the Rice Media Advocacy Network, Philippines and the Philippine Home Economics Association. Brown rice or pinawa in Tagalog is unpolished whole grain rice rich in vitamins and dietary fiber and contains a substance, phytate, that is known to help in the prevention and management of obesity, cancer and heart ailments. Organic brown rice sells at P29.50 a kilo at ShopWise.

Europe and other countries are now brown rice enthusiasts. In Egypt where we had occasion to dine with some locals, brown rice is used as stuffing for roast pigeons and it gives the dish a uniquely rich taste. All you do is sauté some onions, then mix with cinnamon powder, brown rice, cardamon powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stuff the pigeons with the mixture and roast for about one hour or until done at 220° Celsius.

This weekend, we are going to try some of the recipes we got in the press kit–among them Egg-Brown Rice Casserole and Risotto with Chicken.

There is a fine dining restaurant called the Oak Room on the 6th floor of the Oakwood Suites in Glorietta, Makati. They give you a selection of bread (the sultana is excellent) with a dip of olive oil and balsamic vinegar in two small saucers. But if you ask for Parmesan cheese to blend with the dip, they charge you an extra P50 and what you get are shavings. The lady was gracious, however, when she told us that. The attendants also volunteer the info that their portions are big, hence two can share. And they are quick to recover left items, such as our writing book. We’d rate food, service and ambiance an 8.