Chef Rod and His Frogs

"Frog legs?" shrieked a young lady when informed that Chef Rod (Castro) of Holiday Inn-Mimosa was preparing a Frog Legs Chowder, infused with the flavors of Cajun spices. Where we come from, frog legs were ordinary; in Pampanga they are a delicacy and in French cooking they are treated like precious culinary gems. Today they are a rarity and so we always welcome any dish that would have them as main ingredient.

There is nothing to be afraid of about eating frog legs. They are clean and savory, tasting like chicken meat. When available, as in Clark that day, they go for P250 a kilo. Adobo is the more familiar way to cook them. But Jacques Pepin, a French chef who settled in the US, has a sumptuous recipe that involves cooking them with tarragon and cream. Yummy!

What Chef Rod did was to fuse the old and the new, wrapping sisig in crepes to create attractive pouches. He mixed bringhe (a native version of paella) with grilled prawns with liver and crab roe sauces. His creativity immediately inspired the Pampangueños to join the recently launched "Shellane Lutong Bahay Originals 2002" cooking competition. The organizers aim to resurrect heirloom recipes and give them a new twist, elevating Filipino food to world class level. Deadline for submission is October 20. Expect this endeavor to discover talented cooks and chefs.

While in Angeles, it is impossible to resist the temptation to visit the many duty free shops around. And so, we stole a few moments from our official chores and, of course, spent some money on a few good buys. We noted, however, that a few of the stores have closed and where we went there were a lot of bargains/sales . It is strange, however, that the currency exchange is different in each outlet, ranging from P45.50 to P52.50. The rational, we were told by one of the staff, is where the exchange is high, the items are priced less. We did not notice this, in fact.

We managed to browse around three stores–Royal Subic, PX Club and Pure Gold. Coffee being a passion and time to brew not always available, we marveled at the collection we found in Pure Gold: Folgers Café Latte, Maxwell House Mochachino and Hill Brothers’ Capuccino at P216.58 , P180.19 and P94.54, respectively. We found Lea & Perrins White Wine Worcestershire sauce (P126.45) which we have been looking for.

Stoneware is a great bargain there, even better than those in Mayon. Colorfully designed dinner and soup plates are at P31 to P36 and the big soup mugs, which can double as coffee cups, are also very inexpensive. The three-in-one kitchen towel sets are offered at buy-one/take-one price of less than P100. There are detergents galore, toothpaste of all brands and even air freshners with deodorants. We suggest that when visiting Clark, make a list of what you need and bring just the right amount of money (meaning stay within your budget), so you don’t get carried away.

An interesting discovery in the complex is a talipapa located within the compound. Here we got a roll of film at an exhorbitant price, Pampanga tocino at P25 a pack of about 150 gms. Fresh meat sells from P120 a kilo and onions and tomatoes are not any cheaper than in some places.

In the downtown area of Angeles is The Perfect Loaf which on a mid-afternoon was full of residents having their snacks. Located at the corner of Teresa and St. Joseph streets, this is supposed to have the most scrumptious Rhum Cake (P48 a slice). We settled for their Cracked Wheat Loaf and a pack of paciencia-type biscuits. They serve fast-food style and the sotanghon, with lots of garlic, was one of the best we ever tasted.

Back in Manila, if you feel bitin when eating in some Japanese restaurants, have your fill at Jumbo Japs on the corner of Jupiter and Astra. Here you will have Japanese cuisine in hefty portions. Prices are attractive and they have the biggest prawns for tempura. Revel in their Tempura Ice Cream dessert as well. Happy eating!

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Lydia D. Castillo’s e-mail address: [email protected]