The happy cooks

Sometime ago, we met a group calling themselves the “Narra Women,” basically because most of them reside on Narra Street in a gated village. With a desire to help household staff, they found time to establish the Home Academy, a training center in Las Piñas. They set up a model apartment with kitchen, receiving area and bedroom, furnished with home essentials.

The Home Academy, a project of the People Engaged in People’s Project, Inc., was established to provide household helpers and inexperienced workers with home management competence. The academy develops personality, enhances values, gives dignity in work, develops professionalism, and  guides household help in becoming instruments of positive change. Subsidized lessons include housekeeping, sanitation, child care, cooking and baking, nutrition, menu planning, budgetting and simple flower arrangement. Moral guidance is also imparted. The Basic Skills Upgrading Course is offered over a period of ten consecutive Wednesdays, three times a year (January, June and September). The Advanced Course for Cooks is held on four consecutive Wednesdays of September while the Culinary Course is a 16-session series of classes, twice a month from July to March.

We had not heard from them again until we got a copy of their latest project, the “Celebration Cookbook.” They now call themselves the Happy Cooking Club. The cookbook marks the fifth year of their club, an informal group that meets once a month to learn new recipes, trade tips, strengthen friendship and celebrate life. The recipes have been carefully selected. They include what one can serve both daily and during feasts. It has blank calendar pages to help plan a cook’s day.

The recipes are a collection of dishes from the region and beyond, divided into soups, salads and appetizers; main courses; rice, pasta and noodles; dips and sauces; and desserts. Some of the tempting recipes are homemade tarragon mayonnaise, green tea pannacotta, kimchi fried rice, clam and basil cannelloni, and tabasco chicken.

We personally know some of those involved in the Academy. They are all competent cooks in their homes. A few sell their specialties from their residences. Proceeds from the sale are for the benefit of the Home Academy, located on 109 Marcos Alvarez street, Las Piñas City, telephone no. 806-7273.

As we are on the subject of recipes, here are some you might want to try, from an efficient chef we had in our employ briefly. Various marinades for pork (for grilling): 1 – Mix mustard, soy sauce, garlic and olive oil. 2 – Combine Worcestershire sauce, white wine, garlic and olive oil. 3 – A mixture of oyster sauce, olive oil and white wine. For double cooked chicken – Rub chicken with calamansi juice, patis, ginger. Let stand for at least half an hour. Then steam with pandan leaves, spring onions, soy sauce, ginger, catsup, and a pinch of salt. While steaming throw in a few potato wedges which will be used as garnish. When done rub it with oyster sauce, olive oil, soy sauce. Roast in a turbo broiler for about 10 minutes or until perfectly brown.

The past holiday season brought about horrendously high prices in the markets. Chicken went up to P150 a kilo in the new Sta. Rosa Food Station and crabs were tagged at P650 a kilo at the Macapagal Avenue wet market. Thankfully, shortly before New Year’s day, Bonus chicken sold at P120 at SM Hypermart in Filinvest.

Here’s another case needing consumer protection. Our family had dinner at Shakey’s in the food court of Alabang Town Center. Initially, the mojos and chicken were a bit too salty for us, personally. But the rest liked them as they were. The house was full but service was considerably fast. Then the bill came and a gift certificate was handed to a lady attendant. She came back and said, the cashier would not accept it because it was crumpled. The crease was not even evident. It just had the normal fold when kept in a wallet. Should they be selling GCs with that kind of mindset? We had her return the GC to the cashier, insisting that it has been paid for, and if they are that meticulous, they should refrain from offering GCs as gifts.The season’s sweetest melons (Japanese) and crispiest apples (Fuji) are found in Dizon Farms outlets. Here’s a tip – you can make delicious applesauce by boiling peeled and sliced apples, adding a little sugar and a pinch of cinnamon powder. Our little one-year-old apo loves having it with her lugaw.

Have a good Sunday!                 

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