Like the heroes' dinner

CEBU, Philippines - Last week we were invited by Marco Polo Plaza Cebu general manager Hans Hauri to dinner with the theme "Comida de Independencia." It was in celebration of the 116th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence. Cebuano food guru Ms. Jessica Avila, assisted by daughter Katrina Avila, searched all the books, manuscripts and the internet for recipes of the dishes that were served during this crucial day in Philippine history.

In the Philippine Revolution of 1897, the Filipinos that rebelled against the Spanish authorities were called heroes because they won; had they lost, they would be traitors. The Filipinos who took side with Mother Spain were considered villains. Using this framework, I have had ancestors who were either heroes or villains in that era.

Freeman colleague Clarence Paul Oaminal wrote in his CEBUPEDIA column that Antonio Alonso, a cousin of Teodora Alonso, the mother of Dr. Jose Rizal, had a son Don Eugenio "Tan Genio" Alonso, who was the founder of the town of Asturias, Cebu. My great grandfather was hacked to death with a bolo as he was defending the town when rebels attacked Asturias on the morning of Sept. 30, 1896. My other relative, excuse me, José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was executed on December 30, 1896. Both relatives died in 1896, but committed to opposing sides in the Philippine revolution.

I had written in my article "Fine Dining, Its Glorious Past and Wonderful Present" that during the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic on January 23, 1899, a banquet was served with European dishes and the menu was written in French. Appetizers were served - oysters, prawns, Lyon sausages and salmon with Hollandaise sauce. In last week's "Comida de Independencia" dinner, on June 4, at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, oysters (Oyster Rockefeller) were also served with the Crab Relleno.

The Salmon with Hollandaise sauce was refurbished as Salmon Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce and served as one of the five dishes as main courses. The other dishes were the "Bringhe," "Hamonadong Sugpo," Ham in Pineapple sa cerveza and the Herb & Honey Roasted Turkey with Cranberry sauce.

"Bringhe" is the Filipino (Kapangpangan) adaptation of paella using glutinous rice, chicken, coconut milk, and the substitution of saffron with turmeric for color and flavor. In the 1899 dinner, turkey was cooked the French way (Stuffed Turkey with Truffle a la Manilloise) while in last week's dinner we had American roast turkey served with cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, I was not able to photograph the intact turkey and, in fact, am thankful to the Marco Polo PR Department for photos of some of personalities who graced the occasion with their presence, dressed in Filipina/Barong Tagalog.

Dessert in 1899 had included cheeses and ice cream. Ice cream was already made in the country then, with blocks of ice imported from the US. Boston businessman Frederic Tudor harvested ice from Lake Wenham and exported it all over the world, including Manila.

In our 2014 "Independencia" Dinner, the following desserts were served: "Buko" with grated cheddar cheese, "Churros" with chocolate sauce, "Langka" Strudel with vanilla sauce, Cassava cake and a wonderful surprise - Sampaguita ice cream! Very patriotic to have the National Flower made into an ice cream!

By the way, do you know what the three stars in the Philippine flag represent? I thought it was Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao until I read that the three stars (according to the June 12, 1898 Declaration of Independence from Spain) represents the three islands, namely Luzon, Mindanao and Panay! (FREEMAN)