Ang ilan sa mga mahahalagang alaala natin ay nangyayari sa hapag-kainan.
Ibinahagi nina Sandra Tan, Fides Santos-Arguelles at Grace Guinto ng ang mga alaala nila pagdating sa pagkaing Pilipino na nagtulak sa kanilang pasikatin ito.
Sandra Tan
Sandra Tan Source: The Entree.Pinays
Ayon sa kanya, na nakalipat ng Australya ang kanyang pamilya dahil sa pagkaing Pilipino.
Noong 1960s, may-ari ng isang sikat ng restawran ang kanyang lolo sa Roxas Boulevard. Dahil sa tagumpay ng restawran, nagkaroon ng kakayanang pinansyal ang kanilang pamilya na lumipat ng ibang bansa.
"We have a lot to thank [Filipino] cuisine for. For me, [promoting Filipino food is about] giving back something to that cuisine and those memories that I was raised with," aniya.
At pagdating sa pagkaing kinalakihan niya, ang isa sa mga paborito ni Sandra ay ang cassava cake ng kanyang ina.
"I remember one time she started to make it a lot healthier because we were eating it so often that it was ridiculous. She started to lessen the sugar, and the condensed milk; but then, people started complaining," saad niya.
Sandra Tan's mum and her famous cassava cake Source: Sandra Tan
Habang patuloy na niluluto ng ina niya ang cassava cake, ang 2010 na bakasyon niya sa Abra ay paminsan-minsan lang nangyayari.
Naalala ni Sandra ng sumakay siya agad-agad sa isang van pagkatapos ng 8-oras ng biyahe mula Melbourne patungong Maynila. Nagmaneho ang kanyang tiyo papuntang norte ng 10 oras.
Naaalala ni Sandra ang kanyang karanasan sa Abra,
Sandra reconnected with her roots on a 2010 trip to Abra. Source: Sandra Tan
"They killed a pig for us and. we ate that one pig for the whole week. The village came the first night. We were eating the innards. We were eating every single piece of that pig. By the end of the week, it was done," saad niya.
Naaalala din niya noong tumulong siyang gumawa ng kalamay.
"Those are the kind of tactile memories that [I] have. It’s hard to let go of those things because we lose connection with those things here in Australia," aniya.
Fides Santos-Arguelles
Fides Santos-Arguelles Source: The Entree.Pinays
Pinanganak si Fides sa Olongapo, isang kilalang lugar kung saan marami ang magagaling na magluto, at maraming putaheng gawa sa karne.
Ang isang di makakalimutan na pagkain ni Fides ay ang luncheon meat.
Fides has fond memories of her childhood in Olongapo. Source: Fides Santos-Arguelles
"You know you go back home and you bring a Balikbayan box. My lola would always want Spam. It's kind of a luxury item. My parents worked in Subic Bay [American ship port] and, I remember my mum bringing home grapes and other fruits [which were] rare [at that time]," saad niya.
Habang mahirap mahanap ang mga prutas na gaya ng ubas sa Pilipinas noong mga panahong iyon, sagana naman ang bansa sa guava. Ginagawa itong jelly ng kanyang lola noon.
"My lola who’s passed away, I've seen her make guava jelly from scratch in the backyard. It was amazing! I feel like I'm missing out on having [cooking] experiences [like] slow cooking," aniya.
Ngunit habang hindi nararanasan ni Fides ang mga tradisyonal na pagluluto dito sa Australya, hindi naman siya nagkukulang sa kanyang paniniwala na maaaring maging matagumpay ang pagkaing Pilipino dito.
"My Lola [Victoria] who’s passed away, I've seen her make guava jelly from scratch in the backyard. It was amazing! Source: Fides Santos-Arguelles
"[I] grew up here. It’s really about being able to share and celebrate and showcase Filipino food in the biggest possible way. [We called our event series 'Barrio'] because it’s really about collectively doing it together. The collective voice is so much stronger than a single voice," aniya.
Grace Guinto
Grace Guinto Source: The Entree.Pinays
"I can get started and hopefully not start crying about this but, I lost my mum about five years ago. [Food] is one of those things that enabled me to feel more connected with her again," saad niya.
Tatlo ang kanyang anak, at paniwala niya na maipapatuloy niya ang alaala ng kanyang yumaong ina sa pagbabahagi ng pagmamahal nila para sa pagkain sa kanyang sariling mga anak. Dahil sa pagnanais na ito, binuo niya ang Sweet Cora,isang maliit na negosyo na pinangalan niya sa kanyang ina.
"It’s a dedication to my mother and also a dedication to my culture and cuisine. That’s my key motivation - the memories of my mum," saad niya.
Isang alaalang tandang-tanda ni Grace ay ang paggawa ng kanyang ina ng turon kapag meryenda.
"Being a mother of three young children, it was important for me to carry forward the culinary memories I had with my mother, their lola." Source: Grace Guinto
"[The banana] is rolled in brown sugar; so by the time it cooks in oil, it caramelises [from the inside out]. When you cut into it, it basically has that crunch and, the softness and the sweetness of the banana," aniya.
Sa kagustuhan niyang ipakilala ito sa kanyang mga anak, gumawa siya ng kanyang bersyon ng turon - ang Turon Cake. Ang Turon Cake ay gawa sa banana cake, dulce de leche mousse, langka, dulce de leche buttercream at pira-piraso ng turon.
"When you bite into it, you have the crunch of the original, but the taste of the reinvented," saad niya.
Grace Guinto's Turon cake Source: Grace Guinto
"It's delicious," sabi nina Sandra at Fides ng sabay.
BASAHIN / PAKINGGAN DIN
