Durian Jam

        Durian Season has begun! And with it comes the great opportunity to stock up on this prized king of Fruits via jams, preserves, candies, etc. In time for the Kadayawan Festival, we expect the prices to go down even further.

        I am particularly not a big fan of eating Durian Fruit fresh from the pod, unlike most Davaoenos. But am a big fan of Durian pie, Durian cake, Durian candies and Durian jam. 

        Now that the prices have gone down from a regular high of PhP 70 -80/kilogram, each kilo now sells for PhP 35/kilogram. That means abundant feasting for every Juan. ( Juan is a common John Doe name for every Filipino ).

Durian

Creamy, yummy, thick meat

        So, I am sharing to you the simplest, most authentic tasting, no-fuss, easy to make Durian Jam to take you to Durian heaven, fast. But before that, allow me to share a few facts about Durian:

        Durian can cause weight gain. Why? because one seed contains as much as 68 calories, so if an individual finishes one whole fruit, which is about 1 kilogram, that would be around 1,680 calories. Though rich in nutrients, Durian has high caloric value and may be damaging to your waistline.

        Durian also has a heating effect. Eating Durian commonly causes the body to heat up. Some people react after just one seed, others after 3 or more. Some even sweat profusely as a result. So this is not recommended for Diabetics and those with high blood pressure. So, just for the heck of it, one seed should suffice to kill the urge. Please have the discipline to not go overboard. Your heart and health will thank you for it.

        Davao City's alter-ego is Durian City. There was a time in history when people wanted to rename the city of Davao into Durian City. The name became popular but now, it is considered a nickname.

         In Davao City, three premium varieties are Puyat, Arancillo and Chanee. The rest are second class and third class varieties. The premium varieties have really thick meat and almost yellow-orange in color, while the rest have off-white to cream colored meat. For this recipe, any variety will do. But you will still prefer to get the premium meaty kind simply because they are creamier.

         So, now onto our Durian Jam!

My Durian jam, didn't last one day!

INGREDIENTS:

Meat of all the seeds in one Kilogram of durian
8 Tablespoons white sugar
1/2 tsp salt.

PROCEDURE:

1. Place the Durian meat in a non-stick pot or pan. Add the sugar and salt and stir to mix.

2. Turn heat on to medium-low and stir constantly, making sure you don't scorch the Durian meat.  Durian jam is done when the consistency becomes thick and no longer spreads to the sides of the pan. Another test would be to cool a small amount and stick your finger into the jam, if it doesn't stick to the finger, it is done.

3. Durian jam maybe stored in glass or plastic containers and will  last up to one month. But I doubt if it will last one day in your kitchen. Those who abhor Durian smell will easily love this as a spread on toast, crackers or directly from a spoon.

Store-bought  Durian jam sells for PhP 120 and above

Note: Durian has a very pervasive smell and might stay in your kitchen for longer than you want. Simply boil lemons in a cup of water and allow the lemon scent to neutralize the strong odor.  This recipe allows you to enjoy the abundant fruit without needing to eat everything in one go. And you get to enjoy humongous savings because store-bought Durian jam sells for at least PhP 120 and up, while this entire recipe is less than PhP 50 or a little over a dollar.  Enjoy!

Inihaw na Panga at Tiyan ( Grilled Tuna Jaw and Belly )

        Great News! The City Mayor Rody Duterte has announced on Friday, August 9th that all the activities lined up for the Kadayawan Festival will push through. In this morning's news, he said in the press conference that his stringent requirements had been met for the security measures and safety of the city. He has ordered all the military and the local police force to have a lock down on the city, this includes all the other cities preceding Davao, for those travelling by land. The City council has also passed ordinances prohibiting vehicle parking along all the streets that will be the route of the two back-to-back parades, and the prohibition of carrying backpacks or sling bags. Information dissemination was done through radio, tv and print media. Everyone is requested to cooperate and carry belt bags or transparent bags only. Any suspicious looking items will be confiscated and resisting will only lead to arrest. The citizens are particularly aware, and amenable, that this info is spread via Facebook and Twitter. Well, better safe than sorry! Better to have the festivities with many strict rules than to have none!

        The opening Ceremonies was held at the People's Park with the City Mayor himself sounding off the Agong ( bronze gong ) and serving Durian fruit to the City Officials. Festivities then followed. The stage was an oversized basket of fruits showing off the bountiful harvest of the city.

Kadayawan Opening Ceremonies 2013 

        Now that the Festivities are in full swing, the rest of Davao City and the tourists pouring in from all over the world can rest assured that the show will go on! We can also enjoy some of Davao's freshest bounty.

        When only the best, the freshest will do, Inihaw na Tuna Belly or Panga ( Jaw ) will satisfy your cravings. Inihaw means Grilled. This is one of the dishes that people always request of their Filipino hosts. Though fairly simple to prepare, there are a few simple rules to make it like the pros do: moist, juicy and flavorful. These are some pics of grilled Tuna belly. Photo credits to Flickr and other sources.

        Aside from the belly and jaw, the tuna tail or Buntot also offers the same moist, juicy pieces. So the same procedure applies to the three different parts. 
So, if you're ready for a taste of Davao, bring on the hot coals!

Grilled Tuna Panga

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole Tuna belly or Jaw ( Panga ) around 800 g.
salt and pepper to taste
grated ginger or garlic
soy sauce
cooking oil
banana leaf ( optional )

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash the fresh tuna belly or panga, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub grated ginger or garlic or both to remove the fishy smell. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare basting sauce; dark soy sauce, kalamansi juice, pepper and 2 T. oil.

3. When the hot coals have ashen, place the Tuna belly or Panga meat side down, sear for about 5 minutes. Then turn over skin side down,  basting every so often with basting sauce. You can cook longer on this side, as the skin is never eaten. Grilling time will depend on the thickness of the Belly or Panga. Do not overcook as this will result in a dry product.

Grilled Tuna Panga

4. Serve hot  with steamed rice, atchara and dipping sauce of grated ginger, minced onion, minced tomatoes, soy sauce and kalamansi juice. This dish is best eaten served on a basket weave plate with banana leaf lining and with your bare hands and great company.

Turon ( Banana Spring Rolls )

The morning news was a bit disconcerting, the city mayor, in his press conference yesterday expressed concerns about celebrating the culmination activities for Kadayawan Festival scheduled on the 17th, (  Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan ) Street Dancing and 18th, ( Pamulak Festival ) Floral Float Parade. This is largely due to the recent bombings that rocked Cagayan De Oro City, Cotabato City, Maguindanao and Midsayap in the last few days of July and early August. The Mayor is seriously mulling about scrapping the last two major events lined up for Kadayawan and says he will announce his final decision on August 13. Everything else hangs in the balance between now and August 13. So sad! But I also understand his concern for the safety and security of guests and tourists as well as residents of the city. Checkpoints are stricter in all the entry and exit points, ports and airports but still, we cannot be too careful,  even with the Hall of Famer Davao City Police Office and multi-awarded Senior Police Superintendent Ronald De La Rosa heading the police force.

P/Supt Ronald De la Rosa with City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte photo credit SunStar Davao

When I went downtown the other day and riding public transport called jeepneys, some passengers were talking about Kadayawan choreographers who practice their dances as soon as the last buntings of a recently concluded festival is swept away. Meaning; they prepare for one whole year for the dances and choreography. Some schools have participants practicing 4 to 8 pm daily until the actual competition. I was blown away at the lengths people would go to, to win these festival competitions. But realize though, that prizes run for hundreds of thousands of pesos.

Jeepneys

Also in the news was an elementary public school which won the Sayaw Mindanao competition during the Araw ng Dabaw. Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Elementary School showed the dance props and materials they were making for the Indak-indak entry of the school. They were actually making 7 paper mache horses, a paper mache coconut tree, and several other ethnic items. The school had spent a whopping 70 grand for the costumes and props alone. Whoa! talk about making a career in street dancing! On the other hand, you can also glean from these frantic preparations how Davaoenos value this festival and pull out all stops, to make it worth packing your bags and travelling thousands of miles to watch,doesn't it?

Sayaw Mindanao competitors

Today, we will be making Turon,  a common snack item usually peddled along the streets and usually seen in the afternoons only. Of course this can be served as dessert, but because of the prep time, you will want to do this for afternoon snacks still. There is a very big likelihood that you will get to eat these when you visit anyways, so here's your sampling.

Let's make Turon!

Turon

INGREDIENTS:

6 - 10 pieces ripe Saba bananas
spring roll wrapper ( lumpia wrapper )
strips of ripe jackfruit
brown sugar
1-2 inches of cooking oil in a deep fryer

PROCEDURE:

1. After peeling the bananas, slice them into halves lengthwise. Prepare the spring roll wrappers by separating them into individual sheets.

2. Lay a spring roll wrapper on a plate, center a banana half, cut side up on it.  Put 1-2 strips of jackfruit, sprinkle sugar on top and cover with the other banana half.

3. Fold over the other end of the wrap on the banana and fold the sides toward the center, just like wrapping a spring roll. Seal with water towards the end. Do the same for the rest of the bananas.

4. Heat several inches of oil in a deep pan. When hot enough, lower to medium heat, deep-fry the banana spring rolls for about 5-7 minutes each side. At this point, you might want to sprinkle brown sugar onto the oil. When the brown sugar has melted and floated on top, swirl the Turon to coat with the sugar syrup. You may also choose to make the sugar syrup separately when making a big batch so the sugar doesn't burn.

Turon

5. Serve hot! Be careful, though, the inside part is hotter than the crispy outer wrap. Believe me when I say that this is one of the simplest, but most satisfying snacks you'll ever sink your teeth into. Leave a comment if you tried this and agree!

Credits to Flickr and other sources for the pics. So sad, my camera phone still is in no condition to upload pics. Hope to get them up and going for the Kadayawan Festival, though.

By the way, the bananas to use are not your table bananas but the saba or cardava variety which needs cooking. Below is a picture of Cardava banana. These are usually boiled, or served as Minatamis na Saging ( sweetened with sugar ) as Maruya ( Fried bananas) and as Turon.

cooking bananas

KINILAW ( Fish Ceviche )

        Great, great day everyone! I apologize for not being able to post for the last 7 days, my cellphone cannot upload the pictures I took of the dishes I've made, and am still looking into the problem. Whenever I try to upload the pics, I get diverted to take a tour of some update or something and my pics get lost somewhere. So, please bear with me as I "borrow" pictures of dishes from Flickr and other sources.

        I have updates for the Kadayawan Festival though, the formal opening ceremonies will be held on August 10 at the People's Park;  the iconic central park smack right in the middle of the city. I also learned that the national government has declared August 16, 2013, Friday a special non-working holiday for the entire Davao City. The reason for this is a mind-blowing new thing for me: Kadayawan Festival is the King of Philippine Festivals: every other festival tries to rival it in magnitude and revelry. It is the one festival that draws international and local tourists for a month-long, all-around festivities and activities.

Kadayawan 2013 theme: Ensuring Continuing Good

        Other kings to look out for is Durian; the king of Philippine Fruits, with Davao region being the most prolific producer of the fruit. Some 3,000 hectares are planted to it and the Durian Council has happily announced that harvest is abundant and will last until December. Yesterday, when I went downtown, Durian sells for only P35 per kilo. That's less than a dollar or around  .70-75 US cents! Bring on the Durian binge! Durian Festival also starts on August 10 and the Durian afficionados are gearing up for  a helluva binge.

Durian King of Fruits

        Philippine Monkey Eating Eagle is the king of Philippine Skies and our national bird.  One of the Earth's largest eagles, measuring 2.8 to 3.4 feet and weighing anywhere from 3.5 to 8 kilograms. As the name suggests, it devours monkeys and also other prey. The "Haribon" or king bird is bred and cared for in the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary also located in Davao City. A visit to see him and his fellow eagles, raptors and other species in the conservatory is a must-do in Davao City. There will be souvenir items from plushies, to figurines and t-shirts showing him off, too.

Philippine Monkey-Eating Eagle

        Waling-waling, the "Queen of Philippine Orchids" is now enjoying special attention from no less than the Philippine Senate, with two senators passing a bill to name it "national flower" alongside Sampaguita in February of this year. Almost wiped out in the 1980's, a Davao resident; amateur orchid breeder Charita Puentespina, mass-produced Waling-waling through embryo culture. Waling-waling is Vanda sanderiana and considered one of the most unique and most beautiful orchids in the world.

Waling-waling

        Now that you know why Kadayawan Festival is the go-to tourist attraction of Davao City, with 'kings' and 'queens' gracing the ocassion. There will be plenty of things to do, see, taste and experience in my city.

        So, in keeping with the local theme, today we will make Kinilaw or Fish Ceviche. This is one dish, you will not want to miss about Davao.
        
        Let's make Kinilaw!

Kinilaw

INGREDIENTS:

1 kilo White Marlin fillet or Tuna fillet
2 cups white vinegar
1 tsp salt

For the MARINADE:
1 onion, diced
1 thumb-sized ginger, minced
1/2 cup calamansi ( lemon ) juice
1 cup vinegar
1 T. white sugar
salt to taste

For the GARNISH:
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 pcs. red bird's eye chili
1 large cucumber, sliced into rounds

PROCEDURE:

1. To prepare the marinade: Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. If possible plce in a blender for a smoother marinade. Strain and set aside.

2. Wash the White Marlin cubes. Place in a bowl and wash with white vinegar and salt. Discard the vinegar and salt after use.

3. Add the marinade to the White Marlin cubes and let stand. Remove excess liquid if desired.

4. Place in a serving dish and garnish with red bell pepper, bird's eye chili and cucumber. Serve chilled.

Kinilaw

Note: Kinilaw can take on different looks. Plating and the amount of garnish can add to the eye appeal. The taste is entirely up to you, though. You can make this spicy, or salty or just right. Enjoy!

Filipino International Talents

        Filipinos are average-sized Asians, usually around 4 - 5 feet tall, brown-skinned, whose facial features vary from the interracial marriages from different cultures that have come and were conquered by charming natives.

        Because of the diminutive built, Filipino Athletes have few international sports where they could shine. This is specially true of sports that require height and bulk like basketball, swimming, gymnastics, running, water sports, athletics etc. 

        So, the enterprising Filipinos have to look within, for inherent attributes that will allow them to shine on the international stage. There's our Boxing superheroes Manny Paquiao and Nonito Donaire. 

8 division Champion Manny 'the 
Pacman' Paquiao

Nonito " The Flash" Donaire

       There's our Billiard mavericks Efren " Bata" Reyes, Djanggo Bustamante, Alex " the Lion" Pagulayan, Ronaldo Luat and Dennis Orcullo.

Django Bustamante foreground, and Efren " The Magician" Reyes, background

        But one arena that Filipinos continue to shine and conquer international markets, is singing. At least four Filipinos, three of them women, have taken center stage, and wowed audiences with their vocal prowess.

        There's Lea Salonga, who debuted on Broadway in the lead role of Miss Saigon, along with 20 other talented Filipino theater actors. Later, officially becoming a Disney princess  twice, as the singing voice for Mulan and Jasmine in Alladin. Watch Leah's video in  Miss Saigon.

Leah Salonga

        There's Charice Pempengco; then 15 years old, when she was discovered on Youtube by the staff of Ellen Degeneres, and invited over to sing at the latter's show. The producers and others who watched were so captured, that no less than the queen of talk herself; Oprah Winfrey  took her in, and personally sponsored the former's entry into American show business. What Ms. Pempengco accomplished in three short years was unprecedented in Philippine history: singing duets with vocal greats Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bolton, Justin Bieber, David Foster and a host of other Grammy royalties. Watch Charice Pempengco's video US debut.

Charice Pempengco

        Then there's American Idol first runner up Jessica Sanchez, who by height, hair and diminutive figure alone, screams, "Pinay po ako!" who is outshining winner Philip Phillips with international invitations and albums. Watch Jessica Sanchez display vocal muscle.

Jessica Sanchez

        And then there's Arnel Pineda, the Filipino rocker who shot to the limelight, when rock band  The Journey searched high and low to find the best male voice to replace lead singer Steve Perry. Watch him and The Journey perform live on the Ellen DeGeneres' show.

Arnel Pineda

        This post will not be complete if I do not mention my favorite choir of all: the University of the Philippines' Philippine Madrigal Singers. Founded in 1963 by National Artist Andrea Veneracion, the choral group has garnered International awards since its inception from prestigious competitions worldwide. Allow me to share just one of their performances : Wind Beneath My Wings.

Philippine Madrigal Singers

        Before Leah Salonga captured Broadway, every Filipino artist's dream was to just make it to an international stage. Now, as more and more Pinoy's  make a name for themselves, we as a people have come to terms with how God has distributed gifts and talents. We might not be basketball giants or football stars, but world singers suit us just fine.

Pako Salad ( Fern Salad )

         Three other events are also commemorated during Kadayawan Festival, the Stallion Fight and the Bancarera ( or Boat race ) and the Off-Road Challenge. Two other events, the Autocross and Motocross also draw participants from as far as Manila.

Stallion fight

         The Stallion Fight, though met with protests from the Animal Rights group is a little-known tradition of native Mindanaoans where a mare is presented to two Stallions and then a fight for the mare ensues. I, personally cannot bear to watch this event, though I know the Stallions  do not consider the practice unusual as this is just the way they settle matters of courtship,but still, I do not have the stomach to watch horses getting bloodied.

        The Bancarera on the other hand is a high-speed race of locally made fishing boats maneuvered by only one man and is held in stages, elimination, semi-finals and championships. Watch last year's championships here.

Bancarera

        The Off-Road Challenge, Autocross and Motocross happen at different areas in the city, and enthusiasts and professional participants troop to the city to compete for bragging rights and top prizes.

Kadayawan Off-Road Challenge

Kadayawan Autocross

Kadayawan Motocross

        So, there's something for practically everyone during Kadayawan, from food fest, shopping, festivals, cultural shows, nightlife, concerts, parades, pageants, races, everything! And when you want to take a dip in the ocean or go snorkeling or whitewater rafting or paragliding, or wakeboarding or ziplining, we all have those, too, Kadayawan or not.

Snorkeling in Davao

Whitewater Rafting in Davao River

Sometimes the simplest things in life, give it the most flavor. To give you a sample of that is this Fern ( Pako) Salad that is the best thing to serve as a side dish to grilled or fried seafood.

Let's make Pako Salad

INGREDIENTS:

ingredients

1 bundle Pako ( edible Fern stalks) trim tender shoots with knife, discard hard stalks
white vinegar
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 tomato chopped finely
1 thumb-sized ginger or turmeric, chopped finely
salt and sugar to taste

PROCEDURE:

Pako ( Fern) Salad

1. Blanch tender shoots quickly, about 5-15 seconds. Drain and arrange on shallow plate.

2. In a cup, pour about 1/4 cup vinegar, add salt and sugar to taste. 

3. Arrange the remaining chopped veggies on top and drizzle dressing. Serve as a side dish.

Halo-Halo ( All-Filipino Icy Cooler )

        This Summer in the West, one very Filipino dessert I am very proud to recommend that you try is Halo-halo. I promise that it's like nothing you have ever eaten before. Instantly eye-pleasing, the name Halo-halo alone, literally suggest a mix of various ingredients. One has to, with a long handled spoon, mix everything; ice cream and all, into the ice ( without spilling! ), including the milk and sugar before taking an entire spoonful. This is one dessert every Kadayawan tourist should try after enduring sun exposure on account of the parades and festivities. 

Halo-halo

        Kadayawan Festival is commemorated with a city-wide sale on almost everything; from common dry goods like clothes, toys, souvenir items to big ticket items like furniture, construction materials, house and lot packages, condominiums and  life plans. So much so, that locals buy their Christmas goods on Kadayawan Sale. 

        Lately, Halo-halo ( literally, mix-mix ) has received much attention, specially when Chef Anthony Bourdain of TLC Channel's No Reservations, recently listed it as one of the top 10 things to try this Summer.

commercial version Halo-halo by Chowking restaurant

       Halo-Halo is so easy to put together, the only drawback might be the sourcing of the ingredients. Hopefully, you have a local Filipino or Asian Store in your locality.

Halo-halo with wafer sticks

        Halo-halo is widely known nationwide as the go-to refreshment, whenever the weather is too hot. Following, and a close second is the Maiz Con Hielo ( Corn with Ice ). 

Maiz con Hielo

        It's distant relative is the Japanese desert "Kakigori" which is basically boiled red mung beans served with shaved ice, milk and sugar popular during the Pre-war era and known as Mongo-ya.

Kakigori

        To get the best tasting Halo-halo, go for finely shaved ice instead of crushed ice. To make these, you may choose to buy store-bought ingredients. I will include a recipe for Leche Flan, a stand-alone dessert that always crowns a Halo-halo mound.

serve it on young coconuts as Buko Halo-halo

Let's make Halo-Halo!

INGREDIENTS:

Ube or Purple Yam jam
Candied or sweetened Jackfruit strips
Sweetened Macapuno strings ( Coconut sport )
Red Kaong
Sweetened Red Mung beans
Sweetened Saba bananas
Canned Sweet corn kernels
Nata de Coco cubes (green)
Leche Flan slices
Ube Flavored Ice Cream
Pinipig Flakes or Corn flakes
Milk
Sugar to taste
Shaved ice

Procedure:

1. When using either a dessert boat or a bowl,  smear a spoonful of Ube jam on the bottom and sides of the bowl. Heap about a cup of finely crushed ice on top. Arrange a spoonful each of all the other ingredients around the sides of the ice heap, except for the ice cream and Pinipig Flakes. When using tall dessert glasses, all the ingredients except for the ice cream and Pinipig go under the ice. See pictures.

2. Pour enough milk on the ice, add a teaspoon of sugar. Place a generous scoop of Ube Ice Cream on top, and sprinkle with Pinipig Flakes. Serve immediately.

3. To eat; carefully mix all the ingredients with the ice and milk. Adding sugar only if necessary. Halo-Halo is best eaten with your dessert spoon, but when you are about to finish up, it's quite acceptable to drink up the remaining globs.

delicious Halo-halo

NOTE: The best thing about this dessert is that, it is as exciting as the main dishes in a Filipino celebration. You can always have seconds or thirds. Some people intentionally, eat little during the mealtime, to make up for the Halo-halo at the end of the meal.

My children and I have a favorite buffet restaurant " Probinsiya" located at the back of Victoria Plaza in Bajada. Aside from their usual buffet of Filipino dishes of grilled seafoods and meats, ceviches, salads, veggies and main dishes, all the desserts are also served buffet style. This is Halo-halo heaven for the entire family. We can have as much Ube jam and Leche Flan on our Halo-Halo and there's pretty much nothing that the waiters can do as it is a buffet service. Oh! I almost forgot; here's the recipe for Leche Flan:

Probinsiya restaurant

dessert buffet with buko pandan on the foreground

Leche Flan Recipe:

leche flan

Ingredients:

12 egg yolks ( Large ) 
1 big can sweetened, condensed milk (430 g.)
1 big can evaporated milk (320 ml.)
1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure:

1. With a hand whisk, combine evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, break the egg yolks with a fork and pour into the milk mixture, stiring until well-combined. Let stand awhile to diffuse the air bubbles that may have formed. Straining with a fine sieve also gives a smoother texture.

2. Prepare ramekins or leche flan aluminum tin llaneras, by placing 1/8 cup white sugar in each. Grabbing one end of a llanera with a tong, place over stove to melt the sugar into a golden syrup, do not let it burn or turn dark brown. Set aside. ( When using ramekins, make the caramel on a stovetop pan and pour into the ramekins) Do the same to 2 or more llaneras ( depending on the size of your llanera or mould). The syrup could turn solid like a toffee topping, that's ok. If it stays liquid, that's still ok.

llanera or use aluminum molds

3. Pour egg-milk mixture into caramel-lined llaneras up to within a centimeter from the top, cover with llanera cover or foil, folding over to seal. Steam for 1 hour and 15 minutes over steady boil ( not rolling boil ). Set aside until cool enough to handle.

4. Remove cover or foil, run a table knife around the edges of the flan. Place a plate over the llanera, and grabbing both plate and llanera rim, flip over to release the flan. Cool completely. Slice into cubes, serve cold. Leftovers, if any can be stored in a covered container in the fridge.

Note: the unused egg whites can be made into Coconut Macaroons or Brazo De Mercedes or meringues.

All the pictures I used are courtesy of Google images. Halo-halo cannot sit long enough on my table, for me to take pictures of them.