Hardenira

HARDINERA

Hardinera is a famous meatloaf dish that originated in Quezon Province. This is considered as a special dish and is often served only in special occasions such as town fiestas and other important gatherings. I really enjoy eating Hardinera (Jardinera) and I think that this meatloaf-kind-of variety is awesome. I think that my fondness of pork menudo is the reason. You see — this dish is like menudo encapsulated in a llanera and made even better.

Some say that cost of ingredients and tedious preparation method were some of the reasons why this is not a common everyday dish; however, I believe that we can do something to ease in preparing with this kind of dish. As for the cost, there are several ways that we can do to control it. One way is to reuse the ingredients that we already have. You can make breadcrumbs out of leftover breads; use the unexpired cheese sitting in the fridge. Buying in bulk also saves you money. Who knows, maybe you can sell Hardinera to generate extra income.

Hardinera is usually eaten with steaming hot rice at a home dinner or seen as a dish in fiestas. Wherever you want to have it, you can start making your own Hardinera with this simple and easy recipe. Try it now!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsps oil

• 4 tbsps butter

• 1 pc white onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 kilo pork tenderloin, diced into cubes

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 1 cup sweet pickles, diced

• 1 cup canned spiced ham

• ¼ cup raisins

• 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

• 1 pc red bell pepper, diced

• 1 small can liver spread

• ½ – 1 cup Quezo de Bola, grated

• 1 cup bread crumbs

• 3 pcs eggs

• Banana leaves, softened and cut according to the shape of

Hardinera (Llanera) For garnish:

• 2-3 pcs hard-boiled eggs, sliced

• 3-4 pcs pineapple slices

• 1 small green bell pepper, cut into fine strips

• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into fine strips

Cooking Instructions:

1. Line the llanera with softened banana leaves. Brush the leaf with butter, set aside.

2. In a pan, heat oil and sauté onions, let it caramelize and add the garlic.

3. Add the pork and sauté until it changes color. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Add tomato sauce, sauté for two minutes then add chicken broth, let it simmer until the pork is tender and the sauce has been reduced. 5. Remove from heat and let it cool then drain excess sauce. 6. Arrange the slices of hard-boiled eggs, pineapple slices, red and green bell pepper strips into the prepared llaneras.

By: Eufemio Sapdo jr.

Lidgid ala Bura

The word ‘suman’ is just a generic term used to describe a kakanin cooked and wrapped in a leaf — usually banana leaves.

 Most sumans are made with the use of rice (usually glutinous rice) while some are made from millet, cassava, sweet potato, and corn. These variety of suman just prove how rich the Filipino culture is — especially when it comes to food.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups grated cassava 

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup thick coconut milk

3/4 cup macapuno

banana leaves (for wrapping)

HOW TO MAKE SUMAN CASSAVA:

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

Scoop about 3-4 tbsp of the mixture and place it on top of the banana leaves.

Fold or roll to enclose the mixture then fold each end.

Transfer the wrapped mixture into the steamer.

Steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour.                              

          The suman balanghoy which originated from the province of Leyte is good in "meryenda". Not only in meryenda but also for breakfast. This suman balanghoy is delicious and it taste so good. 

Ma. Regine Del Pilar

Lidgid ala Bura

The word ‘suman’ is just a generic term used to describe a kakanin cooked and wrapped in a leaf — usually banana leaves.

 Most sumans are made with the use of rice (usually glutinous rice) while some are made from millet, cassava, sweet potato, and corn. These variety of suman just prove how rich the Filipino culture is — especially when it comes to food.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups grated cassava 

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup thick coconut milk

3/4 cup macapuno

banana leaves (for wrapping)

HOW TO MAKE SUMAN CASSAVA:

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

Scoop about 3-4 tbsp of the mixture and place it on top of the banana leaves.

Fold or roll to enclose the mixture then fold each end.

Transfer the wrapped mixture into the steamer.

Steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour.                              

          The suman balanghoy which originated from the province of Leyte is good in "meryenda". Not only in meryenda but also for breakfast. This suman balanghoy is delicious and it taste so good. 

Ma. Regine Del Pilar

Suman Balanghoy

The word ‘suman’ is just a generic term used to describe a kakanin cooked and wrapped in a leaf — usually banana leaves.

 Most sumans are made with the use of rice (usually glutinous rice) while some are made from millet, cassava, sweet potato, and corn. These variety of suman just prove how rich the Filipino culture is — especially when it comes to food.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups grated cassava 

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup thick coconut milk

3/4 cup macapuno

banana leaves (for wrapping)

HOW TO MAKE SUMAN CASSAVA:

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

Scoop about 3-4 tbsp of the mixture and place it on top of the banana leaves.

Fold or roll to enclose the mixture then fold each end.

Transfer the wrapped mixture into the steamer.

Steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour.                              

          The suman balanghoy which originated from the province of Leyte is good in "meryenda". Not only in meryenda but also for breakfast. This suman balanghoy is delicious and it taste so good. 

Ma. Regine Del Pilar

Espesyal Espasol

As I walked around "mercado"(market) one Sunday morning, something caught my attention. Everytime I passed this place, I keep on looking at this small transparent glass beside the table of billiard. Inside this glass is a plate full of a cylinder-shaped Filipino Rice cake which is called Espasol. I bought one to satisfy my curiosity of how it taste like and fulfill my craving for this food.

            My curiosity strikes and I can’t help but ask the owner of this certain food on how to make it and the ingredients needed. Here are the ingredients and the instruction in making an espasol.

           

            Ingredients

3 cups glutinous rice flour, toasted

½ cup sweet rice flour, toasted

2 cups sugar

3 cups coconut milk

1½ cups grated coconut, toasted

1 tsp vanilla essence

           

            Instructions

In a cooking pot, pour-in the coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Add the sugar and stir continuously for 10 minutes.

Put-in the toasted grated coconut and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the vanilla essence and toasted rice flour and cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until the mixture becomes really thick while folding.

Remove the mixture from the pot and allow to cool down.

Dust the toasted sweet rice flour in a flat surface.

Divide the mixture into parts and roll over the dusted sweet rice flour until a cylindrical shape is formed.

Slice according to your preference.

Put in a serving plate or wrap in paper or banana leaf.

            How to toast the rice flour

Place a pan large enough to accommodate the rice flour on top of a stove and apply low heat.

Put the rice flour in the pan and allow to toast while continuously mixing until the color turns light brown.

Remove the toasted rice flour from the pan and transfer to a bowl or large container

            This Espasol or Baye-Baye which originated from the province of Laguna is good for snack and "pasalubong". Its different texture when its inside your mouth will surely keeps you on looking for it again and again. Even if its not originally from in Leyte, its delicious taste still meet the taste of the consumer in here.

Jhenel Rhea Augucay

Learn From Labels

          Consumers of today have no difficulty in buying a wide variety of food they need and want. The difficulty they would only face is how to choose wisely from the abundant supply. There are thousands of food items available in the market in different brands, kinds, varieties and sizes.

          In ancient days, some products sold in stores were placed in barrels or boxes where customers gets a small portion of the product to have a taste of it. Other products like sugar or flour, were scooped and weighed by the store owner.

          Today, products are packaged. The package protects the product and helps the producers display and sell their products. An attractive package usually attracts more consumers.

          The label is an important part of every package. A label is a slip of printed or written material attached to a container or wrapper that states the contents and gives other information about a product. It contains the manufacturer’s message which serves as the descriptions of the product. Today’s consumers depend upon the labels to help them choose intelligently what goods to buy. Nowadays, it is really important to read well and understand labels. Disappointments and errors in buying products can be avoided if the information on labels are read.

          Laws protect the consumers by seeing to it that foods are clean and safe for human consumption and are labelled correctly. The Food and Drug Law (R. A. 3720) mandates that a product or article for use as food, drug or medical device must be labelled.

          The law requires that a label must contain the following information:

          1. Trademark, brand or legal name of the product

          2. Name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributer

          3. Net contents or weight- in metric measurement

          4. Country of origin

          5. Metric measure

     6. Chemical or physical composition-statement of ingredients used, artificial colouring, chemical preservatives, flavouring and other additives used

          Many manufacturers may give additional information other than those required by law such as:

          1. A picture of the food in its actual size, colour and shape

          2. Information regarding the size of the container, number of pieces, cupful’s or serving

          3. Style of packing

          4. Recipes using the products

       5. Directions for use or suggestions on how best to prepare the product for serving

          Food producers and the Food and Drug Administration are doing their best to provide sanitary, safe and wholesome buy and sell. The consumers should learn how to read and understand labels to avoid being fooled or misled by false claims and deceptive advertisements.

          Labels should attract the buyer’s attention. They should be easy to read and understand. The directions written on it should be simple and the print should be in large letters. Labels should also be truthful about the product or should not claim that it comes from a country like the USA when it does not. If a product is an imitation of a natural substance such as banana flavouring, it must state ‘’imitation’’ banana flavouring. If the product is below the standards set by the Food and Drug Administration, it must state ‘’Below Standard Quality’’ or ‘’Seconds’’. It should also state the correct net contents, amount of ingredients used in making the product and the amount of nutrient content of the product. The true name and address of the manufacturer should also be printed legibly on the label. The company which the product is under license of should not be printed in big bold letters while the text ‘’ Made in the Philippines’’ in small letters; it will appear that the product is made abroad.

          Labels are important sources of information to the consumers if what they say describes truthfully the actual contents of the product.

-Realyn Gratito

Chocolate Moron

This chocolate moron that is made up of ground glutinous rice or rice flour mix, chocolate, sugar and coconut milk also known as “malagkit” being cooked in coconut milk. Moron can either be mixed or plain with cocoa or chocolate. The Moron has the similar consistency of the suman and the cocoa enhances the taste (it’s hard to go wrong with chocolaty taste). Moron is so soft, that you can cut the small tube with a pair of scissors down the middle and just squeeze it out. You can go through a lot really quick.

Chocolate moron is usually served during special occasions, fiestas, Christmas and New Tacloban. You can buy these sweet treats at the downtown area in any pasalubong shops of Tacloban City.

It is rolled and wrapped in banana leaves then boiled or steamed.

Try making chocolate moron at home!

The ingredients:

·         1/2 cup malagkit (glutinous) rice

·         1-1/2 cup ordinary rice

·         3/4 cup coconut milk

·         1-1/2 cup sugar

·         1 cup chocolate or cocoa (any brand)

·         banana leaves, wilted over fire

·         melted butter

·         string

Procedures:

·         Soak overnight the malagkit and ordinary rice. Grind the following day.

·         Soak both ground rice in coconut milk until soft. Add sugar and the chocolate.

·         Cook over low fire, constantly stirring until thick. Set aside and cool.

·         Prepare the leaves for wrapping by heating by over low fire. Brush the leaves with butter.

·         Put 2 tbsp. of the mixture in every wrap. Tie with string. Repeat until all are wrapped.

·         Cook/steam for half an hour in a double boiler container or a steamer.

 -Kimberly Padacao