One of the reasons I so love digging for old recipes is the joy I derive out of discovering new tastes. Or should I say old tastes that are so new to me, the child of the convenience food generation. One of the old-new dishes that I have had recently is cooked out of the whole garlic plant (Allium sativum).

I didn’t realise young garlic bulbs were cooked until my mother brought home a huge bunch from the marketplace and said we were having something my grandmother cooked often. I don’t remember having tasted anything like it, and since I was the kitchen assistant – meaning, in charge of chopping and slicing – it might mean she cooked this way before I was capable of kitchen duty. According to my mother, it was more likely that Lola cooked it way before I was born because she doesn’t remember having had it in at least three decades.

The Western recipes that I have perused only use garlic bulbs while Eastern cuisine utilise garlic leaves. Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodian recipes very often make use of garlic leaves. The recipe that follows is distinctly Asian, with the use of tofu clearly showing Chinese influence.

Alpa is the generic Capampangan term for sautéed vegetables, usually without vinegar. The Tagalog equivalent would be ginisang gulay. A fast and easy way to utilise vegetables, alpa is everyday food and evokes many warm memories for many Capampangans.

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Allium sativum
It is the ingredient that inspires much lore. Thought to originate from Central Asia, ancient Egyptian, Greek, Indian and Chinese writings make mention of garlic. It has both been used as a culinary and medicinal herb by these ancient civilisations and has since then been spread the world over.Buddhists, Jains, high-born Hindus and Brahmins, however, regarded garlic highly as a medicinal remedy but avoided eating it due to its strong odour. Buddhist monks forbade it too, for its capacity to stimulate strong passions.

Garlic, of course, is known to regulate cholesterol and hypertension. It is also an effective remedy for toothache, digestive disorders and intestinal parasites. With its antiseptic properties, it helps heal wounds and fungal infections.

Botanically, garlic is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae) which includes, onions, leeks and shallots. The name ‘garlic’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon ‘garleac’ which refer to the pointed leaves (gar=spear, leac=a plant).

In the Philippines, bauang specifically refers to garlic but in other Malay languages, it may refer to bulbs since ‘bauang’ in Bahasa refers to onions while garlic is called ‘bauang putih’.

Come visit my hometown and be our guest!

On 2 December 2006, Saturday, Sta. Rita, Pampanga shall hold its 5th Duman Festival. This year, the festival organizers have adopted the theme Duman: Bunga ning Masayang Sipagan (Duman: The Fruit of Joyful Industry). True to their origins, the activities for the festivities are simply what have been customary but on a larger scale. In the place of troubadours who sang to those who pounded and winnowed the unripe glutinous rice, a world-class production of Capampangan music and dance accompanies the rhythm of the pestles hitting the mortar. Where street food and other light refreshments were served those who toiled and watched, a full food fair at the festival grounds features traditional dishes for merienda and dinner.

We should have a full press release soon but in the meantime, below is the detailed schedule of activities.

1 Dec - 12:00 nn - Duman Exhibit (soft opening)
2 Dec - 8:00 am - Holy Mass (Parish Church)
9:30 am - Turung Design Contest (old convento)
6:00 pm - Awarding of the Contest
Food Fair
7:00 pm - Kapampangan Musicale by Arti Sta. Rita

For a background on duman, here’s the most comprehensive post in my archives. Don’t forget to watch the short video clip!