The heartiest of appetites are brought on by rainy days - that’s what I notice. Almost anything tastes good. Freshly steamed rice with tuyo (dried salted fish, usually sardines) dipped in very spicy vinegar, bibingka, fish escabeche - all these and a lot more are perfect when the skies are pouring. At home, all sorts of soups make their appearance.

One of the most favoured is a soup made from tinapa (smoked fish) in a tomato base. Originally, it is called sabo tinapa-culut apalya but since I couldn’t find culut (culatding in Tagalog - thanks Maricel!) - the tendrils and very small leaves occuring in clumps and only emerge after harvesting the bitter gourd (ampalaya in Tagalog - Momordica charantia) - I had to settle for the regular bulung which means dahon in Tagalog and leaves in English.

If culut is used, the leaves are placed into the soup upon serving it on the table, just before eating. If regular leaves are used however, these are dropped into the pot to cook slightly. Since the leaves are still somewhat fresh when eaten, there is no bitter taste. However, if they are left to steep in the soup for a long time, the bitter taste then comes out. For many Kapampangans however, it is this taste which is sought after. We love spicy, sweet, sour and bitter in our food. And apalya is not worthy of its name if it is not bitter. In our family, much as we love this soup freshly cooked, we also like it the day after, when the taste of the leaves have flavoured the broth. Re-heated once or twice, it is a balm to the body and soul, especially on a rainy day.
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Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are hardly a new phenomenon. Historical documents note that in 1600 Filipinos arrived in California, way before it was part of the United States. They were among the first agricultural workers or field hands in the mission areas. Today, like their contemporaries of centuries ago, most OFWs - whether manual labourers or salaried professionals - are well-liked by their employers because they are conscientious workers who will try to learn new skills to cope or just to be better at their jobs.

This versatility is also found in adapting to different tastes in food. Although there is a propensity for sweet-salty-sour dishes and to always look for rice, the Filipino palate can adapt well to any prevailing culinary conditions be it sushi, hamburgers, shawarma, sauerkraut or whatever is available. With stable work difficult to come by in the Philippines, it is also not rare to find many Filipinos of different vocations to transform into cooks in many ships and restaurants abroad, most especially in the Middle East. The father of a close friend was originally a skilled carpenter/house painter in the Philippines but became head cook in one of the Emirates in the 1980s. I have also heard of similar situations before. It is perhaps only now that the situation has changed since the food industry has become more specialised with culinary schools being established in most major cities worldwide.
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Eggs! What a theme for this month’s Is My Blog Burning?, the classic online food event which has given life to several sub-themes! This edition is hosted by Viv, the Seattle Bon Vivant herself.

“Salvation is in the ordinary”, our retreat director told us one Holy Week. At the risk of being blasphemous, I thought this could be applied to Filipino daily fare in general, for the ingredients are taken from the most ordinary components in the locality and transformed into something which nourishes the stomach and the heart. Salvation for my IMBB entry as well because I was in danger of not having one. Since we are to make use of such a versatile ingredient this month, it would be a shame if I missed out. True enough, the ordinariness and versatility saved me. This recipe is my take on the regular Filipino tortang talong or aubergine fritatta. The Filipinised torta can either be a fritatta or an omelette.

The original tortang talong has some ground meat in the filling but I came up with this version years ago when I had to use up the contents of the vegetable compartment but wanted something light at the same time. There were some aubergines and eggs but I wanted something more than the plain vertically sliced pieces dipped in eggs then fried. Since then, it has become a favourite.
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