MAGICAL!
You couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Although the weather report predicted rain and thunderstorms, the day dawned a sunny, cloudless blue. A group of 13 met at the Makati Garden Club bright and early and by 8:30 we were on our way to Pampanga. We exited San Fernando and took the road to Mexico, the town right next to bustling San Fernando. We stopped at the home of Lillian Borromeo, famed Pampanga cook, noted for her authentic turn-of-the-century kitchen. She had a mid-morning snack laid out for the guests, including different types of native bibingka, her famous San Nicolas cookies, and many other delicacies. Guests enjoyed the "almusal", washed down with her refreshing concoction of pandan juice. Lillian then gave a demonstration on how to make San Nicolas cookies, and tibok-tibok, which is a Pampangueño coconut milk pudding. She showed guests how women in the19th century used utensils and ovens for cooking and baking. Visitors then heaped themselves with purchased boxes of cookies before proceeding to the churches.
Guest, Jill Sparks, shows off how to make San Nicolas cookies, as Lillian Borromeo looks on
We visited San Guillermo Church, better known as Bacolor Church, in Bacolor, Pampanga, one of the oldest towns in the Philippines. This beautiful church was completely buried by volcanic ash and lahar during the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption. The townsfolk rallied behind the parish and dug up the altar. They set it beneath the high dome as it was the only way it could fit, since the church was under ash and sand. Today, with the main door completely buried, entry into the church is through what was once the second floor choir balcony. We then visited Betis Church, in Guagua, the town next-door, but it being 1PM, the building was closed for lunch. We decided to head on to the home of Myrna Bituin, the owner of Betis Crafts, whose daughter, Leslie joined us as hostess. She owns a 3 hectare property along the highway, and has beautiful houses built behind her furniture factory, where our gourmet lunch was prepared.
Chef Sau del Rosario chats with Leslie Bituin of Betis Crafts, at whose home we had lunch in.
Chef Sau del Rosario was a-waiting. There was a lady making home-made barquillos, that were absolutely delicious! Many of us tried our hand at making these rolled wafers.
Tour director, Lory-vi Valdes tries her hand at making barquillos
Guests sipped on a cool lychee drink as they watched Chef Sau give a demo on a mince meat roll wrapped in lettuce. Fabulous! Everyone soon sat at a long wood table creatively decorated for lunch.
First dish was a very light morcon, a meat roll garnished with flower petals (edible, of course!) followed by tangy bulanglang, which is a sinigang of guava, but with lamb versus pork. A crisp paco (fern) and watermelon salad followed. Then a hearty crab and corn soup, finished off with his piece de resistance -- rellenong bangus, stuffed milkfish. Dessert was sans rival na langka, with jalea de ube, garnished with a barquillo. Although it was a six-course meal, guests did not walk away full. Chef Sau has perfected the art of creating a menu that segues one into the other with precision, timing and quantity. It was getting quite warm, and just then, gusts of wind blew and clouds came and poured rain. We cooled off instantly! As lunch concluded, so did the rains. Everyone went for a stroll in the gardens, others visited the furniture and craft showroom.
Morcon garnished with flower petals
Paco Salad with Watermelon
Rellenong Bangus
Bulanglang
Sans Rival na Langka and Jalea de Ube
Then it was off again to Betis Church, a few minutes away, to visit the stunningly frescoed church, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines. This baroque-inspired church was built in the mid-17th century, and is filled with statues, frescoes and beautifully carved doors and altars. Breathtaking. We headed on back to Manila at 4PM. Traffic along EDSA was pretty bad, but despite that, everyone reached their destination by 6PM, quite satisfied with all the good food, good wine, pastries, demos and photographs that we took, with a touch of history to boot!
Some guests pose in front of Bacolor Church
You couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Although the weather report predicted rain and thunderstorms, the day dawned a sunny, cloudless blue. A group of 13 met at the Makati Garden Club bright and early and by 8:30 we were on our way to Pampanga. We exited San Fernando and took the road to Mexico, the town right next to bustling San Fernando. We stopped at the home of Lillian Borromeo, famed Pampanga cook, noted for her authentic turn-of-the-century kitchen. She had a mid-morning snack laid out for the guests, including different types of native bibingka, her famous San Nicolas cookies, and many other delicacies. Guests enjoyed the "almusal", washed down with her refreshing concoction of pandan juice. Lillian then gave a demonstration on how to make San Nicolas cookies, and tibok-tibok, which is a Pampangueño coconut milk pudding. She showed guests how women in the19th century used utensils and ovens for cooking and baking. Visitors then heaped themselves with purchased boxes of cookies before proceeding to the churches.
We visited San Guillermo Church, better known as Bacolor Church, in Bacolor, Pampanga, one of the oldest towns in the Philippines. This beautiful church was completely buried by volcanic ash and lahar during the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption. The townsfolk rallied behind the parish and dug up the altar. They set it beneath the high dome as it was the only way it could fit, since the church was under ash and sand. Today, with the main door completely buried, entry into the church is through what was once the second floor choir balcony. We then visited Betis Church, in Guagua, the town next-door, but it being 1PM, the building was closed for lunch. We decided to head on to the home of Myrna Bituin, the owner of Betis Crafts, whose daughter, Leslie joined us as hostess. She owns a 3 hectare property along the highway, and has beautiful houses built behind her furniture factory, where our gourmet lunch was prepared.
The sunken San Guillermo Church in Bacolor
Chef Sau del Rosario was a-waiting. There was a lady making home-made barquillos, that were absolutely delicious! Many of us tried our hand at making these rolled wafers.
Guests sipped on a cool lychee drink as they watched Chef Sau give a demo on a mince meat roll wrapped in lettuce. Fabulous! Everyone soon sat at a long wood table creatively decorated for lunch.
First dish was a very light morcon, a meat roll garnished with flower petals (edible, of course!) followed by tangy bulanglang, which is a sinigang of guava, but with lamb versus pork. A crisp paco (fern) and watermelon salad followed. Then a hearty crab and corn soup, finished off with his piece de resistance -- rellenong bangus, stuffed milkfish. Dessert was sans rival na langka, with jalea de ube, garnished with a barquillo. Although it was a six-course meal, guests did not walk away full. Chef Sau has perfected the art of creating a menu that segues one into the other with precision, timing and quantity. It was getting quite warm, and just then, gusts of wind blew and clouds came and poured rain. We cooled off instantly! As lunch concluded, so did the rains. Everyone went for a stroll in the gardens, others visited the furniture and craft showroom.
Then it was off again to Betis Church, a few minutes away, to visit the stunningly frescoed church, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines. This baroque-inspired church was built in the mid-17th century, and is filled with statues, frescoes and beautifully carved doors and altars. Breathtaking. We headed on back to Manila at 4PM. Traffic along EDSA was pretty bad, but despite that, everyone reached their destination by 6PM, quite satisfied with all the good food, good wine, pastries, demos and photographs that we took, with a touch of history to boot!
Betis Church
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