Lasang Pinoy and what it meant to me...

I know its kinda late but I would like to share my thoughts of Lasang Pinoy to make the roundup. I don't recall much of what I did on August 21, 1983. It was summer vacation for me in the 11th grade as a junior in high school transitioning to become a senior. I was 16 years old and remember seeing footage on local Hawaii TV news about the slaying of Senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr. I thought to myself how evil a person or persons were to do such a dreadful thing to a good man. I remember thinking about President Ferdinand Marcos and the news stating his implication in the event soon after. It was confusing times for me. I really didn't see the ramifications it had on Hawaii's filipino population and the rest of the world. Although most of the filipinos of Hawaii were of Ilocano descent and strong Marcos supporters, there was a definite rift in the communities. I remember watching Cory Aquino and her EDSA Revolution on TV as it unfolded and also when President Marcos and his family fled to the US and stayed in Hawaii until his death in 1993 from cardiac arrest. His body was in a air-conditioned mausoleum not too far from where we lived in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park in Kahalu'u, Hawaii. Such a turbulent time. Who would ever thought I would go to the Philippines 20 years later to meet my beautiful loving wife and see my homeland. All in all I knew it was a good thing that resulted by the death of a great man for the people of the Philippines and to the end of martial law and the Marcos dictatorship.

Born and raised as a chubby filipino-american boy, I was always proud of my culture and heritage. It has always been a deep longing in my heart to learn more of my roots about my family on both my parents sides. My dad's family from the north of the Philippines in Ilocos Norte and to the south my mother's side in the Visayas. Filipino Cuisine has always been a part of me while growing up and watching my grandfather prep and cook for big weddings with a few of his friends toiling at huge carbon steel woks over 50 gallon barrel halves over open charcoal wood fires. There were no such thing as propane burners, everything was cooked over an open fire to which was controlled by feeding or starving the flame for the perfect temperature. Litson Baboy or lechon, dinadaraan or dinuguan, pinakbet or diningdeng and various kakanin such as bibingka and suman were highlight favorites of my youth as well as my siblings. Filipino food brings back so much memories of growing up. Such comfort food where it felt so safe and secure like a warm cuddly blanket.

Everytime I cook I think of my late grandfathers and how they taught me to cook. And the way I think they would have taught me for the dishes I learned on my own. My Kapampangan wife Aurora is a great inspiration and motivator for me. It's her that broadened my horizons to what excellent filipino cuisine is all about. Even though she doesn't really cook at all. Well she just eats like all spoiled rich filipina girls in the Phils. Here in America we didn't have the luxury of a maid, cook, and or yaya (nursemaid). Going to the Philippines was a culture shock and eye opener for me. It has made me a better person and husband in understanding my wife and the filipino way of thinking.