Have some -PATATIM

I recently had lunch with the entire family to celebrate my father's birthday. The restaurant we chose, was a personal favorite, because of its' good food and ambiance. One favorite dish is the PATATIM or Stewed Pork Leg, which was the star of "Papa's Birthday Feast". This very simple dish, cooked into perfection using different kinds of sauce, is what would make one go back for seconds and thirds...and order extra rice too. We even cook this at home. This is what home cook meal is about and I want to share the recipe for this, so you too can try it at home.

PATA TIM INGREDIENTS:

1 whole Pork (front or hind-your choice) tip: get the one's with bigger upper meaty part
1 pc. Star anise (sangke)
4 tbsp. Hoysin sauce (optional)
½ cup Dark Soy sauce
1 cup Brown sugar
2 cups Root beer (optional)
1 tsp Sesame oil
2 tsp Corn starch dissolved in ½ cup of water
1 pc Medium size Chinese cabbage
6 to 8 pcs Shitake medium mushrooms (optional) soaked on hot water
for 30 minutes then drained
1 pc. large carrot
baby corn

PATA TIM PROCEDURE:

1. Boil the pork pata for about 45 mins in salted water. Drain and let cool.
2. Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Let it cool
3. Place the fried pata in a casserole. Add about six (6) cups of water
4. Add the star anise, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar.
5. Place in high fire until it boils then reduce the fire to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the pork leg is very tender (almost falling off the bone). Remember to add the carrots,baby corn and shitake mushrooms after 30 minutes of simmering.
6. Check the level of the water in your casserole. The sauce should be 1/4 of the casserole when done. Add the cornstarch and water mixture. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
7. Add the Chinese cabbage and simmer until it is tender. Add the sesame oil.
8. In a serving dish, place the pork leg in the center. Place the vegetables on the side.Pour enough sauce on the pata. Serve hot.

Mom's Revel Bars

My Ma was here the first week of May. Not seeing her for the most part of the year, my siblings and I often get excited everytime she comes here. We had all the reasons to. First, she would always bring us fresh seafood and delicacies that you can only find in our hometown. The past few visits, though she added Revel Bars to her usual list of "pasalubongs". She brought some for us so she can let us taste her latest creation and she seems to be enjoying it when she sees us eating them with so much gusto. A very good cook that she was, she started telling me the recipe so I can do it myself. Just like when we were so much younger. I can say that we both share the same love for cooking and baking. I can't believe that the recipe was just so simple, I whipped one already last weekend. My siblings seemed to love it, they even brought some for their office mates.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup margarine, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 pc egg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup oatmeal

1 tbsp cashew nuts or walnut, chopped

100 g semi-sweet chocolate, grated 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 can (234 g) Fresh Cut Crushed Pineapple, drained

Procedure:
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease a 7”x7” pan. Set aside.

CREAM margarine and brown sugar. Add egg, beating well after addition. Add vanilla. Set aside.

COMBINE flour and baking soda. Add to the margarine mixture. Mix well. Fold in oatmeal and nuts. Press 3/4 of this mixture at the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread DEL MONTE Fresh Cut Crushed Pineapple over crust (oatmeal mixture). Set aside.

MELT chocolate in a double boiler. Blend in condensed milk. Pour over crust. Cover and freeze for 15 minutes. Divide remaining oatmeal mixture into 6 portions. Press lightly onto pan to partly cover the chocolate topping. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and chill for 3 hours. Cut into bars.