Filipino dishes seldom use beans. Here is a childhood dish I learned from my aunt which I haven’t tasted anywhere yet. My mother’s sister, whom we call Nanay was a cook in a hospital. I learned Tagalog cooking from her, watching her while she cooks in the kitchen which gradually had me helping her to slice meats and vegetables to having her let me cook in the kitchen in my teen-age years. Then it became me cooking in the kitchen while she dictates the next steps in cooking the dish in the next room. There are no exact measurements, all are according to taste. Till later on I became the cook at home and would consult with her how to cook a particular dish. I really enjoyed it when it’s her day-off from the hospital kitchen, it would mean coming home from school to delicious noodles or soups. Yeah, not only for lunch but for afternoon snacks as well. She was also in-charge of going to the market for the menu that they cook in the hospital. There are Saturdays when I accompany to the market, buying vegetables, fish and meat as well as introducing me to the vendors.

This dish always remind me and my sister of Nanay. It uses pork legs that is softened by boiling. To prepare beans, place around 250 grams white beans in water and let it sit overnight. This hydrates the dried beans so it cooks faster. Adding a teaspoon of baking soda hastens cooking time so add that as well. In a large pot, put pata (pork leg) slices and cover with water, bring to a boil and let it simmer till the meat is tender. At the same, boil the white beans till soft.You will know it soft, when the membrane separates from the beans and it is easy to mash with fork. When the meat is tender, add oil to a large pan and saute tomatoes, add the meat without the stock, soy sauce and crushed pepper. Add half of the cooked white beans. Saute some more. Add back the soup stock and bring to a boil. At this point, add the second half of the white beans which has been mashed already. This thickens the soup and makes it really creamy. Once boiling, add a bunch of pechay/bok choy. Season with crush pepper and soy sauce. The soy sauce, tomatoes and pepper combine to give flavor to the soup. This is best served with rice.

Though Nanay is long gone, this dish bring plenty of memories of her at the dining table.

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Though Apples and Thyme are not typical of Filipino cuisine, what binds us together with cooks in other parts of the world-grandmothers, mothers, daughters, nieces, sisters- are times spent in the kitchen with that special someone who made kitchen memories unforgetable. For more of that special someone in our lives who taught us how to cook and share a meal, head over to Apples and Thyme – a celebration of mothers and grandmothers and time spent with them in the kitchen.