A Mother’s Stuff

Our Lady of Peñafrancia Basilica in Naga, City

The Our Lady of Peñafrancia Church was built in 1711 by Rev. Miguel Covarrubias and it houses the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. He constructed this church in fullfillment of the vow he made during his youth. The second church was built in 1750 by Bishop Isidoro de Arevalo, repaired and improved in 1876-1877 by Bishop Francisco Gainza. The image was solemnly crowned by the Rt. Rev. Guillermo Piano on September 20, 1924.

The concept for the building the Basilica Minore came from Archbishop Pedro P. Santos in 1960. Construction began on April 18, 1976, but was delayed for a number of years due to finance problems and was not completed until September, 1981.

On May 22, 1982 it was dedicated as The Church of Nuestra Señora de Peña de Francia and it wasn’t until May 22, 1985 that the Church was given the title of “Basilica Minore” from Rome after a request from the third Archbishop of Caceres, Leonardo Z. Legaspi.

The Peñafrancia Basilica Minore houses an image of the virgin Mary that was sculpted in 1710. It was commissioned by Miguel de Cobarrubias who moved to the Philippines from Spain with his family and believed that the virgin Mary had helped him numerous times in his life.

Below are pictures of the current state of the basilica taken by my husband during his business trip in Naga last week.

Coron Festival of Tiwi, Albay

Coron Festival is an annual celebration in Tiwi, Albay being held every third week of August. Coron is a Bicol dialect meaning clay-pot or pottery which the town of Tiwi is known for. It is an industry that can be traced back in the early part of the 17^th century when the sticky clay dug at the hilly place near the sea named Bolo was discovered to have a useful way when the early settlers formed them in different shapes which they used for cooking, eating or drinking. Thus, the festival’s main feature is the pottery industry which is passed from parents to children and perfected through long years of practice without the benefit of formal training. It is a big and productive livelihood for the people there from its discovery up to present.

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Sinanglay Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 pcs. Tilapia
• 4 c. thick coconut cream
• ½ c. tomatoes (sliced)
• 1 tsp. Strips of fresh ginger
• ½ c. onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp. Strips of green hot pepper
• ¼ c. bagoong-optional
• gabi leaves
• salt to taste

Procedure:

Clean fish very well. Mix onion, tomato and ginger and stuff tilapia. Wrap each in gabi leaves. Arrange wrapped fish in deep sauce pan. Add coconut cream and bagoong. Bring to boil then lower heat and allow to simmer. Add pepper and continue simmering until gabi eaves are cooked.

Pili Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo pili (chopped)
• 2 can condensed milk
• 2 cups refined sugar
• 4 pcs. egg yolk

Procedure:

1. Mix ingredients all together.
2. Cook over moderate heat until thick.
3. Mold.
4. Bake until golden brown.
5. Cool.
6. Wrap in colored cellophane.

Pili Brittle Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pilinut 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. margarine 8 tbsp. sugar
• 4 tspb. Water 4 tbsp. corn syrup

Procedure:

1. Dry pilinut under the sun or in a mechanical dryer. Cool and remove seed coats.
2. Combine pilinut, sugar, water and corn syrup in a pan.
3. Cook over medium heat until syrup turns golden brown or when threading occurs. Remove from heat.
4. Add margarine and mix well.
5. Add baking soda and stir thoroughly.
6. Spread on grease wooden board and cut while hot into desired sizes.
7. Wrap in cellophane when cooled..

Mazapan de Pili Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pilinut - roasted ¼ cup water
• 1 tbsp. cheese 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.4 cup skimmilk 1/3 cup suagr
• 1 pc egg

Procedure:

1. Grind pilinut coarsely or chop using mortar and pestle.
2. Mix sugar and skimmilk very well.
3. Add water equal to the weight of skimmilk and stir thoroughly to a smooth consistency.
4. Stir in pilinut and ¾ parts of total amount of beaten egg.
5. Add cheese and vanilla.
6. Cook on medium heat until sticky.
7. Distribute the mixture on greased paper cups place in muffin pans.
8. Brush beaten eggs on top of each mixture in the cup.
9. Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

Pili Bar Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pilinut
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp. vanilla

Procedure:

1. Blanch pilinut and remove seed coats.
2. Boil pilinut into soft, then drain.
3. Grind the boiled pili finely.
4. Mix pilinut and sugar thoroughly.
5. Cook over moderate heat until boiling.
6. Remove from fire spread on a wooden board. Continue mixing until the mixture stick as one ball.
7. Knead the mixture while hot by using a rolling pin.
8. Cut desired sizes.

Pili Nut Candy Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pilinut
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. karo syrup
• ½ tsp. margarine
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. water

Procedure:

1. Remove outer skin of pili. Grind coarsely.
2. Combine sugar, water and syrup in a pan.
3. Cook on medium heat until the sugar us dissolved.
4. Add the ground pilinut. Mix thoroughly.
5. Cook until sticky.
6. Add margarine and mix well.
7. Pour on greased tray. Add baking soda and stir thoroughly.
8. Spread immediately and cut into desired sizes while hot.
9. Cool and wrap.

Sugar Coated Pili Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pilinut (roasted)
• 1 cup sugar (refined)
• ½ cup water
• ¼ tsp. flour
• 2 tsp. margarine

Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients in a cooking pan.
2. Cook over moderate heat and continue mixing until syrup is almost dry.
3. Remove from heat when pilinut are coated with syrup.]
4. Spread on tray.
5. Let cool and pack.

Pastillas de Pili Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pili nut -roasted
• 1 cup skimmed milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup water
• pinch of salt

Procedure:

1. Grind the roasted pilinut finely.
2. Mix sugar and skimmed milk thoroughly.
3. Add water and mix well.
4. Stir in pilinut and vanilla.
5. Continue mixing until homogenous.
6. Cook on medium heat with constant stirring until such time that the mixture stick as one ball.
7. Spread on greased trays and cut into desired sizes.
8. Roll over sugar and wrap.

Pandecillos Recipe

Ingredients:
Filling

• ½ kilo ground pili
• 1 can condensed milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 pc. egg yolk
• ¼ box

Dough

• 8 cups all purpose flour
• 1 bar fresh butter
• 6 pcs. egg yolk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 ½ cup refined sugar
• 8 tsp. baking powder

Procedure:

1. Combine the needed ingredients for the filling except the cheese.
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
3. Blend the melted butter with egg yolk and sugar. Mix well.
4. Add the evaporated milk alternately with the flour mixture.
5. Gather with fingers and form into roll.
6. Spread the filling on top and sprinkle grated cheese.
7. Roll and cut into desired length.
8. Place in a greased pan and bake in oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.

Pili Kisses Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pilinut-roasted
• 2 pcs. egg white
• ½ cup refined sugar or confectioner sugar
• ¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Procedure:

1. Grind the pilinut.
2. Separate the eggwhite from the yolk.
3. Beat eggwhite till fluffy.
4. Mix cream of tartar.
5. Continue beating until mixture form bubbles or foam.
6. Add sugar gradually while beating the mixture. Beat until stiff foam is formed.
7. Add the ground pilinut and fold the mixture.
8. Place small cones in baking sheet.
9. Bake for 40 minutes at 135 degree Fahrenheit.
10. Cool and pack.

Pili Empanaditas Recipe

Ingredients:

• Crust Filling
• 3 cups flour ¼ kilo pilinut
• 1 cup margarine or butter 1 small can condensed milk
• 4 tbsp. sugar ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cold water

Procedure:

1. Prepare and measure all the needed ingredients.
2. Sift together the flour and sugar.
3. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or blending fork until pieces are size of small pass.
4. Sprinkle water, one tbsp. at a time over part of mixture. Gently mix with fork, push to one side of bowl.
5. Sprinkle next tbsp. water over dry part, mix lightly, push to moistened part at one side. Repeat until all are moistened.
6. Gather up with fingers, form into balls.
7. Flatten slightly and add the filling.
8. Seal edges.
9. Bake in an oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-40 minutes until golden brown.

Spicy Greaseless Pili Nut Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pilinut
• 1 cup water
• salt
• powdered pepper
• garlic powder

Procedure:

1. Boil pilinut in water until soft.
2. Add salt, garlic and pepper when most of the water has evaporated.
3. Cook over medium heat until nearly dry.
4. Dry further in a mechanical dryer or in oven at 50 degrees Fahrenheit until pili become crispy.
5. Cool and pack.

Crispy Pili Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pilinut
• ¼ cup sugar
• 4 tbsp. karo syrup
• ¼ cup water
• oil for frying

Procedure:

1. Blanch the pilinut and remove seed coats.
2. Combine sugar, syrup and water. Stir until dissolved.
3. Soak pilinut syrup for 10 minutes.
4. Drain. Fly until golden brown.
5. Let it cool down on a piece of cheese cloth.
6. Pack in P.E. plastic or jars of desired size and seal.
7. Store in a cool dry place.