Bun: My food(ie) journey so far

Posted by Bun

I grew up in a middle class Filipino immigrant household of four in Lacey, Washington. My father arrived in the U.S. first, followed by my mom and 1 year old brother shortly afterwards. I came along 3 years later. This was in the early 70s. We started life in Tacoma, Washington, but my parents got jobs with the state which allowed us to set up roots in Lacey, just outside the state capital Olympia. I was basically raised in Lacey and all my memories are from those days.

Early on, meals were a family endeavor. We all sat down after school and work, after my mom had come home and started prepping our dinner. Typically she would cook a protein, often times with vegetables, with steamed rice. As an Asian family, it is usually the kids who wash and prep the rice for dinner. On top of that, she would often manage to add a desert. My mom was more of a tinkerer in the baking realm, and she would try recipes she found from different sources. Banana breads, zucchini bread, muffins of all sorts. Also, bibinka, leche flan, puto, and other Filipino sweet staples.

For before or after meal snacks, me and my brother would fend for ourselves and it would be off brand Macaroni and Cheese, or grilled cheese sandwiches with loads of butter. My brother taught me about milkshakes in an old push button blender. Ice cream, some milk, and in a few minutes you get a nice icy treat. Adding cereal to the mix wasn't a bad thing. Ramen, cup of noodles, or the leftovers from the day before were always fair game. At my house, we kept the rice cooker on warm so there was usually still rice left to go with what we could scrounge up.

When my mother didn't feel like cooking, she would either get the family staple Albertson's fried chicken. To this day, I enjoy their recipe and will buy it when it's cheap. Reaching into the steamy bag for a piece still brings back fond memories of my growing up. In contrast, my parents would reach for things like sardines. The ones in oil and in tomato sauce. Also, my dad was fond of an item I don't see anymore; kippered salmon. Also sold at Albertson's, fish parts over rice could be eaten hot or cold, but this was back in the 80's and 90's and I don't think you can find it in the supermarket nowadays.

Another take out spot was the local Chinese American restaurant. As with most smaller towns, you pick a favorite one to go to and that is what you think of as authentic food from China not knowing the myriad of regional cuisines available today. I always had my parents order Almond Fried Chicken. Fried boneless Chicken + gravy - it was and still is a favorite of mine. My father to this day complains of a self imposed allergy to chicken, so I would make sure to order it as there was one less fork to steal a bite. Other dishes to go along with it were Lo Mein, usually with seafood and vegetables, sweet and sour pork, and a beef dish for my dad. Usually beef and broccoli rather than Mongolian beef. Plus all the tea you can drink, with sugar of course. Not much of a tea drinker nowadays, but anything with sugar was welcome in those days. We would skip the egg rolls, as we can always eat Lumpia at home. Fried rice was also not on our list as we're used to white rice with most meals. I think my parents couldn't fathom paying a premium for a rice dish. It should be a no-cost standard accompaniment. It is likely one of the reasons we chose a particular establishment; do they charge for the rice?

There is one memory of a chicken lollipop at a different Asian diner that my parents would sometimes order take out from instead. No one in the family remembers them, but they are one item I miss from my childhood. A chicken drumstick, with the lower portion cut removed leaving a lollipop shape. Dipped in batter and deep fried. It was the ease of eating, and the batter was doused in fry oil. Since no one has a recollection of them, I am not sure where they were from or who made them. I have been searching for these on any Asian menu I encounter and have yet to see it's equal. Hopefully I can experiment and come up with something similar which I'd love to share.

In those days, parties were always an exciting time. Filipinos always have an excuse to hold get togethers and potlucks. Ah... the potluck. The idea of bringing your best recipe to try to impress others is a pastime in Filipino culture. There was also an unspoken competition with what was brought, and serious implications of the dish can be food for gossip if it is deemed subpar.

Many of the dishes were familiar, but they were made by other families who prepared the dishes with their own regional tastes. You soon looked forward to a particular dish hoping your favorite chef would bring it to the next gathering. Tita's Palabok. Tito's Dinuguan. They would always have a spot on my paper plate with the rattan cozy.

With more options then you were used to, party food was always welcome. But often times you had to be careful. Sometimes food traps were set so you had to be cautious. It might be the Filipinos in my community, but every so often you would get someone who brings lumpia...with raisins in it! Ugh, the nerve! You would take a bite and pray that they weren't in there. It is a bite, then examination; visual as well as tasting confirmation that there were no raisins. If there were, the lumpia would go uneaten and avoided for the rest of the night. Same with liver. I can't stand liver to this day, and often times it would be in menudo or the dinuguan. Again, avoided like Covid and cursing the first chef who thought of those abominations so long ago.

Vacations for Filipinos don't mean getting on an airplane and checking in to an all inclusive resort hotel (unless it was to go back home to the Philippines and check in with a relative). Our vacations were camping. You pay for the cost of gas, the campsite fee, and everything else you packed with you. Cheap and no commitments. You had the freedom to cut it short at a moment's notice. On these trips, our family would travel with other families, and it would be the same potluck communal dining. I remember most vividly the Corned Beef Hash in a can. Cooked with sliced onions and garlic, sometimes tomato, with some soy sauce over rice. Salty, savory, simple and just comforting. I introduced this to my wife who had never had it before, and she can see why it is something I eat to this day.

 As I entered my teen years, food and restaurants became more of a means of hanging out rather than culinary exploration. Fast food and major chains available in most cities of the U.S. became places to gather with friends and interact with the crowds. I started working in high school as a dish washer in a store called Woolworth's. I would eat for free during my one break at the in store diner, and that is where my love for turkey club sandwiches was fostered. I ate it every time I worked.

One of the few other formative experiences during these times was the high school cafeteria condiments, like "Goo". In my school, a tartar sauce, special sauce type concoction that is slathered on everything that came out from behind the lunch counter; pizza, burgers, fries mainly. I had always wondered if it was something that all schools had, or whether it was regional to us.

As I ventured out in to the world away from home, fending for oneself becomes a necessity. In college, money is often tight, so you get in a pattern of obtaining groceries and cooking. You are limited to how much you can get, as you have to walk or take public transit. It had to be mostly non-perishable, and last for about two weeks which is the next time you'd have the opportunity to shop for groceries again. Dorm room staples like microwaveable meals, instant ramen, packs of franks, Spam, tuna fish, eggs (the only non-perishable item), etc. There wasn't usually a need for rice, as you always remember to take it from home when you go to visit the parentals. So with these mediocre ingredients, students are forced to be creative. An egg and hot dogs in the ramen. Check. Hot dog in a tortilla (much more shelf stable than white bread). Check. Tuna melts, spam and rice, soups from leftovers are easy plan meals that don't take much time. Then on the weekends you can splurge a bit. In my time at the university, Teriyaki joints were abundant and offered a diverse menu. Pizza shops were open 24 hours mostly. Before street food and food trucks were a thing, there was walking Gyros and pastries on the go. While money was tight, the diversity of the environment was filled with new possibilities I didn't have or take advantage of in my home town.

With age comes work, then a bit of money, and eventually a car. New independence to roam, where the price of gas and pre-GPS directions were the only obstacles. Every city has unique offerings that you have to find somehow. Whether it be word of mouth, happenstance, or smell, I started exploring every part of my city in search of a new food experience. Now with the Internet, sites like Yelp, TV programs dedicated to food, the landscape is much richer and less hidden. This is a time of exploration, and with my wife we'd like to take you on this journey with us and share our mutual passion for food. Thank you for reading this.