Lechon: Philippines’ Favorite Delicacy

http://www.philippinesinsider.com/philippines/filipino-cuisine/

Lechon is a Spanish word meaning “suckling pig”. In the Philippines, Lechon always means a whole roasted pig commonly known as Lechon Baboy. Beef and chicken are also popular as lechon commonly known as Lechon Baka and Lechon Manok, respectively.

The method of cooking the lechon is that the whole pig is roasted slowly over live charcoal. This method is also similar to the way the Chinese Peking duck or the Balines Guling celeng is cooked. The tedious method of long-hours roasting the whole pig leaves the meat very tender inside and a crispy skin outside.

The lechon is a popular dish in any of the festivities in the Philippines such as fiestas, holiday seasons, and special occasions like birthdays, weddings, and other family gatherings. It is said that celebrations are not complete without the lechon as the table’s centerpiece. It is always served with a liver-based sauce making it more tasteful and delicious.

The lechon kawali is another version of lechon in the Philippines. The method of cooking includes boiling the pieces of pork first then fry till it turns into golden brown.

The leftover lechon is recycled in the Philippines. It is easily turned into another delicious dish called Lechon Paksiw.

In Manila, Philippines, La Loma is the popular place where one can buy the delicious lechon. Many food establishments are selling it throughout the year in this area.

Cebu City, Philippines is famous for cooking the mouthwatering lechon. Other regions in the Philippines have their own way to cook lechon but the ones from Cebu City are the favorite. The lechons are air-shipped from Cebu City to different food establishments throughout the Philippines.

The lechon in Cebu City has its own distinctive taste that is why it is the Filipinos’ favorite. Cooking lechon is very simple but arduous.

A whole pig is cleaned very well, taking the pig’s internal organs out at the belly’s opening. After cleaning, seasonings are stuffed into the pig’s stomach such as garlic, onions, soy sauce, lemongrass, salt, and monosodium glutamate. The measurements of the seasonings are according to the desired taste.

When the seasonings are all stuffed in, the pig’s stomach is stitched to keep the seasonings from spilling out. The whole pig is impaled on a clean bamboo pole like a barbecue. The pig is then bathed in soy sauce and roasted over live charcoal.

The average time for roasting the pig is about two hours. When it is cooked, the pig is now turned into a lechon. A crispy and juicy lechon can really satisfy your appetite.

Pinoy commands US navy base in Florida

By Rodney J. Jaleco Aug 21st, 2008

MILTON, Florida = Naval Air Station Whiting Field mirrors a typical American mid-size town – homes, offices, parks and other amenities to sustain 3,800 people. But it also hosts 120 planes and 150 helicopters of the US Navy. The man charged with keeping this large community and everything in it, is Navy Capt. Enrique “Rick” Sadsad, a 51-year-old Olongapo City native, who rose from the ranks to become one the highest ranking Filipino-Americans in the US Navy.

Whiting Field, about 30 minutes away from Pensacola, is the US Navy’s premier basic flight school. A sign on the entrance of a classroom building says it all – “Through these doors pass the future of naval aviation”.

“At Whiting Field we train navy, air force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps to be pilots, naval aviators,” Capt. Sadsad explained. Students include those sent by America’s allies, including a few from the Philippine Navy and Air Force.

“We have the fixed wing part, which are three VT (training) squadrons. They do the primary part of training. Once they finish that, they choose whether to go to jets or helicopters. If they select helicopters they stay at Whiting Field until they earn their wings. The rest of them will go either to Mississippi or Texas to continue their jet training,” he elaborated.

Capt. Sadsad is a naval aviator himself, and commanded one of the training squadrons, VT-4, at Whiting Field in 2001. The unit was named best Navy Primary Training Squadron during his tenure.

He has received numerous awards and decorations, in a career that’s already spanned over 30 years.

Capt. Sadsad grew up in the East Tapinot district of Olongapo, a city then dominated by Subic Naval Base. But it was the collective influence of three uncles who were already in the US Navy that pushed him to follow the same path. He was already working as a helicopter technician at the Philippine Aerospace Dev’t Corp. in Pasay City when he passed the entrance tests and joined the US Navy at age 21.

“This was when there was still this agreement for the US to recruit so-many Filipinos for the US Navy,” he averred.

He reported to “boot camp” in San Diego then to the Aviation Training School in Tennessee. His first assignment was as a jet mechanic with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 10. He later qualified as a search and rescue swimmer.

At the start of 1990, there were more than 19,000 Filipinos in the enlisted ranks of the US Navy, representing nearly four percent of its total force. They all have their tales of how they overcome discrimination and other barriers. Capt. Sadsad described his shock when he was ordered to clean toilets even after the US Navy had already trained him to fix its fighter jets. But he took it and endured, he says.

“Went to school at night, went to school on weekends and got my degree in aviation management (at the Southern Illinois University),” he averred. He was later accepted in the Aviation Officer Candidate School, received his commission as an Ensign, and immediately went to flight school.

Capt. Sadsad flew aboard P-3 Orion “submarine hunters” and later qualified as an instructor. In between missions, he was able to earn a Masters degree in Business Organizational Management from the University of La Verne.

In 1992, he served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation, occupying various positions, including as anti-air/anti-surface warfare weapons coordinator and tactical action officer. Those duties, he says in civilian jargon, meant he was basically in charge of defending the flattop.

He was designated Commander Patrol Wings of the US Pacific Fleet and OIC of Naval Air Station North Island in California.

In 1996, Capt. Sadsad became aircraft maintenance officer for Patrol Squadron 47 in Hawaii, and later became Head Enlisted Community Manager under the Chief of Naval Operations Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division in Washington DC.

This was followed by command of VT-4 in Whiting Field. In 2003, he was made executive and operations officer of Fleet Air Keflavik in Iceland. Two years later, he was designated chief 6th Fleet liaison officer with NATO Strike and Support Forces in Naples, Italy.

“In my last year in Naples I was working as chief of staff of Maritime Air Naples. I was basically responsible for the command and control of all maritime patrol aircraft in southern Europe,” he explained.

In 1989, there were only 588 Fil-Am officers in the US Navy. By 1992, this has grown to 653 – nearly half of all ethnic Asian naval officers. They were composed of 14 Captains, 46 Commanders (who included Cmdr. Tem Bugarin, the first Fil-Am to command his own ship, the tank landing ship USS Saginaw), 89 Lieutenant-Commanders and 414 junior officers. That number has swelled as second-generation Fil-Ams, especially those who graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, rise up the command ladder.

Capt. Sadsad has cut his own trail up the ranks of the US Navy. “There was a time Filipinos were not allowed to do any other ratings except steward-type ratings. By the time I got in the Navy had opened up the ratings. I was able to become a jet mechanic and when I finally got my citizenship and my college degree, that opened a lot of doors for me,” he explained.

“I attribute a lot of where I am now to a desire to get advanced education, and I guess, just to do your job and do it well,” he declares.

We asked if he had a formula for success. “A lot of perseverance,” he replied, “and a lot of luck”.

Capt. Sadsad, his friends say, still has crack at being admiral. The US military has a complicated system of setting mandatory retirement, which can be as late as 62 years old. At the senior level, retirement is often dictated by the Pentagon’s policy of attrition.

If he does accomplish this truly impressive feat, he won’t be the first, however. Eleanor “Connie” Mariano joined the US Navy in 1981 and served as chief physician in the White House during the Bush and Clinton administrations. For her services, President Clinton promoted her to the rank of Rear Admiral before she retired from the service.

But Capt. Sadsad could be the first Fil-Am “from the line”, someone from Olongapo who rose from the ranks to reach such a lofty post.

Gratitude

By Carole Tarantino

Sometimes I am so amazed when something like this crosses my path and I have had the experience. On my way back from Pohnpei this summer, we had a few days layover in Honolulu at a nice hotel to de-compress, and our hotel had many, many soldiers, men and women, in transit, just coming back, and on their way over. One morning I rode the elevator down with a tall gentlemen in fatigues, and as we stepped out of the elevator, me first, I turned to him and wished him God's blessings and safety wherever he might be. His face showed bewilderment at first, then a smile, and I swear his eyes were misty as I smiled and walked away. How many times have I passed a person in uniform and felt too awkward to express my appreciation, regardless of the political posture? Many times, for sure. And I use this expression that shows love in my heart for another when I have not been allowed to speak to the defendant. No one ever stopped me from this expression.

It’s easy to just say thank you.

Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and wanted to convey to them your thanks, but weren't sure how, or it felt awkward?

A gentleman from Seattle created a gesture which could be used to express your thanks and has started a movement to get the word out.

Please everybody take just a moment to watch..... The Gratitude Campaign ...and then forward it to your friends! THEN START USING THE SIGN.


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re: Gratitude
By Dennis Wharton

Last summer I was at a restaurant on the Jersey Shore with my Mom and my, at the time, 91 year old Aunt.

Sitting at a table to our right was a couple who looked to be in their mid 60's or so. The woman was wearing a Marine Corps jacket.

I asked her who was in the Marine's. She told me she was, during Vietnam. I asked her, jokingly, if she was called a BAM (Broad Assed Marine).

That started a fun conversation. Her husband was a Korean Army vet. She asked about me, and I told her I was in the Army during Vietnam, but, that my Aunt had been a Navy Wave (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) from Nov 1943 to Dec 1945.

She got up, came over to our table, kissed my Aunt on the cheek and thanked her for her service. They were from Texas, visiting relatives in New Jersey. They left before we did, since my Mom and my Aunt wanted desert.

When I ordered, the waitress told me there was no charge because the couple who left paid for our desert. A special day.

Dennis
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re: Gratitude
By Herm Valenzuela

Nice vignette, Dennis, worthy to be read in the Post-Op section of the Saturday Evening Post. There is always a camaraderie when veterans meet out of state and strangers become friends even for a few minutes. However, some civilians don't care whether you served in the military or not.

Last Sunday I visited my cousin-in-law in Metuchen, N.J. I took the NJ Transit from MSG; I was late for the next trip so, I rushed in w/o a ticket and waited for the conductor to issue one which meant I have to pay for the whole fare plus a surcharge but not if one has a disability (half price- NJT rule). So, I showed my U.S.Veteran's disability card but the conductor informed me that N.J. Transit does not recognized a U.S.Veteran's card even it shows that I have a 30% service-connected disability. Not that I do not wish to pay full fare price but I was sticking to their rules. Finally, I took off my baseball cap to show the conductor that I'm a senior citizen and eligible for a half fare.

FYI: An active duty servicemen's or officer's service I.D. card is not recognized or accepted as a means of identification in any U.S. Post Office- go check it up. I "boil" inside me to the point of crying when I see this sign posted.

Herm
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re: Gratitude
By Zack Chavez

My 27 + years in the Coast Guard gave me the opportunity to see lots of places. In my younger days I did a lot of bar-hopping with fellow Coasties, and those were the times when being in the military made you feel welcome just about anywhere. We all felt proud and safe to wear our monkey suits when going on liberty. I remember a good bar to go was Stick-N-Rudder outside the US Coast Air Station in St Pete, FLA, and we frequented the place (that was before I met Louise). After hitting our favorite places downtown, we would end up at the Stick-N-Rudder for a one-for-the-road, and almost always, there would be a friendly guy at the end of the bar who would buy us all a drink and would always be willing to propose a toast to honor us servicemen. But those days are over.

Batan Island, Philipiines 1965, I was on isolated duty tour with about 20 Coast Guard crewmembers operating a LORAN station in support of our Air Force and Naval forces in Asia. It was intensive work when I was on duty, but liberty was a lot of fun. The nearby friendly town of Itbud always welcomed the visit from the Americans and me, the only Filipino in the group. We would bring several cases of San Miguel Beer when we visited town on weekends. The villagers would always have a feast for us, we provided the beer, they provided the food, the music, the dancing girls, and the local wine Paluk. We had to be back to the station by midnight per CO's instructions but we weren't concerned. The villagers always had a free 'taxi service' that would bring us back before liberty expired. It was a wooden cart pulled by a carabao. The Coasties who overindulged didn't have to worry because they knew the Itbud villagers would make sure they got back to the station before midnight. My isolated duty tour at Batan was not so isolated at all in the sense that the local villagers made us feel welcome and they seemed to understand we where there to accomplish a mission that agreed with their political beliefs.

Zack

Ghandhism

By Celia White

A must read for parents

Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, in his June 9 lecture at the University of Puerto Rico, shared the following story:

“I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.

One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced.

When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, ‘I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together.’

After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00.

He anxiously asked me, ‘Why were you late?’

I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, ‘The car wasn’t ready, so I had to wait,’ not realizing that he had already called the garage.

When he caught me in the lie, he said: ‘There’s something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn’t give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I’m going to walk home 18 miles and think about it.’ So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads.

I couldn’t leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again.

I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don’t think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing. But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday.

That is the power of non-violence.