I first tasted this dish in San Fernando, Pampanga. C.G. Garcia, a realtor in San Fernando had a restaurant and that is where I first tasted it. The original recipe of this dish was too oily (it was deep fried twice) and as usual, I tweaked it to make it healthier. Fish Ingredients: 1 kilo fish fillet – labahita, ocean perch, sole – de-bone and slice into serving slices 2-inches x 4-inches or whole tilapia 1 tablespoon lemon or calamansi juice or mirin Sauce Ingredients: ¼ kilo tomatoes – blanch, skin, peel and cut into quarters 50 grams coriander – chop coarsely 2 cups onions – chop coarsely 2 tablespoons garlic – chop finely 2 lemon grass white stalks – chop finely 1 tablespoon ginger – finely chopped ¼ cup oyster sauce 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons cooking oil ¼ cup light soy sauce 1 teaspoon finely crushed black pepper 1 tablespoon cassava (arrowroot) flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons water Fish Preparation Procedure: Rub the fish fillets with lemon juice and lay out on over-proof serving dish lined with banana leaf. If you are using a whole tilapia, fry tilapia with a little oil, on both sides, just to seal it; about 1 minute per side. Procedure: In a medium sized sauce pan, over low fire, pour in the oils (cooking and sesame) and sauté the onions, and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add in the ginger and lemon grass; continue sautéing for another 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and black pepper. Stir and continue simmering for 1 minute. Add the coriander and the cassava flour mixture. Cook for another minute and remove from flame. Pour sauce over the fillets and bake for 15 – 20 minutes at 180°C or 350°F. Serve with boiled...

I could write a chapter of my life dedicated to my friendship with Antonio (Tony) Kornerup. Tony is now smiling down at me from that blissful place in Paradise and I miss his challenging company. Instead of writing that chapter for this particular recipe, I will instead write down what he wrote about me. This piece came about in 1996, when I had asked him to write something about me; something that I might use for the publication of my book “The Secret Is In The Sauce.” At that time of my life I didn’t want it too known that that I was a ‘witch’. But now, who cares if people know that I am a ‘witch’ and so, here is what Tony wrote about me. En el centro de la isla de Luzon, por alla en el ano de 1980. It was hot, hot, hot! The summer’s sun was at its peak, shinning over the plains of Central Luzon and over the Barangay San Isidro (not the one connected with the late famous fugitive), when a gentle breeze tickled my delicate and large nose with a subtle aroma that persisted over the dust and heat; it brought back from perennial memories the enchanting fumes given by cauldrons of magic concoctions performed by undefined and unknown culinary spirits. Enticed to follow it, I obeyed this strange compulsion until I discerned a very young and beautiful witch bent over cooking pans, emerging from cloudy steams, elaborating the family fare of the day, Kare Kare. Being a curious admirer of gourmet concoctions, I cast a spell inquiring about her enchantments. Her inner being was powered by a very strong will that flamed around her, like the interior fires that Mother Earth spews through active volcanic craters; her light was enticing yet dangerous; her warmth was sincere; her heart was very much palpitating with love for life, pain, concern, the Universe, the known and unknown, cooking and baking. That was my first look of MARIANNE As it was pre-ordained by destiny, we met physically in a very ordinary, every day store at the market place, in a dusty town with a Royal and Holy Name (San Fernando, Pampanga). Since then, through the years, glimpses of her life, her loves, her fights and difficulties, her quests in her way upon this Earth, were tenderly offered for sharing, commenting, dissecting, enduring and forecasting; knowing that the choices and decisions will dictate the outcome, the realization of dreams and enjoyment of daily toiling. Having a very active and restless mind, Marianne loves to experiment; to look for new ways to obtain and prepare new dishes; to share new culinary skills; should I mention her special...

Never in my wildest dream did I think that I would be perfecting the Sans Rival and making a small business with it. Being here in Sydney, with time to create and experiment, I thought that doing things that I never had time to do in the Philippines, would just be the thing to stir my creative juices. Here I present to you, the Ultimate Sans Rival; crispy and creamy without being too sweet. I was told by one of my customers, Neni Manalo, who ordered a bunch to give away for Christmas, winded up keeping most of it and just eating it by herself. That to me is the ultimate test that I have reached my goal in perfecting the Sans Rival. Special Equipment: 4 pieces ring mould for frying eggs – this is one of the discoveries I made; you can make a perfect mold for individual servings of Sans Rival and if making a cake, use a 8-inch embroidery hoop. Isn’t that just fantastic! Necessity is the mother of invention. This recipe makes 8 individual, three-layered cakes or one 8-inch diameter, four layered cake.To make the cake, divide the formula so that the meringue, for the next two layers, does not weep while waiting to be baked. The trick here is to divide the whipped meringue before adding the nuts and just whip again to bring up the volume before adding the other half of the nuts. Of course, one can also have a big oven and bake the meringue layers all at once. Preheat oven to 250°F or 130°C Line two cookie sheets with baking paper Ingredients: ¾ cup egg whites with 1 drop of lemon juice and ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar 115 grams of coarsely chopped, lightly roasted cashew nuts ½ teaspoon vanilla essence Plus 50 grams chopped cashew nuts for topping Note: You can also use almonds or macadamia nuts or combination of nuts. Procedure: Place egg whites, with 1 drop of lemon juice and ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar, in a mixing bowl and whip at medium speed. When egg whites have doubled in volume, gradually add the caster sugar, in four doses. Continue whipping until the egg whites are slightly stiff, then add the vanilla essence and continue whipping till the egg whites make stiff but moist peaks. Stop. Remove the bowl from the mixer and with a hand held wire whisk, add the coarsely chopped cashew nuts. Just lightly blend. With a rubber spatula, finish the cut and folding of the nuts, just making sure that the nuts are all over the meringue. Each cookie sheet, lined with baking paper, holds 12 meringues....