SWANNIE'S... Heaven in a Jar

 During my childhood days, I would remember the times when my Nanay would be preparing Leche Flan for our handa for the Town Fiesta. This will be one basin of a mixture of milk and eggs. She would always make sure that the mixture is smooth with no air bubbles and that it is strained well in a katsa or cheese cloth. And of course, who would forget the diap… an infamous additive in leche flan during the 80’s. Everybody would wait for the freshly cooked dessert from the steamer. A firm and very rich custard made with lots of patience and love.

All we know is we mix eggs with milk and carefully prepare the caramel and place it in tin pans and steam it forever. We chill the flan and have it ready for the following day. It was simple as 1-2-3. But a friend of mine made something really interesting about these local desserts of ours. Something that makes you exciting which allowed fun in eating this typical fiesta dessert…. I call it my Heaven in a Bottle.

Swannie’s as they call it, are dessert jars specifically flavored flans. It made me curious at first since I am a flan person. Nothing really beats good custard… And mind you making good custard is not easy. So here comes a Facebook invite to like a page. And the only thing I saw was an ink-blot logo on cheese cloth which at first I thought was misspelled. I ended up clicking the like button. 

This handsome friend of mine – which they call papalicious in a way – is a person who loves to cook. His family knows the definition of good food. Hence the credibility of this dessert made me more curious. To cut it short I ended up ordering all the flavors to taste. So this handsome, cute looking, papalicious, friend of mine came delivering may jars… And now let me tell you the story.

I love the packaging… I LOVE THE SPOON. It is wood and it helps enhance the palate. Good job on this. Now that covering made of cheese cloth… That was intelligent. Traditional Leche Flan we strain using this material. And having to place this element in the packaging makes it A+.

The Classic... Salted Caramel and Roasted Almonds

Now, close your eyes… Imagine a spoonful of rich, not too sweet, creamy, smooth leche flan in your mouth… Wait… let me add that caramel dripping that we all love plus a hint of vanilla then that crunch of fresh roasted almonds… Ok open your eyes. THAT IS CLASSIC… a true flan. I define it as simple but very elegant. It just made me smile while that spoon is still in your mouth. Love it that much.

Now Swannie’s made some fruit additives which I can say are my favorites. These are their Strawberry-Kiwi and Mango-Cashew. Sounds complicated but let me explain. Strawberries are sweet and tart and have this punch that makes it really interesting. Kiwi, on the other hand, would complement the fruitiness of the strawberries and would break its strong flavor making a very subtle mixture. Now These fruits you place on creamy dairy custard. What do you get -- Unimaginable Excitement! It really is soothing.

Strawberry-Kiwi and Mango-Cashew

Now let me talk about my other favorite. Mangoes and Cashew. Who will go wrong with this. Let me keep this simple… I AM SPEECHLESS. Just come and taste it chilled so you can tell me how you cannot describe how good it is. I LIKE IT… Plainly I LIKE IT… But beware… Kulang nalang SAGO… Mango pudding na. But I JUST LIKE IT!!!

Ok now my least favorite. Don’t get me wrong. All of the flans are good but off course we have our opportunities to improve. Let me start…

Banana Oreo Lemon… SO GAY. Confused and it sounds like it is really GAY. Yellow is the color with bits of Oreo and Banana Chips. Plus it is BANANA… So GAY. Kidding aside, the banana flan is to die for. Not all would like bananas but this one you should taste. The crunch of the cookies made it interesting but it can do without it. The banana chips are fine but when chilled it becomes hard and places a break in that luscious experience… Who would want a break in something orgasmic? Lemon? Is there Lemon… really? Maybe I am expecting zest or some sort of a lemony punch but what I got was just bananas… But again, remove the fancy accessories… this concoction is a standalone WINNER.

Banana Oreo Lemon and Chili Choco Cherry

C3 as I call it. The Swannie’s Chili Choco Cherry or Cherry Chili Choco or Choco Chili Cherry… Whatever it is, I like it but it is the least of my happiness. The cherry was fine but it was not significant. Was expecting something like Black Forest or Kirsch, but nothing really interesting. The chocolate was not aggressive. It was playing safe. It could be nice if it was Dark Chocolate but it was just chocolate. The Chili was kind of soft for me but some would not want a spicy bite. But for this chili dessert, chili was nowhere to be found. The fact it is sweet and made of dairy would kill the chili. Maybe being more aggressive would help this little thing. It was a bold approach but again the custard was perfect. As my professor was in Culinary School was saying… If it is not a contributor, remove it from the recipe. The flan is a big WIN but the cherry and chocolate syrup… a little sadness lurking beside a happy smile.

These creations are good and should be tasted by all. These are my take on the flavored flans as they call it. The experience is different but that feeling of comfort while eating it in a small jar in a cozy bench or chair with a good friend or a loved one would definitely create good talks and lots of interesting conversations.

So, grab one now and let me see what stories you can tell as you take this little bite I call HEAVEN.






For inquiries, visit: https://www.facebook.com/swanniesjar

MANGAN TANA... Food Talks with Inang (2 of 2)

Inang is known for her correcting things when they are not in order. She sometimes would even insist on having to follow what she wants though sometimes it is not practical at the moment. She gets into this petty argument which she would make “patol” but at the end, everybody would just say… Sige na nga kayo na masusunod.

Chicken Afritada

Lunch was approaching and I need to prepare. Though I usually cook 2 hours ahead to allow proper food production and yield, this time I fell like it would not be enough since Inang already halted me with my cooking. At the point she was about to give me her version of the classic Afritada. For those who does not know this, it is a chicken dish or sometimes pork stewed on tomato sauce with potatoes and bell peppers. Something common in every Filipino table… a Carenderia favorite as well. So this is what I did. Get any Afritada Recipe which you want to follow. Really no issue in ingredients, chicken or pork will do. What are important are the first few steps…

• Crush garlic and peppercorn and rub it over the meats. 
• Add in soy sauce. About ¼ C per kilogram. 
• Marinate for 1 hour.
• Place pork mixture in a “kawali” or small wok. 
• Turn on the flame and allow boiling. 
• Once boiling add vinegar and do not mix until it boils again… 

After this, WHAT? My mind shouted. This is Adobo not even close to the dish I want to cook. But anyways, let Inang do it. So I continued and she instructed me to simmer it till it dries up and almost frying… not to mention the oil I yielded from this. After, remove the meats and discard the oil. Then using the same pan, proceed with the Afritada you use to do. The only difference is that the meats are pre-cooked. If it is chicken, be careful in handling since it may be a little bit tender at this point.

Upon completing my recipe, I added green peas and the rest was history… That was one of the best, if not, the BEST Aftritada ever. That procedure on pre-cooking the meats in soy sauce and vinegar made the difference. Try it and see how delightful it can be.

Pata Estofado

Another of her well loved dishes is Pork Estofado as we call it. Some calls it Paksiw. Inang likes it using Pork Pata. She asked me to cook this one time and instructed me to place a lot of Banana Blossom. So I did and made sure that the sweetness and sourness is balanced. After simmering for hours and the pork meat falls off the bone… I got my Lola’s approval yet again.

Dulcera

One of the favorite courses in a meal of our family is Desserts. We all have a sweet tooth, and not just sweet… meticulously sweet. Inang has this thing of cooking up gazillion stuff whenever there are parties or town fiesta gatherings at home in Tarlac. She would start concocting her famous ‘dulcera” delights. This would include sweetened kundol and beans including macapuno. This are the treats my mom and my tita’s would look forward too during such occasions. She would even add the classic Leche Flan, but this time would caramelize the top as if it is like French Crème Brulee. She would use a flat still with charcoal and place it over the llaneras until the flan turns golden… very old fashion and rustic.

Leche Flan

Minatamis na Kundol

There is so much about Inang and our family’s culinary legacy. There are so many stories to tell that I could narrate it forever. One thing I am proud of is my talks with my Lola. Without this, I would not fully and completely understand what our cooking values are and how we keep this tradition. It’s not just about our family but how one preserves the integrity and legacy of cooking and the value that comes with it as part of heritage.

Cooking with Inang - Mother's Day 2013, Tarlac

Value your family cooking… It is not a waste of time to talk and ask stories from your Lola or Mom. You would even unearth things that are full of meaning. It is not just about cooking… But it is about how we live through good food and good company.



Photos courtesy of: www.kawalingpinoy.com