TBK Tells- The things I missed the most – part one- my recipe books

 
 

  Jane Frost receiving the Investor In People award for Road Chef in 2014

This blog is dedicated to Jane Frost, a friend of mine for 36 years in the UK. We were discussing how I missed so many of my possessions which were packed in Awali, Bahrain on 4 December 2021 and unpacked here in Palawan on 1.5.22. She asked me to let her know which I missed the most and why! Also, she wanted to know how I felt as I was reunited with them.

“Sounds like a good topic for a Blog!” said I! I am writing this on 19 June , so I have now been reunited with my possessions for 6 weeks and some have become firm favourites again! So here we go, in no particular order! Having written 2 pages about the first item I just realised this is going to make a blog series!

                                One of the Recipe books I was reunited with

This was actually the only packing mistake by Writer Relocations (WR) , who packed and shipped all my belongings to the Philippines. They did an amazing job and only 2 items of china out of 60 cases were broken in transit (a bowl and the handle of a mug). I had 50 canvas and glass fronted picture frames, a bicycle and two huge heavy frames and nothing was damaged in transit.

                     One of my folders had my egg spreadsheet in!

Sadly as I could not get to the Philippines for 14 months due to COV19 everything was stored in a barn and then Johanna’s boarding house from February 2021 to 1 May 2022, and much of the folders, scrap books, linen, towels and book went moldy. Some I had to throw out, the towels and sheets etc. recovered after Jhoanna washed them twice and all the frames had to be cleaned before hanging.

                Watching Julius clean the windows and picture frames

So, what happened to the recipe books? Back in December 2020 the Foreman from WR asked me to take him around the house showing him what was to be packed and what was to stay. Over the preceding weeks I had done many runs to the charity shop and recycling bins to get rid of what I did not need. The shredding machine at work had been working overtime (thanks Rakesh and Mary Grace) to get rid of all the paperwork I no longer needed. Then I had put half the things to be packed in my old bedroom (I moved to the spare room) . The rest I put in a cupboard in the kitchen. 

                     One of my 60 recipe books that went into storage!

The recipe books, which I wanted to keep and use, were on top of the refrigerator. I showed the guy around and said “Pack this and this BUT NOT THESE RECIPE BOOKS!”. 

I then let them get on with their piles of flattened boxes, bubble wrap, tape and marker pens until all 60 boxes were packed. As they carried them to the lorry outside, I checked them all off on a bingo type sheet as they shouted out the box number as they carried them outside “1, 60, 32, 56 etc.”. Then we did a final walk around to check nothing had been missed, apart from that which was going my air two days later ( printer, bedding etc. ) . In the kitchen I shrieked and he said “what’s the matter?”.

“My recipe books!”

“Where sir?”

“That’s what I want to know?”

“We could unpack the lorry and find them sir?”

It was already 6 pm and they had been working since 6 am so I declined and resigned myself to cooking without recipes for what I thought was 2 months!

                 Chef Neil has his first of 2 cookery lessons in Cambodia

17 months later we were reunited! Imagine my joy at unpacking my recipe books (60 in total)! My friends who helped me unpack saw the joy on my face as I opened each one and narrated my cooking journey around the world. I shared with them my pictures and certificates of my cookery lessons in Cambodia( twice), Vietnam, Philippines ( Poochies Kitchen with Gracie and Jhoanna back in 2020)  and Malaysia.

I told them about my Indian cookery lessons with Mittal and Rehana, and learning how to make Butter Chicken curry from Anis. I showed them Corleen’s favourite recipes for Steak, Adobo and Nasi Goreng.

                   Grecil and Jhoanna model my apron's in Bancao Bancao

Then we unpacked my aprons from around the world which Jhoanna and Grecil so beautifully modelled when they arrived in my air freight last February in Bancao Bancao.

To make the unpacking more fun I gave my Anak’s and friends some quizzes with prizes for the winners. This included showing them each of the 50 pictures as they unpacked them, and asking if they knew where it was. If they did not know (some where easy as they were from Palawan, Honda Bay, starfish Island, Microtel etc. ) and some were harder ( Thailand, Brighton, Oman, Bahrain , Sharm El Sheikh) then I would give them a clue ( Politician’s home in the Philippines, starts with C and ends with Z – Villa Escudero, family home of Senator and one time presidential hopeful, Chiz Escudero)

     Villa Escudero, family home of Chiz , where Vin and I stayed - photo by TBK!

Many of the recipe books I had bought in different countries after my cookery lessons there. Others were gifts from friends like Nina and Ian, Miss Andrea and Mama Jam. His series of “Little” recipe books he had bought in 2001 and given to me at Christmas 2018 when we were both in Palawan.

                           This recipe book dates back to 2001 and was a gift from Mama Jam

I asked my friends how many Adobo recipes where in “ The Little Adobo book” . No one got even close. And I am not going to tell you so , for another big prize, email me your guesses to Thebritishkabayan@gmail.com

                      Three of the many recipe books Mama Jam gave me in 2018

My Manok and Baboy Adobo was a big hit with the OFW community in Bahrain and Now I have a stove I will make it for my housewarming party along with Beef Caldaretta and Menudo. I already cooked Manok Adobo for for Jhoanna and her family in Barutaan over a log fire a couple of years ago when I stayed there after a HOPE event and they all loved it! I am looking forward to trying the other Adobo recipes like Adobo de Campesino ( a Spanish influenced version , a favourite in Southern Luzon) and Adobo flakes ( a good breakfast dish or Meryenda).

      The inside cover of the recipe book my mother gave me in 1976

I was also very happy to be reunited with my own hand written recipe book, a gift from my mother in 1976, and added to over the years with recipes I learnt to cook on the Cordon Bleu cookery course I completed at Ewell Technical College in 1977 (age 17) as part of my Duke of Edinburgh award.

                              One of my most used recipes over the last 30+ years

Other recipes were beautifully written in Calligraphic script by my then girlfriend who I met while doing my OJT at the Cumberland hotel in London UK in 1980 (age 20) Annie. We created one master set of recipes in my final year at college and then made 3 copies, and the original set, and distributed one set for each of us and one for each of our mothers. Some recipes in this precious recipe book I have cooked since I was 18 years old . In 1978 I moved to Huddersfield Polytechnic and had to cook for myself.  I have another friend called Jane (Jane Corder) who I have known for 44 years and she often reminds me how I used to cook Spaghetti Bolognaise for her at college. The recipes have got splattered with tomato sauce and other ingredients, as you can see above.

                     My 2014 Recipe book typed by Jeboy and Patrick

In 2014 when the original recipe book started to fall to pieces, I hired Jeboy and Patrick to type a new version of the recipe book. I added my photos of all the dishes.  I then hired a Graphic Artist to design a new recipe book for me, complete with all the stains!

                    One of the section dividers from my 2014 recipe book

In 2018 we created a Recipe Calendar with 12 recipes from around the world.  Corleen created 12 chefs’ uniforms representing each country. Phil Gregory added some quotes and some content ideas (like having a French Recipe in February with pictures of Paris – where he was then living) and Maarte James took the photos. Chester did the Graphic design. Kuya Vin styled the rice, washed up and helped eat the food! We did 3 recipes a week for 4 weeks!

         I very rarely cook British Food these days , but I do love this recipe

Both the recipe book and the recipe calendar were so popular (we only had 50 printed of each and they soon went to family and friends around the world with help from MJ Logistics in the UK. Incidentally it was Mark who came up with the original concepts to use up all my food photos and dress as the Chef from each country. So, in 2019 we created an online version, “Recipes around the World” which you can access here:

Recipes around the World

Thanks to Corleen for taking the picture for the cover in Awali, and Chester for his design work

I hope all that got your taste buds watering because one of my retirement projects with Chester is to create another on line cookery book from my new home here in the Philippines, which will be ready for the end of 2022!

BUT first, I need to raid the ATM again and pay Chester the 84,000 peso I owe him for all his work so far this year. Sorry for making you wait so long Chester!

            One of my many guests, Chalsee Campos, eating in the Blue House

Ingat Palagi and I hope to cook for you in my kitchen here in Palawan one day