Suman Sa Ligia

I love this recipe because I associate it with my father, Dr. Augusto Besa, an orthopedic surgeon and one of the kindest and most generous doctors in the Philippines. He set up a clinic in the first floor of our home in the Malate district of Manila, where he saw dozens of patients who regularly implored him to accept payment in kind. In exchange for fixing broken bones, we constantly received live chickens and all manner of native delicacies. My favorite patient was Mrs. Bourbon—I would al