Memories

vinegar, then removed and refried until the fat rises to the surface. She also learned a few desserts, which no genuine Pampango would ever do without. Her silken, lime-scented leche flan depends on fresh carabao’s milk and the rind of a local lime called dalayap.

Over the years, I’ve realized that the secrets to my grandmother’s cooking can be found in two simple rules. One, cook slowly and patiently. The lowly chicken and pork adobo, in our family made without soy sauce, with chicken gizzards, liver, and generous amounts of garlic, should be boiled in vinegar then double-fried, ever so slowly, until golden brown. Both afritada and asado should simmer undisturbed over a very low fire, until the sauce, rich and robust, settles beneath the oil.