The Scent of Dangkalan Leaves: A Memoir with Selected Recipes

By Neria Nidea Soliman

he Scent of Dangkalan Leaves is a compilation of exciting stories and delectable recipes of Neria Nidea Soliman.

Neria tells stories about her childhood and adult life, move to Australia, her life as a writer and chef and her exciting experiences with family, friends and colleagues.

The Scent of Dangkalan Leaves shares the beauty of life and the joy of food through her self developed recipes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Nov 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664100725

Neria Nidea Soliman

Neria is a prolific writer having written books, now her 5th and possibly the last as she hopes to explore the other faucets of her life which have been neglected over the years. At present, Neria is active as Justice of Peace, Civil Marriage Celebrant and columnist to a national newspaper. She is a member of The Advisory Council of the Philipine Community Council of New South Wales Inc (PPC NSW INC), the peak body organization of Filipinos in NSW Australia. Having won the title of HEALTHY MASTERCHEF competition, Neria is often invited to talk on PINK OF HEALTH in multicultural events.

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Copyright © 2020 by Neria Nidea Soliman. 818011

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission

in writing from the copyright owner.

Xlibris

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www.xlibris.com.au

Library of Congress Control Number:     2020917143

Rev. date: 11/05/2020

Contents

Introduction

A Benedictine Child, Ora Et Labora

Childhood Memories

My Teenage Years

Destiny and Marriage

Life of Togetherness

Bringing Children into the World

Work Opportunities, a Blessing

Passion and Creativeness

Teaching, The Art of Awakening

Dance Oh Glorious Dance

Australia, My Second Home

Sense of Duty

Toastmasters International

As Civil Marriage Celebrant

Sharing My Craft as Columnist

Writing Books, My Legacy

Away from the Madding Crowd

The Joy of Grandchildren

Awards and Recognitions

Sense of Belonging Reaching Out to the Community

As a Mother

Don Ciriaco Nidea Clan, My Root

My Father Francisco Nidea’s Legacy

My Mother Purita Nolasco Valenciano’s Legacy

Health is Wealth

Ruperto Soliman Clan

Pandemic Golden Wedding Anniversary

The Glamour of Travel

On to a Retirement Village

Part 2

Recipes

Adobo Supreme

Almondigas

Arroz À La Bicolana

Arroz À La Filipina

Arroz À La Paella

Arroz À La Valenciana

Tinapa Rice

Beef Mechado

Beef Pochero (Spanish Cocido)

Camote Sauce For Pochero

Bicol Express

Caldereta

Liver Mixture For Caldereta

Callos Con Garbanzos

Chicken Pastel

Pastel Crust

Chicken Relleno

Chicken Relleno Sauce

Chili Con Carne ‘The Bicol Way’

Chuletas

Fresh Lumpiang Ubod

Lumpia Sauce

Lumpia Wrapper

Jamon En Dulce

Kare-Kare

Liver Sauce for Lechon

Meat Estofado

Menudo

Morcon

Pancit Molo

Pancit Molo Wrappers

Pinangat

Pork And Chicken Adobo Sa Gata

Sotanghon

Arroz Caldo (Pospas)

Bachoy

Beef Steak

Bicol’s Pride

Dinuguan Bicol

Fish Escabeche

Gulay Na Kuracding Sa Lada

Higado

Gulay Na Santol

Kandinggang Bicol

Kinunot

Picadillong ‘Haroan’ sa Kolis Maloko

Escargot in Coco Cream

Pork Umba

Ner’s ‘Fabada’ Delight

About the Author

Acknowledgement

Words of thanks is in order for the support of my daughter-in-law, Celine Angeles-Soliman, for the proofreading and typesetting of the manuscript.

Acknowledgement to Jess Manalo for the advice on the subject of printing and book cover artwork.

Inspiration from Ms Evelyn Zaragosa and the PCHN (Philippine Community Herald Newspaper) where most of the recipes within were lifted.

To my husband, Dr Ernesto Soliman, for choosing the photos for inclusion in this book.

My appreciation goes to a friend in the media, Mr Dino Crescini, for publishing some of my awards in culinary arts in his Sentinel Newspaper.

My first cousin, Dr Violeta Mancera Diaz (Manay Letty), who is always an inspiration to my writings, as well as my supportive kumares Zeny Miguel de la Riva, Joy Estevez-Dayco and Ofelia Kasilag Imperial.

Readers of my column ‘COOKING with NERIA’ who selected the recipes in part 2 of this manuscript.

Lastly my words of gratitude to Rob Mercado and Cherry Noel of the Xlibris Publishing Company for the printing of this book.

—The Author

Introduction

DANGKALAN is the beautiful tree hanging in the azotea of my parents’ house from the other side of the river. As a child, I often marvel of its beautiful thick shiny green leaves and big brown trunk.One day it disappeared to make way for a small street. I missed the tree as it symbolised fond memories. The azotea became the place where I entertained my friends and suitors. In the evening, my mother used to pass the time in her butaka, with myself lying between her legs to watch the sky and the stars. This is after being asked to massage her feet (ragtok the feet fingers), which my sisters also were asked to do.

This memoir is dedicated to my children if only for them to know more about their mother from childhood to senior years. Most children learn of their parents’ lives from other people only after they have passed away in this world. I myself learned many things about my parents from aunties, friends, and other people after they died.

I decided to start writing this memoir today, a very significant day crossing the Suez Canal, April 2017, in the cruise ship Vision of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean International in our eighteen-day Mediterranean Cruise and seven-day European travel to Our Lady of Lourdes in France.

Part 2 of this book are recipes that have been requested by the readers of my column, ‘COOKING with NERIA’ in the Philippine Community Herald Newspaper. Year 2020 is my thirtieth anniversary as a columnist and journalist. I wish this book to be printed on this special year.

A Benedictine Child,

Ora Et Labora

REARED AS A BENEDICTINE CHILD

ORA ET LABORA was the Benedictine spirit that ruled my life.

I treasure the Loyalty medal I received upon graduation from St Scholastica’s College for the twelve years as a Benedictine child, four years in St Scholastica’s College, and six years in St Agnes Academy. As well, most meaningful was the Lifetime Recognition as one of the outstanding graduates I received during the Centennial Celebrations for both institutions, St Scholastica’s College Manila in 2006 and St Agnes Academy in 2012.

Indeed blessed was the day on 2 December 1906 when five brave nuns from Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany, answered the call for Catholic missionaries to Philippine shores. These German nuns never returned to their homeland even after retirement. Philippines became their home and died in Philippine shore. St Scholastica’s College was born with a humble beginning of eight schoolchildren learning music in a second-hand piano. The nuns reached out to Legazpi City in 2012 and named the school St Agnes Academy.

I was a late learner and did not have good grades in my elementary years, but I was in the honour roll for music and conduct until graduation in secondary school. In college I found my name in the Honour Circle on my third and fourth year of college majoring in nutrition. An A grade in my graduation thesis titled ‘OBESITY’ was inspiring. Today as retired dietitian, my advocacy is obesity prevention here in NSW, Australia. I am often requested to talk on PINK OF HEALTH to combat the obesity epidemic, which is the scourge of the century and root cause of many diseases.

My beautiful memory of St Agnes is the music department. My time for piano practise was always 7 a.m., so I was the one who opened the music hall’s windows and chose the best piano. This exercise was until graduation in high school in 1963 where I was one of those selected to play the four-piano national anthem along with Mila Alvarez, Lolita Ramos, and Cielo Bejo during our high school graduation.

I also treasure the memory of being a pianist during physical education and accompanist to dances during St Agnes Day. I always looked forward to Marylike day when we were allowed to wear nice dress at school. Lighting the Advent wreathe candles was a beautiful memory, which was the time to send Christmas cards to my friends and classmates. Wrapping gifts to put under the Christmas tree was exciting! My mother always preferred a white Christmas tree where I was tasked to paste cottons in all the branches of a dry tree and put all the colourful balls and lights every year.

I felt very privileged to be a SODALIST and wear the round Sodality medal of our Blessed Virgin Mary. I wore this medal during my dietetic internship, post-graduate studies at UERM, University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Training Hospital, and every day of my married life.

My four years in St Scholastica’s College Manila, an exclusive Catholic school, was full of fond memories. My two sisters and myself were boarders (internas) in this college ran by Benedictine nuns who instilled to us the values of Christian life. As interna, I experienced social growth interacting with girls from Bacolod, Pampanga, Tacloban, and the Visayas. The Bicolanos were mostly from Albay and graduates of St Agnes Academy. My buddies in the dorm were Ceres Doyo and Josephine Locsin. Ceres was also a nutrition graduate and took up subjects in medicine and became a writer, columnist, and well-acclaimed awardee in Philippine journalism. Josephine became a successful business entrepreneur active in civic and religious organisations and one-time president of the SAA Alumni Association.

As a boarder, one fond memory was being able to enrol in a driving academy in Pasay City with Ceres and secured our driving license with flying colour. To ease the boredom of the walls of the dormitory, Ceres and myself did some funny tricks with our fellow boarders, hid their sleepers, laundry bags, etc. We were grounded for our misdemeanour every time, but what they did not know was that Ceres and myself climbed the guava tree