Well hello.
Ok, I’m not going to go into how long it has been since I’ve been here. Or why it was that I have been away for so long. Or about life and living and time and busyness and work and family and “the universe”.
You have lives…so I think you know the drill. And I won’t waste both our times in looking back. Only just to say that nothing terrible has happened, we are sailing as smoothly forward as we can manage, and in fact, some exciting things have been, and are, happening. But I suppose the more important thing, for this little space anyway, is that I’m here now.
(and hopefully, you are too)
And I’m here, as always, with a recipe to share.
But first, a little story, by way of background.
It was our 25th year high school homecoming last year. The rush of preparations, practices, fund-raising events, and get-togethers. A whirlwind that can both invigorate and drive one insane…as I am certain many of you who have gone through homecomings can attest to. In any case, I contributed as much as I was able, and to as much as my skills would allow. Which is to say, I joined the cookbook committee.
Our high school has been producing cookbooks since time-before-time, so this wasn’t a new idea. But with a bunch of food loving individuals in our batch, we wanted to make something different. So with money out of our own pockets we hired a professional photographer, raised the call for heirloom recipes, and got to work.
As anyone who has published a cookbook can tell you, it was a tough and taxing process. Shooting food all day (with the huge help of our classmate, this lady, and the incredible food conglomerate she has built!), editing recipes (three heads copy-editing until the wee hours!), and I won’t even go into the financial aspect of it (we had an awesome finance team…able to juggle numbers and call in receivables with dizzying speed and an iron fist!).
But it was wonderful and rewarding and an amazing experience altogether. Working with people equally passionate about food. Working on something that was purely food-related (as some of you know, my actual job has nothing to do with food). Working on something that didn’t feeling like work…that left you tired but satisfied at the end of the day.
And, of course, making a pile of money for our homecoming!
This is one of the recipes from the book (from our classmate, Racky Torres Manalastas). It is homey and comforting and simple and full of flavor. Passed down from generation to generation. It’s a delicious example of the timelessness and value of family recipes.
Manok Tim
(recipe adapted from the Legacy Cookbook of Assumption high school batch ’92)
- 1/2 kilo ham
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
- 1 cup water chestnuts
- 1 dozen dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 whole chicken
- Calamansi (just enough juice to rub the chicken with)
- 1 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)
- 2-4 cups water (more or less)
– Cut the ham, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and dried mushrooms into strips.
– Rub the chicken with the calamansi and salt.
– Place the chicken, and all the other ingredients, in a pot. Add the water – depending on the size of your pot you may add more or less. The water should come a little bit more than halfway up the chicken but not cover it.
– Cover your pot and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is done and starting to get tender. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed only.
– Uncover the pot and place in a pre-heated 400F oven for about 10-20 minutes until the top of the chicken has taken on some color.
The ham you use here should be a nice savory/salty one, Chinese ham would be ideal. The ham is a big part of what flavors the dish so you want to use a tasty one.
This dish may not win any beauty contests, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in flavor and ease of preparation. It’s a criminally easy, one-pot meal. All you need to do is dump everything in the pot and let the ingredients do their work. And what you get in the end is so much more than what you put in. The chicken, ham, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots produce the most amazing broth…intense and deeply flavored. This is both a tender, slow-braised chicken, and an incredibly rich chicken soup!
You can enjoy this dish in so many ways. Place a piece of chicken in a bowl and ladle on the soup and other ingredients. Or have your chicken and ham with rice and a cup of the broth on the side. I sometimes like to sneakily mix just the ham and mushrooms in a bowl with white rice moistened with the broth. The leftovers, shredded, can make a lovely bowl of noodle soup!
I have an extra copy of our cookbook so I thought I’d do a small giveaway. All you need to do is leave a comment on this blogpost! Yup that’s it! Just comment on why you’d like this cookbook, or share a family recipe/dish, or even just say HI! That’s all!! I’ll pick one comment at random (names in a hat style) two weeks from now, and send the cookbook to the winner! The only conditions for entry: you must enter a valid email address AND you must be based in the Philippines!
So happy to be writing here again. The end of the year is coming but it’s never too late, as they say. I hope you’re ready for more recipes, because I have a few up my sleeve I am just tweaking. And excited to share with you!
Perhaps one day I’ll publish my own cookbook. A collection from my kitchen to yours. Wouldn’t that be nice? Until then I’ll be sharing recipes here, as I have been doing, as I hope to always do.
Hi! I would love to try your recipe for my family’s sunday lunch.
This would be great for a family lunch! Hope you can give it a try Victorina! 🙂
I’m in. May you and your family be blessed with good health always..
Thank you Onio!! Same to you!!!
I have always enjoyed cooking for my family, somehow “inheriting” the love and the skill from my grandmother. I would certainly love to receive the Assumption cookbook and try the heirloom recipes like the Manok Tim! Thanks @chichajo for this awesome giveaway! and I wish you do publish your own cookbook sometime soon!
Thank you for your kind words and sweet comment Elizabeth!! I love recipes, and the love for cooking, that is passed down from one generation to he next 🙂
Hi!
I follow you on Instagram and when I saw the “uncooked” version of the Manok Tim, my first thought was “Whatever that is, I want to try that.” Which brings me to your blog. So I made a screenshot of the recipe.
As far as cooking it in the near future, well, life happens. Sure sounds delicious as I’m imagining the flavors already.
Hi Mayette! Hope you get to give this dish a go! It’s really easy but yummy! 🙂 (and yes, life indeed happens…we sometimes need to go with the flow!)
I’ve been searching for the Legacy cookbook eversince you posted it here on IG . I’ve asked in bookstores without succcess. It seems Divine Providence that lead me to open IG and see your post . This is exactly the photo that made me want to have a copy of Legacy . Opening your blog and reading your recipe just made me happy . Thank you for posting this . I hope I win and get a copy from you. And if I do , it would be extra -specia if you sign it
Hi Mia! It’s fate! Thank you for your kind words…hope you enjoy this recipe!! 🙂
Yes, I would love to try this Manok Tim. And I would love to own a copy of your cookbook! Thanks!❤️
Hi Jenel! Thanks for joining!! 🙂
Hi! Oh my! I would love to win this cookbook so I could learn new recipes for my family! 🙂
Hi Li Anne! Always wonderful to share food with family 🙂
I just started following you on IG and I’m loving what I’m seeing on the blog! I’d love a cookbook because I’m still trying to gain confidence cooking in the kitchen and this recipe looks so delicious and yet not so intimidating.
PS
Racky used to be my boss! Small world!
Hi Marla! Small world!!! Thank you for the follow…hope you enjoy my katakawan!! 🙂 This dish is perfect because you literally tuck everything in a pot, add water, and that’s it 🙂
The recipe seems simple, yet, I can imagine how flavorful it is. A recipe I would love to try making sometime. A chicken version of Pata Tim.
Hi Chey! Give it a try! Very simple and flavorful…soup and ulam in one! 🙂
That looks like a winner winner chicken dinner! 😀
Hahaha! Indeed! 🙂
Oooh! Another recipe that can be a staple in our home. I’ve been wanting to get a copy of your batch cookbook, so I’m crossing my fingers in hopes of getting this one.
Hi Gladys! It’s a really easy dish and so comforting 🙂 Fingers crossed!
Looking forward to your cookbook
Thanks Zabrina!
This is the perfect weeknight dish that you can have in the oven late afternoon and still have time for coffee and a cookbook reading spree (I’ve never won anything there’s a first time for everything)
Indeed Anna! Hands off while you get to do other things 😉
Wow! Looks like a must try!
Hi Noel! It’s really good and super easy to make too! 🙂
This looks like a doable.one pot meal for weekdays! I wonder if you could cook the rice together for a spin on kiampung My kids would love that. I always check your recipe archives for recipe ideas – especially when I want something that’s flavorful but not too hard to execute, special shout out to the chicken recipes Oh, I’d love to win a copy of the cookbook!
Hi Erika! So happy to hear you enjoy the recipes here! Chicken is definitely a standby at my place too 🙂
This is awesome! A healthy twist to Pata Tim. Can’t wait to cook it over the weekend. Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂
Hi Jan! Hope you enjoy it!!
I will try this! Seems easy enough I always refer to yor blog for recipes, my favorite is the boquerones!
Hi Dee! So happy to here you are enjoying the recipes!! 🙂 I love those boquerones too 🙂
I’m so excited to try this recipe as I’m always looking out for easy and quick ways to prepare dinner for the fam!
Thank you for the recipe and I hope you do come out with your own cookbook. I will definitely be the first one to buy!
All the best!
-Shey
Shey!! Thanks for leaving a comment! 🙂 You are too sweet!!! See you soon again I hope!
Thanks for sharing! I am yet to try the recipes you share…need to rise up to the challenge! Hopefully one day soon I will be able to cook for my family and not just bring home take out food from restos.
Hi Erica! I’ve got a lot of simple recipes here…very easy! Hope you get to try them 🙂 I’m a working mom so I can appreciate a quick meal! You can do it! 🙂
Jo,!his looks really good and I will surely try it. Iwhere is this cookbook available? I love trying new recipes .
Hi tita Teresa! Will check if we have extra copies and let you know! 🙂
There’s just so much love and family traditions in passing heirloom dishes from one generation to the next. And trying to ccok one and finally getting the right taste gives so much pride and joy to my foodie heart.
Hi Karen! I know exactly what you mean! 🙂 So true!!
This looks absolutely amazing, and I have no doubt that it tastes great. As we have no helpers at home, we’re constantly looking for good, no-fuss, easy to cook food that involves as little preparation as possible. Thanks!
Hi John-D!! Thank you! This is a one-pot meal…little prep and less washing up too 🙂
So excited to try this! I am compiling the recipes and hopefully one day soon will be able to cook for my family. Thank you so much.
Hi Erica! This is an easy one…I’m 100% that you can do this! 🙂 I’ve got other easy recipes on the blog too 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement 🙂 I can do this! Hahahaha 🙂
hi and welcome back! this recipe is spot on for the holidays – comforting and easy to make. will make this during my vacation leave 🙂
Hi Pam! Thank you! Hope you enjoy it!
Crossing my fingers that the contest is still open. I’ve been eyeing the Legacy cookbook for a while now. It would be a welcome addition to my cookbook mini library <3
Hi Chrissie! Contest is already closed sorry…I announced the winner on IG 🙂 But I’ll have more giveaways for sure!