Sweetest Recipe of good memories

Since it is Mother’s day, I want to pay tribute to my loving Mom by posting about her cooking and her signature dish. I still remember those days that my mother always cooked something for merienda (snack) mostly Bicol’s finest like Laing, biko (Sweetened sticky rice), nilagang kamoteng kahoy na may niyog (Boiled cassava with grated coconut), and sinaing na malagkit, (Cooked sticky rice). One recipe that I always go back is her Ginataang bilu-bilo, and every time she hands me a bowl I always set aside the kamote (sweet potato) and cassava because I find it bland and so hard to eat. Now that I’m a grown up and started to have passion in cooking, I created my own version of this Ginataan recipe with ingredients that I love without leftover, lol.  And this I want to share with you. Here’s my own version of my Mom’s recipe.




Glutinous rice balls in coconut milk with coconut strips. 
(Ginataang bilu-bilo with buko)

Ingredients:


8 to 12 pieces Saging Saba or “plantains” (sliced into small pieces)
1 cup Sago small (tapioca pearl)
¼ cup Shredded Langka (Jackfruit)
¼ kilo Giniling na bigas (glutinous rice formed into small balls)
¾ cup Shredded Coconut meat (1 whole coconut)
2 ½ cup Coconut milk
1 cup brown sugar (depends on your preferred sweetness)
2 cups water (depends on the consistency you want)

Procedure:


1. Put coconut milk on a pot, bring to a boil then simmer.
2. Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar then stir.
3. Put the sliced plantains, stir  then let it simmer for 2 minutes
4. Add on the glutinous rice balls then simmer for about 7 minutes.
5. Put in the jackfruit and coconut meat and cook it for 2 minutes.
6. Turn off heat then put in the tapioca pearl. 
7. Transfer it to a serving plate then serve it hot or cold.
8. Enjoy!

Through cooking, I can recall over and over the sweetest recipe of good memories my mother and I shared in the four corners of our home. Food that my mother used to cook are the sweetest memories of my childhood. My Nanay’s absence is not reason at all to forget all the lesson and insight she imparts to us because beautiful memories always remain.  I love you Nanay, you are simply the best! Happy Mother’s day and we love you a bunch! Happy Mother's day to all wonderful Moms in the world!