Sinigang na baboy

Watching the live coverage of the official visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. brought back memories of another president, another US visit—President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ state visit to Washington in 1982.

It was a very interesting time for political analysts and journalists. Marcos was a personal friend of US President Ronald Reagan but was under attack from many groups, including Filipino politicians and other interests backing anti-Marcos opposition leader former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino who was in self-exile in the US. There was pressure from all sides for snap elections to pick a successor for Marcos, who was suspected to be suffering from a serious illness.

Days before the official Malacañang entourage arrived, the Washington Holiday Inn had filled up with Pinoys who readily got tired of the hotel’s extensive international menu offerings. Work had kept them from venturing out of the hotel to try Washington’s famous restaurants. My husband Victor and I, covering the visit for our American media clients, had free time as we could skip events mainly aimed at Filipino media organizations.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos shakes hands with American President Ronald Reagan

That’s when a request came which I could not refuse: Senior Malacañang reporters, broadcast media anchors, and NMPC chief Greg Cendana asked if I could put together a Filipino buffet for 50, offering dishes that could be eaten any time of the day. Greg gave me the keys to the presidential suite of the iconic Roosevelt Hotel in New York, my kingdom for three days.

How convenient that most of the press corps, my buffet customers, were billeted there, too.

The Waldorf Astoria was for the Marcos family and close-in staff.

Reaching the Big Apple two days ahead of my hungry friends, I went shopping for supplies, which included not just ingredients but also cookware, paper plates, disposable forks, drinking glasses, chopsticks. And a good all-purpose chef’s knife.

Chicken Tinola

The supermarket had just started stocking Oriental mixes, sauces, and vegetables. The Food Channel was an infant. Exotic meant Creole. Everything was blackened.

Last shopping stop for me was for small electric cook-and-serve pots and pans, and a large rice cooker. To save time and my own energy (I was all alone) I bought pre-cut, pre-washed vegetables. For dessert, there were fresh fruits and assorted pastries.

First to be plugged in was the rice cooker, since the homesick journalists all asked if “May kanin ba?” Next was the pot of chicken adobo, with the marinated meat pre-browned in its own fat for color and richer flavor. Garlic was added last to prevent bitterness.

Beef steak with a genereous helping of onions

Thanks to the supermarket’s Oriental section, I had pinakbet using ampalaya, kalabasa, sitaw, and okra. Fresh prawns were a good substitute for bagoong.

Thin beef steak with sweet white onions became the popular Bistek Tagalog with a touch of Kikkoman and fresh lemon.

The hotel’s free cold ham slices became Filipinized after frying until the edges were curled. Pwede na sa kanin (It should go well with rice).

Other all-day dishes were ginisang corned beef, pritong spam and tortang talong. Tinola, sinigang, paksiw na trout, pata tim, callos, paella, and roast chicken were the other winners of that cook-in which I will never forget.