Birthday Cooking

Although it's not my dad's birthday yet, he's already started celebrating. This past weekend there was a party for the October and November birthdays and he decided to make ginataan. I was kind of hoping he would let me make it, but like all his favorite dishes, it just doesn't taste right unless he does the cooking.

With this batch, he decided to cook the tapioca separately, thus preventing it sticking to the bottom of the pot (the bottom still got burnt, which really makes me think that 1. once the tapioca goes in, that heat needs to be low, low, low. 2. constant stirring is mighty important to prevent stickage, and 3. if all else fails, cook the tapioca separately with a little coconut milk and add at the very end).

Yes, I know it isn't cooked all the way through. This was after the second boil, and cooked the rest of the way through in the pot.

 

Peeling can be so therapeutic (have I written that in another post? I feel like I have). I think my dad was peeling while watching the game, which can be dicey- there's a greater risk that you might peel the wrong skin. It's only happened once. Maybe twice. And the television was on.

The vegetables/fruit used this time was cassava, yauta, taro, batata, and plantains. Lots of coconut milk initially when boiling the vegetables, and at the very end, a can or two of coconut cream to make it extra creamy.

It was a hit at the party by the way. From what I hear, it was gone in a flash. Filipinos really like their soupy desserts.