Tita Roline, for those who do not know “Kamayan”
How do you eat with your “kamay,” with your hands?
You place your… Use these three fingers
And then you use it to scoop it
Like this.
What is "Kamayan?"
Can you explain to our viewers, what "Kamayan" is?
"Kamayan" is the art of eating with your hands
That stemmed from our farming [culture]
And we usually eat this when we are
Way out there in the farm
Because we bring our own food
Farmers bring their own food out to the farm
And then, when they're done
For their lunch break they open up their
We call it "baon"
(Kirby) Their packed meals (Tita Roline) Yes, their packed food
And then they share it
You know, they open the banana leaves
And then we eat it, you know, people eat it
And they're sharing their food with everybody.
(Kirby) So it's very communal (Chef Roline) Yes, very communal
It's really very inviting
Some of the family members too will bring food to the farm.
And that's how, you know, they'll spread the banana leaves
It's very organic too, right?
You wrap it, then you just throw it or bring it back to the house and throw it there.
So that's how we started eating "Kamayan"
And also when we go to the beach.
Because there is no way that
We can have nice seating, you know, when you're at the beach.
So we eat with our hands.
Especially, when you have fresh fish that is caught for the day.
(Kirby) You just cook it there (Chef Roline) Yes!
You know, we just grill it right there.
Sometimes, our very own native ceviche like dish, the "Kilawin/Kinilaw"
So that's what we do, since you're already there at the beach.
You know, so we eat it with our hands.
So it's really, really fun!
Tita Roline, for those who do not know “Kamayan”
How do you eat with your “kamay,” with your hands?
You place your… Use these three fingers
And then you use it to scoop it
Like this.
Then you put your rice like this
(Kirby) Oh no, I have too much
And then you push it with your thumb.
And then you eat it.
Oops that's just all rice! *laughs*
(Kirby) So just one hand (Chef Roline) See we just started eating
(Chef Roline) Yeah, so one hand only. (Kirby) One hand only.
These are the different sauces that we have.
We have our house made "Bagoong" [shrimp paste]
(Kirby) Wow, house made, here in the U.S.? (Chef Roline) Of course!
(Kirby) Bagoong! [Shrimp Paste] (Chef Roline) That's my recipe.
(Kirby) Mmm... you can really smell it!
*laughs*
(Kirby) I like the smell! Some people hate the smell but...
(Kirby) That's Filipino food! (Chef Roline) I know, that's a...
It's what they call an acquired taste.
And our sauce is also house made.
Our sweet chilly sauce is house made for the lumpia.
(Kirby) Oh yeah, I saw her putting it in the little cups earlier.
(Chef Roline) Actually this one too (Kirby) House made right?
Including the Lechon sauce.
(Kirby) Lechon sauce is also house made!
The Bagoong [shrimp paste] reminds me of something
When I was a little child
Outside the school,
And outside the church,
There are a lot of mango vendors
And then you know how they're so quick to slice
They peel the mango so fast
Then they have three kinds of Bagoong
They have sweet, and spicy
And one that is just salty.
So I'm reminded by it
And I came up with this
flavor of Bagoong.
It's in between
(Kirby) Oh yeah, it's not too salty and not too sweet.
Yeah, I made it that way because I remember back in the day
I remember I was like "Wow!"
Imagine those huge mangoes you eat
(Kirby) Yeah! (Chef Roline) Then they're also on a stick!
(Kirby) They slice it and take out the seed
(Chef Roline) Yes, they were so good at it!
I didn't know how they were able to do all that!
When I was a little kid all I knew was that it was so delicious to eat!
So those were my memories from the Philippines.
Most of what we have here are because of my memories from the Philippines.
(Kirby) So the dishes you serve remind you of home and your childhood (Chef Roline) Yes
(Kirby) With your Grandma (Chef Roline) Yes
Especially when we’re catering
I always remember my grandma
Because we like to have parties at home.
Don't you have it, like your grandma to right?
(Kirby) Wash your hands...
(Chef Roline) Did you already turn off the camera? (Kirby) Not yet, should I?
You know eating with "Kamayan" is
It's like having a crab feed
You know, they use their hands
But eating Crab, right?
Ours is the same, but it's just more dishes, more entrées.
Yeah, so that's basically what a "Kamayan" is...
Like eating Crab feed.
So only the right hand, don't use your left
Because culturally that is used for something else... *laughs*
I'm not gonna explain but google it *laughs*
So it's good to keep it...
About the crab feed, so they know...
“Oh.. that's what it is…”
(Chef Roline) It's so delicious, my god, even though it got cold. (Kirby) I know!
Tita, how did you learn how to cook?
How did you learn how to make Filipino food?
From my lola (grandma).
(Kirby) What is your lola's name? (Tita Roline) Lola Rosa
(Kirby) Wow, Rose! (Tita Roline) Yes, I know, Rose.
And she had a lot of roses in her garden.
Because I was the youngest in the household,
So I'm always the one next to my grandma.