Favorite foods from our childhood can be a huge draw. Those foods are ingrained into our souls, and they mean a lot to us. That is why such foods are often called “comfort foods”. They make us comfortable. Many people, if they are experiencing stress in their lives, or some bad event happens, they will turn to comfort food.
Some of these old time favorite foods, though, seem to be the ones that are difficult to find in a foreign country, and the Philippines is no exception.
I recently was contacted by an American expat named Tim. Tim told me that he really misses having corn bread here in the Philippines. He sounded a bit desperate for his corn bread fix! I sympathize with Tim, because I also really enjoy my cornbread, and it is not always easy to find it in the Philippines.
I have seen cornbread here, though, and in fact, I eat cornbread on a pretty regular basis. As I type this blog post, I am even waiting for my wife to bring me a piece of cornbread for breakfast. So, it can certainly be found and eaten here in the Philippines!
Listen to today’s Podcast, and I’ll tell you how and where to find cornbread here in the Philippines! Enjoy a favorite from the past!
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Thanks again for listening, everybody!
cant beat a pot of redbeans and a pan of cornbread.
American Comfort Food..I guess I am blessed and fortunate among my many skills achieved is being a culinary arts grad and chef..just made home made sausage gravy and biscuits..mashed potatoes with beef gravy and beef patty..Italian pasta salad..brownies..cookies..French bread pizza..sloppy joes..lasagna..pizza..my own tortillas..corn bread..rolls..biscuits..fried rice..texas chili..Italian spaghetti and meat balls..meat loaf with beef gravy..cheeseburgers..egg mcmuffins..deep fried shrimp..steaks..chili dogs..baked beans..breakfast wraps..tacos..burritos..French toast..pancakes..fudge..chef salads..potatoe salad..baked chicken dressing and gravy..creamed chicken over biscuits..chicken ala king..Italian sub sandwiches..corn dogs..milk shakes…so nothing is from the past..its about having the ingredients to make anything and everything…Lami Kaayo..Masarap..Delicious Food
HI Barry – It sounds like you have some nice dishes there! Fortunately for me, my wife is also very good at cooking all of those types of dishes as well. She spent 10 years in the States and learned our tastes and was able to apply local ingredients in a way that she couple prepare western foods.
Can’t argue with you on that Steve Coleman! Sometimes the simplest foods are the best!
I brought a 12 page list of things to try to find here in Davao on this trip, foods are many of the things I am looking for also. Corn meal, and corn bread so far I have not found, along with any kind of dried beans. Beans and corn bread are one of my favorite meals. I have found a limited few kinds of canned beans at Albreeza, but so far thats it for me, but will keep looking. Canned tomato products other than sauce and paste I am not having much luck with so far either. Just joined S&R 4 days ago, so found quite a few things there we were looking for, although I was hoping for far more of the products like Costco sells, but thought maybe they change some products throughout the seasons here like in US.
We are both fairly good cooks, so if I can just find the ingredients, most foods can be made I think.
Hi Bill – Corn meal and corn bread are widely available in Davao. S & R has corn bread. Corn meal can be found at GMall. Dried beans, easy to get at GMall, and one friend gets them at the public market in Bankerohan. Canned beans are very easy to find… every grocery store in town has them. I usually buy canned beans (really, they are in a glass jar) at SM Ecoland.
Canned tomatoes are available at every store I have ever been to. Tomato paste, tomato sauce… very easy to find. You must be looking on the wrong aisle.
Good luck to you, every item you mentioned is readily available, just gotta look. Best place for imports is either S&R or GMall.
Cornbread with a light layer of margarine on top is delicious by itself. But when it is served as an accompaniment to a meal consisting of southern fried chicken and kale, cornbread greatly enhances the enjoyment of the meal.
It is not, however, a food that I miss from my childhood. That distinction belongs to a rice cake wrapped in palm fronds and dipped until brown into a cauldron of boiling sugar cane juice. I looked for patupat, as the rice cake is called, when I was there a couple of months ago, but didn’t find it. Patupat is usually sold by vendors at bus terminals in the provinces, along with chicharon (pork rinds) sprinkled with vinegar laden with siling labuyo (hot pepper).
Touche, John. Rice Cake or “Patupat” is not something I miss from my childhood either! 😯
Thanks Bob, as I said, tomato sauce and paste I have found everywhere as you said,, but crushed, puree, canned whole tomatoes etc. I have not found so far, but we are heading to the other side of the river today so will check today at SM and Gmall, hopefully I will find all kinds of beans there. I enjoy going all over and just looking and checking things and places out, although traffic seams to be worse these days than before.
I find that very hard to figure out, Bill. Every grocery store that I know of has canned whole tomatoes, sliced tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, any variety I can think of. If you want to set a time and meet me at SM Ecoland, I will walk you right to them. Or I could do it at NCCC Mall, as both are convenient for me.
Thank you much Bob. I did finally find a nice variety of all I was looking for yesterday (except stewed tomatoes) at the SM Ecoland yesterday, even the large gallon size cans in a couple varieties, and found a few varieties of dried beans also except for Lima and black eye peas. Found flour and corn tortillas in the frozen food section also. Did not find corn meal or cornbread mix though there. We spent at least an 1 1/2 hours going up and down each isle, I have found that we have to look VERY CLOSE or we will walk right past them as they dont jump out and grab you, and some things seem to be in odd places compared to US. So maybe I am just missing things still, not sure. If you dont mind I would like to occasionally ask youmwhere certain things here and services can be found here though, but am trying to learn to find things myself as much as possible, so once we move here I will know where that basics can be found til I learn the ropes here, but we still have to sell the business and house n the US first. Its all going up for sale as soon as I return home from here. Hope we can meet up at some point, would like to meet you in person one-day.
We are also looking for houses for rent just to get an idea whats available this time, but is too soon to be seriously looking just yet, not finding much in the type and size we are looking for though so far. My wife has a relative that is a Realtor in Manila, who grew up here and is flying down here on Monday, so she will escort us all around Davao for a few days and take us to Toril, Tugbok and Mintal, just to see the area for future possibilities in a few years.
Hi Bill, glad you found much of what you were looking for. Just ask anytime, I am always willing to help anytime that I can.
Lima beans is called “patani” in Tagalog and Ilocano languages. You could easily find the fresh and dried variety in the public market. Most Pinoys I think would rather use the fresh variety as it is in abundance. Perhaps you should just make your own stewed tomatoes – there are plenty of fresh tomatoes in the market too.
My mother was a great cook from her melt in the mouth roast beef to her apple pies.
But she was nuts about cornbread but she must had the wrong recipie – dry grainy and served all the time – I hate it at least her version of it.
Had it at a catfish place once in Alabama and it was great moist and creamy.
Never did tell her that her recipie sucked. I was too polite.
Oh well…
ha ha, sorry to hear that. Cornbread is something that I truly love.
Throw in some fried tators with that Steve..lol
I miss my grandfathers cornbread. He used bacon grease and butter. He also put some whole kernel corn in it too. Yum! Now I’m hungry.
Sounds delicious, I understand why you miss it.
Been awhile since I had corn bread!
It’s good stuff, Paul Vollmer.
Hello Bob, I missed the cornbread that was a regular staple at Marie Callendars .If I’m not mistaken, every Marie Callendar Restaurant has gone out of business in the state of Arizona. I know you can purchase the original cornbread mix at Wally Mart . I recently baked a batch but somehow it isn’t quite the same as the one served at the restaurants. I can’t seem to figure out what it is that’s missing. Maybe , i just need to add a stick of butter to the mix.
Hi Julius – Sorry, I am not a cook and also have never eaten at a Marie Callendar restaurant (truth be told I didn’t even know they had restaurants). All I do is follow the directions on the pack. Check that… my wife follows the directions! 😉 Good luck to you.