FOREWORD In 2006, I decided on compiling my recipes and printing this into a book, for my relatives, friends and neighbors and to bequeath to my children, Millie, Mikey, and Malai who were my food tasters when they were young and my food critiques, when they have grown up, had their own families and are now foodies and cooks themselves! The Title: I had been pondering on two titles for this recipe book. The first one which I really like is "The Serendipitous Cook" as indeed my discovery of my love to cook is serendipity. The other is "The Accidental Cook"- rhythmic, easier to understand and the more popular choice. After many thoughts, although the latter is the choice of many, I have decided on the former as this was what exactly happened to me - I discovered something valuable without looking for it! The Story: As a child, I was very frail and sickly, so eating and food were not my priorities. My mother Liling, thinking that with my poor health I will have difficulty in learning to write my name Milane, contracted this to only four letters, Mila. Somehow, I regretted not having used Milane (pronounced mi - lane, as it seemed so unique!) or mi-la-ne, as we, Visayans would pronounce - "Melanie". Thus my name became Melanie aka Mila. This frailty and disinterest in food was carried on as I was growing up. My "fun" eating years were when I was in college in UP and lived in the Sampaguita Dormitory in the campus. Because the food in neighboring Camia Dormitory Cafeteria was unpalatable with no variety, dinner was more often 2 pcs of turon and a bottle of Coke brought by Aling Tinay to the dorm. This was often delivered by lowering a basket from the second floor terrace, since in those years, the early 60's, the dormitory doors were closed at 8 pm. So buying street food was usually done in this manner. My only reward from skipping dormitory meals was winning a gold medal in our Inter-Dormitory Impromptu Speaking Contest. I luckily picked the topic "The Food in the UP Cafeteria". Naturally, I got the first prize, no sweat! Because I hardly spent money for meals, I had savings for other things like a subscription to The Weekly Women's Magazine for the novel series, an Audrey Hepburn movie in Avenida Rizal or an occasional treat of fried chicken in Max's Restaurant in P. Tuazon or the chicken barbecue set meal in Aristocrat's Restaurant in Cubao. This junk food habit continued until I was earning my own money. Lunch was a cup of soup and crackers or a treat of an apple and potato chips. (Not only did I love these lunches, but it was also easier on my budget!) On weekends, I looked forward to my parent's treats! They were both very good cooks! Cooking and marketing were their only hobbies. My father was the gourmet who would be up at 5am every Sunday morning. With my mother, they would drive to the out-of-town markets to buy food in season. In April, Papang, would go "hunting" with friends in the Tanay- Antipolo mountains for the prized wild boar or wild deer. More often, "hunting" ends up in the Tanay Market where wild boar and deer meats were sold by the kilo. In July, they would go to Santo Tomas, Batangas for the wild mushrooms. Papang would buy all the mushrooms sold along the highway. From there they would drop by Binan market to buy the fattest live talangkas (small crabs). By 10am they'd be back home and the wild mushrooms are cooked in lots of garlic and fresh butter! Sunday Brunch would be wild mushrooms and 'halabos na talangka! (MORE INSIDE)