Nostalgia for Vinzons Hall's beef stew

Every time we have some kind of meat stew, Rolly waxes nostalgic over the one he used to eat as a student at the University of the Philippines Diliman. For the beef stew, he went to Vinzons Hall. When he had saved more from his allowance, he went to the Tea Room of the College of Home Economics where a viand would cost five pesos, a fortune then in the late 60s.

I am five years younger than him, and I always brought baon for lunch at the university so I don't have his kind of memories. It has been hit or miss whenever I cook stew. Like today, I studied again a video of Simpol's Chef Mike Tatung Sarthou cooking a simplified menudo, then read a bit of Nora V. Daza's biography and collection of recipes A Culinary Life by Mickey Fenix.

Mrs. Daza and Sarthou both encouraged the use of available ingredients. Instead of potatoes, I used chayote freshly plucked by my grandchild Kai from the village vine. I had carrots, canned green peas and garbanzos plus half a packet of raisins at hand to add to the pot. Problem was the meat--tough beef shanks that I tried to soften by rubbing them in garlic salt and letting them stand for an hour.

Sarthou also used hot dogs. I sliced the remaining Hungarian sausage I found in the fridge. All the slices of sausage went to Kai's plate because she didn't want to deal with the beef shanks even if I cut them into two-inch squares.

Rolly still wished aloud for the tender cuts of meat that he tasted in his youth. It was a cue for our daughter Kimi to look for a different cut next time she goes to Monterey Meats.