Highlights
- Ginagamit ni Mardelyn ang baking bilang coping mechanism.
- Sa ilalim ng Madz Mara 1105 Kitchen, gumagawa si Mardelyn ng mga kakani gaya ng ube biko de yema at cheesy palitaw de yema.
- Naniniwala siya na upang mapansin, kailangan kakaiba ang mga produkto mo o kung gagawa ka ng tradisyunal na pagkain, kailangan mas masarap ito sa iba.
"I've been on a career leave and I wanted to do something productive; so I thought 'What can I best spend my time on?' I needed a creative outlet and I chose baking."
Para sa auditor na si Mardelyn Maranan, hindi lamang creative outlet ang baking. Ito rin ang paraan niya upang makaya ang pagiging bagong migrante sa Australya.
For auditor Mardelyn Maranan baking hasn't only been a creative outlet, it has been her way of coping as a migrant in Australia. Source: Mardelyn Maranan
Bagong migrante
Nang lumipat si Mardelyn sa Australya, aminado siya na madali sa kanya ang mag-adjust sa trabaho at kultura. Ngunit, nangulila siya sa kanyang mga naiwan sa Pilipinas.
"I came here not really knowing anyone. I just took a leap of faith. But then, I missed my loved ones. I missed the food back home."
Ang pangungulilang ito ang nagtulak sa kanyang maghanap ng paraan upang masali pa rin ang mga ito sa bago niyang buhay sa Australya.
Mardelyn used baking as a way of coping with being away from the Philippines. Source: Mardelyn Maranan
"I'm a foodie; so as a way to cope here, I learned how to bake. I started experimenting on cake recipes that reminded me of my favourites back home. Then I moved on to kakanin [Filipino rice-based snacks and sweets].
"I also decided to extend the hobby to my best friends. One lives in Adelaide. The other one lives in Manchester, in the UK. Every weekend we would agree on a recipe to bake and then we'll share our food photos, tips and experiences over chat."
Mardelyn and best friends Source: Mardelyn Maranan
Kakaiba
Gumaling at nagkaroon ng kumpiyansa si Mardelyn sa kanyang baking dahil sa mga lingguhang sesyon na ito.
"Someone on a Facebook group asked if anyone was selling bibingkang malagkit [glutinous rice cake topped with sweetened coconut milk]. I mustered up the courage and replied that I did. Before that, I never baked for anyone but my friends before."
Dahil sa unang pagsubok na ito, binuo ni Mardelyn ang Madz Mara 1105 Kitchen. Ang pangalang ito ay base sa kanyang sariling palayaw at sa unit number ng dating niyang tinitirhang apartment.
Bibingkang malagkit Source: Mardelyn Maranan
"I've been focusing on making familiar kakanin, but I add my unique touch to them.
"Like with biko [coconut pandan rice topped with coconut caramel sauce], I decided to create ube [purple yam] biko and I thought a yema [made of egg yolks, sugar and milk] custard topping would complement it really well.
"I make bibingka [rice cake typically served during the holidays] so I thought of doing research on puto bumbong [popular Christmas purple rice cake steamed in metal or bamboo tubes]...but ingredients for it are hard to come by here. I wanted it to be authentic because I knew that I'd be disappointed myself if it wasn't."
Ube biko [left] and bibingka [right] Source: Mardelyn Maranan
Imbis na puto bumbong, pinagdesisyunan ni Mardelyn na gumawa na lamang ng ibang kakanin na kakulay at kamukha nito.
"I decided to make cheesy ube palitaw de yema. Palitaw [flat sweet sticky rice cake] is kind of like a Filipino version of mochi. It's typically just white and plain. I infuse mine with ube and fill it with yema, roll it in hydrated coconut and sesame seeds. I then top it with cheddar cheese."
Habang mahalaga pa rin para sa kanya ang tradisyunal na kakanin, saad ni Mardelyn na mahalagang magkaroon ng kakaibang twist ang kanyang mga gawa.
Cheesy ube palitaw de yema Source: Mardelyn Maranan
"Kakanin is popular in our community. It's important to understand what Filipinos like or miss from back home, but either give your offerings a unique twist or make sure what you have is much better than others being sold."
BASAHIN / PAKINGGAN DIN
