Tito Dan + Toyoba

Toyoba
prepared by Dan and Zenaida Zapanta

This family recipe comes from Dr. Dan Zapanta, a retired radiologist, who emigrated from the town of Taytay in the Rizal province, a suburb of Manila.

Dan and his wife were in kindergarten together and became better acquainted through their church. However, their romance did not bloom until their university days, as they commuted together by jeepney. Once he secured his US green card to work as a physician, he returned to the Philippines to marry Zenaida. It was another year before she was able to join him in the United States, and they lived in West Virginia, Arizona, and Michigan before finally settling in the south suburbs of Chicago. Dan, equally committed to his job and to providing his children with the advantages of living near a big city, spent the remainder of his career driving the six hours from Illinois to the Upper Peninsula, working for two or three weeks at a time and then having a few weeks off at home with his family.

Growing up, Dan’s family meals were full of fresh fish from Laguna Lake. His favorite was ayungin, a fish endemic to the region. Born sixth out of seven children, food preparation was not his primary responsibility in the household. He did not become interested in cooking until he became a scout, where he cooked with the other scouts and participated in cooking contests. Due to these experiences, he further developed his understanding of food through more actively observe the cooking of his mother and older sisters. After he moved to the US, these cooking skills served him well when he was required to be away from home for work. They continue to do so now, as retirement allows him to cook at his leisure.

This toyoba recipe has been handed down through generations in Tito Dan’s family. He said that due to its simplicity, one might be tempted to add more ingredients. He emphatically discourages this, and says that the true key to the recipe is patience: only patience and time will guarantee the tenderness of the meat and the richness of the sauce. This memorable dish from Tito Dan’s childhood was also very popular among his children and their friends.