MANILA, Philippines?Tomorrow is Good Friday and as Catholic tradition dictates, we must abstain and fast.

According to Fr. Jerry Orbos, ?Fasting and abstinence are acts of willing sacrifice. It is self-deprivation physically, from certain types of food and drink, specifically from meat but more so from things, habits or vices that we love the most.?

So what is the real difference between fasting and abstinence? Simply put, he says, ?To abstain is to deprive ourselves of satisfaction, while to fast would mean to moderate our greed.?

?The proper practice of fasting and abstinence should be borne not out of obligation, but rather out of love. Hence the most meaningful sacrifices are those we give up, even ?if,? and especially ?when,? it hurts.?

?It is a discipline that cleanses the soul. It heals and helps mend our ways; it is to remind us of our human condition, of our mortality.?

?That is why there is a social aspect to fasting and abstinence as well. The act of fasting is our means of communion with those who have less, with those who have none. We commune with them by means of abstention by deprivation.?

To complete the cycle, Father Orbos says, ?The money saved from having abstained from food, drink, cigarettes, for example, must be donated to the poor. The act of sharing, of giving, to those who have none is tantamount to giving to God.?

Father J ended with this: ?Whatever way or whatever it is that you decide to do as your Lenten offering, do all these with grateful and joyful hearts. It is a joyful sacrifice so bawal ang bugnot! Bawal ang simangot!?

Before we hung up, I asked him, ?Father, kung fasting pero masarap ang tinapay, okay lang ba?? He laughed and said, ?That is beyond me! You got me there!?

Perfect bread

Speaking of good bread, I found one that?s perfect! Nice, soft, tasty and just outright delicious! Best is, it?s made out of whole wheat!

Architect Dionisio Salvador Sr. was a man of many dreams. His son, engineer Dionisio Salvador Jr., proudly spoke of his father who was once a kutsero. It was while waiting for passengers by the kalesa terminal that he toyed with the idea. He told himself: ?Why don?t I apply as a baker? It would be a good way to learn and, in doing so, augment my income.? He did.

After learning the rudiments of the trade, the ?panaderong-kutsero? sold his wheat pan de sal, to his passengers/customers.

In those post-war years, those who patronized his bread and carriage were mostly Americans.

His American sukis prodded him to make bigger bread for them, big enough to slice into sandwich bread. Thus, the giant pan de sal, ?Amerikana,? which, Salvador Jr. says, ?looks like a giant baguette that was processed like the pan de sal.?

?The special characteristics of the 1950s pan de sal are its crusty exterior and strong resistant interior. We could attain these by using superior-quality wheat flour, organic salt and sugar, coupled with the techniques handed down by the late architect Dionisio Salvador Sr.?

?It was in the ?60s that it suddenly disappeared and was replaced with rectangular loaves. Then came the famous Nutri Bun (monay-shaped bread?three to five times the size of the pan de sal), which was a hit during the 1970s.?

That was way back when?

But once a baker, always a baker! Four years ago, Salvador Sr. wanted to relive the glory days of the ?50s pan de sal.
With a vision, the Salvadors Sr. and Jr. set out to build 1950?s Pan De Sal, home of the Pan Amerikana, now with three bakeries standing tall and proud!

Architect Salvador passed away two years ago but his passion for our favorite breakfast bread lives on. The dream lives through his son and hopefully, for our sake, through many more generations of Salvadors yet to come.

1950?s Pan De Sal?White Plains, Wilson St., Greenhills and Marikina; tel. no. 4211966, 4752398

Sardine pasta
Mrs. Solis wrote: Can you please share a sardine pasta recipe?

Sardine Pasta Sauce
1/3 c olive oil
2 tbsp garlic
1/3 c shallots, sliced
2 tbsp parsley
? c sun-dried tomatoes, sliced optional
4 cans sardines in tomato sauce, coarsely chopped sardines?I use 555?nice and reasonable!
1 c pechay leaves, sliced thin
salt and pepper
pepper flakes to taste
pasta of choice, cooked al dente
Heat olive oil.
Sauté garlic, shallots, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes.
Add sardines and sauce from sardines.
Simmer.
Add pechay.
Season to taste.
Serve garnished with fried garlic and shallots and parsley.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!

E-mail the author at raspiras@inquirer.com.ph