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From the monthly archives: June 2006
It’s already LP 11??? Where has the time gone? I am almost embarrassed to join this one seeing that I’ve missed several already…. it’s my perfectionism that needs to be kept in check — I’m not going to join LP unless I’ve got the perfect recipe and the perfect story and the perfect post… which given my life isn’t going to happen. So I’m starting, today, to relinquish some of this control-freak thinking and just focus on JMom’s excellent theme.
What is it about Summertime, and being Pinoy? I think I have the same feelings about the summer as I do about Christmas — they’re many and conflicting but mostly consisting of an unexplainable sadness…. it is at once superficial as it is deep. I’ve never fully understood it and I don’t think I ever will. Perhaps it’s all wrapped up in nostalgia and yearning for the past and knowing that these seasons are fleeting.
Summertime brings me to lazy days of lounging around my grandfather’s patio, with my 35 cousins…. food all around. There’s lechon, bopis, pansit, inihaw na bangus, the always-requested Pinoy barbecue, queso ice cream from my Lola’s suki, and various other dishes, some tried-and-true family favorites, others my aunts’ and uncles’ latest explorations and experiments.
Summertime means Baguio…. and strawberries mixed with milk and sugar — what my Mom called sherbet, and is anything but. One particular trip, that inihaw na bangus made an appearance, sold by vendors around the hotel. They’re the little ones, wrapped in banana leaves and sporting the familiar charcoal-grilled aroma. We sneak them into the hotel and enjoy eating with our hands. Why? My tita, the one “with connections”, arranged our free stay — and free meals — at the hotel. So when she’s there we eat at the formal dining room, the lazy susan laden with all kinds of food — mostly Chinese as the hotel owner is Chinese — but when she’s gone, we’re too embarrassed to take advantage of the freebies, and we go out foraging. The bangus is one such find. Though my addiction is to duhat, shaken in a large canister with salt until the fruit is bruised and just beginning to ooze its purple juice.
Summertime is climbing-tree-party-time… and everyday there’s the choice of our backyard indian mango, or the kamias, or bayabas… or the neighbors’ aratilis. I organize “the party” and sometimes have 4 or 5 girls over climbing the trees with me. Often it’s just my best friend Tina; we carry little bowls of patis and toyo and, sometimes, ketchup. I bring along the KNIFE and perch myself on one of the tree limbs. The saucers/bowls sit primly on the branches’ joints, waiting for me to dip my mango slices. I choose the youngest, greenest, firmest ones, those that make your mouth water with their sour smell. I grew deft with the knife on those tree climbing expeditions. But the kamias and the bayabas are easiest, as a handful of sea salt and my legs are all I need … for a snack on the roof. That’s where I contemplate all the young dreams and problems of childhood (like how I could afford my next Sanrio item).
Summertime means beaches… or even better, Lolo’s ilog where we would eat under the coconut trees…. hence no sunscreen required. I’m not a water lover, but how could you resist the company — the 35 cousins I mentioned earlier? Always, always there was adobo to munch on, and a dish from each family — ten in all. And of course, always, always, Pepsi and 7-up — chilled by nestling atop the rocks where the cool waters flowed. Chichiria all over the tables, chips and chocolates, Pinoy sweets and cookies, along with kakanin and all kinds of finger food — nothing fancy, just whatever’s easy to prepare or get hurriedly from the store before the trip.
Sigh… it’s all so far away now. Maybe that’s one reason I sometimes don’t feel comfortable writing for LP. It brings back memories of what was, and what can’t be again. And what I had, but can’t give my children.
But like the Christmas season summertime is over in a flash, and so I need to step away from all that reminiscing. We *are* happy with what we do have. It’s not my Lolo’s patio, but our patio is just as comfortable, and the kids running around the garden are just as fun to watch. It’s not Baguio, but there is exquisite joy in seeing my 4-year-old’s smile as she picks strawberries at the you-pick farm. At home we make sorbet, or turn the red fruit into preserves, for Christmas gifts. It’s almost like making ginataan with my Lolo. Last night I grilled some trout and some mackerel, wrapped in those banana leaves, the friend of every fish-griller. There are no trees to climb, but there are parks to explore, bugs to catch (more than I’d like to know), and balls to throw. The beaches are too far for us to visit this year, and there’s hubby’s work travel plans to consider…. but maybe next year we can make the long drive to Jersey or NC or Florida, where friends or family await — I remain hopeful. We are all scattered now — 36 cousins in 10 states or countries. But two weeks ago I saw my favorite cousin in Philadelphia, and we’re making plans for a food trip when I go home… and tomorrow another cousin from Toronto comes to visit along with his wife and 4 kids…. so all is not as lost as I sometimes think it to be. I think I’ll hurry to the store now to get me some bangus and banana leaves.
Nothing awakens the Pinoy in you like the heat and foods of summertime.
Thanks, JMom, for giving me a chance to take this trip down memory lane once again. And thanks for hosting LP 11!
Part 2 coming…
before I attempt to remove the speck in my brother’s/sister’s eye….
It always stings a bit whenever I hear/read this gospel, today’s reading. I have learned years ago not to criticize people to their face or say things that might/will offend — at least I try not to do this if I can help it. That’s not the hard part — with everyone being so politically correct these days, there’s not much you can say that will offend. This is one reason I dislike parties with strangers/acquaintances. So much small talk, so much “pleasant” talk going on, but nothing that will really touch the heart. It’s all so superficial. But I digress…
The hard part about this gospel reading, and the reflection I read about this morning in “In Conversation with God” is the challenge to apply this to the people closest to us. It is difficult to have children that you KNOW is your duty to correct and guide — there is always the chance that you will offend and hurt their feelings. Especially with words spoken in exasperation and frustration. I find myself being more impatient with Yena these days. Mostly because she’s 4 and starting to show much independence. She is quick to say a humble “I’m sorry” when reprimanded, and is instantly contrite…. but she is also quick to yell and scream and throw a tantrum when dealing with her brothers — and usually she’s the one who’s wrong. And I have to be firm with her and tell her this is not the way to do things. When I’m in the right frame of mind I can do this gently. But there are times during the day/week when I am not the best person I can be and I end up yelling at her to stop whining. Which of course does not help things. She is so demanding of us and our time, and of course at 4 it is hard for her to understand that Mommy needs to get off the couch after reading her 6 books, because I have other things I need to do….
And the older kids…. I sometimes don’t know how to tell them they’re doing wrong, without offending them. Like when I don’t approve of a certain song Aisa’s listening to…. or when Paco acts like a selfish brat…
It’s especially hard when I remember that at Aisa’s age I was listening to some troublesome music myself. And that I’m not completely sinless, to this day, when it comes to listening to music or watching movies or reading books that really don’t help my internal life. And that I was as selfish as Paco when I was his age, maybe even more. Even now I have to overcome these selfish tendencies.
And since Bong and I have always had fun talking about anything and everything, this special privilege between spouses also allows us to make fun of or criticize people that we wouldn’t normally do had the person been in front of us. Sometimes it’s serious criticism where we wonder how we can help a person we love. Sometimes it’s mean-spirited and just poking fun — for no reason at all; we don’t always do this, but we’ve done it enough in the past to bother me and know it’s not acceptable practice. It’s part of our culture, but more and more I am becoming cognizant of the fact that we can’t continue to do this, even privately, even when it’s just me and him, when there is no possible positive outcome for such a conversation.
Lastly, there’s two women I met last year who bother me… and it’s probably because there’s a lot of similarities between us — in terms of personality, goals, our being control freaks… I need to remember to think well of them and pray for them to overcome this slight irritation I experience whenever we meet or talk.
A break from allergy-free food. Paco requested this cake — made up of our favorite Huntington chocolate cake layers, ganache filling, whipped cream frosting, strawberry sauce served on the side. The letters were made using the same ganache, with additional confectioner’s sugar for stability. That “symbol” on the upper right hand side is Paco’s “signature”.
I was teasing that Saturday (the day we celebrated) was Benadryl day, but Aisa and Dad had allergy-free food instead, so there was no need to dose up on meds. Migi did have Paco’s requested lasagne and pandesal, but was so tired from the party that he crashed Saturday night and didn’t need to be medicated for itching.
hummus bi tahini
The Menu:
- Garden of Eatin’ chips with the above Hummus, Guacamole and White Bean Salsa
- Organic Salad Spring Mix with Walnuts, Black Olives, and Raspberry Dressing
- Whole Wheat Pandesal
- (Meatball) Lasagne al Horno
- Pancit Malabon “the Works”
- Pinoy Pork Barbecue, with Papaya Achara Espesyal and Steamed Rice
- Cake and French Vanilla Ice Cream swirl for dessert (working on a dairy-free recipe for the ice cream — soon!), with Strawberry Sauce on the side
- Jackfruit, Peach and Sweet Corn Popsicles
- Thai Iced Coffee (which I forgot to serve, so I had a glassful after the guests were gone)
- Iced Tea made with Organic Earl Grey, Honey and Lemon
- Fresh Homemade Lemonade
It’s not dairy free, but that’s my next experiment — perhaps panna cotta with some almond milk instead. I got a free sample from Adagio Teas and submitted my recipe for this. It’s posted here:
Chamomile Tea Panna Cotta. There is an error in the serving instructions which I couldn’t edit out — the berry sauce suggestion should be omitted from the second-to-last sentence and put into the last one. Oh well….
If you try it and like it, do vote!
Ugh.
Three weeks ago hubby built an outdoor compost bin for me. We bought some nice terra cotta scalloped edging and made a roughly 5′x5′ square. Inside the square he used some posts to hold the rabbit fence which now goes on the inside perimeter. It’s about 2 1/2″ feet high which we thought would be enough, but yesterday I was so upset to see some animal poop in the bin. GRRRR…. This is what I *don’t* like about open yards. We’d put a fence up except we still see teens and dogs going OVER the fences and walking through neighbors’ yards. Since we just moved here I’m not sure we should complain about this because this seems to be the way it’s been for a while — the neighborhood is about 13 years old and many of the neighbors had their houses built here so they’ve known each other that long. The only thing is us newbies have to put up with *their* habits. Sigh….
I’m still dreaming of that 2-acre lot…. neighbors that are still near but far enough to not bother us…. meanwhile I’ll have to put some kind of poultry netting perhaps, over this outdoor bin.
I always talk about growing your own food, and how it’s my dream to live off the land and harvest everything fresh from my backyard…. but this is ridiculous.
i don’t know Tatad, don’t know much about him, just know from googling that a lot of Pinoys hate him, but just reading this piece from him, i have to say i probably would be interested to read/hear other things he has to say.
from A Spoonful of Ginger.
Yummy, but too saucy. Recipe tomorrow.
Yena’s Request.
Oh no, now I can’t remember now where I got the recipe for this — if I made it up myself or from a cookbook. Gotta find my notes… sigh. And to think this is why I blog.
Mine and hubby’s current evening indulgence.
From Gravel Knolls Farm, OH.
