When it’s dark, it is when we can actually see and feel. When a door closes, a new one opens. It’s up to you if you want to continue seeing and feeling in the dark or have the courage and pass through the door going to the other side where there is visibility. It also depends on the kind of door, the kind of visibility.
It was 2007, in my last months working as a Front Desk Officer at a Boracay resort. I met a person whom I found kind. After 2 years and a few months, I got reconnected to this dear friend. The potentials of internet makes our world small. Life has a way….when something bad happens, an opportunity arises. Now, what comes to your mind? Would you choose to be with someone you love or would you rather be with someone who loves you? It’s very tempting….I am not going to destroy the light I see. I am not going to use someone for a rebound. I am not going to ruin a kind person. I am going to stay true to myself and I am going to keep our beautiful friendship.
What are keeping me up so late? Memories….I am also working or, should I say, trying to work however distracted I am and Peanut Brittle not coffee. As I munch on these sweeties, I’m reminded of the times my daughter and I spent in Baguio. I don’t have any plans of revisiting (that is for now only). We enjoyed and love Baguio; but, I’m actually thinking more of Vigan and craving for Ilocos Empanada right now. Hhmmm….when will the timing come?
I’ve never made Peanut Brittle. I don’t know how to make them. I do know how to eat and enjoy them. They are successfully keeping me up tonight. Sweet! I need to go back to work now…
I remember my dad when he was still with us. He is now staying in Balete, Aklan. He has a great beef tapa recipe. I remember watching him once making a batch of beef tapa in our dirty kitchen. I wasn’t able to get his recipe. He does what you call the eyeballing technique and it would come out masarap. Up to now, I still haven’t came up with a beef tapa recipe that is as good as his. So, I searched for one online to be safe on the portioning of ingredients. I’m sharing with you this one from www. pinoyfoodblog.com: http://pinoyfoodblog.com/recipes/beef-tapa-recipe/
From my dad: “Tingnan mo itong papel. Hawakan mo. Ngayon, kumuha ka ng lapis at gumawa ka ng tuldok sa gitna ng papel. Anong nakikita mo? Ngayon, nakatingin ka na lang sa tuldok. Nakalimutan mo na yung malinis na bahagi ng papel. Ganyan ang tao. Nakakalimutan na ang lahat kapag nakagawa ka ng isang pagkakamali. Kahit maliit man siya. Anuman ang kabutihang nagawa mo noon, wala na. Kasi, ikaw na ngayon ang may pinakamabigat na kasalanan para sa kanya”.
Bath raw eggs in a small bowl with rice wine; then, coat each egg with a layer of sea salt and place them in a sealed container (jar or Ziploc bag). Let stand in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator, for about 3 weeks. Remove the eggs from sea salt bath. You can keep the eggs in refrigerator if you are not going to use them immediately or boil them right after removing from sea salt bath.
My daughter and I….and, so we went on the way….14 churches….meeting lessons along the way in between stops…. as we see our surroundings, different people around us….as my life story flash in front of my eyes.
It can be difficult to pray at times….not difficult when I am asking for something but can be difficult when I am trying to speak what’s truly in my heart as I ask for forgiveness….for the times when I stumble and become weak during trials and tribulations as I take my journey in life…
Along the way today, there were times when we met “Wow, Mali! Moments”:
–“Ay! Liliko pala ‘tong jeep! Let’s get off, this is not our way, anak.” Due to my knack with not having patience over “slowly but surely”, I never bothered to read the sign bearing the jeepney’s route. I just hopped on with my daughter and we almost went out of our way. Imagine that….hhmmm. So….I am thinking. How is my journey in life doing?
–“Ang daming tao dito!” I encounter different types of people as I travel my path. I will continue trying and giving my best even if I stumble along the way….to be open-minded and mindful of others with kindness as I remain true to myself and others, without any judgment, regardless of gender, color, race, faith and/or situation my fellowmen maybe in. I’m sorry when, at times, I am not sensitive enough.
–“Sama ‘ko, mommy”. I took the day-long journey with my daughter. I am not alone. I carry in my heart the people I love: my daughter, my family, Mahal, my online and offline friends. They may not be aware of it but the mere fact that I feel them within me, lightens my path….as they watch over me, reaching out to me even with just a simple “Hello”, “How are you”, “Have a good weekend”, “Always take care” “I love you”….lending a helping hand, consoling my soul when down, correcting me when I am wrong. I hope they know that I truly feel grateful to have them by my side, they help me carry my cross in their own special ways and I am thinking….how am I doing in return?
–“Ha, ha! Mommy naman, last stop na natin natapilok ka pa!” My daughter never let go of my hand….through thick and thin. My journey in life….the path I am threading….I don’t know what’s ahead….the twists and turns….but I have my loved ones walking by my side. And so, I will get up when I stumble and will give my journey in life my best shot….and I know, “marami pa akong bigas na kakainin”.
1st Station: A solemn pledge of undivided love.Thank you….you did not spare anything for me. You gave yourself to me. In my heart….I carry my whole self in my heart….you speak to my heart and I am offering you my heart with all its naked truth.
2nd Station:I accept all the fears and terrors, all the sufferings along my path as I offer you everything in my heart with full honesty.
3rd Station:You speak when there is silence….I will continue speaking what is in my heart to you and may my faith, hope and charity turn hatred to love, conflict to peace, and death to eternal life.
4th Station:I am sorry that there are many times that I don’t offer to sacrifice for the sake of others….there are times when I am selfish….I am sorry.
5th Station:I am lacking with humility, patience and understanding.
6th Station:I do not have the courage to deny myself and follow your way.
7th Station:You gave yourself to me and is carrying my cross to lighten my heart as I go along my journey in life. I ask for forgiveness for the sins I have committed, I thank you for walking by my side….never leaving me.
8th Station:Forgive me…
9th Station:Strengthen me for there are times I am weak especially when I encounter trials and tribulations.
10th Station:There is nothing that you will not do for me….I trust in you.
11th Station:Enlighten me to be a good daughter to my parents, to be good to others and to my loved ones as they watch over me with love, patience and understanding.
12th Station:You gave your life to me and never get tired of lifting my soul over and over everytime I stumble.
13th Station:I will love and respect my neighbors to the best of my ability.
14th Station:I pray that I may be able to overcome the sufferings and trials I will encounter as I go along my journey in life with you by my side. You can see through me, everywhere I go…. I speak and submit to you, everything that is contained in my heart. I offer everything….all the naked truth in my heart; and as I go along my path, fill me with wisdom, understanding, counsel, courage, knowledge, piety, wonder and awe in you….for this is the only gift I know that I can offer you as my best…my heart, in it’s naked truth. You see the truth in me wherever I go. I will treat my fellowmen with an open mind without bearing any judgement regardless of gender, race, color, faith and/or situation….to love and respect others like my own self.
There are many difficulties along my path….I pray to have the courage, strength and to always be reminded….
“Do unto others what you want others to do unto you”
Hhmmm….Hey! We still have brownies in the bag….for Ate Georgy. Give them to ate, anak. And, my journey in life continues…
After three weeks in Bali, Indonesia with Mahal, I’m back in the Philippines just in time for Lent. I felt how it was like, how strange it can be to see in a festivity how I find a suffocating togetherness can bring loneliness, how draining it can be inside….as I possess (I am aware), I believe and I would like to say, (sana lang nga) a certain level of healthy stubborness (darn!)….Makulit!…. I am searching for balance….I need it. Slowly, I am getting back the real grip of my reality….getting back that “fast” inspiration of finishing my project as well, hehe….getting in touch with myself while the world continues to move and evolve….tapping how am I really doing, what have I done with my fellow human being as a human being myself….I have flaws and am not perfect but I know compassion, care, love and sympathy….to be aware of myself, my relationship with others with an open mind without any judgement, regardless of gender, race, color, faith and/or situation….with patience, care, love….even if I meet several bumps along the way….It can be difficult along the way, with all the many trials and hardships I encounter along the way….I will try and give my best to love myself and others in full honesty and kindness…After all, it really boils down to one thing–”Do unto others what you want others to do unto you”, to love others as you love yourself….to treat others with kindness, honesty and care the best I can….I will do my reflection on the road this Good Friday. A Visita Iglesia would be nice.
Kay tagal kong naghanap nang isang diyu-diyosin ko
For a long time, I’ve searched for the one I will call my Almighty
Siya pala’y naghihintay lamang sa puso ko
When He is only waiting here in my heart
Biyaheng langit pare ko ang pasada ko
Trip to heaven, brother, is my way
Umangkas na lahat kayo
Stand by/along, all of you
Makasalanan din akong sakay sa biyaheng it
I am also a sinner, as a passenger, in this trip
Pero, sa awa niya’y aabot din tayo
But, with His mercy, we will get there
Ipaubaya mo na lang sa Diyos ang buhay mo
Submit/offer to the Almighty your life
Magbigay ka nang lubos at babalik sa’yo
Give fully and it will return
Siya ang bahala sabi niya at maniwala ka
He will take care of it and believe in it
‘Pag ang bahala ay ang Diyos
When the Almighty takes charge
Lahat pare ay ayos!
Everything will be all right.
Biyaheng langit pare ko ang pasada ko
Trip to heaven, brother, is my way
Umangkas na lahat kayo
Stand by/along, all of you
Makasalanan din akong sakay sa biyaheng it
I am also a sinner, as a passenger, in this trip
Pero, sa awa niya’y aabot din tayo
But, with His mercy, we will get there
Aabot din….aabot din tayo…
We will get there…
Honestly, I really find it hard to do fasting….so, I will bring along a large bottle of water and some tuna sandwiches for my snacks. Summertime…. it will be really hot along the way…
Tuna Sandwich Filling:
1 regular can of tuna flakes in brine (drain and discard the liquid)
ample amount of mayo (just enough not to make the spread soggy)
A few days off from home base and still under the finalization stage of another upcoming transcription project, I found myself in Makati. Makati, being the business center of Metro Manila, is teeming with choices of awesome popular hang-outs and restaurants offering great Filipino and international dishes. It was also such a great timing being there this week. In the warm company of Mahal, we were not only able to enjoy the food but also the music from Philippine International Jazz and Arts Festival which just had it’s 4-day mall tour. At Greenbelt 3, the free jazz music teasers (mall tours) started just this Monday night, Feb. 23rd. This will culminate to performances on the following dates: March 1st and 2nd (6pm at Rockwell Tent, Rockwell Powerplant Mall with artists Spyro Gyra, Hiromi, Dianne Reeves and Mike Stern) and on March 4th (6pm at Captain’s Bar, Mandarin Oriental Hotel with artists Ivan Lins and Charito). Tickets and reservations can also be availed at TicketNet. The performances at Greenbelt 3 also saw Filipino talents in Tonie, Noel Cabangon and friends; and, there will be more Pinoy talents as well in the other areas celebrating arts in the Philippines since February is our National Arts Month! I truly enjoyed it when Noel Cabangon performed, for it also made me feel proud as a Pinoy. When it comes to music and arts, di talaga pahuhuli angPinoy because our culture is one that is truly uniquely diverse. (Wala pa niyan sina Eddie Katindig and other notable names in Pinoy Jazz sa upcoming performances this March.) I will never forget Noel Cabangon’s jazz version of Jose Pepe Smith’s classic “AngHimigNatin” plus the great treats of listening to his signature songs containing social awareness. By the way, Jose Pepe Smith is from the legendary Filipino rock band–Juan dela Cruz Band. For in-depth details of the jazz and arts festival, you can visit by clicking here the official site of the Philippine International Jazz and Arts Festival.
I am also glad to have shared this week with Mahal. What a great time we had! And while we were jazzing around, Calamares was among the plates of pulutan that graced our table. A dish of Spanish origin that is easy to cook. No wonder it is now also becoming popular in the street food scene!
calamansi juice (from about 5 pieces of calamansi)
salt and pepper to season
Clean the squids by peeling the skin off and removing the head, ink sacs, as well as the tentacles. Cut the body of the squids into rings. Marinate the squid rings in calamansi juice for about 5-10 minutes. Beat the eggs and season flour with salt and pepper. Dip the squid rings into the eggs before dredging each in seasoned flour then deep fry. Do not overcook because you don’t want to chew on “rubberized” Calamares! Drain the squid rings on paper towel to remove excess oil.
***I recommend a good dipping sauce for this. But, too bad I don’t have a recipe for that. This is also really nice if you season flour with spices that you like (garlic powder, chili poweder, etc.) Use your imagination….just eyeball each amount of seasoning. And, since we just had our anniversary celebration of the real Edsa Revolution, always have and keep the freedom…. tweak it and enjoy!
It’s February 2009 and it looks like summer is early this year. Whenever summertime and since Philippines is boasting with world-famous and incredible beach destinations, it’s impossible not to hear “Swimming tayo!” As a former front desk officer of Victory Beach Resort, located in the world’s most popular beach in 2007 (according to Yahoo!)and having a dad who is an Aklanon(meaning, a native of Aklan province. Dad is from Balete, Aklan), swimming means Boracay Island for me. I don’t want to sound bias but Boracay has a special place in my heart. Let me share why. It was the year 2006 and I was still nursing my self over a divorce. With so much things going on in my personal life, I decided to take a boat ride and find a job in the island. The island gave me more than a job within my stay of a year and five months. I met some of the most interesting people, I gained new friends and found someone special–”myself”. It was in Boracay Island where I found my self back. I love Boracay!
The island has a unique personality due to the presence of an international community in which one can easily blend in because it is also where you will find warm and friendly people. Due to its diverse community, you will experience a wide range of variety in food from local to international flavors; and when it comes to beverages, my most favorite in the island is, of course, the fruit shake. You will find a restaurant called Jonah’s Fruit Shake and Restaurant located in Station 1. It is acclaimed by visitors and locals as having the best fruit shakes in the island. I agree and, so far, I haven’t found any fruit shake that can beat the distinct flavor and texture of their fruit shakes. Hhmmm….must be the secret ingredient? I strongly recommend their Choco-Banana-Peanut Shake. Too bad, I am not in Boracay right now and how I miss it. But I really feel summer coming in fast! So, while listening to Armand Tajanlangit’s Boracay song and as a tribute to the Philippine’s national fruit with its peak abundance in summertime, I would like to share with you a mango shake recipe.
2 pieces ripe mangoes
3 cups crushed ice
3/4 cups milk
Scoop out mango flesh into a blender. Add crushed ice, pour in milk and blend. Serve in tall glasses.
I miss GNOs. I miss girls night outs with Kay. There’s never a dull moment with her. When out for the night in the city, we both like and prefer listening to Filipino live bands (such talents we have in the music industry!). We used to go a lot to Strumm’s just to watch and listen to our favorite band at that time–Mulatto; and, most of the time, we ended up going home at four or five in the morning! Those were our younger days. How fun and memorable! We would frequent branches of Strumm’s in Makati and El Pueblo and I just love their Tanqueray Tonic! In one of our GNOs, Kay suggested that I should try their Gambas and how thankful I am. Hhhmm….nice! Since then, I’ve included Gambas in my recipe collection. Whenever I eat Gambas, I remember Kay. Girls Night Outs….wonderful bonding moments with my bestfriend. So, here’s my version of Gambas:
In a bowl, season shrimps with salt and kalamansi juice then set aside. In a medium-sized pan, heat oil, add butter and saute garlic, onions and tomatoes. Saute until garlic is brown then add the shrimps and stir in the white wine. Cook until shrimps turn pink. Lastly, add in the chili-garlic sauce according to your desired amount. Make sure not to overcook the shrimps. Serve hot.
Lunch time is always enjoyable here at home. Especially, when my mom whips up ensaladas. This is how we liven up our simple meals. Today, we had fried bangus(milkfish) for lunch. By the way, bangus is the national fish of the Philippines and fried bangus is different from fried daing na bangus. Daing na bangus is milkfish marinated in vinegar with garlic and some spices; and, it is usually served for breakfast to match sinangag while fried bangus is simply fried milkfish less the complicated marinade concoction. Hhhmm….ay, anubayun! Hehehe. Anyways, it is our national fish. And when it comes to fried fish, here at home, we only season them with rock salt and deep fry. Works perfectly well that way. You don’t ruin the fish (You also don’t ruin the fish when you make a daing out of it. We also love different kinds of daing too, you know). But, don’t you think that it’s kinda’ boring to have just that? Besides, we need balanced and healthy meals. Well, we try. Therefore, we do not forget the veggies. Here is an unforgettable TV commercial about veggies my daughter used to dance to when she was small…
We have a small backyard. I am not complaing, okay. It is a small but nice one. Our backyard witnessed my growing up years and I am thankful that we have that space. In our backyard, we used to have a handful of banana trees, a kamias tree, a duhat tree, plus my most favorites, the mango tree and aratiles tree where my sister and I had improvised swings made from an old car tire tied up to these trees. That was how we enjoyed our mango fruits and aratiles berries–while on a swing and, i’m telling you, too much aratiles can be intoxicating. S’an ka pa! Parang Sesame Street, di ba? In addition, we also had many veggies planted when I was small–pechay, tomatoes, alugbati and okra. That provincial appeal of our backyard was long before we had an extension constructed for the dirty kitchen. Now, the backyard is home to our guava tree, some ornamental plants (we have orchids in front) and, of course, you’ve got to still have some veggies in there. Since we can’t dig and provide a swampy refuge to my favorite kangkong, there is an ample space provided for talbos ng kamote. How lovely….and delicious, too. Vegetables and herbs you grow yourselves just tastes so much better than those you get from the market. Don’t you think so? As a nice accompaniment to the fried bangus we had for lunch, this is my mom’s ensaladang talbos ng kamote:
1-1/2 cups talbos ng kamote (leaves and soft stalks)
1/2 teaspoon Ajinomoto OR 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (we love Mc Cormick’s)
olive oil
Wash and drain the talbos ng kamote leaves and stalks. Put the talbosngkamote, chopped onions and chopped tomatoes all together in a bowl. Set aside and prepare the dressing. Combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour into the bowl of talbosngkamote and toss the veggies. Serves 1 to 2 persons.
I love Discovery Channel. Yes, we have cable TV in the Philippines! This afternoon, I was watching Discovery Travel and Living and it was my first time to see A Taste of America with Marc Decarlo. Nice! It’s now an addition to my fave travel and living shows. Among Discovery Travel and Living shows, it’s always a feast for me to watch the shows of Anthony Bourdain’s, Bobby Chinn’s, Nigella Lawson’s, Samantha Brown’s and Tonia Buxton’s. I do have Filipino favorites as well: Cooking With The Dazas (I miss it so much), Heny Sison’s A Taste of Life, documentary shows from ABS-CBN and GMA 7 and Net 25 shows: Tribe, Spoon and Landmarks. I love Net 25′s slogan–“Feed your mind”. These shows do not only feed my mind, they also feed my tummy!
Today, in Marc Decarlo’s show, he featured Dungeness, Washington. A state famous for Dungeness crabs. His show brought a food memory when my daughter and I stayed in Sebastopol, California for a short time. There, we also got to experience fishing in Bodega Bay. What a beautiful bay! How cute were the ocean ducks! But, I really enjoyed fly fishing better because the ocean would make me sea sick. ‘Kainis! You see, a regular Filipino like me doesn’t always experience big waves like those we had there when we went out. If one wants real waves in Philippine Islands, there’s alwaysSiargao Islandin Surigao, Mindanao (Mom is from Surigao).The “Surfing Capital of the Philippines”. The home of Cloud 9. A reef wave bearing a worldwide reputation of having thick, hallow tubes.
And, there is also Aurora, Baler located in the Central Luzon region where you will find Charlie’s Point, famous for being the setting of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now surfing scenes. Okay, let’s go back to food….there was one time when we were given some crabs during our stay in California. Such huge crabs….whoah! I just couldn’t help but make a spicy dish out of it the way we sometimes do it here in the Philippines. True to my Filipino heart and how else does one expect am I going to do it? Because just like most Filipinos who love to cook, I learned cooking from home. So, this is how I do crabs in spicy sauce the Filipino way:
Cook crabs in enough water with salt. Once cooked, clean the crabs by pulling out the shells, remove the lungs and split the bodies into quarters. Set aside.
Heat cooking oil in a kawali. Saute garlic, ginger and siling labuyo until fragant (make sure they’re not burnt). Add tomato catsup and the chili-garlic sauce. Saute a bit then add white wine. Crush chicken bullion in mortar and pestle and add into the kawali. Pour in water and simmer until sauce is thick. Mix in the prepared crabs, add the leeks. Season with a dash of sesame oil (love the smell incorporated to the dish!). Serve hot.
