In the Quiet of the Morning

I love waking up early on Saturday mornings. Carefully I leave the comforts of my cozy side of the bed so as not to wake my husband up. With a quick splash of water to wash the sleep from my eyes and a brief attempt to put my curls in order, I leave our room. At six in the morning, the house is at it's quietest. Like a thin mist, there is a gentle sense of peace that envelopes the neighborhood as the streets remain empty of the usual work and school day traffic.

I feel like I am in the twilight zone where time has stopped and I am the only living being moving about the kitchen to make some ginger tea.



With cup in hand, I unlock the French doors leading to my little veranda. Surveying my garden, my gumamela hedge as well as other bushy plants discreetly screen the garden from prying eyes. A good thing too as I would not want to startle an occasional neighbor out on a morning stroll with my "twilight look".

Soon a neighbor's cat join me. The cat keeps me company and without a sound, agree to respect the silence.



With sips from my cup, in the quiet of the morning, I hear the beating of my heart and am grateful to be alive. Looking up as the sun lights up the sky, in the quiet of the morning, I am moved to reaffirm my faith in all that is good and beautiful. And during times when I am troubled, in the quiet of the morning, the bleakness of the night before is quickly banished.

Suddenly, a cheery note breaks the silence from some birds that are nesting in a tree nearby. The cat dares a meow and a dog starts to bark. A phone rings somewhere in the neighborhood and someone turns on a radio.

The quiet is over but there will always be another Saturday morning.


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Saturdays are when I prepare a big breakfast for the family. There is more time to linger on the dining table specially when treated to a delicious spread of breakfast favorites. No western breakfast but rather a hearty meal of eggs, fried or made into an omelette; some tapa (sun-dried seasoned beef or pork or fish); garlic fried rice; and, some hot native chocolate to start the weekend with a big smile. So let me get on with the recipes.

Tapas are best prepared a day or two ahead as there is need to sun dry the dish so as for it to soak up the marinate.

You will need:

500 grams of pork or beef (thinly sliced and pounded upon using the back of a knife--this is to tenderize the meat)
or fish (makarel or milkfisH that has been slit from the back and butterflied)



Marinate:
1/2 head of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 - 3 tablespoons of vinegar (depending on how sour you want your tapa to be)
1-3 teaspoons of soy sauce (optional)
some peppercorns (optional; maybe smashed or not-- a matter of preference)
salt and pepper to season (a matter of preference on how much or how little to add)

Mix marinate into the pork, beef or fish. Set meat or fish on a plate or wire rack and place under a sunny spot. I just find one inside the house so as to avoid any attention from flies or pets. Usually, I leave under the sun for about 4-5 hours so that the meat or fish is no longer moist but has soaked up the marinate. Once done, I pack in plastic containers and freeze until it's time to cook it.

For the meat, before cooking, I usually cut the meat up into strips. There is no need to do the same for the fish.

To cook, just heat some oil in a frying pan and place the meat or fish in. Do not over crowd the pan. Since the meat has been sliced thinly, it should be cooked fairly quickly. Serve with eggs and garlic fried rice. If you have having the fish, don't forget to have chop some tomatoes and onions as a side dish. Lastly, don't forget to have some vinegar for dipping the meat or fish into. Yum!!!

BEEF TAPA



PORK TAPA



FISH TAPA