Sunday, May 16, 2010

When I 'm Sour-y

You meet one occasionally and unfortunately, you and I become one from time to time.

I am referring to sour-y persons. An encounter is enough to pucker up one's heart in grimace. And that's not all. Being one attracts the worse kind of vibes.

If you try this little experiment, you will see what I mean.

Pour out a little vinegar in a saucer.

Now place this saucer outside-- maybe in your garden or out in the open air.

I’d bet that the first visitor to your sour offering would be a fly. And I’d bet that at least 1 big fly will then drop by to take a sip or two.

I try to remember this experiment every time I find myself transformed into a saucer of vinegar-- snapping at people's simple inquiries or making snide remarks at someone's inadequacies.

And what good are sour-y persons anyway? Amazingly, I was able to think of an outstanding feature. These persons enable others to highlight and appreciate even more the sweeter things in life. For with the presence of ugliness, we know beauty; with the dark, we know the light. It stands without reason that meeting up with sour-y people, we know sweetness.

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Going back to the topic of sourness, my kamias tree is presently heavy with fruit-- again. Usually, I use kamias when making "Paksiw na Isda".



This time, after going through some of my recipe books for inspiration, I decided to try kamias instead of sampalok (tamarind) in my sinigang (sour soup) dishes. To my surprise, I found that the use of kamias highlighted the mingling of flavours in my sinigang broth. So the next time you are thinking of serving sinigang for lunch, substitute your tamarind sauce with kamias. It's so easy:

Wash about a cupful of kamias. Drop in a small saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the flame to create a simmer. After about 20 to 30 minutes, your kamias would be very tender. Now drain fruit of water and set the water aside. Mash each fruit through a fine sieve and add a spoonful of the water it was boiled in from time to time. You can then throw the pulp and the resulting sauce is what you can then add to your soup-- same way you process with sampalok.

You are sure to get a smile out of anyone trying your sour soup.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

My Mommy Told Me So

My mother is a study in contrast. She is a city gal but has the heart of a country lass (yes, a lass because her heart continues to be young). My dashing and debonaire father (do allow a daughter's pride) then at 35 years old literally plucked my naive and innocent 21 year old mother out of the mountains of a backward province after a whirlwind courtship. This caused the ire of her father. She was soon transported into the cosmopolitan ways of the City.

Now at 73, my mom is modern as any modern mom/grandmom can be. She is more updated than I am when it comes to fashion and make-up. Her approach to life is open and upbeat. Her days are never structured. Depending on what catches her fancy, she could fill her day with a variety of activities or just be content with a book or mending a dress at home.

There is something though, that sets her apart from the very modern woman and links her to her being a true-blue mountain lady. And this is her continued belief in the "rules". Many of these "rules" were handed down to her from her family; from the tenants that tilled their land; from the barrio "doctor"; and from plain common sense. To commemorate Mother's day, I thought it appropriate to share with you my mother's "rules":

• Don't whistle at night. You are calling sickness and evil beings. (also it is so unlady-like)

• Don't turn around to see who is trying to get your attention while walking in the dark. The spirit might take you “in”. (remember, you have a name)

• If a bed is not to be slept on for a considerable time, do not remove the bed covers (pillowcases, bedsheets). If the covers are removed, a spirit will soon take over the bed. (plus a lot of dust mites)

• Don't open an umbrella inside the house. It's bad luck. (you might poke someone in the eye)

• You are allowed three wishes when you enter a church for the first time. An updated version: make a wish, raise your feet and hold your breath when in a vehicle while crossing a new bridge.

• Bad luck trees: chicos, calachuchis, pine trees, weeping willows (its name speaks for itself).

• Be careful not to break a mirror. That would be seven years of bad luck. (you could cut yourself)

• A butterfly that hovers around you means that you will receive a letter soon. (gee, you're hair smells terrific)

• An itchy palm indicates money is forthcoming. (indicates a need to wash up)

• Don't sweep your floors at night. It's like sweeping your fortunes away.

• Before peeing behind a bushy plant or tree, say "excuse me" to alert the "little people". This is also true if you want to toss anything into the dark.

• A swarm of flies is a sign that death is near. (or that the garbage collector forgot to pick up your garbage)

Baby department:
• Rub some oil on the palms, soles and soft head spot of a baby to prevent evil spirits. (like kabag)
• When baby is startled, shake baby saying "siging, siging" (can't explain..)
• When Baby has the hiccups, put a tiny piece of cotton or thread licked with your saliva. (disgusting but it works!)
• Keep the umbilical cord, a lock of hair and possibly the first tooth to insure that your child will always be close to you. (for possible DNA identification in the future when your child becomes rich and famous and disowns you)

Dreams:
• Tooth or teeth coming off or dreams of boats and ships- someone close has died or will die.
• When you dream of someone who is already dead, it is a sign that that person needs prayers.
My mother has supplemented her knowledge on dreams by buying a book on dreams for her easy reference......

Wake/Burial Rituals:
• After coming from a wake, don't go straight home. Drop by somewhere before proceeding home. (This avoids bringing the "bad luck" to your home)
• The dead should never be left alone during the wake. This is to prevent evil spirits from snatching the soul who is still in limbo.
• Don't let a teardrop fall on the viewing glass of the coffin. (the dead will not be able to rest (?))
• Butterflies or Moths are representations of the dearly beloved. In the case of my father, my mother assigned the praying mantis to represent my father. I have yet to figure that one out myself.

When my father was alive, he would shrug off these rules to the consternation of my mom. His usual line was: A true believer of the Catholic faith doesn't need these rules. But my mom always had the last words: You don't lose anything if you follow the rules.

---o---o---o---o---o---o---o---o---o---o---o---o---o---

One thing is clear, the number one rule of my mother is to love her children the best way she can. And this love can be felt from all the delicious meals she cooked for us when we were growing up and still cooks for us when we visit her. One such dish that spells L-O-V-E in capital letters is my mother's chicken porridge. This is sure to warm your bellies.



Chicken Porridge (Pospas)

1. Make lots of chicken stock by boiling 1/2 kilo of chicken with chopped onions, some salt and some pepper. Make sure that the water covers the whole chicken-- about 5-6 cups.
2. When done, remove the meat from the bones and shred. Set the stock aside.
3. Saute some chopped ginger (about 2-3 tablespoons) in a little oil. Add the chicken meat and about 2 cups of rice.
4. Add 3 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let mixture simmer.
5. Stir the mixture every now and then and add more stock to prevent the porridge from drying out.
6. Add salt and pepper.
7. It should be done when the rice is very soft.
8. Have the following condiments to add in depending on preference: calamansi/lemon juice; chopped green onions/leeks; toasted garlic; fish sauce (patis).

Can you feel the love?

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

An Untangled Life

O Oh! I put my foot in my mouth today and complicated what could have been a simple situation. I had made someone dear to me angry.

For a while, I simply brushed the uncomfortable feeling with this thought: “It’s not important. Besides, it will blow over and things will be normal and dandy again.” Well, it did not blow over and a heavy feeling settled in.

To quiet the voice in my head, I decided to put out my box of beads and figured that some “alone” time would bring things back to normal. I remember how stringing some beads together had a therapeutic effect.



Oh dear! I seem to have made a mess of the nylon thread and could not begin any beading project until I could unravel the tangle.



I first thought of cutting up all the tangles but stopped myself after I realize that I would end up with useless bits of thread. Slowly I started to pull the thread here and then take it under and over and around a spool. In a little while there was order and a light turned on in my mind.

Ah Hah! There was a lesson to be learned. Like the tangled thread, I realized that my false pride has made a mess of things. So, taking a deep breath, I untangled the pride off me and came clean by admitting my mistake.

There! I felt so much better.



x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o x o

Do you like how beads can be strung together and become something pretty and even functional? Let me share with you what I finally created after that Ah Hah moment (an expression I am borrowing from Oprah).



A beaded keychain (Tadah!!)—with some imagination and patience, you too can take up this hobby and claim its therapeutic benefits.