The Squeeze

It’s that time of the year when I take a deep breath and get squeezed. I have yet to meet a friend who looked forward to their annual mammogram and sonogram tests. I remember one comedian describe it as “putting your breast, one at a time, on the inside of an opened refrigerator and slamming the door shut”--- ouch!

I was an hour early for my appointment. I would be a liar if I did not admit to a tinge of nervousness when I would start imagining scary “what if” scenarios. But a tiny voice would whisper back, “so be it”. I then would return to my crossword puzzle or the cooking demos being televised on an overhead screen. Then again, a glance at some of the serious faces of the ladies waiting their turn would send a rush of insecurities. “What if” sneaks in my thoughts and briefly I mirror the serious look of the women around me. And just as quickly, I hear someone whisper, “Lift it up”. Calmest envelopes me and I am engrossed once more as how the program host mixes peanut butter and jam in vanilla ice cream.

My name is called and quickly and efficiently the technician leads me to the testing room. The calmest I felt continued throughout the procedures. Unlike in the past, I did not shiver because of the cold temperature of the room. It also helped that the medical staff attending to me were gentle and cheerful. Before I know it, the tests were over and I was told to come back three days after for the results.

I hurriedly changed from the loose gown to my clothes and walked out of the hospital into the bright sunlight. No sneaky “what ifs” following me to my lunch date with former office colleagues.

(And by the way, it also helped that while inside the testing room, familiar church songs were discreetly being played in the background. What a lovely coincidence that the thoughts being whispered into my head had morphed into songs of praise and hope.)

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Lunch with dear friends are always a welcome treat-- especially if it had been awhile since our last meeting. I was told that so much has changed in the company I used to work for as well as in their personal lives. But such is life—always changing, never constant. We sometimes get into a tight squeeze but what is important, we all agreed, is we all come out of the experience with our spirit intact.
Below is a recipe that involves some squeezing. So let me be the voice that whispers in your ears: “This is going to be delicious”.

Binignit (Ginatang Halo-halo)

You will need- 2 grated coconuts out of which, you will need to squeeze:

½ c coconut cream (the 1st squeeze of a grated coconut: add ¼ c warm water, squeeze, and strain the resulting cream-- thick)
2 c coconut milk (the 2nd squeeze of a grated coconut: add 1 ½ c warm water, squeeze and strain the resulting milk-- thin)
12 inch pandan leaf, cut into two (optional)
4-firm bananas (saba or cardaba), sliced (to make 2 c)
2 med-size camote, peeled, cubed (to make 1 c)
Galapong (rice flour mixed with water and shaped into marble-size balls to make 1 c)
½ c shredded langka (jackfruit)
2 med-size gabi (taro) peeled and cubed (to make 1 c)
Ube, peeled and cubed (to make ½ c)
1 c cooked sago (tapioca balls)
1 c sugar (white or brown)



Place the coconut milk and the pandan leaf in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bananas. Add more water if needed to cover the bananas. Once this comes to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the following ingredients one by one with a 5 minute interval after each addition:
1. Camote
2. Ube
3. Gabi
4. Langka
5. galapong balls
6. sago
7. sugar (add this little by little and taste to check on sweetness level)
Check that all the root crops are tender but not mushy. Kill the heat and gently stir in the coconut cream.



Serve with confidence!

Notes:
I prefer to boil my galapong balls before adding to the mixture. This is similar to making palitao.
It is esthetically better if the banana and the root crops are cut to the same size.
Depending on your preference, you may add more or omit some of the ingredients. Just make sure to adjust the liquids accordingly.

Affirmation

I was visiting my mother last week in Cebu and I thought it would be fun to touch base again with some high school classmates. Seven of us had agreed to have lunch on a blistering hot day. Lately, it has become a pleasant habit to get-together with these dear friends. And the number of friends who do show up have increased. I credit celphones and Facebook for making this possible. One text or email message can spread like wildfire and before you know it, you’ve got a boisterous reunion on your hands.

At first, there were the usual topics—nothing of the personal nature. No reunion would be complete without the retelling of embarrassing high school experiences; the crushes; the wicked teachers; and, the fashion then. But with friends I practically spent my formative years with, the stories quickly evolved naturally to very personal experiences-- no inhibitions and voices sincerely speaking from the heart. The hurts, the heartaches; the triumphs and the joy. The peaks and valleys of our lives since we last graduated.

Anyone looking at our table would see seven matrons happily exchanging stories. I saw more. These were women who shared in the belief of the goodness of a God. These were women who each dealt with what life dished out and laughed. The laughter we shared was the affirmation of that belief. And laugh we did until late into the afternoon.



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High school soirees were never complete without STC: Spaghetti, Tasty(sliced bread) and Coke. With very limited allowances, this was the perfect party food combination that hit the spot. And with all that dancing, the carbohydrate loaded fare ensured that everyone had the energy to dance until curfew time.

Below is my mother’s more substantial version of this pasta dish. This dish has been a favorite in many happy gatherings.

Baked Chicken Macaroni = Successful Party

Boil 350-450grams of elbow or salad macaroni as directed by instructions on package. (about 3-4 cups of cooked macaroni) Set Aside.



In about 2 tablespoon of oil, saute the following:
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium size or 1 1/2 large onion, chopped
1 small can of pre-chopped mushrooms, drained
about 1/2 to 1 c chopped ham
2 cups shreded boiled chicken breast (500grams)
1-2 bay leaves (optional)

Add:
1 c tomato sauce
1 1/2 c chicken broth



Let simmer so flavours can blend. Cover and continue to simmer for about 15-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the cooked macaroni to the meat mixture. Blend, season with salt and pepper and set aside.



Prepare the mushroom sauce topping by:
Sauting 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 T of minced onion in a little oil.
Pour the contents of 1 can cream of mushroom soup plus 1/2 cup of milk. Season with a little salt and pepper. Use a whisk to smoothen out the sauce. Set aside.

Grate about 1 cup of cheese. Set aside.

To assemble:

In a pyrex dish, pour the macaroni mixture. Top with the mushroom sauce and spread the grated cheese on top.



Put in a hot oven (350 degrees) and bake until the top is a nice brown and bubbly.

Carefully remove from the oven and be ready to Par-tee : )

Home Reading Program

A constant item on my to-do list these days is to read at least two books a month. Some of you may not consider this a hard task to do. Many of you actually make it a regular habit-- lucky you! In my case, I have to make a conscious effort to take time out to "curl up" with a book. Because if I don't, there will always be some task-- clean and organize what’s left of the contents inside cabinets and drawers, do a beading project, draw up a weekly menu, visit with a friend, watch teevee, de-bug and de-snail the garden. I have more alibis than a harden criminal.

Growing up, the only source of reading materials in our house consisted of the Manila Bulletin Newspaper and the occasional Reader's Digest. As there were many of us (7 kids) in the house, my father assigned a day each where each of us had priority over these materials. Being the eldest, I was assigned Monday as my reading day. Every Monday I had first crack at the comic section (!). So much for a reading program at home.

Then in high school, I was fortunate to have a literature teacher, Ms. C Lana, who was responsible for opening up the wonders of the written word for my classmates and I. She did not care what we read but that we read-- a lot. The books of choice then among my friends were of the Mills and Boons variety. At 14 and with raging hormones, these romantic novelettes were most appealing. The classics were forced on us by way of the required book reports. But they too eventually gained my appreciation. Ms. Lana made poetry reading and role playing (heavy Shakespearean characters) interesting and fun as well.

Reading a book is not essential to survive. So why do it at all, you ask.

I have come to realize that being able to read a well-written book can be an enriching experience. Through these books, I have traveled many places without getting on a plane; and, savored fine cuisine with kings and scoundrels. I have eavesdrop on illicit affairs and learned a couple of "tricks" to liven things up in my own. I have solved mysteries and cried a river over the lost of innocence. New words and new ideas. Inspiration and hope. (Thank you Ms. Lana!)

Have you read anything good lately?



"Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own." quote book publisher Charles Scribner, Jr.

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Well, if you have not read anything good lately, why not try cooking up something delicious and out of the ordinary. I just cooked the following chowder for dinner two nights ago. If this recipe was classified like a book, I would mark it as an excellent classic in the non-fiction category.



Seafood Chowder ala Me ( a conglomeration of similar recipes)

4 strips bacon, sliced up
250 g creamy dory fillet, cubed
100 g baby squid, cleaned, skinned and cut up into rings
100 g baby shrimps, shelled
¼ c canned corn, cream style
1 small carrot, cubed
1 med potato, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 c chicken stock
¼ c peas (optional)
1 c roux* (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Drop sliced bacon onto a hot pan. Stir until cook but not up to the crispy stage. Set aside. Saute the onions and garlic in the bacon fat. Add the shrimp and sauté until pink in color. Stir in the squid and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the fish and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the bacon, stock, corn and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are almost done. Add the carrot and continue cooking until carrots are tender. Stir in the roux a little at a time until you get the right consistency you want—too much and you will need a knife to slice through your chowder. (If too thick, just add more milk) Heat through. Season and serve hot with some crusty bread on the side.



Roux (soup thickener)
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 c milk

Melt butter and quickly add the flour. Stir until a paste is formed. Beat in the milk. Watch the mixture thicken and like magic, you have a roux!