Daddy can you hear me?

Hi Daddy,

Remember how stressed out you were when you got a phone call that I had bit off my tongue as a result of being side swept by a provincial bus? Do you still remember the relief that went through you when the doctor told you that I would be alright?  Did you laugh to learn that it was not my tongue I bit off but it was the hotdog I had been eating at the time I crossed the street?

Remember how you had to rush back to the rest house of the DR’s because you got word that I had fallen and broken my right arm? Do you still remember how you tried to gently go over the ruts on the road so as not to jolt me and cause me to cry in pain?

Remember how you woke up with a startle from your afternoon nap to find me crying by your bedroom doorway with blood dripping from a cut on my upper lip? Remember how I cried and pleaded that I was alright and did not need to be sewn up by a doctor? (by the way, do you remember what you did to my sister who was the cause of the cut?)

I sure was in a lot of accidents when I was a kid. But not enough for you to stop rushing to my aid.

Remember the times I brought home my report card with red marks in Pilipino and Math? Do you still remember calmly telling me, “how hard is it to get 75?  And that was all the lecture I got.

Remember how you would drive me to my soirees and as I got out of the car, you would say, “Don’t let the boys hold you tight”?  You didn’t have to worry.   You always managed to pick me up when the dance had just started.

Remember how you would be gracious in receiving the boys who came to visit me at home? Remember how mommy was all aloft while you shared a drink with them?  I always wondered what you talked about when I left the room  to freshen up.  But that’s alright. They usually never came back.

Remember how I joined the protest march against the dean of my college? Do you remember explaining to me that “it’s alright to be idealistic but that  you have to be realistic”? Remember how you quietly nursed your drink  as you listened to me cry in frustration?    

Remember how upset I was when you broke my glass dragon? Do you still remember the angry words I hurled at you for your careless act-- never mind that you repeatedly said you were sorry?    Do you remember forgiving me for the hurtful words?  

Remember that Saturday evening when you walked me down the church aisle?  Remember  the words you said to my hubby as you  held his hand? "Take care of her." 

Remember how I would return home every weekend even if I was already married and 5 months pregnant with your first grandson? 

Do you remember our last conversation?

“I’ll see you on Friday.”. I said to you over the phone.

“Alright. See you then.” You answered.

That Friday afternoon, your heart failed.  Just like that, you left us.

There  still is so much I have  to tell you.  Wouldn’t it be so cool if it were possible to just pick up the phone and call you now?  

Then again that would be strange don’t you think?   

Love you then, love you now, love you always.

---xoxoxox---

I don’t remember having cooked a meal for my daddy.  There were the cookies and the cakes but never the main dish.  That task was in the capable hands of my mother.   

My mother was lucky in that my father was not a fussy eater.    He only had coffee for breakfast.  For lunch and dinner, I remember daddy eating quietly any meal cooked by my mother as he listened to the stories we brought to the dining table.  

Most often the meals consisted of something fried paired with utan (visayan vegetable stew- recipe here). As my mother’s cooking repertoire improved with practice, she would prepare dishes for special occasions that deserved the blue ribbon.   One such dish that my father and my siblings ate with gusto was the pata asado.  (Updated Recipe with pictures HERE)  

On ordinary days, he enjoyed simple fare.  As a tribute to my dad today, I would like to share this simple and easy recipe for Tortang Talong.  A simple dish for someone extraordinary.

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet)

3-4 roasted eggplants, skinned

Filling:
1/2 k ground lean pork
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper

2-3 eggs (depending on the size), beaten

How to roast an eggplant:
Choose eggplants of similar size and go for the ones that are not too slim.
Wash and prick with a fork to allow steam to vent out of the eggplant.
Place on your grill and roast. Turning every now and then.
You will know that the eggplant is completely roasted when it has shriveled up and are very dark.  If the skin comes off when pinched, it's ready.

Prepare the filling:
Saute the onions and garlic.  When onions are translucent, add the pork, season with salt and pepper.  Saute until cooked through. 

Assembly:
Flatten the peeled eggplant with a fork just enough that it still holds a shape. 
Pour a beaten egg and coat the eggplant.
Add some cooked filling in the center. Spoon the scrambled egg over the filling.

How to cook:
In a non-stick pan, heat up a teaspoon of oil. Gently place the eggplant omelet and cook for about 5 minutes before carefully flipping it over.  Cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Transfer to a serving platter and continue cooking the rest of the eggplants.

Serve with catsup and steamed rice.

Note:
Depending on the size of your eggplant, you may not have to use all of the cooked filling.  Save it in the freezer for another day.