Friendship Across the Miles Series: Best Friends in Florida (BFF)

My nephew, P, had finally found work in Orlando, Florida.   It had been an emotional parting for my sister, G, and her husband.  Their only child was off to conquer the world on his own.  But as fate would have it, he was not totally alone.  A very close cousin, C, had graciously taken P into her wings. 

And when a couple of months passed, my sister, G, decided to take a vacation and visit her son.  Not to let the opportunity pass, the rest of us felt we needed to visit as well.  Besides, it was finally time to accept my cousin’s long standing invitation to visit.

After five hours of air travel, our party of seven (my mom, my niece, brother-in-law and sisters: G, J, M plus me) had finally arrived at the Orlando airport.  My brother and his wife would follow two days after.  That’s how much we take family visits seriously. 

To most travelers, Orlando means a visit to the happiest place on earth: Disney World.  To my sister, it was a chance to be with a sorely missed son.  And to our group, it meant a grand reunion among cousins who were a part of our very happy childhood.

And happy could not amply describe how we felt in the next five days. 

From the first dinner where we relived memories of Barbecue weekends— that always involved big appetites after lots of running around in the garden;

to mornings over long breakfast conversing about the past—how we use to gather every Sunday for lunch at C’s grandmother’s house  (click HERE to find out what this was all about);

-to leisurely sitting at the back porch as we continued talking about PAST SUMMERS;

-to the leisure walks along the boardwalk recalling the adventures we had as kids growing up in a simple world without computers and the internet (GAMES we use to play);

-to the party-like atmosphere whenever we all gathered be it at C’s house or some fancy restaurant.

And just like old times, we were always a big group that shared a feast.  At one occasion, a birthday dinner, I counted 26 people.  As always, there was a lot of boisterous laughter and teasing.

When there are no hesitations to give of ones’ time and resources; when arms open wide to hold you in a tight embrace; when conversation flowed easily as though there were no long absences; when smiles extend from the lips to the eyes.   That’s when I know I am in a happy place with friends and family.

----xoxoxox----

As we were growing up, the kitchen was the heart of the house.  For from my childhood memories of my mother’s, my aunts’, my grandmothers’ kitchens came the understanding of love in its purest form.  A love with the sole purpose to nurture, to serve, to satisfy, to bring happiness in every bite.

It was the same at Cousin C's Florida kitchen.    

She starts early to make sure her slabs of pork liempo for her boneless lechon are properly marinated; 

her lemons are freshly picked from her garden for her lemon squares; 

and, like an experienced conductor, orchestrated the rest of us into action—set the table, stir the pots, tidy up, arrange the desserts on serving platters.

Here are two recipes she willingly shared with me.  Let the love shine through and do give these personal favorites a shot.

C’s Baked Salmon

Season 2 slabs of salmon with salt, pepper and juice of 1 lemon. Place in an oiled baking pan. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together:
4 T bread crumbs

4cloves garlic, minced

1 t salt

chili flakes (optional if you don’t like the heat, a lot if you like it spicy)

some chopped parsley or cilantro

zest of one lemon      

Sprinkle and press the mixture on top the salmon.  Add 2 to 3 chopped tomatoes. 

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoon of olive oil.

Bake in a 415 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Serve with pasta or steaming rice.

Earthquake Cake

1 ¼ cup flaked coconut 1 ½ cup chopped pecans 1  package German chocolate cake mix 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup butter

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready one 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2.	First Layer : coconut Second Layer: pecans Third Layer: the cake mix prepared according to package instructions.
3.	Combine cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.  Drop by spoonful over cake mix.
4.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for one hour. Toothpick will not come out clean. Cool and cut into squares.