Food and My Memories
Last weekend, I pigged out on all kinds of unhealthy food. The uncertainty of my situation in Singapore has been driving me insane. I mean, I really do want to go home, because I want to live my life there. However, if I get this job, I have to consider staying here for another year.
Hmmm.....let me list down everything I ate over the weekend (starting Friday night)
12 brownie nibblers from Mrs. Fields
1 bag of Hershey's Kisses with Almonds
Sliced pork from Bee Cheng Hiang
Taiwanese Black Pepper sausages
A big bag of potato chips
Pork Belly fried in Olive Oil and Garlic
Pork, Pumpkin and String Beans Stewed in Coconut Milk (Prepared exactly the way my Mom used to)
I was suddenly inspired to cook over the weekend because I suddenly missed my Mom. Notice how nothing ever tastes as good as your mother's own home-cooked recipes? I have spent the last 5 years of my life trying to recreate how she cooked things because it kept me linked to her even when she could no longer recognize me.
Come to think of it, there are probably a lot of mothers out there who cook better than my Mom, but nothing will ever replace her adobo, spaghetti, pinakbet and of course the laing. I've already been able to get at least the 2 dishes right. However, I'm still frustrated that I can't cook the pinakbet the same way she did.
Since both my parents come from Bicol, most of the food I ate as a child was prepared in coconut milk with some chili in it. Got a chicken? We'll cook it in coconut milk. Got a fish? We'll still cook it in coconut milk. You only have meat left in the fridge? Here, let's put some coconut milk in it. That's why until now I have a really high tolerance for spicy food and I love anything with coconut milk in it. In fact, there's a Singaporean-Malay dish called laksa which I really like. I sample it in the different hawker centers whenever I can. It's noodles and seafood cooked in coconut milk.
I used to be really in love with this guy many years ago. When I was still naive and stupid, I actually thought we would get married. Of course we had conversations about who would prepare food in the house. They would often go like this:
ME: So, when are you going to learn how to cook?
HIM: Never.
ME: Why??!!
HIM: Only women should cook?
ME: What if I have to go on a business trip? How will you eat??!!
HIM: I'll just go home to my Mom's house.
ME: I hate you!!! I'll make sure to put lots of chili in the food!!!!
HIM: Then I'll go home to my mother's house.
ME: I still hate you!!!
HIM: Hey, my Mom says she's available to teach you how to cook...
ME: Why?
HIM: We were hoping you would be interested to bake brownies the way my family does....
Obviously, it didn't work out. He was always complaining about my cooking. Either the food was too salty, too spicy, not sweet enough, etc. Hmmm...I wonder when I will finally meet the guy who WON'T complain about my cooking.
Hmmm.....let me list down everything I ate over the weekend (starting Friday night)
12 brownie nibblers from Mrs. Fields
1 bag of Hershey's Kisses with Almonds
Sliced pork from Bee Cheng Hiang
Taiwanese Black Pepper sausages
A big bag of potato chips
Pork Belly fried in Olive Oil and Garlic
Pork, Pumpkin and String Beans Stewed in Coconut Milk (Prepared exactly the way my Mom used to)
I was suddenly inspired to cook over the weekend because I suddenly missed my Mom. Notice how nothing ever tastes as good as your mother's own home-cooked recipes? I have spent the last 5 years of my life trying to recreate how she cooked things because it kept me linked to her even when she could no longer recognize me.
Come to think of it, there are probably a lot of mothers out there who cook better than my Mom, but nothing will ever replace her adobo, spaghetti, pinakbet and of course the laing. I've already been able to get at least the 2 dishes right. However, I'm still frustrated that I can't cook the pinakbet the same way she did.
Since both my parents come from Bicol, most of the food I ate as a child was prepared in coconut milk with some chili in it. Got a chicken? We'll cook it in coconut milk. Got a fish? We'll still cook it in coconut milk. You only have meat left in the fridge? Here, let's put some coconut milk in it. That's why until now I have a really high tolerance for spicy food and I love anything with coconut milk in it. In fact, there's a Singaporean-Malay dish called laksa which I really like. I sample it in the different hawker centers whenever I can. It's noodles and seafood cooked in coconut milk.
I used to be really in love with this guy many years ago. When I was still naive and stupid, I actually thought we would get married. Of course we had conversations about who would prepare food in the house. They would often go like this:
ME: So, when are you going to learn how to cook?
HIM: Never.
ME: Why??!!
HIM: Only women should cook?
ME: What if I have to go on a business trip? How will you eat??!!
HIM: I'll just go home to my Mom's house.
ME: I hate you!!! I'll make sure to put lots of chili in the food!!!!
HIM: Then I'll go home to my mother's house.
ME: I still hate you!!!
HIM: Hey, my Mom says she's available to teach you how to cook...
ME: Why?
HIM: We were hoping you would be interested to bake brownies the way my family does....
Obviously, it didn't work out. He was always complaining about my cooking. Either the food was too salty, too spicy, not sweet enough, etc. Hmmm...I wonder when I will finally meet the guy who WON'T complain about my cooking.
posted by wilgefortis @ 3:20 PM
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