Monthly Archives: November 2005

Lasang Pinoy 4: Wowo’s Caldereta

This is my entry to this month’s Lasang Pinoy hosted by Minnette!

When I was a kid (and way into my adulthood), I looked forward to Sunday lunches with my grandparents. Wowo, my grandpa, cooked either delicious pancit with tofu and his special sauce or his famous beef caldereta. I found it hard to imagine how a tall and formal colonel could put on an apron and stand in the hot kitchen. I remember him stepping out to take a break, dressed in his unbuttoned polo and shorts with a glass of brandy on his hand, welcoming us on a Family Sunday. The aroma of the beef caldereta pervaded their home. Mmmmm. The thought makes me smile now. I wish I had stood by his side at least once when he cooked his signature dishes.

Everyone in the family looked forward to his caldereta. We would spoon the sauce over our rice, turning our plates into shallow soup bowls. I loved biting into the chorizo and tender beef. I also liked biting into the tart olives — nakakakilig! I think my first memory of olives was in his caldereta.

After a scrumptious lunch, I would tell him how delicious his caldereta was. He would break into a big smile, say “Talaga ha!” and then pat me on the back.

Before Wowo passed away, he was able to share some of his signature recipes with us. I know it’s weird but I get really emotional just reading through the recipe. It’s been more than a year but well, I miss him a lot.

Is this soul food? Definitely. It’s a recipe that’s got heart and a lot of stories behind it. I don’t think my family can eat caldereta without sharing at least one story about Wowo. This is a family heritage recipe, one that will be passed on to future generations. It’s not only supremely delicious, it’s one way of keeping Wowo’s memory alive.

WOWO’S CALDERETA

1st set of ingredients:
One kilo beef shank, cubed
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tsp crushed blank pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
1 head garlic, crushed

Marinate at least 1 to 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

2nd set of ingredients:
Olive oil (for frying)
1 pc. Green bell pepper
1 big onion, sliced
1 can Purefoods chorizo de bilbao
2 cans tomato sauce
Green peas
2 pcs red bell pepper
Potatoes
Olives
1 can liver spread

Fry beef pieces in olive oil. Set aside.
In big pot, saute onions, add tomato sauce, bell peppers, chorizo de bilbao and beef pieces.
Cover with boiling water. Simmer until tender. Add bay leaf, potatoes, green peas, olives and liver spread.
Cook five minutes more.

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Lasang Pinoy 4

Gratitude and Marriage

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Mid-year 2002. Live, laugh, love! I have this Neoprint framed and displayed on my work desk. The pictures perfectly capture how we are everyday.

As of today, H and I have been married for two and a half years. How apt that it’s Thanksgiving too! And so for this entry, I’ll combine both celebrations and write my marriage gratitude list. So here are 10 things I am thankful for:

Waking up to H’s laughter. He gets up earlier than I do and usually watches TV while waiting for me to wake up. Sometimes I pretend I’m still asleep so I could just keep listening to him laughing. It’s a good start to my day.

Having his hand to hold always. While driving, walking, eating, watching TV at home, watching movies, shopping, sleeping, our fingers are intertwined always. I still get “kilig” moments when holding hands.

Seeing my toothbrush ready when I enter the bathroom. After breakfast, after dinner, he never fails to surprise me with these sweet little things that save me time and remind me that he thinks of me even in the simplest of things.

Fighting over the remote control. Weird but yes, I’m glad we fight over the remote. At least now I have a better appreciation of Wrestling and he now has a better appreciation of Oprah. I’ve also gotten used to watching action flicks while he’s gotten used to watching makeover shows. We continue to learn from each other that way.

Not losing that childlike wonder. “Let’s do something crazy, Wifey!” is what he’d always say. So we’d hop on the train and tour Cubao for kicks. Or we’d try a new dance game in Timezone even if we know we’d look silly. Or we’d throw punches at each other. Life shouldn’t be taken seriously all the time!

Teaming up in the kitchen. While I cook more often than he does, he always offers a helping hand. While I do the cooking, he does the chopping of ingredients. And vice versa. We also know that in our relationship, he’s the Pork Chops and Sauteed Beansprouts expert. I’m the Adobo and Sauteed Pechay expert. Hehehe.

Respecting each other’s quiet time. He watches TV for quiet time, I read magazines and books. Though we do this cuddled up against each other on the couch, we know when to let each other be and when to point something out from TV or the magazine.

Indulging each other’s swooning. While we are each other’s biggest crushes (haha!), we still swoon over cute celebrities (Tom Welling for me! Kristine Kreuk for him!) and some non-celebrities. We make fun of each other’s crushes and just let the other be with that swooning. Hanggang crush lang naman eh!

Entertaining each other’s quirks. I don’t think I can ever act out Chicken Little’s various dances in front of anyone else. I don’t think he can play around with his Star Wars toys in front of anyone else either. We have our silly and quirky moments. Those are the funny things that make our marriage extra special.

Giving each other long hugs before going to work. I see him off to work and we still find it hard to part in the mornings. I remember our first kiss as husband and wife. After that “you may kiss the bride” thing, we kissed and then we hugged for a long time. That was more special to me than the kiss! We still hug a lot. We’re a hugging couple.

Two and a half years of a wonderful marriage. Happy Anniversary, Husby Wusby! I love you!

P.S. What are YOU thankful for today?

Eggs + Tomato + Pesto = Yummy Breakfast!

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Before you go “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?,” let me tell you that this tastes better than it looks. I promise!

Beat a couple of eggs in a bowl. Mix in a little bit of salt. If you like your eggs fluffy, mix in some milk. Now in a pre-heated pan, pour in your beaten eggs. When almost cooked, top one half of the egg mix with slices of tomatoes. Then top the tomatoes with a spoonful of pesto. Fold omelet in half and slide on to plate. Top with cheese if desired.

I’m telling you this is really good!!!

Cluck cluck!

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Riding round and round the city, this is one of those times I was really glad I had my camera with me!

Strolling down Tinapay memory lane

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There’s a bakeshop called Tulips near my grandparents’ place. When we were kids, my sisters and I loved their Egg Pie, Pineapple Pie, hot Pan de Sal and Kababayan. We also indulged in Pan de Coco and that bread in the picture with the red filling (is it really called Pan de Regla?).

Upon waking up from our afternoon naps, Maymee (our grandma) would make us cups of hot cocoa. The dining table would be filled with the different merienda fare from Tulips. I loved grabbing a piece of Pan de Sal and dunking it (or as we call it “dudok”) in our chocolate drink. Yum.

Whenever the aroma of freshly baked bread fills my senses, I’m transported back to this part of my childhood. Isn’t it wonderful how our sense of smell acts as a time machine? All it takes is a trip past a bakery and I’m six years old again.

Cleaning out my closet

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My Yes, No and Maybe Piles

I love watching Oprah and I get great tips from that show. Last week, they gave tips on how to clean up your closet. I just have to share them with you! I tried the tips out and my closet is cleaner than ever. This isn’t exactly what they did in Oprah but this is how I applied it to my closet cleaning. I hope it helps!

Just ask yourself these three questions when taking your clothes out of your closet:

Is it flattering?
Do I love this?
Is this the image I want to project?

Sort your clothes into three piles: the Yes pile, the No pile and the Maybe pile. If you answer yes to all the above questions, toss that piece of clothing in the Yes pile. If there are more No answers, put it in the No pile. If you’re really unsure, put it in the Maybe pile. Do this sorting till your closet’s empty. Do this with shoes and bags too.

Put your No pile in a bag or box (depends on how huge the pile is). Set aside. Donate to charity if you want.

Go through your Maybe pile and re-ask yourself those three questions. Repeat till there is no more Maybe pile.

Ta-da! Now you have your Yes pile. That’s what you put back in your closet. Now there will be some pieces of clothing that you no longer wear but have sentimental value, you can “archive” those clothes. Just don’t put them in your main closet so it doesn’t grab space from your regular clothes. Put them in a box, or the attic… wherever, as long as it’s not in your main closet.

It’ll be hard to part with some clothes. I had several tops that no longer fit me but they were still lovely. There was a pair of beautiful black slacks that I used only once but couldn’t fit me anymore. I had to let go of “Maybe I’ll lose weight and I can wear this…” My rule was if I hadn’t worn it in the past month, I probably won’t use it ever. I decided to give the slacks to my sister. The rest of my clothes I’m giving to charity.

Here’s to cleaner closets and to clothes that we love!

P.S. I’ve posted an advanced Friday Trio. Enjoy!

Mama’s Lobster in Orange Sauce

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“Sunday is Family Day.” That’s how I grew up. Even during my gimmick years (twas a long time ago), I’d stay home while my barkada frolicked in the beach or stayed out late at bars. The few times I’d go with them there was always a gnawing feeling in my stomach. I liked spending Sundays with my family, even if we just each did our own thing around the house (Mama would play the piano, Daddy would garden, my sisters would watch TV, I’d use the computer…) and then converged during mealtime.

Since I got married, I haven’t spent that many Family Sundays with them. H & I are a little family too after all. But it’s different to go back to your old home and hang out with the folks like the good ol’ days. I treasure Family Sundays now more than ever.

Mama cooked up an extra special meal for us one Sunday–Lobster in Orange Sauce. Yummy! See more pics and the recipe below. Kain tayo!

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A Tropical Hut Burger

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I felt like going down memory lane one weekend so I pulled H into a Tropical Hut joint. Tropical Hut patties have a distinctly delicious taste. The aroma of the burgers are different too. I get whirled back to my childhood when I smell their burgers. Yummy. I can’t pinpoint the taste and the aroma… it’s just different from Jollibee’s Yum Burgers and McDonald’s. I don’t frequent Tropical Hut at all but that one weekend I felt I was a kid again when I bit into that Aloha Burger. Uh-oh. I’m not even sure it’s called that. Basta the Tropical Hut Burger with the pineapple.

Okay, I am obviously not articulate haha, I will stop right now. Nothing comes to mind but the term “deliciously distinct” or “distinctly delicious.” Ah basta, my points are: (a) a Tropical Hut burger is a Tropical Hut burger, and (b) a Tropical Hut burger takes me back to my childhood — happy memories.

Happy weekend everyone!

Gradeschool Macaroni

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There are several snacks that remind me of my gradeschool days: waffle dogs, barbeque, banana cake, Ice Drop and baked macaroni. I remember saving up my allowance to buy these snacks during recess (not all at the same time of course). The canteen’s baked macaroni was one of my favorites. The cheese would ooze into my mouth with every bite and it was always worth every peso I saved.

My mom-in-law shared her baked mac recipe with me last week and woah, when I made it, it was exactly like the macaroni I had in gradeschool! The recipe’s really easy to follow. Nothing fancy schmancy, people. I didn’t even need an oven! You can use one if you like though!

Prepare your elbow macaroni according to pack directions. I used a 200g pack. While that’s cooking, go ahead with the sauce.

Saute one chopped onion in a little bit of oil. When the onions are translucent, add in three cloves of chopped garlic. When the garlic is slightly golden, stir in one can of corned beef. When it’s cooked to your desired doneness, drop in 1 Knorr Pork Cube. It’ll dissolve into the mix, don’t worry. Pour in about two cups of tomato sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes. And oh, I added a little bit of sugar to the sauce. Then add your already al dente elbow macaroni. Stir so all the pasta’s coated with the sauce. Add a handful of grated cheese and stir till the cheese melts into the mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now transfer the mac mix into several microwavable/oven-proof bowls or just one serving dish. Top generously with grated/sliced cheese. Pop the bowls into your microwave or oven for about 10-15 minutes. And… you’re done!

You can add chopped green bell pepper to the saute. I just didn’t have any on stock but the dish turned out just fine. H loved it, I loved it and I’m looking forward to preparing this for my sisters. We’re all from the same gradeschool so this dish will make us quite nostalgic!

Now, bon appetit!

Store Check!

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Do you struggle with what clothes you think are best for your body shape?

Check out Forme. The boutique sells women’s clothing according to body shape: rectangle, triangle, inverted triangle or hourglass. It is divided into these four sections for your easier browsing. I’m a rectangle so I gravitate immediately towards that particular section. One of the tips I got was that I have to pick out tops with interesting necklines to flatter my body shape. Over my past visits, I’ve bought about two tops, two pants and I finally have that elusive little black dress. They also sell necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The salesladies are very pleasant and can help you determine your body shape via a little brochure that they have.

I’ve seen Forme boutiques in SM Megamall, SM San Lazaro and Greenhills Shopping Center. I’m not sure where there other branches are. If you do pass by one in a nearby mall, do drop by and check out what they have to offer. They really have pretty stylish and comfortable clothes!

I only wish they offered alteration services, shared new stock updates with regular customers and had a website. Is anyone from that boutique reading this? Hello? Some tips from a satisfied customer over here! *waves*

Now if only I knew how to pronounce their store’s name. Is it For Me? Form? Formeh? I wonder.