Of Tofu And Mangoes and Seedlings
6:39pm
Music: I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith (loud music I am overhearing from the Training Dept)
I had two goals to meet the past weekend. One was about cooking while the other was about picking mangoes.
As you know, obviously, I have been staying in the kitchen during weekends. My dishes were Nilagang Manok and Pechay Guisado, all from sassy lawyer, Connie.
The former was served on a Saturday lunch. The latter was served for a Saturday and Sunday dinner. And no, Sunday dinner was not a leftover from Saturday night. I went overbored in buying the ingredients that's why my grocery receipt went over a thousand, which normally tallies for about 800 bucks only.
I did not religiously follow the recipes. I disregarded some and added some items.
The last two dinners made me use tofu for the first time. I am not a fan even in a serving of LTB (Lugaw/Congee, Tokwa/Tofu, Baboy/Boiled pig's meat). But there will always be first times, right? It was also my first to use sesame seed oil in my dish. And boy, am I a proud owner of another kitchen tool: a set of measuring spoons. Inspiring.
This one is not part of my weekend plan but I find the need to post it.
I already have at least an inch of chili seedlings. I am not sure, though, of its variety. I have mixed at least three types in the bag: bell pepper; long, green chili (the one usually used in sinigang) and the red hot one (the one used as a dunking sauce along with patis and vinegar).
I am thinking of where to transplant them. Our backyard usually gets flooded on rainy days.
Sundays had always been boring to me. But if I will choose to be at work or lounge at home, I will definitely stay at home and be as bored until work day comes in.
I tried to take a nap around 3pm. It was damn hot but I have my ever reliable, semi-functional (It does not rotate, for reason that I want to find out. I took care of it but can;t think of any reason why it suddenly had a severe "stroke." And I am the only one using it.) electric desk fan.
I think I feel asleep for about 5 minutes. But that wasn't enough. Much harder was to try to get that "antok" feeling back. Headache on a hot, boring afternoon. So, I went down and ate a couple of biscuits.
As I was seated, my two brothers were sleeping on our sofa. The elder was even snoring. How could they? Our window was just right in place to allow sun rays to enter. Plus, they did not have any kind of ventilation. But they were having a good time romancing the cushion. Kainis. Perhaps, it was my semi-wet hair for I was almost fresh from the shower when I laid down on my bed.
Anyway, so I thought of something to do. I thought of cooking dinner already but it was too early. I just checked my plants at our yard. Then, thought of a wonderful idea...
... pick some mangoes. Hmmm, it has been more than a year when I last tasted our homegrown fruit. And it was my dad who planted that tree. It was thick with fruits but less than last summer.
I looked for the piece of wood that my nephews use to pick the mangoes. I climbed up the tree. It was swaying because of a strong wind. I just stayed on the first stable branch. I tried to go higher but the wind stopped me. I got mild bruises on my right wrist and left leg for hanging on the tree like a monkey.
I guess, it was totally different when I was younger. Back then, I do not fear heights even climbing high construction places and public school roofs. No, I am not part of the Akyat-Bahay Gang. We were kids playing hide and seek with a little pusoy dos on the side. Before I can go up to the third level branch of that same tree. And I do not use any kind of wood to get the fruits. I reach them with my hand, twist the branch and break it.
We usually do it at noontime. I call my friends by clapping my hands. That was our kind of sign. At least five kids are up on the tree minding their own business but with one aim: to pick as many mangoes as each one can. Before, we did not pay attention if the one mango was still about to grow in size and be ready for consumption. We even didn't care if we can eat all of 'em. All we wanted was the delight of climbing a tree and then going down with a handful. That was the peak of the excitement. Once everyone's done, we peel the skin off the fruit. Some prepare the dunking sauce. And this sauce can either be the ff: patis (fish sauce), patis and salt (How healthy); Bagoong (shrimp paste); salt, msg; salt, msg and chili; patis, salt and chili,; salt and chili; bagoong and chili.
And then one will trick the other by rubbing a red, hot chili on one of the shredded peices of mango and then returning that piece inside the bowl where we get our share.
I managed to get four mangoes yesterday. Two, I ate with Bagoong Balayan (anchovy sauce) while the other should be on our tableby now, hopefully.
So, on weekends, I have at least three productive things to do.
Labels: Childhood Bliss, Whatever Weekend
posted by Arn 
at 7:26 PM
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