Rar-dom

No Place Like Mama's Kitchen

2009-10-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Seventeen months. That is how long I've been living here. Nowadays I am finding myself constantly yearning for the tastes and smells from my mother's kitchen. And it doesn't help how we always talk over videochat when it's lunchtime over there and they have to describe in detail what they're having for lunch. My attempt to soothe my homesick palate has led to me to recreate my mother's favorite dishes. You see, when I first moved here I was more into the sort of food you'd pick from a restaurant menu. It was good for a while and the presentation always awe-worthy but I have since found comfort in the oily, salty, sweet, sour, and too-good-for-words combinations that are distinctly pinoy (sans MSG, of course). My mother would be proud!

tortang giniling, as my husband would remember from hanging out at my house during college days:

this is what's for dinner: beefsteak tagalog

and yes, I hoard calamansi, a necessity. For every rare chance that I find some in the Filipino store, I buy a lot to store, freeze, and share.

Chicharron, anyone?

2009-02-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

I admit, I like Anthony Bourdain's show a lot. No Reservations always entertains, with his witty remarks, and somewhat comical take on food and culture. Right after I watched the "Colombia" episode a couple of months ago, I asked my husband to search for Colombian restaurants in LA so we might try it. We only managed to drive to Burbank a couple of days ago and found ourselves in Cafe Colombia. I have to say, it was one of the best lunches we've ever had in a loooong time. The flavors left us moaning! Oh yeah baby, culinary orgasm. Feelin' you! (I can't help it, listening to Vic the Brick Jacobs---that catch phrase is too contagious.) The soup was excellent, we don't know what was in it but I'm having it again next time. The chicharron was cooked just as my mother makes "kinupusan". No lechon-kawali here. No sireeee. It was definitely worth the drive through the heavy read and barely visible freeway. That was the first time we ever tried anything "Colombian", and we are already planning on going back next week.

Why blog?

2009-02-10T01:05:00.000-08:00

So here i am, with thick covers in bed, watching the police pursuit of some guy (dj khaled or chris brown??? whatever), and i just told my husband, "I'm gonna start blogging again." Meanwhile, he just nods to everything i say as he is absorbed on a documentary about skunks.
And I decide to call this blog Rar-dom. Random. And we call each other Rar. Get it now? I have a feeling I am actually going to follow through on this account. Yes, i have abandoned so many blogs before. Blogspot is supposed to be easier to work with. We'll see.
This ought to be healthy for my mental health. (I don't mean to sound too clinical). It is difficult to be in the house all the time with only your husband to talk to all day. And so, blogging it shall be.