It was just an ordinary Sunday, really. Nothing special about the food (callos, spare ribs, Red Ribbon mocha crunch cake, Arce avocado ice cream). But the family hadn't gotten together round this table in a while and it just felt good to hear laughter around this dining hall again. Food writer that I currently am, I still believe that at the end of the day, it's never just about the food. It's always the company (although yes, amazing food may be the saving grace for bad company sometimes!) and the memories that are formed during the dinner experience.Here, we were just cherishing our lolas (grandmothers), Nana Meng (head of the table), who is now 92, and Lola Chol, now 82, who just celebrated her birthday.
I also noticed that around this table were three generations of women while the men situated themselves outside for a game of tong-its (a card game similar to gin rummy?! - I don't play either). We have here the grandmothers, the mothers, and at my end (I obviously took the picture), the "kids" - hehe I'm still in denial. The topic of conversation? What else - food! Top of the list: Lola Chol's ensaimada that we were still insisting she make! She shared with us that she lost - thinks someone stole - her recipe book that had all of her most treasured recipes that she collected through the years. And reconstructing a recipe isn't an easy feat!
Lunch began at 12 and ended at 5. First served were the callos and the ribs (store-bought from SM, said the maid at this home - my uncle's - but very well marinated and tasty!), then another uncle came at around 3 with palabok and lechon manok. Then yet another uncle arrived at 4 with the cake. I left around 6, appreciating the soft and sweet taste of that mocha cake from Red Ribbon (ever reliable - but did you know that their cakes now also average around P450? - nothing sells for just P300 anymore!).
Diabetis waiting to happen, you say? Hey, the drink for the over-extended lunch was Coke Light. And this disgusting, DISGUSTING ampalaya juice that my uncle tricked me into drinking by saying it was kiwi!
4 comments:
Omg, ampalaya juice???!!! That's plain mean of your uncle. Although it does look like kiwi.
I found a cake that sells for P300! Not from Red Ribbon, but a nice homemade coffee cake with mangosteen.
Where where where??? =) any good?
Hi Ms. Margaux. I grew up reading your weekly articles in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine. You inspired me to appreciate our family's own "food" heritage. My grandmother was an amazing cook while all my aunts tried their best and persevered to give their husbands (hehe - my Lola's sons) the best dishes they can. This post reminded me too of so many, many Sunday family lunches. I hope we can meet over coffee some time because I want to learn from you. Gracias.
Hi Hechoayer! Thank you so much for your comment. Hope you continue reading SIM. :) I like your blog! We are kindred spirits in food.
PS Read your post on Margarita Fores. Eloquent as she is, she actually graduated with a degree in Accounting, would you believe? But she was inspired by the lola-cooks who taught her in Italy ... and the rest is history. She is pretty amazing. I am a fan!
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