Jammin' with Musicians, Talk-stories with Writers and more..

It started with a simple request, Nonoy, a violinist wanted to jam with great musicians.  He asked that I invite some. I did and also invited writers and publishers and community folks on Sept. 30, 2011, and two favorite priests.

I have been planning what to cook for a month, shopping for ingredients for a week and cooking for two days and loving every moment of it.

First, I sauteed crimini mushrooms in garlic and olive oil. Then, I added provencal herbs, and flavored it with white balsamic vinegar and a bit of lemon zest and rice wine vinegar.  I then added some of the roasted bell peppers ( red, orange, yellow ) and marinated it for two days.  Today, I boiled penne and rigatoni multicolore.  I then sauteed chopped sage, chopped leeks, and anchovies. As I was cutting up the fresh pineapple ( I have two kinds of fruits - papaya and pineapple ) to serve as a side entree, I burnt the leeks, and sage and anchovies, flavored with provencal herbs and red pepper flakes.  I looked at it, and it was salvageable, I added the pasta, and added the mushrooms and peppers, and some diced up red pepper, and shaved parmesan cheese, and two ladles of pasta water.  Wow, I cannot believe how tasty it is. I gave a spoon to taste to my hubby, Enrique and he nodded.  He is a man of few words.  Then, I told him what happened. In his most reassuring comments, enough said " Maybe that is how it is supposed to be. " My, he can be uplifting, and quite precise to be emotionally satisfying.

Well, I am going to call this Jamie Lazzara and Caroline Kennedy's pasta, for it is in their honor that I am making this pasta. I am taking a photo to show it off, I will serve it as is, next to the La Maison du Pain cheese bread.  It was a hit, the rib roast that I asked the butcher to skewer, to poke holes just below the fat surface, well, they closed up after freezing,  I should have inserted my garlic even then.  But, because the "pre-poked holes" closed up, I poked the midportions and inserted a paste of kosher salt and minced garlic. Then, I made a dry rub of chopped sage, chopped rosemary and chopped thyme. I then roasted, slowly, at 300F for almost 8 hours.  It was just so tender and flavorful, it went with the multigrain oatmeal bread from La Maison du Pain, who also created a great dessert for us: chocolate mousse with fresh fruits, topped with champagne grapes and dusted pistachio bits.  Elegant, simple but perfect!!

I then made a green salad mixing up romaine lettuce, arugula, and mesclun mix with diced up persimmons, surrounded with shavings of carrots and added figs and nectarines.  It looked such a bowl of art, I did not want to touch it and the guests were so gingerly polite in getting one serving, they did not want to disturb it.  I wanted to say, please this is a huge bowl, go dig in. But, I remember what my children sometimes tease me with, " Mom, do not be a food pusher. " So, I don't I simply show folks the buffet table and slice the meats for them as a way of my connecting them with the amore I prepared the food with.  When I am cooking for company, I am in a different world,  I am creating recipes and if that recipe is so successful, I am just ecstatic that even though I have reviewed the cookbook of Mario Batali, I had an idea of what my table would look like: full of vibrant colors and full of textures.

Then, another side dish I thought of is to be prepared for my vegetarian friends, just in case some arrive late. And they did, two of them, so I hurriedly heated the pan with sauteed leeks and yams, and then, added the pre-steamed snap peas and chicharo also called sugar peas and then added the citrus marinated firm tofu and of course my secret ingredient, that is no longer a secret as I am broadcasting, oyster sauce. Wow, in five minutes, I had a dish that the vegetarians loved and ate every morsel of.

But, I forgot to snap a photo and when I remembered, it was gone, which I was happy about. When I cook, I want all of it to be eaten up, it is a mark that all enjoyed it.

This is the dish that was the star, it disappeared in five minutes, which I predicted it would. It is black cod, a gift from a very generous friend, Masaaki Hori, who even dropped it off while I was gone and luckily, my hubby was home to accept it. He delivered it on ice, mind you, a true food safety expert who walks his talk.  Anyway, I marinated the black cod in sake, rice vinegar, miso ( fermented soy beans ) and a bit of sugar for two days, then, broiled it until the fish flakes off and the skin bubbled up. It was gone, every bit of it!!

Then, friends came on time. It was so lovely to start a party on time. But I could not have enjoyed it if Rocio did not arrive early and helped me set up. She is a professional at public events and quickly set up the table and made everything looked so yummy.  She even picked up the dessert and the breads.  My it was truly lovely.

The clouds had darkened a bit, it started to sprinkle but,  it stopped but the sky was kinda hot pink and with a rainbow. Wow, that was a good sign for me that we are surrounded by folks we love.  Fr. Rodel called it a full platter of blessings, of people who love art, music, humanity and had good leadership.  My, he must have connected with all the guests!

Here are photos taken by Christine Oshima, which she agreed to be posted in this blog, the rainbows were quite a blessing, a sign that our efforts for this evening would be blessed by grace and magic.

My one regret: I have no photos of friends who came, so, whoever reads my blog and wants to post photos, email me your favorite images, Christine, please! Benel, Janet, please!  I had a blast, and the last guest left at 2am, a blessing as we had a chance to converse about genres of musicians' styles and I love the generous, positive, giving spirits of all the friends who attended. I think the event filtered itself to cluster folks with rich, purpose driven lives who continue to be generous to others. I also like the new term that Mon David gave to our library " Soulful art and heart chamber ".  But, truly, I cannot thank enough my nephew, Brian who offered a ride to folks willingly and supported me in the kitchen, as well my sister, Sion and all our generous friends who came who gave of themselves and shared their talents!  And I must thank all my generous friends who brought food and drinks to share: Janet, Ruben, Fritz, Christine, Benel, Rocio, Yong, and if I miss some, know that I love you just the same!

Photo by Christine Oshima

PS: Christine came to the rescue, all these photos are hers, except those identified as not.  Thanks, Christine Oshima and thanks Janet and Ruben Nepales!

Photo by Ruben and Janet Nepales

Share

One Spring Day that Inspired a Dinner!

Happy Spring!

Spring Calla Lillies

Safaris

Garden Roses

One Spring Morning, quite early for me, I went to downtown Los Angeles to buy some flowers.   I got distracted taking photos and kept clicking away.  The result was like being immersed in a palette of colors that stayed with me throughout the day.  Someone was teasing me as I had so much energy, I did some gardening, then, did some housecleaning, and even a trip to Trader Joe's.  Whew, I did not get tired..oh yes, I did, but it simply took me a few minutes to re-center myself.  


Flowers give me their innate nature's energies.  They inspire me so much.  I witnessed so many beautiful wreaths that surrounded my father's casket that I told my family, I prefer to get my flowers now, rather than later when I am six feet under.  So, my good hubby gives me the best looking orchids for our wedding anniversary and my birthday.  Once, my cousin, Alfred teased him and said, you mean Kuya your love is only seasonal?  Ha, ha...do  jokes have their underlying subtext of truth or not?  Well, I have gotten flowers for over three decades now, so there is an enduring sweetness to that.

Inspired by that thought and recalling memories of flowers for three decades,  I created my husband's dinner tonight, which included me of course, using colors.  Yes, I love colors for my meals.  

Here is what I created.

Ravioli with Arugula and Cheese in Olive oil and Sage, with Snap and Sweet Peas and Shaved Parmesan

Boil ravioli until they emerge to the surface.  Set aside.   In a separate pan, boil for few seconds, the sweet peas and snap peas.  


I love the combination as the snap peas have the crunch, while the sweet peas have the sweetness.  Harvest them after a few seconds, they turn from raw color to bright green cooked color; set aside in a platter.

In a hot pan, add a combination of olive oil and few dabs of butter. You need to combine oil and butter to prevent the burning of olive oil by itself or burning butter by itself, but together, they mellow each other out.   I suppose that might be true for how a person mellows out when with a partner, as the partner mirrors to the other, her strengths and weaknesses.  


Okay, back to the sauce.  Add the sage leaves and herbes de provence to the heated oil/butter combination.  Add the cooked ravioli and toss lightly.  Plate the ravioli in your favorite platter, and surround it with sweet peas and snap peas.  If desired, add parmesan cheese shavings.

My side entree was pan - roasted brussel sprouts in garlic and olive oil, pictured below, that was then baked for a few minutes until done.  Keep an eye on brussel sprouts, if overcooked, it tastes not just soggy but slightly bitter.  If cooked just right, they taste somewhat sweet and a bit crunchy.  If undercooked, they taste inedible.  


So, keep an eye, it is about patience when cooking, patient to wait till the flavors mellow into one another.  It cannot be rushed, for the flavors are raw and have not quite marinated well together. 


I suppose that is like life, or nature, one cannot rush the ripening of fruits or for veggies to be harvested at a given moment.  Instead, with careful investment of labor, water, attention, weeding, the fruits of the tree are ready for picking!  


Happy Spring to all of you! 

Brussel sprouts, pan roasted with garlic in olive oil, then, baked till cooked and served with shaved parmesan cheese.

Share

Rainbows on Our Dinner Plate!

Prosy's Provencal Salad

What happens when health becomes wealth?  I had experienced the depths of inconsistent self-care, brought on by indulgent meals while vacationing in the Philippines. Yup, I was fed well, but also since there abound so many sources of triggers for allergens, my asthma was so out of control, but life-threatening, when combined with flu and allergies in 2007.  I thought I would remain so hooked to inhalers to get relief for my asthma. 

But, my husband, Enrique Delacruz,  was so determined to strengthen our immune systems. He experimented and came up with his formula for our morning breakfast, juicing nine varieties of fruits and vegetables.  In my old archives of blogs, the juice recipe appears.  But to make it easier on my reader, here it is

Then, we incorporated more exercise into our daily lives.  The regimen kept us away from major bouts of diseases and illnesses. But, not quite yet on reaching the peak of health is wealth.  We are still on our journey.  Being healthy is not just about the absence of illnesses.  It is the condition of one's body which fully supports the rigors of one's life.  Until I got to where I felt I could move around without aches and pains, I did not consider myself healthy.  

Mind you, I have logged in 214 days of exercising since 385 days ago as of today, March 28, 2011.   The rigor of the routine is pretty intense, walking uphill to the summit, alternating with two days of kettle bells, now lifting 53 pounds and while holding this heavy kettle bell, sometimes with one hand, sometimes with two, I have to do swings.  

Then, on cardio days, it is a triset, with no rest in between three different sets, more like continous that by the end of the third set of exercise, you feel like so deprived of oxygen, which you won't be, if you had remembered how to inhale and then exhale with each move.  It does not come that easy, but I persist, because the reward, the payoff is a deep, deep sleep!

Another payoff is the ability to write, to have a clear head, to be able to think and to compose my essays. This way, my editor, I like her, as she does not mince language on me, she says like it is, she uses no poetry to deliver that my work needs editing, and then she comments that her editing work can  sometimes become " karumal-dumal. "

Look up that word and you will see that she paints it precisely.  But, after working with her for a year now,  I believe we are more receptive to each other's feedback.  But mind you, she can be sparse with good tidings.  Of course, our interpretation is no news is good news.  As long as I have one reader, yes, just one reader affected, influenced or impacted by my writing, I am content.

Back to health is wealth.  So, with exercise, with juicing, nothing changes in my body.  It seems to hold onto to every pound of fat I have.  Of course, I love my fat grooves, but as I grow older, I wish there can be more muscular grooves.  After all, I work so hard exercising and eating nutritious foods. 

As a last resort,  I listened and I even applied my creativity to what my coach suggested for my nutrition for the week: lean meats and veggies, no dairy, limited good fats, no whites ( sugar, flour, pasta, etc. ) What made it easier to stay on it is the allowance of one cheat day while doing six days of nutritious eating.  Fruits are forbidden, well limited, and since this salad was more yummy with mango, I added it and ate few chunks.  He was so convincing, he was ready with his science to explain why white rice, white sugar, white flour, white pasta all become sugars in my body.  So, when he explained it that way, refined carbs became a once a week guest in my meals. 

So here goes Prosy's Provencal Salad. I called it Provencal, as the dressing was inspired by my Provencal master teacher in cooking, Tessa.   

2 blood oranges, peel then, cut in semi-thick circles

1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly

1 avocado, sliced into serving sizes 

1 or 2 tomatoes, quartered

Radicchio, sliced

1 Mexican mango, cut up into serving sizes, like the avocados ( you can slice it the way you want )

Balsamic Blanc

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pour the balsamic blanc and olive oil into the salad, a ratio of 12 parts of olive oil to 1 part of balsamic, depending on your taste.  I have lessened it to 6 parts to 1 part and both my husband and I like that combination. 


I serve this salad with smoked milkfish or tinapa, or steak or porkchops or sometimes fresh crabs or garlic sauteed shrimps.  Tonight we had it with pork.  The salad leaves a satisfying feeling first, in your mouth: textures are both crunchy and smooth, and second, the eyes are so satisfied, looking at all the vibrant colors on the plate, it feels like you are eating rainbows on your dinner plate.  It is a period, a high five, a slam dunk for both of us!  It is light enough, and it has plenty of fiber to keep us not quite so hungry until the next morning's breakfast!


Bon Appetit!

Share

Care of the Soul begins with Right Eating of Right Foods

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are, says a wise nutritionist.

One glum, dark, gloomy day when rains were robustly coming down, I wanted to infuse some life into my home.  Well, I could not turn on anymore lights.  But, I wanted my home to feel like it is lived in, populated by energetic, vibrant folks.  Well, we are vibrant, we are energetic, but when we work out so hard, we feel so weary and tired, almost without any energy left to make meals.  Not a right attitude, as we pay for it in terms of aches and pains. So, after resting quite a bit, I decided to pull out the frozen beef shank and make a soup called bulalo. But, then, I just went to the produce store, so I had leeks, two ears of corn, purple potatoes, green cabbage, and saba bananas.  So here goes:

1 beef shank, cut up into cubes, like beef stew serving sizes
1 leeks, chopped finely
chervil leaves, chopped
1 young garlic bulb with leaves, chopped finely
a whole garlic clove ( mince the segments and over heated olive oil, brown them, and set aside )
purple potatoes, cubed and do not bother to peel
corn on the cob, remove the husk ( that is the outer skin ), split into half
saba bananas ( they are like plantains, but smaller and tastier ) - remove the peel and cut in half
green cabbage ( slice in 8 wedges )
bok choy
asparagus spears ( 8 )

Yes, it feels like the beef shank is merely an accessory. It almost is, except the fragrant marrow is the big star, as it gives the soup its unique flavor. So, get your big pot, heat it up. Add olive oil and then add right away the leeks, young garlic bulb, some garlic.  Caramelize the leeks and add the beef cubes and shank. Brown the meat and add fish sauce and salt to taste.  After the meat changes color from raw to somewhat cooked, add four cups of water. You might need more as you tenderize the shanks to a texture of easy to chew.  Taste the broth, is it to your liking?  If it is, leave it alone to boil at the slowest, lowest flame.  Keep at it for several hours until you taste the flavors blending out to mellow out each other.

The veggies before they were added to the puchero/bulalo stew: Corn on the cob, leeks, purple potatoes, bok choy.

Then, a series of cooking the veggies.  Cook asparagus, it takes a few seconds, as soon as the stalk changes color from white to almost green, remove and set aside. Add potatoes and when it is semi-soft, remove.  Add the cabbage and it takes a few minutes, do not overcook as overcooked cabbage taste soggy and somewhat bitter, while cabbage that is somewhat crunchy still is kinda sweet.  When cooked to your liking, set aside.  Add corn, and when all the kernels are cooked to your liking, remove and set aside.  Add bokchoy, it only takes a few seconds to cook this vegetable.  Set aside.  Then, cook saba bananas or plantains, and set them aside.

Keep boiling the beef cubes and the shank.  At some point, you will notice the meat tenderizing. When fully cooked to your satisfaction, take a good bowl, layer it with the vegetables or surround the meat with the vegetables.  Serve with hot bowls of rice or without, as in my case, since my trainer forbade me from eating refined carbs. I settled into eating two cubed potatoes, a quarter of a whole potato that is.  Remember to place the brown garlic chips over the serving plate.

This is the key, as the garlic smell plus the well made soup and the blending of all different colors: brown, purple, green, yellow makes this such a delectable, tempting soup that brightens any rainy day.  Do not forget to thank the chef who labored to get the veggies, the meats, chopped them and cooked them with all the loving details.

Okay, let me know how it turns out, but this is really a hybrid of Sunday's meal that my mother, Asuncion Abarquez used to serve us, puchero, and because I love bulalo so much, I am using beef shank. This way, I get the best of both worlds, remembering my mom's cooking and doing my own version.  Now, I am also leaving this in my blog for my family and friends to also try.

Share

Grace and Gratitude Dinner - Dec. 30, 2010

Mon David, Nicole David and Carlo David singing their own compositions!

My neighbor's heart-shaped lilac ground flowers bounded by pink cactus flowers - it is my inspiration!

Chianti-braised filet mignon with mushrooms and sauteed red peppers

It was instinctive, actually it was a thought of the moment to thank folks who made my life lighter with  laughter, with graceful, thoughtful demeanors of service, and being sources of inspiration.  Let the photos speak for themselves.

The entire spread of steamed okra, chayote, green papaya, kalabasa, green beans, mustard greens, okra with mangoes, roasted eggplant, grape tomatoes, salted egg, shrimp paste and bagoong.  Side entrees are chianti - braised beef, garlic - braised adobo, steamed striped bass with lemon zest, ginger, tomatoes and onions and La Maison du Pain's cheese bread.

Steamed Okra

Steamed Green Beans and Mustard Greens

Here is Ruben Nepales' writeup of the evening.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20110106-312908/Yearend-with-singing-family-and-priests


P.S. Here are truly my intentions and what moved me to do it...

The dinner was instinctively planned. I did not even have a theme until one morning, my heart said " gratitude and grace " -- gratitude to the folks who love you, who help make your dreams come true, who give you a lightness about life and grace to bring in new blessings for 2011, for I believe that 1/1/11 = 4 which is unlucky in Chinese mythology, it means death, but it means death to 2010's greed, selfishness, and bringing in 1/1/2011 = which when multiplied is 22, a double dose of grace, gratitude and good blessings, just like the double rainbows we got in LA the other day.

Kazuyo's fundraiser was a miraculous success.  After waking up early to do simbang gabi, the parishioners and friends of Immaculate Heart, all 71, paid $50 for a fundraising dinner where the priests sang a total of 11 songs, where each of the five priests, Fr. Rodel Balagtas, our pastor, Fr. Camilo Pacanza ( Associate Pastor of IHMC, the broadway priest, with theater background, he was organizing plays during his school days, he went to see Oberamaggau, the passion play executed every ten years, he was trained in Ateneo, and been assigned to 7 parishes in 30 years as a priest ), Fr. John Era ( was not at my dinner ) Fr. Kenneth Masong, Fr. Anthony Carreon, and Fr. Adrian San Juan ( was not at my dinner ). I am not sure how much was raised, but it was a positive fundraiser not just in terms of unifying the core of the parish, but also raising funds for the capital campaign.

Hmm, the simbang gabi is another miracle, every morning at 430am, the church fills up, rain or shine. Some of the parishioners are caregivers, they take the bus, but they are first at the gate, like me, I was lining up with them to wait for the church gates to open at 4am.  It did not matter that it was cold, it was gray or it was raining, the parishioners were there.  In the last day, they overflowed.  But the Christmas mass at night overflowed to the sidewalks, patio, streets, and every available space, including exits and entrances had folks standing.  From over 600 to almost a thousand was the increasing attendance.  This is a phenomenon, as in St. Brendan's, Monsignor Fleming complains of decreasing attendance of their simbang and singles out the Filipino families ( which is why I stopped going there - not quite hospitable ), but Fr. Rodel has worked hard in nurturing pastoral and community unity in his parish - he holds retreats, he encourages passion plays during Holy Week, there are over 65 ministry groups, and now IHMC school started a musical program to attract more families to go to the school. 

I got to the church last Dec. 2009, so I was impressed seeing the banners that $1.9 million has been pledged, involving 80% of the parishioners. I asked Fr. Rodel how many families are those - he told me 400 families, but I suspect that has increased as they have now collected $400,000 or 21%.  When I joined the parish, Fr. Rodel reported 11% has been collected at that point, in a year, during a recessionary period when families lost jobs and some their houses, the parish increased their capital campaign collection by 10% in one year.  So, that it is in my book, miraculous. The church by the way was built during 1940s, arguably post - depression and world war II hardship years.  The church is now starting its renovation, first with the roof, again in the midst of two wars: Iraq and Afghanistan.  So, I believe there is an underlying peace and renewal mission behind this church renovation!

Share