Kung Hei Fat Choi & Tapioca's Birthday
I don't know if it's luck or what. Tapioca's birthday fell on a Chinese New Year. The year of the water snake.
Our year didn't really start out good. Nanay and Tapioca got sick. We've been going in and out of the hospital for the whole month of January. Kulang na lang tumira na kami dun. Then, February came and Tapioca went under the knife. He had bilateral hernia which can only be fixed thru surgery.
After all we've been through, you can just imagine how he was not really in the mood to celebrate. But you know me, I love birthdays. And it's a milestone for him. It's his 30th Birthday! I thought it's not right to just let the day pass without celebrating his special day. It's also a thanksgiving for surviving all the storms and trials that went our way. Eh ayaw talaga. I bargained to buy him a cake. A tiny one therefore not something fabulous. His only request is for me to get his fave flavor -an ube cake. And . . . tikoy. Yes! At least pumayag.
I went to Cubao earlier today and bought the cake and the tikoy. It felt kinda weird not buying stuff like pasta or something. Eh ayaw nya so I really didn't buy anything anymore. Then evening came, I got in touch with Nanay to check how she was doing. Our conversation ended up with food (we love and live to eat tee hee!) and she mentioned having Caldereta for dinner because my second cousin celebrated his birthday too. Tapioca overheard the conversation and said "I want Caldereta too!"
And the idea sparked. I know I have to make his day really special. I recently bought this cookbook from the National Book Store. It is basically like an advert for Mama Sita as every dish requires you to use a Mama Sita product. But the thing I liked about it is how easy, simple and no frills are the recipes. It's the perfect recipe book for people who don't have the luxury of the time to do laborious cooking.
As I was browsing the book for the Caldereta recipe, I came up with the menu for tomorrow.
- Caldereta
- Pancit Palabok
- Fresh Lumpia
Pinoy fare lang ang peg. Just a few of Tapioca's favorite Pinoy dishes. Looking at the recipes, they're so easy to follow and I knew I could do it. I have been cooking everyday since we got home from the hospital without any assistance from Tapioca. I am so proud of myself. I'm taking my domestic goddess into the next level tomorrow. Hope I can pull it off.
