The cake in an open fire

Cakes are meant to bake in the oven and come out after an hour or so, filling every home with a delightful and sweet aroma.  But in a home where all cooking is done on a worn out clay stove, no one ever expects to have a cake or even just something that resembles one.

One summer day when I was small, my mother surprised everybody with a freshly baked butter cake she made effortlessly and almost miraculousy on that clay stove, which was fueled by pieces of firewood.  She baked the cake as a gift to my cousin who was celebrating his first birthday.

Exercise, my way

A couple of months earlier, I have prepared a corner in the house where I could do some exercise. I also have collected enough music titles that would perfectly play in the background as I do the warm-up, stretching, cardio, and cool down exercises, or when I lift my dumbbells in rhythm.  Perfect for a home exercise!

But my life is not as simple as that.  An uninterrupted exercise is too ambitious for me to desire.  Interruptions would come in the form of simple requests from my little girl – so demanding yet sweet and gentle that they are almost irresistible – to read a story, help her build a tower out of colored blocks, watch her favorite TV program, or just be her audience as she plays ‘mommy’ to her stuffed toys.

My comfort food list

I like things simple and elegant.  When it comes to food, I enjoy those that are adorned with plain ingredients yet so satisfying that I can eat and enjoy them everyday. 

When we’re trapped in  the house on a rainy day or just want a light and feel-good snack, lunch, or dinner, I’m almost sure that I can easily find the ingredients in the fridge.

Here’s my list in random order:

1. Pasta with sauteed garlic and onion, blanched spinach, olive oil, and salt and pepper
2. Pasta (again) with sauteed garlic and onion, olive oil, a little tomato sauce, and basil
3. Baked fish fillet with olive oil, leeks, ginger, and salt and pepper
4. Baked salmon with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, onion, and salt and pepper
5. Blanched spinach with salt
6. Fresh cherry tomatoes and lettuce salad
7. Toasted sandwich, with Gouda cheese, fresh tomatoes, and lettuce drizzled with olive oil
8. Beans flavored with onions, tomatoes, and salt
9. Tuna flakes with pitted olives, chopped tomatoes, and leeks
10. Tuna omelette with sauteed onion and salt
11. Runny polenta flavored with salt, sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese
12. Thick polenta made into small bars, then pan fried

Yummy and so easy to prepare!

More actions than words

As I struggle to communicate in Portuguese - to have my hair cut by a hairdresser, to get a whole fish sliced by the vendor, to ask for another stock of the shoes I have finally decided to buy, to set an appointment with the pediatrician, or to answer a phone call from someone who’s asking questions that go beyond the usual line of conversations – I’m also beginning to appreciate the power of non-verbal language.

Having worked as a writer, I never really paid much attention to non-verbal communication except when I was in graduate school when we had to study related theories.  When people read your article, you’re not there to explain things they don’t understand through the mingling of words, facial expressions, and gestures.  So the article has to be as clear as possible, relying only on the words and how they were composed in paragraphs.

In face-to-face conversations, however, there is a better chance that your message is understood.  Facial expressions and gestures fill the space that no words would rightfully and fairly be able to communicate. 

Mixed vegetables & shrimps

 

Here’s a simple dish that is easy to prepare and packed with nutrients.  The ginger sauce definitely enhances the flavors of the half-cooked vegetables.  The shrimps are cooked separately and spread on top of the dish.  You can use it as topping for Asian noodles or eat it with rice.

Useful guides to spices and herbs

Get to know more about culinary herbs and spices and discover how they can turn a dish from delicious to fantastic or how you can use them as home remedies.  Natural Remedies of Arabia   Herbs and Spices Guide

Simply delicious pasta!

 

After several years of cooking pasta dishes, I’ve learned that the best ones are those made with very simple ingredients.  This pasta dish I’m sharing here proves that a good pasta doesn’t necessarily have to be too complicated or prepared only by professional chefs.

It’s a comfort food for me and my small family.  We usually eat it with a simple salad of lettuce and cherry tomatoes.  This is one dish that is easy and quick to prepare yet so heavenly!

My first curry dish in Brazil

 

Finally, I was able to find the spices that I need to make chicken curry, which we had been dreaming to eat since we moved here in Brazil.  I love this dish so much that it’s like craving for my favorite bagoong na isda (anchovies) from my beloved Philippines. 

According to our Brazilian friends here, most Brazilians don’t like curry and other Indian spices and I think this is quite obvious when one looks at the condiments and spices/herbs section of supermarkets here.  You can barely find the spices there, except for cinnamon and cloves, which I think are used for purposes other than curry dishes.

For a couple of months of searching for the spices, I was almost desperate that I already wanted to settle for the curry powder sold in a nearby Asian store.  I’ve looked everywhere only to find out recently that the spices that I’ve so long desired to collect are found right there in a small store at the public market.