one fine san diego day

One of the remarkable traits that my parents-in-law have is their zest for life.  Last Thursday, just as the sun had risen, they called informing us that they were driving to San Diego from Las Vegas. “You're on your way here?” I heard my husband saying. A few hours after, they called and said “We’re in Barstow and we’ll be there soon!” said the chirpy voice of my mother in law. True enough, before we knew it, we heard Mama B’s warm “Hello!!! How’s everybody!” by the door.

Papa T and Mama B brought spring early to us. The house magically turned alive as my children joined in to devour all the food that they brought with them. From the shimmering gold and yellow color of the custard flan, to the strong scent of lemon grass and the greens that go with Pho, and to the grilled pork chop releasing an earthy flavor -- we enjoyed immensely the feast they brought to us. Everything turned warmer and brighter with their arrival.

The next day, while my husband was at work and the kids were at school, Papa T, Mama B and I drove around San Diego to try out his camera's new lens. Contently, I watched them from the rear end of the car, Mama B singing along Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me  on Sirius satellite radio and Papa T driving around the canyons in search of views to capture.  I was sitting alone at the back, quitely absorbing and basking in the strength and beauty of their relationship.  My in-laws have shown me how to look at the world in a new way.  A world full of optimism and hope, that when I get older I should look forward to the days to come, as these days will get even better.  I was there happy to look through a window into the future, wishful that in 20 years, my husband and I would enjoy the life that my in-laws currently have.

I've talked about them in this blog previuosly, here and there. With Papa T's permission, I am sharing the pictures he captured.   The sights are undeniably San Diego to me:  the sight of a Navy helicopter hovering the sky, the surfer riding the waves during winter, the breathtaking seascape of Torrey Pines in La Jolla that greets me as I drive down highway 101... ahhh indeed, such a fine San Diego day.  And I get to enjoy the experience twice... the second time through Papa T's lens.  Thank you also for letting me see life through a new view, like that of a new lens of a camera, able to capture the essence of the moment... and letting me get a glimpse of the future.

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With this inspiration and since it's the Lenten Season,  I made Fish Lumpia... (well  I had a difficulty finding a segway to introduce the recipe LOL!)  But ok I promise this lumpia is so easy to make:

Ingredients:

Catfish fillet (or any white fish fillet)
Lumpia Wrapper (spring roll wrapper)
Calamansi - zest and juice
salt and pepper

Sauce:
2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1Tbsp Soy Sauce
sugar
sesame oil
sesame seeds
2 tbsp calamansi or lemon juice
green onions

Procedure::

Slice the fillet into strips
Season with calamansi or lemon juice, salt and pepper Add some calamansi rind or zest.
Wrap the fillet using lumpia wrapper
Fry the lumpia in a pan until golden brown.  Set aside.

For the sauce:
Combine all the  ingredients together except for the sesame seeds.  Let it thicken.  Adjust according to your taste. You are now ready to enjoy your fish lumpia! See it was that easy!

I went one step higher... and added the sauce on the lumpia.  However, you should eat the lumpia right away it will become soggy.

Sweet Imperfections

It never fails to amaze me how my parents start their day early in the morning, nestled at the corner of their room, each with a cup of coffee, chatting intently. They are so engaged with their conversation and you could tell that they truly enjoy each other’s company. They still do that up to now… over 46 years and counting. And their claim to everyone is that they never fight, and we their kids are witnesses to that. Mom would lovingly serve my dad his meals and my dad has always had praises for my mom. If their relationship was a symphony, it would be in perfect harmony. This for me is a marriage made in heaven.

Does my marriage fit under this category? Well maybe not, but what my husband Chi and I share can be best described as a “beautifully imperfect” marriage. While it’s true that some marriages are much like my parents, I believe that in most marriages, you have to work hard at it just to keep it going, and work even harder to make married life ideal. By taking the ever- obsessed -about “perfection” out of the equation and accepting each other’s imperfections, we can transform our differences into sweet imperfections.

Chi and I are different in so many ways. Ok fine, actually, we are very different. He likes listening to “who-knows-what kind of genre this music is”/alternative music, while I love to listen to smooth jazz and mainstream music. In his down time, he loves to listen to his music positioning himself at the center of both speakers. And while he is in an almost meditating state, I could tell him anything and all I get is a nod or a smile. It’s like my signal to stay away and give him his space. He is a bit shy and reserved while I like to go out and meet people. When we’re with other people, I usually do most of the talking. I would see his eyes roll whenever I mutter something outside of his comfort zone. Later, he would tell me: “Love, that was T.M.I. (too much information)” and I would beg to disagree saying “I was just sharing!”

Lately, we started to follow an exercise regimen, and he would rather use the treadmill while I prefer to walk around the neighborhood. I tell him to enjoy the San Diego weather, but he insists in going to the gym. At the dinner table, he would talk passionately about science to the kids while I talk about my latest dish or my newest business idea… but yes we would laugh at how different we truly are from each other.

There was a painting in our dining room a few years ago that we both loved. It was a painting of a basket full of fruits, I liked the vibrant hues of the yellow bananas, the red apples and oranges. I fell in love with the intensity of the colors… and his comment? “I love the black background and the shadows, very calming“. We both appreciated the art work… but we laughed at how different our views were.

Today, there are several reasons for us to celebrate - a birthday to enjoy and blessings to be thankful for. The dish I prepared is Pork Roast in Black and White. When I reached for the hoisin sauce and the garlic for the pork roast, I was struck by the stark contrast in color, how different these two ingredients are… black and white… but with this contrast, the two ingredients complemented each other, bringing a dish that turned out to be oh-so-delish.

This has made me reflect that even though the relationships we are in are never perfect, and no matter how different we are from our spouses or partners, we could still get it together and celebrate each other’s uniqueness, and as Tim Gunn of Project Runway would say, to “Make it work!”

Pork Roast in Black and White
(this recipe is under the category: unbelievably easy..lol!)

Ingredients

3 lbs. Pork Roast
10 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp Hoisin sauce




Directions:
In a bowl, mix the hoisin sauce together with the minced garlic. Brush the mixture generously on to the roast. Cover the roast with foil and bake it at 375F. Remove cover after 1.5 to 2 hours. Add more hoisin and garlic mixture at this point. Bake for another 30 minutes or until it's fully cooked. Let it stand to cool then serve sliced. Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds. ENJOY!!!