If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I just posted my adobo wrap 2 postings ago, and now another adobo post? You might think I'm in an adobo loco mode, right? But ok, with "the move", my kitchen is in its temproary state as my whole pantry is still in transit. So I am only equipped with my Filipino basic ingredients of soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, etc.
But when Annapet (one of the co-hosts) invited me to join Bloghop I was curious what it was all about. Well Bloghop is a community of bloggers organized by Junia of Mis Pensiamentos. Each month members cook with one special ingredient, and this month's event is called the apple love. Silly me, despite knowing my kitchen constraints I still joined the group and committed to it.
While I was trying to get my inspiration on what to cook, I didn't realize I took 44 pictures of a single apple on my table. A bit excessive, don't you think?
I was fiddling with my camera as my thoughts wandered and I suddenly remembered that it's been a year since my father's passing. A year ago, we were all mourning and in grief when Papa died... suddenly our lives changed and believe me we went through the various stages of grief. But we've moved on and a year later, we talk about remembering him through his love for us. So for his first year death anniversary my Mama gathered friends and relatives to celebrate the memories and the life he shared. Similarly, my sister in Orlando gathered her friends who helped her go through her grief.
What's that got to do with the apple you may think? But then again, while I stare at the few ingredients available to me, I hear his voice in my head saying "maganwa ka nge ta pulutan". It is our dialect meaning "can you make some appetizers" You see my father would love to challenge me that way, he would taunt me as saying, "let's see what you could concoct this time" or "surprise me!" He loved to drink a glass of brandy, or whisky or scotch on the rocks in out terrace right before dinner. He would share a drink or two with a friend or relative or even just for himself. My Mama would be seating close by and chat with him about her day. And while he would drink, he loved to munch on appetizers. I fondly recall it seemed like each time I was around, he would say "Sige nga, make me something special" ...
I would politely go to the kitchen and amidst simple ingredients and homecooked food provincial style I would step up to his challenge. I would as Tim Gunn would say it "Make it work" . And when I present the appetizers with a little pizzaz , I could see his face light up - beaming with a wide smile, and hear him say his signature: "Dabe dabest!" (or "This is the best!").
While the rest of my family celebrated his anniversary the way he would celebrate special occasions, I had this simple plate to honor him: an apple cinnamon glazed adobo. I call it my American adobo (a dish I published here two years ago), which was one of my first posts - The Tales of American Adobo. I tweaked it a bit and made it "special" for my Papa. In my head, I heard his Dabe Dabest trademark and picture him loving this "pulutan" for him.
Apple Cinnamon Glazed Adobo
Ingredients
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c red wine (I used a left over)
2 tbsp sugar
pepper
a dash of oregano
a dash of cinnamon (i put half a tsp since we love cinnamon)
4 cloves garlic minced
3 bay leaves
a dash of parsley
3 lbs pork (I used boneless country ribs for easy slicing- please see pics)
1 pc apple thinly sliced.
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients (except for the pork) and let it simmer. On a different pan, brown the pork then add it to the simmering mixture. Allow it to cook until the sauce is reduced to a thick one. As soon as it thickens, drop the sliced apples. Make sure the glaze covers the apples as well as the pork. So simple yet so delish!
Cheers to you Papa... your passing made me bolder, I know I can do anything, because you are there watching over me... I am now wiser, because you are the voice in my head as I make decisions...
and I am grateful... truly grateful for the kind of father you are.... You have anchored our family with love and faith , so strong and eternal! I love you Papa, Cheers!
October is #applelove month!
Please join in on the #applelove fun by linking up any apple recipe from the month of October 2011. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #applelove event. The twitter hashtag is #applelove :).
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