When I visited my family in the #PH for the first time, with my father and older brother, my dad started telling everyone how I make the best #adobo. I was like, “You cannot say that in front of my aunties in their own homes, that is like throwing down the gauntlet.” My father was the oldest surviving, and an MD, so he got away with shit no one should really get away with. TBF, it was his first trip back home in 35 years, so he wanted to brag about us. I was just happy to meet my #family.
As a #GenX#FilAm, most FilAms my age have #Filipino mothers and white American fathers. My family is one of the rare ones with a Filipino father and a white American mother. It’s even funnier because my mother was a #nurse, so when people find out I’m FilAm and my mother is a nurse, they assume she’s the Filipino one, even other Filipinos. Dad graduated med school at Far Eastern in the early 60s, and almost immediately left for NYC, where he met my mother. My brother was born in ‘67, I in ‘68.
Whenever I need to spruce up some blah japanese takeout, I make this:
Tiny spoonlet garlic salt
Tiny spoonlet furukake (i love seaweed and sesame seeds)
A few grinds of black pepper (mom used ground white pepper)
A few shakes rice vinegar (the sharpness of the vinegar should slightly outweigh the soy sauce)
A few heavy shakes soy sauce
A few shakes of Tapatío (or anything that brings the heat -- you want a little bite -- I have also used a couple jalapeño slices)
Mix it and then dump it (or sprinkle if you're civilized) over the blah dish. You will turn feral.
My mom's original was better but she used this as dipping sauce for everything.
In grad school I'd make a small jar and use it for lumpia, egg rolls, any kind of dumpling or picket full of meat.
My favorite cozy mystery author has a new book out for pre-order! Look at the cover art for Murder and Mamon by Mia Manansala. 🥺 📚
From the author's newsletter: "Goodreads is running a giveaway for MURDER AND MAMON and the HOMICIDE AND HALO-HALO e-book will be discounted from July 24-31, so if you haven't grabbed it yet, make sure to take advantage of the discount!"