Fun Things to Do with Odds and Ends in the Refrigerator

I've written a previous entry on how easy it is to create a fresh-tasting Salad with miscellaneous items in the refrigerator over here.  

Sometimes, when I'm at the dining table already and something needs jazzing up - I turn to an array of flavor boosters.  Favorites, of course, are olives, capers... Filipino pickles (achara).  Spices and spicy food - small fiery chilies, kimchi.  I also make my own flavored vinegars, usually with my favorite herb - basil, of course.  

Recently, we've taken to dicing more raw mangoes that we can finish in a meal - so off it goes in a covered bowl, with a sprinkling of sugar and salt.  The mangoes eventually lends some of its juices to make a very flavorful pickling solution.

Here are the mangoes, added to various odds and ends in the ref.

With Broccoli and Dragon Fruit:

  

... and with tomatoes, basil, and fried dried anchovies.  

These are welcome additions to my pared-down diet - it adds a lot of volume and flavor to my meal - hence filling me up without adding a lot of calories.

Makes a most satisfying crunch, too!

Update on Basil Cuttings

I haven't done much gardening lately, on account of a little health snag.  Most of my green work happened inside the house.  These are the cuttings that I left out to root 5 days ago.

Bringing Fresh Herbs in the Kitchen

Some of the cuttings have good root development already.  These are ready to be potted up soon.  I don't let it stay too long in water - it's a sterile medium with no nutrients whatsoever, and eventually, the cuttings lose a bit of their vigor of kept too long in water.

I have observed that basil grown from cuttings don't grow up as robust as seed-grown plants.  It's still a good way to propagate a particular variety, though  - and I can always harvest the dried seeds when these cuttings mature and eventually produce flowers.

Basil is something I must have perennially - and I'm thankful that we are in an area where spring is eternal.  Ok, a bit of an exaggeration - but we can grow these things year-round, even in scorching summer - and that's good enough for me.

Quick and Easy Dinner - Tuna, Tomato, and Basil Sandwich

I came home late last night, and I wanted something fast, easy, and, well, mildly nutritious.  Times like these call for Tuna Sandwich.  Since I make the spread myself, I control how much mayo I put in.  I also change up the flavors once in a while - it might contain a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, or, a particular favorite of mine - sun-dried tomato pesto.

For this sandwich, I piled it up high with slices of tomatoes, and a generous amount of chopped basil.  It would have been nice to sear this on a cast-iron pan - but I was too hungry, and it's just as good eaten over plain un-toasted white bread.

I didn't bother with other added flavors this time - this trio - tuna/tomato/basil - is perfect as it is.

Wake-up Videos

There are times when I don't want to wake up to the sounds of Death Metal.  I'd rather be eased gently into the day.

And this is what I listen to, when I don't want to be jarred awake.

Janet Jackson's Runaway:

The girl has skillz.  She can sing and do that amazing choreography at the same time. At best, I can only hum tunelessly while tapping my foot. This song never gets old.

Now, if I am not sure if I want to get up or go back to sleep, I listen to this:

The Waters of March, by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim. And suddenly, I couldn't care less about whatever bugs me at the moment.

"These are waters of March closing the summer;  it's the promise of life in your heart."

I have no idea what it means, but it sounds really deep, and it is most definitely reassuring.

Good day everyone!

And Happy Father's Day, Papa!

Sleepy Time Videos on YouTube

When sleep does not fall gently, like a gossamer veil across conscious thought, and instead, I am reduced to tossing and turning and itching to log on to eBay again ... I turn to YouTube.

There are a number of good videos out there;  some are from beloved classics - gems from long ago that have not lost their luster.

A favorite of mine is Clair de Lune.  It is unobtrusive - it weaves and out of your senses as you drift off to slumberland.  It flows, caressing your tired mind and allows you to let go of whatever bothers you at the moment.

David Oistrakh does Clair de Lune beautifully.  Not achingly sentimental and not too showy.  I like it when artists perform this as a gentle lullaby.

Now, if you want a lush video to go with that, this is a deleted scene from Disney's Fantasia.  It's a pity this wasn't included in the final cut.  Perhaps Disney thought the kids will be bored at this type of artistry.  Still, it's quite enchanting.

and finally, lest anyone gets Clairdelunitis, let's have a spot of Yoyo Ma's "The Swan".  It's a perfect continuation of the mood evoked by Clair de Lune.

Well, it's too early in the day to say this ... but good night y'all!

An "Indoor" Pond

Well, technically, not "indoors".  It is separated from my folks' room by a glass sliding door.  We were wondering what to do with a small space that is within the perimeter of the room when we were doing the renovation.  The architect suggested that it be turned into a Zen garden.

Wonderful idea!  We're suckers for anything green and plant-like.  We promptly turned the project over to another architect, this time, a specialist in Landscape Design.

The landscape architect is much in-demand for projects involving resorts and such.  I'm so glad he took on this project, which is rather small by his standards - more of a micro Zen garden.  He suggested putting in a pond with a waterfall.  Complete with man-made boulders, and a mural of a mountain in the background.

And so it was.

Close-up of a Fern that grew wild, in the fern slabs that were attached to the wall.

Wider shot:

Part of the mural that the architect himself painted on the wall, depicting a forest-covered mountain.  The "root" cords are made of epoxy, molded by hand, and affixed to the wall.  The mural is doing very well, even if it is exposed to the elements.  This photo was taken when the painting was about 10 years old.  

For the pond greenery, we were limited by the low-light conditions available to the area - so I planted Cryptocorynes and Anubias.  Both plants thrive well in low light.

A tangle of Cryptocorynes - these have adjusted well and are now quite lush.

Once you created a hospitable and welcome environment, it's inevitable that others will find it pleasing as well.  Here, two kinds of ferns took root, brought along by spores carried from the winds.  Welcome to my garden, ferns!

Adiantum capillus-veneris

And, well, Fernus Ferni.   Ok, so this is still up for ID.  Patrick?  Help?

It's amazing that the design was able to incorporate a pond AND a waterfall, considering the space limitations.  The pump is a strong one.  Quite a torrent of water in this particular waterfall.

We have three functioning "waterfalls".  It was an artform - calibrating the amount of water that goes into each hose, so that there's a balance of flow in all three outlets.

The effect is quite natural, specially when the patina of moss covered the boulders.

There is a plan, afoot, to turn this pocket garden into a closet, since we were not able to put in enough closet space for the house.  I hope it doesn't happen, though.

Pockets of serenity are important in our lives.  It's a wonderful thing, to turn on the waterfall and listen to the sound it makes.  It's quite amusing to see the fish scrambling about, trying to get your attention, and begging for food.  It's amazing, how in their tiny communal brain, they associated human beings with providers of sustenance - and they do beg for food, much like a puppy.

I like the way this pond has matured.  Algae and moss has crept in, giving it a more natural look.  This in turn, provided a haven where ferns can thrive.

Life unfolds beyond the sliding door.

One merely has to step outside in order to observe and participate.

A Clean Way to Grow Table-Top Plants

I had plenty of downtime recently - and it was good time to catch up on gardening backlog.  Problem was that I couldn't stay outdoors for a long time (I was on antibiotics - specifically quinolones).  Hence, it was perfect time to tend to my window-sill greenery.

When the kitchen was renovated, the architect placed a wider ledge under the kitchen windows.  It was perfect for putting my sprigs of basil.  Gradually, the collection occupied a bigger space, to include various plants - even a fish bowl with a fighting fish.

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Avocados, avocados...

In our little orchard, I look forward to the time when the Avocado tree bears fruits.  In fact, I celebrate this more than Durian season.

Avocado still-life, on Mahjong table

There's something about the creaminess of the avocado flesh that puts me in a state of mild rapture.  It's just perfect... if durian overwhelms, avocado, on the other hand, wraps you up in a blissful state of silky textures and delicate flavors.

It's like listening to a Liszt's genteel Liebestraum in the background, as opposed to being jarred by a triumphant Tchaikovsky Overture.

Liebestraum, performed by Evgeny Kissin

Tchaikovsky Overture

We like Avocados in its high-caloric best - mixed with a lot of condensed milk. You wouldn't think Avocados can't get any lusher - but it does, when eaten in this fashion.

My Pet Water Dragon

That's what I call my fighting fish (Scientific name:  Betta splendens).  I have two of them now - and I'm partial to blue.

I used to keep lots of them in tiny jars with plants - but it was a chore maintaining a bunch of unsightly algae-coated bowls with murky water.

Now, I only have two of those ugly things.

In a previous fit of impulsiveness common amongst serial hobbyist, I once ordered 8 (Eight!) mini-aquaria, each measuring about 10 inches cubed.  At present, most of them are empty souls.  Two of them, however, are in my room, and one is home to my happy fighting fish.  Quite an industrious one - he's always tending to his bubble nest.  Male betta's make nests with their own saliva, in preparation for rearing a brood of baby fighting fish.

My Betta's bubble nest.  He keeps really busy fixing up his nest.  Must find him a mate!

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Ensaimada

While researching for this pastry, I realized how much Spain has influenced our country.  Even the Ensaimada is from Spain!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensa%C3%AFmada

Once in a while, an unexpected gift graces our lives.  This one was in the form of what our neighbor unassumingly calls "Potato Rolls".  Simply put, her recipe calls for mashed potatoes which is mixed with bread dough, rolled in a log, cut up, and baked, and then sprinkled with sugar.  The resulting pastry elevates the common ingredients into the realm of the sublime.  She is quite famous for this specialty, and it is always a treat to receive it on occasions.  Lathered with jam, accompanied by green/mint tea... this makes for a very nice break in the day.

Thank you, Tita Purit!