My Method of Madness (or how I made Braised Pineapple Shortribs with this and that)

I like how the Italians say it - l'arte d'arrangiarsi. The art of making something out of nothing. Making a feast out of the simplest of ingredients and the most meager of pantries. Well actually I can't say I have a meager pantry because my mother (God bless her!) had somehow instilled in us her children what she called the consciousness to have food in the fridge, the cupboards and the table all the time (or what I think is a post WWII syndrome of being scared to not have anything to eat). As for me the motivation is not fear but the thought of having to put on layers of clothes just to go to the store and pick up one lousy loaf of bread or a tray of eggs. So yes I try to make it a point to always have something I can pull out and make a meal or a snack with. And because I'm a spice girl (no, not the 90s Brit-chick band but I won't mind having their royalties right now) I also have an array of stuff that I use to jazz up what is otherwise an ordinary meal. I mean why settle for plain scrambled eggs when you can have a frittata with cilantro and parsley?

And I think that basically sums up my kitchen playtime. It's like playing scientist (but with far less dangerous substances) - first I come up with an idea for a dish I want to make or eat. Then I survey what I have on hand (and more importantly, also assess the extent of the damage after, as in "is it worth it to have to wash and scrub pots and dishes after?"). Then when I can finally say "eh, what the heck" then it's time to have fun. I fire up the stove (or the oven), lay out and prepare my ingredients and go from there. I'd look at my row of spice soldiers and pick out those that to my mind would work well together (and this is not borne out of guessing but from actually knowing how each spice tastes like). And while I prefer to make dishes that will be done in less than 30 minutes (again, NOT Rachel Ray-inspired here!) or where I can just let it cook on its own, 90% of the time I check back and adjust, adjust and adjust some more. It's partly being OC, partly crazy thinking I can still push the envelope with a dash of this and a sprinkling of that, and partly just because I can (still my favorite reason of all). Usually I get it right anyway. Or so my eyes, my nose and my tastebuds tell me (and on occasions where I can have people taste and judge for themselves).

So is there a lesson somewhere in this? Well, not really. I have friends who say that they see my passion in cooking. Or a talent for it.
I'd rather think it's a talent for pursuing what makes you happy.
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(Inspired by a friend's Orange Beef Ribs, I made this Braised Pineapple Boneless Pork Shortribs. I don't have an exact recipe but I remember what I threw in the pot to come up with this - and yes it is a bit of this and that!)

When Life give you Lemons, Make Lemon Cake

It's been awhile since I added something here. It wasn't merely from lack of inspiration but something that does resemble a recipe: take one part of feeling-like-I-have-nothing-good-to-write-about, a spoonful of it's-more-fun-to-browse-through-Facebook, a heaping cup of having-a-new-puppy-to-housebreak (not having a lot of success there by the way), and a good measure of what's-good-on-TV-right-now. Combine all ingredients, let the mixture sit and steep and before you know it, a couple of months have gone by.

Anyway...

I have been itching to make a cake for some time now and finally I got around to doing it. A friend's Facebook post (yes that's right you can also get inspiration from it!) gave me the needed push and the extra willpower to quiet down that teeny voice inside that says cake goes straight to the hips. I've been having visions of making an ooey-gooey chocolate cake, a scrumptious ube cake or a moist carrot cake laden with plump raisins. Actually I did try to make the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for Easter but I miscalculated the baking time as well as the cooling time before I put on the frosting. The result was an overdone carrot cake with sloppy cream cheese frosting sliding down the sides. I dumped the evidence before the Easter Bunny came to take away all my chocolates for ruining his special day.

My friend mentioned this simply decadent caramel cake from a bakeshop in Manila and yes, that alone gave me drool-worthy visions of a heavenly dessert. Funny how food has the ability to do that. It can transport you through time and space, instantly connect you with the people who have shared it with you one way or another, and yes, even give you that needed stimulus to create something (at least in my case).  And when all else fails, good food (making it, eating it or sharing it) does have the ability to soothe and comfort one's soul.

I'd like to say that this is a creation of a sweet genius but it isn't. More like a simple homage to some simply awesome things in life: Spring, lemons, sugar, butter, vanilla. And yes, good friends and good life.

Whoever said it got it all wrong. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too.