“BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD”

There’s this 3-book series: “Before The Coffee Gets Cold”, written in Japanese by Toshikazu Tawaguchi and later translated in English by Geoffrey Trousselot. 

It is about a cafe in Tokyo where customers ordered coffee, poured and served after which they reminisce, travel back in time and return before the coffee gets cold. 

The moral lesson in this series is to “cherish the people and the moments in our lives before they become part of the past”.

It is for this very reason that my sister and I chose “Before The Coffee Gets Cold” as our catch phrase; or you may call it slogan, mantra, battle cry; if you wish: 

My sister lived in the US for about 38 years and to me, she sparingly came home for visits. During those earlier years, long distance calls were expensive, no Skype or FaceTime yet. We limited our calls to birthdays and Christmases. 

Looking back, I’d say that we missed a lot being together and sharing life experiences during those crucial years. Those years were challenging, with no manuals to guide us so we groped;trying to make married life better and rearing our children the best we could while holding a career. 

At times like those, sometimes we just need a sister to talk to or just see each other over coffee. Who knows, we could have even enjoyed those years better by just comparing notes. 

I was so happy when she finally decided to retire here, leaving her 3 children and their families in the US whom she can visit as often as she wants. Her prime intention upon her return was to bond with family, especially with me and our older brother to compensate for lost time.

Therefore, “Before the coffee gets cold” is a reminder for us to make the most of this time now since we are not getting any younger.

My sister and I spend a day a month together; lunch out, some shopping and errands that we can do together. Since she lives close to our brother while I live on the other side of town; they see each other more often; but we meet on birthdays and party with the whole clan once or twice a year.

Compared to this cafe in Tokyo, over here popular cafes are places to be and be seen; a convenient place to work or to socialize, to catch up with friends or even a venue for dates “over a cup of coffee”, so to speak. 

I learned that Tawaguchi published the 4th book of the series: “Before We Say Goodbye”, but then we will temporarily set that aside and maybe when the time comes we can move on to that catch phrase. In the meantime, “Before The Coffee Gets Cold” will cut it. 

CIOPPINO, MY VERSION

I felt like eating cioppino today, it is one of the Italian dishes I love. I found shrimps and red snapper fillets in my freezer and clams I that are open because they were cooked the day before But it doesn't matter; I saved the juice to add to the soup. 

The beauty of this recipe is that you can add any seafood you want; so anytime you make cioppino, just cooked what is available. I thought I’d make it a one-dish meal so I added carrots, spinach and cabbage. And why not? 

I decided to cook the cioppino in my sukiyaki bowl, it is just the right size for a recipe for two. It could keep the cioppino warm while I serve it; no need to transfer into a serving dish. 

      INGREDIENTS 

3 tbsps butter

1 tbsp canola 

1/2 cup celery leaves, chopped 

1/2 cup chopped leeks

1 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried thyme 

1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs

1 tsp dried basil

1 tall can tomatoes 

1/4 kilo shrimps, peeled and deveined 

1/4 kilo red snapper fillets 

1 cup white wine

2-3 cups water

salt and pepper to taste 

PROCEDURE 

-in my sukiyaki bowl, I put 3 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp canola

-once the butter melted, I added the garlic, onions, celery leaves and leaks until the onion softens. 

I added the wine, the dried herbs, tomatoes, 1 cup water, salt, pepper. I covered until it boiled. 

-I then put in the fish, shrimps and clams and I stirred to incorporate everything. I covered and allowed to boil for a minute. 

-I put in the steam veggies, salt and pepper to taste. 

I sprinkled the chopped celery leaves and leeks. 

And this dish is done! It is best eaten with crusty btread 

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD

Recently, Jim underwent a vitreous eye procedure. My children never failed to show their love and concern on situations like this. 

My son flew in for the day to be with us. When he came up to the waiting room I realized that most of the load was taken off my shoulder, I could even breathe easily and I was so happy to see him. But by then, Jim was already in the prep room. 

It is during crucial circumstances such as this when our family regroup and my son makes it a point to come home, much more so than on family celebrations, though he never missed family milestones. 

The procedure took longer than we expected.

“I need to go check out from Shangrila hotel soon, but I need to see my dad, at least talk to him briefly, please let us know as soon as I could see him ” , he told the receptionist. 

“Let’s take a selfie”, I said thinking that he may not see his Dad. “Why, do we need a proof that I was here?”, ! he jokingly replied. “Ok, let’s take a selfie by the Asian Eye poster then”, he said and I willingly got up and brought out my phone. 

While waiting, both of us feeling a bit apprehensive, we talked; and my mind was diverted; for a while I forgot what’s taking place in surgery. Though he was here last month to celebrate his birthday we didn’t get the chance to really talk. I was glad for the opportunity to catch up. 

I was happy to hear our grandson’s latest activities, that he is grade 5 class officer and the “reforms” he intends to make in their school environment. Hmmm, ain’t he all business? On Tuesdays during breakfast, he would announce: “oh, it’s Tuesday, I have a 2 o’clock”, he would say, meaning the class officers meeting.  

My younger daughter, who also lives abroad has been messaging me, asking details which made me feel that I wasn't alone on this. 

“Thoughts and prayers with you and Dad, take care” ; she messaged early that morning when I said that we were already at the clinic. Henceforth, I kept updating her because I know she is waiting for news. 

My older daughter who lives in town, came over the night before to wish Jim well and to boost his morale. Like her younger sister, she kept communicating as well. 

“Please tell manong Jim that I’m praying and thinking of him during the procedure”, my sister messaged me as well. 

Finally we were told that Jim was in the recovery room, still groggy but he would be awake soon.

I immediately messaged my two daughters; 

“Dad is now in recovery room”; meaning that the hard part is over. “Great news”, they both replied. 

Finally, my son was able to talk to his Dad, they held hands and he placed his other hand on his Dad’s shoulder while they talked briefly. Then he said he had to go, so we hugged and I sent him off with a thank you for coming home however briefly. And then he was gone! 

Left alone momentarily , I said my prayers of thanks that everything went well. Then I remembered that I had to go two floors down to accounting; so I gathered my things and got the bill settled. 

“On our way home, thanks a lot for your prayers and your well wishes for Jim”, I messaged my friends and my sister who were praying for us. 

I realized that in life no matter what curve balls is thrown to us, somehow it becomes more bearable with a loving family and the best of friends. Thank you , Lord for their presence in my life. 

And all’s well that ends well. 

My ILOKANO PINAKBET

Every so often, I feel like eating pinakbet. Though I am adventurous in food, especially when we eat out I always order a different dish every time we go back to the same restaurant. 

However, I realized that no matter how deliciously different dishes are, after a while we long for the food that we are accustomed to. Do you agree? 

Today I thought I’d cook pinakbet. Here is my recipe for two, left overs do not go to waste because a day or two-old pinakbet taste better if properly refrigerated; that is if you like to replay your dish. 

                   Ingredients 

8-inch long ampalaya cut into strips diagonally 

2 pcs medium eggplant cut as in photo

3 tbsp cooking oil

4-5 meduim tomatoes 

1 matchbox size ginger, sliced or crushed 

1 medium onion, sliced in half-moon

1 tbsp minced garlic 

6-7 pcs okra, both ends removed and cut in half 

1 native green pepper

1 tbsp salt

3 tbsps fish sauce

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme 

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp white sugar

4-5 pcs old chicharon that lost their crunch -optional ,

Or 1/4 kilo pork belly optional. 

            Procedure

1- Cut the ampalaya diagonally and dredge in 1 tsp salt, allow to sweat, press to remove juice and wash 3 times. 

Steam until cooked. Set aside.

2-in a pan big enough to hold the entire dish, sautee in oil onions, ginger and garlic. Cook for one minute 

3- add tomatoes, okra and eggplant and green pepper Mix to incorporate the sauce and until veggies wilt a bit. 

4- add fish sauce, ground pepper, thyme, salt and steamed ampalaya

Add 1 1/2 cups water and continue cooking. 

5- stir veggies until fully cooked. And the dish is done. 

Notes: 

-choose the palest ampalaya that you can find, they are not too bitter .

-the secret for a delicious pinakbet is in the generous amount of tomatoes. I even added the remaining 1/4 can of diced tomatoes. 

-Notice I did not put string beans and squash. Not in our family. I believe putting beans and squash is the Tagalog version

-It would be nice if we can get these native veggies like patani, baeg and bagbagkong to add to the dish. 

-Some use shrimp paste for saltiness, or even the brown anchovy sauce. That is a matter of choice. 

MINESTRONE SOUP

It rained last night. It is still raining so I couldn’t walk. I thought I’d make minestrone soup for lunch. 

Here is my recipe

Ingredients:

4 tbsps olive oil

1/4 kilo beef cut in thin slices

4 strips of bacon

1 large onion, chopped.

1 large carrot, cubed 

2 meduim potatoes, cubed

1 cup od celery stalk, chopped 

3 tbsps minced garlic

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tsp dried thyme 

1 tsp ground pepper 

1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped 

1 can diced tomatoes 

1 cup mushrooms, pieces and stems 

2 bay leaves

250 grams elbow macaroni

1 tsp salt

3 cups water

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp chopped parsley 

Procedure:

1- put half of the oil in a pot big enough to accommodate the entire dish. Fry the bacon until crispy, set aside. Using the same oil, sautee onions and garlic until onions are soft. 

2- add potatoes, carrots, celery and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes

3- add mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme, herbs and bay leaves, and stir

4-add water and wait until it boils. Then turn off heat. 

In a skillet, put the remaining oil and fry the beef slices, add a little water and continue cooking until tender.

In a separate pot boil water and cook the macaroni until aldente.

6-Back to the boiling sauteed veggies: 

Add the bacon, beef and cooked macaroni

7- add the parmesan and add more to taste. 

8- add more salt to taste 

And the dish is done. This thick soup is best eaten with crusty bread. Comfort food, yum! 

WALKING 10,000 STEPS SOLO

Walking with friends is enjoyable with lots of laughter and social interactions. There are times though that they are unavailable to walk with me. 

Walking alone may sound boring at times especially because I’m used to this group of jolly people who only have good or funny things to share; personal or otherwise. 

What to do when I walk alone? 

The thing is, taking long walks alone creates a hum of contentment inside me that no other activity can match. With or without company, I love the pure thrill of knowing my vibrant persistence. 

It could be a time for quiet reflection that it makes a lot of difference in how I feel afterwards. 

When it is still dark around 5 am, I often pray the rosary. In one round, approximately 3,350 steps, I can finish 2 mysteries. 

Walking stimulates my thoughts; words and phrases come out of nowhere so I often stop, type them to my notes for my next blog. 

I do intermittent walking; walk fast for a while, then slow down, walk fast again, and so on. 

I take photos of the moon; 

the puffy white clouds 

or the dark ones hovering above 

the breaking of dawn in the heavens. 

 I bask in the beauty of the sun’s rays peeking out from the treetops and rooftops. 

All of nature’s wonders are always a joy to behold. 

When it’s light enough, I take photos of newly bloomed flowers, especially those that match my color for the day.

Taking photos reminds me of those wonderful days during the onset of the pandemic when I walked with Tess. 

She introduced me to better appreciate sunrises and to do tricks in taking photos; something i realized was a lot of fun which I couldn’t enjoy while I was employed. 

While walking alone, I meet other friends along the way. I take that chance to catch up with them. 

As much as I welcome solitude while walking alone, there’s nothing more enjoyable than walking in company of friends who always make my day. 

ENDURING POSITIVITY IS KEY TO HAPPY AGING

Two of my walking buddies in their fifties and thereabouts often tell me that they want to age like me, to be as active and as energetic. They are curious how I manage to be joyful and full of zest at 79. What is my secret? They ask. 

I can attest that this is not a matter of luck; nor so much as good genetics; I believe it is more of general outlook on life and daily habits. 

Twelve years ago, i can’t claim being fit. I thought that being retired gives us the freedom to do our thing, without restrictions and just enjoy life. 

So I got careless, I indulged in sweets until the wee hours; read a lot, didn’t sleep much and avoided exercise. Lo and behold; the photo below shows the aftermath. 

With my younger daughter

Earlier when I was employed, I was conscious of what I ate; I never touched ice cream, cakes and pastries then. I did exercise in spite my busy schedule. I guess those earlier habits made it easier for me to go back to that lifestyle. 

What then is the secret of my enduring positivity? 

Maybe because of my positive mindset; I’m a glass-half-full-kind of girl….

Maybe because I have a loving family; a good husband and sensible caring and generous children…

Maybe it is in knowing which challenges I can solve on my own from those I need to lift up to The Lord…

Maybe because I’m a social person; occasional socializing makes me relax and enjoy life more….

Maybe because I read a lot that diverts my mind from negative thoughts. 

Maybe because writing is my therapy; it brings me to that sacred space where words flow easily, thus my emotions are fully expressed….

Maybe because I don’t compare myself to others; instead I work to make myself better than yesterday. Moreover I am happy for who I am and grateful for what I have. 

Maybe I am open to learning new things; that’s why I embrace technology that opens up into a whole new world. 

Maybe I focus on self care, I value “me” time; drink a lot of water and I prioritize sleep. I also take naps that rejuvenate me.

Exercise is a big factor, for sure. Walking first thing in the morning with friends gives me magic moments while I exercise. 

Exercise releases endorphins that boost our mental health, help relieve pain and reduce stress. It also burn calories that keep my body fit. 

Finally, I learned to control my diet, eating healthy food that nourishes my body at best. 

But most of all, I take life in stride, while I try to overcome challenges. I embrace the little aches and pains that aging brings. 

“Keeping one’s attitude positive especially when the world conspires to make us mad, is one of the great accomplishments of life” - Brendon Burchard