Reflections

Cooking and Bonding

by Meg 

Last time we read an article about the Finer Things in Life by Francis J. Kong and we also came to realize that the ‘finest things in life are those that money cannot buy’.

I want to share my finest moment with my friends today. After work, I went to Pasaraya to buy chicken and cook for an Adobo dish with a twist of bell pepper on it. Actually, it was my first time to try it and it was great! Thanks for the compliment --- my guests loved it! It was also their first time to taste a different kind of Chicken Adobo. The aroma of bell pepper, onion stalks and basil leaves when mixed together with garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, seasoning with salt and pepper creates a lasting taste to remember.

Thanks to Coney for the fruits as our dessert, it’s so sweet. To Nikki and April, what a great Italian Spaghetti! … I think I need my pen to write down all the condiments used and invade April’s kitchen to learn this new taste. All I know is the Filipino Style --- what a nice try next time, hehehe.

Anyway, the best part of it was my bonding moments with them --- our bonding moments together. Having lunch with them that started with a prayer turned out to be an informative, strategic and sensible conversation dealing with the topics related to cooking until we came to tackle how to invest money in stock market the proper way around (for info --- two of my guests are accountants) and so listening with them with their expertise finds me inquisitive enough to try and learn more --- after all there’s no harm in trying, right?!

From business matters to relationship; what a subject to discuss!  We can jump from one topic to another by all means spontaneously. From a simple book that says ‘Without love, she reacts without respect. Without respect, he reacts without love.’ --- we came to elucidate further its meaning by sharing our own thoughts and ideas; concluded and agreed that (men) his love motivates her respect and (women) her respect motivates his love.

These were among the worth sharing topics we discussed that time alone can say ‘the finest things in life’. We’re not inside a large conference room but only a small portion at home with the food on the table and my guests to complete this wonderful and heartwarming… ‘precious moment’. =)

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Chicken Adobo with Bell Pepper

- 3/4 kg of chicken

- 3 tablespoon of cooking oil

- 1/4 cup of garlic

- seasoning salt and pepper

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon of vinegar

- 2 tablespoon of sugar

- 3 pcs of basil leaves

- 1 whole size of bell pepper

- 1/2 cup onion stalks

Sauté the chicken with garlic, cooking oil, seasoning salt and pepper for 10 minutes.

Allow the chicken oil to add more flavors with soy sauce, vinegar and sugar; put some basil leaves, bell pepper and onion stalks. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes; serve while the food is hot.