Star Apple. While in La Union, I got to see a big star apple tree and asked my sister why it was called star apple when it's round and is not really shaped like a star (like the star fruit). Obviously, sister had no answer to that question, so I just left it like that - a hanging question. Just last week, mom took home some star apple, and while she was eating one after our lunch, I asked the question again. Mom answered it with much confidence - just like when a teacher asked a pop quiz question and only one knew the answer. She said, it was because of how the seeds looked like inside. Seeing the puzzled look my brother and I gave, mom demonstrated the answer by cutting the fruit crosswise (we always cut it lengthwise when we eat the fruit) and as soon as she showed us how the fruit looked like, we just let out a very sounding, "Ohhhhhh....." Clearly, we were amazed (hahaha, babaw). Well, come next meal time, I asked sister my million dollar question and after chuckling a bit, I asked mom to show sister the answer. Sister can't help bit say "Ohhhhh," too.
So... why is it called star apple? Just cut the fruit crosswise and you'll know why. ;)
Fridge. One time last month, Ria and I went to Colinas Verdes to jog one weekend morning (20 Feb). Near the entrance, there was this crew from Shakey's handing fliers away, and when I saw that the flier had something about their Monster Meal, I took one and showed it to sis when I got home. She really wanted the family to eat the Monster Meal (hello, sis, it's good for 12, we are a family of 4), so when I handed her the flier, she quickly pinned it on the fridge door using the ref magnets. Her reason? Just so we have something to look forward to. Anyway, when the three of them went to do grocery shopping (I opted to stay at home and allow my toe to heal), they also went to Max's Restaurant to buy a loaf of bread (they give full 20% discount to Senior Citizens so we always buy our loaf bread there), and sister took home a copy of their menu, and put it on the fridge door, too. To make the door more crowded, she also put the delivery menu of Jollibee in there. Our fridge door now has been bombarded with menus...but nobody was complaining, so let them stay there.
From Tita Lisa. When mom got home from the church org event last Saturday, she said her good friend Lisa gave her something imported. Well, tita Lisa usually gives us something imported (they're from her sister who lives in the States, by the way) because she cannot really use it as she is having medical problems (she has high blood sugar and hypertension). I don't know how are we going to use the meat tenderizer and the can of strawberries, but of course we were thankful for it - at least we didn't have to go to the PX Store to get them.
Operation Maki. Mango season has already started, and last weekend, I asked sis if I could have the ripe mango in the fridge because I saw a recipe for Crepe Samurai and I wanted to try it. Well, for this month, my little foodie project is to make crepes, and when I told sis about that project, it sparked something from my sister and she just got up and listed this one in our white board. She wanted to do Cali Maki and she said she is listing down the things she needed to attract "it," so it will come true. Hmmmm... could be my sister is starting to learn "the Secret," too? Well, may we be able to do our little foodie projects this month.
*** Jenn ***
ps - I wasn't able to start with my crepes yet, so we ate the mango last night. Will just buy another mango when I start doing the crepes. Maybe tomorrow, I can try my luck.
I come from a family who loves cooking and eating. I never had any formal training in cooking and that I taught myself how to cook based on the handed down recipes, but I could say that I can cook good food. In 2008, I started documenting my food trips for my