Buwad!!

I just had the yummiest lunch in ages. I miss the taste of home-cooked meals, particularly those that my mom used to whip up for me back when I was still living with my folks. I have been away from home since 2008 and I have kindof forgotten the taste of real food. I think that's one of the downsides of living away from home--- all you can afford to eat are just junkfood, canned goods and fastfood. I do have a kitchen, a stove and all the works, but I would either not have the time to cook for myself, or I would just brush aside the thought of cooking something special because I'm all alone in my place and it's just totally pointless to cook something special for one. I have done it many times before, and most of the time I would whip up something that's good enough for 5 or 6 people and it's just a whole lot of waste. I can't cook pasta good enough for me, can I? That's just really weird.

Anyway, I went to visit my niece at the Ecotech Center in Lahug to see her competing at the Regional Math Olympiad Competition (she won by the way--- first place, imagine that), and on my way home I passed by a small Talipapa just across JY Square Mall. Now I'm not exactly sure how I got there, but one street full of talipapa goodies just led to another, and the next thing I knew, I was shopping--- as in SHOPPING. There's just so much joy shopping at a talipapa coz it's way too different from the usual grocery store. I bought fruits and fish and spices--- all at half the price, maybe even less.

I decided to cook me a kick-ass lunch the next day--- buwad pinikas, na pinalutaw sa mantika with lots of onions, garlic, and tomatoes. And to give it a little beautiful bullshit touch, I added one of my favorite ingredients--- cayenne pepper. I can't cook anything without cayenne pepper. It works like a magic wand, really. I havent had this dish in a million years like, seriously. There's just so much joy in small things.

And all of a sudden, I miss home.