For the first time in my adult life, I got to use the kitchen to cook real food. Not just fried food, rice, or instant noodles but a Pinoy dish called kare-kare. Though unlike the traditional oxtail kare-kare, I used chicken instead to suite my eating preference. I spent about 2 1/2 hours to read through the recipe, cut and chop the ingredients, and cook. My critiques (...and by critiques, I mean a Pinoy friend Venice, my roommate Ana, and another Pinoy friend Richelle) have tasted my cooking and here's what they have to say...
TRANSLATION:
Interviewer: What can you say about Mike’s kare-kare?
Venice: Mike’s kare-kare is ok but it’s burnt. Come see while you’re taking the video. Look, there’s no eggplant. He said he had eggplants! But I did not see an eggplant… not even the soul of an eggplant. He also over-cooked the onions. What else? In fairness, it’s ok if he didn’t over-cook the onions.
TRANSLATION:
Interviewer: What’s the effect of Mike’s kare-kare on you?
Ana: It’s ok. But see… I got allergic.
Interviewer: You’re allergic to peanut butter?
Ana: Yeah, I don’t know what Mike did. Now, I can’t show my face. Mike, you’re gonna pay for this!
Interviewer: What can you say about Mike’s kare-kare?
Richelle: It’s burnt! Just kidding! It’s ok but it needs more… more…what's that word?
Someone from the back: Flavor
Richelle: yeah, that word.
Interviewer: What kind of flavor were you looking for?
Richelle: More peanut, peanut sauce, peanut flavoring. Not the burnt taste. Just kidding. Just a bit more flavor and it’s all set. Then, I got to eat the eggplant. Oh my God. Can you believe that? That’s good. That’s good.
Someone from the back: There’s eggplant?
Richelle: Yeah, and I ate 2! And it also tastes like kare-kare… not just like plain eggplant. So, I got to eat it. Thank you, Mike!
In my opinion, it's not bad for a first-timer. Especially if it's the first dish I cooked that's not fried or anything instant. I pat myself on the back for a job well done. Now, I'm inspired to cook.
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