Do you ever get a monster craving for food you haven't eaten for some while now? I know you do, and what do you do about it? Run to the nearest restaurant that cooks it?  Or do you cook them yourself?

This morning, my friend Onds called to ask if she could  come with two other friends to hang out, do some karaoke (she will bring her own), and cook some Filipino food she craves (particularly tortang talong and  bulad---that's roasted eggplant fried with eggs and fried dried fish). I acquiesced of course and then she called again to say  that our friends have a previous commitment and therefore the impromptu plan is called off. So I went about doing what I was doing before she called...laundry. No worries. Life moves on. Zach was waiting for me to bring him to the beach, so we agreed to go after the laundry. While the machine was spinning, facebook content was boring and quite stale so I logged out and  started cooking to satisfy THE CravingS of my taste buds. Not long after, I got carried away and made a feast for myself.

Yes, making a feast for one's self is quite fun, and actually most satisfying. You know exactly what you want and how you want it cooked.  There's no one to please but yourself.

So here's a record of the momentary insanity that happened in my kitchen this morning.

escargot to whet the appetite
(when I was a little girl, golden escargots, we call gold kuhol were in season when the rice stalks were green and kneehigh. My Dad would cook them in ginger and coconut milk. The shells were individually cracked  where the point is and you either sucked the  flesh out or pry it with a pin)

anchovies

squash (tops) leaves ala pinakbet
(My mom loves to eat these  squash tops and squash flowers cooked in either ginger and anchovy paste or ginger and coconut milk.  This is a rare commodity here so every time I see this in the Chinese market (which is very rarely), I pounce!

(leftover crabs from last night)

bitter gourd (ampalaya) salad
bitter, but delicious

smoked boneless milkfish (tinapang bangus) which must be eaten with tomato and shrimp paste 

the MEAL