After a quick breakfast, Hubby Sweet rushed off to Elorde for his new weekend passion, boxing. Soon after he rushed out the door, I rushed off to my all time favorite weekend passion, sleeping--which just about explains the big difference in our physical shape these days. (Hey! Round is a shape. Hmp. Hay...*Insert sheepish grin here....=D*)
He got back (and I woke up) just in time for lunch. Having run out of things to do after lunch (and with the pups sleeping, tired from all the running around in the garden), Hubby Sweet decided to go to Gourdo's for some kitchen equipment. I had decided early on to use Saturday afternoon to finish my slide presentation due Monday morning. Being the great procrastinator that I have always been, however, that "resolve" pretty much sealed my slide presentation's fate. (I ended up deferring actual work to late Sunday evening. Never mind that I practically had to subsist on 4 hours of sleep. Hay! =)) I decided lying around "feeling guilty" about not working isn't the way I wanted to spend my Saturday afternoon so I told the Hubby I'd tag along.
The thing about me is that while I cannot cook to save my life, I actually find it relaxing to watch cooking shows and browse around in places like Gourdo's. I never buy anything there really, but I find the merchandise....uh....pretty. Every single time I go there, I end up wishing I could cook so that I can find some use for all the things I want to buy. But I don't cook so I just browse. =)
As the Hubby looked around the serious kitchen utensils section, I went to another part of the store where they sell...uh...ready-to-eat bottled pasta sauces, imported food stuff, etc., etc. Haha. Deep inside, I squealed with delight when I set my sight on one of the bottles on the shelf. Claude Tayag's XO Sauce. ^_^ I've always heard people talk about it with reverence, but until then, I thought I would have to go all the way to Bale Dutung to give it a try. Apparently not. Yey! I decided to buy one bottle to try in House Better.
It did not disappoint. (The pic above was taken only one week later. Half-full na lang because apparently, Father puts it on practically everything! Haha. =)) Dried shrimps, Chinese ham, red chilis, garlic, spices, mushed together into a "sosier" version of the traditional Chinese chili-garlic. That is actually not a fair description. Claude Tayag's XO Sauce is exponentially several level-up higher than any Chinese chili-garlic version I've tried. That's saying a lot, actually, considering that I love the usual version enough to literally pile it on every time I eat in a Chinese restaurant. =) I suppose it's the Chinese ham that adds the unusual sweet-salty-fatty linamnam to the spices. Heaven in a bottle. Thought balloon: I must hoard the next time I go to Gourdo's. Haha. ^_^
Now, quite unexpectedly, back to that Saturday afternoon, as I made my way to the counter, I heard my name called out from across the room. I turned to look and squealed with delight (outwardly this time), "BOOTSIE!!!!!" We haven't seen each other in ages. We used to hang out a lot when I was still single and her husband, George, still worked at the Tomato & Pineapple Company. She called out to Ysa and right there and then, I realized we really haven't seen each other in ages. Ysa was no longer a little girl; she was already a sophomore in ICA. Naku!!! Running into an old friend unexpectedly is always a joy. Arm in arm, we went around Gourdo's browsing and talking endlessly about what happened to whom and when and why...naku! Chismis nang chismis. Haha! =D
Now, quite unexpectedly, back to that Saturday afternoon, as I made my way to the counter, I heard my name called out from across the room. I turned to look and squealed with delight (outwardly this time), "BOOTSIE!!!!!" We haven't seen each other in ages. We used to hang out a lot when I was still single and her husband, George, still worked at the Tomato & Pineapple Company. She called out to Ysa and right there and then, I realized we really haven't seen each other in ages. Ysa was no longer a little girl; she was already a sophomore in ICA. Naku!!! Running into an old friend unexpectedly is always a joy. Arm in arm, we went around Gourdo's browsing and talking endlessly about what happened to whom and when and why...naku! Chismis nang chismis. Haha! =D
Soon, however, Hubby Sweet went up to the counter with his loot, and I realized that we really must go because right before we left House Better, I told Father that we will be bringing home merienda. At about that time, the clock struck 4:00. Ngyar. =D
We paid for the merchandise and with a really tight hug, I said goodbye to Bootsie and Ysa. (The old gang really should get together again soon. =))
As far as merienda is concerned, Hubby Sweet and I were on a mission. Earlier that week, I literally gasped when I checked out the Dessert Comes First website to see a post on La Paz Batchoy. If you clicked on the link, you would understand why I just had to have a taste of that darn batchoy! Haha. =D
Getting to the Alphaland Southgate Mall was easy enough. Finding Deco's inside took quite a bit of time as there seemed to be an absence of guards to ask and most of the stall owners did not know what we were talking about. After going around in circles up to the third (fourth?) floor, we finally located a guard who told us to go back down to the first (!) floor. We would find Deco's in one of the coves beside Mang Inasal. We finally found it eventually! (It was a very small cove. Hay.... =D)
I won't go through the entire history of Deco anymore as it was really the generous toppings and the idea that its broth was sebo-free that convinced me to try it.
"Seven orders for take-out. Extra-special. Yung six with miki. Yung one with miswa," I ordered from the lady in the counter (yes, Deco's is parang fastfood). While waiting for everything else to be ready, the Hubby decided to get his Batchoy with Miswa fix right there and then. (He had been pretty cranky in the car already and getting his hunger relieved is the only sure-fire way to lighten his mood.) Deco's Batchoy is a magic potion. With the first sip, Hubby Sweet's grin returned--stretching from ear to ear. =D
I sneaked in a few sips just to give it a try. To be quite honest about it, it took everything in me to stop myself from actually devouring the entire bowl! Haha. My batchoy craving would have to wait until we got back to House Better.
Our take-out orders came in properly-sealed styro bowls with the soup packed separately in big plastic bags. Mother seemed perplexed when we brought home only seven bowls, but with soup enough to fill a big cauldron. Susko! I suppose, that's because we would have gotten the benefit of bottomless soup if we had eaten everything in the outlet (yes, bottomless, refillable soup). Just right, I suppose, that they give us more than enough soup in case we want to do the same at home. I'm loving Deco's already. Really. =D
This is how my take-out batchoy looked like before I poured on the beef broth. Noodles buried under a ton of pork slices, slivers of liver and crispy pork chicharon. Cardiac delight in a take-out styro bowl. Haha!
I poured on the soup and miraculously, none of the ingredients turned into mush. The chicharon, in particular, retained the crispness it had even after being soaked in broth for quite some time. I refilled my bowl with soup before devouring everything else. (OK, fine. I was practically snorting the soup up my nose and figuratively shoving everthing down my throat. Haha!) Soon, I experienced the heady feeling that comes with food that is sooooooooo good, but also soooooooooooo deceptively deadly. Hahaha. Ngyar. I don't mind. Deco's La Paz Batchoy was worth it. =)
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