The Table That Raised Me: Lessons from My Mother's Kitchen (My Father's & My Lola's Kitchen, Too!) Part 21 | Every Monday • Wednesday • Friday | Sunday Feature
Because every meal has a story, and every table has a legacy.

Daddy's Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw: Simple Ingredients, Extraordinary Love

by Eugenia C. Martin

    Some of the most memorable meals are not the expensive ones.

    They are the dishes that remind us how love can turn simple ingredients into something extraordinary.

    One of Daddy's specialties was ginataang kalabasa at sitaw, always served with crispy fried fish on the side. Depending on what was fresh in the market that day, it could be tilapia, dalagang bukid, matambaka, or our ever-reliable galunggong. There was nothing extravagant about the meal, yet everyone looked forward to it.

    Daddy had his favorite vendors in the market. They already knew what he wanted, and he trusted them to give him the freshest vegetables. The coconut milk never came from a can. He preferred freshly grated coconut, squeezed into rich, creamy gata while he waited. He always said fresh ingredients made all the difference.

    Years ago, he loved adding plenty of shrimp to the dish.

    But everything changed when my daughter and I developed an allergy to shrimp.

    Without hesitation, Daddy simply adjusted his recipe. There were no complaints. No "sayang." No insistence that it wouldn't taste the same. Instead, he sautéed generous pieces of pork until they released their rich flavor before adding the garlic, onions, kalabasa, sitaw, and freshly squeezed gata. The result was still creamy, hearty, and full of flavor. No one missed the shrimp.

    Looking back, I realize Daddy wasn't simply changing a recipe. He was cooking with the people he loved in mind.

    One thing that always made him smile was seeing his grandchildren enjoy vegetables. James and Nica, his beloved apos, never had to be persuaded to eat Daddy's ginataang gulay. They happily finished their servings, proof that vegetables prepared with love can become every child's favorite.

    Daddy had a remarkable gift for preparing meals that were delicious, nutritious, and budget-friendly. He believed that good food didn't have to be expensive. With fresh vegetables, homemade coconut milk, a little pork for flavor, and a perfectly fried fish on the side, he could turn an ordinary meal into a family favorite.

    As a child, I simply enjoyed eating it.

    Today, I appreciate the wisdom behind every ingredient.

    Daddy taught me that caring for a family isn't measured by the price of the meal, but by the thoughtfulness behind it—choosing fresh ingredients, making healthy food delicious, adjusting recipes for those with allergies, and making sure everyone at the table felt included.

    Whenever I cook ginataang kalabasa at sitaw today, I'm reminded that love is wonderfully practical.

    Sometimes, it looks like a trip to the market.

    Sometimes, it looks like freshly squeezed gata.

    Sometimes, it looks like changing a favorite recipe so everyone can enjoy it.

    And sometimes, love is simply a humble plate of vegetables and fried fish, prepared by a father who always knew how to make ordinary meals taste extraordinary.

 

 

 

#TheTableThatRaisedMe  #StoriesFromMyFathersKitchen  #EugeniaWrites  

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Eugenia C. Martin (Ms. Eugene) is a Registered Guidance Counselor, Licensed Professional Teacher, wife, mother, songwriter, gardener, traveler, and home cook. Her life's lessons have come from many classrooms—the school, the counseling room, her parents' kitchen, the family garden, and the backyard shoe-making business where she first learned the values of perseverance, entrepreneurship, and community. Through her writing, she reflects on mental health, parenting, education, relationships, faith, music, gardening, and the journeys that continue to shape her understanding of people and life.