Tilapia Balot Sa Dahon Ng Gabi

Foods of Childhood
Dinner: Tilapia Fish Wrapped In Taro Leaves

I'm singing in the stands like a contestant on Tawag Ng Tanghalan (literally 'Call Of The Stage'), a local live talent show. The moon is bright so I can see every star. Outside, crickets are whirring. The air smells of nightfall, and not only that...

It smells of dinner.

Tilapia fish in coconut milk.

After the waiting, the summons comes. Dinner!

A small cheer goes up throughout the room. Like the door has opened, and an angel is singing.

I carefully sit down with a plate that is dangerously heaped, surveying it to determine the best angle of attack. I nibble on the plump center of the rolled tilapia. With the first bite, I'm in ecstasy. It practically melts in my mouth. My cheeks bulge. 

I ignore the itchy-in-the-throat feel from the taro leaves. As Mum avows, they are, after all, the secret to a creamy-like complexion.

My lips curl comically in rapture at the taste of the flavorful fish and the thick sauce infused with delicious nuances of pandan flavor. Those rolls, folded to perfection the way Martha Stewart folds a fitted sheet, are one of the mysteries of life.

Watch the fish bones, Mum says. 

I quietly mouth, I know to spin my plate three times to dislodge the fish bone should it get stuck in my throat.

Super simple. Super a-lot-of-food. Super fill-your-plate-up and go back for more. These are the foods of my childhood.

The.Best.In.The.World.

I float in on the memories of intimacy, wit, and love they bring, all of them bubbling beneath my feet.

Whether it is Mum humming to herself in the kitchen, the whiff of dulce drifting through the house.

The barely contained chaos at mealtime as you chow down on clam soup.

The mumbled satisfaction filtering from squash pudding-packed mouths.

When the scratchy taste of taro leaves doesn't matter and you finish off the plate, your appetite undaunted.

It is in moments like these when time stands still best - in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life.

RECIPE

1. Choose the freshest tilapia from Aling Petra's stall in the neighborhood market. Despite her poetic remark, The blood of eternity is in this fish, choose only those with clear eyes and firm scales. 

2. Wash the fish after removing its innards.

3. Spoon chopped tomatoes, green onion, and ginger into the belly cavity of each fish. 

4. Wrap in taro leaf and tie with strips of pandan leaves to secure. The diameter of the wrap can go to hell. Character is okay for this dish.

5. Arrange in a single layer in pan. Add coconut milk and hot sili peppers. The latter can be a game changer. Add responsibly. Season with rock salt and pepper to taste. 

6. Cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until fish is cooked through and sauce is reduced. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Will serve a family of nine. Add deboned leftover fish to the dogs' 'lamas.' 

Throw fish bones over the back fence for Aling Sisang's cats.

Dadee, the brothers, and Voltaire will all secretly spit out the taro leaves.

And that's a wrap (pun totally intended) for this series.