Kulture Kaiwa

A Rude Awakening

Startled by the barking of dogs and clanking of dishes, I lift my bed hair begrudgingly off the pillow. The warm air of the ducted reverse cycle fills my lungs as I remember where I am – it’s Easter weekend and I’ve returned home for some much needed R&R.

It’s no surprise that I can already hear mum in the kitchen at 5:30am. Previously this would have set me up for a bad mood day, but thankfully now my body runs on pastry chef hours, so it no longer bothers me to be woken early.

She’s decked out in the usual warm morning attire and apron ensemble as I watch her flit around from one cupboard to the next, collecting whatever ingredients tickle her fancy. She’s delighted to see me up and informs me that the ensaymada dough is already mixing in the bread maker. Maria Dzubiel is what you might call a typical Asian mother. Tell her one day that you liked the apple you gobbled from the fruit bowl and she’ll show up the next morning with a bag full of the same apples for you to take home. Ask her to teach you to make ensaymada and there’ll be a practice batch already baked on the bench with a fresh batch being mixed for you to try. She has always had a natural talent in cooking and it’s a passion that I inherited.

For about 60% of the day you can hear some sort of noise coming from the kitchen. Whether it’s the boiling of the kettle or the clicking of the gas stove begging to be lit, mum is always up to something in there. The second she puts down the plate from one meal, she’s back in there working on something for the next. We haven’t even taken out the ensaymada dough yet and she’s already tossing an apron my way to help her make lasagna sauce for the following day’s lunch. We’re putting together the final pieces and she’s showing me how the layers should be, with a finishing of “some white sauce, cheese, and a bit of lipstick (paprika)”. What I’ve learnt in my years of growing up between two languages is that Filipino-English is some of the most colorful and entertaining English you will hear. It’s also good at persuading you into making deals. Any time I need to borrow money, her response is always “that’s fine, don’t worry about it, you’ll repay me when I’m old”, implying that I am her intended form of aged care.

Ensaymada Vs Croissant

Today’s deal is an exchange in pastry knowledge. She’s teaching me how to make Lolo‘s (granddad’s) Spanish ensaymada bread in exchange for a lesson in croissant dough lamination. She shows me how to spread the dough, lavishly coating each piece in margarine before rolling it up and coiling it into a spiral shaped bun. I’m unsurprised when she tells me my hands are too rough with the dough; it’s a scolding I often get in the bakery, but a technique that I am hoping to master… eventually. We later giggle when she’s being too delicate with the croissant dough, because now I’m the one scolding her for taking too long and letting her butter get warm. These shared moments in the kitchen with her are ones that I cherish, as I’m sure she did with her family in her youth.

The Resourcefulness of The Philippines

It was only this year that I discovered that Lolo worked as a baker too. Maybe she never talked about it because it was before she was born, but it has now become relevant as she passes his recipes and techniques down to me. As we roll and shape, she tells me stories of Lolo‘s fresh bread being baked at home and the makeshift oven they would use: tin canisters balanced on top of each other with burning coals above and below to regulate heat. Mum didn’t have the simple luxuries growing up that she provided myself and my brothers with, but I think it’s for that reason that she learnt how to be innovative. For her there is no quitting or giving up. She can make something out of anything and won’t get rid of it until it is rendered completely useless (which, according to the piles of goods around the house, is never).

Our society has become wasteful over time, throwing away perfectly good or fixable items in favor of untarnished and aesthetically pleasing goods. Burning through savings to have the latest and greatest, satisfying an unending boredom that comes with the cycle of the newest trends, or simply tossing and replacing out of convenience. I think these mentalities can really block one’s creative side and ability to problem solve. Watching my mother’s boundless creativity daily inspires me to nourish and develop my own. Whether it’s repairing an item of clothing until it can no longer hold itself together, creating a makeshift utensil from what I already own, or adopting different techniques from others, I take every challenge as a new opportunity to learn, and not an opportunity to waste.