Visiting my parents’ house almost always means going home with a grocery bag full of unsolicited food — and the offerings are as random as they are welcome.
A whole pineapple, a bag of sweet rolls, a Costco rotisserie chicken …
My sweet Filipino parents are so generous, especially when it comes to feeding me, my husband and our three young daughters. Since we live close by — just a few minutes’ drive away — we regularly visit each other. Most often when we leave their place, Dad and Mom rummage through their refrigerator and pantry for any surplus goodies to pack up for us.
A couple of avocados, a package of shortbread cookies, homemade chicken adobo …
“Mmm, here. You take this,” Mom would command with her endearing accent, handing me a bag of yummy surprises. (I never really know what I’m going to get.)
A bag of apples, a box of Nanding’s Bakery Spanish rolls, leftover kalua pig with cabbage …
“It’s Grand Mart!” my oldest once quipped of her grandparents’ home: like Walmart, only the deals are way better — free, no purchase necessary.
A container of grapes, a box of Twinkies, a bag of oranges …
Mom, 68, retired as a cook after 32 years at Kuakini Medical Center. Dad, 71, is a Navy veteran who worked his way up during his 22-year military career, from being a steward to a cook to a chief petty officer supervising food service operations.
My parents worked hard, cared about their jobs and were great at what they did. They served scores of hungry people on a daily basis, but they found the greatest satisfaction preparing appetizing, satisfying meals to fill the tummies of their three kids — me, my older sister and my older brother.
Some of my fondest memories revolve around the kitchen of my childhood home. I remember waking up in the morning to my dad making his delicious banana pancakes for breakfast, or coming home after school and finding my mom in the kitchen, rolling her fresh-out-of-the-oven Pillsbury pastries around in a bowl of sugar.
My parents’ innate need to feed us didn’t end after we moved away or started to raise our own families. In addition to food-filled birthdays and holidays together, we also look forward to casual dinners at their house, which usually happen every other week. Mom’s crabbed-stuffed salmon fillets, barbecue chicken or onion-
smothered pork chops offer wonderful leftovers for days.
While my parents don’t cook for us as much as they used to, sharing their extra groceries is a simple way for them to continue to show they care and express their love for us.
A recent visit to my parents’ house resulted in the inevitable assortment of take-home treats.
A bunch of bananas, a bag of chicharon (pork rinds), some ready-made salads and a few oatmeal raisin cookies …
Yet another full bag from Grand Mart, where full stomachs mean full hearts.
“She Speaks” is a weekly column by women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Zenaida Serrano at zserrano@staradvertiser.com.
