Rialoves2cook: For day two of the Gourmet Adventures challenge, I'm making Poqui Poqui, a dish native to North Luzon. For my family, it has a neat history. When my grandfather was young, he went up to Ilocos, the northern coast, to earn money fishing since times were hard on the farm. Once he earned enough, he bought a gorgeous ring in the city and raced to his village to ask my grandmother to marry him. It took her a few weeks to forgive him for leaving for so many months, but she agreed. To show his gratitude and share that part of his life with her, he made Poqui Poqui every Sunday.

For me, Poqui Poqui was a way to share my culture and love of our food with my partner. Since he's socially and environmentally conscious and few Pinoy dishes are vegetarian, this recipe gave us an authentic dish to eat together.

#GourmetAdventure #truelove #separationmakestheheartgrowfonder #Pinoyfood #vegetarian #forgiveness.

posted: September 2nd 7:40pm

***

The following morning, Maria pulled her thin comforter tight to her body. For the first time in ages, she had an entire day off. Felipe had cancelled her shift after hearing what happened with Adrian. Given that she, Adrian, and her former best friend weren't on speaking terms, the day was as desirable as a pile of rotting fish. At least work kept her mind busy.

A knock shook her bedroom door. "Ria, hurry, we're going to the market," her mother said.

"Not today, Mom." She couldn't face the gossiping aunts they'd run into in the seafood or produce aisles of the Asian market.

The door flew open, and Camilla stood with her hands on her hips. "You think you'll win your competition with sad grocery-store vegetables?"

"They're not tasting the food. It doesn't matter."

"It matters! You are eating it, and maybe if you eat real food, your mind will heal."

"My mind is fine; it's my heart," Maria mumbled.

"It's all connected, iha. This isn't a discussion. If you're under my roof, you act like a member of this family."

Maria's chest grew heavy, sinking her farther into the hard mattress. She wanted to cuddle up next to the man she loved, not lay in her childhood bed getting reprimanded. But she needed to fix that problem before she earned that privilege again.

"This once we'll go to that fancy outdoor market the white people frequent. You can take your videos to show that farm-table thing I watched on TV yesterday."

"Farm-to-table?"

Adrian loved organic, fair-trade meals, so attending a farmers' market echoed those values. But did it even matter? He wouldn't reply to the apology text she'd sent him explaining her actions.

"Sure, you'll turn Canadian product into food true to your roots. The winners always have a good story, and we'll make yours shine."

It wasn't the worst idea her mother ever had. "Okay, I'll get ready."

On the drive over, Maria checked her social media for any word or reaction from Adrian to her first Gourmet Adventures post. While he was still radio silent, Kelsey, Felipe, and a dozen others liked her videos. People who didn't follow her commented.

'Looks amazing!'

'I have to try that.'

'Where do you find taro?'

Maria replied to each message and checked out their profiles to discover they were also competing. They'd prepared homemade pasta, fancy salads, or desserts. One contestant made adorable animal-inspired snacks and treats for her kids. After Maria praised their impressive work and wished them all the best, their friendly responses were instant. She smiled, looking forward to building her dish for today.

As Maria's father drove down streets full of parked cars, he grumbled about the superiority of their local supermarket and the incompetence of other drivers. Tina rolled her eyes at their father's short temper. After five long minutes of searching, they found a spot. Tina and Maria hopped out of the backseat to follow their parents toward the line-up of tents, hippie-clothing, and crowds.

With the same glare he reserved for Adrian, Maria's father scrutinized the booths of homemade beeswax candles, beard oils, and handmade soaps. "Why not the Asian market? The prices here are ridiculous."

"Be open-minded. We didn't move to Canada to spend our life surrounded by old comforts. It's been twenty-five years, irog, time to cut the string."

Tina shook her head, her short dark bangs flicking back and forth. "It's cord, Mom, cut the cord."

As he turned to face Tina, Rodrigo's nostrils flared. "Watch your mouth. Your mother speaks three languages, and you know one and fragments?"

Tina scoffed. "I still don't understand why I'm here."

Gripping Tina and Rodrigo's shoulders before her husband could reprimand Tina, Camilla stopped them in their tracks. A young mom with a stroller nearly mowed them over.

"We are together again, and we're bonding, so both of you, be nice."

"Can we bond over that fudge?" Tina lingered at a booth full of sweets including a table with tasteful stacks of cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and squares of fudge.

"Think with your head, not your stomach." Rodrigo pulled his daughter along even though his pace slowed as he eyed the treats.

Camilla and Maria both stifled a laugh.

As more people split off the path to marvel at pottery, woodworking, honey, and canned goods, the irresistible scent of smoked meat drew Maria toward the food trucks. She pictured a solitary cabin in the woods, a tender pork belly frying in a pan over a woodstove. Fitting Adrian into the picture proved difficult as he refused to let anyone enjoy meat in his presence, not her, not his parents, and at times, not his friends. With a shake of her head, she conjured up a dish of poqui poqui, sizzling eggplant, onion, tomato, egg, and garlic. That was what she should make today.

A rainbow of green and autumn colours radiated from crates in the atrium, safe from the hot summer rays. When Camilla caught up, she and Maria inspected several bins of tomatoes until they picked one whose price correlated with quality. Next, she rifled through the bin of long, purple eggplants for a couple with the right tenderness.

A woman ambled over, her sun-spotted skin stretched into a wide grin. "Are you finding everything you need?"

"Almost." Maria surveyed the nearby produce boxes. "I'm just searching for red onions."

After reaching into a box, the woman showed Maria a few nice onions. Maria selected two large, bright ones, and handed the rest of her purchase to the vendor.

As Maria passed her reusable bag over, she caught the image of the woman and a man on a nearby banner. "Do you grow these yourself?"

With a smile, the woman shared she and her husband had dedicated twenty-plus years to farming. Someday their hardworking son would inherit the business. Their success motivated Maria to explain her budding cooking project to the farmer, Suzanne.

Suzanne placed Maria's items into her bag. "Why only share pictures? Don't they want to taste your creations?"

"It helps them reach people in more isolated communities, and then they can run the contest across Canada."

Suzanne exchanged the produce for a ten-dollar bill as Rodrigo and Tina found the vendor. Tina had a bag in her hand and chocolate on her lips.

"Can we take a photo together for the contest?" Maria asked. "I'd love to show the meal from its start at the market to the end."

"Of course, dear."

After passing her phone to her father, Maria drew a tomato and eggplant from the bag and handed one to Suzanne. With broad grins, they posed for a few pictures until Maria's father insisted it was time to move on to the meat and fish vendors.

As they walked, Maria's phone buzzed, attracting her immediate attention. Her cousin commented on yesterday's post.

Sunshine: My mouth is watering! Will you make me some soon? Can't wait to see you, xoxo!

"Sunshine's moving back," Maria said to herself.

Tina chuckled and bumped their shoulders together. "Yeah, genius, wouldn't she have told you first?"

"I've been so overwhelmed I forgot it was coming up so fast."

"You mean you've been too busy waiting on your jerk-off boyfriend to have your own life."

Uneasiness stirred in her stomach. Tina's words held some truth as Maria spent her entire summer working two jobs. But she hadn't just done that for Adrian; it was for both of them, and he'd contributed income from his shows too. Although his guitar splurge had negated those funds. Still, Tina was turning him into a villain when he was bad with money. "He's not like that."

"No? Every time you text me, you're working or heading to work. Is he contributing as much as you... or at all?"

Ignoring Tina's questions, Maria feigned interest in a stall of Ukrainian sausages and pierogies to keep out of their parents' earshot. Tina hung back too as the couple walked ahead.

"And why did you come home? Mom may not want to drive you away with an interrogation, but I need to know how that pothead hurt my big sister. I will kick some hipster ass if needed." As Tina drove her fist into her palm, the girl offering samples of garlic kielbasa stiffened.

Maria sighed. Tina was unlikely to understand, but Maria longed to talk to someone about it. "I screwed up."

"You? What did you do besides offend the snowflake social justice warrior? And for the record, feminism is not letting your girlfriend become the provider and the homemaker while you sit on your ass moaning about other people ruining the world. That's just selfish, lazy boyfriendry and being a terrible human being."

Maria's eyes stung with the onset of tears. Her actions were much worse, driving a man who loved her so deeply to doubt her devotion. "I missed another show I promised I'd go to."

"You mean you worked to pay for your rent. I will cut off his balls with a dull, rusty spoon if he threw you out for that."

Stepping away, Maria wrapped her arms around her torso. She had to stop venting to Tina. Her sister was so violent. "No, I left."

After taking two sausage samples from the pale employee, Tina turned to Maria and raised an eyebrow. "You left? With you moping and defending him, it's hard to believe you came to your senses. And where's that lanky chick who took Sunshine's place in your life? She too busy supporting her equally lazy boyfriend?"

Retreating, Maria inhaled and exhaled over and over until the breaths became less ragged. The scene of Kelsey and Adrian together replayed in her mind. Kelsey's arms wrapped around him, his moans and body meant only for Maria. She gritted her teeth. How could he have betrayed her like that?

As Tina gripped Maria's shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance, Maria turned toward her.

"Ria, what happened?"

Tina's compassionate gaze broke through the floodgates, sending Maria into her sister's arms. Her heart ached as Adrian's accusations erased all traces of the surrounding market.

I believed you before and look where it got me.

You always chose your job and your life over our relationship.

She couldn't be trusted. She didn't deserve to be loved if she couldn't support him.

"Breathe, sis, breathe."

Slowly, the sounds of the sample girl's promotional speech, strollers on cement, people chatting, laughing, and walking overtook Adrian's voice.

"He went to Kelsey... when he thought I didn't love him... he..."

Tina pulled away and looked at Maria. "He did what?"

Maria stared at her scuffed-up shoes and ran her hands over her jeans. "They were... I found them... together after the show."

Pivoting, Tina stepped in the street's direction. "That rat bastard is losing his tail and a lot of other things."

"No!" Maria grabbed her sister's arm. "I broke my promise and mislead him. It was too far, and I'll never do it again. If he knew that, he'd forgive me."

"You don't need to forgive him. You did nothing wrong!"

While Tina still lived in an idyllic, black and white world, Maria's was grey from the experience of loving and supporting another person. At sixteen, Tina had never had a girlfriend, but one day she'd fall for someone and would understand. However, for now, Maria needed to use her dedication to Gourmet Adventures to win back the approval of her true love, even if Adrian wouldn't respond to her messages.