Unfortunately, the 21 inch CRT monitor to my Mac died unceremoniously. I have to see if the repair shop will be able to extend its new life. So, my blogging and your voyeur experience into the culinary delight that is my life will have to be placed on hold for some evenings at least.

There was an ethnic potluck last Friday at work. The organizers suggested that one should bring food that celebrates one?s culture. A majority of the people wanted me to cook some lumpia. They did not wish to hear my excuse that it was difficult to do without a deep fat fryer. They did not want to hear that my whole place would smell like a restaurant or a fast food joint. I wanted to tell them that I simply did not have them high enough on my list for me to cook for them or for me to go to the trouble of cooking for them. Why do I say that? In the end, they will take the easy way out. They will not take the time nor the care to prepare a delectable meal. They will not appreciate the culinary delight of another culture. They will not care that I slaved over the hot oil with my perspiration dripping onto the food. Oh wait, that sounds so unsanitary.

Am I correct in my assessments? Probably. I was lucky enough to go with Son a Vietnamese immigrant who decided to get something at FoodMart in Hayward. When we reached that place, we found crispy pata! Now for those who don?t know it, you can take the lower leg of a pig and deep fat fry it. Mmmmmm. Delicious! I bought that crispy pata thinking that finally, they will get to taste the Filipino delicacy. I fancied that they would be open minded enough to try a piece of it. It just so figures that 50% tried it and liked it. The other 50% just did not care for it. So why should I cook for them again?

The crispy pata was a little old in that the skin was no longer crispy. But hey, you can ask them when they make it so that you can be there. Not only that, they also sold chicharong bulaklak or fried chittlings. Mmmmmm. That is just plain delicious. I did not buy the chicharon because I did not want to suffer a heart attack. I think in the next party, I will have to bring some of that so I can review it. The meat in the crispy pata was well done though a bit dry. I give it 1 out of 5 oxtails because of the dryness and the not so crispy skin. But as an entrée into the potluck, it was a 4 out of 5 oxtails. It was something unusual and some people enjoyed eating it. By the way, they cut the middle of the feet with a big-ass knife and it was delicious with the cartilage. Too bad that the cartilage was too little.