Molo Balls

Now I understand the concept of food as stress-relief…

 

After pulling all-nighters for quite a number of nights already, I was starting to feel drained and, well…ugly. So after work, when my friend Loreen wanted to go get herself duty shoes, I tagged along. After she found the shoes she wanted, I had her pick the place to eat. We ended up on the second floor, where, I suggested Japanese (Sashimi is my favorite.), but she wanted soup, so we settled for the Bacolod Chicken Inasal place that was close by.

 

When we looked at the menu, we couldn’t help but squeal with glee (to some extent). It was Ilonggo food!!

 

“Hey, they have molo balls…” she said.

 

“Wow!” I said, “I want that.”

 

And so we had the chicken, and the molo balls, and other stuff besides.

 

I love Molo balls. Basically, they’re just dumplings in soup, but I especially remember them because when I was in Medical school, we had that more times a week for breakfast that anything else. Our housekeeper, Manang Josephine had a way of cooking them that I can’t forget. They’d be spicy, just a tad salty, but swimming in oil. Oh, and there’d be shallots and garlic floating too.  Kind of like this…

 

 

hehe. I figured it was not that healthy, but… hey, I loved the stuff.  Oh, and back in medical school in Iloilo, we only had time for quick breakfasts, so before school, we’d just put them in bowls and cups and then eat up quickly before walking out to school which was a few blocks away.

 

The first spoonful of soup reminded me of, well, home. (Iloilo was home for 4 years.)

 

Loreen, on the other hand ordered a platter. She said the appetizer on it (eggplant something) reminded her of the hospital we did clerkship in.

 

 

Now I suppose we will be heading to this place for comfort food from time to time.

 

Oh, and here was another surprise…the had button mushrooms! Come to think of it, they’re not usually food for dinner, but then I just like them for the taste (and yes, I was really hungry that time). They’re not very, well, tasty, but I just like the feeling of biting into them, feeling their waterlogged juices flow out and mix pleasantly with the garlic and oil. basta!

 

 

 

And then afterwards, I slept. and then everything was all better again. lol.

 

(I don’t usually eat when I’m stressed. I just sleep it off, or write or something. Molo balls will be another option next time. )

 

Good morning.

 

Love,

 

S.