Gazpacho, pollo al ajillo with roast potatoes. St. Lukes is not the Philippines

I am writing from the waiting room of St. Lukes hospital while my 8 months baby, Juanan, is going under surgery. It is not a main operation but still nervous breaking. I don't like the idea of a general anesthesy and without me next to him.

I spent last night at the hospital. Obviously, I didn't have much sleep although I tried. My subconscious kept me totally awake. I checked on Juanan every 10 minutes, "is he breathing well? is he cold? is he hungry?". All those questions are typical of a first time mother with her newborn baby. This is my third child but the first time he goes under surgery.

During my long night I had plenty of time to think. I wanted to calm my mind with something else than the upcoming operation. I thought of this hospital, of the doctors and nurses I have met, the medical service I have received for the past 2 and a half years, and the fact that I will leave the Philippines in three months feeling that St. Lukes has been my second house since we moved here. Why?

Well, I came here 7 months pregnant of my second child, Gabriel. I gave birth in this hospital and 11 months later I was pregnant again of Juanan. I spent the whole pregnancy visiting the ob-gy and following the check ups because I had a high risk of miscarriage. I was hospitalised a couple of times but thank God Juanan was born relatively healthy and came home -although after being in intensive care for two weeks-. He was born with a medical condition on his foot that required a weekly visit to the hospital since he was 3 weeks old- he is now 8 months old- and a final surgery which is taking place at the moment.

On top of my pregnancies and deliveries, and Juanan's regular changing of cast, my children got sick often-  the pollution and other negative side effects of living in Manila contributed as well-.

A hospital is not the best place to spend your almost 3 years posting in Manila, except the short holidays we had in Boracay, Dumaguete and Bohol.  However, we have been very lucky having a new hospital, St. Lukes. It is so good that you might think it is a small city instead: it has a Starbucks cafe - which I am not very fond of but never mind-, supermarket, restaurants…and a hotel. The rooms are incredible, by the way, and the food is acceptable. They even give you the option to choose a daily menu.

It is true we, diplomats, enjoy a privilege position within the medical service so it is easy to talk. However, I know the Filipinos are good natured people; easy and amicable. Some countries treat the patient like another number more than a person. This does NOT happen in the Philippines. The nurses, the doctors I have met -ob-gy, the paediatrician, and the orthopaedist- are always very friendly with a warm wide open face- maybe because I am a foreigner? perhaps, but their kindness is much appreciated  

I am approaching my end in these Happy Islands and I should be fair when people ask me whether I have enjoyed the Philippines. I always say : "I could have had a great time  but St. Lukes hospital means "Philippines" for me.  I am sure there are beautiful places here that I will never know unless I come back in the future again"

No, St. Lukes is not the Philippines but I will miss it, believe it or not. I will miss my small routine of every week: crossing the main entrance and greet the guards who kindly help me with the door or pusher; going to starbucks before I go up to the clinic of the 3rd floor and the girls say :" hello ma'am Esther, hello baby!... a decaff latter non fat milk with honey!"-.  I will miss my paediatrician's secretary, Nela, who always hugs and kisses my children and laughs at my bad jokes…

You cannot blame a place for the difficulties you might have gone through your time in there. I don't blame anyone, life is like that, not always rose colour. I will always remember the Philippines as a country where I had two beautiful children; a country that looked after my whole family with such a generosity that I owe them my affection no matter my circumstances. 

Thanks, Filipinos, for being just as you are. The world is a better place, even in a hospital.

PS: By the time I finished writing this post, Nick and Aurelia came to the hospital. One hour later, the  doctor told us the surgery went very well and Juanan was a brave boy. What a relieve to go home again with an uncomplicated day after all.

Gazpacho andaluz, my dad's way

My dad used to say that the gazpacho should look like  la mar en calma- the sea in calm. Fishermen call the sea in feminine because it is the only "female" thing they see during the long hard weeks they spend faenando- fishing-.

This cold tomato soup is a basic meal in summer in Spain either lunch or dinner accompanied by jam on serrano or hard boiled egg, It marriages perfect with a tortilla de patatas.

Start a few hours ahead to let it sit in the fridge

• 1 kg of ripe pear tomatoes, pealed and seeded (unless you have a "passapures")
• 1 cucumber, seeded.
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 green capsicum- optional
• 1 hard egg yolk- optional
• A piece of old bread soaked in water. 
• 1/2 cup of cold water
• 1/4 cup good quality red wine vinegar
• sea salt
• 1 cup of olive oil

Blend all the ingredients, including the hard egg yolk if you want to make the gazpacho creamy and smooth-. Add the salt and vinegarWith the motor running, like you would do with a mayonnaise, pour slowly the olive oil until the soup has a mirror effect.

The practice will make you wise, so find the right balance of texture and dressing.

Serve cold- these terracotta pots are ideal because you can keep them in the fridge before serving the cold soup.

Pollo al ajillo, my grandma's way 

It is so simple but so delicious that it makes a perfect dinner party candidate meal. Serves 3-4 people.

• 4 garlic heads, two cut in half and the other two in individual cloves, unpeeled (you could end having 20!)
• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 1 big whole free-range chicken
• 1 cup of chicken stock- youi might need another extra cup if it is too dry for your taste
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• parsley to garnish
• sea salt and pepper

1. First, clean the chicken inside and outside. Pat dry and chop it in large pieces, skin on. Season with salt and keep it in the fridge for one hour. Take it outside at room temperature when you are ready to cook.
2. In a hot heavy pot, with a medium high temperature, add a slug of olive oil. When it starts the smoking point, fry the chicken, two or three pieces at the time until brown. Set it aside on a plate.
3. Add a bit of oil and fry the garlic heads the leek slices. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken pieces, the garlic heads and leeks, and all the cloves. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and wait for 1 minute until the alcohol evaporates. Add the stock. Cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes, checking from time to time there is liquid in the pot. 
5. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately with roast potatoes, green beans and some chopped carrots.

Roast potatoes, my own way

It has taken me many failures of roasting potatoes in my kitchen. Don't know why, I just couldn't make them crispy and nicely salty. Finally, I have mastered them this week. The trick is to use a big tray and keep the potatoes with lots of space in between so the heat can circulate and make them crispy, bot soggy.

• 10 small potatoes, peeled and keep them in cold salty water until ready to use.
• extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
• Chopped rosemary or thyme

1. Preheat oven 200C.
2. Drain the water of the bowl with the potatoes. Pat dry them well so they can absorb the oil. 
3. With your hands, rub the potatoes with some extra virgin olive oil enough to cover them but not too much or they will boil in the tray.
4. Add a generous amount of sea salt and rosemary.
5. Place them in a big tray and in the hot oven, turn them very 15 minutes. Cook for 40 minutes or until soft inside- if you need to save time, parboil the potatoes before putting them in the oven.
6. Serve them hot.

I always serve a main dish with some cooked and raw vegetables in two different bowls. You will notice people, and I mean mainly children, will eat more vegetables from the bowls than if they are served individual plates. I learnt this idea from my work for Stephanie Alexander's program. It works!