Bubur Tinotuan

Tinotuan porridge  or we called Bubur tinotuan is one of traditional culinary from Manado, Sulawesi Utara. First time i knew this food was from my mother. Her father came from Gorontalo, near to Manado, so this porridge is familiar to us. My mom usually put many vegetables such as kale or kangkung, carrot, corn, pumpkin and tempe into this porridge. We ate this with anchovy sambal, what a great taste. 

Since i got married, i never cooked this. My husband choose chicken porridge rather than tinotuan. He likes vegetables little than me and prefer meat or another protein source. Man typical i think. Until one day, my neighbor's assistant namely "Uwak" gave us a bowl warm tinotuan in a cold rainy weather. Gosh, my family loved and vied with each other to get a spoonful of it. We felt hunger and wanted some more. Only shame that makes me unwilling to ask again, thanks God i still have, lol!

In the morning, i brave my self to ask Uwak for the recipe. There's no doubt for her kindness, she taught me to cook it. It wasn't hard at all. If you had some chicken broth you can use it but if have not, you can use some chicken powder. I cook almost 400 gr of rice with 2 liter of chicken broth or more in low heat. Put two bay leaves and one lemongrass. Give a pinch of salt and taste it according to yours. Ten minutes before cook perfectly, put pieces of vegetables (cube) you want. Me are sweet basil leaves, corn, carrot,  and squash. You can serve it warm with sambal terasi and fried anchovy.

My kids love this porridge a lot and seem never failed their appetite for it.  Once a month i serve tinotuan as a breakfast or dinner. Sometimes Icha brought this as a bento to school. Both Icha and Jaja like vegetables as much as me. They eat any of them except pare, too bitter said them even i squeeze it with salt to reduce it. Okay, so far i proud with that. It wasn't hard to feed them since they was a baby. Some expert said you should introduce puree vegetables or fruits  rather than carbohydrate to your 6 months baby. The taste would adhere to their tongue till they grow up. I believe this. First food i gave to my kids especially Jaja are puree carrot, banana, apple, pumpkin, avocado, and many else. Trust me it works, my kids always eat vegetables and fruits everyday,  without any trouble or any drama queen scene.

Another Junk Food: Burger Patty

In every time we go to junk food restaurant, burger was always in Jaja's request.  He combined burger with french fries and lemon tea as a favorite menu. It was hard to change because it also happened to his father aka my husband. Sometimes they change the drink into soda and at the night, their stomachs bloated. Icha, my daughter not like her brother. She refers eat grilled chicken with slices cucumber or lettuce. She kind of me but the difference is she like white rice a lot. Every time she eats, she finished  the rice first, then the vegetables and meat or fish for the last. It is not about save the best for last. Observing how she eats, remind me the technique of combining food diet. It will reduce some fatties in your body because you are eating the right way according to how the digestive system works. I tried once after Icha's born and it works. I lost 10 pounds in 7 months but it rose again after i lost control of my diet, yeah..yo yo mode on. I hardly knew my self, never refuse good food, ever, lol!
So, because  of my love and my affection to Jaja and his dad, i made this patties for them. I used 1 pound minced beef and mixed it with three eggs, 5-7 tbsp coarse bread crumb, pepper, salt, sugar, chopped onion (big one), and 4 cloves of garlic.  I fried them with low heat and a little butter and keep it perfectly fried. I got 25 patties and  put into Tupperware and keep it in refrigerator to make it last. It was easy prepare, healthy, and always make your family warm, not only your kitchen.

Junk Food

Yes, i'm a lecturer in political science. I teach politics in some countries and mostly with conflict inside. Ethnic conflict, religion conflict, racial conflict, and more. Learn them makes me moderate and pragmatism because in my thought the truth is relative, so is religion. I am a moslem and of course i do believe my God, Allah and Prophet, Mohammed, but above all, i do respect with others.

Related with this, a few days ago, my son, Jaja told me that he didn't want to eat pitsa, kefsi, and mekdi (pseudonym refers to junk food restaurants).  Surprise, well.. well... well, beyond a doubt, never expect Jaja would say just like that since junk food already become his food master.  And of course i asked the reason why. He told me that he wouldn't spend his money again for Israel or United States who support Israel. What happened with Israel? My curiosity was  in highly degree. Jaja said that a thousand people in Gaza was killed by Israel and as a moslem i should support Gaza. Ouch..... his explanations punch my heart and my mind, where did he knew about Israel, Gaza, US, or products of them? Yep...yep...he learnt from anywhere. One thing i like so much from Jaja's explanation was that he did it because solidarity as a moslem and as a human, not about the truth of the religion.

I said okay to him, if he wanted to. That was his principle that should have respect from me. U Ottama, Burmese Theravada Buddhist Monk had the same thing with his boycott to British products and so was Gandhi in India.  Beside that, i quietly happy with this because i never like junk food at all and good for his health too.  To satisfy his longing about those food, i cook fried chicken and corn cream soup. Enjoy it kiddo, the healthy junk food special made for you :-)