I think I’ve told this story before; my mom made this once and then never made it again. I don’t know if I got obsessed over it because it’s a great dessert (it’s not fancy, but it is comfort desert) or that my mother made it only once and had been mysteriously evasive when I asked her why. But it’s now part of my desert rotation (made it last Easter) and it’s one of those things you make a trip to the fridge for at odd hours of the day (and yes, I cradle it in my arms with the fridge door open as I take spoonfuls of it).

My dilemma about this is that the proportions never seem to be right. You either end up with too much of the paste and butter, or too little of them. Ramen I think is the right noodle for it, but it’s never quite satisfying as good quality spaghetti (we use Garofalo). But the addition of protein (shrimp) and some greens (peppery watercress), more than makes up for the seasoning question. Recipe here

I am ashamed to admit that there are some adobo basics that have escaped my attention. I have always wondered whenever I made adobo why it still had this slight sour tang. More ashamed to admit that I think I found the answer watching one of Marjorie Barretto’s YouTube videos- apparently when you add the vinegar, you have to let it evaporate by not putting the lid on. And it worked. My chicken adobo never had that sour tang again and I’ve always added butter to it ever since, thanks again to that video. Butter is the perfect complement to the Kikkoman soy-sauce.