Being rather cosmopolitan, in the best sense of the word, I have friends from all over the world. Last week, I met my Filipino friend Imelda, whom I have known for about +20 years. She told me that her sister, who has lived in Bologna for close to 30 years, was coming to Finland on Sunday to visit her for a week. I immediately told Imelda to come over for dinner and, naturally, to bring her sister along.
So tonight, I finally had the pleasure of meeting her. Having lived in Bologna for so long, she is naturally fluent in Italian, which gave us plenty to talk about. She arrived bearing gifts: three bitter gourds and a generous bagful of okra, even though I had specifically told Imelda not to trouble her sister with bringing anything.
There was a little horticultural exchange involved, too. In return, I gave Imelda several varieties of courgette and some ripe tomatoes from my garden.
I think I'll use the bitter gourds to make Ginisang Ampalaya, a Filipino dish of sliced bitter gourd sautéed with garlic, onions and ripe tomatoes, with beaten eggs added towards the end. The savoury aromatics and eggs help balance the distinctive bitterness of the gourd. I will, however, wait for Imelda and her sister's own recipe before attempting it.
As for the okra, I'll prepare another Filipino dish, again waiting for a proper recipe from Imelda and her sister rather than improvising too much.
I was also very pleased to meet Imelda's husband, after all these years, who was kindly acting as chauffeur while Imelda and her sister explored the Helsinki metropolitan area.
I'm now very much looking forward to preparing dinner for Imelda and her family when they return from their trip to Stockholm and Tallinn on Friday. This time, perhaps, the produce from my garden will get to play its part too.