Since Nanay has “gone,” I think I’ve only made the chicken tinola once..I’m making it now as I “blog“. While at Farmer Joe’s over the weekend with Risa, I decided to buy some chayote and baby bok-choy to make the chicken tinola. It’s 6:20 in the a.m. so I’m making dinner for tonight…at least dinner will be ready when I get home (the hubs left for work at 5:00 a.m.)….I used to make this dish once a month when Nanay was still with us because that was one dish she enjoyed. She didnt’ care too much for pork and beef so I made sure to make something with chicken, and the tinola was one of them. I remember Nanay making the tinola for us when we were little. She never used the green papaya though…always the chayote…either with spinach or baby bok-choy. I guess that’s why when I make the tinola I use the chayote too. It’s funny how a certain “smell” brings memories….the smell of preparing the tinola with the garlic, onions, ginger reminds me also about the arroz-caldo (rice-chicken porridge). When Nanay came home under hospice care, Risa brought over some arroz-caldo…I was happy because Nanay actually ate some….during that time, Nanay barely had any appetite whatsover so seeing her eat a little of the arroz-caldo gave me “hope” that she was on her way to “recovery”. I asked Risa to teach me how to make it because I’ve never made it before[I'm slowly learning how to cook...:-) ]. I wanted to make some for Nanay…but I never got to make any for her because she had “left” us almost within a week….it wasn’t until a month or two after Nanay had gone that I had asked Risa to come by and teach me how to make the arroz-caldo. Arroz-Caldo maybe a comfort food, but for me it will also remind me of Nanay’s final days with me/us. I remember Nanay making arroz-caldo for us when we were young (she even made “sopas” you know…the soup with hotdogs, macaroni noodles and carnation milk)…I don’t know why I never asked her how to make both of them…I would watch her but I guess I just had no interest. Hmmm?? Well…gotta get ready for work now, and I have to put the baby bok-choy in…the chicken tinola is almost ready….I can smell it from downstairs! 
Just a thought….I guess when JP and AC are out on their own, the “chicken tinola” will probably remind them of one of my home-made Filipino dishes…they both got used to eating chayote and bok-choy which they like! [there's not too many Filipino dishes that I make...getting there though! ]
hi, where;s the arroz-caldo recipe. Cesar’s wife makes a good one. maybe you can get the recipe from her. talk to you later.
So, you remember Ate Lucy’s arroz-caldo, eh? Great memory..I guess when it comes to “food”…we BE remembering, huh? Risa makes an excellent one too. I have to ask her for the recipe again, but it’s very similar to the one I have linked on this post. Maybe sometime in the Fall, we can make it..