Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #1)

by Mia P. Manansala

He knew I was good. But in his kitchen, there was no room for me to be great.

I set the electric kettle and pulled out the jar of ginger, turmeric, honey, cayenne, and calamansi, the last ingredient adding a refreshing hit of citrus tang.

I almost said “just friends,” as if romantic partnership was superior to platonic friendship, but stopped myself. Adeena hated that term and idea. And I’d learned, time and again, she was right. There was no hierarchy to love.

Lola Flor’s Minatamis na Bao (Coconut Jam) This rich coconut caramel spread is one of Lola Flor’s specialties. It’s traditionally served with pandesal (Filipino soft bread rolls) and kakanin (Filipino sweet glutinous rice cakes) but it’s delicious in many other applications (Lila once used it to fill a layer cake!). A great way to jazz up breakfast and tea time. YIELD: ABOUT 1 CUP Ingredients 1 can coconut milk (13.5 fl oz) ⅔ cup of dark brown sugar* 2 pandan leaves, tied in a bow, or 1 tsp pandan extract (optional) Put all the ingredients in a thick-bottomed medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and stir the contents until the sugar dissolves. Using a rubber spatula, stir the jam until it thickens to a honey-like consistency and is a lovely dark brown, about 45 minutes.* Make sure to stir the contents, scraping the bottom and sides, often so that the jam doesn’t stick to the bottom. If you want to be sure it’s done, drop a small amount of the jam into very cold water and see if it forms a soft ball. Remove from heat and pour into a clean glass jar. Allow to cool and thicken a bit more before using.

Tita Rosie’s Chicken Adobo Adobo is often considered the Philippines’s national dish, and is more a style of cooking than specific food. The main ingredient and seasonings vary according to region (it’s an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, after all) and even according to family, but this is how Tita Rosie makes it. SERVES 4-6 NOTE: This dish tastes best when marinated for several hours, so start it early. Also, the ingredients are highly adjustable. Want it saltier? Add more soy sauce. Tangier? More vinegar. Is the flavor too strong? Add more water. Want to switch up the meats? Sub in a pound of pork belly for a pound of the chicken. Adobo is a personal experience. Ingredients 3 to 4 lbs of skin-on, bone-in chicken legs, thighs, or drumsticks (avoid chicken breasts, which are too dry for this style of cooking) ¾ cup soy sauce (Datu Puti brand preferred) 1 cup vinegar* 1 cup water 1 tsbp sugar 10 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp black peppercorns 2 bay leaves Put all ingredients in a large pot or sealable plastic bag, making sure the chicken is mostly submerged. Marinate in the fridge for four hours to overnight, turning the chicken or bag around several times so the marinade is distributed evenly. You can skip this step or cut the time down to only thirty minutes, but it won’t be as tasty. If you used a bag, empty the contents into a large pot and turn the heat to high. If it’s already in a pot, you can skip straight to heating everything to boiling. Once the liquid boils,...