Comfort Food: Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumber

The past week has been trying times for me. We have been blessed with our second child and our precious one fought a bout of infection with multiple rounds of injectible antibiotics that left us in the hospital for the past two weeks. While admitted in the hospital, I found out about the deaths of a family friend; the father of a very close friend; and our longtime family driver, who has been in every milestone of my life since I was a child.

It was an emotional rollercoaster: celebrating the birth of your child at the same time trying to be strong for your battling newborn and mourning for the people you've lost.

The hospital served gourmet food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, like fish kebab with garden salad, hoisin chicken with green vegetables, skewered meat and mixed vegetables with peanut sauce, and the like. Presented nicely, at first I found it fancy but after several days of eating it, I no longer look forward when the dietary personnel enters our room. It has lost its luster and appeal and lacks... warmth.

God is good and hears our prayers, after 2 weeks we finally went home with our precious one and the acceptance of our loss.

On the day we got back, my darleng who was with me all throughout the ordeal, asked me to cook something very specific for dinner: ground pork with pickled cucumber and congee - our ultimate comfort food. When we get sick or get stuck at home on a rainy night or after eating out for consecutive nights or coming home from a vacation abroad, this is our go-to food combination. (This can also be paired with plain rice.) The warmth of the rice congee is in synced with the saltiness of the pork and the crunchiness of the cucumbers that brings just that - comfort to our tummies. It verifies something so universal, it's good to be home.

Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumber

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 kilo ground pork
1 tbsp knorr seasoning
2 tbsp soy sauce
ground pepper
1/2 cup pickled cucumber, cubed
water

1. Saute garlic and onion in oil. Add ground pork. Season with seasoning, soy sauce and pepper.
2. When pork is cooked, add enough water just to cover meat. Let it simmer in low fire.
3. Add seasoning or soy sauce if necessary. Then add pickled cucumber. And mix. Serve with congee or plain rice.