Life is Like a Batch of Siopao Dough
2007 was coming to a close.
We were moving apartments.
I wanted to mark my territory before we left 1055 Cresta Way to move into 135 Cresta Drive.
I couldn't leave the unit without making a batch of siopao. Since moving to the States, I've made siopao in every single apartment we've stayed at. And Apt 12 at Highlands should not be an exception.
So that's what I did.
With the asado filling cooling off, I went ahead and made the dough. Everything was just as it should be.
But then.
Things started to turn ugly.
Siopao dough, like any other dough you meet, is temperamental. It depends on a lot of things to be able to grow (and double in size - all cookbooks say this, right?). The temperature, altitude of where you're at, the kneading and careful handling, just to name a few. Oh and when you put in yeast that's already dead? That's the worst!
To continue: It was freezing outside and it was damp. The condition was perfect for a siopao meltdown.
And meltdown it was.
After two hours, I lifted the kitchen towel covering the bowl with the dough, looked serachingly... and I thought to myself: This is not good.
The dough was still flat! So with the theme song playing in my head, I went into Mcgyver Mode. If you lived through the 80's, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I took the bowl with the dough and put it on the window sill, hoping that it catches the waft of hot air coming out of the heater below the sill.
I left it there. For another two hours.
After two hours, I lifted the kitchen towel covering the bowl with the dough and once again looked searchingly... and I thought to myself: This is not good.
Again, the dough was still flat! So with the same theme song playing in my head, I went into Mcgyver Mode, again. If you lived through the 80's, you'd be screaming at me by now, saying: Go find the duct tape! Believe me, I thought about that, too, but in this instance I did not think any amount of duct tape could've helped.
What to do. What to do.
And then it came to me.
Quickly, I went to the kitchen. Got the biggest stock pot I had. Filled it up with hot water. Set the bowl with the dough on top of that. And left it for another two hours.
After two hours, I lifted the kitchen towel covering the bowl with the dough and once again looked searchingly... and I thought to myself: I'm good.
It worked! The dough had doubled in size!
No and I weren't able to eat the siopao til about 9 pm that night but guess what? It was the best ever batch I've ever made!
To conclude: I try to glean from anything that happens to me. And what I learned from this experience is that life is so much like a batch of siopao dough. Sometimes it does not turn out the way you want it to. Sometimes something just happens to it that's beyond your control. But one should never give up on it. You nurture it. You tend to it. You do whatever you can to save it and...make it come alive, again.
****
This is for my Toasters.
We were moving apartments.
I wanted to mark my territory before we left 1055 Cresta Way to move into 135 Cresta Drive.
I couldn't leave the unit without making a batch of siopao. Since moving to the States, I've made siopao in every single apartment we've stayed at. And Apt 12 at Highlands should not be an exception.
So that's what I did.
With the asado filling cooling off, I went ahead and made the dough. Everything was just as it should be.
But then.
Things started to turn ugly.
Siopao dough, like any other dough you meet, is temperamental. It depends on a lot of things to be able to grow (and double in size - all cookbooks say this, right?). The temperature, altitude of where you're at, the kneading and careful handling, just to name a few. Oh and when you put in yeast that's already dead? That's the worst!
To continue: It was freezing outside and it was damp. The condition was perfect for a siopao meltdown.
And meltdown it was.
After two hours, I lifted the kitchen towel covering the bowl with the dough, looked serachingly... and I thought to myself: This is not good.
The dough was still flat! So with the theme song playing in my head, I went into Mcgyver Mode. If you lived through the 80's, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I took the bowl with the dough and put it on the window sill, hoping that it catches the waft of hot air coming out of the heater below the sill.
I left it there. For another two hours.
After two hours, I lifted the kitchen towel covering the bowl with the dough and once again looked searchingly... and I thought to myself: This is not good.
Again, the dough was still flat! So with the same theme song playing in my head, I went into Mcgyver Mode, again. If you lived through the 80's, you'd be screaming at me by now, saying: Go find the duct tape! Believe me, I thought about that, too, but in this instance I did not think any amount of duct tape could've helped.
What to do. What to do.
And then it came to me.
Quickly, I went to the kitchen. Got the biggest stock pot I had. Filled it up with hot water. Set the bowl with the dough on top of that. And left it for another two hours.
After two hours, I lifted the kitchen towel covering the bowl with the dough and once again looked searchingly... and I thought to myself: I'm good.
It worked! The dough had doubled in size!
No and I weren't able to eat the siopao til about 9 pm that night but guess what? It was the best ever batch I've ever made!
To conclude: I try to glean from anything that happens to me. And what I learned from this experience is that life is so much like a batch of siopao dough. Sometimes it does not turn out the way you want it to. Sometimes something just happens to it that's beyond your control. But one should never give up on it. You nurture it. You tend to it. You do whatever you can to save it and...make it come alive, again.
****
This is for my Toasters.
posted by KC at 12:00 PM
2 comments
