Importance of Family Mealtime

If asked about the two best things associated with Filipinos, they are close family ties and good food. We value our family so much that we look out for one another and when a member of the family goes abroad to work for a better life, one never forgets to look back and support their loved ones. We definitely have a soft spot for our them.

We spend time together and treat meal times as the most valuable moments of the day. We share stories and catch up with each other over a hearty meal. It’s the perfect time to bond but with today’s technology, smartphones are getting the best of us. We are known the world over for our tasty dishes and we make sure to follow age-old recipes for food preparation. For me, nothing beats mom’s cooking, and as one who isn’t as good as her, I don’t take any chances. I’d stick with the easy dishes.

Recently, I came across a Youtube video about a father and his son exchanging opinions about various topics. It was Marcelo Santos III and his father discussing family values and sharing pieces of advice in a vlog entitled Mealtime Confessions. One thing I like most about his father’s advice is about chances. “Once is enough, two is too much, and three is a poison that can kill a person”. I agree that we have to set limits or else, we’ll be allowing other people to hurt us. On the other hand, his best advice for the youth is to respect their parents and listen to them, which made me miss my father who used to lift my spirits when I was in my lowest point in life.

I miss the old days when my father used to spice up family dinner with his antics and made sure to get everyone involved in the conversations. He made every member of the family feel accepted and loved. “Nobody gets left behind” as Lilo of the popular Lilo and Stitch animation always say. Going back to the vlog, Marcelo Santos III and his father brought up the role of sharing good food and how it makes our table talk more engaging.

Truly, a sumptuous home cooked meal can set the mood for a lively discussion and for a typical Filipino family, a perfectly cooked blistering hot Fried Chicken will do just that.

Cooking has never been my forte ever since I moved to my own place. This made me appreciate quick and easy recipes with minimal ingredients. Spending my time dining in with the family is my top priority whenever I go home on the weekends. My mom sometimes requests for me to cook for the family and one dish that has always been a favorite among my niece and nephew is fried chicken.

Since I was young, I was accustomed to this dish as a reward for being an obedient, studious kid. No wonder fried chicken is the best selling dish in restaurants all around the country. However, for it to capture the Filipino palate, it has to have the right level of saltiness, spiciness and crispiness to the bite.

I can definitely relate to Marcelo Santos III’s father. He said that cooking a dish is like courting; you just have to keep it simple. He also mentioned that he uses products that is already complete with herbs and spices like Crispy fry that saves time and makes family meal time worthwhile.

Whocan say that it doesn’t take a pro to prepare Fried chicken that will pass even Chef Gordon Ramsay’s standards? For a workaholic like me, serving dinner for my loved ones is now made easy. There can be no more excuses for take outs and pizza deliveries. Needless to say, preparing my favorite dish is more rewarding. Do you enjoy mealtime conversations too?  Share your thoughts in the comment box.