Hi friends!
Better late than never? That’s my motto for this week’s newsletter.
These past few days have been a complete whirlwind, from my family coming into town for Father’s Day weekend, to traveling to Vegas to see my grandparents, to now— sitting at the Vegas airport, waiting for my flight to Austin to take off. We’ve been delayed an hour, and it doesn’t look like we’re boarding anytime soon.
I’ve tried writing this newsletter in the little pockets of downtime I’ve had— but you try concentrating on a casino floor! It’s impossible!
But I didn’t want to skip out on this week’s newsletter because I actually have a very special, sentimental recipe to share with you all today. This past Sunday, we made Chicken Adobo for Father’s Day— a tribute to my dad.
As you can imagine, this past weekend wasn’t easy for my family. If you’ve ever lost someone you love, you’ll understand the feeling of fear that creeps over you as you inch closer and closer to significant milestones. I’ve been told that experiencing the “firsts” in grieving will knock the wind out of you, and I can tell you from experience that that’s true. None of the “firsts” are easy.
There’s moments when it still doesn’t feel real that we lost my dad over eight months ago. Even typing that out doesn’t feel or sound right. And even with all that time passed, it’s crazy how specific days, moments or milestones sneak up on you. You feel like you’ve progressed so much, only to be reminded of how much pain and sadness still exists.
I am so thankful that I didn’t have to spend my first Father’s Day without my dad alone. I had my mom, brother and two roommates to lean on as well as all the love and support of my extended family and friends. I got to spend the weekend doing things that my dad absolutely loved like going to brunch, grilling in the backyard, visiting the Denver Art Museum and gardening. Of course there were plenty of moments when we weren’t smiling— hell, if you were at The Lobby on Sunday morning, you would’ve seen my sobbing in the corner booth— but I’m relieved that most of the weekend was filled with recounting old memories we love, laughing at stories he used to tell and sharing all the things we’ll forever treasure about my dad. Like I said, none of the “firsts” are easy, and the first Father’s Day without my dad is no exception, but I’m grateful that I got to spend it doing things my dad loved with the people that he loved.
And while the Paris to Hollywood exhibit at DAM was up there, making chicken adobo for my dad was my favorite part of the weekend. If you’ve never had or heard of chicken adobo before, it’s a traditional Filipino dish that combines some sort of protein, usually chicken or pork, with vinegar and garlic — staples in Filipino cuisine. Adobo is the epitome of Filipino cooking— it’s like spaghetti for Italians. And growing up, we had it about once a week.
Chicken adobo holds such a sentimental and nostalgic place in my heart. It has brought my family and I comfort throughout my entire life, and now, making it as an adult, it’s doing the same thing.
The recipe I’m sharing with you all today is inspired by my dad’s good friend Mike Sevner’s recipe. Mike would come cook lunch for my dad twice a week, typically making traditional Filipino meals for him. This dish in particular always soothed my dad, taking away his pain, even if just for a second.
Here’s what you’ll need—
2 ½ pounds chicken, bone-in and skin-on— we used thighs and leg quarters, but you can also use wings, breasts, etc.
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup distilled white vinegar
3 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
5 garlic cloves, crushed
Neutral oil
1 ¾ cups water, seperated
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Chives or scallions for topping
In a large bowl or ziplock bag, combine chicken thighs and leg quarters with soy sauce, distilled white vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns and crushed garlic. Let marinate for at least one hour, or up to overnight if you’re a real overachiever.
In a large saute pan with high sides or a dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil over medium heat. Add the chicken to the pan, skin-side down to brown the skin, about 2 minutes. Set remaining marinade to the side.
When skin is beginning to brown, add remaining marinade to the pan with 1 ½ cups water. Simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Stir occasionally so all the chicken gets a chance to be submerged in the sauce.
In the last 10 minutes, grate fresh ginger into the pan. Stir to combine.
You’ll also want to add a cornstarch slurry. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Slowly pour slurry into the simmering pan. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has started to thicken.
Serve chicken over a bed of jasmine rice and top with chopped scallions or chives.
Obviously eating Filipino food and doing some of my dad’s favorite things gave me life this week, but it was also receiving these gorgeous flowers from the Langhorst family, finding the best old fashioned in all of Denver at The Ramble Hotel and scarfing down this buffalo chicken pizza from Pizza Pedal’r. It was making a kick-ass tomato, peach and burrata salad, and it was receiving this picture from my best friend Marin, who just hung up one of my dad’s pieces in her new home. There’s nothing that would have made my dad happier than knowing his art is hanging in all of our loved one’s homes.
It was getting to do all the touristy things in Vegas with my mom and brother. We walked the strip in the blazing heat, brunched at Sadelle’s in the Bellagio, gawked over the shopping at Caesars and sipped overpriced, frozen cocktails on Fremont Street. I went for the Hands on my Frozen Chi Chi’s drink cause I’m a child. We ate so. much. food., but even more importantly, we got to spend time with my grandparents and see their new home, where I came across this epic photo of my dad in high school.
And lastly, while it feels like we should get a reward for getting through another “first” this week, we have another one coming up this weekend with the anniversary of Andrew’s passing. Isn’t life a bitch like that? This time, I’m not going to try to cram in a newsletter to send you all. Instead, I’m going to take a week off to be present with my friends and feel all the feelings.
Wish I was with you,
Maddie