Last Meal
The question gets asked in conversations quite often. What would you choose as your last meal? It is such a direct question but however vague it is open for answer, it is a fathomable question. Many I know answer the question with a Filet Mignon/ medium rare oscar style with garlic parmesan mashed potatoes and grilled mixed veggies. Sounds like one hell of a meal, a meal I actually make for Jessie and I in our kitchen for Valentines day almost every year. It would just not cut it for me, though, as it is a dish I know I can make myself with love and in turn I may not enjoy it as much as my last meal if I didn’t make it myself. And is it my favorite dish? No, not really close to being my favorite meal. I have spoken in another post on my love for dinuguan. Such a beautiful simple dish that packs a unique taste of joy. This being a dish I can not make myself (for now) and I would probably really appreciate it as a side over rice, but it has got to be the Cebuano origin as they have a tendency to add a bit more vinegar to the dish that really sets it off. There is another dish I order that is definitely up there, however, and before we get into that let’s talk about the establishment and what it means to me.
9272 Miramar Rd. #24, San Diego, CA. That’s Amore Pizza. Owned by Jack and Rose, these two Sicilian Natives have worked in this location for a little over 5 decades. This was the place, this was where my family would go to eat out as a child. Jack and Rose are family friends and were happy to serve us all, especially baby Kristen who had a knack for throwing her food on the floor, without question, every meal. Rose did not mind the clean up so it became a staple. Old man Jack has the love of the craft, as I say, in every dish he prepares. Quality has never faltered in the 25 odd years I have been eating there. When we were younger it was his son Pete who would help out from time to time and in fact I use to call it Pete’s Pizza as a kid because I did not know the name just yet 😅. Back to the food though! What sets That’s Amore Pizza from the others, and this stands true to many places I have been, is his crust. His dough is a guarded secret and one day… maybe, just maybe. He will share it with me to pass on through my family. The crust, crispy outer layer that snaps when you fold the slice or tear it, then exposes a doughy perfectly baked center. The pizza is hittin…but his Calzones are…simply filled loaves of bread, love and care. My standard calzone order is sausage, olive and artichoke hearts with some sauce added inside 😉. The perfect crust with the perfect fillings. It is definitely worth a try. Jack has one more trick up his sleeve, and that is his Torpedo Sandwich. Jack’s rendition of this classic Italian sandwich is simply divine. His bread is a base of what he uses to make his garlic bread and it is showered in white sesame seeds. His cheeses and meats are stacked and melted together in his pizza oven and topped with lettuce, onion, tomato. It is…the most…perfect sandwich. Jack’s care and love of craft shines in all his food but not as majestically as his Torpedo Sandwich. The sandwich is close to being my last meal but let's take a look at one more dish.
This dish is not necessarily the version some of you will understand as I do not mean the version that is home to its country's origin. In fact, it is quite hard to find when you look for this dish when you go to your favorite Filipino Food establishment and that is Filipino Menudo. The orange based thick stew-like sauce with diced potatoes and clumps of chicken and marinated mixed veggies alllll poured over fluffy white rice. This. This is the dish, my friends. This is your hangover cure, your under the weather cure. But is THIS the dish? No it is a step closer, however!
The main dish that I for sure would request as my last meal is actually close to Jessie’s family. That is her Lola’s recipe for Spanish Chicken. For all that may not know, Jessie’s Lola was a phenomenal cook and even released her own cookbook back in the Philippines titled “A Cook’s Treasure”. In the copy she possesses is a dish called “Spanish Chicken with Cheese Crust”. Her mother, tita, brother and herself mainly just cook the filling in this recipe and we consume it over rice. Clumps of chicken, garlic, onion, chorizo bilbao, tomato paste, salt, sugar, pepper, msg, fried diced potatoes, pimientos, button mushrooms and green olives…all this makes one hell of stew made intentional filling but turned into a stew and served with rice is the answer to my heart. Shared in the company of my loved ones this, ladies and gentlemen, is my choice of a last meal. This dish taught to this family by this powerful matriarch that had a heart and mind for the kitchen has made its way to my heart and fills me with delight every time I take a bite. This dish alone I hope to master and continue to spread its joy out to the world. I really hope you all enjoyed your time on this post today. I would love to hear from you, on what your ideal last meal would be! So please feel free to comment! As always, till next time!