About ∃♡ (and Orange Chicken)

Greetings, travelers!

A week ago, on the 12th of June of 2024, we commemorated the Dia dos Namorados in Brasil, which roughly translates to Valentine's Day in other parts of the world. In Brazil, the 12th is the eve of Dia de Santo Antônio de Pádua, a catholic saint who represents marriage and love. Because of that, and also because all the restaurants are chaotically full on that special day, me and my partner decided to cook a special dinner for us and her parents.

We spent some time deciding what recipe to make, and we ended up landing on one by isascherer, available on an Instagram reel, of a delicious Orange Chicken. We used three-times the amounts in the original recipe to make the sauce for 1kg of chicken. The chicken was sautéed in a pan and reserved, so that we could deglaze it and prepare in it the vibrant Orange Sauce: made from fresh orange juice, orange zest, soybean oil, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic.

For the sides, we served white rice alongside sautéed asparagus and broccoli cooked in the same pan as the sauce, with onion, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and a hint of ginger and sugar. To elevate the Brazilian-oriental experience, I decided to make a sakerinha, the traditional Brazilian sugar-filled drink caipirinha but with sake instead of cachaça. I used some beautiful kiwis to make the beverage, alongside a little bit of lemon juice. I also bought a citric IPA beer called Lagunitas, a favorite from my own father, that really went well with the Orange Chicken.

My partner's father is a really talented house cook, so I was a little bit nervous about the process as a whole, since it would be my first time cooking for him at their house. I got there early and we started the mise en place together. It was very effective, and soon enough we were heating up the pans and sipping our drinks, when her father arrived. He got me a bit anxious from so many suggestions and participations from him. But after breathing deeply and trying to exercise my patience, it became really obvious that he just wanted to help. I was able then to look at the situation from a different lense, and was really grateful for his feedbacks and I felt important to him, since he was so cheerful in sharing his knowledge in the kitchen. The result was fantastic, and I was really proud of all of us that made that delicious meal and very enjoyable moment possible.

Love is also an Action.

It is a lot simpler and easier to say the most beautiful and loveable words than it is to turn them in reality. Everything in this living needs energy, effort and work to build. And Love is definetely not an exception to that, and I cannot express in words how rewarding it has been to be investing with my partner in Our Love for the past year. It isn't magic, it doesn't happen by itself. Relationships are made of more than one person, and the most difficult part is to compassionately trust and empathically support each other.

Love Exists

∃♡

(original photo taken by her, and edited by me)

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