Oh the memories I have of Christmas growing up are
delightful and delicious LOL! Mom just had a way of making everything about the
holidays better and especially with her food! She would cook the traditional meal
of turkey, ham, stuffing etc…and she would cook the traditional Tongan food too
like, lupulu, long rice, pulu masima, yams etc… Funny thing is AFTER we’d gorge
on this feast she would say something like, “Lyla you so fat, galm town (calm
down)!” Oh mommy what I would give to hear you say that just one more time!
Every now and again she would say to me to come and watch
how she cooked something or to help her out. I would slide in help where needed
and run out of the kitchen and tend to more important things like my hair,
makeup, outfit of choice or talking on the phone! SO STUPID! Again, what I
would give to have one more chance to stand next to the Tongan chef extraordinaire
as she did her thing!
In 2009 there was a wicked ice storm here in NC and mom was
at the house with us for a few days. I asked her to show me how to make keke (a
yeast based scone or roll.) It is a favorite in our family, with our friends
and basically the entire Polynesian community! The recipe is so simple,
basically it’s just flour, sugar, water and yeast, don’t even ask about
measurements because mom would say, “but a lots of flowa, some sukkah and a
liddel isite in warm watah” (translation- put lots of flour, some sugar and
little yeast in warm water.) Oh what I would do to hear that broken English accent
again!
The way you make it is not so simple, it is an art of sorts
in the world of Tongan cooking, I can’t even begin to explain it but I did find
a video link on you tube that shows it. The written broken English on it and
music make it all the more fun! The lesson learned here today is, if your mom
or dad is good at something, and want to show you how it’s done…GO, LISTEN,
WATCH AND LEARN so you don’t have to watch you tube after their gone to learn
how they did it.
http://polynesiankitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/keke-isite-recipe.html
