-Brian Mendonça
How does one host a breakfast for 20 people? This was the
question which loomed before us.
We were keen to host a group of people who were breezing
into Goa for a few days. The only free slot in their frenetic schedule was a
few hours after the Mass on Sunday before they rushed to catch the train back
in the early afternoon the same day.
We decided to go ahead and host breakfast as a gesture of
goodwill. I racked my brains on what is usually served on these occasions. Colleagues
gave helpful suggestions. The previous day Queenie asked me to get 2 dozen
eggs, Heinz beans, pork salami and pork frankfurters (alas, the sorpotel was just over). To that I added
my old favourite – corned beef.
Early morning the next day, the day of the dreaded
breakfast, I rose and stalked the breadman who trundled his cycle up the path
at a few minutes past 7. Prior to that, another breadman on a motorbike came
along shattering the stillness of the dawn. He honked perfunctorily, but I
balked at this brash behaviour of busking bread.
I picked up 40 loaves of bread, 10 of katre pau (scissors-shaped bread), 10 of poes (coarse-wheatish bread), 15 of mou pao (soft squarish bread) and 5 of hard toasted bread. In
addition I picked up 10 poes for an
aunt who loves to carry them back with her, and savour them at home. The weight
and volume of my cloth bag assured me that even if the breakfast was a disaster
they would appreciate our fine taste for Goan traditional breadmaking.
For 8.30 Sunday Mass in Konkani, Fr. Joaquim Fernandes,
Chaplain at Candelaria chapel, Porvorim preached about the 3 kings. He made his
own 3 wishes on behalf of the laity for the new year, viz. prayer – so we may always discern the will of the Lord; participation – to involve oneself in
activities to help the community and lastly, positivity. When we are discouraged we droop into negativity and in
the loop, unwelcome things happen to us. If we choose to be positive, we spread
positive energy and good things happen to us. I decided to make these wishes
for 2017 my own.
Queenie asked me to get some idlis. Things fell into
place in my mind. Breakfast was either Western or Indian or both. It was 9.40
a.m. For the Goan touch I slided into Cafe Kalpana opposite Holy Family church
and picked up chillies fried in batter, and vegetable samosas. Then came idlis,
puri-bhaji and upma (10 plates each) from Sanskruti Restaurant. At home, boiled
eggs, and corned beef was ready. Tea vessels were boiling away on the burners.
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Published in Gomantak Times Weekender, St. Inez, Goa on Sunday, 15 January 2017. pix courtesy casasusegad
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