Leslie continues and concludes her chat with her Ernie and dives deeper into family holiday traditions, his experience as he transitioned into life in Los Angeles and America, and how food became the life force and connector then and now. He also shares what his 'rice and egg' is.
[00:00:00] Welcome back to Rice and Egg. Today, we continue our heartwarming conversation with Ernie
[00:00:08] Mulder in this part two as we dive deeper into his food journey and family traditions.
[00:00:16] Ernie shares with us his experiences coming to America and how food has played a role
[00:00:21] in connecting with his new home. We also chat about a simple and memorable childhood go to
[00:00:26] of bread, peanut butter, butter and sambal. Wow! I'm getting hungry already. And the importance
[00:00:36] of families coming together through food, especially during tough times. Get ready for part
[00:00:43] two in the conclusion of another delicious and inspiring episode with Ernie Mulder.
[00:00:52] But I wanted to come back. Can we come back to something that you said which is really interesting?
[00:00:58] And it was actually, I touched upon this topic with my last guest, Julie. And we talked
[00:01:05] because when we talked it was during the holidays and things like that. Is there so in the Dutch
[00:01:11] Indonesian culture and even just for your family's culture and what you guys like to make,
[00:01:18] what has been a traditional food thing during the holidays that it's been either passed down
[00:01:28] from your mom or your family, your siblings and which you've carried over here when you came to
[00:01:35] the US. Is there anything like that? Yeah, the yellow rice. That's one of the staples with
[00:01:43] the side dishes that compliments this whole rice table. As of today, I always ensure that I make
[00:01:53] siscababla something whether it's chicken or pork or beef. That's always our favorite because
[00:02:04] you can make so many different kinds of sates but it's always good to have. It's easy to make
[00:02:12] well. It's cumbersome because you have to buy the meat, you have to cut it in cubes and then you
[00:02:19] have to marinate it. You can make it as strong as you want. You want to put more cumin in there
[00:02:29] or garlic with ginger. There's a variety of recipes but for us where we come from, Sate is
[00:02:40] the number one with rice. If it's plain rice, Sate with kado kado kado is steamed vegetables with
[00:02:49] a peanut sauce and that's what we grew up with. That's one of my favorites too. It's you can make
[00:02:57] it fresh salad and then with spicy peanut sauce. For me like I said, you get a little bit of chicken.
[00:03:10] You can either make it like an au por which is like a dobo chicken. Of course you have to have
[00:03:19] the spicy sambal and do you make your own? Yeah, I can make my own but I don't want to smell up
[00:03:29] the house but yeah, I could make it my own. But then I make it too hot where people won't enjoy
[00:03:39] it. They would be sweating and drink a lot of milk or water. But yeah, I used to make my own
[00:03:46] sambal not so like my mom did because what she did, she would buy the Spanish pepper
[00:03:54] she would wash them, boil them and then wait till they cool off, she deceded it after that
[00:04:05] and then she put that in a meat grinder. And then she gets a block of a scrim paste,
[00:04:13] that's the ingredient of her sambal and then she would just grind it and then with all the spices
[00:04:23] that she has and she would cook it in a wajjian which is in a wok and that takes for hours
[00:04:31] till the oils are just floating on top of it and that's when it's done.
[00:04:39] And then the worst thing is it takes two days to defume the house from the smell
[00:04:46] because you would go to work to school and say what is your, your, your, your,
[00:04:52] but the fruit is that we will enjoy it for a month, you know,
[00:04:57] and all that's because she would have pots of, of that sambal. And then it doesn't go bad
[00:05:02] because we didn't have a fridge at stays there for months, it doesn't get bad at all.
[00:05:08] We would, we would if it's worse, our emergency food would be a slice of bread with butter,
[00:05:16] with peanut butter and sambal. That was your rice and egg, yeah, that's one more rice and egg.
[00:05:21] Yeah, that's what's the one that ultimately if there's no rice for instance.
[00:05:25] So a bread can you say that again? A bread, a little bit of butter and then you put peanut butter
[00:05:32] on top of that and then a layer of sambal. That's how, yeah, and that's how you that. I still do it
[00:05:41] to this day. Yeah. Oh, that's, I don't want rice, it's living too heavy. It's time to eat the
[00:05:47] that sounds nerve-shing actually. Yeah, and then so I get a slice of bread and on my youngest one
[00:05:52] he said, oh, that's a good idea. You know, if you like it, it's especially good. Yeah,
[00:05:57] she liked it, not too spicy. Yeah. But she likes, she actually says, I'd rather do
[00:06:06] neck with sambal than peanut butter. That's an interesting combination.
[00:06:12] Because what so enjoyable is when I wake up with her and she's going to work,
[00:06:18] she said, oh, what are you gonna have rice and egg? I understand her. I understand.
[00:06:24] Yeah, I understand. Yeah, that don't worry about getting me some sandwiches. I'll just eat this
[00:06:32] and she makes it herself. This is how I got it growing up. You know, this is interesting. We're
[00:06:39] getting into a nice little tagway into a topic which I wanted to also touch upon. So this is
[00:06:46] a multicultural home you live in. Yes, haha. Because you also have my cousin who's Filipino.
[00:06:54] Right as your wife. Right. And so how has that been as far as getting really intimate with the
[00:07:00] Filipino culture and the Filipino food? Because as a family member growing up with you now as
[00:07:10] a part of our family, you've fully adopted the recipes of the Filipino, of key Filipino traditional
[00:07:18] foods to the point where for all of the listeners out there, Ernie is the master of Filipino barbecue.
[00:07:25] I mean, he does that better than any of the Filipino restaurants that I've had.
[00:07:32] You know, so how has that been for you kind of connecting what you knew about food to
[00:07:39] Filipino culture? The Filipino culture was actually exposed when I was working.
[00:07:47] One of my colleagues would bring Filipino food to work and we'll share lunchtime with us.
[00:07:54] I would bring my my Indonesian food which is a lot spicier than his and he ends up exchanging.
[00:08:01] I would get his Filipino food and he would say make the same tomorrow. I'll bring the same
[00:08:09] no, I want something different. You guys placed orders. Yes.
[00:08:14] And till this day, I give you know, unfortunately he's no longer with us but he would ask me
[00:08:21] can you bring me this fish dish which is a spicy white fish recipe and nobody would touch
[00:08:33] it at work but him. And then he will bring his rice and then he would sit in the corner and just eat
[00:08:41] you know and then his name was Tony and he would be so happy. And then he would bring some
[00:08:51] Filipa adoboom and they said okay, thank you all that stuff. And then when I met your cousin Lisa,
[00:08:58] you know the transition or the assimilation was very easy. Grandma and grandpa they welcomed me
[00:09:06] and she made her favorite dishes for me. You know if she would say oh come here eat
[00:09:13] and she would make adobo or her specialty is the one ground beef wrapped in foil.
[00:09:21] And potato. And I said okay, this is for you and this would be Lisa would say what about me?
[00:09:27] Oh no, this is for her for her. So that was good. And then when I started to cook and for
[00:09:35] Lisa, it was a little bit spicy but she likes that. And then I tweaked it around where
[00:09:41] where it's a combination of you know Filipino, taste and Indonesian taste. Well just like today for
[00:09:50] instance, you know we made the broccoli with tofu and then fried rice, the typical fried rice
[00:09:58] with egg and then we had chicken dish with marinated in soy sauce. So yeah, so she likes that
[00:10:10] because he used to cook as well when she didn't work. And then I said okay since we are off
[00:10:17] each other's schedule, I mean the morning sees that night of a season the morning and I'm at night,
[00:10:23] I was able to do the cooking during the day when she was working. So and that's evolved,
[00:10:29] I don't mind cooking and you know and she said okay it's good for me you know.
[00:10:36] But no yeah, I learned so much from from your family you know how to make adobo especially
[00:10:46] your dad is a good cook as well. I love my dad's. So you know he's quiet but
[00:10:53] puts a mean dish on the table. I grew up with a lot of his cooking actually because my mom worked
[00:11:01] and he was the one to like yourself, he was the one that provided the food and picked us up from
[00:11:06] school kind of earlier because my mom came home from work around 5 5 30 which is dinner time. So it
[00:11:12] was my dad you know. Yeah absolutely. And yeah I can relate that and what that makes me is
[00:11:22] I'm not alone. Yes. There's a lot of people that do the same thing as us but don't have the chance
[00:11:29] of hey you know where are people that are coming to me you know are doing the same thing
[00:11:36] but once that gets into the open where you know the next thing you know every household is
[00:11:45] pretty similar. You know whether you are from that country or this country or culture
[00:11:51] and you go hey it's it's the food that makes the family. That's 100%. I see it food is also
[00:12:01] the essence of work where you can discuss things with others other people and then make your
[00:12:13] work a more comfortable place to be. You don't want something oh I'm going to have my lunch here
[00:12:20] and I'm going to have my lunch there no. To do as when you are at home sitting around the table
[00:12:27] and enjoy your sort of company. But what you just said is really important because as we know
[00:12:33] today well even before right before COVID lots of pukkuk's happened. Yes. This is how we
[00:12:40] shared our cultures in the office where it's like oh can you bring your dishes right. That's so
[00:12:46] much isn't the case anymore. Right. And we're at home. Uh-huh. But I think what you just said
[00:12:52] is really important in that it's something to be mindful of when you're with your family where
[00:12:58] really your families are co-workers now. Right. Yes. To still if you can bring them together
[00:13:05] in a meal setting to eat together. Right. To retain that kind of connection, community
[00:13:14] despite the fact that you won't be at you're not necessarily in an office at a potluck or you know
[00:13:18] right. Or having your co-workers come over to your house at lunch it's not that easy anymore.
[00:13:23] So that's interesting. Yeah I did it's interesting because where I used to work
[00:13:29] for we had our Christmas parties and all that stuff uh and it was not an exchange of gifts
[00:13:36] but it was an exchange of food. We would have like you say a potluck and uh you know
[00:13:43] unfortunately the main barbecue was me and my other colleague. I'm not surprised. You know
[00:13:48] we would start already early in the morning. You can have uh you know 55 gallon barrels
[00:13:55] where we could have been half and it was full of charcoal and then this is what we do chicken
[00:14:02] hotlings and all that stuff. The good stuff and um and that was always earning what is for Christmas
[00:14:10] on the menu. Oh well let's have a meeting you know. Let's plan a menu. Yeah. And then you know
[00:14:18] this is this is where I first tasted chitlings made by my friend Frankie. I don't know if you
[00:14:24] remember Frankie who was in my wedding and uh he said oh Ernie you like this and I go what is it?
[00:14:31] Not many people would like it chitlings you know and uh I ate it and said oh you like it yeah
[00:14:38] make some more. You know he made them. Yeah he made it himself yeah. I saw a way on the street
[00:14:45] it's a uh long process cleaning the stuff and all that stuff and that cooking
[00:14:51] and then but he was so fond of my cooking that I said you can't sleep here. You can't leave
[00:14:58] here. Go home now. Yeah we had a good time doing Christmas especially at work just not a family
[00:15:06] like you said uh because that's important. You want to work where you you are respected. You are
[00:15:16] at least uh wanted and the desire of doing the coming good for the company you know it's not
[00:15:26] something like oh I'm working here because I don't have to do anything. No you work here because
[00:15:32] you want to work here. You know the company didn't ask you you need to work for me now. You
[00:15:38] applied so you have to do your 50% worth of obligation. You know and that's how we
[00:15:47] that was my motto you know nobody got a free ride here. You chose to work here now produce
[00:15:56] you know and everything else will come. You know if you want to steal from the company
[00:16:02] it only makes work for the whole group you know if you want you don't want to come to work
[00:16:08] then you have other people work to your work. You know it's uh if you say of course it's understandable
[00:16:15] but if you try to play hookie you know because you're too lazy to come to work that doesn't work
[00:16:21] you know and you don't belittle your co-workers uh and also for that then that's why
[00:16:28] you know during Christmas we started to buy tamales or tamales you know I love tamales
[00:16:37] and then we would go to this uh near in the city it's uh Mexican place and buy them and then
[00:16:47] everybody we call everybody what's going on oh we bought some tamales we share with you
[00:16:53] and then everybody started to talk to one another and then this is when I announced that I
[00:16:59] got a retire so and then that's when I felt yeah this is a good time to tell that I'm going to retire
[00:17:09] during the food session. I see yeah. I'm not in the food session let's say what we do.
[00:17:14] spirits are listed people are connected okay. Yeah because you know all these years we had a
[00:17:20] lichon you know we had a big pig baby pig a roasted pig for dinner and all that stuff with all
[00:17:27] kinds of stuff and then the day people would say how come you get away with it because they don't want
[00:17:35] me to stop cooking. They want to be on a diet. Because when I had Sunday uh service I was working
[00:17:43] Sundays my staff and I would cook for the for all the people that were Sundays even the
[00:17:52] fire the people would come over and say hey well you guys cooking for the day you know so you
[00:17:57] want some you go help yourself and then uh awesome yeah we have he would bring rice and some
[00:18:04] ingredients that said oh what do you want okay fried rice or anything and I have this hot hot
[00:18:09] stuff and you know and then I'll make it fresh you know oh my god and then it smells through the whole garage
[00:18:16] stuff but it was nice I was blessed that I was able to do that for them. When the community like you
[00:18:24] said it's just it runs through you food I think that's been the running theme here is food is community
[00:18:31] food is connection food runs through generations and it really is the bond no matter where you come
[00:18:40] from yeah it is and uh well what what I will do is you get ideas exchange feelings exchanged that oh
[00:18:53] you know it puts a doubt away from you know once a person doesn't understand the culture
[00:19:01] and now it's said oh it is pretty much the same as where I come from you know
[00:19:06] yeah different different like break down to all those assumptions and people yes yeah you know
[00:19:12] absolutely you cannot say like I hate this group but you eat their food you can't say that's
[00:19:19] interesting that's that's hip-hop you know and that's what we we say how can you say you don't
[00:19:24] like a barbecue of this person but you like his barbecue right that don't make sense right right
[00:19:32] that don't don't eat anything of what he makes all that stuff you know they uh they
[00:19:38] they were asking us make hotlinks and they say why you want hotlinks because this is part of our
[00:19:45] stables you know and all that stuff so we made it right and then the people that you know never
[00:19:51] taste one before or this is different than hot dogs it's better than hot dogs now now what they
[00:19:58] do they order hotlinks the life from yeah the life of so for me they you know because I they say
[00:20:08] I'm Dutch right a good example is that I played soccer for for the college you know
[00:20:16] al-communicolage it was in the begin station that the college was developing a program
[00:20:22] so here a bunch of foreign students were playing the game and then uh the coach says over you
[00:20:30] from I said oh from ho hi Dutch so my nickname became Dutch right but yet I don't look Dutch
[00:20:38] here's a Dutch boy yeah he is typical Dutch he said hey I'm Dutch I said no he's Dutch
[00:20:46] your John you know okay and then that if I felt sorry for him and all that stuff we talked
[00:20:51] and so far yeah I can't help it that's what they call me right and so forth and then we had to
[00:20:57] explain to the coach what it being around oh okay I understand it now why you're you're thinking
[00:21:05] that way and uh but we we have good friends and all that stuff we graduated and then with our own ways
[00:21:13] uh but uh that that that shows me well that uh people need to be educated you know tell it in a
[00:21:22] friendly way not like an you know I'm putting you down because I'm a better person than you
[00:21:28] because where I come from it's not it's not and I strongly believe uh that uh that uh
[00:21:37] salad bowl uh as you get to stay in the United States and it will become more
[00:21:43] more and more delicious I love that yeah more more delicious there's more it's not just
[00:21:51] lettuce and onions and croutons it's gonna be more more and more and uh you know and that's why
[00:22:00] I see in the restaurant world you see everything open because people want to share
[00:22:05] you know I want to share and uh that's that's a good thing you know that's a good thing you have
[00:22:10] choices now you know it's good to cook at home but sometimes it's also good to treat your family out
[00:22:20] you know and I enjoy somebody else's cooking right and someone else's culture because I think
[00:22:24] that's how that's also how you get exposed to other cultures. Yes, uh yeah right it's not always at
[00:22:30] home um wanted to ask you so for you know there's not a lot of people that have the the privilege
[00:22:36] to be able to cook at home or have the time to even go out on a daily basis weekly basis or whatever
[00:22:42] to do those treats especially here in LA right um how what advice would you have like how how do
[00:22:50] you think families could be able to still make it in the foods that you know be able to nourish
[00:23:00] themselves because every family is different obviously right um what do you think about that
[00:23:08] you know we have we have grown uh in this society what I see from uh from 30 years ago now
[00:23:19] we we are so fastly grown apart and there's no uh thing of okay let's go to mom
[00:23:30] let's go to uh do my brothers and let's have food there because we are you know in different
[00:23:36] states we are at different times different than needs during the day work wise as a for
[00:23:43] as a person that my advice would be don't forget where you come from when you can apply what your mom
[00:23:53] put on the table even though you cannot emulate it 100% but at least try and think hey this is what I
[00:24:02] grew up with this is what I made for you know uh whether you you you you don't have the time
[00:24:10] find a place that that will uh bring back to the point where you grew up so if you you're an
[00:24:18] Asian you cannot cook and all that stuff go to the mob and pop store you know get get their
[00:24:26] favorite dish that is similar to what you grew up with or go to your family if you can uh and and
[00:24:32] bond uh for me is is that I try to to get all the ingredients from from different stores you know
[00:24:44] let's say okay hey this is yeah they call it different but it's the same ingredient that I need
[00:24:50] to use and then when you contact that person then they ask you over and you're from
[00:24:55] it's all from oh yeah yeah yeah yeah you guys use this and we use this but it's a different name
[00:25:01] because I have this sheet with all the uh the what you call it the the ingredients with different
[00:25:13] languages that scrubs you so I point out okay this is coriander oh yeah coriander we have this we
[00:25:21] have lemon grass and we go from there because I go to this Indian spice store and there's oh yeah
[00:25:31] we have this yeah this so that's that's something that is common you know and then they tell you oh
[00:25:37] you like curry or this is the better curry so rather than go to the grocery stores and then get it
[00:25:44] in the package you get it fresh because they they grind it there and that process is there and
[00:25:51] that's all fresh you know then you buy it the quarter ounce or two ounces three ounces whatever you
[00:25:58] need but uh going back to your question is is I go back and then like I said stress hey this is
[00:26:11] what my mom would do when there's nothing to eat or what can I do for for my child or for myself
[00:26:20] and then that's okay rice and egg this is rice and egg rice and egg and um and then there's so many
[00:26:29] possibilities how to prepare your egg you know it's not just okay uh fry it if you want a little bit
[00:26:37] innovative you can boil it make it a salad or whatever or and that's one that's one of the things
[00:26:44] that my parents say it's okay you boil it you slice it put it on a slice of bread with me and
[00:26:50] ace you know that's your your your you go to food uh you can make it like an omelette you know
[00:26:58] and that's it because we just went to um daddy's day on a day first thing I do is get an omelette
[00:27:06] because I can relate to that you know so don't be afraid uh you know too too embrace that
[00:27:17] yes for all the people's heart when they cannot cook or all that stuff is it's just that
[00:27:26] when I don't have that kind of uh I never had that kind of situation because there's always someone
[00:27:34] in the neighborhood that will help you so so I cannot say oh here yes there's a lot of
[00:27:43] differences between poor and rich here in the United States but we need to help those
[00:27:51] less fortunate and then that's that's what you need to do if you can uh you know
[00:28:00] when you see somebody that needs food buy him a plate you know say okay this is what I can do for
[00:28:08] you you know because that's what my mother is I don't give them the money I don't know if
[00:28:14] you're really hungry then I'll buy you the food then I know you will eat it but if you ask me
[00:28:21] for money uh you may use it for something else and I don't want that because I don't want to
[00:28:27] enable you anymore you have to start thinking you know because everybody in
[00:28:34] in in in life has a choice you know it's it's not yeah you're giving the right to live
[00:28:42] you know but it's still your obligation to do what you need to do for yourself
[00:28:49] you know yes sometimes you you fall in hard times you need a little help that's fine
[00:28:55] but don't uh don't think that this is for life that somebody needs to help me
[00:29:02] because if I do the same thing my dad would say get out of the house you know go on your own
[00:29:10] I don't need a loafer I don't want somebody that that less of me is it uh uh
[00:29:16] my dad's mother was once I give you the education you you you reach your education and then
[00:29:23] you decide to leave the house that's when my good my a bill good court and you on
[00:29:31] if you yes in life you may need some help but there are institutions that can help you
[00:29:36] I'm not a bank I'm not a doctor and all that stuff that's why those institutions are
[00:29:42] therefore and if it's your fault that you cannot get alone right don't go crying to me
[00:29:49] then it's okay that and that's how well how my brothers and my sisters are
[00:29:54] you are you have to be self-sufficient whether it is a small job or a big job
[00:30:00] you know and if you're married make sure you always have food on the table that's your number priority
[00:30:07] you know in a roof over your head and if you cannot do that right then you have no business to
[00:30:14] get married and have kids and that's what they told us it's a little gosh but then I'd be telling
[00:30:19] us you know now that I'm a father of two daughters you know that's uh I think I I adhere to my dad's
[00:30:30] directions advice so yes food is issue fuel issue your gasoline
[00:30:40] yeah 100% agree yeah and um what you said about being self-sufficient I agree with because I you
[00:30:51] know there's in everyone is the capacity an agency to lift themselves up
[00:30:59] and it might not be considered a choice to a lot of people because they may you know they may
[00:31:06] consider their circumstance a main factor to where they are which is fine but I and I think it's
[00:31:15] there are ways to tap into that spirit because not everything like the the social issue the
[00:31:25] like the issues of the world necessarily have to be this way and I think conversations like this help
[00:31:33] sharing these types of perspectives reaching out and and not to your point enabling right you know
[00:31:40] doing the short term solution kind of thing in band-aids but really you know perhaps taking your
[00:31:45] friend and and bringing them over and teaching them how to cook or something like that right it's
[00:31:50] not only just giving them the food and they're enjoying it but it's also like hey so how about we
[00:31:54] try this together you know or how about we try this short recipe yeah you know
[00:32:03] so it's just small things like that yeah and the more and more I think we do that um
[00:32:10] the more I think people will start to think well you know what I can actually do this
[00:32:15] right and start having this more positive outlook um
[00:32:22] yeah yeah I think so because I agree with you um
[00:32:26] um
[00:32:28] outlook has to be bright and beautiful and clear uh you you cannot be
[00:32:35] having an outlook that is somber right uh all the time all the time yes it's natural to feel
[00:32:41] somber sometimes but oh yeah so having that here prolonged yeah but most of the time you don't
[00:32:47] want to be like uh so when I came here in the US and all that stuff like I said like I said I was
[00:32:56] thought fabulous everything you know the movies show you these kind of beautiful things and
[00:33:01] then my first initial thing is just like Amsterdam oh really everything yeah well
[00:33:08] the only thing that I was always that the young people can drive cars at 15-16 years old there
[00:33:15] you have to be 18 and you know so and that aspect I go oh that's the only thing different but uh
[00:33:21] you know I look around and said oh this is just the same as where I come from you know
[00:33:28] and but the only thing that I was so flammable guess was how cheap it was to live here 25
[00:33:34] cents of yeah was twenty oh at the time yeah at the time when I came here you know I said oh
[00:33:40] groceries for twenty dollars your whole trunk was full of groceries you know and I said now
[00:33:48] $200 is nothing you know but uh yes I feel compelled to say that
[00:34:01] with food and good comfort you can show that anybody can have that as well as long are they open to it
[00:34:12] you know yeah yeah I came for a you know year I was 18 when I came here I said okay how can
[00:34:21] I sustain myself of course to work getting good job and then so on and so forth but don't feel
[00:34:32] that you are better than others in the sense of because I have food right you know food is
[00:34:40] here to share and that's how my mom was don't don't don't look at him I judge him if he wants
[00:34:49] if your friends want to eat given food you know vice versa if you if the parents offer you food
[00:34:56] don't say oh no no no I don't want no you you say okay thank you you know that way you you
[00:35:03] respect one other's feelings you're upbringing and next thing you know it's press out you you
[00:35:12] you take it with you but you know oh yeah I have a friend who we shared food with me you know now
[00:35:18] I do the same thing it's not just on one way street and that's what I see nowadays when you go
[00:35:26] see people uh uh sharing their their different cultures food going to the restaurants for instance
[00:35:35] or intermarriage you know all that stuff I see that a lot now it's just unfortunately that we have some
[00:35:44] ugly sides on the streets you know and then that needs to be addressed of course
[00:35:51] uh and food alone cannot help that either right yeah but but at least you know if a food there
[00:36:03] for them there's hope you know I always hope you know food will give people hope
[00:36:09] that they someday will prosper or get their dreams fulfilled and I see that happen
[00:36:18] that that people turn around and then that'd be successful and so I don't know but you have to
[00:36:24] be willing to do it that's the key I think you can do yeah you know just like our rice neck
[00:36:31] if you're willing to accept that that's your good two food you'd be okay you know because you
[00:36:39] can always add something to it you know and as long you you say oh no watch because I believe
[00:36:50] once you turn it down and you think there's better stuff guess what karma is you come and come
[00:36:57] back to the teeth and from the food yeah you go back yeah so uh it doesn't matter for for us whether
[00:37:07] you eat an expensive restaurant or or or a mom pops restaurant I'll bet you I still will order rice
[00:37:14] and egg you know yeah no matter where you know for my experience no matter where I go to
[00:37:26] we always end up rice and eggs rice and eggs that's it I say no I agree and this this this is the
[00:37:35] premise of it too in my relationship with food that's how it all started because even from there
[00:37:42] it was that's the basic foundation of food for me because it was um it spoke to
[00:37:52] the working family in that environment it spoke to uh kind of the foundations of where then I jump
[00:38:02] I firstly jumped off with food you know and said oh well there's this and I can do this to your
[00:38:08] point of like oh you can prepare either a fried egg or a scrambled egg or something like that and then
[00:38:14] it clicked in me long ago I think um to then branch off on that and just get different and get
[00:38:22] diverse in the way and in the way I cook and and what I cook and try different things
[00:38:28] and then it just snowballs from there but I think to your point like yeah it all came back to
[00:38:32] rice and egg yeah because and it still does and that's the thing that keeps me reminded of
[00:38:37] that kind of that part of my roots which now I give to Sasha and she she asks for it too
[00:38:46] which is incredible right and your kids probably yeah they don't do so um
[00:38:52] no I think your your your idea of rice and eggs are right on the point where
[00:38:59] where uh people will think it's it yes that's my comfort zone and that's the best thing of
[00:39:06] of food you don't want to eat food that uh that makes you miserable you know
[00:39:13] it is trying to think what is that well you know it makes people miserable
[00:39:16] in a sense of what I'm saying I don't like this I don't like seafood I don't like
[00:39:21] yes being a little bit more uh limited let's put it that way limited rather than okay like you said
[00:39:28] you have rice and egg and you can expand it you know but if you start saying oh I can eat this
[00:39:34] I don't like this or don't like that then then you limit yourself you know uh it's not like uh
[00:39:42] that uh rice and egg is our uh what you call it um uh lobster so to speak
[00:39:53] but uh you know people will say oh wow wow but for me uh rice and egg is the same
[00:39:59] wow I know I was just about to say that that's an interesting way of putting that
[00:40:04] because once you what you know when you have that craving and I'm not sure if you have the same
[00:40:08] I crave rice and egg sometimes you know and I'm like oh I won't rice and
[00:40:13] and I'll make it and to your point the emotion set that brings
[00:40:17] eating just making the right and cook and smelling it and then putting
[00:40:21] and just devouring that uh brings similar emotions till when you're eating like a fancy lobster
[00:40:28] yes uh huh yeah it's incredible yeah oh it is because uh how often is it that I come home or
[00:40:35] or when I was younger or now I said oh there's still rice a little bit you know
[00:40:42] he said okay uh I'll make a get an egg is there an egg and then a squash you know break it
[00:40:48] and then make the fried rice and then have some sambal or or similar to either whether it's hot sauce
[00:40:54] or anything you know but you eat it and you have a biggest smile on your face you know
[00:40:59] I I have lobster in in the refrigerator I won't touch it that's right I will eat that yeah
[00:41:06] so uh huh and although you know if you give me a lobster I will eat it you know
[00:41:14] I told you I told you that but uh yeah I guess it's it's how would I say that uh like um
[00:41:25] like my mom says to me he said the reason why you you have to have rice is don't finish your
[00:41:33] when you have cooked rice leave something in in the pot in the rice steamer and then I said okay
[00:41:41] mom I remember you say that because for for her uh culture was that leave rice for the good
[00:41:49] ghost of the house so that those ghosts don't go empty with an empty belly to sleep and guard over
[00:41:58] the house and that's how how we were he said okay even though there was a spoonful of rice
[00:42:05] you want to eat it but then you you go and say what what you remember what your mom says no leave it
[00:42:10] there and then if it's still there two more than I'll eat hmm what a lesson of well that's
[00:42:17] that speaks all sorts of lessons and reminders so balance temperance not getting too greedy
[00:42:25] that sort of thing yeah one respect right for others that are here and that whole concept I guess is
[00:42:32] oh then that concept is still with us uh because we don't know what will bring the next day you have
[00:42:39] tomorrow you have today but not tomorrow and then you you have to share that little bit of rice
[00:42:46] with everyone you always share right and uh and that doesn't mean you have to finish everything
[00:42:53] hmm to keep it and that's when when uh that's also for the unexpected the physical stress that you
[00:43:00] may get oh I have rice that's what the lesson is is for someone unexpectedly you have something to
[00:43:12] provide well that's it that's why we always leave the world and why you have left over rice so just leave
[00:43:19] it there for the next day so don't finish it and then if we do finish the rice for uh
[00:43:27] okay we'll make some more rice for the next day for the rice tonight yeah yeah you know but yeah
[00:43:35] so so there's always food in the in the refrigerator you know and and it's only for goodwill
[00:43:42] is because we we tend to eat everything the same day and not and not not leaving anything for the next day
[00:43:51] so when when you say oh mom I'm hungry at midnight oh yeah there you go see we see there's something
[00:44:01] yeah so yeah you know like uh when I go to your house there's always food you know
[00:44:11] uh uh you go to grandma's house that's always food you know and then that's how it is I go to my
[00:44:19] friend's house there's food you know we we were invited the other day for tamales with Spanish rice
[00:44:26] oh delicious brings back memories you know and then then the the the conversation is oh remember
[00:44:34] when we used to work together how we shared the food and all that stuff and then you end up
[00:44:40] rice is one of the ingredients of your friendship rice really is a love language it really is
[00:44:47] across all cultures yeah it is yeah um well I think we can talk forever oh yeah yeah
[00:44:54] we're good there's so many uh aspects of it that you know I may forget or comes back and all that
[00:45:03] stuff I could sit with you like you know the other day at your house and just talk and talk
[00:45:10] when you said that you had that idea of podcasts and said oh that's a good thing you know because
[00:45:16] everybody can relate to rice and eggs you know it's it's not a food that you have to be ashamed of
[00:45:25] you know this is something that hey this is where I grew up with and I can't forget you know
[00:45:32] and then the most appreciative is that you know that hey I go to a restaurant
[00:45:40] I know that I can eat rice or I can eat an egg dish not uh you know yes I want to be treated
[00:45:48] then go go have rice at the restaurant all that stuff and uh you know so let's just like uh
[00:45:56] excuse me when we go to to a restaurant he said hey this this looks like mom's cooking but there's
[00:46:04] not per se the same taste yeah never right never but you have that uh memory of a yep you know
[00:46:14] this is what my mom did for us yeah and that's a good thing and uh it's sharing you know your stories
[00:46:23] food stories with you and then with the family it's always a good thing you know we we we
[00:46:29] would say oh come on let's eat or then we'll eat you know and go back or say oh when we go home
[00:46:35] before we go home hey let's eat again yeah that's right yeah and that's how we bring it home bring it
[00:46:41] home so yeah well I'm looking forward to more of your uh your your listeners your your uh you know if
[00:46:51] you need to do a part two oh we have already that this is already make the makings of two parts
[00:46:57] oh yeah yeah and I think um well first of all I want to thank you so much oh you well for this time
[00:47:04] and for again welcoming me and us to your home at with food always we started out with the
[00:47:11] food will end it with food I'm sure after this uh and toast I think we definitely need to toast after
[00:47:15] that's yes and I think I've learned so much from you and I think the listeners will learn so much
[00:47:22] from your story uh so rice tonight to rice and egg I think we should toast to that yes we will thank
[00:47:31] you for having me thank you and uh we'll hear from you absolutely all right thank you lastly
[00:47:50] and that's a wrap for this episode with Ernie Mulder it's been such a treat getting to know him
[00:47:56] a little bit more and hearing his amazing stories that I've never even heard before
[00:48:03] his take on food being like fuel for the soul and how we all bring our unique flavors to the
[00:48:10] table like a salad is just so well said I just love that so much big thanks Ernie for taking
[00:48:17] the time to chat with me and sharing your insights in your wisdom and all of the little stories
[00:48:25] that really were big stories for me I hope you guys enjoyed this episode as much as we did
[00:48:34] thank you Ernie again for such a rich and meaningful conversation
[00:48:38] we hope you are listeners have enjoyed this episode as much as we have
[00:48:44] as always please follow us and share on Instagram by visiting our page at rice and egg official
[00:48:51] you'll find Ernie's recipe for his yummy and quick bread peanut butter ensemble so you have to
[00:48:59] give it a try and please let me know what you think about this episode and the recipe so until next time
[00:49:07] keep on cooking with love and don't forget we are all a part of a delicious fresh dish
[00:49:14] thanks for tuning in to rice and egg have a great one