Posted by me on February 3rd, 2010 in Pinoy, culture and discoveries ·
Lucky. That’s what you call anyone who can find duman anywhere in the region at this time of the year. Now sold at P2800 a kilo, Pampanga’s “green gold,” planted and harvested only in the town of Sta. Rita from the cool months of November to December, is said to yield an average of 4.5 cavans per hectare compared to over 50 sacks of the regular rice variety. According to Angelo Narciso Songco (from the family behind the historic La Moderna Bakery of Guagua, Pampanga), nowadays, there are just a few farms planting and a fewer processing this unusual breed of glutinous rice. And after all the families who anticipate their share for the year had taken their “advanced orders,” what is left for the market to partake of? No thanks to the devastating floods brought on by tropical storm Ondoy and supertyphoon Pepeng in September, with such limited supply, where does one find duman when there’s virtually no more of it? At this little Capampangan café in San Juan called Butchie’s Recipes.
This is the only place in the islands where one can enjoy a rare duman experience for just P100 (a heaping of fragrant, high quality duman paired with hot tsokolate de batirol) at this time of the year. Read on…
Posted by me on January 26th, 2010 in My Pampanga, Pinoy, cooking, culture, diet, discoveries and love & attraction ·
Five months ago, I decided to finally pay attention to the Blood Type Diet. Its verdict on me confirmed my greatest fear: I was born to be a vegetarian. However, according to the founder Dr. D’Adamo, I of blood type A, could be allowed a few luxuries, such as chicken, a specific assortment of fish, a little bit of beef, but never pork. There are a lot of things I still cannot resist, so I cheat. Many times. One of the hardest to say no to was my favorite tocino.
guilt-less pleasure
Someone up there really wanted me to follow the right way, so it seemed. My natural path to a healthier life, to salvation 
Read on…
Posted by me on January 19th, 2010 in chefs, discoveries and events ·
I’m more of an eater than a drinker. The few wines that I like — a gewürztraminer at Cav, a riesling at Angels Kitchen, and this sparkling rosé and Sauvignon Blanc I had at our magazine party, and another one at C’Italian - I only remember for their positive effect on me. Either I get a nice blush, a nice sense of well being, or it puts me nicely to sleep.
An amateur when it comes to wine, when I saw the menu for the trade appreciation dinner with Bill Hardy to be held at esteemed chef Markus Gfeller’s restaurant Cav at The Fort, I was naturally more excited about the food menu. The experience, however, didn’t turn out the way I expected. I began to wonder if the chef was really in the house.
The menu: Read on…
Posted by me on January 9th, 2010 in announcements, events, food writing and world ·
THE GOURMAND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARDS FOR “BEST IN THE WORLD” WILL TAKE PLACE ON FEBRUARY 11, 2010 AT PARIS COOKBOOK FAIR.
This is the same event where Filipino food editor/writer friends and colleagues Felice Sta. Maria, Micky Fenix and Corinna Nuqui won in 2008.
The Awards event will launch the largest cookbook and wine book trade fair in the world, on February 11 at 18.00, at Le 104, the very new cultural center of the City of Paris. Read on…
Posted by me on January 5th, 2010 in Enderun, chefs, events and love & attraction ·
You know something’s really good if you remember the experience clearly even when you were “too tipsy” to remember. Looking back at all the food I consumed in Oh-9, this criteria is a big deal for me considering the avalanche of food events one has to choose from as a culinary chronicler. Two months after this particular fundraising dinner hosted by Les Toques Blanches Philippines in celebration of the 5th World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) International Chefs Day, my heart still races at the thought, not because of the drunken memories (thanks to the dinner’s freeflowing wine), but because it was simply the best meal I had in 2009. Thanks to a borrowed point-and-shoot, I got pictures to prove it!
I’ll stop the world and melt with you.* Again and again and again…
While guests swarmed over Chef Thomas Wenger’s Swiss corner, he let me wander inside his little station and helpfully treated me to a quick demo. (Photo): As the cheese melted with the heat of the raclette machine, Chef Thomas swiftly scraped it off … Read on…
Posted by me on December 31st, 2009 in judging and life ·
This year, I got many things to be thankful for, big and small. To share some of the life-changing ones:
1st – 2nd quarter: Life, as always, is filled with challenges. Feeling the signs of career burnout and with home in transition, I decided to take the opportunity to once again educate myself. I spent half the year learning about money and investments. Before this, math and numbers were alien territory. Now I am grateful for the gift of financial literacy.
2nd – 3rd quarter: A (nerdy) childhood fantasy became reality. This turned out to be just the icing on the cake. With truth and acceptance, rewards come in the form of bigger dreams come true. When you go through life unencumbered, it becomes easier to receive. More trust was built, in the form of valuable life opportunities, and work that makes me feel more useful and truly alive.
3rd – 4th quarter: Read on…
Posted by me on December 13th, 2009 in announcements, discoveries and events ·
Why not? Says local celebrity chef Roland Laudico. After all grapes possess flavor profiles similar to typical Filipino food. Not only do grapes lend a natural sweetness to a dish, they’re plump juiciness adds fun to eating — and they’re good for your health, too! Experience the exciting marriage between fresh California Table Grapes and contemporary Pinoy cuisine at Bistro Filipino until December 31, 2009.
Start with a cocktail-type pica pica inspired by our penchant for using grapes and raisins to flavor our lambanog. Red grapes peeled for convenience, coated with labahita (surgeonfish) flakes served in a shot glass, every jolt of herbed saltiness washed away by squirts of grape juice infused with the bitter coconut “vodka.” Back at the intimate media lunch, my tablemates and I didn’t mind a bit more kick, but collectively we agreed that this was just the beginning of more intriguing things to come.
Read on…
Posted by me on December 3rd, 2009 in announcements, chefs and life ·
IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!
Now that doesn’t seem like the right thing to do, does it? You’re in the culinary industry for a reason. Yes, there’s another fire burning in the kitchen. And deep down you know it’s not on the stoves … but within you! Why don’t you take a deep breath, get your paper and pen and unleash how you feel?
Then send your story to F&B World Magazine! See poster for details 
This F&B World project was inspired by Philippine Daily Inquirer’s popular “Youngblood” column.
Posted by me on November 27th, 2009 in announcements, chefs, culture, discoveries and events ·
What comes to mind when you say Canadian food? This recent lunch shows that Canada, known for its vast wilderness, clean environment and abundant natural resources, is teeming with more than just apples, potatoes and maple syrup.
Hosted at Felix Restaurant, Greenbelt 5 by the Hon. Minister Stockwell Day, Canada’s Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, the media gathering announced Oui, Canada!* a two-week food event that promotes Canada’s food products in the country. The menu showcases Chef Florabel Co’s culinary creations using Canadian food ingredients. Take a peek at what you could enjoy at Felix as well as Florabel Restaurant at The Podium in Ortigas from November 23 to December 06, 2009.
Grilled scallops with orange zest: Plump, juicy and tasted like they had just been caught in the ocean floor. Thanks to Canada’s cutting-edge technology and well established regulatory systems, individual quick freezing at sea seals in the scallops’ flavor quality and true form, arriving here ready for cooking.
Read on…
Posted by me on November 16th, 2009 in Pinoy, cooking, events and judging ·
How do you like to sample 14 kinds of specially concocted recipes in one sitting for free? Does this sound like someone’s fantastic buffet fantasy? Not always, especially if all these are made of just one “secret” ingredient (doubts are raised if that ingredient happens to come from a can). In this case it’s tuna (and I just had 4 days of this barely a week before).
I do like tuna in can. As a matter of fact, I had this just the other day, cooked in garlic, white onion and its oil, with a dash of soy (toyo), calamansi and ground black pepper. It’s my choice of “fast food” when I want something quick but still consider “healthy”. But form regardless — paired with crisp wonton wrapper, tossed into salad greens, passing off as burger patty, or in brown sauce like it was just poured straight from the tin container (adobo, mechado, afritada-style), tuna from a can still tastes like it is.
In judging competitions (oftentimes encountered with the younger/inexperienced set), creativity translates to overzealousness and originality turns to horror, Read on…
