Lechon Kawali

The first thing that a Filipino misses when he goes abroad is its food. And aside from not being able to cook them due to lack of time, or too much splatter, it is my contention that a filipino must haves are: rice cooker, slow cooker and a turbo broiler.

When i visited the wine shop to purchase a bottle of red, I was surprised that a certain brand of white wine was on sale for a dollar a bottle, which in the regular market could have sold for at least 8. The sommelier then informned me that the liquid has oxidized and is just considered better for cooking than for the table version than it was suppose to be. I bought a whole box since i do a lot of cooking with wine.

The night before, I had already placed the pork belly in the slow cooker, poured a bottle of wine and some store bought broth to cover the meat. I then added some garlic, onions, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns and left it overnight to boil for 8 hours under the slow cooking method. When I woke up, I took it out of the slow cooker and strained it on a rack. At this point I got the turbo broiler.

An hour before lunch, I started to cook my rice on the rice cooker, placed the belly on the turbo broiler and set the timer for 45 mins. Then I just forgot all about it until I became hungry for lunch.

Did I need to watch the pork while it was boiling? NO
Did I need to stir my rice while it was cooking? NO
Did I have too much splatter while making my lechon kawali or did I
need to turn it and keep watch over it while making it crispy? NO

Did I have a good, complete Filipino meal without having too much hassle:

YES!YES!YES!....
(the side dishes are your choices...mine came from a bottle)

In conclusion, are you a filipino that has a rice cooker, slow cooker and a turbo broiler...

GUILTY AS CHARGED!

Food Pairings

I am now into food pairings which means that the food I cook or eat should be paired by a drink that not only pushes its way down from the mouth but must leave a full memory of the whole epicurean experience.

Wine, beer or any other alcoholic drink is more often associated with merriment. A time for celebration, relaxation and bonding with buddies. For others, it is to be shunned when religious beliefs are suspect to it for being of a different spirit. An evil temptress that takes away the guards of inner inhibitions. But then that is the perception of many a fundamentalist. And it was mine for several years, until my views have been altered by a more knowledgeable approach.

There are many stories in the biblical text that mentions of wine with meals. Even the first miracle of Jesus conerning the wedding in Canaan, was about wine. John Wesley, founder of the methodist church, said that "wine is one of the noblest cordials in creation", and Martin Luther even mentioned that, "Beer is made by men, wine by God." But how come, many associate it with drunkeness? The real problem is best explained by the chinese proverb:" it is not the wine's fault, but the man's".

When I offer an alcoholic beverage to a serious fundamentalist christian (especially pastors...hahahaha!), it is more often rejected. Why? because of the bad publicity alcoholic/fermented beverages has had, and the amplification of man's weakness/sinfulness. Until we understand what it is really to take in beverages with alcohol content and our goal of why we do so, it then become a totally different experience. In previous years, where drinking was an excuse to loosen inhibitions, it is my quest to be able to marry the solids with the liquids that play around my palate. It is an integral relationship that is personal, intrinsic and satisfying.

Combining food with drinks are often best when we know how to pair them. Fish with white wine, or red wine with meats are often the safe choice. But that was the norm years ago, mainly because fish or seafood meals were lighter and should have a lighter beverage such as whites. And thus vice versa the red. But a few years back, that has already changed. Many white wines have been grown in different regions globally that can produce a full bodied heavy texture similar to the reds.

One thing I have learned to food pairing is that if it grows together, then it goes together. Simply put, if you have pasta on your table it is a wise choice to order italian wine, or that tapas are great with Spanish wines. It would be exotic to drink Austalian chiraz with an emu meat, or that French wines with sock stinking blue cheeses with worms sticking out.

In the travel chanel, Andrew Zimmern's show "Bizaare Foods", he was eating among other Filipino delicacies, the famous "balut". The pinkish beak and the tiny fleshy hair coming out of the bird makes me cringe. Although he particularly liked the taste of its meat, he wasn't keen on the juices, which to us Filipinos consider it so tastily delicious. Yet as I pondered on the way he said it, I came to the conclusion that the taste of the juice is actually the excrements of the bird itself. You probably would do the same thing being stuck in a shell for 16 days, having poo and pee all over and getting boiled along with it. Best pair for this salty balut, is the sweetness of the tuba!..hmmm..that one Zimmern has to try.

Last year, I went to a tequila tasting in Chelsea Market, home of the Food Network. As i recalled, we had different dishes that went with the 3 kinds of tequila. We had a sort of ceviche for the blanco, a black bean concoction with the reposado and the churros for the anejo. It was a totally satisfying and educational experience.

Two weeks ago, Mike and I purchased a few ounces of foie gras. I have heard so much about it being paired with a sauternes, that I went to the wine shop and asked to see a bottle . Behind the cash register and on a shelf was an 8 oz of yellowish liquid, that had an engraved gold plated sign "cheap wine". The sommelier picked the bottle and presented it to me as the only sauterne he had. When he told me the price, my jaw dropped with amazement. The small sweet tasting 8 oz. alcoholic beverage known as a sauterne cost about $499.00 per bottle. No way, Jose! am I going to buy such an extravagant liquid. Instead, he suggested a cheaper beverage such as a muscat. Why do most expensive stuff be so grossly extracted--cheese with worms, roes from 20 year old beluga fishes, and sauternes made from noble rot...

I was priviledged one time to dine at a fine dining resto somewhere in Manhattan. Where once I get intimidated by well dressed waiters who ask for your first order of a drink, i then got to know the importance of wine stewards or sommeliers. They are the buddies of the chef, the matchmakers of the food served, the friends of vintners. They are the ones who make a living out of drinking wine and telling you which goes best with what. In as much as I did want to order several drinks for several courses he suggested, it was just over my budget to try them all. Later on, I bought a bottle I liked which cost a little above than what I would have spent over just a glass in a fancy restaurant.

Last December, Mike and I had lunch at Morimoto's restaurant. I had a Morimotini while Mike had a saporo beer, Japanese food with Japanese beverage. Coming home, this gave me an idea of coming up with my own drink to eat with my own namesake, Silvana (actually it was sans rival but similar in recipe). I called my drink Silvanatini which is a combination of tequila, exotic fruit juice and several cuts of strawberries, cucumber and cherries. Yummmm.!

Thinking about this blog, made me want to picture my friends!






Red wine with cheese, chocolates, crackers and fruit:



tequilla and tomatoes is tempting:




white wine with chocolates



fruit flavored water:



the gang's all here:


the gang and the ladies:

Bird Talk

Two birds were sitting by a corner , oblivious to their surroundings. Mr. Quail and Mr. Duck, were sitting accross each other when they started to talk.

Mr. Quail: You looked plastered ! Wazzup,bro!

Mr. Duck: Man!!!This economy really sucks. I was having such a good time at
my Hamptons abode then, but now everything's gone caputz!!!

Mr. Quail: same here, man..what happened!

Mr. Duck: Well, me and my friends were minding our own business when
we see our friend, Duck White in his A-flock commercial that
earned him big bucks. We wanted a good life too so we
thought the best thing was to join the market. So my buddies placed
a lot of their eggs in one basket and asked me to check Wall Street
to check the market. There were many banks to
choose from but I thought the name Lee Man was better sounding than a
girly name, Mary Lints. Besides, my friend Peking, a household name in
China was a rich mogul and having a Chinese sounding name could bring us
luck.A month after, the bank collapsed..I should have known than to invest
in one of our kind….Imagine,I then realized I was banking with Duck Fold…

When the bank went belly up, I thought to myself, “I’m deader than a
dead duck!” How could I face my buddies now. I went to the Hudson and
swam my way around thinking….You know, that kind of swim where they think
you’re floating very well but under the water you’re paddling like hell…
That was what I did for a couple of days.

Then the news hit me that Lee Man was going to be bought out by a
relative. There was hope, I thought. What a jerk that relative, I think
he was called Bark Lee. Some dog! He only took the meat and didn’t care
for the rest. However, I was told we’d get our basket back without the
eggs of course. The insult is that the basket would be given when
everyone flew to a warmer climate.

Mr. Q: Did you eventually tell yor friends what happened after that?!

Ducky: Yes I did. At first, there was a lot of quacking, I thought I’d go deaf.
Then as expected, they chopped my head off and fed it to the dogs.
Plucked my feathers and made it into a feather duster, and skewered my meat
for barbecue. As for my bones, the pounded it to make into fish meal.

Mr. Q: what happened after that!

Ducky : What more could they do? At least I still had my dignity. I didn’t lived
in the Hamptons for no reason. I had a good life…But it’s not the same
anymore…..How about yours, what’s your story?!

Mr.Q: Am just an ordinary quail leading an ordinary quail’s life. Peck to peck
existence. Then I wrote a fiction about a Woman Featherweight Champion
which I entitled, “Loves and Life of Manilyn Quackyao”. I worked so hard on
the book which I considered my nest egg, and it became the No#1 bestseller.

Duck: What did you do with the eggs you earned.

Mr. Q: I heard this St Bernard canine, Maddog. You know he’s rich but the quiet type. A friend of mine convinced me to invest with him. Even during the economic slump, he was giving high yields of interest. AT first, the checks came every month, then it got delayed, and finally the checks started to bounce. I was stunned. When I saw on t.v. and learned about his Ponzi scheme, I ran like a headless quail. Clueless at just what happened.

Mr. Duck: What did you do..

Mr. Q: Then as fast as I was running, I stopped. I realized I just got burned. That’s when I stopped running. Now am just here sitting down, thinking that my life is over. But hey, I have no regrets. I’m just about ready to be gobbled up. I don’t care anymore.

Mr. Duck: Ho hummmm…Me too. I’ll probably end up on a toast or cracker. Or if am lucky I might be on board a rare dry aired piece of fillet mignon. I might even end up meeting my buddies, Truf Fle and Cav Iar. Then all of us can go in the slammer.

Q: That's the spriti!.…at least am sure that we’ll both be going out of a shit hole.

D: That’s for sure! And hey! Who knows , we’ll probably end up in the same loo.

Q: Two in a Loo Loo! Boo hoo hoo! ….But hey, let’s not gripe…who knows! Maybe next time we’ll reincarnate as humans. Now that’s something to look forward to.

Three Appetizers on St.Patrick's Day

Yesterday, Mike and I went to Louie Armstrong’s house which was converted into a museum in his memory. The tour of his house was informative, but I really did not sense much of him. Probably because the house was more for his wife, Lucille, than for Louie due to his absences because of his tours.

Being the person that Louie Armstrong was, outgoing and all, I could feel him in his garden, amongst his friends, enjoying the parties and jamming. Another place where his presence was alive was the den, where he kept most to himself. And of course, the gorgeous wall to wall to ceiling mirror covered bathroom. He had humble beginnings but was very successful as a musician. It is unfortunate that he left no heirs, thus donating everything to the city.

After that visit, we headed to Manhattan to check on the St. Patrick’s parade, only to realize that we had missed it. Nevertheless, we strolled to the upper side of Times Square towards the theatre where David Letterman holds his night shows.

On the side street of the theatre, there was a crowd that gathered. Mike thought there was a film shooting going on, since cameras were clicking everywhere. As we approached, we immediately heard shrieks of “Julia!!!” And to my amazement, there she was in her black dress.beautiful like in the movies, my idol in ‘my best friend’s wedding”--Julia Roberts! In the flesh!

Anyway,....of course nothing completes my day without having to cook up in my to-do list of cooking which included appetizers. Earlier in the day, I made salmon ceviche with wasabi vinagrette and this is it:



-salmon cut up in bite sizes
-wasabi powder
-grated ginger
-minced scallions
-few tablespoons of vinegar
-salt and pepper to taste

we ate this for breakfast and boy it was so yummy. Then I rememered that the Japanese ate their sashimi's in the morning when the morning catch was still so fresh. And that's just what we did.

Later on I baked some bone marrow after seasoning them. When the fleshy part was smooth and spreadable, I plated them with condiments and toast. There was also a little radish salad to wash away the oiliness but the buttery taste was yummmmmmm.


I also made scallops on cheese cups...

Starting the Weekend

The sun was still bright when the train rolled into the New York Penn Station at half past three in the afternoon. The station‘s main lobby had people scampering like ants anticipating the drops of rain, running in all directions, while others stopping to look at schedules posted on strategic locations. It was a Friday

My country pace and restful demeanor were so contrary to what was happening around me. I was thankful that I didn’t have to be in any ’rat race’even if I was witnessing one at the moment. After all, it was the start of my vacation, and I wasn’t going to do much than what was already planned. Or so I thought!

Earlier in the week, I listed the things I wanted to do. No long trips just so I can relax in some remote vacation spot. Besides, wherever one went with a phone, there’s a bunch of people following right behind. Isn’t that what the phone advertisment always insinuated, even amidst a dead spot? Besides, with today’s economy, every penny saved is important.

A broadway play, a comedy show, museum visits and lots of dining out were at the top of my list. A few weeks ago, I had gotten an email which entitled me to discounts at several restaurants. These were gift certificates that cost me only about 10 percent of the total cost. I chose some Spanish restos that had a whole lineup of tapas, some Mediteranean with their mezzes, Asians with their curries and sushis. And a mixture of French, Italian and American cuisine. Using these certificates would go a long way with my budget.

With eating, there also will be lots and lots of cooking, plating, styling and photographing my creations.. One of my project was to create and plate individual servings of Filipino dishes. Normally, Filipino dishes are served with family style mentality. Several dishes are ordered to be shared by everyone. My thoughts are to make single servings as palatable and appealing as buffet style eating.

And finally, in my last few days, I would like some alone time with my laptop and my thoughts.That is what I want to do…and I hope I can achieve something aside from resting my aging physical existence.

My first attempt at pinoy food evolution was an inspiration of 'rellenong bangus'. Back home, I would labor myself pounding the bangus, extracting the flesh side, sauteing it with vegetables and stuffing them right back in, only to fry or bake them once more. Here in America, time is precious and bangus is a commodity in some states.

Salmon is readily available and rice wrappers can be found in asian stores. It's one of those must haves of an asian pantry. So I thought of making a salmon encased concoction. And this is how it came out.



I know I can do a better job, but hey! it's my first attempt. If I rate myself as a photographer I'd get a mediocre grade...for a styling/plating newbie, I'd flunk myself, but as a chef! hands down!!!!my critics say it tastes so much like the rellenong bangus but with a salmon taste..ofcourse,silly! it's made of salmon. By the way, I fried the salmon skin like chicharon and it came out so crunchy. Don't we do that with our fried rellenong bangus?...I mean the crunchy side of it.


And yesterday, my daughter-in-law Aileen made this superbe ice cream out of raspberries and mascarpone cheese. So rich, and yummy, I just had to style it. And this is how I served it to my husband.



And this is how the ice cream looked after everyone had their fill of the dessert.

See Food Weekend

I have had a wonderful weekend because I not only made delicious meals,complete with drinks, but I as well took pictures of them. My son thought I was so busy, but in reality,I didn't really feel busy because I was having fun.

Since, it's been awhile that I made Tempura, I just needed to brush up on it. Normally, when frying shrimp with batter, the moment the shrimp hits the oil,it just curls up. I tried many ways of cutting the shrimp, after deveining, either make a slit in front or the back or whatever,it just curls...So this time,I wasn't going to fail, and I stuck them with a stick.That ought to keep them straight.



It was so funny how they looked all lined up when I laid them on the paper todrain the oil. So when I did plating, I had to let them stand and captioned it "more heads are better than one" since all the shrimp heads were cuddling in one direction. What a funny way to put it...all shrimpheads are better than one...

Then I had a friend who took a picture of some fish in the market all laid in a line and on top of another. He called it death and daing...I had this butter spreader that looked like a hangman's tree,where the butter spreader was hanged and the cup containing the spread was down below. I used it to hang my head shrimp and titled it, "Battered, Beheaded and Hanged" It was so funny....




Last week, I bought some fish that I saw at the oriental store. I wanted to make them into anchovies. First, I cleaned off their heads and guts and then burried them in salt inside a ceramic dish. A week later, I took them out and discarded the old salt as it was being contaminated by the fish blood that melted off the fish. It was too early to bottle them and preserve it, so I took out 3 pcss. AT this stage, they are considered daing or buwad. The pinoy in me just needed some dried fish and rice. And boy, did it taste yummmmmm.



Okay, so then, am done cooking at my son's house and decided to pair my food with some of the drinks I also made up. And i made 2: Ms Crummy (cranberry juice and rhum)



and Maldita Margarita (tequilla, lime, jalapeno slice and ice)



So if that wasn't enough, after visiting my son, I still had to make my gourmet fish ball and the vietnamese spring roll. Not because I wanted to cook this time, but because I just needed to see some photographic effects on similar backdrops.


And so it was

Vietnamese Spring Rolls....



Over all, I had so much fun. Can't wait to try more this weekend.


Black Sesame Crusted Salmon

How to explain bible stories to kids

Wanna be a philosopher? Just stick around with toddlers and young kids, and in no time will you become one. By the time they’re teenagers, they think they know everything. Believe me, I’ve been there and even the intellectually correct can be humbled.

Why do you think that shows like, “are you smarter than a 5th grade” has a high rating. Most adults think they know everything, but we have been outsmarted by these know-it-all midgets who are our very own sons and daughters. There were times when young minds would ask the experienced , matters of concern, but nowadays, they don’t trust our judgments. They’d rather ‘google’ it. And today’s term, googling is the generic term for ‘you want answers, get it from google!”

Children nowadays, would rather pound on the keys of a computer rather than ask an older person, lest they be given a fantasy of a story. In my previous blog, I joined a group that was asked to explain racial differences to kids. There were 50 entries and mine was number 11. Not bad for a newbie. So I decided now to venture on ’how to explain bible stories to kids.”

Yup, every question a child asks is always a “Why?….Why?…Why?”…and every ultimate answer, after everything else, always ends up with a Creator. So when you start telling them biblical stories, it will surely be followed up by more questions. Therefore, here are some suggestions you can give your toddlers and young kids, straight and logical answers .(and I mean logical)

ADAM AND EVE
:

In today’s world, there is so much talk on creationism, intelligent design, evolution and the big bang theory that even the most intelligent people in our society are still debating over such issues. So regardless, when we start introducing our children about the ‘first parents’ of this world, and then having boys as children there is always a follow up question: “
Where did they get their wives?” or “How were the girls made”

Trust any toddler to ask that question and you’ll catch yourself making up stories. One such story would be that after God made Adam and Eve, he then created other humans…Why didn’t he make them all at the same time?
(big bang theory etc…)…and so on and so forth which will make you say “BECAUSE GOD IS GOD AND HE CAN DO WHAT HE WANT!” and then making you upset and the kid more confused .

So I suggest, that until your kids learn about incest and homosexuality, stick to the premise of your story.

Eve was created from Adam’s ribs. So Cain and Abel asked God to take a rib from them to be their wives, and so did their children---until that line of affinity is not close enough for relatives to intermarry lest they produce abnormal kids. After which, everyone can start cohabiting with one another. Thus the human race was born. Logical enough?

So girls, when your husband comes home tonight, make sure to check on the number of ribs he has. There are a total of 24 ribs in the body, which is 12 on each side. So if there’s any rib bone missing, hmmmm…you’ll probably need counseling or maybe a divorce lawyer?…



NOAH’S ARK

Remember that bearded man who made a huge boat on dry land and everyone thought he was crazy? His name was Noah and after the boat was built, he got a pair of every animal conceivable and housed him on his boat until the big flood arrived. (too bad they didn’t have a Noah in New Orleans, when the tsunami came). Anyway, this is a good story for kids, not until they ask
“WERE THERE DINOSAURS TOO?”

Let’s face it, we teach our kids about of T-Rex, Spinosaurus, Gigantausaurus and all the outher ‘sauruses’ in the guise of learning about science. Let me remind you that there is a false war betwee science and religion. Some contend that science teaches “how” and that religion teaches “why”….so before we go in the discussion of how the dinosaurs came to be, and why they were created are two different spectrums.

In answer to the kids question, we should ask him/her another question. How big do you think is a dinosaur? If he’s concept is smaller than the boat, then yes, there were dinosaurs. (no other explanation necessary after that).. If the dinosaur , was bigger than the boat, then, he was the bad dinousaur and would be washed away like all the bad men, which of course was the reason why the boat was built. The dinosaur became big because he ate all the good people, so Noah didn’t invite him in his boat.

So then, the next time he asks more about dinosaurs, and unless you know the true answer, shut him up by saying, “when you grow up, just be a paleontologist”. or better still, “just google it!”. end of story



DANIEL AND THE LIONS

We all heard about Daniel being placed in the lions den and had not a scratch on him after his ordeal. In this story, we emphasize on God’s invisible power and that is the lesson we impart on kids. Yet more often than not, kids would ask, “
WHY DIDN’T THE LIONS EAT DANIEL”.

Simple questions often require simple answers like, “Because the lions weren’t really hungry.”

Then followed by a simple explanation, “The lions were many, and Daniel was only one, so they decided it wasn’t smart to fight over small stuff. It’s just like many kids fighting over dinner, and finding out they’re not even hungry, right?”

The best way to move away from a possible argument is to focus on another issue. So instead of getting caught up with more explanation, try to take the easy way out before it gets you deeper into the muddle.

JONAH AND THE FISH

Jonah was a person who disobeyed God because he didn’t want to go where he was suppose to go. The story goes to say that because of his disobedience, Jonah was gobbled by a huge fish and stayed in its belly for 3 days. The question most kids ask, would be, “
HOW DID JONAH GET TO EAT IN THE FISH’S BELLY?” or “DID HE HAVE A BED TO SLEEP IN” or “IS IT DARK INSIDE?”

Try answering that one without sounding fairy tallish. You can’t be closer to the truth if you concoct up another story, therefore, I suggest be flat and open about it…Tell the kid that this is just a story and there’s no such fish that could eat a human being and survive. The truth is Jonah ate a fish he wasn’t suppose to. (at least that’s the whole concept about disobedience). And because he did, he had diahrea. (consequence of disobedience). And after having diahrea, he told his friends about it. (which gives the kid an idea of evangelizing about obedience.) it’s as simple as that!

Be truthful about saying that most stories in the bible are not to be taken literally . It only says so, because it wants to convey a lesson. In this age, unless there is physical evidence to support a claim, it will always ends up as hearsay and fantasy. Why do you think CSI, Law and Order and, Dr. House gets all these T.V. awards-- I think it’s because they’re closer to reality and to the point.

And finally……THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST

When I told my grandchildren that their daddy was my baby, they never accepted it. That’s because they believed their daddy was never a child like them. Just like many children, they think that Papa Jesus was a lanky man with long hair, a beard and wearing sandals. (someone that looked like a hippie from Woodstock) . Nevertheless, we always tell the story of the first Christmas, and how it came to be.

About Joseph and Mary looking for an inn, and ended up in a stable. Then three wise men coming in to give Jesus gifts predicting that the baby will help save the world. And although this is a nice way to convey the origin of Christianity, it was a great surprise to me when a young mind emphatically said,

“I think Jesus was bad when he was a kid?

“Why?”

“Because if he was good, then Santa would give him a nice home and better toys than what those old men gave him?”

So how can you reconcile Santa and Jesus Christ? We make up stories to filter information for the child’s benefit, not realizing that we are initially responsible for the input of those bits and pieces of data. And when we mess up, we try to cover up by a larger lie and thus end up worst than when we started.

The best way to explain biblical stories to kids is to understand their minds and how they process information. If our goal is to teach values, then stick to the simplest explanation without sounding too spiritually religious. The stories are man made but the lessons learned are valuable. And it is our responsibility, as parents and members of society, to relay it with utmost clarity and meaning.

Children will not remain as such for long….they will turn to grown ups and then do their own searching…..

Different Not Alien

I have been writing this weekend and I really enjoyed it. I am posting my essay on how to explain to children racial differences and I hope you will enjoy reading as well. Here it is:

Different Not Alien by S.J.C (me)

“Brown is best!” my grandfather used to say , when as a child, I asked him why we had such skin color. The inquiry stemmed when a U.S. navy boat landed in our home port, Cebu, Philippines during the 60’s and many Caucasian sailors roamed our city.

With a pointed finger upward, my grandfather reiterated of God having a huge oven in heaven and making three batches of people. The first batch , he took out too soon and was white as snow. The second batch, he took out longer than should be, so it became the dark race. But with us, He just made a perfect batch. With a sigh, Grandpa would shake his balding head and then interject his favored reply on our race

I adhered to that belief, because in my growing years, many beach resorts were being built for tourists. I would would often see many pale skinned people basking under the sun for hours in their skimpy swimsuits. Grandfather must be right, and that these white people wanted to finish God’s baking

However, as I expanded my knowledge through school and travels, I knew better than believing my grandfather’s folklore. And respecting differences in culture, tradition and race was part of it.

Fast forward many years later and having migrated to America, I am faced with a similar situation yet under different circumstance. Baby sitting a 4 year old, blue eyed, blond hair boy who became curious of my skin, he placed his small arm alongside mine. While comparing , he asked, “Why am I white and you’re brown?”

My best explanation about melanin cells without sounding scientific led me to a story about me having more tiny dots in our body which I inherited from my grandparents. Adding to the fact, that my ancestors lived in a place where it was warm all year round. I further explained the difference that his daddy’s daddy came from a different climate as well and so needed less cells, which made him fairer.

The political aspect I injected was again another story about us having the same color of blood and same emotions which my little ward perfectly understood with a language he was very familiar with.

My grandfather is not a bigot but explained my toddler question the best way he knew how . Several of his best friends were Caucasians who stayed months in our country. But my grandfather treated every one of them with utmost care, humility and respect, which I emulated as well.

If I gave my grandfather’s explanation, my little ward would probably think I was silly as he did some of my fantasy stories. Children today learn more and faster with technology and exposure to different races and culture. Along the way, they will learn so much without having to ask us. But if they do, it is our responsibility to explain within the capacity of their understanding and our ability to set a good example which should portray the epitome of a human being that is just, unprejudiced, unbiased and compassionate.

After all, they will be our future!

Make do Curry

I really don't have much choice sometimes, when I have to cook and all i have are just left over chicken from KFC or that Mexican roasted chicken that tastes so good the night it was bought,but comes out dry the next day.

Normally, after a day of having lechon manok in Cebu, it would still be just as good eaten with dukot and ginamos (or gipusil-- ginamus na gi pusan ug sili). Eaten with the hands, the ambience is really still there. But what if you're many miles away and outside the window, the snow is pouring like cotton balls. If it were not for hot flashes heating me up, I would probably be back snuggling in my bed.

So finding myself in this predicament, and thinking that my grandchildren will be hungry in a few minutes, I mustered up courage to take out all the leftover chicken, veggies, seasonings and all. Time to be creative now and we also need to clean out the fridge since New Year was coming in a couple of days, and we wouldn't want leftover Christmas food to still be there.

I saw some Jamaican curry in the shelf, so I was thinking of making chicken curry. But no potatoes, no coconut milk--can't use the 2%fat milk since am in no mood for any dairy now...Oh well! here's to my version of a curry noodle kaboodle:



left over chicken pinched into pieces
left over carrots, green cabbage etc..
onion
sotanghon noodles and canton noodles
jamaican curry
salt pepper
oil
chicken broth or (chicken cube dissolved in water)

saute onion, add in chicken and carrots
mix in the curry and broth
boil for 5 minutes
pour in the noodles until soft but not mushy
turn of the fire
pour in leafy veggies and season with salt and pepper
if too dry, put in a little olive oil and pepper
serve

this is the curry i used.

Truth or Fantasy

Why is it that parents or the oldies have to lie their way just to satisfy a child’s curiosity ? Why can’t they just tell it as it is and give the child the responsibility to understand. Am not saying, that a child should be told scientific or graphic details, but one that is understandable to the level he is capable of absorbing.

Most little minds would ponder on the question “who made me” and the proverbial reply would always be “God made you!”…why can’t they just say that parents have sex and after nine months, out comes a baby. Well I guess, talking about sex in those days was taboo. Even just the words ‘sex’ was rarely mentiond unless some bisdak with a loose tongue would say that it’s the number which comes before seven.

Then also, the tradition of leaving peso coins under the pillows when a molar has been extracted. The real tooth fairies I realized where those gay dentists who pull out your good teeth and charge you exorbitant rates for a porcelain implant.

When we were younger stories we were often told were that of princes saving the princesses and then lived happily ever after….NOT…In reality, they get married which translates to moments of passion, hours of leisure, and days of ceasefire from arguments. The rest is spent in juggling children’s activities, balancing house budgets, cleaning, washing, cooking etc..etc..etc.

How do you know Snow White’s prince didn’t leave her because of the meddling seven dwarfs? Or that Cinderella’s step sisters were successful in achieving their wanton desires over the prince leading them to have affairs? Or that Beauty had botox because every time she looked at the Beast, was a reminder that when you get married, you end up looking alike. Who knows, right?

The truth of the matter is, we only realize that most of what we had read when we were young, were either myths or far from reality. And adding to our curious and rambunctious state, how many times were we told to behave or else…
….the police will lock us up in jail
….or that your daddy will give you a whacking when he gets home.
….the moomoo would come and get us

Fear is a very powerful tool in instilling discipline in a child. That is why our parents often would concoct stories of monsters, evil persons and beings, who will be responsible for stealing the comfort or happiness in our lives. But fear is not the absence of courage, it is the absence of knowledge. It is because we did not know any better.

As we grow older, the truth will often reveal itself and the myths that once held our belief would be discarded. Being creative in disciplining children to be good persons, is the ultimate goal of every parent. Therefore, we often adhere to what our own parents had taught us because, hey..we came out to be fine, didn’t we? If not, how else would we train if not from our very own experiences.

But like it or not, what may hold true in their time may not be relevant in ours. It is time for us parents, to face our children with utmost honesty but with the creativeness of handling situations depending upon the level of maturity.

Take this holiday season, where Santa is the flavor of the week. Mike told my grandchild that Santa does not exist and that the real Santa was just daddy and mommy giving them presents. Elise, my grandchild, started getting teary eyed. She did not want what Mike had said. And she blurted, “no, lolo, mommy and daddy has no white hair and don’t have beard, so they can’t be santa!”

Oftentimes, we believe what we believe because it brings comfort to our understanding . It gives us assurance that what we know is indeed the truth and veering away from it would lead us to an unknown territory needing to be explored anew. For a little child, Santa represents judgement of being good during the year and rewards of gifts are inevitable. Whoever invented him is brilliant because he has created a multi billion industry that brings the economy into a rock and roll mode.

And speaking of Santa, weren’t we told that he would go back to the North Pole and start preparing for next year’s Christmas? Well, that’s a LIE. Santa lives in New York, drives an SUV (and not reindeers anymore. He goes with the times, you know) His red suit is an ARMANI and he doesn’t hire elves , but has an assistant just like his size. He probably realized that he’d get in jail for hiring child labor. You don’t believe me…I have proof…probably joining in the ‘After Christmas’ mega sales since it’s easier to buy the ‘made in china’ stuff than making their own. Here it is:

Aay Doe Beng Menak ala Noo Yok

You are not Filipino if you do not know how to cook adobo. But there are many ways of cooking adobo. It's either pina-uga (dry) or sarsiado (with lots of sauce). But the commonality of the dish, is that it is made with vinegar, soy, garlic, (sometimes onions),salt/pepper and a little sugar for added flavoring.

Adobo in spanish really means marinade. My tagalog friend normally marinates her adobo for a few minutes before boiling them together. After which, she takes them out from the sauce and fries them. After frying, she puts them back for a few minutes more and then serves it.

My aunt, stews it for awhile and instead of frying, she takes it out of the pot and places them in a cookie sheet to bake (frying them per piece is tedious and oily). Then she places them back with the reduced sauce.

Some prefer to stew them until the sauce is all gone and if your meat pieces have a lot of fat, they will eventually just fry in it's own oil. This is the dry kind.

The procedures above, although handed down through generations, are a bit dry due to the shrinkage of the meat. The sauce camouflages its dryness and gives it the wonderful taste that Filipinos love. I decided to make my own version of adobo by innovating and still keep the juiciness of the meat.

With 4 pieces of leg quarters (cutting them in half thus making 8 pieces composed of legs and thighs) I massaged the meat with salt, pepper, garlic onion and garlic powder, herbs such as rosemary and tarragon. I fried them until golden but half cooked. Place them on a pot with 1 piece of cut up celery rib. Then I poured 1 can of chicken broth. Boil till tender. This way, I not only have cooked chicken but the sauce/broth I can use to boil my vegetables for later use. Cooking it this way retains the juiciness and flavor of the chicken.

In a sauce pan, I placed balsamic vinegar, datu put vinegar, bay leaf, lots of garlic and onion. (No need for soy sauce since the balsamic vinegar is dark as it is) and a little sugar. This is the basis of the adobo sauce. When the sauce has been reduced and the spices are soft, I mashed them and returned them to the sauce pan. If the concoction is too thick, I took broth from the chicken, and mixed it with the sauce for the right consistency.

this is my aay doe beng menak ala Noo Yok





Of course nothing is complete without the side dishes.

The mangoes here do not compare with what we have back home. They are not as fibrous and lacking in flavor. I grated the mangoes, chopped one piece of small red onion, placed cut up salad and mixed them together. To add flavor, I mixed a few tablespoons of the olive juice which is salty.

Another side dish I made was cucumber in salty kyamoy. And that's just what I did. Peeled the cucumber. Separated the skin from the flesh. Mixed the flesh with kyamoy and bwalah! Red flat strands of cucumber.

The other pinky item is the Japanese ginger--store bought and still yummy to go with my adobo.



Notice in both pictures above, you can see the kyamoy sticking out.
The above picture, I placed the sauce right below the chicken piece, and garnished it with my cucumber and manggo side dish. This plating, I gave to my husband who is my critique.

Below is another plating style, where I placed the sauce separate like a condiment, and the side dishes atop the rice.



Okay, so if you want to know how to make it the regular way, check this out.
(my aunt sent this to me last year, but I saw it again last week from a friend's site)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTwagrvCJ4o

Oon-oonan nga Salmon

During the week, I am bombarded with bagels and cream cheese for breakfast; pizza, hotdog, mac and cheese/quiches for lunch and cheese casseroles for dinner. So overwhelmed with American junk that when I get my weekends off, I look for rice and any filipino viand I can think of.

Yesterday, my sister in law had a pre-thanksgiving dinner since the whole family was leaving for Ohio to spend Thanksgiving there. So again, I was bombarded with the traditional turkey, green beans, yams, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. Typical American Thanksgiving dinner.

So early this morning, I find myself at the Oriental Store looking for pork to make humba, crispy pata or lechon kawali (whatever meat fits the above criteria) There was chicharon that was too hard to resist. But the best find that morning was a plastic bag of discarded salmon fat and bones that had too much meat still on them. The fish vendor would fillet several salmons and the discards were collected and sold for a song. Since I was an early bird, I had the choice, and they were really very limited items. And this find cost me a dollar. (about 3 lbs total at least).

I prepared my slow cooker and washed the salmon parts. Seeing the translucent fat of the salmon and the thick meat still stuck to the bones, made me salivate just thinking of the dish I was going to make.

I placed cut up tanglad, green onions and ginger at the bottom of the slow cooker, Then I spread a fourth of a pack of sinigang mix. I strategically placed the salmon pieces then covered it again with cut up tanglad, green onion and ginger. I then placed again a fourth of a pack sinigang mix with a cup of water. Placed the lid, set it to low and forgot about it for 2 hours. (well that was about how much time I forgot it)....My son said it was delicious....

(sorry! couldn't take pictures since I left my camera at my sis-in-laws house after the thanksgiving dinner-- however, this time, I have my digi cam cable with me--- now that's what I call having a senior moment- BIG TIME!)

Okay...so before I leave you, don't think that we filipinos eat all those lechons, crispy patas, chicharons and yet have fewer heart attacks....well...they say...

THE JAPANESE eat very little fat, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS

THE FRENCH eat a lot of fat, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS.

THE MEXICANS drink very litte red wine, and suffer fewer heart attack than the AMERICANS.

THE ITALIANS drink excessive amounts of red wine, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS.

THE GERMANS drink a lot of beer and eat a lot of sausage and fats, and suffer fewer heart attacks than the AMERICANS.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like: Apparently, speaking English is what kills you

Fish Sticks and Fish Soup

During the week, my meals are American inspired because of the company I keep. However, when weekend comes, my palate tends to be more on the adventurous side, when I have more time to make recipes from scratch.

I am not one to go for ready made frozen food, but when necessity dictates, I have no choice. However, if there is one item that I would rather make from scratch is the fish sticks. First, because ready made frozen fish sticks have more of the breadings than the fish. And second, I really don't know what kind of fish they put in. Since they are so even like, I presume they mash it and then shape it to uniform thinckness. Similar to the fish ball type which I have never really liked even when placed in those chinese soups.

So given the time and resources, I do my own



Cut the fish into desired finger shapes. Wash and pat try with paper towels
Season with salt and pepper. Then toss in seasoned flour to coat.
Dip in beaten egg and then roll in bread crumbs. Then fry.
Serve with your favorite dip. In this picture, I got the garlic caesar salad dip. There are so many gourmet dips in the market today that you should try at least some. There is this wasabi dip made from rothschild farm, that is to die for. If you get a hold of it, try it. (that's if you like wasabi).

Yesterday, after visiting my son, Mike decided to make fish soup (his version) I was too tired to cook, and so I let him be. He wanted a sweet version so I told him to use miso. Well! he didn't listen and instead was very adventurous.



He had half of a huge fish head cut up into pieces. He sauted chopped onions and let it carmelize, then added water. He then placed the cut up fish head plus all the other ingredients which included the juice of one orange. (I guess this also took the langsa out), a small piece of glazed ham, scallions, and some seasonings. When the concoction boiled, he turned off the heat and dropped the bokchoy. The pinkish thing on top of the fish is my garnish of pickled ginger. Yummm...Surprisingly, the taste was excellent. It had a sweet taste (due to the onions and ham), the fatty meat of the fish melted in your mouth, and there was no fishy smell nor after taste (probably the citric orange did this). When I asked Mike what he called his soup, he said VOS (Victory for Obama Soup) since he thinks his soup was also a success.

Chicken Liver Canape and Bihod Tempura

In the Philippines, there is no food wasted. EVery part of the animal is eaten or used for a variety of purposes.

Let's take the case of a chicken. The feathers are used for a duster or as adornments for a dress,and the rest for food. We all know the edible parts such as the breast, thighs and legs which are fried, adoboed or stewed. Then the parts of the neck, wings, backbones and wingtips can be used for broth while the innards such as gizzards and liver are often made into cocktail bit sizes like what I did.

wrap chicken liver in bacon and bake/broil
serve with your favorite dip. I would have placed a decorative bamboo toothpick on it but I ran out of it. My favorite dip would be aoli -smashed garlic mixed with a little oil to form into paste. Or the ranch dressing with little mustard is doable.Especially if you have vegetable strips to go with it.


My next project on this will probably be the famous chicken feet in soy sauce. But I have to process my thoughts on this yet. Am not so keen on making it if I also don't make steamed fried rice to go with the chicken feet in taosi.

Anyway, when we went to chinatown last weekend, Mike saw bihod (fish roe) from a huge fish. It costs a dollar a pack and I guess it weighed about a kilo per pack. It was so cheap that he couldn't let go of it. This is one third of a pack.


Mike washed the bihod and placed a lot of salt. The next day, I drained the water that build up because of the sale. Then I patted it dry with paper towels and cut them into bite size pieces. I rolled the roe in flour to seal, and then rolled them again in crushed black pepper. I made tempura batter and fried it. The result was just amazind and this is the outcome





I made tempura sauce by grating ginger and mixing it with ready made tempura sauce which we bought in the oriental store.

Here in America, there are places where you can get this kind of fish roe for free. In the next town where we live, there is a fish market that gives away tuna head and tuna belly. And boy! we have a feast everytime we visit our suki...in return we buy the most expensive fish cut of whatever fish he has in season. So either way is a winwin situation.

And speaking about fishes---it's one of the best pet you can have. Why? because you don't have to scoop poop like you would in a cat or a dog. You wouldn't have to bathe your pet since a fish is always in water. A fish is quiet yet talks to you all the time. Just watch his lips and figure out what he's saying...It can be theraphy ..and when you lose your job, well! he could be your last meal, as well.

Plating

Lately, I have been obsessed with presenting my food in artistic ways. Even my own lunch of crackers and Mike's cut sashimi, I just had to have presentation.



Then if there are any leftovers, like quiches, I look for ways to make it appealing.. As they say, you eat with your eyes, before you really put it in your mouth and confirm if it tastes as good as it looks.




Near our place in New Jersey is a fish store where they just almost always give away what the 'puti' don't eat, and this includes salmon fish heads and belly. So when the opportunity came, that there were fresh fish delivered, we had sumptious sashimi..and this is what we had

For Women only (reader discretion advised)

the article you are about to read is intended for female readers only...Unless you have joined the sisterhood--then I guess its okay.

I have been contemplating for a while about writing what I have learned and experienced about being a woman. I have issues as a woman, as I bet many other women have, and it becomes even more complicated when culture, race, and religion all intertwine itself.

Stereotyping women with regards to culture and race, does not help in a woman's individuality and self worthiness. Where many cultures regard women as lesser in hierarchy and that considering a woman as a ‘good catch’ would mean knowing how to cook, raise children and coming from a ‘Buena familia.’ In terms of religion, ‘the submissive one’, ‘the quiet and gentle spirit’, and one with ‘a noble character.’ would be the epitome of such description.

When I ponder at all these words many times over, I am faced with a mythical persona. Why? Because there is no such woman who fits all these things. It is WHAT we in society would want a woman to be--- NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! Unless one tries to be a faux damsel, then good luck! If and when someone tries to be the epitome of a perfect woman, then she is bound (kandado, de serrado --yale lock pa!) to all those descriptions and tries to be just that---- In other words, she tries to be what society dictates of her and therefore it is not her authentic self------she is a fake…..when a woman lives up to someone else’s connotation of womanhood, then it’s a fake….faux…hindi totoong tao…a dream…panaginip...

Earlier in my married life, fights with my husband often would be like this:

He: “the bible says you have to submit….AT ALL TIMES.”

Me: “is that so?

He “yes, just look it up.!”

Me: “then drop dead!” .

He: “why should I do that!..that’s not nice!”

Me: “di ba the bible also said, love your wife as Christ love the church and died for it…

So if you love me, drop dead….or in a nicer tone---If I submit, will you drop dead, please?!.”

TOO-SHEY (Touche)

But then I‘ve learned that in every good marriage, learning how to have a good fight without going overboard is therapy. Of course our arguments become hysterical and then historical at times, whose doesn‘t?!….but then as I said ,. ‘away nalang aron walay gubot!’

As I pondered and searched on the whys of these gender roles, I stumbled into something very amusing which I would like to share with all women. I found out that in the pre historic times, women were considered to be ‘godlike’ in the sense that they had a special ability to bring ‘new life’ into this world. Women were the Power! Women RULED!--In those days, women were very tribal among themselves. Keeping their secrets about them. They only chose the best males to propagate with since these will eventually lead to better races. The weaklings were discarded. Even the men where under their spell. …UNTIL….the men discovered that they had a role in this ‘new life’ process. There and then, there was a shift of power. Men realized they were the key to that secret…….Now I realize where the phrase, “the men think with their BALLS!”

came from.
So here’s the deal! Now with this shift in power, men started to come up with exclusivity, and that these men were responsible for removing women from their groups. Women had to give in, because they wanted to keep the race growing and moving. They had no choice if they wanted the human race to survive.

Here’s another catch into this survival thing. Men, because of their physique, were considered protectors and providers. But when there were no more lions, tigers and bears, their main focus now was to keep on having that dominance and superiority over the women. These ways of thinking were their comfort zones, and thus preventing their women from having higher level needs. Needs such as purpose, meaning and status in life.

Now let me bring you to our own culture before the Spaniards came. Pigafetta, the historian who came with Magellan, wrote in his journals, that the women (Cebuanas, although they weren’t called that yet) were on equal footing with men. They had their own cliques and own tribal system of government. The women had a say in everything to the point that when Magellan invited Humabon to be a Christian, Inday Juana wanted to be part of the deal too…She was not invited to participate, but she insisted to be part of the pact. And poor husband couldn't say, "for men only ni, inday!"..He had no choice but to succumb to his wife's wishes even if she was the only female ruler...So, poor unsuspecting girl, didn’t know what she got herself into. Embracing the culture where women were considered second class citizens, and putting her own life into submission, was a total mistake..……. but then you know the rest of history…

Moreover, fast forward many years later when we were bombarded with fairy tale stories about Prince Charming saving the helpless princess from the wicked stepmother, or from the evil witch that put you to sleep forever. Or have you heard about that dwarf stealing your baby unless you knew his name,just so you could keep your prince? Did you know that was one way to brain wash us into thinking that we owe our happiness to men who save us?! Yeah! Right!

But the fact is, THERE IS NO HAPPILY EVER AFTER, and we didn’t really need to be saved.

The reality is that after the saving---what next? Here's the real score. straight from them:

Snow White has to do more laundry now that the seven dwarfs are old and has no pension. She owes it to them for leading the prince. As for the prince, Snow White doesn’t know he has his own little princestress stashed away because Snow White is too busy washing clothes.

As for Cinderella, well Prince is always out of town, conquering kingdoms leaving Cinderella at home talking with her rats, horses and birds. She’s always bored.

Beauty just stopped her Botox treatment since the Beast lost in the stock market a few weeks ago. Now Beatuy looks so much like the Beast. For real!

So…what am I saying. Don’t put your hopes on your man to give you that happiness you think you deserve….but then, I don’t know your man. (Frankly, I think they’re all the same--they just have different names to tell them apart)…but then again,…..you fill in your own ending…

But as for me and my house…..I’m just rock n rollin’

Here’s something I think you women would enjoy and maybe think about…..

FOR WOMEN ONLY:

1. I have three sons and I know that sooner or later they will get married (my eldest is already married) and I often tell them this advise: “Your wife is always Right, unless your mother SAYS SO!”

2. If you have nothing nice to say, CALL ME. A good gossip won’t hurt a counseling ear.

3. Your husband need not know everything. Keep some amount stashed up for rainy days. That way he will think that you are a good budgeter. Otherwise if he knows about all the money you have, he might also plan on it.

4. Do not console a whiny kid or husband. Whine with them and let them see their reactions through you. Mirroring their actions will help them realize how ridiculous they look

5. Never contradict your husband. Just do what you have to do.

“ Making a damned fool of yourself is absolutely essential.So whatever you want to do just do it. Don’t be stifled by the fear of a good mistake.” Gloria Steinem

6. If you’re married to superman, why compete with him? Lilly Tomlin says, that for fast acting relief, slow down.

7. If you’re married to Juan Tamad, then don’t feed him There’s a saying, he who does not work, does not eat.

8. If you feel or think that you don’t fit in, it’s not you, it’s the culture you’re in.

9. Jane Fonda said when making a choice,they can do one of two things. It’s either to shut up (which many married ‘submissive’ women think its safer) or learn an awful lot very fast and stand up for yourself.

10. When someone labels you, don’t get stuck with it.

11. When you’re trying to woo a guy, act dumb. And when you marry him, boy! Don’t act anymore, chances are you are dumb for marrying him.

12. Nowadays, never judge the book by its cover, only the checkbook, you judge!

13. If you have to say no to having sex with your husband, come up with a more creative excuse. Having a headache and being sleepy are passe. here’s a hint: in a sexy voice tell him you’re going to take a shower and make yourself very presentable….(bring a book to the bathroom)…then stay in the bathroom for as long as you can until he falls asleep…then the next day, you can blame him for not waiting for you …sounds good?!

Okay, enough already…..I just feel like I want to ride on my broomstick….it’s the witching hour…if you know what I mean….'Adlaw man gud sa inatay.'

How to drink tequilla

The recently concluded Food and Wine Festival in New York left me with so many memories that even up to today, am still reminiscing from it. Who could imagine that a Cebuana like me would end up talking with celebrity chefs that only many can just consider a dream. But dreams do happen!

Because of my passion for cooking, I have been subscribing to food magazines many years now. Sometimes, I renew them, others I discard and get new sources. It’s in these magazines where I get new ideas, new recipes, people to watch and events to go to. And that is just what happened .

Most of the events easily sold out many months before the festival. I was disappointed when I couldn’t get those that my favorite chefs were on. But then, new events were added as the festival was nearing. To avail of the book signing with the celebrity chefs, I had to attend at least one paid event.

They had tours around the meatpacking district, symposiums on a particular produce like heirloom tomatoes, designing restaurants, and even a talk on the experiences of a waiter. There were also several wine tasting events, and many restaurants were featured on their specialties . Parties were held for a fee with the “who’s who” in the food industry. Every hour of the festival, there was an event. I got tickets for 2 events, one of which was the “Tequila Tasting and Food Pairing Event”.

So, what’s so special about tequila aside from having a high alcohol content and gives you hangovers like no other alcoholic drink can? Unless you‘re just in it for those purposes, you‘re missing a lot of information, so I learned.

Chef Sue Torres of Los Dados, NY was the speaker for that event. As a chef for Mexican cusine and owner of two restaurants, Chef explained very well the history and make of tequila. Tequila shouldn‘t be confused with mescal- which tries to imitate itself to the real drink. There is a criteria that has to be met before a drink can be called tequila. First, tequila is made only in designated areas, primarily in Jalisco, Mexico and it has to be made from the blue Weber agave plant. Both these criteria are not met by mescal. Mescal can be made from other types of agave and in other parts of Mexico, often in Oaxaca. So check your tequila when you purchase one, it might just be mescal



We were given 3 shot glasses with 3 different kinds of tequila. These were situated on a paper placemat which we also used for note taking As chef said, there are over 130 types of tequilas in the U.S. (and even more in Mexico). There are more restaurants serving a range of fine sipping tequilas made from 100% blue Weber agave




The first shot glass we had was the tequila blanco (white/ silver) or the unaged tequila. This type is processed from the plant straight to the bottle kind , thus its clear color. But before we could take a sip, Chef instructed us just how to drink it.

“To taste Tequila is just how you would taste wine. Check out the nose, see what you find, then look at the color while you let it sit for a minute to breathe. Take a sip and roll it around with your tongue and let it sit in your moth for a while, don’t swallow right away! Pucker your lips like you would do when you’re about to kiss. Let your drink mix well with your saliva. Aerate it in your mouth, and then swallow. Then, think about what you’re tasting after it’s left your mouth, and for how long and what flavors are staying in your mouth. If you taste right, there is a before, during and an aftertaste.”

I did just what she told me. And frankly, my amusement overwhelmed my taste buds. A bisdak like me trying to be sophisticated when in days of yore we would just gulp down any alcoholic beverage we could get a hold of. But, there’s always room for improvement. And I had to concentrate on what we were doing.
After I sipped my first taste, I immediately ate the first hors d’ oeuvres which were served.



The next shot was the the reposado or rested. After the tequilla is distilled, it is left to rest in a vat of some sort for about 6 months. The change takes on a lighter yellow-gold color and an there was a tinge of added flavor. The food paired for this drink had a citrus, spicy taste to go with the nuttiness of the drink.


And finally, the anejo (old) which is aged for one year and adds on a golden flavor. It is usually this kind that is served with sweets or dessert. And this one really had that nice taste especially paired with churros and chocolate/cream sauce.


.When making your margarita, Chef Sue suggests that it is often best made with real tequilla rather than what others call the mixto or (mixes). When going for the high scale mescals or the real tequilla, it is better savored slowly, rather than downed as a shot so that you can revel in the complexity of the spirit.

So , what did I learn from all this. A lot. But am thinking?!..How can Mexico be so famous for its liquor when we can very well also market our own lambanog and tuba? Then my mind is racing again to these coconut farmers who farm coconut, ferment them and turn them into sweet tuba.

If we were to go to the country and educate our farmers into becoming sommeliers---Call Manoy Mangtutuba into a master sommalier and teach him the art of puckering his lips while he sips the tuba in his mouth and lets him mix his drink with his saliva before drinking it, maybe we wouldn’t have too many drunkards. We probably will end up having quality tuba for the export market…And farmers will be earning dollars. Who knows, it only takes one real, excellent, doable concept before it becomes into an industry. Any takers?

Bata, it's okay!

After last weekend, I had decided to stay home for a much needed rest, bodily and purse. After work last friday noon, I went to the library and did some writing. I was so thrilled when I got an email from my school....Yes! that's right, at 50 years of age, I am taking a course!..and I am down to my last assignment after which I will be given a certificate of completion on Children's Literature. I have decided to write literature specifically for filipino children since I think there is a need to get rid of all those foreign books and come up with our very own.

My desire stemmed from the past experience as a child and having too many foreign books. First of all, who ever heard of having sleigh and snow in our country. But growing up, we did have those stories of children in thick clothes, riding on sleigh and having snow flakes for decorations. Or that making a snowman with carrot nose, a pipe and button eyes completed the christmas spirit. Much more we were singing "white christmas", which really doesn't relate to our seasons.

Next, whoever saw a big fat old man in red suit and a loud voice giving away gifts. Worst of all, we didn't have chimneys where this fat guy they called Santa, could slide through. What's a chimney? How will Santa deliver my gift without a chimney in our house?

And my first book in Grade One said, "Look, Dick, Look. See Jane run. See Jane run and play." Who is Dick?--Ricardo is much better sounding.

Moreover, our parents concocted stories when our curious minds needed answers. Remember the proverbial, "why mommy?" statement of a toddler? Why do we have to eat, mommy? Why do we sleep and not play the whole day? Why are we brown and Mr. Smith is ghost colored? Why, mommy, why? Parents sometimes will give absurd answers, but then it will ultimately lead to an existence of a spiritual being--because God made it that way, because God said so, because that's how God works. And thus, our belief system was established. Be good or God will get angry, Eat your food or magagalit ang Diyos. Brown ka kasi exacto ka lang linabas sa oven ni Lord. Yung mga puti, hilaw, tapos yung mas ma itim/negro, nasunog sa oven ni God.

Although some answers are absurd yet maybe logical, still more often than not, is far from reality. Limiting a child's understanding of a situation hinders him from gaining a better perspective of what is in the real world. We have to respect our own children, if we need them to respect us in return. And by responding truthfully with the right perspective makes you more respectful in the eyes of a child. And being sensitive and attentive to the needs of a child is the best way to do it.

A friend of mine here in America was chatting with her niece. In the middle of their conversation, the niece's toddler interrupted because she was upset that her little dolly could not be found. Instead of brushing the child away and telling her to play with something else, the niece excused herself to attend to her toddler. My friend was flabergasted because her niece gave more attention to the little child than to her. She fumed within her that if this child was in the Philippines, she would be brushed aside to the care of the maids. As an elder, she should be given more attention than the child.

One of the issues that filipino children encounter and which parents often overlook is the need to be honest with emotions. As a people, we are patient and forgiving. The core of People Power is the quintessence of such contained emotions that needed an outburst.

Growing up in a filipino household, anger and loud outbursts were signs of disrespect. Or that whining and hitting were grounds for punishment. We needed to control whatever emotions we had, because anything which is not contained, is a sign of weakness. No wonder, children channeled their outbursts either by being violent, overeating or had used some other ways as coping mechanisms.

That is why, I wonder if our society is the way it is because of how we were raised. I asked my auntie if the phrase, "children are seen not heard' was a norm in our family. She exclaimed that as kids, we were allowed to speak whatever we wanted to, however, we were not allowed to question the elders. I thought about what she said, although there was a form of liberalism, the issue remained the same.

This keeping quiet while elders talk has brought repercussions to the baby boomers. Cousin Luis confirmed just that. In one of his office parties in Manhattan, they were playing Trivial Pursuit, wherein there were 2 groups formed. An all Filipino was considered one group, while the other group consisted of all whites. Guess who won by a HUGE lead! Of course THE FILIPINO TEAM. After the game, Luis' American boss was surprised how the Filipinos knew so much information. The boss said, "I didn't know you knew so much since most of you are so quiet at work. I even thought most of you were dumb because you spoke so little." Either the Filipinos were afraid to make mistakes as part of growing up, or that was how filipino children were reared---seen, not heard.

Books are important tools in giving information. . It is informative, entertaining and even educational. It can even console a hurting child, when physical comfort is absent. It is through writing that I want to deal with the questions of every filipino child. I would want to tell him so many things like :

"it's okay!" that papa/mama is abroad. They still love you even if they're far away.
"It's okay!" to feel angry, and tell him how without hurting others as well
"it's okay!" if you have much less than what your classmate has
"it's okay if you're color is brown," and explain about melanin cells
"it's okay!" to be disappointed, because we all feel that way.
"it's okay!" to be afraid, but it's because we don't know any better........"IT's OKAY!"

Writing for children is a means to reach inquiring minds and be creative in the explanation without suppressing truth. Who knows?! While reading a book, even a child's own caregiver can learn, if he doesn't already know it. I want to be part of a Filipino child's life, it is part of my quest as a Filipino myself . And I hope to be.....SOMEDAY