7th Book: Fish Without a Doubt

All right, I decided to include cookbooks in my 30 Books for 2011.

This book has been sitting in my parents' living room for quite some time. I never really paid  it any attention until now that Momon and I are going on a low-carb, high fat diet. I need to learn lots of techniques and ways to prepare fish to keep our meals interesting.

I scanned the book and saw that it has chapters and recipes on the most basic techniques for preparing and cooking fish and shellfish. It has pages on things as simple as grilled squid, grilled shrimp, garlic butter sauce, etc. Although I basically know ho to do these stuff, I would still love to really learn about the fundamentals and develop a certain level of expertise.

And of course it has the usual complicated stuff with titles I can't even pronounce. These will be my cooking challenges in the coming months. :-)

The ultimate motive: get Momon to love fish as much as  I do.

Hahaha! Hope to share some recipes from this book soon.

Baked Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole

This is one of the recipes I tried for Momon's keto diet, which is a low/no-carb, high fat diet. I won't preempt his account of how much weight he lost, etc. I'll just stick to the recipes, for now. But I'll tell you this much: if you knew how much he lost, the amount of time and the way he lost the pounds, you'd want to try eating style too. :-) More on this topic in later entries.

Baked Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole

Serves 4

1 large onion

2 pieces hungarian sausage, cut into discs

6 large eggs
6 tbsps water
1/6 cup low fat milk
3 oz grated cheddar cheese

1. Brown sausage and onion in frying pan. Drain sausage of most of the fat and spread sausage in bottom of baking casserole.

2. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add water, milk and grated cheese. Pour mixture over sausage.

3. Bake at 350 F for 1/2 hour. It is done when the eggs are firmly set.

Although it looks like a breakfast dish, it's great for any part of the day! The spicy taste of the sausages will liven up the egg mixture. The milk and cheese will make the eggs creamy and light. 

This recipe is pretty easy and does not need a lot of prep work and clean up. Enjoy!

If you're interested in the low-carb, high fat diet, visit LCHF for Beginners.

30 Books in 2011

I started this "project" last February 2009 when I got this idea from Rej Rosero who promised to read 50 books in 2011. I don't think I can manage 50 books, so I'm keeping it realistic and I'm aiming for 30 instead. It's now almost July and so far, I've only read 6 books! YIKES!

I'll be posting the covers of the books I'm reading, so I can keep track and stick to my word. No excuse that Momon and I don't have budget for books--I'm reading e-books instead. Got to watch out for my eyes, though. :-)

Anyway, please join me and start your own reading projects! Happy reading everyone! Here are the books I've read so far:

1: DEAD UNTIL DARK by CHARLAINE HARRIS

A Journey with Children

For the past one and half months, I've been going around the streets of Manila, Baguio, Olongapo, Davao and Zamboanga to search for stories of children living and working in the streets. I was contracted by UNICEF Philippines to be the writer and assistant to Italian photographer Giacomo Pirozzi on his latest photobook, which focuses on the street children of our country. Giacomo also visited Cebu and Cotabato for this assignment.

The product of 6 weeks of shooting, is a 256-page photobook featuring the lives of forty-six (46) children. Each story opens with a quote from the child and centers on his/her life story. Through their lives, we cover almost all of the issues related to a child. We have stories from as simple as  teenage love, fashion and self expression to as complex as health, human rights violations, physical abuse, trafficking, sex work, migration, discrimation and so many more. 

The book will be launched in October 2011.

My Journey

The addage that says, "You never truly appreciate what you have until you see what others do not have." or something like this, couldn't have been more apt for my experiences while making this book. Last Friday, typhoon Falcon brought in so many rains, and caused some water to seep into our new home. At first, I was so pissed at the incident and worried about the possible damage. But I remembered this eleven-year-old boy, Amsani, who lives in a pedicab in Baclaran, Pasay City. When it rains, he has to move under the awnings of fastfood restaurants just to keep dry. He has three puppies that he has to sell just so he and his family can rent a house for a month, even just for the rainy season. I've always known that there are children like Amsani. But now, I have someone specific to worry about.

This project has also tested my interviewing and people skills. I had to get people to warm up to me in a short span of time, and hopefully get some very insightful quotes about their difficult lives. I have proven that contrary to how we always think about street children--rowdy, drug users, dirty, uneducated--they still can be kind and respectful. Yes, they lack skills on how to read, they haven't taken a bath, they've worked day and night, and have seen and experienced more violence than most people, but bottomline, THEY ARE STILL CHILDREN. 

Also, Giacomo's analysis of the different situations we encountered has shown me a different perspective. It is so often that we get used to certain situations in our country that we just accept it as is. His insights helped me realize that we still need to question things and make some changes even for things that seem to work.

I am sure that this book will go beyond being a material to raise funds and spread awareness. As early as now both UNICEF's country representative and DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman have expressed that we need to follow-up on all 46 children and ensure that they have better lives. Even just for this, I believe that the book has succeeded.

I'm back, pandak!

I am officially back to blogging! I am resurrecting this old blog which I started in June 2005 before I moved to Multiply and Facebook. :-)

When I last visited, I saw that last entry was posted in February 2009--more than two years ago! I've since moved all my entries from other networks, and now, the most recent entry is from May 2011. Sayang lang I cant' move all the comments.

Anyway, I hope to do some regular and diligent blogging in the future. Lots and lots of material from the past months are waiting to be shared. I wonder why I haven't thought about this earlier! Story conference (with myself) starts in a bit!

Let me know if you're there! I'd love to visit and link your blogs too.
Please leave a comment, even just to say hi.

Travelling with Food through Spices and Herbs

Assigned to attend a cooking class by www.cookeatnow.com. Syempre, go!

============================

Transform a simple chicken breast to something spectacular with flavors from Thailand, India and Morocco

Picture this: A spice rack filled with different spices, a bin with different herbs and a home cook who doesn’t know what to do with any of them. Is this you in your kitchen?

Don’t sweat--we’re all guilty at one point or another. We buy herbs and spices out of curiosity or to follow a new recipe, but once done, we just let the herbs wilt and the spices end up as decorations. The average Filipino home cook is not really adept with using herbs and spices. Afterall, the Filipino dishes only require the usual salt, pepper, and some dried bay leaf. Occasionally, we may come across a spicy variety that requires a little chili, but nothing else.

Stephanie Zubiri, executive chef of The Modern Epicurean Kitchen (MEK), believes we can do better. “The correct use of spices can transform any dish. Spices and herbs allow you to get creative, to change a simple chicken breast to something spectacular.”

Taste with Confidence: Wine Tasting for Beginners

The second of the two articles I wrote on wines.

===================================

TASTE WITH CONFIDENCE: WINE TASTING FOR BEGINNERS
Conquer your fear of tasting wine with easy-to-follow tips from Filipina winemaker Tondi Bolkan of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

“There is no right or wrong when tasting wine. Just be open and trust your own opinion. The person’s palate is the final answer.” A neophyte wine taster cannot ask for more comforting words. This is how Tondi Bolkan, a Filipina associate winemaker of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery (FFCW) in California, welcomed her guests in a wine tasting event held last January to showcase her own wine concoctions.

Admittedly, wine tasting is still a relatively new concept for Filipinos. Most people choose not to attend a tasting out of fear or not knowing what to do. But what is a better way to start exploring wine than with blends specifically created for the Filipino palate.

Six different wines vintaged in Napa Valley and Sonoma, California from Allejos Cellars and FFCW were uncorked for tasting, including the former’s Pinay Muscato (white), Tondi Bolkan Merlot (red) and Pinay Pastel (port-style wine).

Cast your fear aside and apply these easy-to-follow tips from Tondi:

Uncorking the Pinay

For the next two pieces, Hanna assigned me to cover a wine-tasting event at Pacific Place, Ortigas featuring Filipina winemaker, Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan. This is my first wine tasting ever! Who am I to talk about wines, or even write how I think of them and how to enjoy them? I had to do a lot of research for my questions to be on-point. Thanks to Tondi and her family for being so hospitable.

================================

Uncorking the Pinay
Meet Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan, a Filipina winemaker from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery whose mission is to uncork the Filipino’s love for wine.

Lechon, pansit, cheese, crackers and cold cuts; a serenade of love songs; friends and family abound—a classic picture of a Filipino get-together. In this feast, the centerpiece are six fine wines vintaged in Napa Valley and Sonoma, California by Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan, a Filipina associate winemaker of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and part-owner of Alejos Cellars.

The gathering is a wine tasting for Tondi’s wine creations which includes the Pinay Muscato (white), Tondi Bolkan Merlot (red) and Pinay Pastel (port-style wine), flagship wines of the Alejos Cellars; and Francis Ford Coppola Winery concoctions including Coppola’s Diamond Series Claret (red), Su Yuen (Riesling) and Sofia (a sparkling wine named after Sofia Coppola).

“My mom is my inspiration for the Pinay. I was mortified to see her drinking the Rubicon, a 145-dollar bottle of wine, and topping it with Maraschino cherries to adjust its sweetness. I promised her I’d make her a sweet wine.”

With a degree on Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from UC Davis California, Tondi initially planned to take up medicine to follow her father and sister’s path. “During my senior year in college, I had my internship at the University Medical Center. Once I saw blood, I immediately passed out.” Luckily UC Davis is also known for viniculture and grape growing. She turned to her true passion and studied winemaking, and since 2001 has been working at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Napa Valley known as the Rubicon Estate.

“My family was surprised because they wanted me to be a doctor. They did not speak to me from September to November—my first harvest season. After the holidays, I sent them a case of my first wine, and they knew they have a winemaker in the family.”

Chef Melissa Sison: Setting the Standard for Our Future Chefs

Second article for www.cookeatnow.com.
For this one, Hanna assigned me to write about Chef Melissa Sison. I had to do a phone interview with her, something I haven't done for a long time. I was initially nervous, but Chef Melissa is very pleasant and our interview went very smoothly. Trivia: Chef Melissa and I were "batchmates" in Batanes, but we were never introduced. At least it's nice to know the face behind the voice. :-)

==============

Chef Melissa Sison: Setting the Standard for Our Future Chefs

Fourteen years since its foundation, the Center for Culinary Arts-Manila (CCA-Manila) still holds the distinction of producing the most promising chefs of the country. Over the past year, they have instituted curriculum and operational changes to forge a well-defined CCA standard that will stand out further than the rest.

Academics Program Manager, Chef Melissa Sison, spearheads these changes. “At CCA, we aim to produce not just skilled chefs but future culinary leaders and entrepreneurs. They carry the CCA name, and much is expected of them.”

A graduate of SHA Ecole Des Roches in Switzerland, Chef Melissa considers herself an entrepreneur at heart. With her experience in owning her own restaurant, My Little Kitchen, and as Executive Chef for research and development for Oyster Boy, she applied her experience and ability to lead the Center to a whole new level.

“Before, I have observed that the graduates’ loyalty was to their chef-instructors. I suppose it’s only natural. When you train under a chef, you really pick up their best habits. But what we want is loyalty to CCA, expressed in a standard that each graduate will bring wherever he/she goes.”

A Passion for Creative Baking: Artisan Breads

My first article for www.cookeatnow.com is already out!
--------------

A Passion for Creative Baking: Artisan Breads
“It is fulfilling to come up with specialty breads exclusive to client needs. It is in itself a creative process.”

Photos from www.artisanbreads.multiply.com

They say a true Filipino meal is never complete without rice. Not for Leslie Rabat, proprietor of Artisan Breads by Pan Italiano. For her, bread is more than a convenient substitute to rice. It is a universal food, which can be a satisfying and a healthy option for any meal.

Truth be told, Filipinos love bread more than they admit. Each time the price of flour or sugar rises; consumers are worried that the taste or size of their trusty bread products will be affected. The wide range of bread products in any Filipino bakery—pan de sal, monay, putok, Spanish bread, kabayan—are all testaments to the Pinoy’s love for bread.