Hi and welcome to my very first post here on FoodieGoesCulinary! Aside from being my first post, this is also my first ever stint into the blog world. All this is new and somewhat alien to me, as I am more of a traditional journaling kind of guy. As such, I implore your patience. Admittedly, I had my apprehensions and anxieties about having my life and thoughts published on the Internet for all to see. However if in my future ramblings, incoherent as they may be, a handful of people get entertained, enlightened, and even inspired, then all of this would have been worth it.
I have always been fascinated with food; from how its prepared, how its cooked, how it smells, how it tastes, how it changes moods, and how it can bring you back to times forgotten. Being Filipino, the love of food and the desire to continually experiment and experience different flavors and tastes is hardwired into my very core.
My fascination with food started when I was young. I remember the smell of food being cooked by carpenters, way back when our house was being built and boy did it smell great! They often invited me to share meals with them, introducing me to food fare from all over the Philippines. The carpenters, coming from different provinces, would take turns cooking different dishes from their hometowns each with a distinct style and flavor. I learned early on that food need not be fancy nor extravagant in order to taste great. Often I found the simplest recipes are actually the best.
Through the years, my family has been fortunate to be able to hire cooks that are not only passionate about what they do, but do so with much love and care. Together in one table, we would enjoy the meal they had prepared and in this sharing, we transcended divisions between worker-employer and have become family. My fondest memories about home cooking were those warm late afternoons after coming home from school, and I would help out in the kitchen. I would ask what we were cooking for supper that day, and pester Manang Remy to teach me. Slowly, my presence had become a pleasant annoyance to her who, by that time, has grown fond of my insatiable curiosity. We were also fortunate that when she left to start her own family back in Ilocos Sur, she taught our current cook, Manong Dani, everything she knew. And today, he has gone so far as to surpass Manang Remy’s cooking.
A few years back, in college, my good friend Dino and I would set out scouring the city for restaurants, eateries, hole-in-the-walls, and turo-turo’s that would offer cheap and not-so-cheap great tasting food. And when we found great places to indulge our appetites, (and we did find many) we would eagerly take friends and share what we uncovered. In our search, we have stumbled upon some real gems and admittedly, some well, steaming piles of something else, which you also find on the ground -- you get the picture. I have come to accept that as an inevitable part of our (mis)adventure. I was also blessed to meet a good friend, Chef Lloyd Lagman who really rekindled my passion for food some 3 years ago, through a cooking demo/bible study session in a friend’s house in QC. That was when I started giving some serious thought into getting in the culinary arts.
Fast-forward to today, I am most excited to announce that first day of class is on Monday, February 16, 2009. I have finally decided to take the plunge head (and wallet) first into this brave new world of culinary arts. And in all honesty, I feel like a giddy little schoolboy eager to start his first day of class. If you’re asking why it took me this long to finally decide to jump in, well, it’s a long story and I really don’t want to bore you on my first post. If I’m fortunate enough to have you tag along with me in this little adventure, I am pretty sure you will discover for yourself the reasons behind why FoodieGoesCulinary.
Welcome once again, and thanks for dropping by. New posts will be up soon. And please don’t hesitate to keep in touch, write me or leave me a note. Peace!
I have always been fascinated with food; from how its prepared, how its cooked, how it smells, how it tastes, how it changes moods, and how it can bring you back to times forgotten. Being Filipino, the love of food and the desire to continually experiment and experience different flavors and tastes is hardwired into my very core.
My fascination with food started when I was young. I remember the smell of food being cooked by carpenters, way back when our house was being built and boy did it smell great! They often invited me to share meals with them, introducing me to food fare from all over the Philippines. The carpenters, coming from different provinces, would take turns cooking different dishes from their hometowns each with a distinct style and flavor. I learned early on that food need not be fancy nor extravagant in order to taste great. Often I found the simplest recipes are actually the best.
Through the years, my family has been fortunate to be able to hire cooks that are not only passionate about what they do, but do so with much love and care. Together in one table, we would enjoy the meal they had prepared and in this sharing, we transcended divisions between worker-employer and have become family. My fondest memories about home cooking were those warm late afternoons after coming home from school, and I would help out in the kitchen. I would ask what we were cooking for supper that day, and pester Manang Remy to teach me. Slowly, my presence had become a pleasant annoyance to her who, by that time, has grown fond of my insatiable curiosity. We were also fortunate that when she left to start her own family back in Ilocos Sur, she taught our current cook, Manong Dani, everything she knew. And today, he has gone so far as to surpass Manang Remy’s cooking.
A few years back, in college, my good friend Dino and I would set out scouring the city for restaurants, eateries, hole-in-the-walls, and turo-turo’s that would offer cheap and not-so-cheap great tasting food. And when we found great places to indulge our appetites, (and we did find many) we would eagerly take friends and share what we uncovered. In our search, we have stumbled upon some real gems and admittedly, some well, steaming piles of something else, which you also find on the ground -- you get the picture. I have come to accept that as an inevitable part of our (mis)adventure. I was also blessed to meet a good friend, Chef Lloyd Lagman who really rekindled my passion for food some 3 years ago, through a cooking demo/bible study session in a friend’s house in QC. That was when I started giving some serious thought into getting in the culinary arts.
Fast-forward to today, I am most excited to announce that first day of class is on Monday, February 16, 2009. I have finally decided to take the plunge head (and wallet) first into this brave new world of culinary arts. And in all honesty, I feel like a giddy little schoolboy eager to start his first day of class. If you’re asking why it took me this long to finally decide to jump in, well, it’s a long story and I really don’t want to bore you on my first post. If I’m fortunate enough to have you tag along with me in this little adventure, I am pretty sure you will discover for yourself the reasons behind why FoodieGoesCulinary.
Welcome once again, and thanks for dropping by. New posts will be up soon. And please don’t hesitate to keep in touch, write me or leave me a note. Peace!
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