Cooking experiments

As everybody knows that aside from reading and writing, I also love to cook. But I don't just cook, I experiment. The idea came about from watching too much of Gordon Elliot's Door Knock Dinners when I was young. In his show, he would go to a chosen house, have a guest chef ( like Paula Deen and Masaharu Moshimoto etc) go thru the fridge and pantry, and cook something fancy out of it. Back then, I became fascinated with cooking experiments. I would watch my mother cook and try to recreate the dish from memory. I love being in the kitchen and would often offer to cook our dinner.

When I moved here in the States, cooking Filipino dishes became a challenge. Not all the ingredients are readily available, even at Filipino stores. If I don't have the ingredients, I have to substitute it with something similar that is available locally. I would try to recreate the dish, or put a twist on it and make it an entirely different version. My main goal is, to come up with a dish that tastes different. A dish that only I can make. Back home, I only cook simple dishes, but here in the States I have taught myself to cook dishes that I wanted to eat. I'm not claiming to be a good cook. But I can say that if I want to eat a Filipino dish that I miss, then i would try to cook it, instead of buying it. I would experiment on cooking, until I reach the desired taste of the dish.

There are many Filipino dishes that I haven't experimented on, mainly because I don't eat them, or don't miss them. But if it's one of my favorites then it would be on my list. Some of the dishes that I have experimented on countless of times are dinuguan, embotido, leche flan, cassava cake, steamed puto, bibingka, maja blanca, turon, ginataang bilo bilo, pastillas de leche, lumpiang Shanghai, Spanish bread and more recently, my own version of coconut macaroons.

Sometimes my experiment would be successful in one try, if I'm lucky. Sometimes I would get it after a second try. But I would learn from my mistakes, and would do better the next time I cook it. There is no dish that I have given up, maybe the buchi that I experimented on a few weeks ago. It was a disaster, I had to throw the whole thing.  But knowing myself, I would experiment on it again. Maybe one of these days.

And I'm not done with my cooking experiments. For sure, I will keep on trying to re-create dishes. It's fun and exciting. Right now I'm thinking of what food to experiment on. Any suggestions?

Christmas and New Year in the Philippines

It's the time of the year!! Yes it's Christmas time. Eventhough I live abroad for more than a decade now, for me there is nothing like Christmas in the Philippines. Filipinos love to celebrate and Philippines has the longest time of Christmas celebration, starting with Christmas songs on the radio by September 1. Filipinos will be expecting it. Its like an unofficial signal that Christmas has started. 'Ber' months are always associated with Christmas. Decorations are already up for sale at the stores. And people are already planning what gifts to buy, what food will be served for noche buena, and what decorations to put up in the house. The holiday season will end after The Three Kings on January 6, but now the church moved it to the first Sunday after New Year.

We usually put Christmas decorations after All Saints Day. Christmas tree on the corner of the living room, wreath on the front door, Christmas lights outside the house. There would also be the Belen, it is baby Jesus in a manger, surrounded by Mother Mary, St. Joseph, the shepherds, Magi, angel and the star. The most notable Belen used to be in COD building in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City.This Belen has lights and moves around, doing a mini performance. Filipinos would always make it a point to visit Cubao to see it,  including the giant Christmas tree somewhere in Araneta compound. I heard the Belen has moved to San Juan, eversince COD closed.

And of course, the iconic symbol of Christmas in the Philippines which is the lantern or parol. Parol, from Spanish word 'farol" is a star-shaped lantern, usually made of bamboo and Japanese paper. But nowadays, it is more sophisticated and expensive. Some are made out of metal, plastics, shells, and wood with LED lights as added decoration. Most notable place to buy parol would be in Paranaque and Pampanga. Specifically in San Fernando, Pampanga, which is dubbed as Christmas capital of the Philippines with its annual Giant Lantern Festival. One giant lantern would cost around $11,000-15,000!!.

One of the things that most Filipinos look forward to is the Simbang gabi or night mass, it is usually held every 4 am, 9 days before Christmas. It starts at the dawn of December 16 and ends on Christmas eve, the misa de gallo. Nowadays, some church would hold mass in the evening, around 7pm, so people who can't attend a dawn mass could still attend simbang gabi. It is mostly popular to kids and teenagers, they want to complete the 9 days of waking up so early to go to mass. They would be so happy if they never miss one mass.  Sad to say I have never completed the 9 days. After the mass, there would be lots of street food outside the church.  Most popular would be puto bungbong (purple sticky rice cooked in bamboo) and bibingka(rice cakes), freshly cooked by the vendors. Drinks would either be salabat  (ginger tea) or hot chocolate.

I remember during my childhood, me and my sisters, cousins and the rest of the kids in the neighborhood ( kababata) would make our own monito monita. It's an exchange of gifts. We would usually do it a week or two before Christmas, everyday, just gifts that costs one peso or less, to give to the person we picked from 'bunutan'.  Everyday, our gift theme would change. It could either be, soft and yellow, red and crunchy, round and puffy etc.  We would put our gift, without anybody seeing us so they won't know who's gift it is from, under the big caimito tree in our frontyard. On the eve of Christmas, we would have our own children's party, and reveal who's our monito or monita. It was one of my childhood memories I'm so fond of.

And who could forget the christmas party in elementary school on the last day before Christmas vacation where you were told to buy something for exchange gifts worth P10 that is appropriate for both girl or boy classmates.  I swear I almost always get a bar soap hahaha.

During the night, groups of people would go house to house to sing Christmas songs. This is called caroling. Some do this for charity, fund raising, organizations etc. But mostly it's bunch of kids trying to have extra money for Christmas.  I remember going with my sisters and friends, and we would bring our toy keyboard and play it while singing, we don't wanna sing a capella. Hehehe. But then neighbors are smart and remember it's us again. Some would play guitar, or small drums made out of cans, tambourines, maracas etc. Usually the carolers would sing a minimum of two Christmas songs and would say 'namamasko po' or 'Merry Christmas'' at the end of the songs. They would then wait for the homeowner to go out of the house and give money, afterwhich the carolers would sing 'Thank you, thank you, ang babait ninyo, thank you' ( thank you, thank you, you are very kind, thank you). Some houses would keep their lights off to discourage carolers from going to their houses.

The most important and the highlight of the holiday is noche buena. Noche buena is the Christmas eve dinner, usually at midnight after the family hears the 11 pm mass called misa de gallo. Most popular dish would be ham, it is usually the star of the noche buena. Although now Filipinos would serve lechon. Next is queso de bola (Edam cheese). This cheese is originally from Netherlands, after a town named Edam. It is a pale yellow, round, semi-hard cheese covered with red paraffin wax. There would always be noodles, either pancit or Filipino spaghetti. Meat would either be pork barbecue, lengua estofado, menudo or kaldereta. For desert, it's either buko salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, leche flan, buko pandan, kakanin (rice cakes), bibingka or puto bungbong.  There would also be fruits, mostly round ones, for goodluck, prosperity etc.

On Christmas day, it is more relaxed in the morning, breakfast would usually include leftovers, especially ham. Children would then get ready to visit the homes of their godparents and get their Christmas gifts. Some broke godparents have been known to hide from their godchildren. Hehehe. Families would visit their relatives or have parties that is mainly singing in karaoke.

Things would settle down for a few days. Then stores and side walk vendors would be selling fireworks and firecrackers (paputok) for New Year's eve. There is nothing like New Year in the Philippines.  Firecrackers are allowed in every home. I remember lighting 'luces', brave ones would light up  '5-star'. It is now banned from being sold, manufactured and used. Along with watusi, big 'Judas belt', super lolo, giant bawang, whistle bomb etc. These are probably banned because they are too dangerous. Every New Year, hospitals are busy treating wounded patients, with lost fingers, hands, arms, eyes etc. Allowed firecrackers are Roman candle, trompillo, regular 'Judas belt', fountain, luces, sky rockets. As of January this year, it was reported that there were 860 injured patients during New Year's eve. Injuries are mostly firecracker related, but some are from ingestion of fireworks, and some are stray bullet injuries. Yes, some people with firearms find it funny to fire their guns during the countdown. The Department of Health is pushing for a total ban on firecrackers and partial ban on fireworks.  Personally, I'm all for total ban. These firecrackers are very dangerous. Nobody wants to leave their house for fear of being hit by these firecrackers. Especially since you can't see anything on the street due to smoke emitted from these firecrackers. We could just make noise with our pots and pans! Or blow the 'torotot'!!

On the brighter side, it's still fun celebrating New Year in the Philippines.  Dining table would be again filled with food for media noche. Media noche, which literally means midnight, is a midnight meal during New Year's eve. There would always be pancit for long life, 12 round fruits for prosperity for each month of the year, sticky rice cakes so fortune would 'stick' in the homes, eggs symbolizes new life. Chicken is not serve because of 'isang kahig, isang tuka', an idiomatic expression that means from hand to mouth. Again, there would be lechon, if the family can afford it, different kinds of salad are also prepared.

Some people would wear polka dot clothes. The dots would symbolize money. Wallets and pockets should have money on it. All doors  are open, lights, radio and TV are on, and when the clock strikes at midnight, children would jump if they want to become taller. And no cleaning on New Year's Day, for you will sweep away the good fortune. The house should be cleaned a day or two before New Year's eve.

Most Filipinos abroad would say they still want to celebrate Christmas and New Year in the Philippines. It's different, more festive and there's nothing like it. But wherever we are, whichever country we live now, we should always remember why we celebrate Christmas. It's the birth of Jesus. It's the time for forgiving, to be merry, to rejoice. Let me be the first one to greet you 'Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon'.

Lumpia

One of the food that Filipinos love is lumpia. You can almost always find it during parties. It is one of the dishes that non-Filipinos like, aside from pancit and adobo. Lumpia is a stuffed pastry that originated from China and introduced all over the world. The word lumpia is derived from Hokkien word lunpia.  It is eaten as an appetizer, main course or snack. Different countries have their own version of lumpia.  In the Philippines, there are several varieties that are all delicious.

The most famous is lumpiang Shanghai or eggroll. This is most commonly served in parties.  Kids love it.  It is usually dipped with ketchup or sweet chili sauce. Contrary to its name, it didn't originate from Shanghai, China.  They don't have this kind of lumpia.  This lumpia is made of ground pork or beef, minced carrots, onion, bell pepper, raisins, pickles, egg and flour or breadcrumbs for binding.  Whenever I have time, I would make my own lumpiang Shanghai. Two reasons, one is because it is expensive if you buy it in the store. Two, store-bought ones are made of pork, which I'm trying to stay away from... instead of pork or beef, I use ground turkey or chicken. Fish can also be used as an alternative. I remember my mother uses galunggong or bangus.  Fish is boiled and shredded before it is used in lumpia. Lumpiang Shanghai is best eaten after it was deep fried, while it's still crunchy and hot.

Another favorite is lumpiang gulay (vegetable lumpia). It is also called spring roll. It has togue (bean sprout), julienned carrots and beans. Shrimp or ground pork is also added. The vegetable is usually sautéed before it is wrapped. It is also deep fried and best eaten when dipped in spicy vinegar.

Lumpiang shanghai and gulay is wrapped the same way. The filling is placed diagonally, the sides are folded and then rolled. it is sealed by either beaten eggs or flour and water as paste.

Next is Lumpiang sariwa or fresh spring roll. It is also made of vegetables. It is eaten fresh. Usually singkamas (jicama), beans, carrots and ubod are used. This is also sautéed before it is wrapped in lettuce and then a special wrapper made of egg crepe. Gravy is poured on top of the spring roll and sprinkled with toasted peanuts. The best lumpiang sariwa I have tried was the one from Goldilocks. Probably because of the gravy they use.

Another variety is lumpiang hubad. It is similar to fresh lumpia except it is not wrapped in the crepe.

A not so common lumpia that kids love is cheese eggroll. It is cheese (usually cheddar, but you can use other kinds of cheese) wrapped in lumpia wrapper. It is deep fried and best served in children's parties.

The wrapper is also used in turon. It is a snack made of banana. Saba is commonly used. It is covered with brown sugar and ripe langka or jackfruit is added before it is wrapped. It is also deep fried. Nowadays, Filipinos have different varieties of turon. Sweet potato or kamote, squash or pumpkin are also used as an alternative to banana.

Making your own lumpia is tedious and time consuming. You need at least an hour or two to be able to make it. But if you want alternative to the common lumpia sold in the market, then it is best you make your own. Local stores sells the wrapper now, in their Asian frozen isle. Common brand is Menlo or Spring Home that is only less than $2.

Guess what's for lunch today? I made home made lumpiang gulay. Lets eat!!

Genetically Engineered Food

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who is taking up Masters Degree in Regulatory Affairs at San Diego State University. She asked me if I am in favor of genetically engineered food. And my answer was a big NO!  But then it got me thinking, how will I know if the food I'm eating is genetically engineered or not.  And that's when I started researching.  I have always been a firm believer that we should be responsible with whatever we eat. And I haven't been (I thought I was). Unknowingly, I have been consuming food that has been genetically engineered.

Let's start with a little detail about genetically engineered food or GM foods. They are also called genetically modified organism or GMO. These are food that has been genetically altered to resist pathogens, herbicides, or to increase its nutrients.  The DNA of the food is altered by removing unwanted traits and at the same time introducing 'good traits'. Genetic engineering is the method used.  In layman's term, these are mutated food.

But how do we know if the food we buy is genetically engineered or not. In 64 countries, labeling is required for all products. But not in the USA. FDA doesn't require the labeling of food with GMO. It only requires producers to label the nutrient contents of the food on the market. Although producers can voluntarily label if their product has GMO ingredient or not.

There is no known side effects of GMO. It is a general conclusion that GMO is not riskier to human health compared to conventional food, and that there is no difference between the two. But still, would you prefer to know if what you are eating is GMO or not?

Here are some common food available in the market that has been genetically engineered. Corn- as of today 90% of the corn in the market here in the US is GMO. I wonder if that's the reason why the corn here is not as sweet as the corn I eat back home. I searched a bit more and was surprised that Philippine corn is also GMO!!! In fact, Philippines is now the 12th biggest grower of genetically modified (GM) crops. USA is number one.

Another crop is soy bean, 94% of soy bean is GMO. And as of today, almost 70% of all processed food available in the market contains soy bean by-products. You can find it in salad dressings, cheese, soymilk, juice powders, cereals and soups. Next is sugar. 90 % of commercially available sugar comes from genetically modified sugar beets and cane.

I noticed that the only approved genetically modified food are crops.  Aside from corn, soy bean and sugar, USA is also producing genetically modified papaya, squash, tomato, sweet pepper, alfalfa and eggplant.  Soon on the market are genetically modified apple that doesn't turn brown and  potato that doesn't bruise.

Genetically modified fish and animals are not approved for human consumption. This I'm glad. For decades, animals have been genetically modified to produce more muscle mass, faster growth rate, more milk production, prevent certain diseases, produce human drugs etc. As of today, there is no approved genetically modified fish and meat in the market. Although, since 1995, a genetically modified salmon is still waiting for approval. But it didn't stop the producers from marketing it commercially. In 2010, FDA has approved AquaBounty salmon safe to eat. As of today, this salmon is still undergoing assessment. These genetically modified salmon is sterile, meaning the female salmon will not breed mutant offspring. Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods and other stores wouldn't sell this fish though.

I guess the most controversial GMO is the "golden rice". It is a genetically modified rice with beta- carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A. It was designed to combat the deficiency of Vitamin A in children, which causes a high percentage of mortality (up to 2M deaths annually).  Golden Rice won the Patents for Humanity Award 2015.

In the Philippines, no GMO has triggered more controversy than golden rice. Farmers are protesting, they don't want to plant the golden rice. Some farms with undergoing golden rice trials have been vandalized. Farmers said a bowl of golden rice is not enough to solve malnutrition. Even the Pope expressed his personal blessing in the usage of golden rice, although there was no official statement from the Vatican. The Golden Rice Project of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has been going on for years in the Philippines. As of today, golden rice is not yet available in the market in the Philippines because of its inconsistency in the trial results. It will only be available once it yields favorable results and approved for commercial use.

Would you be willing to eat genetically modified food? If yes, then it would be easy for you to buy food anywhere. But remember, GMO food is developed to resist pesticides and herbicides for its survivability. Therefore, its not unusual to find residue of these chemicals in GMO food. The challenge is for those people who prefer to eat a non-genetically modified food. Generally, certified organic food has no GMO, or has a minimal amount on it. In addition, it doesn't have pesticides or herbicides. It doesn't have growth promoting antibiotics. But when a product is said to be organic, it doesn't mean that it is completely GMO free. Both non GMO and GMO can be grown organically. If you want an organic food that has no GMO ingredient, look for USDA certified organic food label or non-GMO Project verified label on it. 

The more important questions are. Why is there a lot of resistance to GMO? Why do we have to certify organic food? Why is there a need for GMO when our ancestors survived with organic farming? Is it really necessary to grow GMO? What motivated companies and individuals to develop and market GMO? Is it for the benefit of mankind? Or for company growth and power? Will future studies show side effects of GMO? Will this future studies prove that GMO presents health risk to us? What health risks should we be looking for? Will there be adverse effect on earth if we keep planting GMO?

Philippine Lechon

In the Philippines and throughout the world where Filipinos host a party like birthdays, fiesta,  anniversary, holidays, reunion etc., there is always a lechon. And it's at the center of the food table, like it's the star or "bida" of all the dishes served.  People will say, the celebration won't be complete without the lechon. And even if it's a little expensive, people will still include it in their budget. Because a party is not the same without the lechon.

In fact, because of its popularity, there is a festival called "Parada ng mga Lechon" or parade of the lechon, which is held every year on June 24 in Balayan, Batangas. This is actually a fiesta where they celebrate their patron saint, but the highlight of the day is the parade of the lechon from 49 different barangays of the province. So if you want to see lots of lechon in costumes, save June 24 and go to Balayan, Batangas.

But have you even wondered where the lechon came from? And why is it called as such? As usual, I wasn't surprised that lechon is derived from a Spanish word lechon. It means roasted suckling pig. It originated from Spain. Spaniards introduced it to all the countries they colonized. Now it is a popular dish in Latin America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Indonesia and of course Philippines.  Back then, only suckling pig is used. Nowadays, an adult pig is more commonly roasted. Chicken and beef is also used for lechon.

Lechon is prepared by removing all internal organs and seasoning with different herbs and spices.  It is then cooked by skewering the entire pig on a pit with lots of charcoal. Lechon makers have special way of preparing their lechon to make it tastier and the skin crunchier...

In the Philippines, you could find the best lechon in La Loma, Manila, the lechon capital of  the Philippines, where there are rows of lechon for sale. Most popular lechon makers are Mang Tomas, Lydia's Lechon and Mila's Lechon. But Cebu is also getting popular for producing a good lechon. In fact, some Filipinos in Manila would order all the way from Cebu because they think its more delicious compared to other lechon from different region. A few years ago, Cebu's lechon was declared in Time Magazine's The Best of Asia 2009 as the 'best pig', when popular TV Chef Anthony Bourdain, of No Reservations, visited the Philippines. Here in Chicago, a lot of Filipino stores and some private individuals are also producing lechon.

When people starts eating, they would go for the skin  of the lechon right away, because it is the best part. Especially, when it's still warm and crunchy.  The best part of the meat is near the bone, where its most tasty. It is usually eaten with the gravy specially made for lechon, a popular one is available commercially, the "Sarsa ni Mang Tomas". Some people prefer to dip it on vinegar based sauce or sinamak.  And since it is a whole pig, there's a lot of leftovers. Usually Filipinos would cook it again.  We would make it into lechon paksiw. It's the lechon meat simmered with vinegar or pineapple juice, sarsa ni mang tomas, peppercorn, garlic, onion and bay leaf. Some would fry it. Some would make it into adobo, sinigang, empanada, sisig, in pinakbet or lechon wraps.

I wasn't really a fan of lechon, even before when I used to eat pork. I find it bland even with the gravy. I appreciate it better when I made it into lechon paksiw. But almost all Filipinos love lechon.  Like they look forward to the party because of the lechon being served. Filipinos will say,' Come to the party, we have lechon'. And now that holiday season is almost near, for sure lots of parties will be serving lechon.

My Love for Writing

I discovered my love for writing by accident. I didn't know that I wanted to write. Back then I thought I just wanted to read good books. I began writing when I was in high school. We were asked to compile plays, poems, essays etc.  There were no public libraries then, and no computer or internet yet. At least commercially. It was in the late 80s (Commercial internet such as world wide web became available in 1991). And so research was a little difficult.  I had to find poems and plays and short stories with limited books I could find. And then a thought came to me.  The teacher didn't say that it has to be written by a famous author. And since I want to finish my project right away, I began writing my own poems and essays. And that's how it started. Having found a new "talent", I joined essay writing contest, speech writing contest etc.

I was a writer and editor of my high school newsletter. And I was tasked to write our class prophecy by my English teacher, for our last issue of the newsletter before we graduate from high school. I asked all my classmates what they want to be in the future. I listed them down and wrote a story about us meeting many years later, fulfilling our dreams.  (Sigh) I wish I still have a copy of that prophecy. So I can read it again. And smile while doing so. I have lost touched with some of my classmates, and I have no idea if they became what we "prophesied". But I'm pretty sure I wasn't what I wanted to be 26 years ago.  In that prophecy, I was a famous international writer, going back home for a class reunion and meeting all my former classmates.

I set aside my dream of being a writer during college. When you are loaded with science subjects left and right, you don't have time to just relax and think of stuff to write. Once, I wrote an essay, and asked some classmates to read it and make comments. Poor them.  Probably couldn't say no to me. Hahaha. But that's about it. Unless you count my thesis. Lol.

Now you would wonder why I didn't take up Creative Writing. Or Journalism. Or any degree to make me a professional writer. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't. I didn't want to be a journalist, that's for sure. And I'm not so good at  writing fiction. I just want to write stuffs I like, things I experience, facts I know.

Then I got a busy with my job. Which I enjoyed at that time. And now I realized why. Because eventhough it was on veterinary field, part of my job was writing. I wrote letters, presentations, product labels and fliers. But its not the same thing. Im still not a writer. And since I was enjoying my job, I forgot my dream of being one. But I would write poems here and there. Mostly intended for people I wanted to say something to. Words would come to me running. And I had to write them down right away, even in the middle of the night. So I won't forget them. I usually write poems about something I feel at that moment. Something I want to express to the person I want to give it to. And then words would come. I kept some poems. Some are lost.  Some posted on Facebook.

But it was not enough. Part of me wanted more than just writing poems. The ultimate dream of somebody like me is to be able to publish a book. But I know that's not within reach. For now? But I have to write something. Just something. I have seen a lot of celebrities who has their own website, where they write their own blogs. I wanted to have one. And so when my cousin mentioned to me about blogspot, I was so excited. I couldn't help myself. I couldn't wait to go home and write a blog. It's like I'm finally doing what I really want to do. I'm finally going to have my own blog. I could write endlesssly. My mind was spinning, different topics popping left and right. I had to calm down and decide what I want to write first. And since blogspot approved my blogname as cristinakitchen, I thought I should write about food. That's why my first blog is about bento lunches. Which is one of the things that keeps me busy these days.

Up to now, I'm always excited about writing blogs. The joy of publishing it. But this doesn't end here. Who knows what's in store for me? I can only hope. And dream.  For dreaming is free. And limitless. But for now, I can't express how happy I am for being able to write blogs. And share it to everyone.

You are what you eat

A few years ago I had a major decision regarding my diet.  I didn't have a medical problem or anything. I just felt like I have to be responsible with what I eat.  I wasn't getting any younger and I know metabolism will slow down. Twenty years ago, I could eat whatever I want. And I would.  But now, I have to watch what I eat. I'm more concious now. It's like I don't wanna put garbage inside me. Lol.

I became a pesco ovo lacto vegetarian. I was gonna say i was pesco vegetarian but then i also eat egg and other dairy products. Basically, I just stopped eating meat (pork, chicken and beef). Pesco-vegetarian or pescetarian is a semi-vegetarian diet that includes fish and seafood along with vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains. Lacto ovo vegetarian diet includes egg and dairy products along with vegetables and fruits etc. So when people asked me, I  just say I'm pesco ovo lacto vegetarian. Which is ironic. It's either you are a vegetarian or not. No meat of any kind. Some people doesn't accept this kind of diet as vegetarian.

But it only lasted a year. I started eating chicken again. But just a couple of times a week, sometimes not even.  So now I call myself semi vegetarian. Semi- vegetarian or flexitarian is a diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains with occasional meat like fish, chicken or ground turkey.  Once in a while I would take one small bite of pork or beef, but that's about it. And I would feel guilty afterwards. I haven't eaten a whole pork chop in years, or a slab of beef ribs. I can't stand the sight of it on my plate, much less eat it all.

Now you may be wondering what do I get from this change of lifestyle? For I think, this is not just a change in diet, but a change of lifestyle. First, being a semi-vegetarian, or vegetarian of any kind, lowers the risk of certain diseases like cancer  up to 50% and heart diseases for as much as 20%. It also lowers cholesterol level, improve blood sugar and lower rate of obesity. It was also claimed that it will increase a life span up to 3.6 years longer. So not only it will help me become healthy, it will also keep me from buying clothes that are one size bigger!

The benefits of a healthy diet can also make an impact on our environment. If you eat less meat, the less animals will be slaughtered/tortured, less animals will  be raised, thus less pollution. Have you been in an animal farm? Have you noticed the smell? Raising animals requires more land, food, energy and water.

I know , I know, who can resist lechon? Fillet mignon? Korean barbecue, pork chop, lamb chop etc. But before you take that one bite, know this.  Meat hardens blood vessels, shortens life span, increases risk of diabetes (type 2), Alzeimer's disease, and cancer.

But I'm not saying that if you stop eating meat, then you are eating healthy.  There are a lot of things to consider too.  Like regular exercise. And minimizing processed food intake. Studies compared all types of diet including low carb, low fat, Mediterranean, vegetarian etc. It all boils down to one.  The best diet is the one that has minimally processed food close to nature.

But this doesn't end here.  What about what you drink? Sodas and sports drinks has high calories and no nutritional benefits. Coffee has caffeine that causes insomia, nervousness, restlessness etc.  Alcohols, of course, causes liver damage, brain damage, ulcers etc. Red wine, in low amount, is known for decreasing heart disease. Studies show that water, obviously is the healthiest and safest. But our option doesn't end on water.  Pomegranate juice, low fat milk, green tea, fresh orange juice, beet juice, hot chocolate, kale juice, lemon juice, ginger tea, cranberry juice and coconut water are also healthy options.

So let me end this by challenging you. Do you have what it takes to lead a healthy lifestyle? Two thumbs up if you do.. if not.. its not too late.

Filipino's Love for Rice

Hi guys, I'm back! I wrote this article a couple of weeks ago but haven't been able to edit it for publishing. But I'm happy to share my fifth article to you.  Hope you will enjoy reading it as much as my other articles.  This time I will be talking about rice, which Filipinos and other Asians, can't live without.

I clearly remember only two scientific names during my Botany class, more than 20 years ago when I was a freshman student. One is Zea mays, which is corn and the other one is Oryza sativa, which is the domesticated rice. Probably because they are short and easy to remember. Why do Asians, specifically Filipinos, eat a lot of rice. Why is it our staple food. We eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, sometimes even for snack..

Let's review the history of rice.  Research shows that domesticated rice originated from China, and it was spread throughout Southeast Asia, later to Europe, then to America. But several years ago, Korea claimed that the rice originated from their country. Although their claim was received with scepticism. It was cited that their claim was for the country's interests.

In the Philippines, rice became the bulk of farm produce in our country.. but since Filipinos eat so much rice, we still import rice from other countries. In fact, Philippines is the hightest importer of rice all over the world.

You will know if the house is owned by a Filipino if you see rice cooker in the kitchen. Its the most convenient way to cook rice, instead of boiling it in a pot. Rice is always paired with meat, fish and vegetables. Ask majority of Filipinos, and they will tell you they cant live without rice.

There are different varieties of Philippine rice.  These are milagrosa, malagkit, sinandomeng, dinorado, wag wag among others. But since we don't have those varieties here in the Midwest, we mostly prefer jasmine rice from Thailand because of its fragrance and stickiness. Brown, red and black rice are becoming popular too. It was claimed they are healthier that white rice.

Rice is also made into kakanin (native delicacies). Glutinous rice is usually used. We have suman, bibingka, biko, puto and sapin sapin. It is also made into noodles (rice noodles) like pansit. Cooked rice can also be made into fried rice or sinangag, and is very popular for breakfast. Served in combination with sunny side up egg and tapa, sausage/longanisa, tocino or fried bangus. Or you can make it into congee or porridge, like arroz caldo and champorado. Best eaten during cold and rainy days.

I don't know about you, but by writing about rice made me crave for it. I promised myself I will limit my rice to lose a little weight, but after writing this article, I think I deserve a cup of rice! Lol.. I bet you are also reaching for a plate and scooping rice from your rice cooker by now. Haha.. Happy eating!!

The Joy of Being a Mother

I have been contemplating for days if I want to publish this blog. I wasn't really sure because this is too personal for me. I am a little hesitant to share about my life as a single mother. I spent a long time writing, then editing, to the point where I mistakenly deleted the whole thing. I had to rewrite everything from memory.

For those who know me will tell you that I couldn't make a conversation without mentioning Sophie. I mean, I couldn't help it. I talk about her all the time!! Hahaha. Sometimes I would analyze myself and wonder why I do it. Surely because she is my only child. And I love her so. It's like my life revolves around her.

I still remember the first time I laid eyes on her. She was born on a Mother's Day, what a perfect timing. At first I didn't hear her cry and asked the nurses that attended to her if there's something wrong. They didn't say anything. Until finally she cried, and they told me she was alright. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I felt she was the most beautiful baby. All mothers would say that about their child. I couldn't believe I have the perfect child.

Its fascinating to watch her grow. And a little painful when she starts to be a little independent. I was the one who cried on her first day of preschool. Lol. I remember her first walk, first word, the first time she cried. I always share to everyone all the little achievements she made. I didn't care if some says I'm  bragging too much. Lol.

I think our bond is stronger because its just her and me. She grew up with just me by her side. And like all children of divorced parents, there's a part of her that wishes that she has a mom and dad. I told her there are kids with the same situation. And that it doesn't mean she is less fortunate. That my love for her is more than enough for two parents.

Raising a child is sometimes challenging, especially if you are a single parent.  You can't be a spoiler and disciplinarian at the same time. Sometimes I feel guilty of being too strict, and sometimes when I spoil too much. Like I don't know where to draw the line. But when people tell me what a wonderful daughter she is. I would tell myself I must be doing it right.

I would end this by quoting Ms. India, Sushmita Sen, on her answer in the Q&A portion of Miss Universe 1994, which was held in Manila, Philippines. Her answer earned her the crown. The question was " What is the essence of being a woman?". I couldn't forget her answer. Part of it was "The origin of a child is a mother, a woman".

To all the kids out there, your moms love you unconditionally. To all the moms, "Cheers to us!!!".

Adobo:Philippine National Dish

It took me a couple of days to decide on what to write next. I was debating on two different topics but then I thought I should focus more on adobo, which is unofficially the national dish of the Philippines.

Filipinos, no matter where we are in different parts of the world, will always find ways to cook adobo.. we would use different brands of soy sauce and vinegar, just to be able to eat our famous dish. I mean who can live without adobo? Why is it a more famous dish, compared to menudo, afritada, sinigang, paksiw or tinola ( the dish that was mentioned in Noli me Tangere)?.

I searched as usual on wikipedia.. (it has been my bff, I could always count on it whenever I needed to know about something).. I wasn't surprise to learn that adobo is actually a Spanish dish.  I mean our country was colonized for more than 300 years by the Spaniards, so naturally, everything has Spanish influence on it... even our veins, has Spanish blood flowing on it.

Adobo, is from a Spanish word adobar, which means to marinate, sauce or seasoning..it is a way of cooking, and not really the name of the dish.. the real name of the dish is long forgotten. Pre-hispanic Filipinos probably cook adobo, they used vinegar to preserve food. There are a lot of ways to cook adobo, some use just vinegar and salt. This is called "adobong puti". A more common one, is using vinegar and soy sauce. This is called "adobong itim". Some add coconut milk, which is called "adobo sa gata". Basic ingredients include oil, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf, garlic and peppercorn. But some would add turmeric, ginger, spices, potatoes, boiled egg, sugar. Some prefer adobo with sauce, some wants it dry, by frying the meat or let the adobo cook longer for the sauce to dry up. Different meat and veggies can be used for adobo.. most popular is pork or chicken,.or a combination of both.. but beef can also be used, as well as fish,.shrimp or pusit. For vegetables, we use kangkong, eggplant, sitaw (long beans) or kamote tops. And as usual, we eat adobo with rice..

I remember cooking adobo when I was 10 or 11. I think I convinced my mother that I am capable of cooking our dinner. I overcooked it, leaving the pork dry, like it was fried. She said I burned it. Haha.. but my aunt and cousin said it was good.. they probably prefer dry adobo, as opposed to my mother who likes it with sauce. Lol..

There was also a time when me and elementary friends experimented on cooking adobong kangkong and adobong sitaw at one of the classmate's house. It turned out good.  We had fun cooking that night..

Here in Chicagoland, I read that there is a yearly Adobo Fest. Its a fundraising event. You could either taste or join the adobo cooking contest. The best tasting adobo will win some prizes. This year it was held last September 19.  If you wanna know more about it, visit their website at www.adobofest.org.

Most cooking shows feature adobo recipes.. I remember Del Monte Kitchenomics, which used to be a segment on noon time show Eat Bulaga. Sandy Daza, the chef and segment host, used pineapple juice instead of vinegar,.and he topped it off with pineapple tidbits...yummy.. I sometimes use pineapple juice,and on some days when I felt like experimenting, I substitute orange juice instead of pineapple. It turned out good,.although my friend told me it tasted more like hamonado rather than adobo...oh well..

Kris TV, one of my favorite shows, featured adobo many times. One version of adobo that I haven't tried is the one cooked by Pokwang, a famous Filipina actress.  She added cream cheese at the end..hmmm..wonder what it tastes like. Another is Darren Espanto's mom's version, she fried the chicken first before she marinate and simmer it with sauce. She said it made the cooking faster..

Adobo is not only popular to Filipino chefs.  Giada de Laurentiis, chef and host of Everyday Italian and Giada at Home on The Food Network also cooked chicken adobo.. I was flipping through different channels when I saw Giada's show was on at that time. She is one of my favorite chefs to watch. That time she was cooking chicken and the way she cooked it was so familiar.. I even thought that time that it is so similar to adobo. Then when she served it to her husband and his friends, they asked her what it is, she then said its Filipino adobo.. OMG! I wonder why she decided to cook adobo and feature it in her show. Does she have Filipino friends? If not, I could be one if she ever needs me. Hahaha.

So what's your dinner tonight? Are you gonna cook adobo? Is it gonna be chicken or pork? Saucy or dry? Enjoy cooking and have a good night!

My love for reading

Hello, I'm back. First, I want to thank you all who found time to read my first blog.  I had 68 views. Not bad for a first time blogger?  I recently posted an article about bento lunches and another subject kept popping on my head. Contrary to my blog address, i will not be limiting myself to articles about kitchen, cooking or food recipes.. i want to talk about everything I'm interested in.. there's a lot of things to talk about. Or write about.

For those of you who are my friends in Facebook, you must have seen my posts of books I have been reading. Yes.. I just love to read. I don't know why and I can't remember when I started reading books. I just love it.  I could spend days not going anywhere as long as I have books lined up for me to read.  I'm not sure if this counts but I have a vivid memory of me when I was barely six years old, I was in a classroom and the teacher was asking me to read something on the green board.. I was a transferee from another school. I think she was testing me if I should stay in kindergarten or move to first grade.. back home first graders were supposed to be 7 years old.. then she said I read good and was admitted to first grade..

During elementary days I was into Mills and Boon and Silhoette. These are publishers of books written by different authors, mostly fictional love stories. Then I started Nancy Drew series.  High school was when I started having favorite authors.. I love to read books written by Jude Deveraux and Johanna Lindsey ...both of them used to write romance novels about fictional royalties...but I prefer Jude Deveraux more. I used to daydream a lot about her characters. Like I am them..Haha. Typical teenager dreaming of being a princess and meeting her Prince Charming. I remember reading past midnight, sometimes until the break of dawn...now I seldom read Jude Deveraux. I probably outgrew her books.  And besides , she doesn't write about princesses and duchesses anymore... but mostly about descendants of characters from her previous novels... then I read Danielle Steel and Judith Krantz. Danielle Steel books makes me feel sad after reading them, I kept telling myself I should stop reading her books, but I couldn't... I read them all. The recent one was a few weeks ago.. regarding Judith Krantz, I really love her characters, especially Princess Daisy...She didn't write a lot of books. Too bad because I think she is a  great author. College days was when I started reading suspense/thriller/gothic books....I read Sidney Sheldon and John Grisham. And who could forget Anne Rice and her vampire chronicles? The first book, Interview with a Vampire, has movie adaptation. We all fell in love with Louis and Lestat, and of course the child vampire, Claudia with her famous line "I want some more!".

Then Harry Potter came! I must say this is the best book ever written. Just my opinion. but I know a lot of people would agree with me. I couldn't wait for J K Rowling to publish the rest of her books.. The characters are so lively. Who wouldn't fall in love with Harry, Ron and Hermione? When I finished all the 7 books, I got so worried, because for a long time no other book was interesting anymore.. J K Rowling wrote more books, even under a pen name Robert Galbraith.. but these books are nothing compared to Harry Potter.. I bet even JK would agree. In fact, she has written another Harry Potter story, not as an 8th book,...but as a play. Which will premier next summer in London.

Of course I wouldn't forget about the Lord of the Rings.. and The Hobbit. Although I must say the movies are better than the books.

I also read all of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series.. I found out about them because they became a TV show Legend of the Seeker..

Twilight series came.. and Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Grey and Divergent series. But still not as great as Harry Potter.. a lot of people love James Patterson. I got curious why and read one of his books...that was months ago.. let's just say I don't get him.. Before that, I found out about Lee Child because of Tom Cruise's movie Jack Reacher.. I found out that its a series...I read them all. Jack Reacher is better than Alex Cross. haha.

Nowadays I check New York Times Bestseller list to find out what books to read.. i like Chevy Stevens. and Gillian Flynn, the Gone Girl author. FYI, she lives in Chicago! I wish I could meet her. I wonder where she hangs out? I could bump into her!  I have also read a lot of Young Adult books, which are mostly about vampires, angels, wolves, witches and other mythical creatures.. I got tired of it... can't they write something else? Lol..

Since last week I'm reading Nancy Drew series.. I was gonna introduce them to Sophie but end up reading them again..

Who knows what I'm gonna read next. Right now, I have no idea. I still have to search for more interesting books.. but one thing is for sure.. I will continue to read. For reading is something I can't do without...

Bento lunches

Hello, first of all thank you for visiting my blog...I have wanted to create one and I'm excited to share it with you. For my first article I would be talking about bento lunches, something I love to do nowadays, aside from reading of course.

I recently saw an episode of Kris TV, a lifestyle show in the Philippines, about bento lunches. Judy Ann Santos, a famous actress, wife, mom of two kids and now an author of a cookbook, was the guest of the show and she talks about the bento lunches she makes for her kids. And it got me thinking, here is a very busy actress and she still finds time to make these bento lunches for her two kids...if she can squeeze it in her hectic schedule, then I don't have an excuse not to do it myself.. I don't have any artistic skills. I'm not into drawing and designing. The only thing I love to do is read and cook...and in my wildest dream...to be able to write a book... so i guess making my own blog is a start...

Now for someone who doesn't know about bento, here is what wikipedia says about it. Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. Yes, bento is a Japanese word.. similar to Filipino 'baon'. Now, I'm not going into details about bento, if you wanna know more, check out wikipedia..

So I made a plan.. how do I start making bento lunches.. I started by searching for designs. I really have no idea how to start and so I decided to look up for bento designs for sandwiches and rice meals.. and then it got me thinking, I need some tools... amazon.com has a wide variety of stuff you can buy to help you make bento boxes, but I don't wanna wait.. when I decided to do something, I wanna do it right away.. so I went to local stores near me... I found some tools I need at Five Below and Dollar Tree!..And the next day, Sophie went home from school smiling.. so excited to tell me about the lunch I prepared.. I didn't tell her about her surprise bento lunch...and she gave me a letter afterwards.. telling me how she can't wait for more of my 'picture lunches'...Now that made all my efforts worth it.

For all my Facebook friends, you have seen my posts about the breakfasts and lunches I made for Sophie these past weeks. I plan to continue making bento lunches and will be posting them all!! I hope I inspire some of you to create your own bento lunches for your kids.. it makes eating more fun for them..

Thank you for reading...enjoy the rest of your day!