29 Apr, 2005
The Sunday Market at the sprawling Philippine Lung Center compound near Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City is fantastic! A reincarnation of the Sunday market located at the Sidcor parking lot on Edsa near Cubao, it has grown tremendously and offers an impressive selection of vegetables, fruit, seafood, meat, plants, dry goods, native…
28 Apr, 2005
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28 Apr, 2005
In ancient Greece and Rome, triumphant competitors were crowned with bay or laurel (name used interchangeably in some places) leaves, hence the association with the victorious, the glorious and those possessing tremendous wisdom. Garlands of bay leaves were given to triumphant Olympians as well (as opposed to medals). The word baccalaureate, for…
27 Apr, 2005
For a country that is smack in the middle of a sea of tea drinkers (China, Japan, Indonesia, etc.), it’s a bit odd that we are so coffee-centric. Or is it? Nearly 400 years of the Spanish with their hot chocolate and coffee, and 50 years of the Americans with their brilliant…
26 Apr, 2005
The best bud-bud kabog I have tasted in Manila is that of Maribel Van Hoven, who sells it at the Salcedo Saturday Market or through special orders from her base in Alabang. It is superb! I have always liked bud-bud or suman but usually find commercial versions too bland, too sticky or too boring….
25 Apr, 2005
Dozens and dozens of varieties of rice have just been harvested across the archipelago and many interesting ones are now hitting the markets. Isn’t it strange how indifferent most Filipinos are to the type of rice they eat? Considering that we probably easily consume 1,200+ cups of cooked rice per capita per…
24 Apr, 2005
When the weather is this hot, you want to stay in front of the stove for about 5 minutes max. This is a quick, delicious and elegant dish that takes about that long… I picked up a nice swordfish (malasugi) steak at Citra Mina that I had been meaning to try for…
23 Apr, 2005
Snapdragons in Manila! What a find! Until recently, I had never seen snapdragons for sale in the local markets or floral stores. A very common flower in the U.S. and other temperate locations, snapdragons do very well in home gardens or in commercial flower beds. With a huge range of…