No Liquids on Flights to the United States!
No liquids above 3 ounce portions can accompany passengers on all flights to the United States. This is a law that has been in place for over a year, apparently. It seems simple enough. So when we checked in at the Cathay Pacific counters in Manila there was a notice and it seemed to refer mostly to cosmetics, bottled water, etc. I didn’t notice if Duty Free Liquor is included in the ban. I wanted to bring two bottles of good vodka to the U.S. and I decided to ask at the Duty Free liquor shop if they knew what the rules were. The cashier gingerly answered that he thought it was prohibited “bawal” to the U.S., so I returned the liquor to the shelves but another employee very confidently spoke up that it was okay, as long as the bottles were still sealed and the two bottles would be further encased in a plastic bag that would be heat sealed with the receipt stuffed inside. I asked again if he was sure, and he seemed confident. I was skeptical, but I was a moron and forgot to get the guy’s name… I wonder if I could pick him out of a line-up of folks so that I can wring his neck until he begs to drink two bottles of good vodka in less than 2 minutes as his punishment for outright ignorance, or worse, a desire to sell the Vodka at any cost…
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Central Park, attempting to overcome jetlag. A vigintillion is a number 1 followed by 63 zeroes or equivalent to 1,000 decillion, if you don’t subscribe to the American numerical system (e.g., you are European). Sounds pretty yucky, huh? Then take that vision further, and your body, now aware it is being invaded by airborne sperm, creates special antibodies to fight the intruders. Then as a result of the antibodies, your body releases histamines into your system, causing itching, swelling, congestion, nasal drip, loss of smell, scratchy throat, rashes, etc. that results in a wicked case of hay fever. Hay fever is actually an allergic reaction to the inhaled pollen (sperm) of grasses, trees and flowers. It does not affect everybody nor does it strike with the same vengeance from year to year. In many cases, its severity is linked to the pollen count in the air. And when I arrived in New York in early May, every frigging grass and tree in the Northeast United States must have agreed to spread their seed (sperm, yes the phrase is literal) at the exact moment after I cleared customs and immigration at JFK airport…
from the Mountain Provinces. Forget it. Just the cursory research had me reading in increasing horror the method for properly “beating” a live native chicken with a stick while holding it over an open flame with its feathers and all. Essentially, as I understand it, the gentle breaking of blood vessels while you are burning off its feathers makes for a succulent, bloody, tasty bird that then flavors the broth of the soup. The charred skin with all remnants of burned feathers gone provides a unique flavor. Yikes. I have absolutely nothing against the concept of different cultures having different foods, I personally just couldn’t do this method of bird abuse and grilling. I can barely fathom the thought of twisting a chicken’s neck if I had to kill one myself (easier for me to run it over at 80 kph on a provincial road) let alone hold it down on an open flame while it squirms and screams bloody murder! Hmm…now that’s an idea perfectly tailored for an unethical and intrusive telemarketer. And I will be the first to admit a good pinikpikan does truly taste really good. So now what? I decided to take some of the base ingredients of a pinikpikan and improvise – and the surprising result was a simply superb Ham and Chicken Soup a la Marketman, sans fowl torture tactics.
visual appeal. A few days later, I obtained some spectacular tomatoes from the Toscana Farms Stand in Silang Cavite and ended up making this “imbento” salad that turned out really well. First, roast the eggplants and peel off the skin. Next on a serving platter, place sliced tomatoes, the peeled eggplants, some slices of buffalo mozzarella, dabs of pesto and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. If you want a touch of acidity, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar would work. This took a couple of minutes to assemble and it tasted absolutely wonderful. When the weather is really hot, I turn to salads for lunchtime nourishment whenever possible, and this is a great addition to the salad options in our home!
