I don’t encounter the supernatural very often, nor do I wish to, but they seem to take advantage of the few times that we cross paths, packing a bunch of experiences in the span of a few days, or in this case, hours.
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Chef created mouth-watering dishes during lockdown with only a stove, an old wok, and a blunt knife
Where were you when enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was declared? Chef Ramon Antonio was in Mactan visiting his mother. “I have been visiting my mother in Mactan every month since 2018 (always via PAL for 46 years and counting), [for] at least seven to nine days per month, since that first time she slipped. She […]
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Made gising-gising for the first time
Made gising-gising. This is a vegetarian version that uses patis and vegan bagoong for umami and chili chutney for heat because I had no chilis on hand. It’s… okay. It lacks the savory sweetness that pork offers as well as the bite that fresh green peppers can bring. But all in all, not bad for […]
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Ginataang ube from a friend
A friend sent me ginataang ube made with ube halaya from Baguio, black rice from Kalinga, and kamote and bananas from Tagaytay. I’d been craving ginataan for a while so this was a lovely surprise. And it was delicious! It was still warm when I got it, just freshly cooked. I’d never had ginataang ube […]
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Farmers shouldn’t be charity cases
A friend sent me a bag of produce which included these citrus fruits. I really admire their farm because, among other things, everything it grows is organic, and it really does try to give its farm employees decent wages. Agriculture and food security are big now, and a lot of people are taking advantage of […]
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When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I make tea
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I try to immerse myself in an activity that requires a lot of physical motion and very little critical thought. Working in the kitchen is one such activity. I made masala chai, which I like doing from scratch. Masala chai is Indian spiced tea. It’s made by brewing black tea with […]
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Trying a foraged puffball and living to write about the experience
This isn’t a post about watching a puffball explode. It’s about eating it.
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Cold brewing my own coffee
Sometimes, when I can tell what I’ll be craving for breakfast the day before, I’ll make a small batch of cold brew coffee. Nothing fancy. I’ll just let coffee grounds steep in the Fresh press in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy iced cold brew coffee in the morning. Cold brew coffee tastes smoother and less […]
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My Manila Biennale experience
As romantic as this sounds, for a brief moment, people got to see Manila the way Carlos saw it: not just as a random city, but a dynamic place filled with life, potential, and art.
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Starting a new journal
Finished my old journal (Filed Notes) and starting a new one. This particular Field Notes journal took exactly one month to finish. Quite an achievement for someone who tries to fit everything in neatly, with as little overlap as possible. It’s also the journal I started drawing in. It’s taken me years to finally put […]
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