The Omnivores' Diary

Before anything else, kudos to my dad for showing me how to make fire out of a pile of wood! If that job was left to me, I would have toiled for hours with no avail! Well... I am just being honest ;) But anyway, I am very excited to show you what we cooked earlier, using an earthenware popular in the provinces, but unfortunately (and as far as I know), not here in Manila- especially now that electric stoves/ovens and induction cookers are the trend. Please do contradict me on this if you find my statement quite untrue. But what's amazing is that clay pots have been used for decades all over the globe- from Europe, Africa, Southeast and East Asia. It has been called different names and made into different shapes and sizes, but all of which have one basic purpose- to cook a tender and flavorful dish that would hopefully delight ones taste buds. The Philippine version of the clay pot is called "palayok" in Tagalog or "kulon" in some parts of Visayas. We used to

Yes, I am not joking. There really are Philippine blueberries! I was actually amazed to discover this the first time I went for a climb to the summit of the 2nd largest mountain in the Philippines- Mount Pulag. My friends and I were concentrating on the rocky and sometimes slippery trail in front of us when our eyes caught movement on the side of the slope. There were locals bending over picking something from the bushes. At first, I thought, they were just picking some leaves either to eat or to use for medicinal purposes. But on closer inspection, the locals were actually eating what they have just picked right out of the bushes. That heightened my curiosity! So I asked them what they were eating.. And guess what?! They said they were blackberries (maybe they got used to calling it "blackberry" because of its color). They even offered some of their bounty for us to try. They were as small as beads, purplish, bluish, and sometimes red or black- depending on

Just had to catch up with college friends. We were pushing our luck so we decided to try places we've never been before. And where do you think we headed out? To UP Teachers Village! Started dinner with nicely cooked pasta from Tomato Kick then ended it with a sweet note from Friuli. Seafood Marinara (must-try! really creamy and seafood is cooked nicely) We ordered 2 kinds of pasta plus their seafood  salpicao Loved my squid-ink pasta! Good, but I personally don't like sun-dried tomatoes. Friuli Trattoria's desserts After-eight (I already love mint so this is a must-try for me) but I fell in love with Friuli's Tartufo! <3 Friuli Trattoria 79 Maginhawa St., Teachers Village, Quezon City (632)434-1416 Tomato Kick 55 Maginhawa St. UP Village, Quezon City (02)489-5503

My Grandma Felicidad who is 87 years old (and will be turning 88 this September) had been a very good cook during her prime. She never lets us eat in fastfood chains if she could help it. We were always served with home-cooked meals- even exotic dishes that I wasn't able to cook yet (ginataang kuhol/snails, sinampalukang talangka/ little crabs, adobong salagubang/beetle). My favorites though were her "tinumis/dinuguan" and her "palarusdos/bilo-bilo". I was an avid fan, that's why (I guess) I studied the art of cooking myself. It is sad to say that now she can no longer remember whatever dishes she had prepared for us before. She can only say "ang galing na magluto ng apo ko". As gratitude for her love for me, I now am taking advantage of the opportunity to cook for her. She can't eat as much (loss of appetite) nor chew hard food, so I make it a point whenever I cook for her that I only give her what she wants (mostly veggies) in the form sh

Langka (Jackfruit) , according to Wikipedia, is n ative to parts of  South  and  Southeast Asia , and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of India. It is considered as the   largest tree-borne fruit.  Langka from our very own backyard Here in the Philippines, we use the fruit for a variety of cuisines. Ripe- it can be eaten raw or added as a topping in our Halo-Halo, a favorite summer delicacy. It may also be found as a flavor for ice cream, main ingredient for tarts or even cakes. Grandma used to make "Minatamis na Langka" (sweetened jackfruit) just by cooking the fruit's flesh with brown sugar. Unripe jackfruit can also be eaten. We usually cook it with chili and coconut milk to make a dish called "Ginataang Langka". I would have to cook some for you one of these days.. It is one of my favorites! Aside from the flesh itself, jackfruit seeds are also edible- My grandmother used to boil it with a bit of salt until it soften

Saturday is the time the family gets together. At least.. for us. And so I had to prepare something for their growling tummies.  There's chicken breast in the freezer, asparagus, carrots and bacon. Why not grill the veggies? And roast the chicken? Inspired by  saltimbocca - a dish made of pork, chicken or veal, wrapped with prosciutto, sage and parmesan, as well as the ingredients already available inside my refrigerator.. I came up with this. Ingredients: Chicken breast with skin-on- 4 pcs Oil or Butter Asparagus - 1 bundle Carrots - 1 250 g. piece (large) Dried Rosemary- 1 tablespoon Salt and Pepper Bacon - 8 pcs Well this won't be complete without any sauce, would it? and so, I made gravy out of the pan drippings and then added orange juice and zest for a different contrast to the salty main course. Ingredients: Pan drippings Flour Chicken cube and water or chicken stock  Orange zest Fresh Orange juice Prepare everythin