The Delicious Essence!

A good online friend started exploring his “healthier” side by going vegan. Yup, everybody seems to be going vegan nowadays. I also have a college friend who’s a vegetarian. No beef, no chicken, no fish… just the thought of it sends chills up my spine. Veggies and fruits are all well and good but a life without meat is just…

Haaaay…

Aaaanyway, lately, I’ve been developing my fifth taste.

You might say…

“Fifth taste? You’re talking crazy Jigs! There’s only four types of tastes! Sweet, Salty, Sour and Bitter! You’re stupid! I’ll never read your blog again!”

But wait, there IS a fifth taste. You do have the basic Bitter, Sweet, Salty and Sour, and the fifth is UMAMI. There isn’t really an English word for it, but essentially, UMAMI is the savory taste found naturally in meat, poultry, seafood and some vegetables. The UMAMI taste itself is subtle. Most people wouldn’t even recognize it. It Enhances the taste of other flavours and brings everything together. It’s amazing, believe me, when you can recognize and manipulate UMAMI. It’s like UMAMI is the soul of a dish.

UMAMI isn’t just in the taste. It is a combination of taste, smell, color, temperature and appearance. But let’s set the record straight, UMAMI is not MSG. MSG has been touted as a flavor enhancer which is kinda what UMAMI is. However, UMAMI is the natural occurrence of the delicious essence found in foodstuffs (meat, cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms to name a few), which is far better than its synthetic counterpart. I have never used MSG as an ingredient and never will. MSG is the quick and cheap way to attain that savory flavor.

Enough about that…

UMAMI is something that is not unfamiliar to us. I bet, after reading this short article, you will start recognizing what UMAMI is, and what it tastes like. It is an integral part of the whole dining experience. So, I try my best to maximize the UMAMI of any dish I make. Let me say though, UMAMI is something Vegans can appreciate too. Just a bite of a ripe tomato and you can taste UMAMI.


This is basically my Meatyball Surprise dish. What’s the surprise? UMAMI! LoL! Not really! You just have taste it for yourself! Oh wait, you can't! Hehe! Anyhoo, I have two reasons why I’m showing you this dish. One, it's because it has a great UMAMI taste thanks to the beef, the tomatoes and the parmesan cheese which makes this meal amazing! And two…

It's just to show all those VEGANERDS what they’re missing! Mwahahaha!

P.S. VEGANERDS are “non-practicing vegans”- people who are vegans just because they want to be cool!

For more information about VEGANERDS and those “non-practicing vegans” ask PAOLO.

On A.C. and My First Restaurant Review!

Last week was my brother’s graduation. Congrats to him and all that. I scouted for a few restaurants where we can celebrate his achievement. Despite the fact that I virtually know the economical hotspots of Angeles City AND even though I did do a market analysis of Angeles City for its potential for business growth, I honestly was surprised at the sheer number of great restaurants popping all over the Metro. Angeles City is set to become Luzon’s center for commerce. This is all because of the new super highway being built where Angeles is right smack-dab in the middle and the opening and further development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. Isn’t it obvious with all the new malls populating the vast landscapes of Clark, San Fernando and Nclex? Why, even the Ayalas have begun building an Ayala Mall in Angeles. Land Developments - both commercial and housing projects - are everywhere. Xevera, The Enclave, The Lakeshore, Angeles City and Pampanga in general has become a real estate developer’s dream nowadays. As this shift becomes more apparent A.C. will only continue to prosper and hold true to its title being "the heart of the north."

Anyway, before I get a whole lot further off topic, I picked a restaurant which has become famous for its amazing ambiance, menu and location. This restaurant, scenically situated at The Holiday Inn’s rooftop offered a Brazilian inspired motif with international fares. An award winning restaurant, Rodizio is a true dining experience. To get to the restaurant, you take an elevator straight to the top of the hotel. The moment you step in, you are welcomed by a stunning winery and bar (it’s the bottom picture). You take a short right turn and you’ll see the restaurant itself. The interiors are very beautiful. And the ambiance at night is wonderful. However, if you want to appreciate the view outside the deck, lunch time would be much better.

(click for a larger image)

Some say you can instantly tell the quality and taste of a restaurant’s dishes based on their house bread. And I think that is true. Rodizio’s house bread had a slightly crunchy exterior and the inside was warm and fragrant. It was lightly salted and had herbs ixed into it. It is definitely one of the best house breads I have ever tasted. The whole party partook of the restaurants meat and seafood buffet offering. Everyone started off with some chicken and mushroom soup which was delicious. You can taste the strong flavor of the mushroom, but it did not over power the chicken at all. Their salad bar was also very pleasing. All the vegetables were fresh and the dressing was amazing. The seafood portion of the buffet consisted of crabs, shrimps, mussels, and some Japanese dishes like sushi, maki, sashimi and more. I loved the seafood. One thing that was different was, everything was cold. My family was not used to eating shrimp or crab like that. It was still delicious though and the temperature only added a different dimension to the taste.

For the main course, each had the option of rice, mashed or baked potatoes for a side dish. I asked for mashed potatoes. It was okay, it needed a bit more salt and it was not as flavorful as I had hoped, but I didn’t want to be filling up on side dishes anyway, I was here for another purpose. LOL! After they served the side dishes, four waiters arrived carrying various grilled meats. One had two metal stakes with sausages (one chicken, one pork) impaled on them. Another had chicken teriyaki, another had pork ribs and another had flank steak. Each waiter passed by each plate and placed a portion of what they were carrying. In no time at all, my plate was already overflowing with all the different kinds of meat. Let’s analyze them one by one, shall we? LOL! The sausage, was too salty. I did not care for that at all. The chicken teriyaki was divine, tender and succulent, and the flavor was perfect. The ribs was good, nothing exceptional. The steak was very tasty, but a little tough.

As everyone fell silent while enjoying their meals, waiters would constantly come back to check on our side dishes and meats, just in case we wanted more. You see, in Rodizio, they had this small wooden block (you can see it in one of the pictures) that’s color green on one end, and red on the other. I was told that as long as the green part was on top, the waiters will just keep on serving you meat. If you’ve had enough, just turn it over so that the red part is on top.

On to the final course, dessert. The buffet was complete with its own dessert station. It had a chocolate fondue fountain, crème brulee, fruit slices and a myriad of cakes. I didn’t know where to start, but thanks to my sweet-toothed sister, I tried the fondue first. From marshmallows, to strawberries, to small butter scotch brownies, we bathed them chocolate fountain. Very good…need I say more… From the cakes, we took slices of the chocolate cake, the blueberry cheesecake and the mango chiffon cake. I didn’t like the chocolate cake and the mango chiffon was unimpressive, but the cheesecake…The cheesecake was so dense that it almost had the texture of a pound cake. It was not too sweet and the blueberry on top was the best compliment. It was the best cheesecake I have ever tasted... Ever! And finally, we managed to find some room for a bit of the crème brulee. It was a bit too rich for me and the caramelized sugar on top was nonexistent.

All in all, Rodizio was everything I heard it was and more. The wait staff was pleasant and accommodating, the ambience was perfect and the food is delectable. It completely surpassed my expectations. So, for all you out-of-towners visiting Angeles City, be sure to visit Rodizio at the Holiday Inn.

To Cook

In every family, there are those few people who you admire their knack for cooking. Be it your grandma, your mom or your bbq king uncle, you just can’t wait for the next family get together so you can once again savor their signature dishes. I am so lucky that I belong to a family that knows what good food should taste like. Only the freshest ingredients and never settle for mediocrity.

My Lola Mercy is one of the best cooks ever! But, I’m sure we all have grandmas who are the best cooks. She makes one mean Sisig, her Lasagna is out of this world and her Cherry Cheesecake is heaven! She also makes a wonderful Avocado Ice Cream.

If there is another person who can match, even top my lola’s cooking, that would have to be my lovely mother. Her Kare-Kare is addictive, her Chicken Cordon Bleu with a side of Cauliflower smothered with white sauce is mouth-watering, and her take on the classic Spaghetti is the best I’ve ever tasted (Italliani’s can kiss my butt!). My mom’s Escabeche is just…amazing (my dad loves it!).

“Voila! A pot pie. Wholesome, warm, healthy. That's, of course if you can live without the cream sauce. Personally, I can't. I mean, what's the point?”

But there is one dish that every time I taste reminds me of home, and of my mom and my lola (because they cook the dish equally well). The feeling I get is kinda similar to the one Anton Ego gets after taking a bite of the Ratatouille. Lolz! At first, I didn’t want to learn how to make the dish because there was the feeling of comfort when somebody else cooks that meal for me. But then I realized, why not share the same feeling I get with the people who matter to me? It took time to prepare, but the result I got was completely worth it.

Lengua Con Champignon (drooling right now)

I know it’s a once-in-a-year kind of dish to eat because let’s face it, it’s not exactly figure friendly. But that only adds to the appeal of the dish, the desire for it. I’m so happy to finally be able to cook it and continue the family heritage of cooking excellence! Yeah! Lolz! You know, I wasn’t supposed to be the next cook in the family. It was my younger sister who got to receive all the training (being the constant helper during parties and meal preparations) from my mom, lola and aunts. I think it’s the passion that pushed me to learn how to cook even if it was all by myself. The kind that if I was asked, what do you want to do for the rest of your life, I would confidently answer, COOK. I’d probably be the first male cook in the family (but I do have uncles who can cook).They say, there are certain reasons why men’s cooking tastes better than women’s. One is that men aren’t so parsimonious when it comes to the ingredients. Another is that a woman’s emotion goes into their cooking which can be a pro-and-con kinda thing. I mean, based on my observation, male chefs right now are more popular than female ones. Lolz!

“I like to cook -- it's my meditation. One aims for perfection in one's life, but one doesn't find it very often. For me, this is about as close as it gets.”

But, I am just that, a cook. Not a chef. There are so many people who are good cooks, but so few who are good chefs. It’s become my dream to become a chef, but being a cook right now is satisfying in so many levels. However, being a cook, one of my weaknesses is baking. I don’t bake. If I did, then I’d be a baker. Lolz! Unfortuntely, not being able to bake limits my ability to create desserts. But that won’t stop a good cook! So here’s one of my favorite desserts that I’ve made in a while. I didn’t have strawberries so I used bananas instead.

Panna Cotta (with an extra, extra drizzle of chocolate sauce and slices of Bananas)

Tasty, delectable, scrumptious, saccharine, gastronomical, and luscious; some of the nicest, boldest, sexiest and best sounding adjectives are found when describing good food. They don’t have to be expensive, they don’t have to be gourmet, they don’t even have to be calorie laden. Good Food is whatever tingles your taste buds and gives you a feeling. Food, and cooking for that matter, is just as simple as that...

“You know, people can sleep, or they can gamble. Or they can even make love when they're miserable.

But I think that most people eat when they're happy. I like to see people happy…”

P.S. Next time, I’ll tell you about how hard it is to take a good photo of food! Lolz!

P.P.S. Quotations are by Mr. Linderman of Heroes

P.P.S. I’d like to thank Paolo Mendoza for the letter “Z” in my Lolz!

Death By Chocolate!

Balikbayan Boxes!

Yes, my room is filled with that “state side” smell. Lovely. I did mention once HERE that I like that smell. In this family, a balikbayan box can also be called the box of surprises. A box can contain anything from a brand new audio stereo system, to flower shaped stickers with a rubber surface used in bathtubs to prevent children and elders from slipping. My mom basically sends us anything they have no use for over there. Now, I love mom with my whole heart and I’m not one to complain, but sometimes, I can’t help feeling like we’re a virtual salvation army, or worse, a dumpsite for their unwanted. Don’t get me wrong though, we have yet to get a box where we didn’t like anything inside. There are just those stray items which we find no apparent use for and are reluctant to give it to anyone else. I mean, what am I supposed to do with a small plastic blinking bicycle tail light when I have never owned a bike in my life?! Maybe they’d come in handy during brownouts! Haha! Probably not…

Anyway, the reason for this post is to tell you about one of my lovely sisters. Her name is Dyan and she’s two years younger than me (making her the third eldest). The reason for me telling you about her is because in the 4 balikbayan boxes we got this week, two were almost filled with…CHOCOLATES! Dyan is an absolute chocolate addict. From Ferrero Rocher, Snickers, Curly Tops, down to the humble Chocnut, she’ll basically devour anything brown! Wait…That didn’t come out right…

Step aside King of Chocolates, here comes the Goddess of Chocolates!

Be it white, milk, mint or dark, this chocolate girl has devoured it. And as luck would have it, the powers that be have provided her with as much chocolate she could sink her teeth in. Most of the chocolate sent to her were her favorites: Crunch, Kisses, M&Ms, Reese’s and her most coveted Ferrero Rocher. The moment I opened the box and she saw the abundance of chocolate, I swear you can hear her shriek from a mile away. It was as if she saw a couple of long lost loved ones, and their names were Hershey, Nestle, Reese and Mr. Ferrero. If she doesn’t watch her consumption of this sweet treat, the next time I post about her, she won’t have legs to stand on! Haha! Okay, bad joke, really mean…Whatever…

CHOCOLATE TRIVIA:

Chocolate originates from a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water."

The Swiss lead the world in Chocolate consumption per capita.

Mozart made reference to chocolate in his opera, Cosi fan tutte.

Dark chocolate contains substantial amounts of flavonoid phenolics which may lower the risk of heart disease.

Pure chocolate contains anti-oxidants which aid better skin complexion, which negates the belief that it causes acne. The milk content in chocolate bars is the one that cause acne.

Chocolate (cocoa) prevents Diarrhea and treats persistent coughing by soothing and moistening the throat.

The average person will consume 10,000 chocolate bars in a lifetime.

Theobroma Cacao (used to make chocolate) roughly translates to..... "FOOD FOR THE GODS."

Squirt Silly String Up My Nose

Persuade Me! I Dare You! Who can persuade me to keep blogging?! I’m so down lately. It’s all because of the stress I currently have to deal with: Exams, Marketing Plan, Marketing Bazaar, Finex Congress, Business Debates and lots and lots of reports and lectures. Add to that lack of sleep and my dusty cobwebbed social life, and you have the makings of a straight-jacketed nincompoop that’s slightly good with money.

I like that word, nincompoop. It’s really fun to say. I’ve never really had a favorite word, but I have some words I do like saying like LUDACRIS, WICKED, RAMBUNCTIOUS, NONCHALANT and of course, CHAOS to name a few. Another word I like using is the noun ME. Why? Because I don’t get to use it that often much less vocally.

So, to hit two birds with one stone, (did you notice nobody uses that line anymore?) I decided to get some “ME” time and unwind by nourishing the frosty side of me! This week, I amused myself two ways, 3D and 2D! Oh yeah, you know what I mean! I watched Ratatouille and The Simpsons Movie Back to Back! More than 3 hours of animated hilarity in all their high-tech and traditional glory was just what the doctor ordered! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed both movies. I can’t favor one over the other! Ratatouille is magnificent because it’s about a rat who loves to cook! A rat! A cook! Perfection! The Simpsons is simply the best animated sitcom ever made and movie was like revisiting everything that made The Simpsons the longest running American sitcom of all time!

Since we’re talking about movies, read my review of Ratatouille, my first ever post on my newest blog, inFLICKted! Link me up okay guys! What a fitting start to my blog, a movie which tackles a lot about me: my cuisine fascination, my inhibition and desire to be a cook and my love of good food! You can even add to that the fact that I'm born in the year of the rat! Haha!

Speaking of things I love, I love the fact that COOKING and FOOD is slowly entering the mainstream. As of late, three themes are booming in the TV industry: POLICE, MEDICAL, and SCI-FI/FANTASY (LEGAL Dramas are starting to slip and EVERYDAY LIFE will always be big so I didn’t include it). Movies like Ratatouille and new movie No Reservations with Catherine Zeta Jones put cooking in the center of their stories. TV shows like Iron Chef, Kitchen Confidential, Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen are getting much attention. Thanks to cooking shows from the Food Network, great chefs are now sharing great recipes to simple cooks like me. I’ve always been adventurous when cooking and I appreciate good food, no matter who made it or where it came from.

Just last Saturday, I had lunch with a good friend in a modish town bistro. Along with our main meal, we decided to order basic Spanish treats like Tacos and Burritos. They were so delicious! I loved the kick the meat had and the heat was not overwhelming (for me anyway, hehe!) but you can feel it. This inspired me to prepare my own at home! I haven’t prepared Spanish food before so I decided to make the same ones we ate: Tacos, Burritos and added some Enchiladas. It didn’t disappoint at all! I am a big Italian aficionado but Spanish food is also really delectable!

Burritos (upper left), Enchiladas (below) and Tacos (upper right)

But of course, nothing beats a good Italian recipe. I have grown to love not just their cooking but their culture as well. I’ve even gone as far as learn their language! Yes folks, I’m currently learning Italian and I’m starting to get the accent they have! In no time at all, I’ll be speaking fluent Italian, then reading and writing! It won’t be long before the medium of writing in this blog would be changed! It would become… Jigs’ Italian Food Blog of Chaos!

I will advertise that new blog all over the internet just like those great memorable advertisements I saw in this show called Ad Persuasion. They feature commercials with really creative and original ways of grabbing your attention and persuading customers to buy their product! It’s really helpful to Marketing majors like myself. I have a subject called Professional Advertising where we analyze advertising efforts of different companies and find out why they used that type of marketing strategy. It’s all really creative and challenging but definitely my cup of tea. Thanks to Ad Persuasion, I’m starting to understand what it takes to make a commercial and what it needs to contain.

So, I tell you again, Persuade ME! Persuade me to keep blogging…in English! Or else I will definitely bring this blog to a whole new level where no one will understand everything I’m writing because I haven’t completely finished my lessons and then no one will dare visit my blog because it’s so messed up! We shall see who will come crawling back! Hahahahaha!

Wait.....Did that come out right?

The Supposed Start Of Season 2

Something that FruityOaty said made me think, “My Blogiversary will be coming up, I hope I can continue after that…sustain my interest. Truthfully, it’s been on the wane for the long time now.” How long can we—or more specifically, I—really keep this going? The death of a blog is not a big deal, but it IS a part of ourselves we are willingly going to let go. I’ve been blogging for more than a year now and the thought HAS crossed my mind a few times. What does keep me blogging? Expression? Attention? Conformity? Boredom?

Desire…

A strong longing for something. Everyone has at least one thing they’re really good at. This fuels their desire and they continually strive to be better at that one thing. Why don’t I have that fire? The passion in everyone to do one thing skillfully for the rest of their lives. Do I not have that desire? That overwhelming feeling to make more out of mine. Maybe my indecisiveness is a sign that my mind isn’t ready to take on the world. But with every vague step I make is a moment wasted satisfying that desire.

I question the desire in me. I never had a desire to do anything. Everything I do is technically for someone else. Does that mean I lack ambition? No, it’s not fatigue or apathy. I want that seize the day attitude! I have wanted a whole lot of things in my life, but never have I desired for something. Is there no motivation? Nothing that will enkindle the slumbering curiosity in my heart and mind? Where’s the motivation?

Where’s the motivation to blog? The desire to strike each key with a guided thought, intention and fervor. In all honesty, I sometimes wonder why I even bother. In the large amount of time I have spent in front of this screen, I never knew that blogging can be so demanding. I never knew this can drain me of things that I wish to write of or say for that matter. I don’t feel the need to narrate my life as it happens everyday. I am not a celebrity and my life is not at all eventful. I have simply ran out of things to blog. I've ran out of things that are to me "blog worthy".

“My readers are a big factor in me continuing... they encourage to keep going.”

-FruityOaty

I AM happy that there are those who appreciate what I dish out. The few rewards of blogging are obvious. And I am grateful for the acknowledgement of some of my peers. Especially those who seem to understand me, despite the fact we have never really met.

Haaaaay, another gloomy post! Well, that’s blog vomit for you. As consolation, I have some pictures for you guys. Some friends of mine came over last Saturday and I prepared dinner for them. I have three sets of friends (one from High School, one from College, and one from Manila). I wonder when I’ll get all of them together in one event?

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp and squid in a really spicy tomato sauce. One of my favorite dishes. I love cooking as much as eating this italian fare. And based on the reaction I got, so did they. What's with the chopsticks?! I don't know. A friend who placed it there said it will make the photo prettier. I actually tried eating with the chopsticks, and it wasn't that bad! Plus, the photo does look prettier!

Churros con Chocolate

Dessert was Churros to be dipped in hot and extra gooey chocolate dip! Ever been to Dulcinea? Or maybe Cinnabon? Then you probably know what churros are! This crispy deep-fried dough accompanied by hot coffee was the perfect ender to an intimate dinner. Thank you guys (Melissa, Arriane, Marco, Khate and David) for coming last night, it has been a while since we last did this!

Earcandy for this week is D.A.N.C.E. by Justice. Oozing with coolness and disco.