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Viajeng Cusinang Matua [1of5]: Cucina ng Atching Lilian Borromeo

Preview:
Viajeng Cusinang Matua: Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Join

Viajeng Cusinang Matua: Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Join

Viajeng Cusinang Matua: A Kapampangan Culinary Tour (bigger version)

"Kapampangan cuisine is highly regarded as one of the most delicious variety in the Philippines. Discover the secrets of the locals and explore the rich culture of Pampanga through this one of a kind cultural culinary experience."

We joined the second run of the Viajeng Cusinang Matua last May 5, 2007. I will blog about the entire experience in the Viajeng Cusinang Matua Blog Series (5 posts), to give you a virtual tour of what this Viajeng Cusinang Matua is all about. Before you sign in for the 3rd run on June 9, 2007, let me give you our perspective about this tour.

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Viajeng Cusinang Matua

1. Viajeng Cusinang Matua literally translated as Tour Kitchen Old which means tour of the home-cooked kapampangan cuisines. The tour changes every time so that one could join the tour as many times as possible. It is also a good excuse to refine the tour to weed out what doesn't work and improve it over time.

2. The people behind the tour are Karlo De Leon, one of the travel bloggers in our country and Tracey Santiago, Alquimista, Inc. a Pasig Jaycee who conducts tours and field trips for schools and institution. Both are not Kapampangans, so they have to work with their Kapampangan consultants: Lilian Borromeo: Cooking Show host and Famous Kapampangan Culinary Expert; Karen Shih, Kapampangan Food Blogger (The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans) who lives in Sta. Rita, Pampanga: and Willie Carpio, Restaurateur in Sta. Rita Pampanga.

3. It is great that the tour is designed to go into the old houses of Kapampangans and you cannot go there on your own. This is one of my motivation to join the tour. I wanted to really know what Kapampangan food taste like because I truly believe it is one of the best if not, the Filipino food of the Philippines. If you have been reading my blog for a while, this is my 4th culinary tour of Pampanga. Also, we were excited to check out the famous Sta. Rita Sansrival.

Related Post: Pampanga Food Trip- A Culinary Tour of Pampanga 1.0

4. Overall, it was a very good experience but there's a lot of improvement areas. We thought that it was not well researched and the highlight of the tour is eating and the church / furniture visits seems like a good excuse to pass the time between food stops. It was a long tour and at the end of the day, you'll feel physically full but intellectually lacking of information. We would have like to know more of why the Kapampangan food are very tasty and much known. They should have explained the Kapampangans do not scrimp on ingredients because they want it to be a rich culinary experience.

5. Unfortunately, it did not deliver its promise of a delicious Kapampangan Cuisine. The food served are high-end Kapampangan food which is not your usual kapampangan comfort food like the ones you'll taste in Abe, Serendra or the Sisig of Pampanga. We missed eating the famous pampanga Sisig, or the Inihaw na Hito with Buro or the exotic Camaro of Pampanga. The only memorable food are the Kilayin of Lilian Borromeo, and the Cocido and Almondigas at the Gosioco house. And we love the buco sherbet during lunch! We had several servings of it and it was almost bottomless! It is a good thing that in their 3rd tour, they are putting in Everybody's Cafe to serve the everyday comfort food of Pampanga. Check out my previous post What a Spankadventure: The Very Best of Pampanga Cuisine!

Technorati Tags: pampanga, viajeng cusinang matua

San Fo Treats - Apple in Caramel Chocolate

Have you tried one of these Apple coated in Caramel Chocolate? It looks yummy and we cannot resist it despite its P80 price tag for this apple coated with caramel, chocolate and nuts. The apple treats ranges from P60-P85 and you'll wonder is it really worth it?

The only problem with this dessert is the apple. How long has the apple been there? Will it not rot after several days? Well, we got our answer when we sliced our apple. Two-third part of the apple was already rotten so we were only able to eat the top 1/3 part. Next time, I will ask the lady to cut the apple so that I'll see the insides before paying the hefty price of P80 but my wife says otherwise. The apple was there for days already. It would have survived a week if it was just a plain apple but with the coatings, it would just be a few days.

Can Aidan resist these apple? Can you?

A Turning Point in Philippines History?

I've always believe that if only Filipinos believe and love the Philippines, we can achieve any goals we set our minds and hearts to. This May 2007 marks the turning point in Philippine History. Perhaps this is the start of a tipping point towards Philippines' greatness. I can feel it in the air and there is so much hope that we will become a great nation. Let me share with you why I'm so proud to be a Filipino today:

1. Congratulations to Noelle Wenceslao, Carina Dayondon, and Janet Belarmino for becoming the first Southeast Asian women to summit Everest, and the first women in the world to traverse Everest! I must admit that at first I did not have faith that they can do it but they proved us wrong. If they can climb Mount Everest, this gives hope and inspiration for all of us to conquer our own Everest. To think that Janet just gave birth to their five month old baby boy Himalaya. Ang galing ng Pinay! (Official Blog: Pinays on Everest)

2. God truly works in mysterious ways. Fr. Eddie Panlilio became the first Catholic priest in the country to be elected to public office in what is being touted as a “people-powered” unprecedented run for governor of Pampanga.

"Panlilio who got a total of 219,706 votes in the six-cornered race, winning by a lead of only 1,147 votes...The decisive votes that clinched his victory came from Magalang, a predominantly Catholic town, where 11,095 residents voted for him.Panlilio’s major rivals were Lilia Pineda, an incumbent provincial board member, who got 218,559 votes, and reelectionist Gov. Mark Lapid who received 210,875 votes." (Miracle in Pampanga by Tonette Orejas )

3. The Filipino voters have matured politically!! Yes!! Finally, Filipinos are voting based on performance, results and credentials.

"The citizenry has become sick and tired of actors and actresses in elective posts. Cesar Montano, Richard Gomez, Christopher de Leon, Lito Lapid and his son Mark, all movie idols, suffered humiliation at the hands of lesser known personalities....The only exception is actress Vilma Santos who won by a big margin over incumbent Armand Sanchez in the Batangas gubernatorial race. The reason behind her victory is her exemplary performance as Lipa City mayor."

"The biggest loser in the electoral contest is boxing idol Manny Pacquiao who ran for the congressional seat of South Cotabato. He suffered a knockout at the hands of a woman, reelectionist Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who was running scared and was the underdog."
(Upsets in the just-concluded polls by Ramon Tulfo)

4. There is a mysterious reform movement happening in the country because everyone is sick and tired of the corruption in the government! Most of the Genuine Opposition are winning in the National Elections! I was surprised when I asked my mom who to vote, she said if you don't know the candidates, just vote for the Genuine Opposition candidates. For the record, I voted for Noynoy Aquino, Joker Arroyo, Alan Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Kiko Pangilinan, Sonia Roco, Antonio Trillanes, Manny Villar, Migz Zubiri, and Ang Kapatiran: Dr. B Bautista, Adrian Sison and Jess Pares. We were hoping for the Kapatiran to win but at least Trillanes was able to get in the top 12.

5. I can't believe that the Peso to Dollar conversion rate is now at its all time low P46.xx to a $1 despite the elections! I love the graph below :) Can we see a P40 to a $1 conversion rate? At this point, I am very optimistic :)

We are three years away from having a great leader for the Philippines. All of us need to be vigilant and this is an exciting time to be in the Philippines. Time to celebrate and invest in our country. We love the Philippines!

Trinoma Misadventures

Trinoma, Triangle North of Manila, "soft" opened last 16th of May 2007. The much-awaited opening of an Ayala Mall outside Makati was disappointing. The misadventure started with a game of "Find a Parking Spot" where guards were there to confuse you so you get to tour the mall and you don't get a parking space immediately. Don't just park in the open space parking outside the mall, because you will miss on all the fun in playing the game. The fee for playing the game is P30 for the first 4 hours :) Most of the malls that opened which includes Mall of Asia and Serendra, usually have free parking on their first 2 weeks but not Trinoma.

After you get your parking spot, the architects created a maze disguised as a mall which is not characteristic of an Ayala Mall but more of a Robinson's Galleria Mall. Good luck in finding the shops or resto you want to go to but I'm glad that customer service is available, if you find the information counters. The main lobby area (pictured above) is well landscaped but nothing really to rave about. Don't you think there's so much vertical beams around the mall? There is also a road block in the maze where you will have to find your way to enter the mall if you are caught having dinner outside the Main Lobby area after 9pm. Another good luck in finding your way back to your parking.

I was just having fun at this post because "soft" opening for Trinoma means stay away from this mall until the dust settles. I've checked out the list of restaurants and shop in the hope of finding something uniquely Trinoma but there was none. Let me know if you find something interesting in Trinoma that is worth raving about. I live in the Malate area so it was not worth the hassle to go to Trinoma. We should have just eaten in SM's The Block which have more interesting restaurants and shops.

Check out the rest of our Trinoma Misadventures....

Casa San Pablo, Laguna

"Tucked into a corner of one of San Pablo's still-genteel family compounds, Casa San Pablo is a cozy country inn surrounded by Baguio-like pine trees and sprawling lawns. It is country charm that lures visitors here-- portable hammocks make for moveable feasts, lounging chairs looking out into a grove of young palm trees, and the swimming pool is surrounded by hundred-year-old trees. At night, pathways are lined with candlelight and mats are laid out on the lawn for moon gazing.

"Avid art collector and hobby enthusiast Boots Alcantara and his wife An Mercado-Alcantara, writer and magazine editor, run Casa San Pablo. The main cottage, with its eight bedrooms, reflects their pursuit of contemporary and folk art, eclectic junk-turned-art and literary collections. Each bedroom is designed with wit-- Laguna papaer mache' horses, miniature cars, seashells, auto parts, and clay leaves. It is the ideal getaway for those looking for a change to recharge their creative energies and re-learn to look at the world with new childlike wonder." (Casa San Pablo Official Website: www.casasanpablo.com)

This is one of the best jump off point for you to discover the Viaje Del Sol Destinations. Don't get lost with the flowery words of the marketing brochure and website. I'll share with you what Casa San Pablo really is:

• This is my favorite bed and breakfast place if I would decide to stay overnight in the San Pablo area. Other options would be Kinabuhayan Cafe, and Villa Escudero.
• This is a writer's haven where you can get inspiration from the eclectic rooms, or decide to be alone in one corner of the inn. Although, this is a popular spot for team building these days so you might have a rowdy crowd at times.
• A swimming pool that nobody dares to swim in it probably because it is not inviting enough.
• The owners are very friendly. A bed and breakfast place that would ensure you feel at home. I've featured Casa San Pablo last October 2005 but this was my first time to stay in Casa San Pablo but I knew then that this was a special place.
• The best package is their OVERNIGHT STAY WITH BREAKFAST. Rates are on a per head basis including breakfast. There are rooms that can fit 2-4 people (P1,500/head) or 5pax and above (P1,100/head). The best rooms are those on the second floor so don't forget to specify that or else they would assign other rooms for you.
• The breakfast is one of the unique Filipino breakfast I have ever tasted. So don't miss this unique Filipino treat.

Related Posts:
Casa San Pablo -- Cozy Place for a Retreat

My Corregidor

This is the first draft of my travel writing and photography project for our Filipinas Heritage Library class by Jay Alonzo and Kristine Fonacier. I plan to develop this into a full article so any feedback or critique would be very helpful. Thanks and hopefully this gets me back on the blogging grove after that refreshing weekend.

My Corregidor
by Anton Diaz, Our Awesome Planet

I realized that I never really knew Corregidor until my recent visit. I was acquainted with it in my past 2 visits but it never really became meaningful for me. It would take an actual interaction with history either through the actual letters and photos of the war or through actual stories of the surviving veterans of world war II, for one to feel the passion and glory of Corregidor. It was a privilege to hear the second hand stories of the world war 2 veterans from Pablito Martinez, a veteran Corregidor tour guide for 19 years. Watching the Light and Sound show by national artist Lamberto Avellana would make one feel the heavy bombardment and actual life inside Malinta Tunnel. One should read the Galleon guidebook Corregidor by Alfonso J. Aluit to eavesdrop on the dramatic conversations between Pres. Quezon, General MacArthur, General Wainwright and President Roosevelt leading to the fall of Corregidor on May 6, 1942.

Most of the young generations today don't even bother to know the rich history of courage and valor of Corregidor. The common excuse is that I don't like history. Our common definition of Corregidor is that it is an island escape to have fun through team building, company outings or an excursion. For photo enthusiasts, it is a chance to take dramatic photos of the picturesque scenes of the ruins or the silenced guns in the 23 batteries of the Rock. If you take an unofficial poll of our country's generation Y (born between 1977-1994) and ask them how many have visited corregidor, I'm afraid that it would be a disappointing percentage. No wonder you will see young people taking our freedom for granted by not exercising their right to vote in the National Elections. It is sad that most Filipinos, are neglecting Corregidor which is one of the greatest stories of courage, bravery and freedom in the Asia Pacific during the World War II.

Walking Tour of Wagyu Beef Fest & the P120,000 Wagyu Fantasy Meal

Yummy Girl Pam Lim caught in the act of shooting the Wagyu Black Cheek Beef.

If These Cows Could Talk! The Walking Tour of Wagyu Beef Festival by Carlos Celdran.
In a special one-time-only walking tour, pescetarian Carlos Celdran toured the media in Diamond Hotel's Wagyu Beef Festival. The festival showcases the different ways you can enjoy Wagyu beef prepared by the different chefs of Diamond Hotel. One of the reason I attended this PR event is that rumor has it that Amor Maclang creates one of the awesome media events in the country today. I must say she did it! She surprised and entertained the media with the Walking Tour of Wagyu Beef Festival by Carlos Celdran. By the way, I'm still uncomfortable being called Media which is associated with tri-media of TV, Radio and Print because bloggers usually don't follow the sugar-coating techniques of this medium and we don't have the same reach levels. Maybe we need to qualify the Media term for the bloggers either by calling it New Media or Reality-Based Media.

Overall, it was the first time I attended a grand PR event and it was awesome! I've put in a mental note to only attend PR events by Amor and Geiser Maclang. If the wagyu cows could talk, they would appeal to Carlos and other hungry wagyu fanatics to please stop the slaughter of thousands of wagyu beef cattle in Japan, Australia and the US. It is crazy that they are even branding the Wagyu beef as the healthier kind of beef because of the higher percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. I'm a struggling vegetarian-wannabe and at least for the moment I can enjoy the so called "foie-gras" of beef. After eating wagyu, all other beef fails in comparison. We had fun and all of us enjoyed the beef (probably except for Carlos).

Lastly, who on earth in manila would pay for Php 120,000 nett for an Indulge package of Wagyu Fantasy Meal and an overnight stay at the Presidential Suite of Manila Diamond Hotel? This is already equivalent to two houses donated to Gawad Kalinga! At least this is relatively better than Manila Peninsula's Mother's Day Ultimate Fantasy worth Php1,500,000.00. This could already create an entire village in Gawad Kalinga! What could they be thinking?!

Related Posts:
Malcolm's Place and Wagyu Rib Eye Steak!
Wagyu Beef by Market Manila
STILL CRAZY! CRAZY! CRAZY! by Carlos Celdran

P.S. Carlos -- why not offer this as part of your special tours? Maybe P1,000/ head for a wagyu beef festival tour of Manila?