Wanted: someone who has had a food-borne illness and is willing to share his or her story with Reader’s Digest Asia

Maybe you know someone who fits the profile below...

*****************

Dear Mr. Diaz,

Congratulations on your engaging and upbeat blog!

May I request your assistance? I am a freelance writer-editor-photographer who's writing an article on food safety for Reader’s Digest Asia. It will focus on food-borne illnesses in Asia and how they can be avoided.

And I need to interview someone who has had a food-borne illness (that is, an upset stomach due to microorganisms such as Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Norovirus, or Vibrio bacteria). There has to be laboratory confirmation that the bum tummy resulted from any of these food bugs.

Would you know of anyone who fits the above description? Please email me or text me.

I’ll be grateful for your help in promoting food safety in Asia.

Thanks and regards,
:-) Dinna

Congratulations to UK -- 2nd World Pyro Olympics Champion!

Congratulations to UK - 2nd World Pyro Olympics Winner!! Congratulations to China, who won the People's Choice Award!

Not only did we got the best view last January 7, Sunday of the World Pyro @ Highland Steakhouse, we also witnessed the Champion of the 2nd World Pyro Olympics! Now, the official website of World Pyro Olympics is down so I'm sure most of you are wondering who won during the last World Pyro championship.

Now there was a confusion. In the website, Germany was the first to show their fireworks @ 8pm followed by UK @ 9.30pm. But in the flyers and in the posters, it was UK first and Germany as the last. So now, I am confused which was UK and Germany. I called La Mancha and was told that the flyers and posters were correct. Indeed, the UK show was the most creative one with the awesome finale! They were the ones with the screeching sperms and slow rocket ships fireworks which was imitated by the Philippines as well. See super-exposed shot below and this is the only time I was shooting at 1600 ISO instead of 100 (ouch) .

Congratulations to China for winning the people choice award! I would argue they could have won the contest because of their elegant display and kung-fu like graceful show. Congratulations!!

Memories of Philippine Kitchens

There are the two restaurants I want to feature in the US, one is Cendrilon (www.cendrillon.com) in the Soho District and Bistro Luneta (www.bistroluneta.com) in San Mateo, California. I'm curious that a few readers recommend these places as a must try in the U.S.

So for now, I'll be contend with reading a book by the owners of the Cendrillon restaurant. I'm intrigue by this book ($23.11 in Amazon) and so far, a perfect 5.0 rating among 9 people in Amazon...

Delicious memories, January 15, 2007
Reviewer: G. Mariano "Indio" (USA)
This book brings about a sense of nostalgia that is very pleasing. The variations in the classic recepies are most welcome and they do work for me. This book is very much worth it even if you do not know how to cook because the stories and history lessons make a great read. It is very well researched.

Excellent!, January 10, 2007
Reviewer: Jerwyn B. Austria (The Castro, San Francisco, CA)
I bought this and have found it an excellent cookbook for those interested in cooking the "greatest hits" of filipino food. More "home cooking" than "haute", it contains excellent recipes from all the different regions of the Phillipines. In addition, it does a great job of educating new cooks on the different varitions of bottled ingredients and fresh vegetables.

Brings me back to the homeland, January 10, 2007
Reviewer: Agnes Punsalang "Good Eater" (New Jersey, USa)
There isn't a book that explains Philippine cooking as comprehensive and interesting as this. Recipes are very good. I tried making the pan de sal and it came out delicious. I am looking forward to trying some more of the recipes. Everyone who has had Philipine food and enjoy it should read this.

Awesome pictures!, January 9, 2007
Reviewer: Evan Gluck (Brooklyn, NY)
This book is coffee table style, meaning it is large and has very big dazzling photos to go along with the recipes. If you want a filipino cook book that can double as a conversation piece, this is the book for you. Not sure how well the recipes compare to those of other filipino cook books though.

Excellent Study and Memoir of Filipino Cuisine. Buy It., December 18, 2006
Reviewer: B. Marold (Bethlehem, PA United States)

`Memories of Philippine Kitchens' by husband and wife restaurateurs, Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan is, with a few important differences, cut from the same mold as the two latest books from another husband and wife team, writer Naomi Duguid and photographer Jeffrey Alford. The major difference is that while Duguid and Alford are exceptionally talented journalistic `outsiders', Besa and Dorotan are writing from well inside the Philippine cuisine, both being natives of the Philippines, albeit now working in a Manhattan restaurant specializing in Philippine cuisine.

I'm especially interested in this book, as I lived and cooked in a Philippine household for almost three years, with my first experience being that old war-horse, `The Philippine Cookbook' by Reynaldo Alejandro, from whom I got my first adobo, pancit, lumpia, and sinigang recipes. This period in my life also rekindled my interest in cooking, and my first impressions of the Philippine cuisine compared to those of France, Italy, China, India, and even Mexico and Thailand is that it seemed a bit monochromatic. Oddly, I felt the same way about Irish cooking. This may not be as odd as it seems, as both cuisines are heavily based on a white starchy food, rice for the Philippines and the potato for Ireland. The centerpiece of our Philippine kitchen was a rather large hamper for dispensing rice which could easily hold 50 pounds of rice, which we bought in 25 pound bags, three to four at a time. And, one bag generally lasted about three weeks, as a rice cooker full of rice was made at virtually every meal. This impression of low variety was reinforced by visits to Philippine restaurants in New York and San Francisco. It is no surprise that our favorite restaurant was not Philippine, but Korean. Philippine cuisine almost seems like the anti-Mediterranean cuisine, with no cheese, wine, citrus, or tomatoes to speak of, and little wheat based culture. And, the primary vinegar seems to be apple rather than grape.

Like the dozen or more Irish cookbooks I have reviewed, this title goes a long, long way to dispel the notion that Philippine food is uninteresting. Not only do the authors give us a great selection of recipes and heartfelt, firsthand stories of their Philippine families, friends, and sources, the book is organized in exactly the right way to best refresh my memories of this cuisine and introduce the cuisine to people who may have not yet experienced it. It is far, far better than the Alejandro volume and the other Philippine source I have reviewed, `Filipino Cuisine' by Gerry Gelle.

In spite of the differences, it is no surprise that all three books begin with recipes for adobo, the one Philippine dish that is known around the world. It is no surprise that Raymond Sokolov, the eminent New York culinary journalist, who also did the Introduction to this book, put chicken adobo as one of his 101 most important recipes in `The Cook's Canon'. Fortunately, Besa and Dorotan give us a whole new approach to chicken adobo. Unlike Gelle, Alejandro, and Sokolov, who all treat it as a simple chicken braise, Besa and Dorotan begin prep for the dish by doing a two hour to overnight marinade. I immediately guess that this will go a long way to making a tenderer dish, as it will have almost exactly the same effect as brining the chicken, due to the high salt content of the soy sauce.

Another thing all three authors have in common is their story of the influences on Philippine cooking. While all touch on the subject, I give the highest marks in this area to Besa and Dorotan, as they do the best job of associating specific dishes and techniques to sources. The discussion of the Mexican influence is especially good, as the authors give us Philippine versions of empanadas, escabeche, Rellenos, and menudo. The Spanish influence is also felt in the Filipino love of canned meats such as Vienna sausages and corned beef and custards such as the Spanish caramelized flans plus Spanish paellas

They even go so far as to discuss the rather unfortunate influence of American culture on Philippine cuisine, which is all to heavily weighted toward the `fast food nation' end of the spectrum, just as we Yankee homies are weaning ourselves away from slavish adulation of the golden arches. On the positive side, the Yanks did imbue the Philippines with a love of chiffon cakes and cream (banana, of course) pies.

While the authors make no attempt to make this a complete study of regional differences, there are several regional highlights in many chapters.

The only thing I miss in this book is a good recipe for the Chinese speciality, dumplings with barbecued pork filling. The empanadas come close, but they are not the same as the soft, bready Chinese style our Filipino household would buy from the local Filipino / Asian market, frozen.

I always love a good bibliography, and the authors have given us one, including a number of more obscure Filipino sources. It also has a wide selection of books on the cuisines of countries which have influenced Filipino cooking, such as `My Mexico: A Culinary Odyssey' from Diana Kennedy and most of the works by the Duguid and Alford team.

If you are looking for a Filipino cookbook, this should unquestionably be your first choice.

Not just a cookbook, November 30, 2006
Reviewer: R. Liguidliguid (Oakland, CA United States)

This is also a memoir cum history book of this undiscovered cuisine and its evolution. The pictures and the text together puts this as one of the better recipe books on Philippine cuisine. I especially love the update/twist that Romy Dorotan made on the traditional everyday food.

impressive surprise, and a cool gift, November 29, 2006
Reviewer: N.B. (New York, NY USA)
By far the best Filipino cookbook I've seen -- it's a a wildly useful cookbook, a gorgeous coffee-table book, and a fascinating cultural course, all in one. The authors show both love and deep knowledge in describing the specifics and regional idiosyncrasies of a cuisine that's far too often reduced to tired versions of a few signature dishes. If you're not familiar with Filipino food, get with it - it's an incredibly flavorful combination of sour, salty, sweet, and meaty, and, with its Spanish and Mexican influences (as well as Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, and others), it really stands apart from other Southeast Asian cuisines. In the last two weeks alone, the beef tapa, adobo, pancit, and bibingka have gone into my 'permanent' recipe file.

Garlic & Nostalgia, November 28, 2006
Reviewer: PLY (Lexington, MA) - See all my reviews
Memories of Philippine Kitchens is "the" new book to add to my Filipiniana library- sautéed with spicy trivia, this compilation of recipes and personal recollections is an easy read. Scrumptious pictures to boot. I tried the "bringhe" recipe (poor man's paella) and I was a hit at Thanksgiving! Interesting to know how "halo-halo" (native ice frappe) came about, and did you know the "puto" (steamed rice muffins) was an upshot from an Indian influence? You learn something every day...seriously!

A beautiful inspiration for foodies like me., November 28, 2006
Reviewer: Beaumont Martin (BELLAIRE, TEXAS USA)
My Filipina wife of 34 years looked at the photos and was inspired to try dishes like the black-rice paella that she has never tried before. She also remembered other dishes she has forgotten over the years and made a list of those to cook. The book is an oversize coffee-table book with many beautiful photos to tempt your tastebuds. Many cookbooks of Filipino recipes are listed on Amazon and are in my wife's library, but this one is the best of the lot and is only a little more expensive than the others but darn well worth it.

Press Release:

Owners of the popular New York City restaurant Cendrillon, Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, have dedicated years to tracing the native traditions and outside influences on the food of the Philippines. In MEMORIES OF PHILIPPINE KITCHENS: Stories and Recipes from Far and Near (Stewart, Tabori & Chang; November 2006; $35) they present the results of that research, documenting family recipes from throughout the Philippines, capturing and preserving traditional cooking methods, and presenting Romy’s acclaimed versions of Filipino food.

While other Asian countries established a formal cuisine through palace kitchens that trained chefs and passed cooking techniques and traditions intact from one generation to the next, the essence of Filipino cuisine lies in the simple kitchens of Filipino homes. In providing the book’s narrative, Amy Besa (who Peter Kaminsky has called “the heart and the soul of New York’s Asian food community”) traces the history of this Filipino home cooking, from native dishes (“Food That Was Always Ours”) to dishes that show the influence of the Chinese, the Spanish and Mexicans, and the Americans (“Food that Was Borrowed and Made Our Own”), with her recollections of growing up in the Philippines interspersed throughout.

Besa’s husband and the chef of Cendrillon, Romy Dorotan, complements her narrative with his breadth of culinary knowledge. From Adobo to Kinilaw, Lumpia to Pancit and Lechon, the art of the well-roasted pig, the authors record regional dishes and culinary methods deeply rooted in Filipino history some of which may soon disappear if not properly documented. In MEMORIES OF PHILIPPINE KITCHENS, the culture of the Philippines is brought to life for the reader. With over 100 recipes and 200 full-color photographs, it is the most comprehensive guide to the history of Filipino cuisine and Filipino cooking methods ever compiled. Complete with Dorotan’s updated versions of classic Filipino dishes that have made Cendrillon restaurant a favorite among food connoisseurs, MEMORIES OF PHILIPPINE KITCHENSwill appeal to both Filipino and non-Filipino audiences alike.

Opa! Cyma in Greenbelt, Makati!

Cyma (pronounced as see-ma) is now the hottest place in Greenbelt after it replaced the struggling Magnum bar in the GB2 row of restaurants. At last, you can now hear the greek cheer "Opa!" in Makati; I'm not surprised that this became an instant hit during lunch time for Makati yuppies and during dinner time for the gimmick crowd. The greek fusion food is full of flavor and distinctly different from your usual asian restos. You won't go wrong from choosing any of the dishes from the menu. Although for a maximum Opa! experience, you should order the flaming dishes which includes the Saganaki - Flaming Cheese and Flaming Mangoes.

Eating in Cyma is always a "flourishing" experience, as they would claim, with lively crowd, funky waiters, delicious and healthy food. The food presentation makes you hungry complemented by very good service-oriented waiters. With the promise of healthy and appetizing food, you can easily overeat with the large servings good for 2 people.

The Bora branch is still the best while the Makati branch suffers from poor ventilation inside the air condition room. Try to eat al fresco or in the second floor or else you will be singing "smoke gets in your eyes" throughout your meal. The prices in the Makati branch is also a little higher with noticeable 10% increase and as much as 25% for the Salad to share. You can easily spend P600/ person if you decide to order one dish for each person. Anyway, the greek dishes are good for 2 persons so better to eat family sharing style with your friends and companions.

Related Posts:
Top5 Bora Resto! [ The Bora Life #3 ]
Cyma in Manila!! Opa!!

Saganaki - Flaming Cheese (P 165). This is an Opa dish and I must admit a lot of people fall for this dish because of its flame and to hear the waiters cheer Opa! In the end, this is just roasted cheese with little herbs.

Flaming Mangoes (P180). Another Opa dish and definitely a must try. The sweet hot mango coated in cinnamon syrup with cold vanilla ice cream on top, is a great way to end your meal in Cyma.

Roka Salata to share (P360). I remember that when you order a to-share salad before, it would cost you less than P300. I must admit that this is a little bigger almost good for 4 persons. Most of the salads are very good and tasty because of the secret greek vinaigrette on top of fresh crunchy vegetables with feta cheese.

Chicken Souvlaki (P240). I can only finish one skewer despite the fact that the chicken was almost perfectly grilled with the right seasoning, marinade and herb combination.

Psari Fourno (P430). You can't go wrong with the fresh moists salmons in Cyma. However, even just the basic salmon which costs P230 before (in the shangrila branch) was now selling for P360 in Makati! Or maybe it has been that L-O-O-O-N-G that I haven't visited their Shangrila branch.

Kotopoulo Lemonato (Greek Chicken Adobo - P345). Braised Lemon Oregano Chicken with garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Perfectly roasted (and marinated) that the herb taste penetrates deep inside the chicken meat.

This is the a view of the smoky airconditioned area in Cyma, Makati.

Below is the original menu from the Shangrila Branch.
The Cyma Story
Appetizers, Salads, Mezedes
Gyros, Shish-Kabobs, Pasta and Specialties
Vegetarian, Fish Selection, Desserts

I didn't realized that they were also serving the endangered Mameng in Cyma. (see: Pan Fried Mameng @ Portico 1771, Serendra). I just noticed now and I'll check out their Makati menu again if Mameng is still in the menu. Can you check it out for me?

Baclava (P175). It is too sweet but this is so good; it is not your usual baclava. I love the thin layered phyllo, walnutty taste and the orange honey syrup!

Thanks to all those who commented way ahead of my posts :)

Cyma Estiatorio
Greenbelt 2 Tel no. 729-4837
Reservations are up to 1pm for lunch and 8pm for dinner only.