Category Archives: Food & Wine

The Culinary Heritage of the Philippines

Filipino food was prepared by Malay settlers, spiced by Chinese traders, stewed in 300 years of Spanish rule and hamburgered by American influence… Monina A. Mercado  Filipina food historian Doreen Fernandez calls this culinary fusion ‘indigenization’ – the process of … Continue reading

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Sunday Market in Legazpi Village

When my husband and I wake up early on a Sunday, with nothing much on the day’s agenda beyond a strong urge to get out of the house, we find a taxi and potter down to the Legazpi Market.  Like … Continue reading

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The Chef Diairies: Butchery, the Crowning Glory

Fast forward through dissecting and trussing poultry, filleting a fish, and preparing squid and shrimp to our final cooking lesson. As we assembled at our stations, our instructor this week, Chef Kyla Rosales, introduced each of  us to a large … Continue reading

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The Chef Diaries: Knife Skills 101

Before we begin, I have to admit that I am not the most accurate or precise of cooks. If the recipe calls for an ingredient that doesn’t come immediately to hand, I find an alternative in the bottom of the … Continue reading

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A Culinary Mosaic

‘Italy, the country with a hundred cities and a thousand bell towers, is also the country with a hundred cuisines and a thousand recipes. Its great variety of culinary practices reflects a history long dominated by regionalism and political division, … Continue reading

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Toledo: UNESCO World Heritage Site

In my antiquated guide book, the city of Toledo, in central Spain, is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, five stars and a ‘must-see’. We obey willingly. We reached Toledo in a mere half an hour on an extremely comfortable … Continue reading

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Grazing on Tapas

Growing up in a meat-and-three-veg kind of family, I have always enjoyed the novel concept of grazing, and to this end, tapas is the perfect way to travel: a light snack to share with friends, easy finger food, or pica … Continue reading

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Markets in Madrid

I  discovered a reference to the San Miguel Market during a web crawl for food tours and cooking classes in Madrid. The first are few and far between, the second are ruinously expensive and will have to wait until I … Continue reading

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Tasteful Memories

Cultural understanding through taste is one of the best ways we can learn to understand each other ~ Allhoff & Monroe If you have ever wondered about the Filipinos and the origins of Filipino food, Memories of Philippine Kitchens is the … Continue reading

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To Taormina, with love…

Almoezia. A three star B&B on Sicily’s east coast. A broad sunny terrace flanked with colourful pots overlooks the coast from Siren’s Bay to Capo Sant’Alessio on one side, and the seemingly inaccessible mountain top town of Castel Mola on the … Continue reading

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