MOMENTS

 Having an accident is like having that “wake-upper” when you are slacking off in life. It placed me in a reflective frame of mind; made me ask these questions and prompted me to give my opinions.

Why is it that there are moments when you are being careful and nice all over…yet still something bad happens to you? Why are there moments when all things seem too good to be true then moments that seem to make your world crumble? Why are there days that the movie ‘Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events’ seem to come to life? It is easy to remember what’s good, yes; but it is so hard to deal with what’s bad!

Perhaps things happen to us like when we encounter accidents because we are sinning and yet not repenting as soon as we know of it. Or maybe we are ordered to finish a mission yet we do not get around to doing it. It could be a whole host of reasons:

Ø  We declare faith in God but still we doubt

Ø  We’re too proud of ourselves

Ø  We’ve been negligent that we made others suffer

Ø  Selfishness ate us

Ø  Greed and envy gobbled us

 What’s the result? When problems and issues engulf us, we become overwhelmed. We have life situations when we are provoked to get back at, avenge, make someone suffer because they did us, or simply badmouth others because our hearts are filled with envy. These are times we are mired in darkness, when our boat is sinking.

David Peach of 5 Great Bible stories about Jesus for kids in www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/ sums up about ‘Jesus Calms the Storm’ – Mark 4:35-40.

He wrote, “Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat one evening when a violent storm appeared. The ship was filled with water and the disciples were afraid of sinking. They found Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. They woke Him up. But they thought He was sleeping because He did not care whether they lived or died.

When Jesus woke up He stood and told the sea to be calm. Immediately the wind and waves calmed down. The disciples were now scared for a different reason. They did not really know who Jesus was at this time. This was shortly after many of them joined Jesus as His followers. They did not understand that Jesus was God’s Son and could control everything in the world if He chooses.”

Last song syndrome…you know that when you hear people around you sing a tune out of the blue.

I’ll tell you frankly that I find this song corny at first. It was like saying ‘kabaduy naman ng kantang ito’ when radio stations blast it off. But then, I was being shallow. I was only looking at the surface. The real gem here is the message of the song, the meaningful lyrics. You may not like the tune at all but I highly encourage you to reflect on the lines.

It is us people that represent that very song. No one is spared. All that’s written is true.

Lyrics of Lord Patawad – performed by Bassilyo {Lord Pardon}

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag ako’y nangangailangan
Baka may kakilala Ka na pwede kong utangan
Kasi alam Mo na sa tong-its talo ako
Pwede bang bigyan ako kahit anim na numero?

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag ako’y nangangailangan
Sana’y may artista na maka-date man lamang
Okay lang sa akin kahit na si Joyce Jimenez
Sana ako’y pumogi, pumuti at maging flawless

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag nangangailangan
Noong ako’y binasted ng aking nililigawan
Problemado po ako at wala ‘kong pang-inom
ang hina ko Sa’yo, yun ang hinala ko noon

Kinakausap lang Kita kapag ako’y nangangailangan
Ang aking iniisip ay puro pang-sarili lamang
kapag may mabigat na problema at seryoso
Doon ko lamang naaalala ang pangalan Mo

CHORUS
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

Ako’y nagsisimba kapag gusto ko lang
‘Pag may bagong damit na ipagyayabang
‘Pag may bagong biling mahal na pabango
Kapag bago ang shoes o kaya ang relo

Ako’y nagsisimba kapag gusto ko lang
Pag may jowa akong makakalampungan
Kapag may mga bebot na ang gaganda
Kapag merong baklitang nakakatawa

Ako’y nagsisimba kapag gusto ko lang
‘Pag andyan ang tropa’t nagkayayaan
hahanap ako ng mapagtitripan
Pagkatapos ng misa ay aabangan

CHORUS
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang
Lord, patawad
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

Akala ko dati ay kaya ko na
Kaya ko nang mabuhay mag-isa
Ang daming trabaho, babae’t pera
‘Pag ako’y sagana ‘di Kita kilala

Naalala Kita noong ako’y nakulong
Parang bubuyog, bulong ng bulong
‘Pag may kamalasan sa ‘king na nangyari
Ikaw lang nang Ikaw aking sinisisi

Kapag merong debate, sinong magaling?
Sinong matuwid sino ang nagsinungaling?
Ako’y naiiling at mistulang santol
‘Di man lamang Kita kaya na ipagtanggol

SINOSOLO KO LANG ANG BIGAY MONG BLESSING!
‘Pag kumanta ako dapat ay bayad din
Bakit nga ba Sa’yo ay wala akong time
Pa’no kung Ikaw na ang mawalan sa akin ng time?

Lord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…

Lord, Lord, Lord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…

Sa puso ko’y lagi Siyang kumakatok
‘Di ko binuksan, ‘di ko pinapasok
Tuktok ng bundok na Kanyang inakyat
Tignan ko pa lang ako ay nilagnat

Dapat ako ang ipako sa cross
Dapat ako ay siyang nanlilimos
Nag-awad ng tawad sa ating Ama
Ngunit masama pa ang pinadama

Dadadadadadadadadada
Puro ako salita at dada
Sa biyaya ako’y naaatat
Pero kahit kailan ‘di nagpasalamat

Nagduda ako sa kakayahan Mo
‘Di ako nararapat Sa’yo
Masyado akong mapagmalaki
Pero kahit kailan, hindi Ka nag-higanti

Lo-ord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

Lord, Lord, Lord, patawad
Lo-o-o-o,o-o-o
Lord…
Pagkat ako’y makasalanan
Makasalanang nilalang

After forgiveness, no one can assure that a human could change for the good permanently because he is bound to fluctuate from good to bad. It all depends on our circumstances: our moods, our hormones, the people, places and events around us. There is one statute that can never be bent, though: like begets like; kindness breeds kindness. If joy and goodness is your primary aim, do lots of it and it will come back to you in multitudes.

Don’t equate. Don’t count. Don’t expect more than you deserve and don’t make it as an objective when you help someone. For no reason at all, just do GOODNESS. Yes, not all that we do good to will return the favor to us; just do well anyway. Also, not all of our good intentions would yield good results to others: sometimes we are even put in a bad light. As long as your objective is for goodness’ sake, you are not in the wrong foot.

Blessings will be placed in your glory. Have the patience to wait. If you get impatient, pray and ask God to clear your mind. Ask for strength when you weaken. Acknowledge the fact that you’re losing faith in yourself and maybe even Him, and immediately ask Him to fill that caving devotion.

I have a multitude of ongoing issues. The morning fender accident on August 15, 2013 was just so minor it is a minute concern compared to what shocked me in the afternoon. More when I’m ready to open up…and when I can distill the lessons from it all.

Father Jerry Orbos’ book “Just a Moment” washed my soiled faith. In the bottom portion of his August 19 entry, he wrote: “Lord, when I tend to magnify and amplify my pains, remind me that there are people around me who have bigger and more real pains. Amen”

The Story of Mika

Allow me to be the proverbial Granny Goose.

One Tuesday I had my due mani-and pedicure to be done at AdamDoor. The beautician that attended to me was Mika. I came in during the opening hour and so I was tended to promptly. It was customary for me to take a nap while I have procedures like this because then I will have to run to so many errands afterwards.

But this particular moment was meant for me to listen to someone’s heart and soul. Mika opened up first. “Mam, ilang taon ka na po?” To which I answered I’m 41. She was amazed that we’re of the same age but how she wished she looked fresher and younger like me. I won’t agree with the second adjective because people say I look older than my age. I am a career mom, after all. But I understood what Mika meant: she wished she looks less pitiable.

Then I asked her “Ilan ba ang anak mo?” To which she answered eight and chuckled. I exclaimed “Haaaa! Pero ang fit at trim mo at your age ha. Kakabilib.” I told her most women I know at forty with eight children are shapeless and a sorry-sight. She said “Kasi mam batak ako sa trabaho. Kailangang mabuhay walong anak eh” And my awe turned into greater respect. In the midst of buffing and coloring my nails, she started.

At age eighteen, Mika got pregnant with the first man of her life. They had two children and lived together happily at first. Because they were young, they ended up separated due to irreconcilable differences. At 22, she met a guy so kind and meek that he was so accepting of her two kids then and asked for her hand in marriage. They lived in joy together and she bore another two children. Her young spouse have a huge problem though: he was dying with a heart ailment. In their fifth year he suddenly said he doesn’t want to see her suffering much for him and so he begged that they leave him in peace with his parents. That’s how he loved her so much that he liked it best not to see her in anguish when he dies. Mika did not want it for she never minded taking care of him. But the man and his parents begged her and the children to please go.

Out of respect she left. When she was dying inside herself, she got stuck in her ancestral house in the boondocks. Then mystifying things happened. She was seeing a man but without a face who was wooing her and shows at her window every night. Then one day she found herself pregnant. Shocked as everyone was, Mika was the most shaken. Her pregnancy was paranormal as she claimed she cannot remember any time she had contact with someone. Then the baby scared her with its unusual movements she thought it was a monster. She did not think of abortion as an option and she simply gave birth. It was a life episode she cannot explain.

Her thirties came and she remarried with her latest beau. They had three children. All previous five had been half distributed by Mika’s parents and siblings. But the man was beating her and was having affairs explicitly and eventually, he left her. He was not giving financial support.

Now Mika strives for a living to support all her eight children. She felt no one was a curse and believes they’re all blessings. No matter how hard her life had been, she’s blissful that the children all love and respect her even half of them stay with grandparents and aunts. But on major vacations like sem break, summer and the Christmas holidays, they’re a tight pack in her tiny shack near AdamDoor. She has nothing to do with their fathers anymore but she’s got every breathe meant for their welfare.

This leaves me in wonder: why are mothers’ hearts so much bigger than them? I introspected and I said, if I were in her shoes I’d do the same. I’m no more or less than a mother like Mika. Then I asked “How was your child na bunga ng misteryo?” She is a girl.

“Haynaku mam! Hindi ko talaga maexplain hanggang ngayon pero siya po ang pinaka-mabait at napaka-matured mag isip sa lahat. Thirteen pa lang siya pero tingin naming lahat para siyang 30 sa pagkatao niya.”

There are mystiques in life that we cannot explain. When she was telling her story I even doubted if she had substance abuse, drugs or alcohol, or speculated if she has some sort of a psychiatric issue. That could be the episode in her life when she claimed an “engkanto” got her pregnant. Well, my theories may be right or wrong. After all, this is just the first time Mika opened up her bare soul; we’re practically strangers to one another. What do I know of her background? But one thing never changed: I still admire her for her choices in life.

The week immediately after that, she was very grateful to me for listening to her story. Mika claimed she didn’t know why she opened up to me about her story when she doesn’t talk about them to anyone, not even her close friends. She was afraid they would think of her as crazy. “Ewan ko po mam, basta nung nagkwento na ako sayo, ang gaan ng loob ko. Saka feeling ko, hindi mo ako pagtatawanan. Kaya maraming salamat talaga po”

I was the one more grateful, actually. Because a stranger opted to bare her heart and soul to me; I felt so honored. Perhaps Mika felt safe with her chronicle because she will never know when she might see me next. I’m not a blabbermouth though but I sure live with a tale to tell. Perhaps my purpose on earth is to extract the lessons from anyone’s story and share it to everyone so it will serve as our mirrors. We reflect, we deflect and we correct.

Isn’t it that’s what life is all about? We all learn from each others’ saga…

DISCLAIMER: Names are withheld for confidential reasons.

An Ode to Tour Guides

Whenever I travel, I am amused by the tour guides that handle us. Not all services are created equal but it seems to me that the tour guiding industry has strict standards; the ones I encountered are consistently friendly, informed, enduring and conscientious, with all the positives I could observe. They’re so easy to be with. During photo shoots, guides are prepared to be photographers as well. They even volunteer when I don’t ask. In their arms were load-full of cameras and I-pads, taking one shot after another in one and the same pose. And there are plentiful more; just imagine their tolerance.

There were also the ones who are very anticipatory of the tourists’ needs: they are ready for bottles of water and hot or cold towels, waiting enticingly in the van or car! Who wouldn’t be joyous with those gestures? Very thoughtful people, these tour guides are!

A lot knows when to speak and when to keep quiet. When the vehicle starts to run, they turn around and point to you key places and salient info in a distilled manner, briefly but concisely. There are those who are colorful as they add history or concocted stories. Trivially, perhaps not all can be a tour guide: that head-turning against the direction of the vehicle to face your guests is very dizzying! Move aside, car sick ones.

As to when to keep quiet, they know it as soon as tourists silently mull over the passing scenery. It’s a cue for them to just let the view be enjoyed by the guest without overfeeding info. I guess it’s part of the training.

Why do I appreciate them? Because soon I’d be taking the certification for NCII Tour Guiding of BBF and I better emulate their best practices. I remember my dean-professor say that there are qualities of a good, err, great tour guide. Oh yes, the travels I mentioned are both domestic and international travels.

Food is a metaphor of life or work…

*all photos courtesy of +Leroy Saltoftheearth Berces*

Among all the Sushis, I love Philadelphia roll the most; consisting of raw or smoked salmon, cream cheese, onion, cucumber or avocado. The general ingredient across all kinds of sushi is vinegared sushi rice which variety arises from fillings, toppings, condiments, and preparation.

Life’s full of sour moments; but it doesn’t mean it has to turn us into acidic bitter beings. Often, the unpleasant circumstances make us open our minds to be more receptive of others. When we see their misfortunes, we are prompted to think of our blessings. Then we blend with them; and with the friendship, we create a harmonious flavor….very much like a sushi. We roll in life together!

Ramen is definitely an oriental noodle dish which is indisputably Japanese. But history accounts that it is of Chinese origin consisting of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or sporadically fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as chāshū or sliced pork , nori or dried seaweed, kamaboko or white fish rolls molded into a variety of shapes, green onions, and intermittently corn.

One bowl is a harmonious blend of scrumptiously comforting soup. It is very much like a company where the people come from different origins and yet because of their accord they create a business with a unified goal: to be the best in their industry.

Don't we all like a workplace that's as fulfilling as a Ramen could be....?

A balut is so much like the Juan most-often misunderstood person in society. He is viewed as someone unlikable and a misfit anywhere. But then, it takes a great Pedro to get to know the goodness inside Juan; Pedro who is undaunted by prejudices. Juan’s best may be drawn out when it’s seasoned with Pedro’s friendship.
Others can never savor the delectable balut unless they try to crack the shell open and slurp the broth; it is an introduction for the tastier treat tucked inside which is the fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell. Like the misfit and his friend, the best flavor comes out when it’s seasoned with salt and/or a chili, garlic and vinegar.

Latte art is an interesting subject in itself wherein common pictures created are love hearts and ferns. 
It is a coffee-based drink made primarily from espresso and predominantly steamed milk.
This brew is like a love partner that perks you up when you’re in a slack, or slows you down when you’re overwhelmed with all the issues around you. As long as you got the right blend, you go well together.

Relish a Culture Place Called Balay Cena Una

photo courtesy of Balay Cena Una

Two years ago, curiosity got the better of me. A lot has been spoken and written about Balay Cena Una that prompted me to discover the culture place myself. Finally reaching the place, we were awed by the structure that boasts of a well preserved ancestral Spanish abode. Starting from the old battered wooden door with the sign “Abierto...Dagos Tabi” [open…please come in] to the ancient yet sleek interiors with all-Filipino table escapes of crocheted linens, abaca place mats and classy glass wares and cutleries, it sure is ethnicity in its finest form. But this banquet lay out splendor is only a greeter.

What one would be enticed to come here and again is their extensive intercontinental cuisine, without losing touch with the roots: the arpeggio of sili, pili and gata. Now let’s dive into this scrumptious voyage. I ordered Pasta Cena Una Especial with fat fettuccini noodles in luxuriously appetizing dazzling golden sauce of coconut milk and saffron and plump battered shrimps. I paired it with a citrus slush of Dalandan-tanglad sparked with a sprig of mint in a very elegant crystal goblet.

My husband Dr. Clyde went for Poissonen Pappilote or fish cooked in its own juice, chives and other flavorings in a sealed parchment paper for a clean herbal taste. I later learned that all their greens including the herbs are harvested in their kitchen garden. What a fresh take! He devoured the delicately seasoned cream dory goodness with special fried saffron rice.

After we have feasted on this pure sophistication of a dish, a young fine-looking graceful lady walked by our table and asked, “So how’s the food po?” To answer “it’s delicious” would be an understatement as to say how lovely she looks. No one but a caring owner of Balay Cena Una would approach guests this way and I felt fortunate we met Ms. Lourdes Villanueva on the spot. Denden, as she is fondly called, suggested we try their Rice tinutong coffee [roasted rice] which is perfect with any of their elegant array of desserts.

This year, I keep coming back in this gourmet place because of another reason: being smitten over the award-winning Majestic Mayon Pili Cheesecake. Hubby and I became friends with the magical beings behind the gastronomic delights. Because of their extensive experiences and premium culinary education, the dynamic Balay Cena Una couple chefs Connie and Dick Condeno would personally be branded as cuisine experts. Having had rigorous trainings in international cruise ships, in five star Metro Manila hotels and having superb connections in one of the prestigious universities of the country, it is no wonder why they are authorities in this field.

Balay Cena Una is a restaurant with a heart as they run the “Dios Mabalos Po Foundation” that does feeding programs in Bicolandia. And for philanthropic guests with a sack of rice to share, they can stay overnight in a very charming country chalet at the back of the restaurant. Instead of money, the bed and breakfast accommodation goes for a sack of rice per night. This is then allocated to their corporate social responsibility.

Come take the time to be besotted by their delightful dishes and revel in their antique collections as well as drink in the opulence of their tablescapes. Balay Cena Una truly transports you into another time; one that bespeaks of rich and affluent moments expressed in sumptuous cookery.

Balay Cena Una

http://www.balaycenauna.com

F. Lotivio St. Bgy. Bagumbayan, Daraga Albay

+63.52.435.4338 / +63917.827.9520 (mobile)

Restaurant Hours:

Monday to Saturday - 10:00am to 10:00pm

Sunday - 11:30am to 9:00pm

Buffet:

Sunday - 11:30am to 2:30pm

So Pinoy, So Bicolano Lunch Buffet at Eat All Be Cool

usual fare...beef kaldereta

bukayo

The anti-thesis of this writing is beginning with the end…because the most remarkable thing I could start about was the desserts served. Here is one resto so unpretentious yet so noteworthy with its sweet offerings one could find in a Bicolano home: panutsa, mazapan de pili, palitaw and bukayo. I was even half-expecting there would be belekoy, that grainy-sugar coated brown taffy made of glucose with sour fruit extracts perhaps, or bomba, those little round tamarind candies rolled in white sugar as well. These are delicacies so reminiscent of our childhood.

I used to coax mom and dad to spare me some coins so I could run to the sari-sari store. They used to remark that these stuffs are nothing but junk. For the gourmand, I don’t think so. As long as one can say something glorious about a food, it becomes a treasure.

Wondering what Panutsa is? According to the Philippines Board Forum, “it’s a home town product of Taal, Batangas made of hardened brown sugar and peanuts”. Perhaps the Bicolano version is that about a tablespoon is dropped on banana leaves to flatten like patties. As they harden these are cooled then served on a platter, whole mounds of peanuts marvelously seen underneath the silky smoothness of the firm caramel. I singled this out because I have never encountered any other restaurant, gourmet or not, that serves it. Panutsa is considered to be sold only in the neighborhood store.

beloved bicol express

I have mentioned Bukayo. In some remote towns, they call  it “Conserva”, pronounced with the hard rural accent “konserba”. As a school-aged child, I could vividly remember that I used to sniff the exquisite aroma of the roasted coconut strips, slathered with brown sugar caramel, before taking a bite. I would be reprimanded as I was caught nibbling on it, with the constant “Mawawalan ka ng ganang kumain!” [You’ll lose appetite for the main meals!]. Of course, the folks’ major concern is having us kids eat the nutritious lunch or dinner and not those junkfoods.

who wouldn't love PILIs?!

It was a Tuesday and while BabyClyde and I were waiting for our children’s half-day school to be over, we decided to try EABC…my contracted form of Eat All Be Cool. Clearly, what the restaurant drives at is the cuisine predominantly being Bicol, as in the words “Be Cool”. Its location is perfectly situated at the airport road’s end; it’s as if all roads lead to their gate. EABC is along the main thoroughfare, Washington Drive and just a few walks away from Legaspi City airport and so its visibility is grand.

luscious mazapan de pili

As we went in, we were greeted by the warmth of the invitingly pleasant eating place. It’s like walking inside a friend’s abode, welcoming you with the aroma of home-cooked meals, spic and span walls and floors, woodsy furniture, mementos properly displayed in corners that bespeaks of the owners’ family dynamics.

panutsa

Dining staff in uniforms were so attentive to all customers; one instructed us politely as we queried how to go about the buffet. We were to pay first at the counter to get our spoons and forks before we could line up and fill our ivory plates with the glorious goodness of their cookery. I admire this technique: nobody can ever run away from their bill because they cannot eat without the spoon and fork which one cannot get if he hasn’t paid first. Now I’m thinking…maybe I could also make my clients pay at the counter first before going inside the cubicle to have a massage at Greenthumb. That’s an assurance that anyone who walks out has paid.

those colorful luscious drinks in pitchers

The buffet spread was bountiful. For P199 per person, there were the truly Pinoy viands like Escabeche [sweet and sour fish], Pinakbet [sautéed vegetables with bagoong or shrimp paste], the perpetual Bicol Express and more that I could not recall. Rice was of two kinds: Shanghai fried or the plain steamed. Then there are pitchers of coolers like iced tea, buko pandan and mangoes and cream sold at P75 per jug. What’s splendid about the carafes is that each is loaded with ice and lemon slices as garnish for the iced tea, or in the case of fruit varieties there were bits and chunks of the fleshy pulp that truly makes a glass rich in flavor.

Water is “serve yourself” style. There is a dispenser at a corner to fetch as you need it. No water jugs. For me and hubby who are movers, we don’t mind refilling and standing every time. But for diners who prefer a pitcher by their side, it would be an inconvenience.

shanghai rice

EABC is fully airconditioned. Windows are of clear-glass with the vivid view of the outside. One can see who’s coming in and going out. What’s so great about this resto is that the room is never over-crowded; when some goes out, another batch comes in. it’s like an eternal refilling of the tables being seated in. so amazing! They seem not to run out of lunch goers. I wonder if at any time of the day it would still be like this. We were there from 11am to 12:30 noon.

Parking is not a problem. Their lawn is spacious that you could be assured of your car’s safety. There is a security guard on duty to watch over the patrons’ autos. Outside the main hall is an al fresco dining portion with narra tables that seem to cater to smokers. But the guard steadfastly said “Sorry po, but strictly no smoking talaga po dito.” Good news for us health buffs!

For the ravenous, Eat All Be Cool will give you a satiety you’d be thanking the heavens for. Simple Pinoy dishes, not much with high twists, just the usual fare, but cooked lovingly in an ambiance perfectly described as a buddy’s warm and welcoming home. And desserts given to you with a nostalgic serving, reminding you about your Bicolano heritage…of coconuts, gata, brown sugar and peanuts.

Apicius Culinary School...Savor the Flavors

dashing hubby being instructed on the judging mechanics

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

This is the best gastronomic weekend I ever had so far, and one spent with my most precious. We got a call from tita Connie and tito Dick Condeno, pillars of Apicius Culinary School Bicol branch, inviting us to judge their Basic Culinary Arts students for their finals. What an honor it would be, of course! Who would pass this up, BabyClyde and I? No way, gourmands that we are!

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

And so this Saturday October 20, 2012 we arrived at the school at 11:50 am. We were welcomed warmly by Chef Dick and secretary Cristy and ushered into the demo-lecture room cum judging chamber. It was already precisely prepared, the room spic and span and cool. A dining table set for two was awaiting us, folders with several sheets of evaluation forms and pens were provided and Ms. Cristy gave us the mechanics of the dish-judging. What a treat for an epicure!

hard at work...photo courtesy of
Apicius Culinary School Bicol

We were to evaluate the concluding cookery of four students [they were supposed to be six] and each would serve us a four-course meal: first with soup, then a starter of an appetizer or salad, followed by pasta and then the main course of fish, chicken, pork or beef. Vegetable sidings were perennial and yes, they impressed us with the garnishing. Now there are sixteen dishes to be had! What a tummy-filling episode. I’d call this chapter in my book the happy-bursting-belly occurrence.

exquisite...photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

the master executive chef in black...that's Mr. Diosdado Condeno; tito Dick for us!! and we're so proud of him

BabyClyde was a perfect evaluator; asking lots of questions every time and noting down valuable info. I was more of the writing partner, while he the speaking other. About the dishes they cooked for us, I couldn’t remember the entire recipe names. As I could recall, there were butternut squash creamed soup, green pea and ham soup, minestrone [of Italian origin] and New England chowder. Salads I could recall were Kani Salad, mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and a host of other lettuce-y concoctions. Their pastas were almost identical: creamy, not using tomato-based sauces, opting for fresh tomatoes, and with crispy bacon or non-greasy ground beef and pork. The remarkable ones were their main courses.

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

I particularly hunkered over a fish dish called nut-crusted salmon fillets while BabyClyde went gaga over the roasted chicken that’s fall-off-the-bone tender. You can guess by now that our stomachs are bulging with fullness already, no matter how apportioned we took the food in. Their servings were just right; it’s just that having sixteen dishes to taste is no joke. Our tongues weren’t the only ones satisfied; our spirits got nurtured too. We would always think of world hunger, of those under-privileged ones and BabyClyde and I would be on a roll of altruistic deeds. Every time we’re honored, we always follow up with giving back. Karmic laws, anyone?

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

Wondering why we were picked up by tita Connie and tito Dick Condeno, we thought “Perhaps because we’re presumed to be gastronomes, food lovers from starters to desserts or global foodies,” that being good judges would be assured. Yes, BabyClyde and I are culinary aficionados as we had some international and wide-local eating adventures already. Since we’re neither alcoholics nor smokers, what we are fond of instead is good chow. Tita and tito also know we’re fond of restaurant-discoveries and so we were chosen. But perchance, the real reason why, aside from us being connoisseurs of some sort…is because our camaraderie was so palpable. This fine couple knew judgments could be trusted, with the amity and honesty and all things plausible.

tita Connie's expertise...photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary
School Bicol

about to go home...happy-bellied!

What’s best about my Saturday is witnessing first-hand how excellent first-rate mentors are the Condeno couple that surely makes Balay Senauna and Apicius unfaltering for a long long time, if not in perpetuity. Paramount to that is making my husband blissful with the perks I’m giving him out of having precious friendships with valued people in the culinary world.