Comfort Food

Food isn't just for nourishing our bodies and keeping us from getting sick and unhealthy. Food becomes everything's "significant other." We are nothing without food in ways where when stress overcomes the body we turn to delicious sweetened Cocoa which we call CHOCOLATE(chocolate bars, hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, chocolate cake, etc) . When our minds think that things have just turned from happy to incredibly sad we choose to indulge ourselves with pasta and large mounds of meatballs and freshly grated parmesan in a thick and tasteful tomato sauce. Comfort food is the common name. Because food becomes such an essential part of life not only for health-wise issues but also for our soul.

Our souls not only feed on happiness and love and friendship but on what our bodies give our souls when our souls can't have happiness, love or friendship. We give our souls comfort food...

On days where alcohol is inappropriate for an early day of sadness, I go to a restaurant when I have nothing left to cook or when I just have no sense of motivation to cook. I go to a restaurant that gives good service and provides an ambience relaxing enough. The next dilemma? The menu. What to choose. So many dishes sound so good and yet you know that's not exactly what your soul wants. So you let chance take over and point at any random item. I chose the perfect comfort food: Shepherd's Pie.

The Shepherd's Pie was incredible the moment the courteous waiter set it on my little round table in the corner of the restaurant. The smell of cheese, lamb, steak, potatoes just filled my nostrils with ecstasy. I punctured the perfectly browned cheese on top and worked through the pie.

My first bite was when my soul felt that comfort warming it up little by little as each bite continues to pass through from the pie to my mouth. Finally with my last bite with the taste of the earthy steak and tangy lamb, creamy yet  dry and buttery cheese and smooth potatoes and the left over mushrooms and sauciness, I knew finally, that my soul was no longer sad.

*Shepherd's Pie of Hill Station, Baguio City, Philippines
http://hillstationbaguio.com/

Actions speak louder than words

photo by: Rudi Tabora

Banana turon is as simple as soy sauce and rice and yet with just this simplicity, it fills the stomach, increases our endorphins, and sweetens our palette. I grab the fork and lightly hold it with my right hand, I gently pierce into the perfectly golden and crunchy lumpia wrapper that cradles the Saba Banana and mouth-watering jack fruit strip. I'm rushing the slice of heaven into my mouth and yet, in my mind, the tang and soft touch on my lips just makes time slow down and I savor the sweet coconut and mango syrup medley. Finally, I bite. The taste of everything in my mouth gives me goose bumps and I feel like an orgasm has just happened in my mouth. Then I remember, it's just Banana Turon.

Kitchen Dancefloor

a leg of lamb,
seasoned with pepper, salt, and infused with rosemary leaves.
pop in the oven and watch the juices combine and sweat .

the aroma starts to fill up your kitchen
while you start to make its
ever so cliche` partner: mashed potatoes.

The mashed potatoes mix with steamy carabao cream.
Stir in the sweet aroma of rosemary
and the golden melted butter

sprinkled with salt and pepper
and a dash of paprika to add a hint of spice.
a side of mint jelly to soften the powerful tang.

All of a sudden, your kitchen turns into a dance floor of flavors and sweet aroma.

Old poem I had made: 26 March 09                                                               
Photo from: 
http://www.laaloosh.com/2009/03/23/weight-watchers-stuffed-boneless-leg-of-lamb-recipe/butterflied-leg-of-lamb/

Food Blogger

Millions of blogs and websites focus on food; what makes my blog any different? Well, for one, it's my first time to ever start a blog about food. I have made stories and/or poems about food but never a blog site or a blog entry. New to this adventure of writing ABOUT food rather than describing them, we enter a realm where food chemistry is applied.

I will start to dive into the world of reaction and interaction between my mouth and the food. I will tell the internet world of how beautiful a simple dining experience can bring ecstasy to a single person and how the total opposite of a good dining experience can reverse the whole psychological aspect of elation to depression. I am bringing you into the world of GOOD and EVIL.


I think Eve chose to eat the apple because apples are good. It's FOOD!

In Class

Earlier in class today, we were assigned to give the definition of food. I told my professor that food is something that nourishes our bodies. He faced the other students and they gave him a blank look.

How can something so essential to our lives be so hard to describe; so hard to define; so hard to explain?

This is an example of how we take things for granted. Remember when we were younger and our parents would tell us, "finish your food, so many other children like you are starving. Don't waste your food." Food is essential how can students NOT be able to define it?