Comfort Food

I don’t make claims to becoming an Italian food connosieur but I do recognize good Italian food. When I first visited Salutti at Casa de Habana compound, I knew that I was bound for my second Italian food trip at the said restaurant, sooner or later. That second trip took place a few weeks ago on a lazy Saturday night when my boyf and I wanted to try something new to satisfy our gastronomic cravings. It was a sudden decision to eat at Salutti since he enjoyed the Asian Beef Panini so much he’d been wondering when he’d be able to try it again.

Early in the evening, the restaurant is solemn. Casa de Habana compound is usually filled up with hippie groups of people, mostly college studes to unwind on a Saturday night, during late nights. There are options to dine al fresco but Ed took the liking of taking pictures of their lighting fixtures.

Ed opted for his favorite Asian Beef Panini yet again, couldn’t blame him because he’s been really craving for that ever since he had a taste. The meat was tender and sweet, which really blends well with the crispiness of the lettuce in the salad and the sweet-tart flavor of the mango sauce included in it. It is quite deceitful as it appears on first look as a light meal but it really does make up for one full meal in itself.

Asian Beef Panini

Meanwhile, I opted for the Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dip. I admit, the serving was too much for my digestive system to take in, although it was a pleasant experience for my pallette. The dip had honey, mustard, and fresh basil chopped finely, that enabled its fresh flavors and aroma to incorporate really well with the mixture. Of course, I couldn’t finish the entire serving myself and so Ed was yet again tasked to finish the rest.

Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dip.

Eating at Salutti is fast becoming a favorite. Whether you love Italian food or not, it is something that your taste buds will thank you for. Good thing I’m in no diet so devouring on these delectable dishes left no feeling of guilt at all. And besides, we’re off to start our tennis sessions in the coming weeks, so now I have a way to increase my metabolism…just in case I get too caught up with the food!

You wanna know what living life to the fullest actually is?

It’s waking up on a Monday with no complaints.

It’s knowing you always deserve to laugh.

the justice league

It’s doing what feels right no matter what.

wish we could do this forever...

It’s doing what you want to, no matter how stupid you look.

It’s about being yourself, cause no one can tell you you’re doing it wrong.

Oliver’s Twist

Jamie Oliver is a 30-something chef who’s fast becoming one of my favorites in Food Network. He works masterfully in the kitchen whether he’s chopping up veggies, or searing a steak, or mixing his own version of a cocktail drink. This is one guy who brings back art in culinary practice.

To think that at such a young age he’s been able to establish himself as one of the most recognized chefs in the world, Jamie’s cooking style never fails to inspire me, and I’m sure many others too. The spontaneity of it all draws you in. Hence, I’ve been contemplating on attending a culinary school. Hopefully this summer, wish me luck!

Meantime, here’s a video of Jamie preparing his own simple recipe.

gastronomic delights

I’ve always had a penchant for Italian cooking. And if only I had better skills in the kitchen, I’d probably spend most of my time whipping up these delicious Italian recipes myself at home. But since mine’s an unfortunate case, it is a good thing that there are a few restaurants here in Davao City that serve up quite delectable and authentic Italian dishes for an Italian food tripper like me to enjoy.

While I do have a wide array of food preference, Italian cuisine has been on top of my list. I could probably eat them in a week before I grow sick of them. lol But I was dead serious about trying out some of those recipes when I see Giada de Laurentiis prepare them on her “Everyday Italian” show on Food Network that I just had to kick my butt out of the couch and go somewhere I can have my fill on.From what I’ve tried so far, there are two Italian restaurants that I would recommend to try if you’re from, or in, Davao.

First, Picobello is one of the first Italian restaurants in Davao City. Located at the 5th floor of Gaisano South Citimall, it serves up a cozy area where you can delight in your Italian food cravings. One of the best aspects about their menu is that they offer a lot of choices in pizza, antipasta, pasta dishes, and the main course. Their classic lasagna was very rich in fresh tomato sauce, while their serving of Mozarella & Pepperoni pizza was quite humongous. When my boyfriend and I ordered these two off the menu, we thought it was going to be a heavy snack but as it turns out, we had trouble finishing the entire meal – me being the first one to say, “I’m done.”

me enjoying a serving of tiramisu @ Picobello

I also tried tiramisu for dessert, costing around P95. And I tell you, it was the best way to end my Italian meal. It has that rich bittersweet taste that I like and I think I shared none of that to Ed, poor him. (sorry, no photo for the dishes. i was too caught up with the food that I completely forgot to take some. )

Next up, Salutti. I never really found out about this restaurant until Tiara, a former colleague at UP and fellow Italian food fanatic, shared it to me.

And so one day after work, I told Ed to try it out for ourselves. It is located in Habana Compound in Rizal St., if you are unfamiliar with Salutti. It has a very homey ambiance, plus you have the option to dine al fresco. But we opted to dine inside since the restaurants’ white walls were both sophisticated and relaxing.

Ed chose to order Asian Beef Panini and I opted for Fettuccine Alfredo with Garlic Sauce and Shiitake Mushrooms. (this one I got the photos, but will have to wait once I’ve uploaded them ). Again, my stomach was unable to finish the entire plate of my pasta and so I had to switch plates with Ed. I tried a little of the Asian Beef Panini, and god was it good! He chose the mango sauce for the salad that came along with his order and it really blended quite well with the crunchy lettuce and all the other veggies that was in there. Plus, service was good. By good, I mean better than that of Picobello’s.

Asian Beef Panini

But if these restaurants were to be rated only for their food, then both are definite winners. If you haven’t tried any of these, then make sure you do one of these days. Happy eating!

UP Quotes

I was fighting the urge to post these in fear of earning criticism from the readers of this blog, if any. But what the hell, it’s my blog and just took the liberty to proceed…

When I visited Amor’s blog, I saw her post a quotable quote from UP Professors. Finding it quite amusing, I went on to visit the site she has linked on her page. Thus, I have decided to compile various quotes from various UP professors that in one way or another I found funny or relatable. Some might find these quotes obscene; others might find it sarcastic, but for those belonging to the UP community, it is something that we could all laugh together at.

*”The aim of policy is to invoke action! Because action speaks louder than words! You do not just say I love you. You say: If you love me, enter me!” -Dr. Alfonso Pacquing

*”Class, next week na lang yung result sa exam niyo. I am having a hard time checking it. I will seek first the divine guidance on what to do about it. Class, don’t worry about your grade. Let me worry about it.” – Sir de Jesus (Envi Sci1)

*”Ma’am: Many people believe that we, psychology graduates can read minds… (silence)

Ma’am: Actually, we can.

Class: Weh… sample.

Ma’am: Right now, you think that I’m bluffing. – Ms. Billedo (Psych)

*”Last sem was the first time that I gave a grade of 5 and it felt GOOD!!!” – Prof. Goldie (Comm3)

*”Try everything once except incest.” – Sir Eliserio (CW)

*”I do not know many. I know enough just to teach my classes.” – Dr. David

*”Running for summa ka? Mapapagod ka lang.” – Unknown

*”Domestication of the human male is one of the greatest achievement of the human race.” – Dr. David

*”Birds of the same feather FLOCK together…don’t forget the L.” – SocSci1 Prof

*”Do not memorize! Analyze!” – Dr. Nic, advising her students never to memorize reaction mechanisms

*”Oh, this is good. It’s poetic because it’s perfectly stupid.” – Prof. Ricky de Ungria, UP Mindanao former chancellor

*”It’s okay to smoke inside my class. As long as you don’t breathe it out.” – Dr. Obsioma, BioDiversity Class, UP Mindanao

my take: Christmas Wishlist

Everyone’s had their own versions of Christmas wishlist, so I am going to dig right in. After all, this is the season of giving. I got too consumed with this idea that I have failed to think about what I want for myself. So, here goes… There’s no harm in wishing, so they say. These aren’t all material things though, since I think I’d have to be my own genie when it comes to those material stuffs.

1. PSP – Boo! I really suck at saving. haha. So I guess will be having the PSP finally. Grrr.

2. A new dress. I found one while shopping during my birthday but I was so pissed because they did not have a small size. I was freakin’ irate about that until Ed reminded me to relax. haha.

3. Christmas getaway with friends. This one, apparently isn’t tangible. But it would be the perfect time to make up time with friends or just enjoy. Tentative date is December 20. (fingers crossed)

4. Christmas getaway with cousins. I promised them I am going to treat them to this outing. I’ve been trying to contact my cousin Aubrey because I really suck at planning events too. Hope it pushes through so Ed and I would have some bonding time with my cousins.

5. Have a good, quality vacation leave. And with that I mean a day that would not remind me of work whatsoever. Maybe watch the Survivor finale, cook with mum.. so I guess I ate my own words as it looks like I’d be spending it at home.. with Ed though. Not bad. Not bad at all.

6. Watch movies, I mean THE movies I want. I did not get to watch that much movies this year, for some strange reasons. I have three prospect movies so far:
*Up
*Bedtime Stories
*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Hence, am calling the attention of my constant movie date, aka baby. List down those dates on your calendar. We have a date.

See? Nothing superficial. hehe

*extracted from my Multiply blog

life imitating art

Ever seen the film The Truman Show? Well, it seemed like the type of movie that would be “in” on our times today, considering the vast success currently being experienced by reality shows on television. Reality TV has managed to dissolve the line separating reality from TV. This was most especially true to some people, as reported by CNN, that suffered from some kind of delusion. These victims thought they were part of a reality show where their private lives are being documented for the rest of the world to see, indeed very reminiscent of the 1998 film The Truman Show. The news report cited the following cases involving two separate individuals:

…[one] showed up at a federal building, asking for release from the reality show he was sure was being made of his life. Another was convinced his every move was secretly being filmed for a TV contest.”

A third one,

…believed everything — the news, his psychiatrists, the drugs they prescribed — was part of a phony, stage-set world with him as the involuntary star, like the 1998 movie “The Truman Show.”

Scientists who have worked on these cases regarded them as delusional behaviors, and they aims to understand just how much culture and mass media penetrates the minds of the people who accept them as part of their daily lives. Some people might find these cases humorous, others strange, while for some it is an issue that requires to be addressed. Especially when such cases cause a direct threat to the lives of the people involved, such as this one:

“[A] man profiled in the British journal was diagnosed with schizophrenia and is unable to work. One of Gold’s patients planned to commit suicide if he couldn’t leave his supposed reality show.”

Another, yet stranger, case involved a patient from Austria who “believed she had become a walking webcam.” As the line between reality and TV has been blurred, it now enables researchers to examine the link between our culture and a person’s mental capacity to interpret them.

It was more interesting to me than anything. Reality TV, even mass media as a whole, has managed to purge people’s emotions and establish this two-way process of communication. Art was previously referred to as imitating life, or mimetic as Aristotle would put it. But in this strange circumstances, it was the other way around. Hopefully, more studies are done and I am curious to see how it would spell out.

thoughts on rainy days

Think of rainy days and the upcoming holiday season, and it makes a deadly concoction of wanting you to go wanderlust yet again. It’s difficult to get too excited but this season is the perfect season to be lazy. A few times over recent weeks, er rainy weeks, I found myself scrambling out of bed thinking it was only around 4 in the morning, when in fact it was way past time to get the hell out of bed.

I just wish the rain would froze up and turn into ice. I think I’d prefer snow better, not only because we don’t have it here but it is so much more inviting to go out and play with the snow, something of which you cannot do with the rain, lest you want to catch cold and be forced out of work. Wish granted! But only for reasons you did not prefer.

Hopefully, the several spurts of holidays for December would give me enough satisfaction. I badly need a break, and I need not reiterate it further. With only a day left to my leave credits, I had to be wise on how to spend that remaining day. Of course, I would not want to spend that lounging on my bed at home or watching TV. Or else, it’d feel like just another weekend. I want to go out somewhere, face this rainy days that I’ve been dreading for years. I guess I’ve finally been able to cope with this love-hate relationship I had with rainy days. Instead of accepting defeat and cowering myself in bed with a hot choco in hand, I want to go out and experience the rain.

The thought of the holidays just reminded me that it’s almost my birthday. It’s so weird how I anticipate whole year for the holiday season and there’s my birthday to welcome me, it’s like a rite of passage of sorts. I need to get through that stage first before you could proceed further. But, birthdays has become so hyped up nowadays. I’m more excited over the anniversary than my turning 22. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dread birthdays.. So, I’m also willing to accept gifts! You know where to find me.

thoughts on rumors

No Comment!

Most of us, when faced with rumor (especially negative ones) respond through this overused statement. Ironically enough, this phrase does not offer much statement at all. As rumors themselves are shrouded with uncertainty, an uncertain answer such as this could be the worst way to respond to a rumor. In fact, it could only trigger people to hypothesize all the more: is the person concerned saying this because s/he is afraid to confront the rumor, or is it simply a nonchalant attitude that creates the idea of being unaffected due to its false nature?

Whichever way you choose to see it, rumors will continue to exist – at school, in the workplace, at home, within the streets, basically just about anywhere people live and exist. A quote I read implies the idea that gossiping and creating rumors are the lowest form of conversation one person can engage in. And hence, it is often considered taking the high road when you choose not to respond.

On the other end of the spectrum, choosing not to respond to rumors would only encourage the rumor to thrive. Without the opportunity to retort, one can never clear the clouds of confusion and so, most people would accept the rumor as fact.

For a better retrospect, you can read an article on rumors by clicking here.

(Note: Thanks to Dean for providing me this link.)

On Racism and Olympic Games

Yesterday, I read this news on Yahoo! about the recent controversy that hit the Olympic Games. This involves what was considered a “racist” advertisement photo showing the Spanish basketball team slanting their eyes in an effort to mimic the Chinese, whom ironically enough is this year’s host. (see photo below)

This happened way before the Games unveiled and was initially published at a Spanish newspaper, but wasn’t until recently that it leaked through the internet. The photo itself elicited various opinions; hence, it prompted reps from the Spanish basketball team to extend their apologies. Spanish basketball star and Los Angeles Lakers’ center Pau Gasol spoke in behalf of the team saying it was all done in “good humor”.

It pains me, as an Asian, to think that they were basically nonchalant about this gesture. In our supposedly modern world with a much higher understanding of cultural differences and the concepts of equality, you can’t help but wonder how they failed to anticipate negative interpretations that the image would conjure. Sure, they can claim that it was all done in “good humor”, but can we take their word for it?

On top of all ironies, this year’s Beijing Olympics’ theme is “One World, One Dream“. Now, where’s the unity and oneness in this?

A couple of days ago, the Spaniards defeated the Chinese basketball team during their match and that is despite the predominantly Chinese audience’s major booing. Sad thing is, a matter like this, with serious repercussions, cannot be settled on the basketball court.

(ghost)writer’s lament

I’ve been having this issue for a while. It never totally vanished because I never had the chance to confront it.

My job as a content writer is a pleasant idea for someone like me who is naturally inclined to writing. Indeed, it is totally different from creative writing wherein I had to create my own characters, scenarios, and even create my own world. On the other hand, the writing that I do now for my job is an entirely new venture. I got to write about topics that I previously had no idea about. I have to say, despite the fact that they are mostly profit driven, they are fun to write at least.

However, seeing my own writings published on the Internet without my name on it is probably the toughest issue I HAD to deal with. So much for taking credit for other’s work, huh? I guess it’s really true what they say about people controlling the means having more power.

The fact that I had been doing this for almost a year, it still has not sink in. If I had to choose between both cases, plagiarism (I think) is much better. Because with the latter, I still have contention over my written work. But with this? What do I hold up against people who hold more power than I do? Dilemmas, dilemmas.

Looking at the bright side, this has fueled my desire to go back to creative writing. I have been inactive in that department for over a year now. So much for promises broken regarding the supposed revision of my thesis entries, I better get started on that. In fact, just recently I had the impulse to travel and hence if I did push through with that, I can probably write a travel essay.

I am already thinking about the long bus ride and the people I will meet there. Can’t wait!