prime gods

I have been planning to go on a food trip for a long time now. It had never pushed through though because I don’t want to go on a food trip alone and I haven’t found someone who wants to join me in my food hunting trip…until recently.

My newfound food-trip friends and I had just decided to go for a ‘food & drinks hunt’ in London with a list we saw from Pride of Manchester consisting of: Bury’s black pudding, Lancashire hot pot, Uncle Joes mint balls, Eccles cake, Manchester tart, and fruity Vimto drink. Typing those savory delicacies already makes my stomach growl with excitement.

Anyhow, while I search the net for the best places to avail of those local specialties, my friends are busy with finding Accommodation in London. Since the dishes we wanted to sample and judge were in Manchester, it is logical of course that our London Accomodation will end up in one of the Manchester Hotels… or maybe not. It will depend on the price of course.

No matter how much creativity goes into it, cooking is an art. Or perhaps I should say a craft. It abides by absolute rules, physics, chemistry, etc. and that means that unless you understand the science you cannot reach the art. We’re not talking about painting here. Cooking’s more like engineering. I happen to think that there is great beauty in great engineering.

ALTON BROWN, interview, Sep. 12, 2002

Anxious on finding a good cooking school to create “great engineering”, I surfed the net once again and came across this: http://www.baychef.com/student_services.asp

While I’m still undecided, I like the fact that, you are not only “in the middle of a culinary playground” at California Culinary Academy… they also help their students secure significant jobs in restaurants, hotels, resorts, bakeries, and other culinary and hospitality related businesses. What makes it more captivating is the student housing options and the personal and professional development activities that they offer throughout the term.

So far, so good. I’ll keep you posted on my final culinary school decision.

I am a social drinker and I am a huge cocktail fan. I usually order mixed drinks like margarita, kahlua, and pina colada when I’m out with my friends.

Every now and then, when I’m in the mood and I have the money, I try some other mixed drink recipes. The simplest one I’ve come across with that I really like, as of the moment, is the gin-Kool-Aid. It’s a mixture of gin and strawberry kool-aid that generally tastes like strawberry juice, with a hint of alcohol. So far, all my friends who have tried it loved the mixed drink. In fact, we often use a shot of gin-Kool-Aid in our card drinking games like 1-2-3 Pass and Bullshit. That is, the loser has to take a shot of the mixed drink.

If you know any cocktail or mixed drink recipe that is worth trying, please feel free to post it in the comment box. Thanks!

I know candies and chocolates have always been, and will always be a fad. As long as there are celebrations like birthdays and weddings, party favors with candies or candy bars will never cease to exist.

However, I wasn’t aware until now that the fad for sweets came to the extent of people actually buying and selling personalized candy bars and even customized candy bar wrappers. Imagine that! Then again, having a mouthwatering, Belgian milk chocolate in a hand-designed wrapper is a fantastic give away for any occasion, especially since candies and chocolates are always in fashion. So, why not have them personalized? 0;)

A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.

ELSA SCHIAPARELLI, Shocking Life

I just came home from dinner with my officemates at Gateway. While eating, Maricel, one of my colleagues, heard me producing delighted and satisfied, “Mmmm!” chewing sounds. She looked at me, saw my equally delighted expression towards the dish I’m savoring, and laughingly commented, “Fe’s really appreciative. Feeding her gives one a sense of gratification.”

True. I’m one of those people who delight in eating (especially if it’s free!). In fact, food has a great influence in my mood. Bland dishes can add to my depression. On the other hand, exquisitely prepared food can momentarily (or even permanently) dispel some of my unceasing anxieties.

With this wondrous effect, I aim to be able to produce the latter effect (conjure happiness) to the recipient of my cooking. Achieving this will of course entail notable training. Still in search for an appropriate school to get this high-end cooking skill, I browsed the net once more and encountered this: http://www.twincitiesculinary.com/. What can you say about that culinary school?

I am a frustrated cook.

On second thought, I take it back. I am a decent cook (bordering on excellent I might add), when I am in the mood.

Truthfully, I prefer to be the guinea pig than to be the cook. All the meticulous, sometimes tedious preparation for one special meal that will be consumed in less than 15 minutes (depending on how palatable it is) generally takes too much time for me to handle. But then again, the satisfied huge smiles, the appreciation, and sporadic flowing compliments of my tasters more than compensate my exhaustive time in the almost intolerably warm kitchen.

In fact, their delighted expressions inspired me to start saving up for a good culinary school. Speaking of which, I encountered this unusual yummy sounding culinary school online – the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts. I find it amazing that cooking schools actually “combines classical methodology with a contemporary philosophy” aside from the usual culinary proficiencies such as the recipe and menu creation, preparation, and sanitation (read: http://www.atlantaculinary.com/programs/culinaryarts.asp).

Nevertheless, cooking IS an art and has long been practiced. Consequently, philosophizing about it is comme il faut.

From tuna, chicken, beef & potato, to Enchilada recipes, you’ve seen, smelled, tasted, cooked, and probably even touched a casserole dish. But how much do you really know about it?

After several years of eating casserole, I decided to do some research and found some fascinating tips and facts:

• The word casserole (kasa-rol) is derived from the Old French word casse and the Latin word cattia meaning a “frying pan or stew pan”.
• The culinary term en casserole, which is also from French, means “served in the vessel used for cooking”.
• Since cooking a casserole can range from 25 minutes to two hours, consider using dried herbs in dishes which require longer cooking (more than an hour) rather than delicate fresh herbs which tend to lose their flavor when exposed to extended periods of high heat.
• If you are not sure about the capacity of your casserole pan or pot, you can check it by measuring water and pouring it in the pan.
• If your casserole is bland, try adding one of these ingredients: Worcestershire Sauce, powdered mustard,
  or a dash of hot pepper sauce.
• One of the best things about casseroles is that they can be made anytime, stored in the freezer, and reheated whenever you need them. So make two, and freeze the second for later.
• Most casseroles can be frozen two to three months.
• Most frozen casseroles do not need to be thawed before reheating.
• The best containers for freezing casseroles are glass and hard plastic containers as well as plastic bags for freezer use. This is because they provide a barrier to moisture and evaporation.

Whatever casserole you’re into, I’m sure you’ll find this information worth your while. Enjoy cooking!