I’ve been thinking a lot about becoming a Filipino food ambassadress. I know it sounds ludicrous that I am even considering it. Because who am I to be one? But then again, who else will have the courage to be it?

I am Didi Paterno.

I am Filipino, though sometimes I find it such a struggle to stand up and be proud.

I know my Philippine history and geography, though not being the most attentive student in history class has left all the details in a big jumble in my head. History was not my favorite subject after all. It was English and Literature that stole my heart in those 16 formative years in school.

I love food, including Filipino food, though admittedly it is not my most favorite cuisine in the entire universe.

I can cook too, though I really must warn you that I am just a beginner cook, who still serves up over-seasoned dishes and burnt or even undercooked fried chicken for The Husband.

I may not be the perfect Filipino food ambassadress, but I can try to learn to be one. It will be a personal journey: a roller coaster food-filled journey into my life as a Filipino foodie in Dubai, discovering my roots and the rest of the world in this overflowing, melting cultural pot in this city of “gold”

Okay (takes very deep breath), I think I am ready…Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiitttttttt!!!!!!

Will you be there to catch me when I fall? Wenk, wenk, wenk….Seriously, will you all be there to hold my hand, pick me up when I fall (I think I am clumsy and stumble a lot…) and cheer me on every single day? Is it too much to ask?

If you all just promise you will be there, then I am now ready to JUMP!

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

For us Catholics, today is a very special day. Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the Lenten season, perhaps is the most important season in the biblical year, even more important than Christmas. Because today leads to Easter Sunday, Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the very cornerstone of our religion, which proves that Jesus is the Son of God.

But religion history aside, today also marks the start of fasting and abstinence season. Just to be totally clear about religious practices, of which I clearly am not the expert, I asked a friend, who currently is on the way to priesthood, about this. We do fasting (one meal a day during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) and abstinence (non-eating of meat during all Fridays of Lent because meat was considered to be luxurious in the olden days) as an act of sacrifice to be one with the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though fasting and abstinence is not limited to just giving up food, you also have the option to give up something dear to you for the entire 40-day season as your sacrifice.

I have not exactly thought about my sacrifice for this Lenten season just yet. Would I give up eating white rice again? Would I give up eating carbs: rice, noodles, bread, cake and all the good stuff, for 40-days? Would I give up social networking and BBM (Black Berry Messenger) addiction? I don’t know. But I know I need to decide fast, maybe before the day ends.

More like Thai Red Curry Eggplant with Fish.

For now, I just will start Lenten season with Thai Red Curry Fish to join the rest of the practicing Catholic world in this little sacrifice of just having a meatless single meal to last me throughout the day. Now that’s hard for a constantly hungry, meat lover like me.

And so, fish be with you.

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

P.S. My family actually does not strictly follow this practice. As we all have the Holy Week off (Holy Thursday and Good Friday are official non-working holidays in the Philippines), this is the only time we get to prepare and enjoy slow-cooked homemade meals together (We are a huge family of 8). Good Friday is actually steak-with-buttery-mashed-potatoes day. Sorry God. We’ve been bad Catholics.

P.P.S. To know more about fasting and abstinence for the Lenten Season, do read from here. This is the more official version of things.

To be honest, there’s not much happening in the food front for now. I am still hungover from yesterday’s food blogger life changing question: “To be or not to be a Filipino food ambassadress?” I don’t know if it’s me just taking things too seriously, even though I don’t look like I do take things seriously around here. (Spoon & fork, fruits, vegetables and pastries with smiling faces?!? Serious you say eh?)

But believe me, I am not taking this question lightly. There is something in my gut that tells me that I am moving towards the right direction, the direction I’ve been searching for far too long now. Maybe I am just overwhelmed with the things I have to do (as usual) and the possibilities…oh, the delicious possibilities! *giddy little girl clap*

So let me put on and keep my neat thinking cap for a bit (Ain’t it cute?)…any snack suggestions to help me process this party inside my head?

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

Clockwise from bottom left: Lumpiang sariwa, Pancit Palabok, Halo-halo, Buko Pandan drink

Now that is THE question.

This wasn’t the first time I was asked to share my knowledge about Filipino cuisine. In fact, the lunch date earlier was the FOURTH time I was asked to help navigate a non-Filipino through a maze of dishes on a Filipino restaurant’s menu. Who wouldn’t want to help out a fellow foodie in need?

I somehow surprised, or maybe even was so dumbfounded, on how enthusiastic and proud I was talking about my culinary roots. I managed to pick up and formulate a lot of insights from realizations about Filipino food from observations, history lessons and geography lessons from school, my food loving family and personal travels, which I have never ever given the light of day in my entire life. I don’t like talking about Filipino food. In fact, I won’t deny that Filipino food isn’t my most favorite cuisine in the world, even if it means home for an OFW (Overseas Filipino Wife) like me. It really isn’t. But I found myself loving Filipino food all of a sudden. I found myself asserting my Filipino roots. I found myself proud to be Filipino, even if, sometimes, I feel an undeniable need to just renounce my nationality all together.

Is this the same sentiment for all Filipino migrants? Amidst a sea of alien cultures, do you suddenly feel that insatiable urge to learn more about your country, your history and your culture? Do you suddenly feel that fervor to assert your Filipino-ness?

Now I wish that I had paid more attention in my Philippine history classes. Now I wish that I consciously listened to all my father’s monologues about Philippine history. Now I wish that I had bought and brought along Filipino food history books to take a deep dive into the what, where, how and why of this dish and that dish.

I know I can be a Filipino food ambassadress. In some twisted limitless corner in my head, I know I can be. But somehow, I need to build more knowledge of Filipino food. So would someone be so kind to send over some Doreen Fernandez and other notable Filipino food history and culture books? I desperately need them right now.

Help.

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

Wala. Wiz.

I am almost always very prepared for anything. Dirty hands? I’ve got alcohol or hand sanitizer in my bag. Chapped lips? I’ve got lip balm. Loose change? I’ve got some in my coin purse. Need a light? I’ve got a lighter in my bag…even if I don’t smoke. But today, I failed as a food blogger…

All because I have no photos to capture another zipper bursting evening filled food: from perfectly charred grilled pork sausages and creamy Belgian mashed potatoes with bright, sweet carrot bits called stoemp to glasses of fruity Belgian beer to day-old French pastries from a 24-hour bakery. Drat.

I know I should use my words to let you imagine what I ate and where we went. But I’d like to point blame on the amount of food consumed and on the sandstorm, which blew away my writing endurance for today. Just for today.

Oh, note to self: ALWAYS bring my bag to prevent unphotographed food adventures.

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

When caught in sandstorm...just keep cleaning!

This is one of those rare normal two-day weekends that The Husband with the wonky work schedule enjoys. We usually go out for a nice brunch / dinner out, but instead, we found ourselves cooped up in our wee home due to an uncontrollable force of nature, namely: a sandstorm.

It’s not my first sandstorm because I experienced a few already. But this has been the longest (I can still hear the wind!) and the strongest I’ve ever had in my five months here. Our sliding windows were banging against the wall and the wind was howling like a lonely puppy locked out of the house…all night long. I woke up tired from the racket the sandstorm caused. It wasn’t a good night’s sleep. So I stood up from bed and decided to take a peep to see if there has been any damage to our poor clothes drying rack, which was left outside our balcony. As my bare feet touched our tiled floor, I could feel the sand. I felt so much sand with every step I took.

Ugh.

The winds were so strong that sand was everywhere in our wee home: on the floor, on our bedsheets, on our drawers, on the tables, and even in my hair! The aftermath of a sandstorm meant emergency cleaning. It also meant no cooking, unless I wanted a meal peppered with sand. Good thing that we still had leftovers ready for reheating. Whew!

After sweeping the floor and trying to prevent more sand from entering our wee home (It seems that the sand infiltrated through the teeny nooks and crannies), I decided to take a peep at the blog and do spring cleaning as well. I know that I just uploaded the spanking new theme, but I still felt that there was more organizing and troubleshooting to do. Maybe that’s just the OCD in me. And I was right because I fixed my categories and discovered that no text appeared in the drop-down banners. See?

I need to get these fixed...

After hours of strategizing and navigating my way through the theme, I think it is almost perfect. But before I finally conclude there is no more cleaning up to do, do you think there are areas that still need more organizing on this blog?

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

P.S. It’s 230AM and the wind is still howling. Yes, there is still sand on the floor. Sadly, more cleaning to do this weekend. Argh!

I still find these goggles super handy...

When I was into competitive swimming eons ago, I couldn’t bare swimming without goggles. Swimming with bare naked eyes would mean chlorine soaked, blood-shot eyes, which sounds painful because it is painful, especially if you’ve been in the water for at least two hours (the average time spent in a single training session).

Now that I’m out of the competitive swimming world, I still can’t seem to part with my goggles. Do I still swim with them?

Uhm, yes…in the very rare occasions that I hit the pool on the roof deck of our apartment building. But I do have an alternative use for this sporty eyewear. I actually use them in the kitchen. You’ve read it right. In the K-I-T-C-H-E-N. I use goggles in the kitchen with no shame at all. It’s my kitchen and I’ll do what I want to.

This is the most effective way I can stop myself from crying, while chopping onions. Yessiree! I don’t care if I look like a dork. At least I don’t have teary, blood-shot eyes! And by the way, The Husband agrees that it is a good way to keep those onion tears at bay. So there!

How do you keep yourself from crying while chopping those onions?

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

Now this is HOME.

I miss home a lot, especially the food that my mama (or helper, Ate Joan, who knows all the family recipes by heart) prepares for us. Now that I am “on my own” with no mama or helper to cook our food, I have no choice, but to try and recreate some of those dishes from here.

Again, because I am a beginner level cook, I will start with the easiest dishes of the lot. Today, I cooked one of my most favorite comfort food of all time (part of my Project 30) is our family’s version of arroz ala cobana…

Unlike the other versions of arroz ala cobana, this recipe is very simple, highlighting the beefiness of the beef. The beef is stripped it bare of the usual trimmings like teeny potato cubes, carrots and raisins, seasoned only with onion, garlic, salt, & pepper and accompanied by fried bananas, a sunny side up egg and a cup of rice (of course). Yes, you can find all the food groups in a single plate!

It’s presented neatly in the picture above, but in reality, it is just one crazy mess of a plate, where everything is mixed with so much gusto. I adore it for its mix of salty, sweet, creamy and starchy in a single mouthful.

One big yummy mess!

Ingredients (One recipe serves 6 hungry people):

• 1-kilo ground / minced beef
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 large head of garlic, peeled and minced
• 6-sunny side up eggs
• 12-saba (sweet plantain / cardaba) bananas
• 2-tablespoons sugar, preferably brown
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking oil
• 6-cups of steamed white rice

Step-by-step:

For the Beef:

1. Saute onions and garlic until onions become translucent
2. Add in minced beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beef is cooked through with an almost crispy texture.
   

   Beef is cooked through but not yet done...

3. Set aside minced beef when cooked.

Beef should look like this.

For the Bananas:

Gooey caramelized bananas

1. Peel bananas and slice in half, lengthwise.
2. Roll the banana halves in sugar then pan-fry until golden.
3. Set aside.

Assembling the dish:

1. In one plate, place a cup of steamed white rice, 4-banana halves, a cup of minced beef topped with a sunny side up egg.
2. OPTIONAL: Add a splash of Tabasco hot sauce for some kick of heat.
3. Then mix everything up!

Make sure that you have all the components of the dish in one spoonful: rice, minced beef, egg and banana. Let me know if you enjoy our family’s version of arroz ala cobana

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

Too sweet for my taste buds...

The Husband and I woke up to another normal day in un-Valentine’s Day like fashion. We kissed each other “Good morning!”, then I started my day with prayers and meditation. It seemed to be a normal day until The Husband reminded me that I actually was looking forward to making breakfast. Oh yes, I saved some tummy space the night before because I was dying to have a hearty grilled cheese and creamy scrambled eggs meal. How sweet of him to remember! After that filling meal, I honestly couldn’t eat anything else. I skipped lunch.

Then some friends invited me for a Valentine’s Day dinner at the newly opened Belgian Beer Cafe at Madinat Jumeira. I told The Husband about the dinner invitation, of course. He told me I could go, but he only offered to pay for one bottle of his favorite beer, Fruli, and not a full-blown dinner meal. Unfortunately, or maybe even fortunately, I still was feeling quite full from the grilled cheese and creamy scrambled eggs breakfast. I wasn’t in the mood for a heavy meal nor a nice cold bottle of fruit beer. So I declined the Valentine’s Day dinner invite. But how sweet of The Husband to actually even allow me to go AND offer to pay for a bottle of beer.

That same set of friends then invited me for a post-dinner nightcap at Tim Horton’s in Jumeirah Beach Road. The tummy couldn’t deal with a meal, but could certainly handle something warm or maybe sweet. It is Valentine’s Day after all.

I ended up ordering a strawberry banana smoothie, but to my dismay, it was too saccharine for my taste. I was utterly disappointed and regretted that I should have maybe ordered a cup of coffee or hot chocolate instead, even if I still had the caffeine buzz from my daily dose of extra-large chai tea.

Was it really the commercial Tim Horton’s smoothie mix that made it too sweet for my taste? Or did I just hit the sugar wall because of the extra-dose of little sweet things from The Husband? Whatever it is, it really has been an extra-sweet un-Valentine’s Day for me.

How was your Valentine’s Day like?

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

This blog deserved a whole lot of loving!

I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day.

Well, I used to be one, but when I got together with The Husband almost 10 years ago, he brainwashed me into believing that Valentine’s Day is just another of them “capitalist holidays”. It is partly true. The men are suddenly compelled (maybe pressured) to express their love through grandiose deeds: bouquets of flowers magically appearing on your office desk, a box of chocolates or candies delivered to your home, or an expensive surprise dinner at a swanky restaurant or hotel…

Yes, these are nice gestures, no doubt about it. What girl wouldn’t want to be treated like a princess or a goddess worshipped and put on a pedestal at least once every year? But cliche as it seems, I hold on dearly to my belief that you can express and see true love through the smallest and simplest of everyday gestures. So each and every day should be a Valentine’s Day, an opportunity to express and see love bloom to its most beautiful: radiant, unconditional and pure.

But for today, I will deviate from my mantra of no grandiose gestures for Valentine’s Day. I prepared and am doing something big today, because every once in a while, not necessarily on Valentine’s Day (It just happened to be Valentine’s Day today ), you just want to do something extra special for the ones that you love.

I’m sure you have pretty much noticed it when your browser has completed loading my blog. Your eyes do not fool you, the blog is sporting a new look!

Just like any grandiose expression of love, I thought long and hard about this blog makeover before today’s big reveal. I spent a many restless nights mulling over the minute details like:

• Should Mr. Carrot be cut out from the picture? Or should he stay? OR
• Should I use a pattered background or a plain background to make the content “pop” out?

I also spent some time, days which felt like a week, thinking about the blog from a serious strategic point of view like:

• Will people take me seriously as a writer with such a playful, childlike design? OR
• Do I really need to maintain my Google + account (I’ve read that Google and Social Engine Optimization)? OR
• Is this the tagline that captures the essence of this blog?

But, as in any amorous declarations, I took a chance, a risk, with no knowledge if I’d get an esteemed, equally impassioned response from someone, anyone out there. This is me, wanting to share a big part of me and my life that I never even knew I had…until recently. All of these, ultimately, for the love of food and the written word.

Welcome to my spruced up happy place and sanctuary, a chronicle of my daydreams of an eating and writing life. I love it to bits and I do hope that you love it too. Do you?

Happy Valentine’s Day one and all!

Delirious about delicious,

Didi

P.S. A love-filled shout out to the one, who made my vision come to life: Patricia of Fancy Girl Designs. Thank you so much! *virtual hugs*

P.P.S. Do you have any feedback about the new design? I would love to hear from you, so feel free to just drop me a line