My Refrigerator Door

I've always been fascinated with the T'nalak fabric made by the T'bolis of South Cotabato and so when I got an invitation to visit the province and meet their weavers, I immediately said yes. I, together with other designers were invited by the Governor,  Daisy Fuentes, through Marivic Pineda of  GKonomics, Gawad Kalinga 's partner in social enterprise development. The good governor wanted us to see the possibility of using their traditional crafts for our designs and experience first hand the tranquility of her province. Having read about the T'bolis being one of the most peaceful tribes in the Philippines, I never had second thoughts of flying down south. A friend once told me I must have been a T'boli in my past life because of my calm demeanour. Our first stop was the  T'boli School of Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions  where we were presented with traditional music and dance by the school children. Their dance I would liken to the quiet wind ...

What is it with the rain and food? The heavier the downpour, the bigger the craving, and if you don’t give in to your cravings, you’ll be twisting and turning the whole night counting pork buns in your head. Here are ten of my rainy day cravings; savory, protein packed goodness, best eaten warm with a giant glass of Coca Cola. Aaahh, happiness. Ryu's Tantanmen , nothing beats hot ramen on a rainy night. Tim Ho Wan's Pork Buns, something worth lining up for and going out for on a rainy afternoon. Rain or shine, you just can't get enough of Lugang's Xiao Long Bao . Parmigiano's Lobster Pasta at Resort's World, perfect pre-movie dinner. Craving of cravings, Crispy Pata ! Best I've tasted was from Kinabuch in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Peppermill's Bagnet , crunchy and tender at the same time with a yummy sweet and spicy bagoong dip. Rainy night comfort combo, Poppin's Beef Salpicao , pilaf rice a...

After three weeks of my Diane Stalder Ideal Protein diet and losing 20 pounds at the right places, I was craving for caffeine and sugar. Not wanting to gain back the weight and inches I lost, I wasn't about to down a litre of cola and a box of cake. I went for something light and French. The French have this wonderful concept of having a bit of everything in one plate, to satisfy your little cravings, they thought of cafe gourmand - a serving of coffee and tiny cakes or macarons. And so after Mass at the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel in SM Aura, my mother and I had early dinner at  Paul . Mother had a beef sandwich, and I had an omelette and cafe gourmand. Aah, je suis content. Paul Boulangerie, Patisserie, Restaurant et Salon de The at the SM Aura, Taguig. Tartine au Boeuf Omelette Marseille My caffeine and sugar fix, Café Gourmand at Paul .

Can you survive an hour without your mobile phone? In this day and age, it seems quite impossible. You'd go out for lunch but you keep your phone right beside your plate because your office might need you for some immediate decisions or you're waiting for World Cup feeds on Twitter. My friend Camille Cruz-Reyes aka The Hungry Lady the-hungrylady.blogspot.com  and I decided to part with our smart phones for an hour to enjoy our twice a year lunch. Well, the crazy maki never tasted as good and our table talk went from funny to serious to hilarious. Oh, but I had to bring out my camera twice in the name of blogging. Senju, EDSA ShangriLa Hotel Camille pretending to chat on her mobile phone. Me, pretending to text for the camera. Wakame No Gamazu Ae , seaweed in sesame and vinegar dressing. Crazy Maki,  prawn tempura, crabstick, omelette, cucumber and salmon skin with crunchy toppings. Kaisen Mentaiko Sumi Udon , seafood and baby lobst...