Food

The Mighty Matzo Ball
The Mighty Matzo Ball
After some years in Manila, I returned to the Homeland—New York City—looking forward to my first day in Manhattan and a visit to the deli of my dreams. Worried that... Read more...
Halo-Halo Hullabaloo
Halo-Halo Hullabaloo
The magic begins with a crunch that, in the blistering afternoon heat, sounds like salvation. When it infiltrates the house, my cousins and I know it is time to be... Read more...
Simple Joys
Simple Joys
Tokyo. A shopper’s wonderland. My friends are green with envy at my good luck. Sadly, I am not a typical woman. I loathe shopping. Basement food halls, malls, and department... Read more...
Burnt Offering
Burnt Offering
A recent short story I read by a Filipino writer amused me with its description of the barbecue as if it were some solemn religious rite. It rang bells. Certainly,... Read more...
Pistang Pinoy
Pistang Pinoy
The word “fiesta” is Spanish for party, and has been localized as “pista.” One word sums it up—extravagance. The mention of the word alone prompts a physical reaction in any... Read more...
Food Alarm Clocks
Food Alarm Clocks
Since global 24-hour activity has screwed up our circadian rhythms, we are ever more dependent on external stimuli to tell us when it’s time to do something. We might entertain... Read more...
The Sulô Coffee Shop: A Spark in History
The Sulô Coffee Shop: A Spark in History
The essay that follows is an excerpt from a chapter in a book-in-progress by Erlinda Enriquez Panlilio on the Sulo Restaurant, a stand-alone restaurant that was the first to be... Read more...
The Devil’s Invention
The Devil’s Invention
Where would the world be without spice? That pinch of fairy dust that transforms the simplest dish into something other, heightening our senses with their exotic aromas, and adding a... Read more...
The Non-Chopsticks User’s Guide to Eating with Chopsticks By MELISSA SALVA
The Non-Chopsticks User’s Guide to Eating with Chopsticks By MELISSA SALVA
  Of course you know how to eat with chopsticks. Just use them like giant tweezers and that’s all there is to it. If you think wielding them takes up... Read more...
Revenge of the Tinola
Revenge of the Tinola
TABLE PROTOCOL AND SOUP IN RIZAL’S NOLI ME TANGEREThe Noli Me Tangere written by Jose Rizal and first published in 1887, is indisputably the greatest Filipino novel to date. Even... Read more...
The Lucky Food Diet
The Lucky Food Diet
Diet meal plans are aplenty – you may have encountered those involving nothing but cabbage soup, or those assigning only a certain kind of food per day (without any citation... Read more...
Lechon and Leftovers
Lechon and Leftovers
There are many things the Spanish colonization gave the Philippines, not all of them welcome. But the best-loved gift is Lechon. The word lechon refers to a whole pig cooked... Read more...