It’s been weeks and we’re still stuck at home. If you’ve managed to plan and stock up on food and essentials in the first week of March, I’m pretty sure your stocks would be low within a month. I didn’t get to fully stock up. I also didn’t want to be part of those selfish few who hoarded carts and carts, others be damned. I shopped for maybe two weeks’ worth of food, some alcohol and toiletries and that was it. As expected, we went through the supplies in just over a week and I had to go to the grocery. As someone who frequents the supermarket for work, it was the first time I experienced fear of doing groceries with the COVID-19 lurking all around us. With mask on and sanitizer in my pocket, I picked a supermarket that I knew would have the least crowds. 

Not everyone is as lucky to have the same “problems” as I had. I still have a job where working remotely is the norm, so the lockdown hardly affects me. So many people live on daily wages, with food dependent on the money they will bring home daily. What will happen to them? Even if the government provides a few kilos of rice and some canned goods, for a family of five, that may only last 3 to 4 days at most. The P5,000 to P8,000 assistance can last maybe 2 weeks, probably even less, and not everyone is getting their share of that. But even the less fortunate who are fighting hunger can still be considered lucky compared to those at the frontlines. The doctors and nurses are literally facing death head on, some armed only with makeshift protective gear. These are the people who we pass without notice on a daily basis. People who studied for many years in order to save lives but are always underpaid and rarely appreciated. 

I never imagined anything like this would happen in my lifetime. Our world will never be the same after this. All we can really do is pray, keep our faith in humanity, and strive for a world that’s less greedy. Keep safe and see you around, hopefully without masks.

It’s our 20th year! COOK Magazine has been in print for two decades. That’s 240 monthly issues, thousands of recipes, restaurant reviews, and food trips. While I joined the team in 2005, I’ve been around for most of COOK’s 20 years. 

Looking back, thinking of my favorite memories, I can’t help but think of our former Editor-in-Chief, now my wedding ninang, Nancy Reyes-Lumen. It was through her that I became part of the COOK family. Her call to meet after I sent her my resume steered my culinary path into publishing. I can still remember my first article and recipe for COOK—Steak and Kidney Pie. Nancy wanted me to write about my experience in the U.K. and to make a recipe of a British dish. 

Food brings people together and that’s what I cherish most in my time with COOK. Marlon and Maggie, two of my best friends, are some of the treasures that being with COOK has given me. There’s also all my friends in the food and publishing industries, most of whom I looked up to as a fan way before I ever imagined I’d end up in the same industry. Of course, how can I forget my wife, Gel, who I met through Nancy, and my now brother-in-law (and still COOK columnist) Chef Day? 

COOK has meant so much and has given me more than I could’ve imagined. Now, 20 years on, COOK remains as the only monthly culinary magazine in the country. A lot of why we are still here is because of our publisher, Mr. Anton Cabangon. Publishing is especially tough these days, so we’d like to thank our boss for keeping faith. Of course, a big thank you to our advertisers, subscribers and readers for staying with us for two decades. It also wouldn’t be right if we celebrate our 20th year without hearing from the woman who started it all 20 years ago. Let me share this month’s Editor’s Note with the founding editor of COOK, Ms. Nancy Reyes-Lumen.

One of the more popular destinations nowadays are northeastern Asian countries like Japan and Korea. With the Corona Virus hopefully contained, air travel should be getting back to its normal, frantic pace. With the popularity of South Korean culture in recent years being bolstered by the Oscar wins of the movie Parasite, Seoul may just be where a lot of Filipinos will be this summer. 

Speaking of Parasite, I think the Oscars they got were well deserved with the mix of comedy, drama, tragedy and thrills, all exquisitely shot and told by Director Bong Joon-Ho. Parasite definitely made South Korea beam with pride. Speaking of awards, if there was a best food scene award in the Oscars, Parasite might have gotten that too. In the movie, there was a scene where the star was a seemingly simple dish—instant noodles, which actually made a statement with the addition of premium Korean beef. The Ram-Don Steak had Hanu Beef, Korea’s premium beef, comparable to Wagyu. In a movie that cast light on the opposite ends of economic classes in Korea, this scene drove the point home. By adding expensive beef to cheap, everyday food (instant noodles), the class divide was perfectly demonstrated. For us foodies, that scene meant a search for where to buy the noodles and premium beef featured in the movie. I’ll let you know in the next issue how my Ram-Don experiment goes.

After Parasite, it was all-Korean for me and my wife Gel. Crash Landing on You and Something in the Rain are two Korean dramas we’re currently binge-watching. So I guess it may take a while before I get over my K-fever. We might even see each other in Seoul. Annyeong!

As I am writing this month’s Ed Note, Taal Volcano’s wrath has affected hundreds of thousands of people living and working in towns all over the Southern Tagalog, specifically the provinces of Batangas and Cavite. Compared to other disasters, Taal Volcano’s initial activity and impending eruption feels closer to home probably due to the area’s popularity with tourists.

For foodies, Tagaytay is also a favorite destination because some of the best restaurants in the country are found there. From humble eateries in Mahogany Market serving specialties like bulalo and tawilis, to Antonio’s, and countless others, Tagaytay, Silang and other neighboring towns are home to these amazing places. Personally, a few friends also either work, have businesses or live in and around the ridge. Of course, closures, whether temporary or permanent, will affect so many families directly or indirectly. 

Times like these bring out the best, and sadly, the worst in people. So many people have taken steps to collect and send relief goods to affected areas, while there are some misguided few who suggests seeding clouds for rain, or opening establishments to draw people back. Yes, people need their jobs and normal lives back, but at what cost? Nature is beyond anyone’s control and we should heed the advice of those who know best. 

I pray that the people affected by Taal Volcano’s activity put safety as top priority. May resilience and “bayanihan” spirit reign and may God spare our countrymen from further disasters and hardship.

Happy New Year! This year is extra special for us at COOK because in April, we’ll be 20 years old! Each new year is reason enough to celebrate, but a milestone such as being in circulation for 20 years—that’s 240 monthly issues!—is all the more reason to celebrate.

I couldn’t have imagined being in this industry for this long when I first started with COOK 15 years ago. I’ve literally cooked and tested thousands of recipes, and reviewed hundreds—or close to a thousand—restaurants over the years. No wonder I seemed to have gained at least a pound for every year I’ve been doing this gig! As much as we enjoy the work we do, we wouldn’t have lasted if it weren’t for everyone working behind the scenes. Our advertisers have kept us in print for as long as we have. Most importantly, you, our dear readers are the main reason we’re still doing what we do.

As we’ve done every year, our January issue looks back at the year that was. Our best recipes of 2019 are all compiled in this special issue. 2019 has been pretty special for me, personally, as I finally tied the knot. And surprise, it’s to a fellow chef and now part of the COOK family as a columnist, Chef Gel. 

Conceptualizing, testing and cooking recipes through all these years have given me the unique opportunity to try out whatever food comes to mind. This is one of the things I’m thankful for as a foodie; to be able to feed my curiosity and get paid for doing what I love. I’ve been living the dream for 15 years, and with COOK turning 20 this 2020, I pray that we can keep at it for decades to come. 

Cheers from team COOK!

Spending Christmas in the Philippines is probably at the top of the list for many Filipinos living abroad. While other countries have their own way of celebrating, ours is probably the longest and with the most food involved. 

For me, Christmas starts on the 16th of December, when Simbang Gabi begins. It’s nice to see neighbors out at 5:00 a.m., hearing mass amidst the cool December morning air. In our village chapel, breakfast is served after mass. It can be as simple as coffee and some pandesal or a full breakfast buffet. 

The 24th has always been quite busy for me, as I am the one tasked with preparing our Noche Buena. From the time I was 18, I’ve taken the role of handling the main dishes for our Christmas Eve meals. Throughout the years, Christmas has always been about lots of good food. This is probably the reason why for those living abroad, Christmas away from the Philippines is the loneliest times of the year. I’ve spent a total of two away from home and I’d never wish to spend another abroad.

Reminiscing about the holidays through the years got me thinking about how lucky I’ve been. We’ve always had a magical time during Christmas growing up, especially living in a compound with family just next door. Cooking was my way of giving back, of showing our parents and uncles and aunts that it’s our turn to give them a nice time, even if it’s just for one meal. From associating Christmas with Santa and toys as a kid, to large family meals as an adult, the joy and spirit of the season has never left me. It still is and always will be my favorite time of the year.

November has always been special for the COOK team. On one evening every November, we try to show our appreciation to our valued advertisers by throwing a party for them. Part of the fun is that everyone comes in costume, with this year’s theme being K-Pop. We share food, laughs, some games and prizes all in the spirit of gratitude for standing by our beloved publication all these years.

All the anticipation has got me reminiscing about how it all started for me at COOK Magazine way back in 2005. I was then looking for a job that involved food but wasn’t too keen on the daily kitchen grind. Without any job openings, I went ahead and sent my resumé to every publication in existence then. I must have sent out five or six and didn’t hear from anyone for a couple of months. While waiting, I saw an advertisement for a sales position at a luxury sportscar dealership. Eager to get employed, I sent them my resumé and in just a few days, I was due for an interview. While I loved food and even went to school after college for it, I just couldn’t see myself in a kitchen, slaving away everyday. And since I liked cars too, I thought of going in another direction, just to test the waters. But as luck would have it, a day before my job interview at the car dealership, I got two calls. Two food magazines were interested in seeing me! 

It’s hard to imagine that it’s been 14 years since I first stepped foot at the COOK Magazine office. Thanks to my former editor and now ninang, Nancy Lumen, and lifelong friends Marlon and Maggie, every one of those 14 years has been a blast. Before COOK, I couldn’t even hold a job past 6 months, and here I am, 14 years into my job and still loving it. If not for COOK, I might have opted to return to the UK and find work there, which is the last thing I want. It was also through COOK that I met my wife and started another unexpected path.

Trying out new restaurants can still be hit and miss. Of course, since taste is subjective, it could be down to differing preferences. But more often, the hype around something new takes pretty ordinary food and makes it seem that much better.

As a magazine editor, I often get invited to new restaurants and new menu launches. While getting treated to a meal is always a privilege, seldom have I had something so good that I can’t wait to come back and spend my own money. Outside work, I end up eating or ordering from the same few places. Once in a while though, you discover a place that serves great food, is relatively near, and has a menu that you can’t wait try one by one until you’ve tasted everything they have. I got to try one such place recently, with friend and eating buddy Joy Catiis-Cruz. 

I’ve known Joy through work for close to 10 years and we’ve been going on random, unplanned lunches for at least 5 years. The “planning” usually begins with a message from her. It could be as simple as some cheesy nachos at a food park or some isaw. It could be one of her cravings, or her search for the best crispy pata. Always, it would be a type of food you’d be better off avoiding—sinful food, everything bawal. I have become Joy’s willing “partner in crime”. Our most recent lunch was brought about by a feature she read online. It was on a 10 best places for bone marrow list. We ended up at a restaurant we both haven’t tried, in nearby (to us) Roces Avenue in Quezon City. 

Gourmet Gypsy Art Café is relatively unknown, at least to me. While their restaurant has been around for 5 years and has been featured on TV, in print and online, I have honestly never heard of them. If not for Joy’s craving for bone marrow, I wouldn’t have discovered this wonderful restaurant. I will come back and do a proper feature on them. 

Go out and try new dining places. Even if you keep encountering hype and mediocrity, keep at it. Eventually, you’ll find a few gems.

It seems that we’ve been in a “food craze” for the better part of a decade. Hundreds of restaurants have been opening yearly that it’s now impossible to keep track of what’s new. Most of us hear or see about new places mostly through social media. Whichever restaurants are making a buzz among foodie friends is where we’ll head to next. As someone who works in the food media, I often get invited to launches. While this means I get to try the newest places for free, nothing beats word of mouth from those I respect in the food world. 

It’s “-ber” months once again, and aside from new restaurants, foodies like me look forward to new offerings from home-based chefs on social media. Entrepreneurs big and small tap this growing online market and some are quite successful at it. With the convenience brought about by new courier companies like Lalamove, Transportify and the like, you can now order from anyone and anywhere in Metro Manila and expect your goods in about an hour. The charges are very reasonable, too, much cheaper and quicker than going out and picking up goods yourself. If you’re the one selling food, you now have delivery people on demand, eliminating the need to hire a messenger or to personally deliver your products. 

This month, our chef-contributors share their favorite easy Asian dishes. Without specifying any specific cuisine, they all ended up submitting Chinese-inspired recipes. I don’t think this was a coincidence, since among all the foreign cuisines, we probably have adopted and adapted to Chinese cookery the most. A lot of our pantry staples and spices have Chinese influence. 

In this issue, I also share about a unique event I was fortunate enough to get invited to—Who’s Cooking. The event was a gathering of the country’s top chefs and caterers, a collaboration that resulted in some amazing food. Easy recipes, food and travel articles and much more, this month and in every issue of COOK Magazine!

Growing up in the 80s, I remember how limited our choices were when it came to food. If you wanted pizza, you went to this place, Japanese food was good at this place and for burgers, this place serves the best. Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice. We have so many options, it can get confusing sometimes. Go to any of the bigger malls, think of a certain cuisine you’d like and chances are, there will be one or more to cater to your cravings. It seems that more than for shopping, people go out to malls and shopping districts to eat.

Every few weeks, it seems that a new food trend or much-awaited restaurant sprouts on social media. As someone in food media, we at COOK get invited to these new places, often during preopening or at their media launches. While we get to go to some, we can’t really attend every event. Personally, I’d rather go on my own, a few months after the opening rush has died down and the lines shift somewhere else. I recently tried two new establishments, both franchises of international chains, and was underwhelmed at best. I understand the hype and excitement that comes from new brands coming or returning to our shores. But there are so many better places for what they offer, homegrown establishments that offer better products, better value. More importantly, these local restaurants keep the money in our country, creating more local jobs, buying from local suppliers, and so on. 

Of the countless restaurants that open yearly, I am really proud of those who promote Filipino cuisine, especially regional dishes. While these restaurants may find it difficult to compete with international chains and large local restaurant groups, their existence means that local cuisine has a following. We see these restaurants at dining “districts” like Maginhawa and Scout Area in Quezon City, Marikina, Kapitolyo in Pasig, Poblacion in Makati and BF Paranaque. I hope more people discover local and regional cuisine. While we welcome imports, we must first love our own.

As I write my Editor’s Note for July, I am astounded by how much I still don’t know about our National Hero, Jose Rizal. Since this issue was produced in the latter part of May to early June, it is around the same time that festivities celebrating his birthday are underway in his hometown of Calamba, Laguna.

Our family used to spend weekends in Calamba—my mom’s hometown—when I was growing up. Every week, we’d pass by Rizal Shrine and a few times we’d go in, especially when balikbayan cousins are around. That was pretty much all the extra knowledge I had about the man, above what we were required to study in school. Having just joined the Culinary Historians of the Philippines (CHOP) this year, I was eager to learn more about Filipino cuisine, especially the food from faraway provinces and towns. I had very little interest on Calamba, thinking there was nothing worth finding. 

Last month, I was tasked by friends from CHOP to organize a “Food of Jose Rizal” lunch and tour in Calamba. Unlike other towns and provinces, Calamba isn’t really on anyone’s culinary map. Even I had no idea what the local food was, apart from a dish which I hated as a child—Sinigang na Kanduli sa Bayabas. What will I serve the CHOP group, what will I say about Rizal’s Calamba?

After a bit of research, assistance from relatives, tourism officers, and no less than Rizal Shrine Curator, Ms. Zarah Escueta and Calamba native Chef Kathy Sion, the lunch and tour pushed through. I had to say something during the lunch and thanks to Felice Sta. Maria’s book, “The Foods of Jose Rizal”, I had enough trivia to share. 

History is something we often take for granted. We go about our daily lives, pass by monuments, visit places and read historical and cultural markers and that’s usually it. If only we dug a little deeper, read a little more and visited a little longer, we’d find so many interesting things about our past—things that might even help us with our present and future.

June usually marks the end of summer and the start of a new school year. That’s the reason why for so many food-related businesses, the focus on packed meals for school is a yearly occurrence. But June isn’t all “back-to-school”. This month, we also celebrate Philippine Independence Day. Sadly, being free and independent doesn’t sell as much as other products you can eat and place in a takeaway container. We hardly even pay attention to festivities every June 12. On the food front, however, all is not lost.

Last April, I was fortunate enough to tag along with my wife and my brother-in-law to an event held at Manila Hotel. In celebration of the newly declared National Food Month every April, Filipino food lovers gathered, shared, ate and drank, all with the aim of promoting local cuisine and produce. It was actually last year when the President declared April as National Food Month, so those behind the advocacy set a series of activities for April of this year. Of all the events in April, I got to attend two—the Bangsamoro lunch at Chef Jessie’s Place in Makati and the Gala Night of the National Food Month at Manila Hotel. If it weren’t for my brother-in-law and my wife, I might not have had the opportunity to witness such a gathering of people investing time and resources to preserve and promote our culinary heritage. There are sumptuous dishes from provinces that we haven’t even heard of. As representatives of Laguna cuisine to the Gala night, we introduced fellow attendees to dishes like Minanok, Ginataang Yapyap and a Kesong Puti Cheesecake with Lipote. Like most of you, I’ve never heard of these dishes as recently as a year ago. And to think that Laguna is practically part of Metro Manila, there’s a lot we haven’t heard of, much less tried.

Thanks to people who work to preserve and promote eating local, traditional food, there just might be hope that these dishes will live on for long.

While the sun blazes, and my sweat glands are working overtime, I decide to make it even hotter by making this month’s theme all about smoking. The magical combination of wood, fire, smoke and meats plus hours and hours of tending results in the best eating you can do this summer. While grilling is an easier, quicker way of cooking outdoors, the flavors and textures that hours of smoking bring is just incomparable. 

I’ve always been a fan of smoking meats. It seems that I am not alone as more and more shows on TV and on YouTube feature smoking recipes, smoked meat restaurants and barbecue joints. While I haven’t made the “pilgrimage” to the Southern US states famous for barbecues, I have tried versions in the US and here at home.

The use of smoke to cook food has a long history. Salting meats or fish and then smoking them ensures longer shelf life and less bacteria. The delicious by-product we now all enjoy are the various cured and smoked meats, fish and seafood. 

Cooking with fire is something primordial and instinctive to us. Controlling the fire and the smoke, as well as the seasonings added to food is something humans have perfected over the centuries. While grilling is a quicker way of cooking with wood and fire, smoking provides a deeper flavor and the long hours involved results in the juiciest, most tender morsels of meat you can have. 

In this issue, we smoked all sorts: chicken, duck, pork and fish. Seasoned simply, rubbed with spices, cured quickly or marinated overnight, each recipe all benefited from hours of low and slow cooking, all the time enveloped by smoke.  We intentionally kept things simple but for those of you who like a bit more of a challenge, there are many recipes and videos online. 

Smoking is ideal during the summer but can be done anytime of the year. All it takes is some patience, a bit of care and a bit of wood. So get your meats and fish seasoned, your wood chopped and light it up!

We’re 19 years old! As the longest-running monthly culinary magazine, COOK Magazine has published thousands of recipes and featured thousands of restaurants. It’s amazing that after close to two decades, we still have so many recipes to share, so many places to visit and so much food to try. Like any true foodie, we just can’t get enough. 
This issue is also special from a personal standpoint. During the production of our April issue, I was busy making preparations for my wedding to one of our contributors, pastry chef and restaurateur Gel Salonga (now Salonga-Datu). As I write this Editor’s Note, I am on our honeymoon, in Japan. While I’ve been to Japan decades ago, I hardly remember any details, apart from visiting food halls in department stores and getting “free tastes”. It’s still the same now, with most of the stalls offering free samples of their goods. 
Gel and I picked Japan and South Korea for our honeymoon because whenever we eat out, we usually end up eating at either Japanese or Korean restaurants.  True enough, as soon as we landed and got settled, we were off to the nearest convenience store to sample the cheap, high quality food on offer.
We’ve been to Tokyo and Osaka, and heading to Seoul next. So far, there have been a lot of hits and a few misses. While we could’ve planned our meals and itinerary, we purposely left our schedules flexible, opting to walk around and stopping at restaurants when we got hungry. What I’ve realized so far is that Japanese food in the Philippines is at par with what we’ve had in Japan. In general though, we couldn’t have picked a better destination. Seoul beckons and we’re raring to sample what South Korea has to offer.

As a lifelong foodie, I’ve always been addicted to cooking shows. Before there was cable TV, I looked forward to Saturday mornings because of cartoons and “Cooking It Up With Nora”. On Saturday evenings, there was “Wok with Yan”. When cable TV was still in its infancy, we got a bit more cooking shows on food- and lifestyle-themed channels. “Biba’s Italian Kitchen”, “The Urban Peasant”, Jacques Pépin and Julia Child episodes, and a bit of Keith Floyd. It was a dream come true for me, and from that I developed the habit of eating meals while watching cooking shows. To this day, I still eat meals while watching cooking programs. 
The format of cooking shows have changed since the mid-80s. As a child, I remember learning how to cook from these shows as neither of my parents cooked. The recipes and procedures stuck to my mind so much so that on a family vacation abroad, I cooked Beef with Broccoli and Oyster Sauce on my own, complete with cornstarch slurry and everything. I was 12 years old then, so imagine my parents’ shock when they realized I could cook a proper meal, without a written recipe. 
Since then, cooking shows are less about demonstrating how to cook and more of where to go and what to eat. Even on YouTube, you’ll find vloggers posting their food finds and epic meals. While I enjoy these “food trip” shows more, I realize that cooking shows are slowly giving way to eating shows. Is it because people are less interested with cooking now? It may be down to the availability of recipes online. While we had to buy/borrow books and watch cooking shows to learn, now, all we need to do is search on our phones. With services like Netflix and the whole new approach they have with cooking and cooking show formats, we have even more at our fingertips. Current Netflix favorites are “Ugly Delicious” and “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”. Even local shows like “Local Legends”, “Chasing Flavors” and “FoodPrints” are making food and travel more enticing.

February is associated with love and passion the world over. While this month has turned into more of a commercial (money-making) season yet again, it never hurts to rise to the occasion and show people we love how special they are to us. Valentine’s Day is oftentimes linked to the passionate, fiery, steamy kind of love. Even in our previous February issues, our theme revolved around heat, spice and even foods with supposed aphrodisiac properties. This year, we’ve decided to look at the gentler, more subtle side of things.

Our theme for this month is “gentle heat”, both in the cooking and in the flavoring of food. Instead of the searing heat of say, grilling, frying and broiling, we look at cooking at a much lower temperature. The same goes for heat in the flavor sense of the word. Instead of hot, burning spices that attack the palate, we look at ingredients that bring warmth and subtle spice, like ginger. If the kitchen can be a playground, we’ve definitely played around with food this month and the results have been terrific. I can’t wait for you to try the recipes the Cook team has created for you in this issue.

On a personal note, I am in a celebratory mode because this month, I am getting married! At 40 years old, I am finally getting hitched. To friends and family who have known me all my life, they’d know that this is a monumental leap for someone who values his independence and enjoys the perks of “single blessedness”. But finding the right girl, the perfect girl for me, completely turned things upside down and inside out. Luckily, she’s a fellow chef and I’m marrying into their big foodie family so there’s no adjustments needed there. And since my soon-to-be in-laws are into cooking and baking, I am looking forward to learning from them as the months and years go by. In return you, our dear readers can expect even more from me and us at Cook – more of the easy, practical recipes you’ve come to love that are all kitchen-tested and guaranteed to please.

We at Cook always start the incoming year by looking back at experiences of the year that was. It’s our way of stepping back, an opportunity for us to appreciate everything that has happened in the past year. While we at Cook enjoy our jobs and all that it entails, being caught up in the daily tasks doesn’t leave much time to stop and smell the flowers. Our January issue is also a nice and compact souvenir for our readers. Having a collection of a year’s worth of our best recipes packed into one issue is convenient for recipe collectors.

The start of the New Year also means looking forward to what’s new and which things will trend. One of the best “trends” I kept seeing in 2018 was the attention and importance given to rediscovering the provinces. From heirloom ingredients and recipes to reviving everything traditional, the previous year was a positive development with regards to renewing interest in everything local.

2019 is Cook’s 19th year in print, a year short of two decades. While we embrace technology and all the convenience it brings, we’re mighty proud to still be on paper. This year will also be a huge year for me, personally as I will be getting married in February. While we can never know what the new year brings, the fact that we are still here, celebrating, hoping, wishing, is enough to be grateful for. Here’s to 2019, our best year yet!

As the days breeze by in the next new weeks, getting lost in the chaos of it all is an all too real risk. Much as we’d like to enjoy the spirit of the season, getting stuck in 3-hour traffic jams and fighting over the last few parking slots in mall just makes the joy and cheer disappear as fast as our bonuses fly away from our wallets.
Yes after year, I often remind myself that the point of this season isn’t making sure we have the grandest meals or the best gifts. While the spirit of giving is a good thing to have, it can quickly turn into spirit of commercialism if we’re not careful. Spending so much to celebrate one or two days seems wasteful, and for the many who barely make ends meet, the commercial side of Christmas can even be a source of frustration and envy. The point of the holidays is to celebrate Christ’s birth with loved ones. While there is nothing wrong with spending a little extra and preparing something a little more special to share with family and friends, we also need to step back and see if we’re simply celebrating an important day in the Christian calendar or if we’re getting sucked into the well-oiled Christmas machinery. We don’t hear Christmas songs starting in September by chance. It’s a way of conditioning shoppers for the coming spending spree.
Let this year be the start of a simpler, more meaningful Christmas for your family. For those who know me personally, they’d know that Christmas of one of the busiest times of the year for me. Last year, I decided to start selling roast turkey for the holidays and Christmas came and went in a blur. While the financial rewards are great, setting limits and learning to say no or “sold out” means that I can still have the time and energy to enjoy festivities and so will the people who help me in my small seasonal business.
I wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember, it’s never about what we have at the table, it’s who we share it with.

Food waste is one of the biggest problems we are facing today. I watched a few episodes of Jamie Oliver’s show—Jamie and Jimmy’s Food Fight Club. The show highlights areas of food wastage and takes steps to change the public’s eating habits, which in turn affects their purchases and eventually, if all goes to plan, the buying and stocking of large grocery chains. Of course, the show also has recipes and even celebrity guests that help in drawing people to the show. Jamie Oliver’s popularity is a good tool to use and his other advocacies like changing school lunch menus to make them healthier shows his sincere desire for change.
This issue of food wastage couldn’t be more timely for us here in the Philippines. Just a month or so ago, the news was filled with articles about the soaring prices of rice and vegetables. While a number of factors caused the price spike (weather, importation errors, etc.), what became clear was that food was becoming more expensive than what the public can afford. And to make matters even worse, just around the same time, a picture of a huge mound, tons and tons of tomatoes was being thrown away in Kalayaan, Laguna. Here we all are, bearing the brunt of inflation, taxation and lack of supply, while just two hours away from Manila, farmers had no choice but to discard tons of produce. What was wrong? On one side was a supposed lack of supply that drove prices sky high while two hours away, farmers’ harvests are being rejected.
The problems of proper infrastructure, protection and assistance for the agricultural sector, bureaucratic delays and corrupt practices, and purchasing culture all played a part in the mess we got into. While Northern Luzon received the brunt of the bad weather, farms exist all over Luzon. The Department of Agriculture tried to bring in produce from the southern provinces, but they neglected the harvests from places as near as two hours away from Manila.

This month, we’re all about the contrasting and complimentary flavors of the sweet and the spicy. While ingredients like sugar and spices are common in most our cupboards, these were expensive luxuries in Europe once upon a time. We’re not saying that the greed and exploitation of the early explorers and conquistadors are a good thing, but at least the world has since been introduced to ingredients we now use on a daily basis.

Sweetness can come from a myriad of things. While white granulated sugar is the most plentiful, alternative sweeteners like honey, coco sugar and stevia are just as easy to find and much healthier choices. Some fruits, root crops, tubers and vegetables also offer their own unique sweetness with the benefit of added vitamins and fiber. 

Spice on the other hand is equally essential to cooking. Usually associated with the hot, chili kind of spicy, there are hundreds of spices in existence. Mostly coming from seeds, flowers, pods, or barks, spices are commonly dried and ground into easy-to-use powders. Mastering the use of spices can take ages, but knowing a few basics can definitely add a special touch to any dish.

The Cook team, together with our contributing chefs share their take on sweetness and spice, in the hopes of inspiring you, our dear readers into trying out new recipes or perking up your tried and tested dishes. From classic combos like cinnamon and sugar to the milder flavors of sweet potato and corn mixed with paprika, recipes abound. We also have a few new restaurants and a couple of favorites that we’ve revisited. 

Whether in our own kitchens or when dining out makes cooking and eating that much more exciting. While our recipes are tested and guaranteed to please the most demanding foodies, we also encourage you to experiment and play around with flavors and ingredients. Cooking and eating should be much more than a necessity, it is one of the easiest and most rewarding activities we can do with or for our loved ones.

Great on its own as a snack, a flavorful addition to dishes that also gives texture and crunch, nuts have always been an essential ingredient in many cuisines. Aside from the obvious culinary uses, nuts are also a healthy addition to our diets. Strictly speaking, nuts are dried fruits with a hard outer shell.
In the culinary sense though, any oily seed or kernel is normally categorized as a nut, even if they aren't botanically.

With the rains constantly showering the metropolis these past weeks, there is nothing better than staying home to enjoy hot home cooked meals. If ever there was a time to cook “comfort food”, this season is it. For a lot of Asians, comfort food means a steaming bowl of noodles with broth. Whether it be fragrant pho, savory ramen, spicy laksa or La Paz batchoy, each culture usually has a few noodle soups up their sleeves. Chefs Bruce Lim and Day Salonga share their favorite noodle soup creations this month in the hopes of inspiring our readers to create their own versions of comfort in a bowl.
Of course, noodle soups don’t have a monopoly on soothing tummies of wet and windy days. For me, cooking and eating stews have the same ability to relax and comfort. I always find satisfaction in transforming a cheaper cut of meat into a delightful meal just by adding a few ingredients and letting time and a low fire do their thing. Of all the stews I’ve cooked, Boeuf Bourguignon easily makes my top 3.
For those who can’t find the time to cook, are too lazy (everyone has those days) or would like to try out new restaurants, we suggest visiting a few of those we’ve been to recently. Asian Taste serves Chinese food with specialty dishes from all over Southeast Asia. The Red Piano, a “gastro lounge”, serves the best dishes from around the globe. La Spezia Manila, an Italian dining destination in the heart of Quezon City serves authentic dishes that are so much better than the typical pizza and pasta joints we normally get. For Thai food lovers, there’s no better place than Benjarong.
And with their modern take on classic Thai flavors, you can get a glimpse of the potential of Asian cuisine for modern dining.
If summer is for dieting and eating light, then the rainy season gives us an excuse to sit back and indulge. Keep dry, stay warm and cook your favorite comfort food while listening to the pouring rain from the safety of your kitchens.

It’s been over a month since chef, TV host and author Anthony Bourdian was found lifeless due to an apparent suicide.

That he was in France, filming for his show Parts Unknown and was found by friend and three-starred Michelin Chef Eric Ripert is somewhat poetic. He was in the home of fine food. He was back in France, his second home. France is where his family was originally from and where he spent summers as a child. Like many well-loved pop culture icons, he went out on top, and for millions of his fans, much too soon. What made his death even more shocking was that he took his own life. He who travelled and ate for a living, the guy who had the best job in the world just decided his life sucked and ended it.

The day Anthony Bourdain died, social media was flooded with posts about his life, his work and how he has been part of so many people’s lives. As far as the Philippines may be from Bourdain’s hometown of New York, based on how Filipinos were affected by his death, you’d think he lived and grew up here. But that was exactly why Anthony Bourdain became a worldwide sensation. His wit, sincerity, ability to empathize and just the way he interacted with everyone in his shows has endeared him to his multitude of followers. He is a master storyteller, never focusing on just the food or just the sights. His views on politics, on society, on the food industry and just about anything on earth is masterfully woven in between bites of mostly delectable food he travels the world for.

In his first show on the Philippines, No Reservations – Philippines, he got only a glimpse of our food, which disappointed many.

His claim of having had “the best pig ever” in Cebu was a consolation, but after his first trip here, most of us felt he should’ve tried more and stayed longer. There was so much more to taste and see, and wasting a section of the episode on Farmers Market, eating generic paluto food was a bit frustrating. 
READ MORE ON EDITOR’S NOTE.

I was recently asked to write about how I see food culture today. The website, www.mata.com.ph, was founded by a friend and aims to gather like-minded people who promote a better, more eco-friendly way of life. While I don’t consider myself an eco-warrior, doing small things in support of those who are is a step. I’d like to share my thoughts on what I know a little bit about – food.
Why has food become such a “thing”? Why did a video of some guy sprinkling salt over meat become viral?
When did we all become such foodies? Is this a fad or a more lasting part of our culture? Here’s an excerpt from my article for mata.com.ph: “In an age when information is shared and experiences are broadcast for everyone (at least to one’s online friends/followers) to see, food has become such a large part of our lives. Unlike decades ago when good eats were just part of conversations and pictures of food were left to people’s imaginations, the food of today is often photographed and shared even before the first bite.
Why is food such a big part of our daily social lives? What used to be consumed for plain sustenance or at most as a part of celebrations has now become part of social currency. Dining in the “it” places, the newest foreign franchise resto or just snapping pictures of your dolled-up ulam for lunch seems to take up a sizeable chunk of our social media selves. People tend to gauge others on where or what they eat. Even travel photos on social media seem to be more food than sights nowadays.
One reason I find is that food remains one of the few affordable luxuries we can occasionally indulge in. As the prices of everything go up and up, food remains one of the things that we can still afford. Imagine you are an ordinary employee, making a decent living. Unlike in the 20th century when every working person could afford a simple home and maybe a car, today’s regular salaried adult would find it difficult to purchase one, let alone both.

It seems that Summer 2018 might be known as the summer without Boracay. While there are countless other beaches that are equally or even more picturesque than Boracay, the small party island has been summer central for the past 30 years, even longer. I’d rather not get into the should and shouldn’t haves, but I am for giving the island a break and it would be nice to promote other places.

Other than the closing of Boracay, 2018 might also be known as the year everyone went to Taiwan. While I personally haven’t been, the sheer number of social media posts of friends that have gone to Taipei makes me feel as if I’ve been there multiple times. I wonder where the next “in” place will be next year.

As for me, I’ve been spending more and more time in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Being so near mountains and rice paddies provides a respite from the searing heat.

Once the heat lets up at around 5 p.m., the greenery all around Sta. Cruz and its neighboring towns seems to make the heat a little more bearable – compared to all the dust and steel and concrete of Metro Manila. Being in Laguna also has advantages when it comes to food.

Freshwater fish, fresh fruits and vegetables and eating home cooked, traditional food work wonders. Of course, there are trade-offs in living away from the big cities but the improvements in quality of life far outweigh the disadvantages. 

The abundance and reasonable price of coconuts are something we should take advantage of. I, along with our other chef contributors and columnists share our favorite coconut recipes in this issue.

On the cover, we celebrate the month of May, the month for moms with one of the most prominent celebrity moms in our local entertainment industry – Marian Rivera-Dantes. She shares her life as a busy mom in and out of showbiz and talks about her love of cooking.

So whether you’re heading out of the country or out of town in the remaining weeks of summer, enjoy the change of scenery with good food and good company.

Cook is now 18 years old! Wow, that was a quick 18. With most of our fellow culinary magazines shifting to online publication, we’re still standing proud, still working hard to provide you, our dear readers with recipes, travel ideas and restaurant finds month after month, year after year.
It seems like yesterday that I moved from slaving away in restaurant kitchens to writing, cooking and eating for a monthly publication.
After hundreds of restaurants features and thousands of recipes tested, tasted and photographed, I still haven’t had enough. I am always grateful for the opportunity to work with people I love like family, doing work that I know is the envy of most foodies.
How can you beat cooking and eating for a living?! 
Of course, we wouldn’t have lasted this long without our loyal subscribers and the support of our advertisers who never cease to believe in us. To show our appreciation, all we can really do is continue what we do and improve on our craft. This means more recipes, more featured restaurants and resorts, more destinations and more interesting food stories. Print media is a tough place to be in, especially in the age of high speed internet.
But we truly believe that there will always be room and a clamor for printed materials, something you can keep and collect, recipes you can cut out and compile and words and pages that you can turn and browse through.
We look forward to 18 more wonderful years with you. Every calorie, every written word, every recipe tested and photographed and every kilometer we’ve ever travelled is for our readers and for everyone who like us, make their worlds revolve around food.
Thank you to everyone who has ever been part of our beloved publication. We are excited as ever for what the future holds. Let’s continue cooking and eating together!

This month’s theme is sous vide cooking, or cooking under vacuum. This isn’t exactly brand new tech, as it has been around for at least a decade but widespread usage has only picked up quite recently with the availability of inexpensive equipment meant for home use.
What used to cost in the tens of thousands can now be bought for under five. And with the new models being simple and straightforward to use, it has become a necessity for serious foodies.
To those unfamiliar with cooking sous vide, it simply uses plastic bags to contain whatever you’re cooking, vacuum-sealed and submerged in an accurate temperature controlled water bath. The result is food cooked to the ideal temperature, without the risk of overcooking and with perfect results each time. Edge to edge perfectly done steaks, roasts and fish are now as easy as 1,2,3.
Fall-off-the-bone braised meats, cooked low and slow (slow as in 2 or more days) with the accompanying vegetables still maintaining their shape and texture after 2 days of cooking is nothing short of a miracle.
With all the advantages sous vide cooking has, it wasn’t until I tried an impossibly tender and uniformly pink loin of lamb was I convinced. The price drop on immersion circulators (the apparatus that maintains cooking temperature) also helped me make the leap.
Admittedly, sous vide cooking works wonders for food that needs a specific level of undercooking (steaks, seafood, roast beef) but isn’t as necessary or practical for items that need to be fully cooked like chicken and braised meats.
Cooking, just like life can use a bit of a change once in a while. To those of you who like me, are quite stubborn and resistant to change and all things new, I suggest stepping out of your comfort zone occasionally. Try everything at least once and keep an open mind. I’m glad I did and because of it, days of guessing and overcooked steaks are a thing of the past!

It seems that with every New Year, the number of new restaurants that open just keeps on growing exponentially. The trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, as new taxation schemes make it even more difficult for ordinary people to afford luxuries such as new cars. As prices go up and up, one of the few remaining indulgences people turn to is food. Instantly gratifying, relatively inexpensive and perfect for those who spend impulsively, a quick lunch or dinner out to try the newest dining hotspot is one of the few ways we reward ourselves.
On a recent food event hosted by San Miguel Corp., one of the country’s largest conglomerates, food trends for 2018 was the topic, and industry experts predicted what they thought the year ahead was going to bring. From food on-the-go to global flavors to indulgence, 2018 seemed to be another promising year for us foodies. Of all the trends mentioned, heritage cuisine was one that I hoped would gain more traction. Discovering and rediscovering our food and food culture should be way higher on our lists than say, trying out the newest foreign franchise resto. Of course, when it comes to food, keeping up with the “Joneses” is par for the course. Trends sell, and keeping abreast with what’s happening in the region and beyond is all part of how the local food scene grows. But looking inward and uncovering what has been with us all along is even far more important if we are to keep our identity. Filipino cuisine has long been the “next big thing” in the culinary world. It would be a shame if foreigners discover that we ourselves aren’t familiar or are less interested in our own cuisine than they are. Heritage cuisine doesn’t have to be too exotic. 
You don’t even have to travel too far to be able to experience lesser known dishes that have always been served but aren’t part of our usual diet. 
Let’s dig a little deeper, try a little a little more, travel a bit further and discover our own food and make what is ours trend.

It’s a new year once again and after all the dust from the holiday rush has settled, it’s nice to look back at everything that happened in 2017.
From our usual monthly shoots to road trips and journeys abroad to restaurant features and food finds, 2017 has been good to us at Cook. Meeting new people, trying out new food and sharing all our experience with you, our readers is what we love about our job.
On a personal note, the end of 2017 also marked the start of a small food business of mine, selling roast turkey for the holidays. While it would be a conflict of interest to advertise my products here, I still can’t get over how thankful I am to those who supported and sent their words of encouragement.
I am not a business-minded person and would happily write and cook in the background forever. I also value my leisure time so all the stress and craziness involved in running any kind of business was something I have always avoided. Those who know me well know that if I wasn’t busy with anything Cook Magazine related, I’d be in either of two places—the tennis court or the golf course. Now, they can find me somewhere new, at the kitchen slaving away, rushing to get orders done.
The start of the year also traditionally means that we “try” to eat and live healthier. Our cover for January is my attempt at making something easy, healthy and yummy. Freezing fruits are a great way to save money by buying in bulk. You also get to keep the fruits longer and suspend them at their sweetest. I also discovered that frozen berries are sold here and are relatively cheap, compared to the fresh stuff. Full of antioxidants and great in a smoothie with some yoghurt and honey, berries are an easy way to get your daily fix of vitamins. All you need is to take a few pieces out of the freezer, add a bit of yoghurt and honey, adjust the thickness of the smoothie with some milk or water and you’ve got yourself a great breakfast or snack.

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Being the oldest monthly culinary magazine in the Philippines, Cook Magazine continues to evolve and adapt to the interests and demands of our readers and supporters. We at Cook Magazine pride ourselves with providing our readers and advertisers practical, kitchen-tested recipes from our country’s top chefs and food experts, local and international dining destinations and food-related features and event partnerships. We look forward to leading the way in sharing our love of food for years to come.

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