Exotic defined

Sometimes, when people ask me if I'm adventurous enough to eat anything, I'd say that I draw the line on exotic food. Come to think of it though, what exactly is "exotic"?

If "exotic" means anything that uses un-conventional meat, meaning other than the widely accepted beef, pork, chicken, turkey... then even foie gras is exotic, le canard à l'orange (duck in orange sauce) is exotic, and even paella with rabbit meat. Yeah?

In those cases, I'd still give it a go. I'd re-phrase my answer then when someone asks me. I'd draw the line on wriggling worms, on raw brains and the like. The only raw thing I could eat would be sushi and sashimi, and kilawin.

This made me look back to the exotic things I have tried so far.

Sisig is exotic, when you think about it. It's a mixture of odd-looking meat parts from the pig's face to the liver to the backfat. It's like alternative music that went into mainstream. Exotic that has gone popular. Me, I love the corny versions: bangus sisig, tuna sisig, tofu sisig --- which would make lovers of the authentic sisig roll their eyes and say "nag-sisig ka pa!" (translation: "and you call that sisig!")

Above is a photo of Claude Tayag's sisig, which he himself prepared from his home in Angeles, Pampanga:


Bopis falls along the line of Sisig. Exotic that has become a bit widely accepted.

Below is a photo of something I refused to try initially. I mean, I have seen fried froggie legs in Manila bars, but they weren't, uh, as graphic. With this one, I could almost make out Kermit's form, and I adore Kermit! Can you see those tiny arms and legs? :-(

In the end, I had to try it. It tasted just like chicken, a little oily-er, but if you close your eyes, you could almost convince yourself it's chicken haha!


Then there were the crickets. One of the specialties of Everybody's Cafe in Pampanga. Surprisingly good, in adobo.

In several trips to other Asian countries like Bangkok, Saigon and Beijing, I have seen exotic dishes like crickets, scorpions and all sorts of bugs along the street. Squeamish then, I opted for the safer candied fruits, just like the ones my dad, brother and I had at Wangfujing hahaha!

But I promise to be more adventurous. Now that I'm 25. Right. Haha :-)

So near and yet so far, Tagaytay

Idle time makes Myra conjure up evil thoughts... There is a desperate need to feed fantasies of sugar and salt wonderland, this being that weird time of the month that girls curse.... In my head, I had already made a firm decision: I'd drive up to Tagaytay early morning tomorrow with my dad and Tita Susan, we'll have breakfast at Antonio's:

Sardine and eggs with pandesal, plus.....

Caramel banana walnut waffles ---- while I prefer Pancake House's version, you don't drive up to Tagaytay for somethin you could have in Manila yeah?

Immediately after, we'll stuff ourselves bloated with Gourmet's shrimp and pesto pizza for early lunch? Yeah, why not? Surely, the long drive back would burn all those carbs. No? And all these years I thought driving around Manila's horrendously, perpetually jampacked roads was exercise enough!!

And then of course, coffee and apple pie a la mode at Bag Of Beans (last photo) before hitting the road back to Manila...

Only in your dreams, Myra.... you'll be stuck at the 21st floor all day tomorrow. Haha! G'night peeps!

Burger Mem'ries

I don't know if it's just me. But sometimes, I remember a place based on the food I had there. I remember a trip based on what I ate, ahaha (what does that make me, I wonder?).

Remarkably good or bad, at least not forgettable yeah? Right now, all I could think of are burgers. For whatever reason. I vowed not to eat pork or beef, and was successfuly for months. Until my skin acted up and I had perpetual goosebumps, probably because I have ingested too much chicken and egg lately. No, I'm not trying to justify why I had to eat meat again. Oh okay. Maybe I am haha! I digress.

I flew KLM about four times the past couple of years and, while I couldn't quite remember what they served us for breakfast, the fact that I couldn't remember meant it wasn't so bad, but not to die for either. I did remember Eva Air. It was last year, on board a Manila - LAX flight. I dozed off and the flight attendant served me a sad-looking ham that I wanted to toss out the window, if only I were riding a bus or a train and not thousands of miles above ground. I work for a processed meat company so I know when one ought to stop putting extenders lest the ham becomes just about as edible as an eraser.

LA is the land of burgers. I fell in love with In N Out, even after having been brought to this place in West Hollywood called The Counter, where they customize burgers for you --- 1/2 pound, 1/3 pound, a quarter of a pound, beef, chicken, turkey, vegetarian, on wheat, on rye, or just the patty, with grilled pineapples, avocado slices, caramelized onions, cornichons, mozzarella, parmesan, cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sauerkraut, arghhhh every kind of topping you could think of!!! In N Out, The Counter. It doesn't end there. Even the McDonald's in LA was offering something they don't here. Angus Burgers! My head is swimming with burger memories as I type this. Another place we tried was Islands Burger.

The burgers were so good I took a break from my no-meat resolve. So good I could almost eat them for breakfast. Almost. Because the best breakfast LA had to offer, for me, was my aunt's scrambled eggs with cheese and bell peppers. French toast and eggs at Denny's a close second!

A bacon is a bacon is a bacon?

To say that I love my job would be too loaded. Lest I be accused of being just a tad too emotionally constipated, fine, I must say I do like my job somehow, because of the people I work with and the perks of getting to eat out for free teehee!

I work with food. Day in and out.

In order to keep my job, I have to sell bacon and corned beef and ham and pizza toppings. And I do need a great deal of help from workmates lest I end up just slapping them on a piece of bread when I present to Clients.

Some of my favorite applications so far?

Breakfast burrito with ham and bacon, cheese, eggs and rice --- breakfast in a roll.

Cheesy corned beef turnover!

Chicken longganisa and a egg, classic Pinoy breakfast.


Adobo flakes and egg with fried bananas on the side.

You see, my job does not really require super skills. Just a passion for food, and the desire to find ways to make the ordinary more exciting. After all, a bacon is a bacon is a bacon. But only if you want it to be.