Learning to Cook and Other Things

I read somewhere that taking orange juice with meals ala fast food may deter the development of  heart related ailments. This is because, according to the study orange juice contains flavonoids; specifically, naringenin and hesperidin. According to one study:  “Data show, for the first time to our knowledge, that drinking orange juice with a meal high in fat and carbohydrates prevented the marked increases in reactive oxygen species and other inflammatory agents,” said the first author of the study, Husam Ghanim, PhD. “This did not happen when participants drank water or a sugary drink with the meal,” he added. “These issues of inflammation following a meal are important because the resultant high glucose and high triglycerides are known to be related to the development of cardiovascular events.”  Furthermore:  "Previous studies have reported that naringenin may prevent cholesterol increases, and changes in insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism linked to metabolic synd

This is one breakfast and dinner dish I prepared recently. This is my own version of a pancit canton recipe which I have cooked and concocted in countless ways based on what ingredients are available at the time of cooking. I used chinese sausage as flavor enhancer since I didn't have anything in the fridge; no chicken, no pork, no seafood. It turned out okey, according to my partner. He normally eats a hearty breakfast. For awhile back, during younger days,  his breakfast was a cup of black coffee. That's it. Over the years, I convinced him that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. It doesn't matter if you just eat  fruits for lunch. But it is a MUST to eat a nutritious breakfast. My version of pancit canton was complete in terms of balance. Look here: 250 gms pancit canton package 3 pcs chinese sausage, diced 2 cups diced cabbage 1 cup diced carrots 1/4 cup kinchay 1/2 cup onions 1/2 cup green onions for garnish 5 cloves of garlic, crushed 1/2

Not mine, though.. For those located in the Philippines, check out this link from GMA's wmn.ph. The link provides information on the  10 best date places for Valentines. And for those staying at home, check out  the naked chefs dinner or meal suggestions here .

"Hoping you see what your love means to me"

The Gourmet Vacation Package is essentially learning to cook the Italian way conducted  in an authentic Italian setting. What can be more authentic than being in Italy to learn how to cook the Italian way?  You don't just learn the techniques. The greater value  is in the process of immersion.  Students not only enjoy the rudiments of  Italian cuisine but at the same time get exposed to its much vaunted Italian culture. In other words, students get the real feel of the Italian lifestyle.What could be more exciting than that? Additionally, I would think the mentors, would be teaching in the Italian language. The package allows a choice of location for the cooking lessons.Students can take the lessons in Umbria. Located in the Central Italian region, it is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. On the west border is Tuscany, the Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. With a  land area of 8,456 km² it has about 900,000 inhabitants. The Umbrian region is mostly hilly or mountainous.

I saw an interesting news clip about 'fried pork'. Seems unappetizing if called by that name. Actually, fried pork is really Crispy Pata. It's prepared from the pig's front legs, "unahan" as the pork vendors call them. Perhaps, chefs call them  knuckles. The following is a borrowed recipe from this site. It is very similar to what my Mom used to prepare whenever there is a special occassion. Preparation & drying: 4 hours to 1 day Estimated cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 Pata (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles) 1 bottle of soda (7Up or sprite) 1 tablespoon of salt 2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce) 1/2 tablespoon baking soda 1 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG) 4 tablespoons of flour Enough oil for deep frying Enough water for boiling Cooking Instructions: Clean the pork pata by removing all hairs and by scraping the skin with a knife. Wash thoroughly. Make four to five inch cuts on the sides

I know that this seems to be  off-topic from this blog which is supposed to talk about food and cooking. But one night, while having dinner with friends who were on vacation from the United States, plastic surgery  among other subjects were heatedly but happily debated on.  If only to commit the discussions to memory,  I  am now compelled to write a snippet about those conversations here. After consuming  a simple dinner consisting  mainly of lasagna of the beef/pork meat variety, (that went pretty well with the customary red wine), my friend said that back at her  American  work environment, women were inclined to get something augmented periodically. One way or the other, it can be a boob job, a noselift, or perhaps an "angelina jolie lip like" augmentation. Plastic surgery was something considered as normal as getting a shower. Why the penchant for plastic surgery? In L.A.  particularly, says my friend, everybody is so consumed about looking good. Breast and waistlin