Here I go again with trying to be different. But I really did want to try something different — again!
Lately, I've been curious about the vlogging world (particularly, how others get millions of views and hits, and how others don't). And a lot of celebrities and vloggers have Q&A videos.
Hi, Gordon Ramsay!
Since I am not a vlogger (it's really not my thing; I'd much rather have my "voice" come out in my writing and social media posts), I decided to do a Q&A — particularly, one for foodies — here in my blog instead. I came across this page and thought of answering some of the questions listed there.
- What’s your favourite cooking/food show right now? What draws you to that show?
Easily, it would have to be MasterChef (the US edition). I watch most of the MasterChef series, actually (Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Canada, etc.), but I like the pace, the drama, and the challenges in the US one better. In fact, I would have to say that it's largely thanks to the show that I decided that I needed to finally learn how to cook around 3 years ago. If homecooks could create soufflés at home, so could I. - If you could eat dinner anywhere in the world, where would it be?
At this very moment, somewhere in Italy. Give me a plate of my favorite pasta, please. Or the best kind of pizza in the world. - What’s the most important tool/appliance/gadget in your kitchen?
Our food processor. It's a lifesaver in so many ways, from helping us make pasta dough or pie crust dough, etc., etc. - What food trend do you absolutely hate?
I don't think I have any. I just don't subscribe to or follow all food trends. - What’s one ingredient that you’ve seen in the grocery store, but have been too scared to purchase?
Anything live, like live crabs, lobsters, etc. I don't cook a lot of seafood, let alone live ones. And I wouldn't want to. - What is your most memorable meal?
I don't know the answer to this. I have so many of them, honestly. It really depends on how good the food is, where the restaurant was/where the dining experience took place, and the company with me when that meal happened. - What’s the first dish that you cooked on your own? Was it good?
It must have been my first-ever take on a truffle pasta dish. It was pretty good, but I couldn't capture that truffle taste very well. - Are there any ingredients or products that you refuse to spend money on?
At the moment, no. Since I'm still in the exploratory stage of finding my cooking style and learning new recipes, I would spend even if the ingredient is expensive, or even if it's to buy an ingredient I wouldn't normally use otherwise. - How do you feel about the word “foodie”?
I don't know anymore what constitutes the word "foodie". Lots of people claim to be foodies, because food is such an integral part of everyone's life these days. Even people who don't cook but love to eat out and try new dishes consider themselves to be foodies; I was one of those people up until three years ago. I don't know when a person can actually merit the honor of being called a foodie, and when it's pretentious to claim that one is a foodie.
At the moment, I'll let anyone who wants to call themselves a foodie be a foodie, because food is both a personal and a shared experience anyway, and everyone is entitled to love and be obsessed about food. - Write down any vegetables or fruits that you absolutely hate.
Sad to say, I'm not obsessed with fruits or veggies. I mean, I can and do eat them, but I don't actively crave them. If they're integrated into or part of a certain dish, then I'll have them. But I won't go out of my way to say, for example, I need to eat at Go! Salads. Plus, with my hyperthyroidism condition, apparently, there are vegetables I should be avoiding; which I find strange, because I thought all veggies were healthy! Haha!
That being said, I don't like bitter vegetables, i.e. ampalaya ("bitter gourd" in English) and okra. I also don't like fruits with too many seeds that I have to remove and spit out. I'm really such a safe fruit eater; my favorites are mango and banana. - If the Internet disappeared tomorrow, how would you continue to share your love of food?
I would hate for this to happen (THE INTERNET IS LIFE!), but I would find a way. I'd probably start knocking on publishers' doors, begging for a column, or I'd ask restaurants if I could write reviews for them, which I would print out and leave behind on their counters, for a certain fee. - Write about your food philosophy. Do you follow a certain diet? Do you limit any foods in your diet?
I have yet to really craft and define my food philosophy. At the moment, I don't have one that is well thought out. Being a child who didn't really enjoy food (I just ate to live, and not the other way around; I preferred to spend all my time playing, reading, drawing, or training for swimming), I was surprised to discover that years later, eating became such a rewarding and thrilling experience. Nowadays, I can say that I really love food, especially when an experience is shared with other people dear to me. I believe that food is meant to be enjoyed, and when your body looks for certain dishes, you mustn't deprive it. But of course, eat in moderation, and always couple diet with exercise.
As an athlete and someone dealing with hyperthyroidism (I'm always hungry), I'm learning to control my portions and figuring out when to satisfy or control my hunger. I have food limitations because of hyperthyroidism, but on my own, I'm trying my hardest to remove certain fatty foods and rich, dairy-based ones, especially on the days leading up to race day (if I'm signed up for one). If one wants to look as strong as Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, one must eat and exercise like Wonder Woman. Haha! - Write about your favourite/strongest food memory.
I really enjoy food experiences abroad, and I still remember my first sip of pho in Ho Chi Minh, my first sip of ramen in Osaka, and my first bite of succulent duck in a hawker joint in Singapore. All were transcendental, to wax poetic about them. Hahaha! - If you could only keep one cookbook, which one would it be?
I'm not into cookbooks (my digital self is more than happy to look at Buzzfeed and YouTube for food inspiration). But definitely, I would keep this wooden chest of recipes my mom created through the years; some of them were recipes of my great grandmother and my Araneta clan's secret recipes, some of them are the recipes of the dishes my mom created or modified herself. - Cupcakes. Yay or nay?
Yay, especially if it's a chocolate-based one. I'm not much of a sweet tooth, but biting into a cupcake with a chocolate base and a chocolate ganache frosting will always be a happy experience for me.
Happy long weekend (to us here in the Philippines), and I do hope you cook up something delicious or eat something memorable! Happy Friday as well!
