iWant,iEat,iShoot,iTell! - SoooPinoy Ultimate Food Blogger Entry

The closest that I can get to taste a certain food from a different place is to Google it and pray that someone knows how to do it. If that fails, I would search for the nearest restaurant who offers such dish or beg someone I know who comes from a different city to bring home something that they are well known for. Or I can just switch on the TV and flip it to the food channel and drool.

For me the best meal is something that is cooked at home by someone that reminds you of your life. It is amazing how each meal would serve a story in your life whether it’s a burnt lumpia or  ready to eat pansit canton. There is always a story to tell behind each meal and just like every happy moment, it is captured like what I do in this blog. I would just take a picture and I can definitely reminisce what has happened that day.

Eya, Me and Anne @ Mr. Kurusawa for lunch.

Kanin Club’s Kare Kare – Sunday Family Lunch

Shirmps for Aries' Birthday at Bulacan

 Tahong with butter , garlic and ketchup @ Aries’ Birthday

 Breakfast @ Bag of Beans before Ruth’s first ever Pinoy Adventure.

What is Pinoy Food without these? Street Food @ Mercato Centrale

Personally, if there is a certain dish I would like to highlight in this entry, it will be the Maranao dishes. My boyfriend, being a Maranao introduced me to one which is called the Chicken "Piaparan". It is first prepared by making a chicken soup in coconut milk before mixing it with shredded coconut with “Palapa” in a separate container.

My own Chicken Piaparan – Thanks to bf’s sister for teaching me.

Maranao meaning “People of the Lake” is a term for the people of Lanao who are from the Southern Muslim region of the Philippines. I noticed that their cuisine mostly boiled or cured and spicy. They are also famous with their "Palapa", a spicy condiment of scallion (Sakurab), ginger and chili slightly beaten using mortar and pestle. They also like putting a lot of turmeric powder and coconut milk in almost all of their dishes. According to my research, “Maranao recipes are so rich that it talks about life itself!  Suffice it to say that the recipes are intertwined with the life cycle rites and rituals of all aspects of Maranao society and culture; from birth to death. In other words, food cannot be separated with daily life activities because food is life itself!”.

It has also been in my bucket list to visit places in the Philippines to really capture the culinary experience, culture and heritage of what our country boasts through arts, crafts and music. This is the reason why I would like to join SoooPinoy Ultimate Food Blogger. Not only that this is for free! With 30 days, 10 cities, 101 restaurants and a story of lifetime! This is food tourism in my own land.