World Class Chefs
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Ramilo (Ram) Villaluna
Ram is a budding chef from Iloilo City (Molo). He gained his training in Culinary Arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies under food guru Gene Gonzalez, Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kumpps) in New York. He took up bread making, and he studied food styling under Delores Custer of the Culinary Institute of America. It all started in Antique where his father owned a restaurant many Antiquenos learned to love. He continued the culinary legacy of his father and now, Ram owns a catering business, Cindy\'s Catering. Food is Ram\'s life, seriously speaking. I am short in saying that he is married to the food industry that, he spends most of his time teaching and mentoring at the Department of Culinary Arts at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo. If one cannot find him in the classroom, Ram will be on the road crisscrossing Iloilo and Antique having first hand in the management of his thriving businesses from both provinces. He also has a once-a-week TV show in GMA 7 \"Food Trip\". I met with Ram once before and he exudes perfectionism, the character that will beam him up to the limelight of culinary arts. At present time, Ram is extremely busy in Manila. I believe he is one of the finalists in The National Food Showdown 2010 sponsored by ABS-CBN. We wish you all the luck, Ram! Maybe, after this showdown, Ram will have the opportunity share favorite recipe here at ILONGGO LIVING.
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Fresh Exotic Fruits
October 27, 2009
As fall is nearing to its end, fresh produce abounds all over Southern Ontario. People just take advantage of the affluence of fresh fruits and veggies. No doubt, most of them will end up jarred into pickles, preserves and the like. One good example is the Concord grapes which are sold by the basket. This kind of grapes are locally grown for its juice and rarely treated as table grapes. Just like its counterpart, the champagne grapes, concord grapes can be eaten like any other kind of table grapes. Fresh exotic fruits can also be found all around the market, if one knows where to find them. Take a look at them.
On the foreground, Japanese persimmons. They looked like tomatoes but they are not. Texture-wise, they are firm and crunchy and sweet when ripe. The variety coming from Israel is the best one, followed by the ones grown in Southern California.
Inside the avocado are kiwi grapes (green fruit) and physalis (orange fruit). They belong to the berries family and are sweet to eat. Add them to any fruit salad for color and flavor.
If you are a Welch juice drinker, you will easily identify the distinct aroma of concord grapes. This kind of grapes are only available once a year during autumn. I will make some home made grape juice out of this grapes.
The most popular berries of all are strawberries. Here, coated with white and dark chocolate is one way of enjoying the strawberries.
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