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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Buko World!
February 1, 2010
There is no match to BUKO (young coconut) when it comes to diversity in preparing them. Let alone the plant itself and the mature coconut. Buko is so versatile that only one’s imagination limit its utilization as food. Eaten plain (kulabo) or cooked (bukayo) was the norm for buko few decades back. Now, buko has come a long, long way. I admire Filipino’s ingenuity in preparing this nut, back-to-back, as a meal food and as a dessert at the same time. Because of its size, buko standout among the rest of the nut family, i.e. peanut, almond, etc. Well, without further ado, here is buko, the star of the day!
Chicken Binakol (Manok sa Buko). Finally, my quest for a super-binakol has been satisfied. This one is from Jo's Chicken Inato in Gen. Luna St. in Iloilo City. This one has to be matched, yet!
Super Buko Halo! A halo-halo concoction in a buko shell itself. One can scrape the young coconut meat and mixed it with the halo-halo or eat the meat iself at the end of one's halo-halo adventure! Have your pick. This one is from Jo's Chicken Inato.
Buko Pandan Pie (Nang Palang's). Got the chance to visit Oton, Iloilo just for this buko pie. I will post it separately.
Buko Pandan salad (Emilion). Another way of preparing buko as a desert. A very rich and creamy kind of dessert.
Bingka (RCJ). No other bingka can match this very delicious rice cake loaded with strips of buko.
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