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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Posts Tagged ‘banana’
Banana-O-Rama
April 14, 2010
A few months back, I posted about banana from my native country, the Philippines. It is such an amazing experience reconnecting my taste buds with it, savoring the aroma and sweetness of the fruit. That same experience haunted me for the past few days that prompted me to search around for a banana delight. Indeed, an interesting kind of a banana recipe turned out to my surprise as I checked out the Asian store. Let’s see what it is.
Banana cake and, who would have thought that one can put slices of cooking banana on top of BANANA CAKE before baking them. I think, only Asians can do such a creative and innovative way of preparing banana cake.
Banana turon is a favorite snack (merienda) among Filipino. It tops the list.
Nilupak na saging. Simply delish with young coconut strips.
Native Banana
March 05, 2010
Native bananas in Iloilo are readily available in the market all year round. There are many different variety of both table and cooking bananas. Have a look:
Tundal variety (front). This is one of the commonest and popular of all the bananas.It's short and stout feature makes it easy to consume. They are sweet and whitish flesh.
Lakatan variety. The most expensive of all and yellowish peachy in color inside.
Balangon variety. The skin remains green all the time but with sweet soft aroma flesh and also good for making banana cake.
The red variety "Katsila", another rare kind of banana, when ripe it's sweet with characteristic aroma. It could be a cooking banana when unripe.
The baby banana. Here in Canada, this is the closest one I could have that will closely match our lakatan.
When baby banana ripens, the skin turns yellow and flesh becomes peachy and almost tastes like our lakatan variety.
Lanzones & Fresh Dates
September 3, 2009
The abundance of imported fresh tropical fruits here in Canada is an envy among our American neighbors. Our agricultural policy on imported fruits and vegetables are more lenient than theirs. It stands to reason why we’re enjoying abundant variety of fresh tropical fruits here in Canada. My friends down the states buzz too much when I tell them that fresh lanzones is available right now here in Ontario. Lanzones is imported from Thailand. Also, fresh dates from Tunisia are also available. But most people prefer their dates preserved, rather than fresh. Fresh dates are sweet but tarty in nature.
Fresh LANZONES with stems intact.
Most of them are seedless.
Sweet LANZONES (pealed)!
Fresh dates from Tunisia. Sweet and tarty.
FRUITS QUIZ! Which bowl has real fresh fruits in it: BOWL #1? BOWL #2? OR BOWL #3? ANSWER will be revealed tomorrow! Have a good evening!
BOWL #1
BOWL #2
BOWL #3
Breakfast for Two
June 6, 2009
Kids are home for the week-end , while we are away somewhere, my chef left some breakfast foods for them to just warm it up…. or just simply eat them cold as they are used to, anyways! Pancakes and griilled cheese sandwiches should be fine for them. A variety of local fruits started to flood all over the stores and supermarkets. So, expect for a splash of fruits here in my blog!
Homemade pancakes with strawberries, pineapple and fig!
Grilled cheese (cheddar & Swiss) on a brown bread.
Fresh fruits abound this time of the year. So is within breakfast!
Almost East Meet West
April 29, 2009
This is quite a surprise entry since I have never thought of it not until few minutes ago. ActualIy, I have been challenged to duplicate the sauerkraut from Bavaria Restaurant in Iloilo prepared differently from the usual. Sauerkraut is European in origin and it is a fermented, finely-shreaded cabbage. The eastern counterpart is kimchi. It’s Korean in origin and is a pickled Chinese cabbage. Both are ubiquitous and are used as side dish for meat and seafoods dishes.
Kimchi (left), Sauerkraut (right)
Kimchi- fermented (pickled) Chinese cabbage with chili pepper, some add radish, scallions and cucumber. It can be used as side dish or it can be an ingredient for stew or rice.
Sauerkraut - fermented cabbage, usually used as side dish. I sauteed it with garlic, onions, tomatoes and chives. I was able to duplicate the way Bavaria Resto prepare their sauerkraut.
KIMCHI side by side with sauteed SAUERKRAUT
How about the banana (east) side by side with the apple (west)
BONUS ENTRY: Atcharang Papaya
Foods of the World – Part 2
March14,2009
Today is market day in Hamilton. I’ve been waiting for this day as the Farmer’s Market is always teeming with wide variety of foods, including Asian foods. I just learned it today that there are 2 Filipino stalls in the market now.
Foods of the World- Part 1
March 8, 2009
In the following series of posts, I will share to you how Canada is blessed with diverse people of the world, who, with their cultures, brought their unique FOODS as well. Unlike in the U.S., Canada allows almost every foods of the world (one can imagine of) to inhabit grocery stores and specialty food stores nationwide. Filipinos in particular, are quite well known for its versatility and ingenuity in the culinary realm. Because we share similar food staples among our Asian brothers, cooking and eating Filipino foods become a breeze here in Canada. Having said that, it brings back memories two decades ago when there’s scarcity of simple ingredients for sinegang or to pacify one’s craving for local fruits such as ripe mango. Now, there’s a barrage of Asian fruits and vegetables available locally which where unheard of few years back. My fellow bloggers from Jersey and California turns green of envy when I mentioned to them that we’re quite fortunate here in Canada of having the previledge eating certain Asian fruits not available in US due to their stringent agricultural regulations. But of course, one has to pay for its pricy tags. To quench one’s craving for atis (sugar apple) for example, one should be willing to pay $5.00 each! Quite expensive especially when you try convert it to Philippine peso (about 190 pesos a piece!). That amount of money can buy you 1 kilo of that fruit already back home. So, here we go….
Mangoes, variety Ataulfo, from Mexico ($14.99/dozen)
Mangoes from Mexico, not as sweet as Philippine mangoes, but better than nothing at all!
Star apple (kaimito) from Thailand ($1.98 a piece)
Star apple, very sweet and close enough for me!
Sugar apple (atis). Got it at a bargain price 2/$5.00 (0ne small, one big).
Chico and banana. Chicos are as expenive as atis. This photo was taken form the Philippines but both fruits are available here now.
Watermelons are abundant in North America. Again, this photo was taken during my recent Philippine trip.
Cantaloupes (melon) - $3.99 a piece
Avocadoes - 99 cents a piece
Homemade pepper pickles (artem in Ilocano)
Siling Labuyo- we used to get them underground (you know what I mean)
Atcharang papaya - can be homemade because green "cooking" papaya are available now locally.
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