Northern Living: 2017 July

July 2017 Volume 11 | Issue 11

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CONT ENTS 14 FEATURE Breaking down Ballet Philippines’ scholarship programs

18 COVER STORY Athelets and sisters Erika and Amanda Fernandez muse about their childhood and how they came to be the women they are

Cover photo by Joseph Pascual

JULY 2017 04 HEALTH The curious case of nootropics

26 RECIPE Find comfort in deep-fried crustaceans

06 FIXTURE A cultural perspective of our history through food

28 THE GET Mari-Mari reinvents floral prints on a digital backdrop

24 EATS A taste of modern Seoul

EDITOR’S NOTE Forging bonds Earlier generations of millennials may remember the concept of sisterhood as told through the pages of a popular book series. But while the Wakefield twins of Sweet Valley High gave us a glimpse of the blood ties of a typical sorority, our cover girls are anything but. As you jump into this issue, you’ll also encounter our bigger theme this month: form. On the cover, we showcase the Fernandez sisters as a celebration of womanhood and everything it entails, even in unexpected forms.

They open up about their childhood and experiences growing up, touching

on topics that range from sports to entrepreneurship—everything that makes them the women they are today.

We also rediscover a distinguished dance organization integral to the country’s cultural advancement and their disciplined practice to keep their art alive; rethink local history within the perspective of cuisine; and take a gander at the possibilities of modern Seoul fare. Inside, you’ll also find the latest flora collection from Mari-Mari, and our own children who pose for a fashion editorial that gives form to our ideas of an enviably halcyon childhood.

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MANAGING EDITOR ANGELA VELASCO ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR PAM BROOKE CASIN EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS KRYZETTE PAPAGAYO, CHRISTELLE TOLISORA SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES SARAH CABALATUNGAN, SHANNA MALING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INA MATEO GRAPHIC ARTISTS RACHELL FLORES, NICO ORTIGOZA, KRISTINE PAZ, JAYCELINE SORIANO PRODUCTION MANAGER JAN CARIQUITAN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MARICEL GAVINO FINAL ART SUPERVISOR DENNIS CRUZ FA ARTIST ARGYL LEONES MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER JELLIC TAPIA TRADE MARKETING SUPERVISOR BIANCA DALUMPINES BRAND MARKETING SUPERVISOR MA. INA RODRIGUEZ BRAND MARKETING ASSISTANT NICOLE USON EVENTS ASSISTANT MERJORIE MAY YOUNG SENIOR GRAPHIC ARTIST ROI DE CASTRO FIND YOUR FREE COPIES OF NORTHERN LIVING AT

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HEALT H

HACKING HEALTH

There’s more to nootropics than its gleaming reputation TEXT ANTHEA REYES

ILLUSTRATION EDRIC DELA ROSA

We’re all playing catch-up, thanks to the internet and social media. But living in the Post-Information Age, someone has inevitably discovered an appropriate hack.

Nootropics. The term has been around for quite a while now, with the practice exercised for even longer. These are supplements—also known as smart drugs—or substances that claim to enhance a person’s cognition, helping them perform daily tasks better. If you’ve seen Bradley Cooper’s movie Limitless, then you get the idea.

There are various forms of nootropics. Some, like arousal enhancer Modafinil claims to make you feel more like yourself. Some, like LSD or acid, claim to “open the gates of your mind” and make you more creative. Some simply help you focus better, enhance your ability to retain memories, or help you learn a new language more efficiently.

Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is.

These smart drugs, whatever shape or form, come with a number of side effects. Too much of any of these will lead to addiction. Too much LSD can make you hyper-suggestive, such as the case of a man eating another man’s face in public. Then, there’s Adderall.

Wildly popular in Silicon Valley, Adderall has made an example out of mentally healthy individuals who take cognitive enhancers intended for cognitively impaired individuals. Taking Adderall causes the opposite of its desired effect and, instead,

slows or damages cognitive functions. That’s because that is what it’s supposed to do: make hyperactiveimpulsive individuals languid enough to actually focus on one thing.

This is why successful biohacker and nootropic advocate Dave Aspray advises people to steer away from these smart drugs as much as possible. “Treat them like the big guns,” he says. His advice is to start with the basics, go natural, and treat these supplements as a form of last resort.

He recently introduced Bulletproof Coffee, a coffee drink made with his special line of coffee beans, brain octane oil, and unsalted grass-fed butter. This, he claims, helps clear the mind, uplifts one’s mood, and improves mental focus. Completely natural and safe, it is said to be good for everyday consumption.

What’s the harm in a cup of joe, right?

Apparently, heart disease. Not only is this specialty coffee expensive, it’s also bad for your cholesterol levels. While there are testaments to its desirable effects, doctors have noticed that people who drink Bulletproof Coffee daily have alarmingly heightened cholesterol levels. So Bulletproof Coffee? Good for the mind, but bad for your heart.

All in all, our take is this: Nootropics are the miracle lifehacks that they claim to be, but they don’t come without side effects. Our advice is to use them sparingly and wisely.

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A FOOTNOTE ON FEASTS

Detailed accounts of historical events, as told through food TEXT DATU PENDANTUN

ILLUSTRATION EDRIC DELA ROSA

A menu is the gateway between a man and his meal, revealing to him a narrative of provenance and skill.

The dejeuner and dinner menus of Sept. 29, 1898 were records of a banquet held in honor of the ratification of the proclamation of Philippine independence, and they function as unlikely resources for a historian as much as they are subjects for insight and appetite by those with culinary inclinations.

The Malolos menu was penned in French, but the sumptuary laws that sought to restrain extravagance during France’s wouldn’t have sanctioned the feast it

detailed, as it was a lavish banquet of several courses, complete with complementary libation, and suffused with French flair in defiance of the warm tropics.

Appetizers for the dejeuner (lunch) menu were hors d’oeuvre like Huitres (oysters) and crevice roses (prawns), and the hardy talaba and sugpo, though hardly foreign fare, were served sans ice. The butter for the beurre radis (buttered radish), the sardines aux tomates (sardines in tomato sauce), the confitures (jams), and the gelee de fraises (strawberry jelly) had to have been preserved in jars or cans, while the aucisson

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de Lyon (sausage) and jambon froid (cold ham), and dessert items such as fromage (cheese) and glaces (ices) must have been burdensome to store.

As for the entrées, they started off with coquilles de crabes (stuffed crab); the irony of serving crabs at a dinner that celebrated a president who had his political adversaries murdered is hard to miss. It was followed by vol-au-vent, a puff pastry dish that is said to be created by Marie-Antoine Careme, king of the chefs himself. The a la financiere variant that was served was conspicuously luxurious, with its filling of sweetbreads, quenelles, cockscombs, mushrooms, and truffle. In its layers of decadence, it was a fitting choice as a culinary stand-in for the declaration of the country’s independence. The same could be said for the dinner menu’s boeuf ladre (marbled beef ), fattened meat fit for gilded guts.

Dinde Truffee a la Manilloise could’ve just been a roasted turkey studded with truffle, but with a la Manilloise added to its name to mark the occasion (interesting to note that Manila at that time was under American control, hence Malolos as the site of the declaration). The dish is noteworthy since the turkey, unlike the chicken or the duck, is a Hispanic introduction to the country from their other New World colonies. The dish was thus a vestige of a colonial past included in the celebration of a former colony’s independence, but named in honor of its capital city that is already ruled by another incoming master.

of the Philippines. It may not have been a feast in scale, but the meal served to Magellan’s companion, Antonio Pigafetta, by Limasawa’s Raja Kolambu was perceptibly festive. Pigafetta was said to have been served a plate of pork with a large jar of wine (probably palm toddy, known as tuba) and later, for supper, more pork was offered along with rice. After half an hour, a “roast fish cut in pieces was brought in, and ginger freshly gathered, and wine.” Even more fish and rice were served when Kolambu’s son came over. How Pigafetta remembered all of that after the gluttony remains a mystery.

There was also a contrast in mood: while both were pronouncements of munificence, Limasawa’s feast was a display of hospitality, whereas Malolos’, as Ambeth Ocampo has noted, “was a tasteless display of contrived culture.” In venue, motif, and dress, there too were disparities: the bamboo “palace” of Raja Kolambu versus the baroque Barasoain Church; the boom of brass gongs versus the peal of bells from the belfry; and the lack of constraint provided by the loincloth versus the sweat-soaked coats of Malolos’ dinner attendees.

Both festivities were held by free people, though for Kolambu and his clan, the freedom was felt and actual, whereas for Aguinaldo and his cohorts, it was imagined and nominal. The two occasions likewise foreshadowed the country’s forthcoming foreign subjugation: by the Spaniards in the 16th century for the former, and by the Americans three centuries after for the latter. Could there be another menu or Three Centuries Prior account of an important meal that’ll portend yet The Malolos Banquet contrasts with one of the another bondage? We can only remain hopeful that a first recorded meals during the Hispanic conquest menu of that sort is never written again.

“Both festivities were held by free people, though for Kolambu and his clan, the freedom was felt and actual, whereas for Aguinaldo and his cohorts, it was imagined and nominal.”

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SPECIAL FEAT URE

GIVING BACK TO THE HEROES OF OUR LIVES Northern Living and Estancia joined forces to give urban dads a day to remember

Families were able to treat their fathers to some well-deserved relaxation and bonding over food and drinks.

A picturesque spread of the food available that day from the concessionaires.

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It’s a scientific fact that we use more of our father’s DNA despite inheriting an equal amount of genes from mom and dad, according to a study by the UNC Health Care and UNC School of Medicine.

So, for most of our charming traits and amicable qualities, we can give due credit to our fathers. What better way to express our heartfelt gratitude to fatherhood worldwide than to commemorate a day especially for them. Last June 18, Father’s Day was celebrated at Capitol Commons Park. Presented by Ortigas & Company and Estancia at Capitol Commons, and copresented by Northern Living, the event was meant to bring festivities and cheer to our father figures.

It was a no-brainer. Estancia’s open-air space provided the ideal setting for Father’s Day. The first premiere mall of Ortigas & Company, Estancia lies in the heart of Capitol Commons, an integral nucleus in Pasig City, acting as the retail component of the integrated-use development. Wellcurated brands and established dining destinations are spread throughout the space, offering convenience and class in a relaxed atmosphere.

Having allotted an open space for the special day that was decorated much like a fair ground, complete with outdoor games and a pop-up kids’ section. Families were treated to live performances by Vince Lahorra Quartet and Dayaw. The scent of grilled meats wafted through the air from tenants like Tatang’s Boneless Lechon, Great Burger Truck, Mad Mustard, and the like. On the other hand, refreshments and beer were served all day to let the relentless family man kick back a bit and relax.

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STYLING CARLA DELOS REYES PHOTOGRAPHY CHOLO DELA VEGA

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Holistic ballet demands time not only for in-studio training, but also for an intense regimen and memorization of repertoire.

FEAT URE

IN GOOD COMPANY The rigors and rewards of becoming part of Ballet Philippines TEXT YAZHMIN MALAJITO PHOTOGRAPHY ARTU NEPOMUCENO

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Square hips and expressive faces.

Ballet is not only meticulous on form but also on the story dancers should relay.

National Artist for Dance and Ballet Philippines’ founder and present artistic director Alice Reyes sits in front, facing a group of performing dancers, involved and hands-on. She exchanges whispers with her associate, a couple of company alumni, and renowned danseur Nonoy Froilan—perhaps visualizing a better routine or noting a mistake.

We were at the weathered and humble rehearsal studio of Ballet Philippines (BP), the country’s flagship company in ballet and contemporary dance, watching dancers practice for the company’s gala performance in August. The combination of careful steps and calculated bending of spines of their slender bodies, sculpted by years of training, tapering off to their en pointe toes take the spectators’ breath away.

And that’s just the rehearsal.

There are 10 BP scholars practicing with the company dancers because this particular production calls for a bigger group. But before one shares a stage with the BP members, they have to withstand vigorous training, and if there’s one thing BP Dance School director Rubylee Gomez cannot stress enough, it is that ballet is tough.

The first step to becoming part of BP is to enroll in its own scholarship program, which is what Gia Gequinto did. After years of summer workshops, the 25-year-old became a scholar in 2010 before she was promoted to company member status the following year. Back then, she was a dance major in college at the University of the Philippines Diliman. “In the morning, I’d [work on] my academic subjects and then spend the afternoon with BP,” she recalls.

To be a scholar, applicants have to audition.

Auditions are just like regular ballet classes, except the artistic and associate directors, company manager, and a BP alum select who among the aspirants are worthy of working for the company. “[It’s] a very tough competition because they have to impress the artistic director and [make her say] ‘Yes, I can use you in a production. I can see you in the Main Theater as a dancer for BP.’ She already has her own set of standards,” says Gomez.

Out of the usually 60 to 100 applicants, whose ages range from nine to early 20s, only around 35 are selected. Sometimes the number is reduced due to scheduling conflicts, as those who have been selected are required to attend daily classes from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. “[Those who had to beg off] are regretful, but had they pursued it, it would not have been safe for them. [When] a student can’t come to class on time, it causes a lot of stress not just on the body, but also on the mind and spirit, and they will just end up trying to catch up. It’s frustrating,” admits Gomez.

But the doors are open for second tries. Or for even third, fourth, and so on. Gomez says ballet is selective, “but if you really love and you’re passionate about it, you’ll work for it.” For some BP company members, it took them two or three auditions to get in.

Some have extraordinary passion for the dance.

Martina Gallemit, 14, moved to Manila from Zamboanga del Norte after she was accepted to the scholarship program last year.

She affirms that BP offers more difficulty than her

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FEAT URE Thirteen-yearolds and up are required at least five years of training in this Classical Ballet (CB) class.

previous school did. “Here, it is definitely harder. I have to give more, because there are more classes.

There are more levels [of progression], which means it’s going to [become more difficult] for anyone to get into the company,” she says.

That’s because the scholarship program is a preprofessional training ground where scholars get a taste of what it’s like to be in the award-winning dance company. According to Gomez, it’s where they get the next group of BP dancers—a training camp where the usually expensive tuition is waived.

Although BP’s scholarship program doesn’t provide allowance, there are some cases, mostly for male scholars, where the company gives additional financial aid in the form of stipend in exchange for a little extra work. They’re meticulous about whom to offer it to, though. “If the artistic director knows that they would definitely be part of the company, then she’d be willing to invest,” says Gomez.

The next generation Three hundred meters away from the Cultural Center of the Philippines is BP’s makeshift satellite studio.

Called “Studio One,” it’s a rehearsal space made from shipping containers that were re-modified in 2014.

Daily, at 5:30 p.m., passing pedestrians can hear the strains of classical music and the occasional calls for “round arms, symmetrical fingers, square hips” coming from the studio.

This is where some scholarship classes are done.

The teachers are also BP’s own, like BP Dance School Principal Karla Javier. She teaches Classical Ballet I, the class where Gallemit belongs, along with 12 other danseuses.

When asked about the future of professional dance in the country, Gomez expresses confidence. “You are talking to the first company that professionalized dancing, so [the industry] will continue. There are a lot of opportunities, especially for Filipino dancers.

It’s bright.” Surely, BP will continue to dance with excellence and beauty that they’re known for inside and outside the country.

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S an iste f r d rs T E ee m o E r XT fr re ika B E om st an A oi d C E ge LD nd c si Am RA er de an N e o d PH d s fw aF O T O te r om ern G R A eo an a P H ty pe ho nde Y JO s i od z p SE n — re PH t h a n se PA e d n SC p h ta U A ro ce e l p d i L ss ot ffe he re r w nt om , to en ugh br er ea k

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When Amanda and Erika Fernandez were younger, their presence on the football field quickly instilled an adolescent fear in the hearts of beginners attempting their first tournament. The sisters were fierce but effective—so committed to the sport that their practice was akin to a discipline. While other kids kicked football for fun, they did so with serious fervor that had brought them to where they are now. “People would describe us as hot-tempered. Maybe we took it a lot more seriously than [those] who just wanted to play the sport,” says Erika.

The two are examples of the quintessential strong woman, perhaps the closest we have to the reallife versions of comic book heroes. Amanda is the powerhouse behind the multi-sports complex Sparta while Erika juggles a multitude of jobs (some seasonal) in the corporate sector, and both still find the time to take up combative training. The sisters may be the epitome of the well-made millennial, but they weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths; they were raised in the same straight-laced manner as their parents were. “We’re the third generation of a corporate family, basically. [Our parents’] fathers had taught them to behave a certain way, [much like] corporate culture in the family…They’re trying to teach that to us too, but we take the good parts and leave out the bad ones,” Erika muses. “We weren’t coddled as kids,” Amanda adds.

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Amanda and Erika Fernandez embody the modern-day female warrior: from the passion in their sports of choice to their motivation in changing corporate culture in the Philippines.

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Stepping into self-reliance Since they have been exposed to a global mindset While living in exclusive villages and studying in for most of their lives, both women express their international schools had a lot of perks, the girls admit resentment of the local attitude towards corporate that they weren’t spoiled as children. There were no culture. Where there is professionalism in being on presents on their birthdays or on Christmas, and their time, creating systems, and embracing new ideas and father taught them never to be reliant on anyone else; technologies to expand productivity, the culture here in fact, the sisters were financially cut off by their still seems backwards to them, as many people are parents right after college. While Erika flew to Arizona still stuck on old routines—“[The employees in our to pursue her studies in strategic communications, father's companies] still have their noon-time siestas Amanda chose to take up economics and English in and coffee breaks at three o’ clock sharp”—and take the University of San Diego while going through a their time with output. number of jobs, then graduating as cum laude. But the recent economic recession burst her American Atypical childhoods dream: Amanda found it difficult to compete for work The two say they’ve always had to take care of each and was sent home to work other and of their younger for her father’s company. brother. Because of the Here, she visualized corporate manner they were Sparta, the state-of-the-art raised, the siblings were sports complex that had forced to grow up faster; “It’s being the minority in its roots in her deep-seated they confess that they did frustration over the lack not grow up being overtly a boys’ team, where you’ll of quality football fields in emotional. “It’s hard for the metro. She transformed us to express our feelings be eaten alive if you’re what was once a drab because we’re so used to not fierce. We’ve seen the warehouse owned by her bottling them up, and father’s company—and sometimes it’s not healthy,” repercussions of submitting, was set to become another says Amanda. and we wanted to high-rise condominium— They let emotional steam into a space that embodies off through sports. Erika avoid them.” her dream of providing an says, “Playing sports was affordable venue to football our way of escaping the enthusiasts. The indoor turf situation at home. [While is FIFA-accredited, and playing sports,] we didn’t Sparta has already branched take shit. Our tempers were out to leasing spaces to fitness centers, specific sports short.” Because they were alone with each other most shops, and health-conscious cafés. Amanda stresses, of the time, the siblings became extremely protective though, that she still rents the space from her father of each other. Erika recalls a football game where even as she outsources for other tenants that can do Amanda was against university players who were the same. playing dirty. As the other girls ganged up on her Meanwhile, Erika had already been back a few sister, Erika found herself on the field ready to attack. years prior to Amanda’s return. Her reason: “There’s a “I blacked out.” lot of work to be done here.” Despite the comfortable Facing adversity headfirst at a young age thickened life she had set for herself in Arizona, she decided to their hides, for better or worse. Both admit to being come back home in hopes of making an impact in the independent and outspoken. “I’ve been called dense,” country and becoming a vessel of change. She advises Amanda confesses. “It’s being the minority in a boys’ those who have studied abroad to do the same. “This team, where you’ll be eaten alive if you’re not fierce. is where it really matters.” Now working under her We’ve seen the repercussions of submitting, and we father with a variety of responsibilities, she reveals that wanted to avoid them.” “That’s why we got into despite being the daughter of the CEO, she receives sports: [so we’d have] an outlet,” Erika quips. no special treatment, as per her father’s orders.

The two credit their strong personas to playing team

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sports. “It helped us not just with socialization but also with confidence, team building, skills, respect…” says Erika. “And conflict resolution,”Amanda quickly adds. Both are conscious that their relationship isn’t the typical Little Women-type of sisterhood, and the experiences they’ve been through together have inadvertently hardened as well as bonded them. “I see [Erika] as someone I really need to take care of,” Amanda says of her older sister. Erika, on the other hand, is defensive of Amanda. “She is someone I need to protect. If you haven’t noticed, we like to control things we can’t control. [For example], who can control luck?”

Honing the persona Outside the field and beyond being an entrepreneur, Amanda models and does hosting on the side. Erika, meanwhile, holds down a number of jobs, including running her own advertising agency. She is also skilled in various martial arts such as Krav Maga and Silat.

In fact, she has created a network for women who are serious about combative training to help them defend themselves.

Aside from Erika’s advocacy to teach self-defense to women, both sisters feel the responsibility of increasing female presence in football. They had formed Pinay Futbol in the earlier years of football’s boom in the country, and the movement was meant to bring more attention to women playing the sport; Amanda believes Filipinas have a better chance of making it to the World Cup. Pinay Futbol has also helped a number of girls who are skilled in the sport to get scholarships and sponsorships.

Amanda feels that her advocacy is manifested in Sparta itself. “It’s a place that I built because I felt that not a lot of people had access to good, quality fields and good sports facilities. Football has helped me make better decisions in my life, so I want to give back to the sport as well.”

On Amanda and Erika (above): Sports bra, P550, Forever 21, SM Megamall On Amanda and Erika (below): One-piece zip swimsuit, P3,750, Debenhams, Rustan’s, Shangri-La Plaza Mall Pleated skirt, P805, Forever 21, SM Megamall

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EATS Sibyullee offers a taste of modern Seoul with grilled meats and copious amounts of cheese.

SEOUL IN EXALT

Sibyullee ups the ante for Korean cheese barbecue TEXT ANTHEA REYES PHOTOGRAPHY DANICA CONDEZ

Sibyullee is “a return to our roots in Seoul,” co-managing partner Dotz Tan Dee says. More specifically, it’s a reminder of the famous street food of Myeongdong and the innovative barbecues of Itaewon. The result? One of the heartiest and cheesiest cheese BBQ menus you’ll find in the country.

Armed with an endless supply of mozarella, cheddar, incorporated with premium meat cuts, Sibyullee is the first in the Philippines to offer a complete line of barbecue with grilled cheese dip. They offer all of three meats: the dakgogi (chicken) cheese BBQ, the dwaejigogi (pork) cheese BBQ, and the galbi (beef) cheese BBQ. I had the pleasure of trying their beef short ribs cheese BBQ, and the premium beef practically melted off the bone and into my mouth.

The star of the show, however, is the volcano kimchi fried rice. This might be because it’s the first dish of its kind in the Philippines, or because it’s a glorious amalgamation of rice, cheese, and kimchi to ever grace your palate. The rice is perfectly fluffy and sticky, and the flavors of cheese and kimchi make every spoonful rich with spice and flavors.

They also have other popular Korean specialties, like the seafood pancake, samgyupsal, and other marinated meats you can grill on the spot. For dessert, they have bungeoppang, Sibyullee’s own take on Samanco, the popular fish-shaped ice cream sandwich of Melona.

If you’re not a fan of cheese, Tan Dee plans to add another combo set in the menu. The upcoming Heritage

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EATS BBQ Combo set will focus more on the traditional barbecue, served with the Dolsot bibimbap instead of their volcano kimchi fried rice.

“Sibyullee” is actually the name of a village in Sariwon, Korea where Sung Rah’s mother would buy vegetables to make her recipes. Taking inspiration from its namesake, the restaurant’s interiors emulate the traditional Korean houses found in the village of Hanok. With a lot of natural wood updated with some metallic elements and the use of minimalist furniture, the ambiance is kept warm and inviting, with the feel of a modern Korean household. Tan Dee unabashedly admits that she and her sisters are big fans of K-pop and K-drama, which have influenced many of their business decisions. Hence, customers can also enjoy K-pop music in the restaurant all day, every day.

From top to bottom: Haemul pajeon, Volcano kimchi fried rice, Tornado potato hweori gamja

“Sibyullee is ‘a return to our roots in Seoul’”

The interiors are bright with crisp and clean lines, metallic accents, and tastefully placed flora.

Sibyullee. Ground floor, Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. 246-9069 ext. 429. Instagram.com/sibyullee

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RECIPE

CRAB MEISTER Indulge in the comforts of deep-fried crustaceans

TEXT AND STYLING MIKO CALO PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

BREADED SOFT SHELL CRABS WITH SRIRACHA AIOLI INGREDIENTS

5 soft shell crabs 6 eggs 500 g. bread crumbs 250 g. all-purpose flour 2 l. canola oil 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 3 lemons 50 g. Sriracha sauce 2 cloves garlic

PROCEDURE

1. Clean crabs and dry thoroughly.

2. Coat in flour, dip in egg, and dip in breadcrumbs.

3. Leave to dry for a few minutes.

4. Fry breaded crabs.

5. Drain excess oil and serve with Sriracha aioli.

Mayonnaise 1. Using a hand blender, combine garlic, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice.

2. Add sriracha and blend again.

Watch the receipe video on Nolisoli.ph.

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T HE GET

FRESH FIELDS

Local fashion brand Mari Mari gives daisies a run for their money TEXT BEA LLAGAS PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

The Philippines is home to more than 13,000 species of plants, 30 to 40 percent of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. That’s why it’s refreshing to see native flora at the forefront of modern design, especially in a creative industry as influential as fashion.

Thanks to Mari Mari, our favorite flowers finally get the ultimate fashion treatment. Hardin & Habi is the brand’s maiden collection, consisting of basic pieces re-imagined with playful prints that were inspired by Philippine florals and weaves.

Alessandra Lanot, Mari Mari’s pattern designer, meticulously hand-painted each print with gouache and watercolors before printing on fabric.

The prints come in pairs. Here, the WalingWaling & Gaddang highlights the bold charm of orchids and the river-inspired patterns woven by the Gaddang tribe of Cagayan Valley; and Milflores & Banig features hydrangeas that symbolize gratitude, friendship, and devotion, layered on the popular hand-woven mat.

“Hardin & Habi aims to provide an alternate way to connect the wearer to her nature and be proud of her own culture,” says Lanot. It’s evident that Mari Mari is a force (of nature) to be reckoned with.

Mari-mari, shopmarimari.com

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