August 2015 Volume 9 | Issue 12
WELCOME
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CONT ENTS 46 EATS
21 COVER STORY Food and Ana De Ocampo’s memories of home
A changing café culture
Cover photo by Patrick Diokno
16 FEATURE A curriculum on farming
AUGUST 2015 04 HEALTH Rethinking the rumors surrounding gluten
10 FEATURE A standout in the tile-making industry
05 CRAFT An assembly of flowers from above
42 FEATURE Daily offerings from local bakeries
08 BEAUTY Kitchen remedies for the skin
56 THE GET Going against fast-food culture
EDITOR’S NOTE Home Is Anywhere This issue delves not just in the physical place that you call home but in the remembrance of something familiar—wherever you may be. Be it the train you ride during your daily commute, the pantry at your office, or the corner coffee shop you frequent, home is where you make it. Food also plays a huge role in the memory of home. Take bread, for example, and how its floured reincarnations take us to different places with one bite. When topped with butter or fruit preserves, bread reminds us of our childhood while flaky croissants take us to far away
places that we’ve made into a temporary dwelling in the past. When we miss the familiar, we turn to our palate. We cook the very food that reminds us of the place or the people who lived there. For restaurateur and baker Ana Lorenzana De Ocampo featured in our cover story, home is about creating an environment to inspire good times together. As food plays a big part, family and friends can make memories together. With a lot of tales for the tummy (even our Style section has gone fruity) residing in these pages, we hope you find a piece of home in this issue.
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FEEDBACK
SOUTHERN living
NATURAL TERRITORIES I’ve got a copy of this less-than-50pages magazine. Art and culture, food, fashion, health and beauty, new discoveries that talk about local people and, of course, must-visit destinations are just the few things packed in every issue. You’ve got it all for us! Kudos to the team! Worth every peso of my subscription! Joveth Ong
GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA MANAGING EDITOR BEVERLY DALTON ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS LEX CELERA, PRISTINE L. DE LEON CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM GRAPHIC ARTIST DANICA CONDEZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PATRICK SEGOVIA INTERNS RENZ MART REYES, KARINA SABINO, CARLOS TABUNDA CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS CHARLIE CARBUNGCO, CHINGGAY LABRADOR, INA AMOR MEJIA, MARBBIE TAGABUCBA, YVETTE TAN ILLUSTRATORS MARTIN DIEGOR, TRISTAN TAMAYO STYLISTS EDLENE CABRAL, ARIES MANAL, INA AMOR MEJIA, CAMILLE VILLARUEL PHOTOGRAPHERS PATRICK DIOKNO, SAM LIM, INA AMOR MEJIA, ARTU NEPOMUCENO, JILSON SECKLER TIU COPY EDITOR SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PROOFREADER CESCA VIZCONDE EDITORIAL CONSULTANT RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO CUSTOM ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITORS PAM BROOKE CASIN, ANGELA VELASCO EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS TJ BILLONES, PAM CARLOTA, PAULINE MIRANDA, CHRISTELLE TOLISORA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES SHANNA MALING, INA MATEO, GENE PEREZ GRAPHIC ARTISTS ROI DE CASTRO, TEJ TAN, YAYIE MOTOS, JAYCELINE SORIANO, JANINE ALCANTARA
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HEALT H
A GRAIN OF TRUTH
A skeptic’s findings on the gluten controversy TEXT CHINGGAY LABRADOR ILLUSTRATION MARTIN DIEGOR
For a while, carbs were considered the supreme faux pas on anyone’s menu, but these days, a certain protein has crept up on the notoriety list. Gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley, has become the perpetrator of much bodily discomfort, mostly because gluten intolerance and celiac disease frequently go undiagnosed and undetected. But suddenly removing food you’ve been consuming for your entire life could also result in nutritional deficiencies. Before jumping on the gluten-free train, it’s best to take an intolerance test and know the hows of your body and the whys of your diet. Check how you digest. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation may be related to a gluten allergy. While these stomach issues are common, not every one of them is a sure sign you’re gluten intolerant. What really happens when you have celiac disease? Your small intestine’s lining becomes inflamed and damaged when you consume gluten, and the body is unable to absorb nutrients. This can lead to diarrhea and weight loss, although an upset stomach and a drop in your weight don’t necessarily mean you have the condition.
Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? Before you jump to conclusions and give your diet an unnecessary overhaul, get tested. Celiac disease equals intestine damage; gluten sensitivity equals its legitimate side effects like fatigue and headaches. Sometimes, gluten sensitivity is manifested in symptoms wholly unrelated to the abdominal area—aside from fatigue, other common indictors are rashes and itching, or anemia and nausea. What’s involved in a gluten allergy test? A blood test that measures the presence of antibodies is standard. A gluten-free diet can help with the symptoms. Keep in mind that avoiding gluten isn’t necessarily the total and final solution for improved health or weight loss either. You could wipe out gluten, but still have an unhealthy ratio of sodium, fat, fiber, and carbs in your diet, or be missing out on food that’s actually good for you (steel cut oats, for example, make for a generally “healthy” breakfast if you don’t have sensitivity to gluten). Whole grains, aside from containing gluten, also play host to some valuable nutrients and vitamins that you could be skipping when on a gluten-free diet.
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CR AF T
ASSEMBLAGE DU FLORALE
A simple mobile of twigs and flowers offers a fresh perspective TEXT, STYLING, AND PHOTOGRAPHY INA AMOR MEJIA
FLORAL MOBILE What you’ll need: 2 clean twigs of roughly the same size Fresh flowers with sturdy stems Clear nylon fishing line Adhesive ceiling hooks Scissors
Directions: 1. Cut the twigs and knot them together, forming an “x,” using the nylon fishing line. 2. Knot another long piece of string at the center and temporarily hang the twigs. 3. Vary the lengths of the stemmed flowers that you leave on each twig. 4. Tie a piece of string close to the bottom of each stem. Tie the
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stemmed flowers upside down on a section of the twig at different heights. 5. Secure the hooks on the ceiling, and knot the mobile. 6. Cut all excess strings from the twigs and stemmed flowers. Tip: You can also hang the mobile from a mobile hanger on the wall and use faux flowers for a more permanent floral arrangement.
FIXT URE
DAILY DELIBERATIONS
Moving away from your smartphones and meeting face-to-face has become imperative in the digital age TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA ILLUSTRATION DANICA CONDEZ
Technology is at the core of every millennial. Everything is measured in mbps and gigabytes. Information is passed on faster and more efficient than ever. This is why meetings—either for brainstorming, updates, or sealing deals—have been evolving through the years. From Facebook groups to video calls and messaging apps, young professionals have sought out other ways to relay a message to their respective teams instead of meeting face-to-face. But what are the advantages of holding a real meeting and when is it vital for a team to meet personally? According to an article published by the Harvard Business Review entitled “How to Run a Meeting,” some ethologists recognize that the social mind has a creative power, too. A group of people meeting together can often produce better ideas, plans, and decisions than a single individual, or a number of individuals, each working alone. However, in this day and age when sitting down and discussing for hours has become a sign of wasted time, managers and team leaders are continuously finding new ways to conduct meetings for high productivity and efficiency. All over the globe, team leaders are trying to innovate the formal meeting set-up in order to capture the attention of boredom-prone millennials. Meetings can be costly, both in terms of money and time. It’s best to plan carefully before you schedule a meeting. Ask yourself: What is the objective of your meeting? Determine the agenda and make sure it’s measurable. If you can resolve it through e-mail or a quick one-on-one discussion, skip it. There are different functions of a meeting and several ways to run one in order to meet your
objectives. One is to provide more information to your team. If discourse is needed, meeting face-to-face has the advantage. Brainstorm but make sure your team has been briefed well before entering a meeting as to not waste everyone’s time. For creative brainstorming, an encouraging setting is a priority. Stray away from the four white walls of your office and take your team out. An effective practice done through the years is the power lunch. This technique is not only confined to lunch breaks per se; it can be a meeting over breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even coffee. Make your break more productive with good food, maybe some libations, and an overflow of ideas on the dining table. It won’t feel like a meeting at the end of the day. For more pressing matters like status updates on projects and urgent decision making, kick your chairs and conduct a standing or walking meeting. This fastpaced world is not slowing down anytime soon. It is best to make the most out of every minute of every day. As cited in the 1999 paper published by the University of Missouri researchers in the Journal of Applied Psychology, meetings are 34 percent shorter if you’re standing up. This technique is effective in eliminating distractions from your smartphones and laptops. While walking, a person will concentrate more on the walking and the conversation at hand. These shorter and more efficient meetings can be done more frequently within the week compared to wasting two or more hours sitting and squeezing each other’s brains out in one day. Every meeting has an agenda, it is best to wrap it up at the end of each meeting and clarify some points no matter how short or long they are. Reiterate deadlines and schedule follow-up meetings if needed.
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FIXT URE
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BEAUT Y
THE DERMIS DIET
Skincare staples made from everyday ingredients found in the pantry TEXT CARLOS TABUNDA ILLUSTRATION TRISTAN TAMAYO
Organic items have, for so long, taken a backseat in favor of chemical-ridden skincare goods and luxe cosmetic brands. Ordinary food products, however, can remedy skincare problems we don’t commonly know. Other than giving nutrition to the body, kitchen ingredients applied on the skin can equally have you looking in the pink of health.
coconut oil and cinnamon for a delicious, all-natural scrub that can reduce the appearance of dimpling on the skin.
Oily skin Most people turn to apple cider vinegar to treat oily skin but, surprisingly, honey can also treat this skin problem. The natural antiseptic properties of honey can Dead skin cells sufficiently moisturize the skin without making it oily. Baking soda is a natural exfoliant because it’s coarse It smells better than apple cider vinegar, too. Apply a enough to slough off dead skin cells, but not too coarse thin layer of honey over the face and leave it on for 15 to ruin the skin. Simply mix a small amount with a little minutes. Gently massage the skin before rinsing off. water and scrub onto your face gently for a few minutes to reveal a fresher and healthier complexion. Chicken skin Clinically known as keratosis pilaris, chicken skin can be Cellulite treated with lactic acid; a sugar and sour cream mixture Caffeine helps improve circulation, which can remove contains enough lactic acid to lessen the appearance of excess water from the skin and make it appear firmer. this skin condition. Take a tablespoon of granular sugar Drinking coffee is already helpful, but scrubbing and add this to two tablespoons of sour cream. Stir well coffee grounds on cellulite-affected areas of the skin and apply on the affected area using circular motions. can also help. Mix ground coffee with a little bit of Do this regularly to fend off chicken skin.
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FEAT URE
THE MAKING OF MACHUCA
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FEAT URE The paint, consisting of a mix of powdered sand and pigments, is poured in between the spaces of design molds to create a Machuca tile.
An unchanging tile-making company still flourishes after a stretch of a hundred years TEXT LEX CELERA PHOTOGRAPHY JILSON SECKLER TIU
“If you’ll go there to the showroom, I have there a pile of all the cut-outs. I can show you…” Speaking to me is Elvira “Vivian” Machuca, wife of Luisito Machuca Sr. “Whenever I see papers, magazines, newspapers, [I say] ‘Ay Machuca!’ I cut it out and then I put it in the photograph album.” For a name as popular as Machuca, it comes as a surprise that Vivian takes the time to save clippings of their name mentioned in paper. We’re sitting in their factory office in Parañaque, the rain stopped pouring for the time being. It’s nearing noon, and the Machucas are about to leave to return to their showroom in San Miguel, Manila. “I come here three times a week. Before, I used to come here every day. It’s far, sometimes the traffic takes me two hours so I can’t take it anymore.” Vivian has retired as manager, instead taking the role of consultant to the two new co-managers, who are also her sons, Luisito Machuca Jr. and Jaime Machuca. Jaime is sitting nearby, quietly listening to our conversation. As Vivian recalls the days she took over the family business during the late Luisito Machuca Sr.’s passing, Jaime interrupts: “Think of her as a Cory Aquino.” The Machucas have kept the tile-making business
for more than a century, beginning with Jose Machuca y Romeo, or Don Jose as they refer to him, coming from Spain to Jaime and Luisito entering as the fourth generation of Machucas to handle the business. Luisito Jr. is an architect by profession and is in the middle of making new designs, while Jaime is in charge of business operations. Both are relatively new to the business; Jaime, in particular, is a fresh graduate but is not afraid in taking on a centuryold business. “I wasn’t forced to [join the family business]. I really wanted it,” admits Jaime. Under their management, they have already made some changes to make work more efficient while retaining the traditional method of cement tile-making: no machinery, no application of heat. More than a century has passed and Machuca Baldozas still operates. The orders are still coming by the dozens, the tiles being shipped out by the thousands, and the tile makers still pressing their palms brushed with fine sand, working like clockwork. Specifically, like an heirloom timepiece: going through the motions with all the finesse and none of the jarring interruptions—the same actions that have earned the Machuca name all these years.
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FEAT URE
“The thing with cement tiles is that you can never get them perfect.”
The work of a tile maker under Machuca is painstakingly time-consuming, but to call their work mechanical is callous judgment. Made by hand, a certain level of care accompanies each finished tile. One mistake leads to a rejected tile, and with one tile maker producing 100 tiles per day, progress can be slow. Even then, each tile takes several days to be fully cured. Each tile maker is assigned to the same mold of tiles for a set amount of time, and the repetition can lead to mistakes, but experience tells that the tile makers hone their craft through the trial and error. Most of these tile makers have worked in the factory for years, and even then they are not free of mistakes. The designs were brought in by Don Jose when he arrived in the Philippines from Spain: Mediterraneaninspired, with geometric and floral motifs that evoke a rustic charm. At present, almost 50 pages of tile designs have been lost due to weather and age, yet the few that remain are more than enough to accommodate their clients. Custom designs are also accepted. The tiles stand out on their own and are easily recognizable whenever seen to the point of ubiquity. Yet the tiles are anything but regular. “The thing with cement tiles is that you can never get them perfect. If you inspect the lines, you’ll see they’re not perfectly straight so I guess that’s what we mean by unique,” quips Jaime. The irregularities in the lines, the subtle changes among each tile due to their handcrafted nature is what gives Machuca tiles their distinct beauty. Each tile, made by the hands of a tile maker, has its own personality that adds to its appeal. A huge number of residential and corporate spaces have been ordering from Machuca Baldozas for years; from big fast food chains and historic chapels to local specialty stores and fancy restaurants, the Machuca tile has made its way to floors in the country. Through it all, the Machucas keep their heads low with one goal in mind: to always please the client. The process of tile-making begins with getting the right proportions of paint. A careful pouring over of paint is imperative to follow the exact design mold. Tiles are stacked neatly before being cured.
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FEAT URE
Vivian says the fact that they managed to last more than a hundred years is a blessing and a legacy to uphold for future generations. Through the turbulence these changing times have brought, the Machuca tile ages gracefully. Its makers still continue what their predecessors have done. Meanwhile, the world awaits, eager for its new designs to come out.
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FEAT URE
MIDDLE EARTH SOUTHERN living
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FEAT URE
Lush abundance and produce fresh from a shared backyard TEXT YVETTE TAN PHOTOGRAPHY ARTU NEPOMUCENO
Holy Carabao Holistic Farms is composed of a group of family farms from different parts of the country that offers organic, biodynamic meat, dairy, and produce. It was established in 2007 by Hindy Tantoco, who started an organic garden in her backyard in Sta. Elena, Laguna as part of a quest to provide her family with delicious, healthy, chemicalfree food. “I just wasn’t satisfied with what I was seeing in the market and I just decided to start in our backyard little by little, and then it was so plentiful that we started sharing them with friends and family, until we started selling them in [our kids’] school [Waldorf, where] they had market days. And then our harvest just kept growing and growing, then eventually, my husband said, ‘Why don’t we just turn this into a legitimate business.’ That’s when it began,” Tantoco says. Holy Carabao became Manila’s first organic food door-to-door delivery, a service they provide to this day. Three years ago, she was joined by Melanie Go, a co-parent in the Waldorf School, where their kids study. “We joined forces and because of that, Holy Carabao’s been able to expand. Now we also sell in SnR and Rustan’s, and we have an outlet store
behind Rockwell. We’re also getting more and more involved in farm events and tours,” Tantoco says. “We prepare meals for groups—usually families— here in the farm, and the children can learn more about where the food comes from and get to interact with the animals.” In March of this year, Holy Carabao acquired a plot of land beside the Waldorf School in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Just five months later, the plot has been cleared of wild grass and has become a thriving farm. “It’s all indigenous vegetables right now, basically bahay kubo vegetables because that’s what grows really well in Laguna soil and the weather here,” Tantoco says. Holy Carabao’s Sta. Rosa branch is also part of the Waldorf School’s curriculum. “Our children go to this school and farming, healthy food, gardening and the holistic lifestyle is intrinsic to their curriculum. They’ve always wanted a farm curriculum and a farm right by their school,” Tantoco says. “When it came time for us to expand, we thought this was the perfect place to do it. They welcomed us with open arms. It’s been wonderful.” When classes start this year, students will get to
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FEAT URE
Tantoco and Go employ the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner when it comes to organic farming, one which Tantoco simply describes as “living life with reverence to the smallest things.�
Seeds available at the Holy Carabao Farms include a collection Hindy Tantoco sourced from Portland, Oregon.
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FEAT URE
“If you want a good life, you need good food. It’s as simple as that.” learn how to plant and harvest. “We’re going to have a rice paddy at the back just for the school,” Go says. At only 700 square meters, small for farmland, the space in the Sta. Ana farm is of utmost importance. “We practice biodynamic farming and integrate permaculture, and intrinsic to that is the presence of trees, fungi, and animals on the land. It’s not a clinical environment,” Tantoco says. “We also planted flowers because we need the bees and the butterflies, that’s part of the whole ecosystem of a farm. We don’t like anything too manicured… that’s not how nature works. Just have a balance of everything.” The Sta. Ana farm isn’t finished. There are plans to build a terrace and pavilion for events and workshops. “Part of our DNA is always the family, so in between
those events, we want to have lounge areas and playscapes… so while their parents are having a meal or reading a book, the kids can just be around and feel completely safe, but free,” Tantoco says. Holy Carabao hopes to offer more people the choice to live happier, healthier lives, starting with what they put in their bodies. Aside from producing crops, the Sta. Ana farm also hopes to be a place where people of all ages can discover where their food comes from. “We want to introduce a certain kind of consciousness through food,” Go says. “We start with food and move up.” “Food is life,” Tantoco adds. “If you want a good life, you need good food. It’s as simple as that. You want a healthy life, you eat healthy food.”
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COV ER STORY
BREAD AND BUTTER
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COV ER STORY Camera-shy, Ana Lorenzana De Ocampo has no reservations in the kitchen, bursting into laughter while she prepares the flour for the bread.
The hearth of Ana Lorenzana De Ocampo’s home is definitely found in the kitchen TEXT MARBBIE TAGABUCBA PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK DIOKNO
Even nature tells us that the warmth of the familiar shell is only meant to nurture us to be strong enough for the forces outside. We are meant to step out, uproot. Some soon find they are at home on the road—and turn a shell out of it which they indefinitely retreat to. That said, where we came from is not necessarily the same as where we are at home. Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo’s first encounter with good food was during her summers in Olongapo as a child, Luzon’s best filling her grandmother’s long antique wooden dining table from end to end with rich Filipino delicacies like her grandmother’s crispy dinuguan and her mother’s chicken relleno. She preferred the kakanin. There was ensaymada and leche flan, among others, but it was really her mother’s coconut cream and Quickmelt cassava cake that stood out. Since then, she has trained and has been eating her way around the world as a pastry chef by passion and profession, always coming back with something for us to munch on, like a pasalubong hand carried and served. “When I experience something I’ve never had before, I get excited. I try to create my own version so I can bring it here and let people try it,” she shares.
Wildflour Café and Bakery (and the success of their take on the cronut in 2013, for example) was built from wanting to share an experience. From a concept to open a small coffee shop that served coffee, a few pastries, and sandwiches like the ones she and her Los Angeles-based sister Margarita Lorenzana-Manzke frequented whether for work or leisure in LA—“A little café in the corner,” De Ocampo pictured—the size of the space in the Fort dictated it become more. Her brother-in-law, Lorenzana-Manzke’s husband, Walter helped expand the menu to French-American, revolving around the bread baked fresh daily. Manzke has worked in some of the world’s renowned kitchens and the husband and wife have opened a series of successful restaurants. De Ocampo, who is front of house, also makes perfect breads and pastries. Beyond the office lunch and after-five crowd they targeted, Wildflour’s branches in Salcedo and recently Legaspi Village are also packed with groups—couples, families, and friends—coming and lingering for weekend brunch. De Ocampo offers that the concept of a brunch culture is not new in the Philippines, where weekends
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COV ER STORY
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COV ER STORY
“When I experience something I’ve never had before, I get excited. I try to create my own version so I can bring it here and let people try it.”
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SPECIAL FEAT URE
A TECHNOLOGICAL STEP UP Feel the ease of living with technology TEXT CHRISTELLE TOLISORA
Long gone are the snail mails, bulky desktops, oldschool pagers. Technology continues to innovate. With a simple click of the finger, the internet will give more answers to what we actually need. Staying connected and being updated with the trends as well as owning the latest gadgets have become a necessity rather than a privilege. It seems that the world has become smaller and being left out in the fast moving community is not an option. Being in sync with the rapid pace of living and while enjoying the laid back ambiance of the South, is not a problem. You can drive the children to school just around the neighborhood and travel with ease to the work place care of accessible routes and transportation options. At the end of a tiring day, the comforts and relaxation of home will
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welcome you. Bond with the children at the park during the weekends, while having round-the-clock security and CCTV cameras. At the same time, be updated with the latest happenings through the selected Wi-Fi spots around the area. Suntrust Properties Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Megaworld Corporation, has developed a community that keeps you updated and connected with everything in and out of the South. Cyberville, a 10-hectare residential enclave with its main entrance located at Sabang, DasmariĂąas, Cavite, takes technology into a whole new level and balancing this connectivity with the ease of a southern lifestyle. At Cyberville, the best of both worlds meet to give you everything needed at this modern age.
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COV ER STORY
“We like what we experience when we travel. [For the restaurateur], it’s good to bring it back.”
are already being spent sleeping in for an extra hour or two in most households, followed by a gathering of family and friends for a late breakfast that extends to daytime cocktails, whatever the chosen cuisine. It remains the same in its essence: it’s a celebration of having the luxury of time together. Like most of Manila, she admits that she hardly entertains at home these days. “It’s an experience, trying out something new together. It’s something to talk about in itself,” she explains Manila’s thriving dining scene fueled by people eating out more. “A lot of Filipinos are well-traveled. We like what we experience when we travel. [For the restaurateur,] it’s good to bring it back,” she reasons. “A good French toast with bacon is my ideal brunch. It has to be unforgettable. The bread has to be moist, crisp on the edges, not at all soggy, golden brown in color with a delicious custard taste to it, with a side of bacon,” she describes. “It sounds like bread dipped in butter. Anybody can make French toast but not everybody can make it well,” a good argument in favor of eating out more. In turn, there is a kind of customer who dines out to relive a past trip through a meal, or to have a taste of what they hope to have in its place of origin one day. De Ocampo, then, wanted to capture the LA bistro look and feel in Wildflour as much as possible. “All of the restaurants don’t use anything fake. Our old wood is really old. No synthetic marble was used. The distressed metal is real distressed metal,” she pointed out.
When it comes to the menu, she comments, “It doesn’t have to be mind-blowing. Diners’ tastes have become more sophisticated, but they also want to know what’s in their food now,” which is also why the Wildflour Breakfast, a plate of eggs, crispy potatoes, breakfast sausage or bacon steak—its doneness in any way you please—is an all-day hit from when the restaurant first opened in 2012 to today. “It nourishes you at the start of the day, satisfies you in the middle, and at the end of a long day, it comforts you.” Putting up soda fountain and ice cream parlor Farmacy, inspired by the 1930s pharmacy-turnedsoda fountains, revives an old way of bonding with families and friends-something that went the way of the standalone creameries in the eighties until its recent resurgence. “Ice cream is quick, a dessert, it doesn’t need much planning. I think it’s best enjoyed late at night, when you come from somewhere or you don’t have food for a midnight snack. You just want something quick and easy, and you know exactly what to expect,” she says. “It’s just ice cream, but you see fathers and daughters having ice cream, sharing a conversation. It’s the memories that you build.” To De Ocampo, it’s not just good, uncomplicated food but creating an environment from its interiors to the ambience to inspire good, quality times together. And when you are away, it is these memories that make you miss home. It’s the people you share it with that makes it home. It’s what makes you want to come back.
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STYLING EDLENE CABRAL. HAIR ARIES MANAL. MAKEUP CHUCHIE LEDESMA.
COV ER STORY
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M ARKET
BUCOLIC GATHERING A rustic approach to concocting daily delicacies in the kitchen PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
1. Cheese fork, P1,250 (set of 6), Pottery Barn, Central Square. 2. Stone creamer, P795, Pottery Barn, Central Square. 3. Ceramic Mason ice cream bowl, P995 (set of 2), Barbuzzo, True Home by True Value, Greenbelt 5. 4. Alabaster dip bowl, P445, West Elm, Estancia Mall. 5. Textured bowl, P245, West Elm, Estancia Mall. 6. Stainless steel octagonal coffee pot, P8,975, Alessi, Bonifacio High Street. 7. Crinkled glass dixie cup, P2,950 (set of 6), Rob Brandt, Dimensione, Alabang Town Center. 8. Pepper mill, P995, Distinction by Trudeau, True Home by True Value, Greenbelt 5. 9. Salt mill, P995, Distinction by Trudeau, True Home by True Value, Greenbelt 5. 10. Butter dish, P8,414, Alessi, Bonifacio High Street. 11. Porcelain can, P970, Seletti, Dimensione, Alabang Town Center. 12. Glass bottle, P1,470, Seletti, Dimensione, Alabang Town Center. 13. Stone serving bowl, P2,250, Pottery Barn, Central Square. 14. Linen table cloth, P5,450, Pottery Barn, Central Square. 15. Linen table napkin, P1,450 (set of 4), Pottery Barn, Central Square.
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Panerai Radiomir, Lucerne, Glorietta 4.
FOR GOOD MEASURE Register progress identified by classic movements PHOTOGRAPHY ARTU NEPOMUCENO
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox, Jaeger-LeCoultre Boutique, Greenbelt 5.
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Breitling Navitimer 01, Breitling, Greenbelt 5.
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Hublot Big Bang Carbon, Lucerne, Glorietta 4.
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IWC Portuguese, Lucerne, Glorietta 4.
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FEAT URE
SPECIAL KNEADS A toast to bread and its unique reincarnations from specialty bakeries TEXT BEVERLY DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM
Apple Walnut Zucchini Bread My Mom Bakes came up with a loaf packed with the goodness of zucchini, apples, walnuts, and with a sprinkling of cinnamon spice. Warm it up in the oven so the sides get toasty and slather a spoonful of honey and mustard for a mix of sweet and savory.
Rustic Baguette Trigo’s rustic baguette is made of wheat and brown flour. True to its French origins, you’ll find that the crust is tough with a soft middle. To make the center crunchy, slice thinly, drizzle a little olive oil, then bake.
My Mom Bakes. www.facebook.com/mymombakes.
Trigo. 9629 Kamagong St., San Antonio Village, Makati City.
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FEAT URE
Multiseed Loaf For a midday snack, toast Trigo’s multiseed loaf first then spread a little butter or PB&J. It’s doughy in the middle, with a light and crunchy blend of white sesame seeds, flax, sunflower seeds, and oatmeal grain on the crust.
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FEAT URE
SHOT ON LOCATION TRIGO
Salted Egg Brûlée Croissant Wildflour’s croissant is light, moist, and airy inside, and the smell of butter is very evident. Recently, the bakery made an Asian rendition with a thick brûlée at the center using salted eggs as the base. The result: a flaky pastry with a sweet and savory surprise.
Wildflour Cafe + Bakery. Rada St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.
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FEAT URE
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread My Mom Bakes came up with this peculiar loaf made with zucchini—a vegetable low in calories and packed with antioxidants. Also generously made with chocolate chunks, a thick slice with a glass of milk is enough to fill you up.
My Mom Bakes. www.facebook.com/mymombakes.
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EATS “The batchoy [at Kafé Batwan] is a little bit more like ramen,” says Tracie AngloDizon of chef JP Anglo’s dish.
STRETCHING THE BRUNCH HOUR
An all-day dining concept changes the café scene in the city with its local, modern fare TEXT BEVERLY DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
The café culture in Manila needs an upgrade, and we’re no longer talking about the improvement third-wave coffee shops brought in or the artisanal fare served in hole-in-the-wall restaurants. What seems to be lacking in the city is a setting that lasts more than the brunch hour, a prerequisite for true café culture. Elevating the café culture in Manila is the newly opened Kafé Batwan that offers more than just a cup— it isn’t just about having coffee and choosing how you want your eggs between 10 to 3 anymore. “It’s more like an all-day dining concept,” says owner Tracie Anglo-Dizon. “This is like our modern take on Filipino café food. There’s breakfast, then there’s sandwiches, and some merienda, and then it all goes to the mains.” Spearheading the menu is her brother Jayps Anglo, better-known for leading the Negrense food movement with Sarsa restaurant. In a past interview, he said that his goal is to put the batchoy on the map and to make it the next ramen of the country. AngloDizon is, without bias, quite proud of her brother’s
creations. Made with a 12-hour soup stock, softboiled egg similar to the tamago, crispy tuna skin, and kurobuta char siu, “I think [Kafé Batwan’s] Super Batchoy is certainly something people would be curious about,” she says. Other dishes of interest include the Trio of Pinoy Spreads of monggo labuyo, salted egg talong, and tahong ginamos with toasty biscocho pandesal, Crispy Tawilis sprinkled with queso de bola shavings, Inasal Burrito with pumpkin salsa and fresh green chili sauce, and the Twice-cooked Liempo Sandwich with braised-and-then-grilled pork, ginamos gata, kesong puti, some grilled tomatoes, roasted peppers, and a side of cassava fries. Brunch is booming, but that hasn’t stopped some of the city’s most ambitious restaurateurs and chefs, like the Anglo siblings, from elevating the café culture not only with contemporary food we can enjoy any time of the day but also with something we can call our own.
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EATS The Adobo Flakes come with fried eggs and garlic coconut fried rice (right). The Crispy Tawilis is topped with shaved queso de bola (extreme right). The braisedthen-grilled pork on the sandwich is very tender to chew on (below). Follow @slivingph on Twitter and Instagram for more updates.
KafĂŠ Batwan. Joya Lofts, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City. 625-5166.
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EATS You can ask the chef for an Around-theWorld platter, a collection of beef from Japan, Australia, U.S., and Europe. It’s a special service that is not on the menu.
WHAT’S YOUR BEEF?
This noble bastion of butchery wants to change the way you think of steak TEXT ROMEO MORAN PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
Smith Butcher and Grill Room might very well be made of cows. Well, to the more imaginative of us, it might be, but it’s pretty close. The bartop, as well as many of the chairs, is wrapped in buttery brown leather. There are couches upholstered with what looks like actual cowhide from afar. Three silver cow heads hang from a back wall, light bouncing off from their cold foreheads, looking down on diners who would prefer some privacy. And of course, the best part: the restaurant’s selection, which features beef from all over the world, with some breeds you would never find on the plates of other restaurants here. “The cow is one of our main focuses, because Filipinos love steaks. It’s a meat-eating country,” explains chef Tom Hines, one of the brains behind the month-old Smith. “We have beef coming in from North America, South America, Australia, Japan, and Ireland. [Regular steakhouses and restaurants] only have beef from the U.S. and Australia.” Other than the sources of the beef and the wide variety of cuts available to the customer, Smith also distinguishes itself by being the only grill room in
town that dry-ages their beef. Dry aging is a process in which the meat is placed inside a special aging cabinet so that its enzymes break it down further, giving it a richer, more gamey flavor. Smith dry ages their beef for 45 days. Such a method is unheard of here, says Hines. They’ve got it all down to a science. While Smith focuses on elevating the craft of butchery and encouraging the consumption of beef, they do not impose it on anyone. They have seafood dishes for those who don’t share the same passion for steak. Among the standouts are the smoked tuna poke, made with local tuna that’s caught in a sustainable way, and Hines’ personal favorite dish, the fruit du mer—a three-layered dish of lobster, tuna sashimi, mussels, oysters, and caviar. “Come in and enjoy. We have something for everybody,” says Hines. And if you know little to nothing of steak, only that you should probably order your T-bones medium rare, fret not; Smith was made to help you out and show you what you’ve been missing. “People aren’t ignorant. They are very educated these days. But they just need a jolt, you know? They just need a push. They need the horizon to be open a bit more.”
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EATS The raw big eye tuna poke is smoked right in front of you. (right). The restaurant is split into“different dining destinations� (below, left). There is a roving cheese platter to choose from after your steak. (below, right).
Smith Butcher and Grill Room. ACI Building, 147 HV dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City.
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SPECIAL FEAT URE To know more about this upcoming event, like us on Facebook, fb.com/ backyardgrillatthepark and check out #HIPBackyardGrill.
FÊTE DOWN SOUTH
Backyard Grill at the Park brings together the residents of Ayala Alabang Village More than providing satisfaction, good food has the power to bring an entire community together. Throw in a roster of amazing performers for live entertainment and create a platform to support various charities and you have the perfect recipe for a successful community engagement. This is what Backyard Grill At The Park has been doing for almost a year now. The latest edition, held last June 20, 2015 at the Cuenca Covered Court in Ayala Alabang Village, saw close to 500 individuals who took part in this monthly event mounted by HIP Events and presented by Southern Living and Inquirer RED Magazines. The guests were treated to a fine selection of savory offerings such as the famous shrimp, crab and lobster sandwiches from Bun Appetit, chorizo burger from Tipple & Slaw and gourmet sausages from Schmidt’s. Those with sweet cravings took delight in Golden Cookies, ice cream wafers from Louie-Luis and delectable crepes from La Creperie. Meanwhile, Current
Swell served cups of freshly brewed coffees using green beans sourced both locally and internationally. Backyard Grill At The Park wouldn’t be complete without live entertainment. Guests were serenaded with soulful renditions of various covers from the talented JB Landrito, Jelle Jante, and Jensen Gomez. Though the weather was not as cooperative as with the previous legs, people still went to eat, drink, and give back to different charities such as Futkal, Inc., I Love To Read Learning Foundation, Reintegration for Care and Wholeness, Silid Aralan, CARA, and White Cross. To make the event more memorable, there were other activities for the guests courtesy of esteemed partners: McCormick presented a cooking demo using its latest products; Robinsons Residences, the developer of The Trion Towers at The Fort had a photo booth set up for guests to have a memory of the event; Tattoo Platinum provided everyone with free ultra high speed wi-fi access; and Monterey sold choice cut premium meats.
Backyard Grill At The Park is a signature event of Hinge Inquirer Publications, Inc., with official media partners ClickTheCity.com, inquirer.net, Inquirer Plus and Preen.ph.
EATS A selection of unlimited side dishes, banchan is served with the main course of your choice.
OFF THE KOREAN GRILL
A laid-back food joint serves up a refresher course on Korean dining TEXT MARA SANTILLAN MIANO PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO
For those who care more about meat and less about strict culinary authenticity, Yoree is a spacious, comfortable comfort food oasis evidently designed for the urban diner. It’s decorated with neat, modern furnishings, equipped with a strong exhaust system that won’t leave you smelling of barbecue. For the uninitiated: Filipino dining is more similar to the Western method, where soup comes first, then a meat dish. “In Korea, we eat meat first, then the rice dish comes afterwards,” says Jin Hwan Lee, Yoree executive chef. “Also, our diners always ask for extra rice! Koreans eat very little rice.” Filipino-born Korean model Hye Won Jang argues there is really no strict rule book to follow in terms of the Korean way of dining. “Everything you notice is simply to enhance the taste of Korean food and enjoy it in a healthy manner,” she says. “We always balance and complement the food we eat.” For instance, Korean fried chicken is eaten with pickled radish to help cut the oiliness. Samgyeopsal (Korean barbecue pork) is eaten with dwenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste soup, because it has anti-cancer properties). Of course, there is kimchi, accompanying almost everything—
this is to help the digestive system circulate better with healthy bacteria. A meal at Yoree starts with juk (vegetable congee) with three refillable banchan (side dishes) of your choice. Though most diners express discontent with the serving size of Yoree’s banchan, it is an adequate, more appropriate way to begin the meal, as the dishes become richer with each course. Yoree’s Gyeran Jjim, or steamed egg casserole (that is also banchan), is light, fluffy, and perfectly cooked. Meat lovers will enjoy the Yangnyeom Galbi, which is a marinated USDA Prime Short Rib served with prawn and octopus. The Jeonju Dolsot Bibimbap also doesn’t disappoint. It is Korea’s most popular version of the bibimbap and is made with 14 ingredients in a hot stone bowl, and Kkotsal or US Angus Boneless Short Rib. To take away that heavy feeling after eating a full meal, the Pat Bing Su (shaved ice with red beans) is a reliable choice for dessert. Yoree’s flavors are definitely heartier and richer than the usual homey Korean restaurants. Yoree strides the balance of authentic and commercial restaurant cooking styles quite nicely.
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EATS A wide array of sides and premium meat make up Gyeran Jjim (right), Yangnyeom Galbi (extreme right), Pork Sutbulgogi (below), and Haemul Sundubu Jjigae (below, right).
Yoree. GF Forum 7th cor. 25th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
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RECIPE
KITCHEN COMFORTS
A hearty serving of poultry and tomatoes lightly stewed in its own stock TEXT AND STYLING CHARLIE CARBUNGCO PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO
CHICKEN AFRITADA INGREDIENTS
1/4 kilo chicken drumstick 10 pieces local tomato 1 medium potato, cubed 1 medium onion, sliced 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 3 cloves garlic Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups water 2 tbs. cooking oil Sugar to taste PREPARATION 1. In a pot, sear the chicken in 1 tbs. cooking oil until golden brown then set it aside. 2. In the same pot, sautĂŠ onion and garlic in remaining cooking oil until caramelized. 3. Add the tomatoes in the pot and mash it with a wooden spoon. 4. Add the seared chicken and pour water. Simmer for 20 minutes. 5. Add bell peppers, salt, sugar, and pepper. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
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T HE GET
PANTRY IDLENESS
Looking forward to the waiting time when it comes to traditional preparations in the kitchen TEXT LEX CELERA PHOTOGRAPHY RENZ MART REYES
“Food, she insisted, must be prepared, cooked and enjoyed with love. Otherwise, we would be no better than pigs at the trough. She firmly believed we are what we eat,” says C. Horatius Mosquera in For Lola with Love, one of the essays in Slow Food: Philippine Culinary Traditions. A decade after publishing, the message from the slow living movement still rings true, although not as loud as the opposition: fast food outlets that have propped up in almost every corner of the city. The personal recollections in the essays reveal deep histories for the authors, framing each one in a wider context that is easily relatable, even for those not accustomed to the Filipino palate. The recipes awaken the senses through livid detail. It is a book in which everybody can find something to relate to when it comes to something as universal as food, especially when it’s prepared for a special occassion. Slow Food: Philippine Culinary Traditions. www.artbooks.ph. 632-7683.
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