Blog Marco - Food

Obama Gobbling a Hotdog

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:13:00 -0700

Obama gobbling a hotdog in Montana on Independence day 2008. While we're on the topic of politics, remember this funny photo of Bush?

Philippine Food Festival Sydney

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:28:33 -0700

Philippine Food Festival was CRAP. Rating at a 5 out of 10 (maybe even a 4 out of ten). Around 100 people turned up. This Filipino Food festival wasn't great. The food was bland, dry and very mild in taste. Here's what the flyer claimed the meal was to be: "Enjoy tantalising South East Asian cuisine rich in exotic flavours, specially created by Michel Le Teuff, who will be our guest Executive Chef for this Festival. Chef Le Teuff joins us from the prestigious Travel Cafe Philippines, Makati City. Luscious dishes bursting with flavour will bring the essence of the Philippines to the Grace Brasserie." So where is the "tantilising" tastes we were promised Chef Le Teuff? Where are the "exotic flavours" and luscious dishes?

At AUD$45 a head at this buffet meal we were expecting much more from an international imported chef. I wasn't even "full" (busog). Compare this with a really tasty meal at Dampa in Paranaque (which is just a stone's throw away from the international airport). We were able to feed three people there for only $40. Or how about the masarap (tasty) lechon from cebu?. Hell we fed 5 people for only AUD$15 and we were soooo full then. Perhaps we should have just ate at one of my usual restaurants near UTS or just venture to Newtown for some exotic tastes from all the Thai food out there.

Eating Out

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:51:31 -0700

I have reservations about eating out now. After watching a few episodes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (aired on Channel 9 - yeah we're behind again Australia) I feel sick. How can we trust restaurants? How can we trust that the kitchen is up to scratch? I'm not even sure if the amount of people sitting and eating within the restaurant is a good measure of how clean the back is (although it is a good indication that the food is good to eat since it attracts a lot of people). Men's health has an interesting article: "16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn't Want You to Know" which talks about the calories that restaurants (fast food and sit down restaurant chains) are pumping into our bodies. Is it even safe to eat out anymore? Has it ever been safe? "Bloody hell" (as Chef

Corregidor Entertainment Centre & Restaurant

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:34:49 -0700

Eat Here. Corregidor Entertainment Centre & Restaurant

122 Rooty Hill Road North, Rooty Hill. (Located in Sydney's Western Suburbs - Across the road from St Aidan's Church) Call them on 9625 6289. Open from Wednesday to Sunday for Lunch and Dinner.

You can have a look at their menu. Yummy Filipino Food. Yum.

Plus they have entertainment on some nights.

Do You Know What You Eat?

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:49:39 -0700

Do you know what you are eating? Do you know how or why certain foods end up on your plate? Are these philosophical questions even relevant? Those are the types a new book by Raj Patel is asking. The book is entitled: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System. Here's an abstract from the book:

One ingredient we consume a lot more than most of us realise is the soya bean. Patel labels it the food industry's secret ingredient.

"Soy is new, it's weird and it's absolutely everywhere," he says. "It can be found in three-quarters of products on supermarket shelves and almost everything the fast-food industry produces, and yet we have no idea, not a clue."

But the soya bean has a dark side because its mass cultivation in Brazil, especially by several big agricultural companies, has deforested vast tracts of the Amazon.

That most consumers don't make the connection between food production and its impact on the environment shows we become oblivious to what goes on to produce what we eat, Patel says.

It's interesting to see where the food we eat are coming from. Just going through my food pantry I've noticed that Oreos are made in Indonesia, Premium crispbread crackers are made in China, Instant noodles were manufactured in Korea, Fisherman's Friend mints are made in England and Vick's Vapodrops are made in India. Thankfully Buttermenthols is still made in Australia.

Craving Thai Tea

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:06:17 -0700

Teaser:
Having a craving for Thai Tea

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I'm having a craving for Thai Tea... having been introduced to it only a month ago in New Jersey, I can't believe I haven't come across this cold drink in Australia before! I love Thai food, I can claim that I have eaten Pad Thai (my favourite Thai dish) at least once in every Thai restaurant I've been to from Germany to USA and Australia...

Anyway, back to that Thai tea. I'm going to look into making myself... hopefully some Asian supermarket has the ingredients to make this truly refreshing iced tea. I've looked up a few websites, and just as I suspected, there are varying recipes: a few making it from scratch and other from pre-made syrups. According to the Wikipedia article about Thai Tea: the tea itself "is a drink made from strongly-brewed powdered black tea... Other ingredients in the powder vary, but may include added star anise, tamarind or red and yellow food coloring, and sometimes other spices as well. This tea is sweetened with sugar and condensed milk and served chilled. Evaporated or whole milk is generally poured over the tea and ice before serving--it is never mixed prior to serving--to add taste and creamy appearance.

Sausage Sizzle Burns Customer

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 03:03:38 -0700

The latest news from a free London newspaper (much like our local mX here in Sydney): "Restaurant diner was left with horrific burns after a sizzling sausage dish blew up in her face. The unnamed woman spent two weeks in hospital and needed skin grafts, said it was like 'being hit by a flame-thrower'. Rui Daniel Faria Velosa, owner of Sporting Clube de Londres in Westbourne Green, West London, was fined £4,000 and £2,000 in court costs at West London magistrates court for breaching safety rules."

A few things to note about the article:

A Sausage can Blow up
English law allows the news to name and shame restaurant owners

Teaser:
The standard for Brucshetta needs to be lifted in the Philippines.

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The standard for Brucshetta needs to be lifted in the Philippines. It was crap! There wasn't enough parmesan cheese. The tomatoes were shredded and not fresh (I think they were canned) The herbs weren't fresh either. Well maybe because I got it from Cibo in Gateway Mall in Cubao.