Foot and Fire

    Homo Deus By Yuval Noah Harari Paperback, 501 pages Non-fiction, History, Science, and Technology    In his first book which served as a foundation of his treatises laid out in Homo Deus, Sapiens: A Brief History of mankind ended with our collective trust in science and technology. I think one has to read the Sapiens first so that one can appreciate the discussions laid out by the author and to understand the direction where his discussions are heading out. Actually, I have some laughs on the first book and some grimace and smile on the second book.   Homo Deus is translated as Human God. Why humans are slowly considering themselves as their own god. In Part 1, the author laid out why Homo Sapiens conquers the world, and in relation to his first book, it is advanced that Homo Sapiens have advanced brain and ability to process data that is why we are putting ourselves and experience over and above other animals.     In Part 2, Homo Sap...

         It has always been a dream to try fresh truffle in my lifetime but well, a bottled Italian truffle sauce in ricotta is not bad to satisfy the craving in the meantime. Fresh ingredients and freshly cooked are always the key to a great food experience. Used parsley a lot these days because I got a lot of them from the garden when I planted tall parsley months ago.  I also get to enjoy cherry tomatoes from the garden, so I get to incorporate them in our dishes a lot of times these days. Dried herbs can also be used in this recipe and any other mushrooms can also used. I just love the earthy aroma and woody taste of shiitake that I often use it if I have some dried ones in the pantry. Button Mushroom or straw mushroom which are available in cans can also be used.     Cherry Tomatoes Shiitake Mushroom 250 gms Penne Pasta Reserved pasta water Truffle sauce with ricotta and black pepper (90gms)   Parmesan Cheese Salt and pepper...

Message on Women’s Month By Atty. Gerlie M. Uy PNP La Carlota City Flag Ceremony March 22, 2021 To our PNP Chief of Police, PLt Col. Jonel Vargas Guadalupe, and the uniformed women and men of PNP La Carlota City, Good Morning. Every year, we reserve the whole month of March to celebrate women. To appreciate this particular occasion, allow me the honor to lead you all in walking back through the history lane. The observation of a special day for women traces its roots in different movements in the 1900s, particularly in the US where garment workers were fighting for their economic rights and fair work hours. In 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated on 19 March participated by millions of men and women. However, a tragic incident led to the changing of this date. On 25 March, 1911, 140 working women died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City. This brought to light the unfair labor practices and inhumane working conditions that women...

#Sinamak is now resting in my #sinamakan. Bottle on the Left is my mother sinamakan while the three are the new sinamakan. I put vinegar in the mother sinamakan, shook it and transferred the same in the new bottles. Mouthwatering, and electricity runs through the inside of my jaw as I make this post. This spicy concoction is a #pinoy thing. Ingredients are:  #Chilis #Langkawas  #Turmeric  #Ginger  #coconutvinegar Put chilis in a glass bottle, chop the langkawas, turmeric and ginger in sizes that can go through the mouth of the bottle. Add coconut vinegar and let it ferment.  Serve as sauce for dried fish, or blanched vegetables like okra, eggplant or kamote tops. Add in soups too.  Postscript Sinamak = A Hiligaynon term for this spicy concoction. For Ilokanos, it is called pinakurat Sinamakan = the bottle where the spicy concoction is placed to ferment

Last time, I have been receiving supposed emails from Metrobank threatening me to close my account if I don't update. Toink!!! I have no metrobank account. But this Unionbank emails are flooding my mails lately that I thought of sharing them to you my readers. I have been meaning to blog about these attempts to hack bank accounts because the hackers are getting sophisticated too in how they deliver the emails. The logo and the link seems to look legit. But think twice before following the instruction in the email. Here are the things I keep in mind to avoid being a hacking victim: 1. Dont hit the update button in the email. This will divert you to another link address and the hacker can change your cellphone # where your OTP is sent. This happened to a friend and she was not refunded by the bank when her debit account was withdrawn. 2. Go to the https address of your bank or the bank's app if you want to change something. 3. Do not respond to emails from banks when ...

              In 2010, my friends and I went to Saigon and it was followed by a trip to Hanoi in 2012. One of the most memorable thing I did on my first day in Saigon is the trip to a grocery store where I spent more than 500,000 dong for food items including rice noodles and rice papers, and another more than 500,000 dong inside the mall for souvenirs which includes a pretty tea set. We were a bit feeling bad because we all spent at least a million dong. Of course, the numbers are just numbers because a dollar then is 20,000 dong.          When we left for home, I was teased by everyone when instead of throwing a pack of rice noodles, I unpacked it and placed the lump of noodles in every pocket of my bags. It was crazy.           In Hanoi, we brought home coffee and condensed milk because the vietnamese iced coffee is worth bagging and carrying back home. Well, what else can y...

     I was invited to give a little talk in relation to the Women's Month Celebration. I was done with my short message when I couldn't get off my mind the film On the Basis of Sex. I wish I can be given another opportunity to give a small talk on women because that would be about my recommended films. Well, why wait? I'm sharing to you here now, my list.    The Joy Luck Club (1993) based on a novel The Joy Luck Club was getting the cultural conversation started 25 years prior to the recent Crazy Rich Asian. A contemporary drama that starred all Asian women in its principal roles, this film explores the relationships between and among four mothers and their daughters. I saw the film only recently but I read the book by Amy Tan when I was still in college. There is much lesson on politics among women to reflect on even on the family setting alone.   The Color Purple (1985) based on a novel Alice Walker's epic novel is made into film by director Ste...

Peanut butter tree is a prolific tree once it starts to give out its pretty yellow blooms. This tree only grows 6ft tall and usually cherished ornamentally for its tiny but bunching yellow flowers.  Our tree started out as a housewarming gift and we planted it on the ground about 3 years ago. After a year, it grew and gave out fruits. This is an annual plant.  Since we have this, there are resident birds in our place. The birds love the reddish fruit very much. PBF has this texture of a mashed potato and sweetness of dates and sweetpotatoes combined.  The first time it fruited, I usually pick out the mushy red. But as months passed, it bore more fruits. I harvest the red orange ones and let it ripen in the kitchen area and later, outside the house. But then, fruitflies and other insects feast on them. So the only challenge that I had then was in keeping it long.  But I now I put the red-orange fruit in a container and put it in the...

Fish Soup is the easiest to prepare. We all love the steamy hot soup as it comforts our hungry stomach and thirsty guts.  This recipe is extra special as I finally found time to use the mustard leaves from my garden in a Sinigang or a Filipino Fish Soup with hint of Sourness from batwan, tamarind or guava but in this recipe, I used lemon juice. The Miso is a japanese cobdiment which ferments soybeans too. So this Sinigang sa Miso is a marriage of our broth-warding soups from two cultures. Enjoy. Tomatoes, quartered Onions, quartered Chives, chopped Miso paste Fish sauce Worcestershire sauce Tofu, cut to serving size Fish Fillet, cut to serving size Salt and pepper Lemon juice Mustard leaves, cut into serving pieces Heat a liter of water in soup pan and add tomatoes, onions and chives and the miso paste, the tofu slices and the sauces and bring to boil. Add the cut fish and let it boil again. Add salt and pepper and the lemon juice. Adjust heat. Let the soup Simmer. ...

Teacher Lourdes shared to me her “An Open Letter to the Parents During This Pandemic” and I readily agreed to include it in my blog because I personally admire her initiative and genuine care for the children and their parents as well. I reproduce the open letter below, after a few questions thrown to her. Please check out. Q (This writer): During your tenure as a teacher, what subjects do you teach? A (Teacher Lourdes): I teach English, Araling Panlipunan, Science and ESP or Edukasyon sa Pagkakatao. Q: Why did you decide to write a letter to the parents? A: I feel I need to at least give a little cheer up message to the parents who are our partners in giving education especially during this hard time. Q: Who or what inspired you? A: My children learners whom I already miss because we all miss the face to face classes. *** An Open Letter to the Parents During this Pandemic Dear Parents, I am writing to you because I feel the need to reach out during this extraordinary and h...

MY GINGER STORY. If you go to the wetmarket often, one realizes that ginger prices go up and down. But ginger can't be preserved except through powder form but I love it fresh. It is one important spice that can do magic to a simple dish from Visayan "pinamalhan" or fish stew in vinegar and soysauce to any curry dish. Thus, it helps to have them in handy.  I just harvested mine yesterday and others will be harvested as next batch. It is harvest time when the leaves are yellowing and wilting. The new shoots have new standing stem ready to shed leaves and they should be planted again. I have 10 new shoots yesterday after harvesting the biggest tuber. The tip is, ginger should be planted in a sandy area so that its rhizome can freely roam underneath, and also it would be easy to harvest when the soil is loose and not clayish.  This is one travel I want to take - food gardening - and I am learning a lot.  #farmingfairiesdiary

MY PERILLA STORY: From 200 seeds and 4 kinds I bought online, only 4 plants and 1 kind grew. I let the plant mature, harvested some leaves and tried them and loved them. It has no intrusive taste, it is not hardy but hard enough not to breakdown when used as wraps. It is a mint family so its stem is succulent but the flavor is subtle. When they flowered, I let them be until they wilted and got all the seeds. Now, I have the 1st generation of perilla in my garden as I sow all the seeds and they made me wait anxiously a bit before they rose up and waved some leaves to me. Started transferring them now.  Wraps soon for a K and Jap Lunch. 3.3.21 #farmingfairiesdiary

MY #TOMATO STORY. Beware of what you asked for. I was intrigued by tomatoes and chilipeppers. They are the kind which does not grow where you want them to be. They thrive in places where I don't want them to be. So it's my dream to have plots of them.  I plotted tomatoes and potted some. (Chili pepper will be on another post). I asked for tomatoes and a friend sent me mixed seeds of heirloom tomatoes. Now, I am mothering a lot of them.  They are nutrient hungry and they need care from pests. Every two weeks, I gather the eggshells we saved to turn them into calcium phosphate. The pests kill the leaves, the fungus must have wilted the healthy ones. The resilient varieties thrived and fruited well. I feel rewarded each time I pick some cherry tomato and pop them in my mouth. I have a lot to learn but since I asked for this, I am determined to grow them.  Peach and Oval or grape-shaped tomatoes #farmingfairiesdiary #urbangardening #heirloo...

My pizza toppings include wilted brazilian spinach and it went well with anchovies I really love my Brazilian Spinach. First, it is easy to grow from cuttings and it loves constant harvest. Second, it does not interfere in the overall taste of what I cook. Third, it is nutrient-rich given its lush green color. Fourth, it gives confidence for my friends who doubt their chances of growing plants.  In this blog, I would like to feature my two friends who seem to enjoy the leaves of their green thumb! My other friend loves it as salad and serve it with eggs, but I missed to save the photo she sent. The fried rice with eggs and chopped brazilian spinach by Che. The Japanese noodle soup with sardines, mushrooms and brazilian spinach by Virgie If you want some brazilian spinach cuttings, feel free to message me.