Halayang ube at Salcedo market

The most beautiful piece of halayang ube (also spelled haleya), or purple yam jam I've ever seen is sold at the Salcedo Market on Saturdays. This one is encrusted with nutty brown linga (toasted coconut meat) and glossy strips of macapuno (young coconut). Linga is traditionally sprinkled as a topping on rice cakes (kakanin) and other kakanin-like desserts but this is the first time I've seen one with macapuno, which somehow makes it seem more decadent. This giant slab of decadence is completely affordable at only P50.

Food quote of the week

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.
-Voltaire

Palayok by Doreen Gamboa-Fernandez

The exquisitely written and illustrated Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, On Site, In The Pot by Doreen Gamboa-Fernandez is the first of hopefully many acquisitions for my food books collection.

A collage of some of the contents of the book:

Kitchen fashion

The New York Times's T Magazine reports on chic chef jackets for women that are a departure from the standard-issue whites (and blacks) more commonly worn today.
I like chef jackets and don't mind wearing them but please, somebody do something about the clunky footwear! If some genius can invent something like the Anti-Griddle, them I'm sure someone can fashion more attractive-looking clogs.

Postscript to "Manila meets Ming"

In my previous post I mentioned that Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy is one of the six schools competing in Manila meets Ming. Whaddyaknow, GCHA made it to the finals, even squaring off with Center for Culinary Arts, a more well-established school. I'm still using my Google stalking skills at the moment to find out which school won.