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I went to the gala dinner to launch Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine by the Asia Society and the Department of Tourism. My friend Ige, who designed the book, invited me. And well he should, having talked (and on occasion, cried) my ear off when he was working on this project. 

Guillermo Ramos-Connolly a.k.a. Ige

The invitation said “Filipiniana attire” so I went to my closet to dig up my terno. Oh right, I don’t own a terno, or anything that qualifies as “Filipiniana”. So I went to Team Manila and bought a T-shirt with Jose Rizal’s head where the crocodile usually is. Hey, he’s Filipino. And the shirt has a collar, which should be proper enough, especially if worn with socks.

Cocktails were served at 6.30 pm at the lobby of the Pen. The place was full so it became quite hot. Everyone was in formal attire that required a staff of maids to almirol (starch). Arguably I was terribly underdressed, but I preferred to think of everyone else as terribly overdressed. From the charged atmosphere, I gather it was an event attended by prominent personalities regularly featured in society magazines. Fortunately I am a social retard and had no idea who these people were, or I might’ve been self-conscious. I must look them up in those magazines the next time I’m at the salon, which should be, oh, next year.

 

Centerpieces—shell candelabra, sitaw arrangements

 

Ang mga Sawsawan—sukang puti, toyo, patis, bagoong, taba ng talangka, atchara, kalamansi, burong paho, kamatis, sibuyas

According to the authors, the objective of Kulinarya is to establish Filipino cuisine as a brand, to set guidelines for Filipino cooking to make it more marketable globally. A team of chefs—Glenda Barretto, Margarita Fores, Claude Tayag, Conrad Calalang, Jessie Sincioco, Myrna Segismundo—took the most popular Filipino dishes (adobo, sinigang, pinakbet, etc) and prescribed standard recipes for them.

I’m no foodie, but I can tell it’s a controversial idea.

Tinola in a papaya. The soup almost shot out of my nose when a guy with a Steven Seagal ponytail wearing a chef’s uniform came out to sing Bamboo’s Pinoy Ako with a choir.

To be continued. My ears are still ringing because our table was right next to the speakers, which blared forth the John Williams version of Salidumay and Mantovani’s Si Felimon.