TANGHALIAN

I’d like to be a chef or at least enrol in a crash course in culinary arts  around  five to ten years from now  (OK, I know  it’s ridiculous to announce it too soon but I’m still preoccupied with something else, LOL).  What drives me into this?  I’m always fascinated with the following :

#1.  efforts exerted by a cook or chef  in preparation and cooking processes.

#2.  art of plating a dish.

#3.  gastronomic stimuli, palatal pleasures and different tastes.

#4.  eating/dining/enjoying food/ science of nutrition – whatever you call it.

Let me enumerate the things I can miraculously do in front of a stove – fry whatever, boil water (is it considered cooking?), boil egg in water, boil rice (that’s too much boiling steps right? LOL),  spaghetti, sinigang or meat/shrimp/beef in sour stock, and nasi goreng which I learned from a local TV show during one of my days off. 

My interest on learning how to cook in the near future (read : I’m not really ready now) was greatly influenced by my wife.   She likes cooking but can’t afford to do it on a daily basis. She also loves to watch FOOD NETWORK  and introduced me and our 4-year-old son Gabby (who also dreams of becoming a chef, perhaps we can be classmates)  to IRON CHEF AMERICA.  Do you watch that show on cable ?

Based upon the Japanese cult sensation, Iron Chef America carries on the legend of Kitchen Stadium and the famed “secret ingredient.” Each week, world-class chefs battle the legendary Iron Chefs of America: Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto and Cat Cora. Alton Brown serves as Commentator and Mark Dacascos is Chairman.

I only catch it whenever my wife’s  in control of the boob tube.  And the last delayed episode that was shown here  was the battle between Iron Chef Mario Batali and challenger Chef Jamie Oliver, “the Naked Chef” (his own cooking show is called as such for the title refers to his cooking without preservatives and processed food; nothing about nudity, sorry ladies).  The defender won over 3 criteria : TASTE, PLATING, ORIGINALITY ( Batali scored 50 vs  Jamie’s 47 ).   I was  inspired with the episode thus I asked my wife to cook for me, LOL. 
  

A plate of buttered tilapia fillet and veggies (on a cucumber boat), with mango salsa (chopped green mango, tomatoes, onions, cucumber)  and a cup of boiled rice topped with shredded green mango twith bagoong.

That was my plate prepared and cooked by Tina, my lovely wife yesterday;  appetizing, isn’t it?  Frankly, she doesn’t cook and present our plates this way on a daily basis.   She hardly even cook as I’ve mentioned and far from being EXCLUSIVE domestic goddess  but I’m not complaining because she’s a working mom.  She does the kitchen work whenever possible, mostly during her days off – and since last weekend was a long one, it’s so nice of  her to give in to my request and the result of her efforts was much appreciated.