Filipino Diet

Filipino Diet

Blog Post #4 

19 April 2015 

Isabelle Reyes

The Filipino diet has been mainly made from the country's geography and natural resources. The country has been very fortunate to have many land to farm and raise animals, and have many fishing grounds because of the water surrounding the country. Fish is eaten a lot in the Philippines as a result of the many fishing grounds. There are always fish markets in local cities and in Manila. It was later that many of the traditional dishes cooked today are influenced by the Spanish and mainly Chinese. One thing that the Philippines hold as a staple food is rice. The Chinese taught the Filipino natives how to farm rice which is then steamed to eat. As a Spanish influence, the Filipinos were able to learn how to make Paella, mixing their staple food, rice, and their fortunate abundance of seafood. Because the Philippines has many islands, and a huge population of many diverse cultures, the Philippines' dishes are very diverse. In the rural and coastal areas are known to eat mainly steamed rice and dried fish. In the urban area they are known to eat more traditional dishes. Today, Filipino dishes are known to be high in sodium and high in fat. In a lot of Filipino dishes it contains a lot of frying, a preference for many meat, especially pork, and heavy seasoning. In the Philippines, American fast food restaurants have opened up. Hamburgers, french fries, and hot dogs are a huge part of the Filipino diet also.

Pancit: The Comfort Food of the Philippines

Pancit: The Comfort Food of the Philippines

Blog post #3 

19 April 2015

Isabelle Reyes

Come to any Filipino parties, weddings, or celebrations, you will find pancit. Pancit is a traditional noodle dish that became one of the Filipino's favorite comfort dish, because you can eat it for a snack, lunch, and dinner. The dish was passed down from China. It was said and called "birthday noodles," because any food handed down from the Chinese should be eaten on one's birthday. In the dish it contains chopped up vegetables, chicken, and a variety of different noodles. The most common type of pancit is the Pancit Bihon. The pancit bihon is made with the regular chopped up veggies and chicken, but with very thin noodles. Another type of pancit is the pancit palabok, which is made with thicker noodles and with shrimp sauce. My favorite type of pancit is the pancit palabok. I love the pancit palabok because it has more taste and the texture. The taste of the pancit palabok does not taste as fishy as you think because of the shrimp. It has a different taste that you can not describe, but with a hint of lemon. What is also good about the dish is the texture, because it is usually topped off with crushed up lechon chips. The reason why this dish is so favored in the Philippines is because it is so easy to make. Just a few ingredients and not too long to make, so anyone can cook it! 

A RESTAURANT TO GO TO:
http://www.littlequiaporestaurant.com/
LITTLE QUIAPO it is known for their delicious traditional filipino dishes

Recipes and references:  

Pancit Palabok - http://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/09/10/asian-filipino-food-noodles-pansit-pancit-palabok-recipe/

Pancit Bihon - http://www.manilaspoon.com/2012/08/pansit-philippine-noodle-dish.html

Pancit Palabok

Pancit Bihon 

Like Water for Chocolate Q's Feb-June

Like Water for Chocolate Q's Feb-June

April 16 2015

Isabelle Reyes 

1. Ways that Tita rebelled against traditional gender roles: 

-She played hooky with the boys because she was tired of her sister's games

-The carriage situation, she pushed those men aside and saved the horses. 

Tita's character is stronger than she thinks. She is willing to go forth and reach out what she cares about. Tita is very strong that she can take care of herself. 

2. Rosaura & Pedro = these two don't really fit in the theme of love, desire, and passion. Throughout the story so far Pedro dismisses Rosaura's presence sometimes. 

Tita & Pedro = this couple shows love and desire for each other. They lack the theme of passion so far is because they haven't had the true time together alone. 

Gertrudis & Juan Alejandrez = they have strong passion and desire. They don't have true love because they barely know each other. if it is love than it is more "erotic" love than agape love.

Tita & John = Tita has no feelings for John whatsoever, but John does have desire for Tita. 

--Too much love, desire, and passion could actually be way too much and ignite--  

Like Water for Chocolate Reflection Q's Jan-Feb

Like Water for Chocolate Reflection Q's Jan-Feb 

Isabelle Reyes 

16 April 2015

1. Theme - Once you have power you have control over everything

                - Independence and rebellion 

Atmosphere - The author wanted to set the tone in a way where the characters will feel trapped or weak. Dictatorship parenting = Rebelling 

Tradition/culture - Tradition in Mexico is very important. Family and respect for elders is also very important. Whatever the adults say, the child needs to follow --> will lead to rebelling. 

2. They are obviously not following the rules of mama Elena --> they are still going to try and have an affair. 

Pedro is not rebelling as much because he still follows Mama Elena's orders.

Tita has sparks of rebellion by stepping up and saying what she thinks. 

Tita's rebellion is much stronger than Pedro's. 

What will make their rebellion a lot stronger if they both ran away from home and live their life together.  

Christmas Time in The Philippines

Christmas Time in The Philippines

Blog post #2 

April 12 2015

Izzy Reyes

In the Philippines food brings everyone together, and to celebrate a special event, having plenty of food means it is time to be thankful and to have fun. One of the biggest celebrations in the Philippines is Christmas. The country is heavily populated with Roman Catholics, and during Christmas time, it is a tremendous celebration that many Filipino families love to prepare for. The traditional prayer service in the Philippines is called Simbang Gabi. Simbang Gabi is a nine-day series of Masses in dedication for Christmas and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is taken place during December 16-December 24, and on Christmas Eve they celebrate the dawn's mass aka Misa de Gallo (Spanish for Rooster's mass). After the dawn's mass, that is usually when Filipino families start to cook for the big celebration on Christmas day. The national dish of the Philippines and greatest dish that is served during Christmas time is Lechon. Lechon is a fully roasted pig and it is served with a dipping sauce called Man (mon) Tomas (toe-mas). It is the centerpiece for every celebrations because it takes a while to cook, and it is very delicious. Always, always, always in a huge celebration or even during birthday parties, Lechon is served. Other traditional dishes include Adobo, Sinigang, Pansit, and Bistek.

Recipes:
CHICKEN ADOBO: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/filipino-chicken-adobo-recipe.html
SINIGANG: http://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/07/20/filipino-food-pork-sinigang-na-baboy/
PANSIT: http://www.food.com/recipe/filipino-pancit-400884
BISTEK: http://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/08/23/filipino-food-beef-steak-bistek-tagalog-recipe/

Video on Lechon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90hF7l_BRWI

Sources:
http://travelfoodanddrink.com/philippines-national-dish/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_the_Philippines
http://donbalderas.hubpages.com/hub/Teachers-Christmas-Celebration-in-the-Philippines

Food culture of the Philippines

Culture of the Philippines

Blog post #1 

April 12 2015 

Izzy Reyes

The beautiful country of the Philippines is a Southeastern Asian island filled with wonderful beaches, breathtaking landscapes, and interesting food and people. The country is made up by over 7,000 islands with 100 million people populating it. With a huge population and many islands, the Philippines is filled with many different cultures and many different languages with Tagalog and English being the main dialect. Although the Philippines is a nice diverse country, the main culture and food is a mix between Spanish, Chinese, and Malaysian cultures. Malaysians brought in the spiciness and coconut dishes in the country, Chinese brought in the egg rolls, bean curds, and thin noodles to their dishes, and the Spanish introduced the sauteing and seasons such as garlic, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and vinegar. Since Spain occupied the Philippines for about 400 years, their food culture impacted the Philippines the most. Early Filipino dishes resemble a lot of the native dishes from Spain. In the Philippines many of the people who live there tend to eat about five to six meals a day. It is very common to have rice and a type of meat for their meal, and eating is a very important factor in order to be healthy according to a lot of Filipinos. What is also very common about eating a meal in the Philippines is that you always wash your hands. Of course a lot of cultures want you to wash your hands, but your hands are always your utensils in the Philippines. 

sources: 

http://www.livetradingnews.com/usdphp-philippines-peso-outlook-4-102044.htm

http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Philippines.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294245-c120306/Philippines:Philippine.Food.html

http://www.bargaintravel4u.co.uk/philippines-holidays/

Blog Topics

Blog post #1                                  Due on Monday April 13th 

This post should introduce the culture on which you are choosing to focus. Tell why you are interested in this culture and give some background of what you already know and what you hope to find out. Research two or three interesting facts about the food in this culture. Find and include an image or picture of the country or one of the places associated with this type of food. Tell a bit about the geography and history of the place. How might this have shaped the type of food that is featured in this culture? 250 words. Cite sources appropriately.

Blog post #2                                     Due on  Monday April 13th 

Focus this blog on making connections between the life of the people of the culture and their food. What feasts and holidays do they celebrate? You might want to choose a certain feast or special day to focus on i.e., the wedding in Like Water for Chocolate. Many cultures, for example, venerate a saint as a patron or honor another kind of deity or historical figure. You can also choose one particular food or recipe and discuss its central place in the culture. Share pictures, recipes (as links), music, and any rituals associated with the feast. Cite sources appropriately

Blog post #3                                        Due on Monday April 20th 

Talk about the actual food used in traditional cooking. If I were blogging about Okinawa, for example, I would discuss kombu or a sea vegetable that is most prominent in traditional cooking. I might bring up how it is harvested, why it is so healthy, what dishes it is used in, how it might be declining in use with young Okinawans, etc. You can discuss more than one food! Connect the food to the land—is this food a limited resource? Is it sustainably harvested or has it become part of a agri-business? Pictures and links to news stories or video would be appropriate. Don’t forget that tables, charts, graphs, and maps are great ways to present facts and jazz up your post. Cite sources appropriately.

Blog post #4                                          Due on Monday April 20th 

Discuss the overall health implications of the traditional diet or foods of the culture. You can discuss how the people who follow the traditional diet differ from those who eat another way, perhaps a western or American diet. Mention any foods or recipes that are particularly healthy or unhealthy. Recipes would be great to share. Are there updated versions of traditional foods that are more or less healthy? Discuss these. For example, years ago, the nouvelle cuisine movement in France tried to go beyond the traditional heavy cream and butter basics of classic French food to include more broth and seasonal fresh vegetables more simply prepared. Remember to discuss your point of view. Is there a similar shift in the American diet going on? What are you eating? Why? How are food and health, including emotional health, portrayed in the novel? Cite sources appropriately.