{"id":13854,"date":"2022-09-03T04:54:22","date_gmt":"2022-09-03T14:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/?p=13854"},"modified":"2022-09-03T04:54:24","modified_gmt":"2022-09-03T14:54:24","slug":"book-review-a-la-carte-food-and-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/2022\/09\/03\/book-review-a-la-carte-food-and-fiction\/","title":{"rendered":"BOOK REVIEW: A LA CARTE: Food and Fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Rose Churma

<\/em>Filipinos have a special relationship with food. There is no gathering, event or meeting (even the ones via Zoom) that excludes the sharing of food.

When someone comes to visit, the first thing we ask is \u201cKumain ka na ba<\/em>?\u201d And, if the visit falls during mealtimes, we are quick to create another space at the dining table.

<\/strong>We also have difficulty throwing away food. It is a common ritual in my household for me to inspect plastic containers that clutter the refrigerator. We let mold accumulate first before we can dump it down the drain.

<\/strong>I also have difficulty using food as a cosmetic. No, I can\u2019t waste a good creamy avocado on my face or squeeze a ripe kalamansi to condition my hair.

We view food as sacred. Food is life. It can\u2019t be treated with disrespect.

<\/strong>This anthology is unique, in the sense that it combines food recipes with fiction whose main thrust is on food. The author, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, writes in her introduction: \u201cWe believe that stories reflect the soul and culture of people. So does food, so we thought that combining stories and recipes in one book would reveal Filipino culture in a unique manner\u2026\u201d

When the editors publicized the search for submissions for this book, they received serious stories on food and eating that bring back memories of families and friends and their complex relationships. The selected stories came from authors living in the Philippines, as well as the US, Singapore, Australia, France and Germany.

<\/strong>The 25 stories in this collection are preceded by related recipes of Filipino cuisine. The book was formatted like a menu with categories like appetizers, salads, soup, main dish to dessert (and items in between to create a full meal) with the stories falling under the appropriate sections.

<\/strong>One of the stories that caught my attention was Margarita Marfori\u2019s Mango Seasons<\/em>, her recollection of one special summer when an old mango tree was cut down.

The accompanying recipe is called \u201cGreen Mango Relish\u201d, or the pickled mango of my youth where unripe mangoes are cut into pieces and soaked in vinegar generously spiked with siling labuyo<\/em>, salt and vinegar.

The story paired with the recipe assaults the senses in another way but in a similar fashion as a spicy green mango\u2014it shocks and lingers. The narrative describes memories that were triggered by the death of a beloved mango tree.

My choice of stories is based on the accompanying recipe of my favorite dish, which in this case is \u201cBinagoongang Baboy\u201d which is saut\u00e9ed pork in bagoong alamang <\/em>(salted shrimp paste).

The accompanying story is by Brian Ascalon Roley who teaches at Miami University of Ohio.  In Memory <\/em>is his recollection of his Filipina mother and Caucasian father in a California summer camp in the \u201870s, his youthful experience of blatant racism and his parents’ reaction to it.

<\/strong>The third story is by Edgar Poma entitled Desperata<\/em>, named after the narrator\u2019s mother, an immigrant Ilocana<\/em> living in Manoa Valley. Its setting is in Honolulu and is liberally sprinkled with pidgin terms and very rich in local color (although at times seemingly forced and contrived).

This story is paired with the recipe for \u201cCascaron\u201d\u2014a favorite dessert or snack popularized by Hawaii\u2019s Filipinos. The premise of the story is interesting: a young NYC firefighter retrieves the letter written by the head of a publishing house in the World Trade Center’s rubble.

In the letter, he gives the go-ahead to publish a novel written by an aspiring novelist. The novel is an ode to the writer\u2019s mom, Desperata. Years later the firefighter visits Honolulu at the invitation of the young writer.

At the end of the story, the visiting firefighter utters these unforgettable words: \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s enough for you guys to honor your moms by writing \u2018bout her\u2026\u2014you gotta see her every chance you get while you still can and you gotta hold her in your arms.\u201d

On the book\u2019s back cover, Isagani Cruz of the Philippine Star<\/em> concludes that \u201c\u2026it is not so much who writes as what is written that makes this book a must-read.\u201d

I agree. This anthology is a 25-item banquet of food, facts, fiction, and fantasy. Enjoy!

ROSE CHURMA<\/strong> established a career in architecture 40 years ago, specializing in judicial facilities planning. As a retired architect, she now has the time to do the things she always wanted to do: read books and write about them, as well as encourage others to write.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Rose Churma Filipinos have a special relationship with food. There is no gathering, event…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[20,4,7],"tags":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=197%2C300&ssl=1",197,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"large":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C320&ssl=1",210,320,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?resize=210%2C250&ssl=1",210,250,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"Featured<\/a> Features<\/a> Philippines<\/a>","tag_info":"Philippines","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Book-Review-1.jpg?fit=210%2C320&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13854"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13854"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13857,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13854\/revisions\/13857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}