Pinoy Kusinero: ABOUT

ABOUT

The BLOG

Hello everyone! Welcome to my page, “Pinoy Kusinero …your Filipino cook and storyteller.”

This nook houses my tried and tested traditional and fusion Filipino dishes that I have personally collected, cooked and photographed. Every literary piece in this blog is an expression of my love for home-cooked foods. It is also my humble way to share my own family-treasured recipes for people anywhere in the world to enjoy.

The internet world has become a great avenue where everyone can share and experience a glimpse of the multifaceted culture, practices and cuisine of many countries across the different continents around the world and yet, it remains challenging for the Filipino Cuisine to snatch the very elusive limelight. The distinction is still far behind the glittering fame that have been given to its other household counterparts like French, Japanese, Italian or Thai dishes, which apparently, have already traversed the difficult journey of creating their own identity.

Indeed, it is my aim to let you taste some of my country’s authentic and fusion dishes while giving you a better understanding of the wonderful historical roots that knitted the Filipino Cuisine together. In this blog, I am sharing not only recipes but also a cultural heritage, which is as rich as the amalgamation of many influences from Malay, Chinese, Arab, Spanish, American, Japanese and other distinct tastes from around the world. Letting you know is already half the battle of putting the Filipino Cuisine into the mainstream.

Join me as I bring the Filipino food near to you, the nearest possible I can. Let us eat before our eyes while I tell a story or two about food and about life.

The AUTHOR

Watching the sea waves
February 2013, Pagudpud Beach
Ilocos Sur, Philippines

My name is Enz F, a typical free-spirited Filipino guy in his late 20s, a CPA by profession but a foodie by heart. I do not claim to be a certified chef nor a writer, I am just an ordinary glutton who loves to stock all sorts of powdered spices in the cupboard, and has a collection of dozens of unused utensils, plates and place mats. Happiness for me is exploring the four corners of my little humble kitchen. If I did not take up accountancy in college, I would have probably pursued something related to the arts like interior designs or culinary. Sometimes, life just makes me really confused but I know that God is ironing things out to make everything work well for me. I put up a blog to serve as my means of temporary escape from the very demanding corporate world and as an outlet to express my “hidden gift” for cooking. Little did I know that this little hobby and oftentimes ignored talent will eventually transform into one great love and passion. You would oftentimes read me talking about foods and how I relate them to life. I just have a lot to say, so please bear with me. By the way, I am the brain and heart behind “Pinoy Kusinero …your Filipino cook and storyteller.”

One of my bragging rights as a child was being able to chop onions without shedding a tear and to fry a perfectly set sunny-side up egg. Talents I had long perfected since the day I learned to groove in front of the stove top to the tune of the splattering cooking oil with pan and spatula as my dancing partners. My biological mom died when I was only 5 and becoming motherless at a very young age was one of the greatest tragedies of my childhood, a misfortune that no one was prepared for and I had to resolutely deal with for the rest of my life. At a very tender age, I had to become a big brother to my youngest sibling and learn to be independent in so many ways. Cooking simple breakfasts and packing my own lunch were what I had considered my first childhood romance before I could actually experience my first kiss. I was a young boy who considered the kitchen as the first playground and the chopping board as the first toy. Oddly, I was more engrossed to smelling the fragrance of a roasting chicken more than watching Batman and Robin series.

The longest hair I ever had in my life!

I learned to prepare other complicated dishes by watching and, sometimes, assisting my lola (grandma) in our kitchen. She was born and raised in Ilocos Sur and would cook all sorts of Ilocano dishes. She may not be the best cook in the world but she cooked with overflowing love. She was a pescetarian and a voracious vegetable eater. Dinengdeng was a regular fare in our dining table. Obviously, my love for bagoong was all because of her who would always keep a tall jar filled with those pungent and stinky-smelling potion dedicated for all her Ilocano dishes. Aside from passing on to me some of her authentic dishes, she also taught me how to eat saluyot and okra.

Chasing the sunset with friends
June 2010, Camara Island, Pundaquit, Zambales, Philippines

When I started practicing my profession and became part of the corporate world’s workforce, I could not find the luxury of time to prepare and cook my own food during weekdays so my colleagues and I would often go out for lunch or dinner at some dine-in restaurants and fastfoods near the workplace. On weekend breaks, I would peep into my kitchen to re-create the foods that I have tasted during the week and I have proven that nothing can really beat home-cooked dishes. You can always improve and re-invent your own according to your liking. From then, I have always devoted a time to cook at least once or twice during the week and this blog served as my personal journal and database of my favorite recipes.

Posing with biggie before grilling him for lunch!
August 2010, Pamilacan Island, Bohol Philippines

My passion for good yet flavorful and vibrant foods is one of the numerous outcomes of having to grow up in the hands of a father and a grandmother with incredible and unfathomable parenting skills. They planted in me invaluable possessions and turned them into something not so profound to bear as if a bright sunny day to look forward to. Now that I am a young adult and an uncle that my niece and nephews look up to, I am harvesting the fruits of my parents’ beautiful labor. Being resilient, creative and resourceful is something I have carried along and put into best use while growing up. And looking back to all the adversities that were thrown along my way, I came to realize that life was never that bad at all. Every single thing was actually blessing in disguised that I should be thankful for.

Aside from blogging, I also love to do outdoor activities, take beautiful photos of foods and sceneries, write short forms of poetry and belt out a number of ballad and pop songs. I have a beautiful niece and four wonderful nephews who mean the whole world to me – Alexia, Mark, Tristan and the twins, Xavier and Oliver.

If you wish to send me a personal comment or message, kindly leave a message in the comment box below or proceed to my Contact Page.

If you are new to my site, you might want to browse some of my top posts by clicking on the photos below. Enjoy!