The Kulinarya Saga Continues...
Whew. Sunday's Kulinarya throwdown was a culmination of many late nights cooking, tasting and general hustling.
It wasn't the way I imagined a culinary throwdown would be. There were no catfights. No divas. No Simon Cowell-esque judges. And there were no cuss words (except in my mind, when gobs of homemade peanut sauce dripped down my pants leg).
Not that I was disappointed. Instead, there was a warm swapping of stories and ingredients. Mouthwatering smells ranging from Batangas-styled escabeche to sizzling sisig transformed the 2nd floor of the San Francisco Metreon into a floating kitchen.
Maybe cooking is less of a throwdown and more of an act of bayanihan - of working together. Collectively, our recipes are living record to a people's sense of self, community and the earth from which all our food comes from. I know that this spirit is something that will shine through again on October 24, at the Kulinarya final round! Mabuhay Filipino foods.
More, Please:
Balitang America - plus a short interview with yours truly!
SF Gate: Kulinarya Throwdown Shows Off Bay Area's Emerging Filipino Cuisine