Roaming and Miles Away "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." -- St. Augustine

Pots clanking, pans tinkering and chatter. Fresh greens and edible leaves are soldiers to be thrown into the casserole battle. Spices on the rack are and in the jars of hope for a flavor victory. A repertoire of gastronomic presentation. It is the feast of Santo Niño. Later, a parade of such saint clad in different costumes attesting to its nomadic character. Churches are jam pack. Thanks for the Filipino’s deep Catholic devotion. Families and friends standing together in faith. Visitors in numbers are expected. Appetite and faith in revolution.
Done putting up fiesta banners. A snack of pansit with ubiquitous pandesal, and a beverage of sago, gulaman are being served to the volunteers by generous neighbors. Cooperation begets salivary glands satisfaction.
Adobo gives comfort to those who seek gustatory refuge to its piquant taste. Chicken or pork stewed with tangy soy sauce and vinegar. Succulent onions and garlic with their flavorful pang. Calamansi, pepper and laurel leaves enslave. Save another cup of staple rice.
Charcoal-cooked lechon is iconic. Patience and strength to endure a couple of cooking hours. Such culinary feat for the roasted pig’s exploding flavor. Lechon’s skin burst into its crunchiness, meat pours its juiciness. A greasy yet sumptuous eating glory.
Grilled milkfish with tomatoes and onion rise up the delectable meter. Shrimp in sour broth is a no dark horse winner to the palate. One can just swim away to these elemental tastes.
Rice cakes and desserts in different colors and texture. Tri-color sapin-sapin. Brown, sticky kutsinta. White, spongy puto. Purple,sticky halayang ube. Yellow, jell-like maja blanca. Saccharine-loaded leche flan. The infamous thirst-quencher, halo-halo. Variety in taste, unison in sweet retreat.
Obviously, there’s an epicurean feeling. Cooks settled in the realm of their expertise, and food takers who literally and figuratively bite off more than they can chew.