Company Affair

Phoenix is a fantastic, exciting, and very funny little town.  It’s probably not quite right to say it’s little, when it’s the same size geographically as Los Angeles.  It also seems to keep getting bigger, even though that measurement has already been decided long ago, but the spread of the city into the surrounding desert keeps getting more expansive and there’s less space between here and Tucson now.  It’s also not a town, but has the 5th largest population in the U.S.  There are many things that make it feel like a city, but there are also plenty of things that make it seem like a town.

There are many different populations that live in Phoenix, different cultures, subcultures, and lifestyles.  It’s not easily apparent on the first visit, perhaps because the beauty of the hotels is so stunning, that it’s hard to notice anything else.  But there are many layers here, making it a vastly complex place, and one that keeps getting more complex every day, as if the roots beneath the ground were starting to twine together in ways we can’t quite imagine.  Some of these complexities, however, do melt away when you have a fresh tortilla in your hands.

At that moment, things really do change, and the deep meaning of the southwest starts to come to life in your hands.  To get a taste of the best, lots of people like Carolina’s, and there’s also Mama Lola’s, and there are hundreds more, some that come and go fairly quickly.  A tortilleria is one of the central icons of social life, and will be like that for a long time.  It’s a daily chore for many people, and it’s the place where some would argue the most important part of the meal gets made.  It’s absolutely worth it to get to know some of the local places, especially if you’re here a lot, because a good tortilla is the stuff that dreams are made on, and the stuff that people’s dreams depend on.

Singapore has more to offer than it ever has at any other point in its history.  It could be from the effects of time, where things moving forward have finally reached a point where there is an accumulation of both attractions and raw talent, and enough to make a significantly different Singapore.  It could also be that it is as interesting as it ever was, but the world simply had not woken up to that before now.  Whatever the reasons, Singapore has seen a very swiftrank increase in being one of the most interesting places to travel these days.

There are plenty of hotels to choose from, offering a variety of styles and even types of amenities.  There is certainly something to suit every budget, and there’s always something new to discover here.  There are plenty of economical choices, as well as very high end accommodations, and all of these can help make your stay here a very pleasant one.  Hotel accommodations are only matched in splendor and extravagance by the sheer number of restaurants.  Here, the variety is truly spectacular, and there are different cuisines for every night of the week, and even month.

Because of its complex history, there are plenty of culinary traditions here that have also been developing over time, just as the cultures have.  So it’s even possible to taste the same food every night, and still only get a sense of the varieties that are available.  Looking at Indian food in Singapore, for example, we can find varieties from every region in the country.  Some of the chefs are very traditional, and some are more innovative, and this increases the complexity of foods available, along with its capacity to surprise in delightful ways.  All of these things factor together in making Singapore a high ranking tourist spot, and the restaurants will always have a special place in the heart of anyone who’s ever been here.

Whether you date cooking with fire from the Lower Paleolithic era some four hundred thousand years ago or from the time of Benjamin Franklin and his remarkable contributions to the indoor cast-iron stove, there is nothing quite like a wood-fired cooked meal, whether using an indoor or outdoor fireplace stove.  We’re a long way from the stone age and we no longer need to gather the stones and wood necessary for a hearth and fuel, but we do have to take in consideration the variety of fire places that we can buy today.  For instance, if you want warmth, then you would do well to pick up a fireplace that looks a lot like a regular campfire, largely because, in addition to cooking, you can use it for heat on a cold night, whether you’re in your backyard or a forest.  If you’re buying for your backyard, remember the prices can vary dramatically depending on style, looks, and size.  But we’re not here to figure out the best look of your fireplace, but rather what to cook in it.  Here’s one suggestion for when you get up really early:

One of the easiest recipes possible is “Toad in the Hole.”  You may know it by “Eggs on a Raft,” or any number of names, but it’s essentially bread and eggs, with a bit of butter, salt, and pepper.  The only other thing you need is a pan to fry it in.  Take a bread slice and then cut a hole in it, a two inch circle, and then toast the bread on both its sides.  Once it’s toasted, then melt butter in the pan, then wait for the sound of sizzling.  Simply, break the egg and let it drop into the hole, ensuring that the yolk stays in its place.  Let the egg cook, add salt and pepper, and voila!

Using almost the same ingredients, you can make French Toast.  The only additions are milk and sugar.  Okay, you’ll need a bowl, too.   Break some eggs into the bowl, add milk (about a cup) and then salt, pepper and sugar.  You might want to add a dash of vanilla, if you have it.  Beat the mix with a fork, dip in the bread slices, then brown them in the hot frying pan.  In no time at all, you’ll be enjoying a dish that’s been around since perhaps the ancient Romans.  Of course, there’s controversy on this point.  Some reports go back to 1066, while other accounts give credit to this particular recipe arising in 1660, again in 1724, and even as late as 1870.  Maybe it doesn’t matter, as long as it tastes as good as it does.

I finally was talked into a funky bazaar-like tiangge and braced myself to haggle. But I really didn’t need any shoes or fashion jewelry or things for the house, and begged off the everyone-has-to-do-this in Manila experience for the more subtler pleasures of, well, eating one of the five meals Filipinos intake daily. They have a great idea, extra meals times calledmerienda. One merienda in the morning after breakfast and before lunch and another in the afternoon after lunch but before dinner and it can be more than a snack.

These are my kind of people, they don’t seem to ever stop eating. Maybe a tokwa’t baboy, nicely crisp pork with an onion, vinegar, brown sugar sauce, or a cooling halo-halo. When we left the Hotel Manila Philippines we were cooled off by this yummy chilly dessert with its crushed ice and cold milk and all sorts of fruit and preserves, the coconut outstanding. It cooled us off for a while, anyway.

It’s not always hot here, what with cold rainy days at a different time of year, try a hot beef or chicken mami at a mom and pop, you can find it everywhere.  Salty broth, eggy noodles, sliced green cabbage, scallions, carrots, and nice chunks of meat.

Or hit the buffet at Kamayan Restaurant. Try the absolutely incredible sushi bar, serenaded by musicians singing Filipino songs, and of course the Kamayan line for the Filipino food. Oh, and you get to eat with your hands here and enjoy the prawns, roast pig, platters of seafood. One cans ask for table ware, but just be brave and go for it, and leave the big sleeves at home.

There are a multitude of options open to you in your culinary adventures with built in gas grills.  Once you have one, you can start to really experiment with the way you prepare food.  It won’t be long before your ideas about cooking will change, and you’ll start using words like “braise” and “marinate” in every day speech. You’ll also be a the envy of the neighborhood, responsible for making all the mouth-watering smells that have everyone wondering.

Fortunately, the grills are easy enough for anyone to use, and can certainly turn any meal into something special and extraordinary.  But for those who are willing to venture out past their culinary expectations, these grills really start to perform to make the work of world-class chefs.  One of the techniques that marks a seasoned griller is the art of searing.  There are some really good sources of basic information on searing on the web, and a basic description is usually enough to make someone want to try it.

The basic idea is that the meat, or seafood, is cooked at a high temperature on both sides.  This is pretty short, and generally the meat is then cooked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, to complete the process.  It sounds complicated, but with these grills, it’s really not.  With so much cooking space and variation available, it’s simple enough to adjust one temperature very high, and another set at a medium level.  The grilling will give a nice flavor through the center, but the initial searing will give the meat a nice smoky flavor.  Searing is said to seal in the moisture, and although that’s not technically true, it tastes like it.  Another fantastic side effect of searing is that it makes the outside a different texture than the inside, and the difference to the palette  is stunning.

Phuket City and the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand are sponsoring the Phuket Food Festival this week in Phuket Town. The festival, which kicked off on Thursday, March 19th, runs through Saturday, March 28th. It highlights the great taste of Phuket’s restaurant and assures tourists of sanitary conditions in local restaurants.

Opening Day events included a “Tom-Som-Phuket” competition. “Tom-Som-Phuket” is a local dish of salt fish, onions, dried chilies, tamarind and fish sauce. There were also demonstrations of other local dishes as well as regional dishes from other Thai provinces.

Cooking demonstrations and competitions will continue throughout the festival, which runs nightly from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. There are also workshops and presentations on food hygiene and sanitary food preparation. Music and cultural shows by local talent are also on the bill. A special feature of this year’s show is the promotion of ecologically-friendly dishes, glasses and utensils.

Of course, the biggest draw of any food festival is the opportunity to sample dishes made by a variety of chefs and restaurants. Tourists flock to the food booths every night to taste Phuket and regional Thai cuisine.

By promoting food hygiene as well as flavors, the festival serves an important role in the island’s hospitality industry: reassuring the many guest at the Phuket best hotels, beach resorts, and theme hotels as well as locals that the food here is not only delicious, but safe to eat.

Singapore has much to offer visitors, from people traveling for business or travelers on vacations and staying at Singapore luxury hotels. One of the great things about this country is the numerous amount of various festivals that happen year round. During any given year there are more than 6000 festivals and celebrations planned. There are open air market festivals wherein shopping becomes a bit of a party for those wandering about. During the holidays, the streets of the city are abound with lights and decorations and ceremony and celebration. The world of sports draws huge crowds as well as various music festivals, and more and more the festivals are attracting more international participants. All coming together and wanting to share in the spirit that is generated in this part of the world.

Food is an important part of any festival and is held very often in high regard, not only because of the eclectic variety and enticing flavor, but also for the spiritual aspects. Food is prepared quite often with purpose of good luck for the new year, or in honor of good health. And the production surrounding the food is quite spectacular. Tables of food are often decorated with beautiful exotic plants and flowers, dripping with lights or set in among sculpture or other works of art. It is more a performance than a meal in many instances. Food is not just a focus during these celebrations. The aromas and flavors are found year round at various street markets, carts on the corners, restaurants in the top Singapore hotels, and cafes tucked away in the alleyways. The celebration of food and nourishing ones body is one of the most charming aspects of this wonderful island.

As the most populous city in the United States, New York is well-known as the food center of the country. Everything from street food to ethnic restaurants to world-class fine dining can be found in this multi-cultural melting pot of a city. Its no wonder that New York is home to the flagship restaurants of many of the world’s finest chefs as well as to the Food Network cable channel and the New York Food Museum.

The city is famous for its pizza, hot dogs, bagels and cheesecake. It also hosts delis, bakeries, coffee shops, all-night diners and restaurants offering almost every cuisine in the world. Chinese, Greek, Italian, Carribean, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Moroccan, Russian, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Eastern European, Spanish and other traditional cuisines can be found in the city. There are also numerous fusion restaurants taking the melting pot metaphor to new gastric heights. The city is also vegetarian and vegan-friendly. There are organic, macrobiotic, and Ayurvedic restaurants that cater specifically to vegetarians and almost every restaurant offers vegetarian options.

With twenty-five thousand New York restaurants and four thousand licensed street vendors, there is undoubtably a dining experience for everyone in the hustle and bustle of New York.