September 27 is the birth anniversary of Dr. Alicia Lucero Gamboa, my grandmother and original owner of Casa A. Gamboa. An auspicious day to launch my own blog to celebrate pursuits and interests inherited and borne of this lineage and heritage.
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| courtesy of Casa A. Gamboa |
Alicia is mother and namesake of Doreen Fernandez - noted Filipino writer, teacher, cultural historian, food critic, scholar, and revolutionary and avid advocate of Philippine performance art and Filipino cuisine.
Doreen was an impressive writer and historian - a literary stylist and a groundbreaking culinary ethnographer who transformed the world's understanding and approach toward Filipino food. Her food writing leveraged Filipino culture from sensory gastronomy to illuminating our heritage and influences.
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| Stella Kalaw |
For decades Filipino food was made almost exclusively by Filipinos for Filipinos. Cooked at home or served at turo-turo and carinderia joints. Now, ambitious Filipino restaurants have been embraced across the world - locals, immigrants and children of either have Doreen as their revered champion of food long maligned and misunderstood.
Another close relative and source of inspiration is Amy Besa - food writer, partner, and co-owner with her husband and business partner, Romy Dorotan of Purple Yam in Malate, Manila and Brooklyn, New York.
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| Romy Dorotan & Amy Besa outside Purple Yam, Brooklyn |
They also owned the Filipino restaurant Cendrillon in New York City - operating from 1995 to 2009. They co-wrote and published "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" a landmark achievement as the first major Filipino cookbook published by a major international publisher.
Not a regular cookbook but part personal diary and family history. Encompassing histories of other families who take their food seriously. It is a sprawling culinary history of the Philippines.
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| mom & I in Casa A. Gamboa |
Of course another great influence and inspiration throughout my life is my mother Marilyn Besa Gamboa - president of both The Negros Museum and The Negros Cultural Foundation.
Doyen ambassador of Silay (dubbed the Paris of Negros) and Tita Lyn to everyone - she is a constant champion of its many culture and arts programs and projects. She raised and educated me to be fully immersed and connected within our community to serve in whatever capacity, as capably as possible.
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| Casa A. Gamboa facade & grounds |
I find myself within this celebrated circle of powerful and gifted women - inspired and in awe of them and their contribution as I journey and explore my way through life and its many twists and turns.
In our blood is a culture that intertwines and is deeply imbedded in its food – from farm to table, bite by bite. Fiestas of all kinds punctuate communal feasting and celebration. Food is central to any occasion - indelibly marking phases and passages in our lives.
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| meet & network with the heartbeat of our local food communities |
Eating is so precious, so savored, it is a sensory experience of intricate and layered histories that stimulate spirit upon contact. We are immediately enlivened by the production, collection, and nourishment from the food we consume.
In a world where only a few grow the food that everyone gets to eat, few of us remain directly connected to our roots. Farm life is all too easily bypassed or exalted even among those who know better - the farm raised, the dedicated earth market shoppers, the organic enthusiasts.
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| the 16th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival: Regeneration for Future Generations & the 1st Terra Madre Visayas: Food & Culture Biodiversity |
All too often the farmers and their role in feeding the community is overlooked. Their contribution to the agroecology of the community can all too easily be neglected in our ultra-modern and urban-driven existence.
When we don’t eat what our farmers plant - preferably traditional or indigenous food which is part of our biodiversity - then farmers cannot make a living and are forced to stop planting. When they stop planting good, clean, fairtrade food our biodiversity changes and our traditional culinary history is diminished or disappears.
Slow Food logo marks the Negros Earth Market monthly events
At the forefront of this spreading damage are the dedicated members and volunteers of our very own Slow Food Negros community. They have started the first Earth Market in the Philippines. Earth Markets are places to buy high quality products, but also spaces to build communities, create exchange and education.
The Negros Earth Market has been active in mapping food sources and ingredients, dishes and recipes in District 3 of Negros Occidental province. They host monthly educational events that showcase local producers, products, and their processes at Casa A. Gamboa in Silay - be sure not to miss them.
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