Friday, January 3, 2014

Writing About Food and My Epicurean Tour


Do you eat to live or live to eat?

Eating for me had been a venerable necessity for years, maybe I was designed to love it even before I  knew how food tastes.  But one thing is for sure now and crystal as the purest of water, indulging on foods is where I draw part of my happiness, after all just like what Julia Child had spoken, "Life itself is the proper binge."

So yes, I do eat to live, but I also live to partake on the pleasures that go with cooking and dining.

My gastronomy (my term for eating philosophy) in life is my way of communicating, a way for me  to “talk” to the heart of someone else, especially to those who I share the passion of gustation with.

The year 2013 has been nothing short of breathtaking!  Looking back since I began sharing my culinary experiences and traveling with friends and family, I realized that I had accomplished more than I had hoped for.  Allow me to enumerate some of my favorite entries as I bid adieu to the year that was -2013.

Never before tried recipes:


http://www.gastronomybyjoy.com/2013/07/7-day-malunggay-challenge.html


My favorite hotel buffet:


http://www.gastronomybyjoy.com/2013/08/smitten-by-spectrum.html

Where my itchy feet took me...

Las Casas de Filipinas de Acuzar. Bataan 


Hacienda Isabella 


Dumaguete, Negros Occidental


Nagcarlan and Liliw, Laguna


Camiguin



Cagayan De Oro


Bukidnon


Oh yes!  That's me hanging, after an excruciating, death-defying adventure.  I really thought it would be the end of me.  


My take on Philippine Food Tour:



Dumaguete Food Tour

Cavite Food Exploits

Cagayan De Oro Food Tour

Kapitolyo, Pasig Food Tour (brought to us by Avida Land)

Tuscany in  McKinley Hill Secret Foodie Tour


A huge platter from the Awesome Secret Foodies Tour at Tuscany- B & T Mexican Kitchen Platter

New-found food faves:

General's Lechon


Hole-in-the-wall restaurant (Thai/Vietnameses Cuisine)

Kaffir


Korean Cuisine:  Bulgogi Brothers

Japanese Cuisine: Watami 

Filipino Fusion: Namnam

Yugoslavian: Balkan

Spanish: Tapeo

Bar and Party Places:   

URBN Bar and Kitchen

Buddha Bar

Coffee Shop Alert:

Magnum Opus Fine Coffee Gallery

Where ART unites with Food:

14 four Cafe

Of course, I do practice the "EAT to live" principle, where health and nutrition still is an important factor in my family's lifestyle.

Turmeric Health Facts


Benefits of Raw Honey

Lemongrass Lemonade

It all boiled down to the fact that, aside from indulging with what life had offered last year I had the privilege to write about them.  I just hope that I didn't bore you with my stories.  This blog may not be definitive enough to bring you a true-blue Foodie guide but it is my goal to bring you new restos and cafe to try to plus some of our family's all-time-fave diners with their current promos.

I won't promise you anything yet for 2014.  But I will try my best to chronicle more of my cravings and give way to new and old purveyors which promise to delight your palate with what they can offer.

So I raise my cup, spoon and glass to more of what God will show me!  Chin Chin! Cheers!














24 comments:

  1. I agree. Though sometimes, I don't use food/cooking as expressing myself but venting out.

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  2. Seems like you've gone places in your gastronomic search! Keep up your passion and inspire us with your stories.

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  3. Eat to live, unfortunately. Really loved food before but it made me gain so much weight lol. Las Casas looks like an amazing place, would love to go there! :)

    xx Daphne of http://daphnebenosa.com

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  4. So many food!. I heard good reviews about General's Lechon, I think I should try that when I visit that place. :))

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  5. Iba talaga ang food trip sa Pinas. Mura na at masarap pa.

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  6. It's nice that you were able to explore and experiment on new recipes and go to new places during the year.

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  7. I'm both actually. I eat so that I could live more and I live so that I can eat delicious foods! But the food trip here in our country is just so incomparable! You can try several cuisines from different cities and provinces. And please include Davao City next year in your food trip! You'll never regret it! :)

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  8. You have awesome reviews regarding the tourist destinations in the Philippines and of course the Filipino food. I have also read some of your review posts before and it's nice looking back at your reviews. I want to live to eat, but I need to eat to live.

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  9. wow!!! you had an amazing year and i'm sure this year will be even better for you..

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  10. Nice Ate Joy! I'm planning too try the buffet in Fairmont. Thanks for the good read. Will definitely try there once I gave birth next month. haha!

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  11. Very nice food experiences you have in 2013. My say, whether you live to eat or eat to live, basta carry mo .gora na.

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  12. This post is making me hungry. You have a pretty adventurous soul.

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  13. You clearly had a great time traveling across the country and sampling all those tasty foods :) Have more fun in 2014 :)

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  14. It's good to know you discovered a lot of food-related in 2013 and hope you will discover more this 2014 :D

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  15. i guess I eat to live haha and my whole family too. usually when we're travelling we just eat when we're hungry and not just because the time tells its lunch time of dinner time hehe. love all the photos you have! miss the lechon already!

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  16. Wow. It's really nice to eat and travel a lot given your precious time but it's best to have these experiences with loved ones. :)

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  17. Amazing! You had a great travel adventure last year with your family and that's something you can cherish with them.

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  18. more food trips + travel this 2014!! :D

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  19. Jelly girl here! Never ko pa natry yang ganyang mga buwis buhay na adventure!

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  20. I have never been to this places. I miss a lot of places and good food back home. And I eat to live or I will die, lol.

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  21. I love the Korean dishes available at Bulgogi! They have the best appetizers too :)

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  22. I guess for me it goes either way, I eat to live and also I live to eat, haha ... my current figure would tell which one I preferred more ;)

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