Heroes, Food and Special Women

Memorial Day in the US has come and gone, but honoring our war veterans knows no deadlines. We are posting an article from Ben de Guzman, first published in Huffington Post.

Filipino cuisine seems to be gaining a foothold in the United Kingdom as British Filipino chefs, eager to celebrate their roots and put some British twists to their culinary creations, set up pop-ups and even regular restaurants to promote and share their food. One of them is Rex de Guzman, aka Le Happy Chef, who is profiled here by culinary journalist Jacqueline Lauri.

In the US, the Quesada family of Ramar Food International is one of the primary proponents of the Filipino Food Movement. Read Again the story of how the family business, the biggest Filipino frozen food manufacturer and distributor in the Western hemisphere, came about in "Healthy, Fancy, Trendy: Quesada Trio Bring Filipino Tastes Mainstream."

Meanwhile, renowned author and academic Luis H. Francia writes about two awesome women who have published notable books: Gemma Cruz Araneta (yes, the first Filipina Miss International) and his late sister, Sr. Myrna H. Francia of the ICM congregation. Gemma's Hanoi Diary is a historical account of her and her then-husband's visit to North Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam War. Sister Myrna, whom her brother describes as not really a "goody goody" person, shocked everyone including her family when she decided to become a nun. She wrote The Party's Over: A Nun for Modern Times before she passed away. Both books are still commercially available and definitely worth reading.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week: Le Happy Chef's recipe of his Anglicized version of our beloved sisig.

In our Video of the Week, Kristiane Hill shot an 8 mm film during her travels to Manila and Asia around the end of 1920's till early 1930's. Her grandson, Kim Skaarup, uploaded the video.

Prickly Heat

As spring morphs into summer, the political heat is also rising in the US, what with the November presidential election looming large. How are Asian Americans reacting to the increasingly unnerving rhetoric of Donald Trump and his fans? A survey report from the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote reveals that Asian Americans demand "Inclusion, Not Exclusion," and a full 40 percent of the 1,200 respondents who are registered voters say they will not vote for the candidate who spouts exclusionary rhetoric.  Candidates take heed. The full report can be found here: http://www.apiavote.org/sites/apiavote/files/Inclusion-2016-AAVS-final.pdf

Two very different men who are nonetheless similar in their ethnicity and their cultural advocacies are in our lineup this week:

Mamerto (Lagitan) Tindongan draws on his strong Ifugao roots for inspiration as a woodcarver, energy healer and a qigong and tai chi teacher. Regular contributor Lisa Suguitan Melnick writes, "The Spirit Carver," about this 8th-generation mumbaki (shaman) who is now based in Ohio.

In San Francisco, Filipino American Dean Dario conveys his thoughts and worldview through hip hop and is reaping success, as reported by Manzel Delacruz in "Shooting for the Stars."

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is probably not the first place you have in mind when seeking Filipino food in the Midwest. But a mobile Filipino restaurant called "Meat on the Street" serves up yummy fare for comfort food seekers in that neck of the woods.

And since it's summer, here's a refreshing and easy-to-make "Salad for All Seasons," from France-based artist Ofelia Gelvezon Tequi.

For our Video of the Week, NowThis features Hernando Guanlao who turned his home into a free library so that kids can learn to read.

Torch Bearers

As the Philippines heals from the bruising rhetoric and divisiveness of the 2016 election, it is refreshing to know that the Filipino soul is alive and well among its torch bearers in various parts of the world.

In San Diego, California, there's Bernard Ellorin, an ethnomusicologist, promoting the kulintang as the natural accompaniment to the dance performances of the Samahan Filipino ­American Performing Arts and Education Center. Daisy Amos Laag profiles Ellorin in "A Career in 'Roots' Music."

In Stavanger, Norway, Manila-born and -raised Michelle "Alex" Mossige does her bit to promote Filipino culinary culture with her Adobo Afternoon pop-ups, reports Jacqueline Lauri, herself a Filipino culinary advocate, in "Adobo Afternoons in Norway." Mossige's version of Pork Adobo with Norwegian flair is our featured recipe in The Happy Home Cook this week.

In Vancouver, Canada, a group of Filipino artists, the Dimasalang III International Artist Group, draws inspiration from its leader, the renowned Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza, better known as SYM. Sandie Gilles writes about them in "Brush Strokes by the Untouchables."

Meanwhile, here's a welcome respite from the heat of weather and politics: Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Criselda Yabes guides us through bird watching havens in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in "Flights of Fancy."

If you're a Filipino culture bearer, check out our Partner post this week and add your name to the growing list.

In our Video of the Week, the Asian Law Caucus honors Filipino World War II veterans as AAPI Civil Rights Heroes.