PEOPLE ASIA

I just received the April issue of People Asia, a monthly magazine published in the Philippines. I had contributed an article to them a couple of months ago for their travel section. It was about Marbella and Andalusia and it was published in this month's issue in a six-page spread with photos I had taken in the past year of monuments, sights, restaurants, beaches and markets in Southern Spain.

Cannes Film Festival, May 2003

Last week the 60th Cannes Film Festival began and it reminded me of the first time I attended the festival four years ago today. Below is the article I wrote about that weekend which was published soon after in a Philippine newspaper. (I also attended the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.)

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Gourmet Traveller: Weekend in Cannes
May 2003

Our arrival in Nice very early on the 23rd of May was greeted by the blue skies and blue sea that live up to the name Cote d’Azur. As a Francophile, it is always nice to be back in France but this year was extra special because it was the first time I was going to attend the Cannes Film Festival as an invited guest of Baron Philippe de Rothschild Wines and as a companion to my mother, Tita Trillo of Titania Wines.

The Hotel Martinez was crawling with black-suited body builders with earpieces guarding the entry of the hotel and keeping fans and photographers behind the temporary barricade set up for the duration of the festival. We checked-in and changed for lunch which was al fresco at the terrace of Le Relais Martinez and was the first opportunity for the whole group to get together. Jennifer Santi, Miss Mouton Cadet 2003, was there with Frances Lim, first runner-up, along with Boni and Rose Pimentel, proprietors of Ilustrado restaurant in Intramuros and our hosts from Baron Philippe de Rothschild (BPhR) – Thierry de Tourniel, Emmanuel Lebas and Anne Cusson. It was a long and enjoyable lunch where everyone had a taste of Mediterranean cuisine accompanied by Mouton Cadet Blanc and Rouge.

The first evening we had to be dressed and ready for the walk on La Croisette, Cannes’ main promenade flanked by the sea on one side and the grand hotels on the other. The boulevard was closed to traffic to accommodate the many pedestrians ogling for a chance to see someone famous walking by. Over 200,000 people converge in Cannes during the last 2 weeks in May to participate in this world-famous event tripling the population of this seaside town.

That evening, the paparazzi were in full force and were soon photographing Jennifer and Frances while some passersby even stopped to ask for their autographs. Tickets to the evening screening are so difficult to come by that many wait out front already dressed in black tie or evening dress hoping for an extra ticket and a chance to walk “le tapis rouge” (the red carpet)and maybe become famous. The closer we got, the more crowded it became and before long we were in front of the immense red carpet fronting the Palais du Festival. The long walk up was exhilarating! Film soundtracks were played on the loudspeakers, everyone walking up was broadcast on the gigantic screen on the steps and inside the theatre while the crowds cheered and the flashbulbs didn't stop.

We were finally seated inside the Grand Theatre Lumiere where all the main screenings for the films in competition are held. Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, walked by and then we all stood up to welcome Clint Eastwood for the showing of his film Mystic River. He was with his wife, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon and Laura Linney. The film which was reviewed as “dark and overpowering” by the New York Times was indeed that. The story is a thriller that delved into the lives of three boys who grow up in a working-class neighborhood of Boston and then come together again many years later because of a murder. The actors, especially Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, played their parts perfectly and the film was well received with a standing ovation although the overall effect of the storyline was heavy and so close to real life that it left the viewer with a feeling of helplessness.

We certainly looked forward to our dinner at Fouquet’s, the traditional French brasserie, at the Hotel Majestic. There, a restaurateur couple from Montreal and Olivier Lebret from BPhR’s New York office joined us. I was seated on one side with the French contingent in a typical banquette table and facing these gigantic mirrors to enjoy the view of the other diners flooding in from across the street.

As it was our first dinner in France, I opted for the classic Cote de boeuf (ordered saignant or rare) with Pommes Frites and Sauce Béarnaise that I gladly shared with Boni Pimentel. The rest of the group, obviously watching their figures, ordered salads and grilled Dover sole. Baron’arques, a red wine from the Languedoc region complemented the meal. The fantastic desserts were very tempting but I skipped that for a double espresso to beat the jet lag. Dinner finished past midnight and the walk home that evening was relaxing. We even saw the Cinema de la Plage where nightly screenings are held open-air and right on the beach.

My mother and I got up very early the next morning and were the first one’s awake and at the terrace to enjoy our croissants with large café au laits and the view of the sea. Next on the agenda was a scenic drive around the winding cliff roads overlooking Cannes and a trip to a perfume factory in Grasse. The morning went quickly with all the sniffing and shopping at Fragonard and we then continued to our gourmet destination of the day.

Le Mas Candille is a 39-room hotel housed in an 18th century farmhouse high up in the medieval town of Mougins. The hotel restaurant, Candille, is known for its’ Provencal cuisine concentrating on fish and seafood plus what the local markets have in season. The day we were there, as the weather was warm and clear, we decided to lunch on the terrace with the flower-filled valley of Grasse below us.

A Menu du Marche was the special of the day which is a four-course set menu incorporating local herbs, spices and fresh ingredients from the nearby market in Forville. Self-taught chef Serge Gouloumès enticed us with the wonderful scents and flavors of Provence – thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon and lots and lots of dark-green, spicy extra virgin olive oil. We all started our meal with an amuse bouche (the first little bite to delight the appetite) of poached crayfish on a cold puree of watercress – refreshing and flavorful at the same time. I then had roast veal sweetbreads accompanied by a morel cream sauce – the most heavenly mix of warm soft sweetbreads with earthy mushrooms. The main course was a simple pan-fried St. Pierre (John Dory) accompanied by a balsamic vinegar glaze. The first two courses were served with a dry Mouton Cadet Sauvignon Blanc and then followed by Baron'arques to complement the main courses. A small palate cleanser of red berries and crushed pink champagne ice followed before they wheeled out the large trolley of fresh cow, sheep and goat’s cheeses. I opted for the smelly but wonderfully ripe Chaumes and a sliver of some hard sheep’s cheese with some fresh fruit chutney, pine nuts and walnut bread.

For dessert, we let the pastry chef Patrick Pomares choose for each of us that we then passed them around so everyone could try his creations. I was presented with what I thought was the typical molten chocolate cake but was pleasantly surprised to find out that this version was spiced with chili and served with jelly of red and yellow peppers plus a red pepper / strawberry sorbet – the first time I ever tried anything like it. The combination of flavors was original and worked very well with the bitter chocolate. Espressos and petits fours were served on the patio. Although we were ready to linger and enjoy the view, we realized that it was already half past four. Lunch had lasted three and a half hours and we barely had any time left to get ready for that evening’s film.

That evening there would be screening of the last film in competition before the closing ceremony and the awarding of the Palme d’Or the following night. We walked down the long and crowded Croisette as before and this time cleverly avoided photographers as we were rushing to get to the film on time. We arrived at the Palais du Festival and were joined by the managing director of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Xavier de Eizaguirre.

The screening that evening was The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part I - The Moab Story. With a title like that, we had no idea what to expect and all we knew was that the film was directed by the avant-garde Welsh filmmaker, Peter Greenaway. The actual film, if it can be called that, was composed of flashing multiple images, overlapping scenes and repetitive dialogue and loud music. It was incomprehensible and very, very difficult to sit through. Many viewers even left midway through the film. I was tempted to do the same but stayed in the hope that the film would get better. After two hours, I have to say that we were relieved that it was over and shocked that some people were even applauding. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to leave our seats until Mr. Greenaway finally left the theater.

The finale to our Cannes weekend was a special dinner at the adjacent television studio where every year, Baron Philippe de Rothschild has a special terrace open to all the actors and actresses, including the jury, and served all their wines during the two weeks that the Film Festival took place. We were treated to a fantastic panoramic view Cannes including Vieux Cannes, the old part of the city, and the sea. There was even a slide show projected on the tower of the old town where famous sayings of people in the film industry were flashed all night long.

True to the winery’s classic French style, the tables were decorated simply but elegantly with a paisley print cloth and large pink peonies and roses. Each place setting had a little gift – a glass stopper for wine barrels engraved with their logo and the detailed menu and wines for the evening. We couldn’t wait to sample the wines as we saw the many bottles uncorked and left to air out for three hours.

The menu was simple – a cold lobster and crab mélange, lamb loin and cannelloni of chanterelle mushrooms, the always-present cheese platter and some fresh fruit – but the wines that evening were exceptional. There was Mouton Cadet Reserve Graves Sec 2001 and Baron’arques 1999 followed by Chateau d’Armailhac 1996, Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1990 (with a label designed by the artist, Francis Bacon) and Chateau Coutet 1995 to accompany the dessert. The Mouton Rothschild was excellent and can still be enjoyed 10 years from now. We lingered over coffees and chocolates plus cigars and eaux de vie for the men.

Again the evening ended late and as we walked slowly back to our hotel enjoying the view, the weather and the lively atmosphere of the Croisette, we savored the fitting end to our gastronomic, luxurious and star-studded weekend in Cannes.

*Previously published in the Lifestyle section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Recent trips

The three entries I uploaded below were articles I contributed to a Philippine newspaper. Only the most recent one was published (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife01_jan07_2006) but I included them here anyway since these are some of the gourmet trips I made and wrote about since 2004.

Bella Italia, October 2005

Over Christmas dinner in 2004, my father-in-law, Carlos, decided to celebrate his 80th birthday by inviting his children along with their spouses on an all-expenses paid holiday in Umbria.

The idea of spending a week in a villa overlooking the rolling hills surrounding Todi was hard to imagine in the middle of winter. It took several months of planning which entailed finding a house not only in the right location but large enough as well since there were going to be about a dozen in our group. Flights had to be booked way in advance with people arriving from Buenos Aires, Connecticut, Montreal and Madrid and cars had to be rented to accommodate everyone and their luggage.

My husband and I were scheduled to arrive in Italy before everyone else did and we had booked our first two nights in a restored villa in Umbria which was transformed into the 12-room Palazzo Terranova.

We landed on schedule at 6:30 p.m. in Fiumicino airport. Immigration took quite a while and so did our luggage. We waited for another hour for our suitcases before we were told that all luggages from the flight had already been unloaded. If we still didn’t have our suitcase then we needed to make our way over to the Passenger Assistance Counter right away to make a report. Since we were driving directly to Umbria from the Rome that evening, we didn’t want to risk having British Airways send our suitcases to us so we decided to wait for the next flight arriving at 9:00 p.m. which had our luggage. We sat at a café in the airport having espresso after espresso while waiting for our suitcases. The luggage finally arrived and by the time we picked up our rental car and left the airport, it was close to midnight.

As official navigator and snack provider, I read out the directions to my husband while doling out crisps, brownies and drinks. The drive went quickly for about 2 hours until we missed an exit ended up on the freeway to Florence. We flagged down a few truck drivers to ask for directions and after much hand-signaling accompanied by pidgin Italian with some Spanish words thrown in, we were able to retrace our way back to Umbria where our hotel was located.

We arrived in the town at around 2:30 a.m. Now, we had to find landmarks like a large olive tree or a fir-lined dirt road, on a moonless night in the middle of the Italian countryside. We went through several twists and turns, took a fork in the dirt road and got stuck in the mud at the edge of a large sunflower field. I was ready to camp out there and sleep in the car as it started to rain and the thought of pushing the car out of the mud was not on my list of priorities. Somehow, my husband was able to back the car out of the muddy pothole and we found the road again.
Funnily enough there was a small signpost of the hotel further up the road and we finally saw some lights twinkling on top of the hill and found the palazzo. There was a sign on the door for us to let ourselves in and that we were given the Bellini room. At this point it was 4:00 a.m. and with the time 6-hour time difference between Montreal and Rome, we were exhausted and just climbed into bed.

The next day, we woke up mid-morning and opened our shutters to a breathtaking view. The palazzo was located on the top of the hill and afforded a fantastic panorama of the rolling hills, the sunflower fields and the valleys below. We had a lovely breakfast of some toast and cappuccinos and then meandered around the property until lunchtime.

Lunch was a simple green salad and linguini with cherry tomatoes. We spent the afternoon in Cortona walking around the piazza and getting lost in the little cobble-stoned walkways of the town. Dinner that evening was tagliatelle with Porcini mushrooms in a light cream sauce and a wonderful rack of lamb served with some earthy Italian wines of the region. It felt just like a weekend house party since the rest of the evening was spent with the other couples staying at the hotel by the fireplace exchanging stories late into the night with espressos, desserts and liqueurs.

We set off for Todi bright and early after a wonderful breakfast al fresco in the lovely terrace by the garden. The drive to Todi was easy and this time we didn’t miss any of the exits. We arrived at La Pietraia before noon where Rosalba, the villa’s caretaker was there to welcome us. The house was lovely and spacious with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms plus a powder room built into an old oven. We chose the green room and had the luxury of having a stone-walled shower built into the old tower of the house.

The rest of the family arrived one after another – Carlos and Anca, my parents-in-law, with Roby, my brother-in-law, and his wife Florencia from Connecticut plus their beautiful seven-month old baby Ines. That afternoon was spent settling in and unpacking and having a light lunch on the terrace. On our first evening, we had a simple tagliatelle with fresh tomato sauce with a Nipozzano Riserva 2000 from Frescobaldi. Dinner on the terrace was lovely. We watched the sun set listened to the bells toll in Todi’s cathedral. Silvia, my sister-in-law and her husband Pedro arrived from Buenos Aires close to midnight that evening and finally, Juan, my brother-in-law, and his wife Mirta arrived from Madrid the following morning.

Being in a house full of Argentines was an interesting cultural experience for me. As my husband and I have lived in 3 cities in 3 continents (Santiago de Chile, Dubai and now Montreal) since we married in 2000, I had never had the chance to spend enough time in his home city of Buenos Aires. Rapid Italian-accented Spanish was spoken all the time along with English and French thrown in for good measure. I managed to keep up my end of the conversation and learned so much about my husband and his family that the trip turned out to be priceless as well as enjoyable.

We celebrated Carlos’ 80th birthday with a simple dinner al fresco of aubergine bruschetta and assorted antipasti from the region along with roast leg of lamb marinated in olive-oil, lemon juice and pepperoncino (dried red chili-pepper flakes) accompanied by a cherry tomato and basil salad and roast potatoes with rosemary. We had hand-carried a magnum of Chateau Mouton 1999 from Baron Philippe de Rothschild to accompany this dinner. The combination of delicious but simple food, wonderful wine and interesting company always makes for a memorable meal.

After a week of relaxing in the Italian countryside, arriving in Rome was a shock for the senses with the crowds, the smells, the small cobble-stoned streets where cars and pedestrians happily mingle and the unbelievable amount of monuments, churches and sights all crammed into the city center. It’s been 10 years since either my husband or myself visited Rome and this time, we decide to do as the Romans do and wander around aimlessly and have espressos and watch the scooters go speeding by. We tried a few new restaurants and went into a few churches but skipped the tourist trail and just walked and walked and tried to live la dolce vita Romana.

Italy proved to be the ideal setting for this once-in-a-lifetime family celebration. It’s winter once again and we can’t wait for next year’s holiday.



My Little Black Book of Italy
IN UMBRIA
Ø In Todi, explore the town center on foot – enter through the main archway at the bottom of the hill. Walk uphill on cobble-stoned streets then have an espresso in the piazza and enjoy the passegiata; Visit the round white church from the school of Bramante built to protect a beautiful fresco housed right behind the altar.
Ø Try Ristorante Umbria in Todi, just off the piazza where there is fantastic view from the terrace and a wonderful selection of regional antipasti and meats grilled in the large fireplace.
Ø Palazzo Terranova in Ronti, very close to Tuscany is a “dream for all seasons” as the owners call it. It’s a beautifully restored villa, on top of a hill and with personalized service it’s almost like being in someone’s home.
Ø Umbria the guidebook from Dorling Kindersley is detailed and full of wonderful photos and insights on the things to do and see in the region.
Ø Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu Perugia - we did a morning cooking class called « Lunch in Umbria » and really enjoyed ourselves. Courses are conducted in Italian but there is an English translator
IN ROME - TASTE
Ø Gusto - Modern Roman restaurant, pizzeria, trattoria, wine bar and cooking emporium with a fantastic selection of cheese. Very popular for Sunday brunch. Service is spotty but the clientele is so hip that it’s worth it. Come with your Prada bags and Gucci shades.
Ø Dal Bolognese – Great spot off the Piazza del Popolo where locals adore the simple though pricey Italian fare. Fantastic people-watching.
Ø Enoteca Ferrara - In out-of-the-way Trastevere, Rome’s oldest neighborhood; Modernized versions of Italian dishes with a fantastic wine bible of over 800 wines.
BUY
Ø Sirni - Located near the Pantheon is this tiny family-run store where mother, daughter and son create one-of-a-kind leather bags and belts that are classic in design but with a cheeky twist. There are so many different styles and colours to choose from.
Ø Ethic - Several locations of this local Roman clothing line which also carries a selection of shoes from Totem, another local listing.
Ø Tombolini - another local brand with cool jeans and stylish suits.
READ
Ø Style City Rome – great, fun read with all the new shops, restaurants and hotels with accompanied by colour-coded maps of each area and amazing photos.
Ø Time Out Rome which gives a great overview of the city’s history and sights.

(Previously published in The Manila Standard)

Hip and Happening Buenos Aires, April 2005

Argentina’s greatest claims to fame may be polo and tango along with Maradona, Borges, Gardel and Evita as it’s icons but set these clichés aside and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by all that’s new. The city that boasts the widest avenues and the most beautiful women still remains the most sophisticated in South America. Here’s the scoop on how to make your trip memorable.

Porteños, what the city’s residents are called, are out in full force and those in the know gravitate to the area of Palermo Viejo. Recent years have made this once rundown and unattractive part of town a developed concentration of endless boutiques and restaurants. Divided by railroad tracks, one side is affectionately nicknamed Palermo Soho for it’s similarity to New York’s Soho while the other is called Palermo Hollywood for it’s proximity to the local television stations.

Start at one end of Calle Honduras from the Plaza Cortazar where there is an array of fashion and home design stores. The atmosphere of the area can be fully enjoyed if you stay right in the middle of everything either at the Bo-Bo Hotel (a.k.a. Bourgeois Bohemian) or at the design bed and breakfast Malabia House.

For casual dining, head to Bar 6 (Armenia 1676) which is heaving with Porteños all-day long and serves simple Argentine-style dishes. Up the road is the more casual Mark’s Deli and Coffee House (El Salvador 4701), another favorite for breakfast and light lunches. If you’re after the “see and be scene” crowd then head to Central (Costa Rica, 5644) where long, low white sofas keep the fashionistas lounging around or La Corte (Arevalo 2977) where the beautiful people come to dine on fusion cuisine.

A little bit off the beaten track is my personal favorite Sucre which is probably Buenos’ Aires best modern restaurant concept. It’s got simple continental cuisine, fantastic drinks, a complete wine list, an open kitchen and a great layout and design. Take note of the catwalk, the route to the toilets, suspended right above the floor to very high ceiling bar, which affords the best people watching scenario. Keep in mind that dinner starts late so remember to book a table before 9:00 p.m. when most restaurants fill up and the service usually goes haywire.

When you’ve had your fill of the city, head out to the “country” as the locals call the outskirts of the Buenos Aires for a true home-style Argentine barbeque or asado. We were lucky to have been invited to the homes of our friends who prepared a typical lunch along with a tasting of two fantastic wines. The first was a French Premier grand cru - Chateau Angelus 1998 - a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot – a deeply aromatic wine. Soon after, we had an Argentine Malbec - Catena Zapata 1997 from Mendoza. Red wines and lots of meat is what an Argentine asado is all about – we had chorizo, morcilla (a delicious dinuguan-style sausage), asado de tira (short ribs), lomo (beef tenderloin) and chicken.

We enjoyed another country lunch at the lovely home of dear friends from Moscow days who have been living in Buenos Aires for three years now. Their two young daughters became fast friends with our 3-year old son. Overcast weather didn’t allow us to grill outdoors but that didn’t deter our hosts from ordering a grilled pierna de ternera (calf leg) for lunch. This was accompanied by several salads, roasted sweet potatoes, chimichurri, an Argentine barbeque sauce consisting of oregano, parsley, vinegar, garlic and olive oil typically served with grilled meat.

The wine that day was one of only 6058 bottles in that vintage, a Miguel Escorihuela Gascón 2000 - 65% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 % Syrah. These kinds of meals always end up with everyone sitting around and having coffee completely sated with the wonderful food and thoroughly enjoying the wonderful company.

Exploring the city on foot is another option. Pay attention to the wonderful, classic facades especially in the areas of Barrio Norte and Palermo. These serve as a constant reminder of the European influence on Argentina’s architecture. La Mansion, part of the Four Seasons Hotel, and the residences of the Embassies of Brazil and France stand out in particular. Stop for a drink or a submarino (a chocolate bar dropped into a glass of hot milk) in a typical boliche or neighborhood bar. (Try Liber y Liber on the corner of busy Avenida Libertador y Calle Libertad).

Drop by Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires’ docklands, which was previously the location of rundown factories and abandoned buildings. It has been transformed with wide tree-lined avenues, parks and green spaces, skyscrapers, restaurants, high-rise apartments and the first-ever Philippe Starck designed hotel in South America, the Faena Hotel+Universe. It’s definitely over-the-top but an exciting concept and well worth a visit.

It’s been a while since we were in Buenos Aires. The last time was in pre-devaluation 2001 when the Argentine peso was one to one with the U.S. dollar. Four years later, the economic situation is more stable, exploring the streets is safer than before and the prices are reasonable. It is precisely because of these reasons that Buenos Aires is fast becoming a target tourist destination and featured recently in several travel magazines.

Much has changed but luckily, even more has stayed the same and the beauty and charm of Buenos Aires can be appreciated once again

My Little Black Book of Buenos Aires

SEE
 Explore Barrio Norte, Recoleta, Palermo Viejo, San Telmo
 Visit La Boca, birthplace of the Tango & Argentina’s #1 football team Boca Juniors.
 Teatro Colon – Buenos’ Aires famous opera House
 Casa Rosada – that famous scene where Evita waves to the crowds is from the balcony of this building, the Presidential palace
 malba - Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, worth seeing at least for the building design
 Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
TASTE
 El Mirasol - A restaurant version of the Argentine asado. Empanadas, mollejas (sweetbread) and rib eye are not to be missed.
 Il Materello (517 Martín Rodríguez, La Boca +54 11 4307-0529)– A classic example of authentic home-made Italian cuisine in La Boca.
 Biella – In Recoleta for a coffee and lots of people watching
 Freddo – the best ice cream I have ever had. Try the delicious versions of dulce de leche (caramel) and chocolate amargo (bitter chocolate).
BUY
 Trendy designers on the Argentine fashion scene and can be found at most malls - try Patio Bullrich or Paseo Alcorta. For clothes try Paula Cahen d’Anvers, Akiabara, Clara Ibarguren, Jazmin Chebar and Etiqueta Negra. For shoes, you won’t go wrong with Perugia and Prune has great handbags.
 Puro Diseño showcases Argentine design talent from shoes to placemats, soaps to plates.
 Leather goods –especially belts, shoes, jackets – since the prices are good and the quality is excellent. Try Arandu (Ayacucho 1924) for gaucho-inspired creations.
 IN PALERMO VIEJO, Don’t miss Papelera Palermo (Honduras 4945) for hand-made papers in assorted colors. (try lime green with hot pink or chocolate brown with orange) and Mandarine (Honduras 4940) – for fashionable footwear
READ
 Time Out Buenos Aires – the only guidebook to the city that I recommend. It gives you the tourist information you need with the historical data written in an easy-to-read format.
 Buenos Aires Tourism Board for maps and updated event schedules on Buenos Aires
 Buenos Aires Guide: Simply the best – a little orange book with all the right addresses
 Actitud: Buenos Aires – a lovely coffee table book listing all the new places to see in the city