The Filipino Friends Blog

Pinoy flavor in all White House food—chef

Here’s another bit of news, am not sure if I posted that the Executive Chef of the White House is a Filipino-American! She serves us proud!! Here’s the story written by By Janie Christine Octia, Inquirer.net – Read on…

MANILA, Philippines—White House chef Filipino American Cristeta Pasia Comerford can whip them all when it comes to cooking. But she believes she injects the Pinoy flavor in whatever cuisine she prepares for the United States First Family and their guests.

“Being a Pinoy at the White House, Filipino values and traits are innate in me. My faith and belief is an integral part of who I am now. It’s always there, always a part of me. Even if I prepare a French classical cuisine, it is Filipino cause I am a Filipino,” she said Monday at the media briefing for the annual BPInoy Awards.

The awards, given by Bank of the Philippine Islands, honors world-class Filipinos overseas. This year, aside from Comerford, other BPInoy awardees are economist Dr. Eli Remolona of the Bank for International Settlements and painter Anita Magsaysay-Ho. Previous BPInoy Awardees include renowned singer Lea Salonga, fashion designer Monique Lhuiller, and BBC anchor Rico Hizon.

For Comerford, cooking is not just a profession. “That’s the great part of it. I don’t take it as a career, I take it as a calling,” she said.

Asked about the food preferences of the Obamas, the White House Executive Chef said they are “healthy-eaters” preferring simple, well-made, and steamed dishes with First Lady Michelle very “hands-on” and big on organic foods.  And this preference for preservative- and fertilizer-free foods is also expressed in their pride for their kitchen garden within the White House grounds.

“They are regular families, just like us,” she said.

But while she may have a high-profile job at the White House, Comerford does not miss out on cooking and caring for her own family. Outside the White House, she shares with her husband John parenting chores for their eight-year-old daughter.

“I don’t want to miss on her teenage years. I want to make sure to spend what little time I have with my family. Once work is done, your family is what you have,” she said.

How she started

Comerford might not have known it at the time, but her path to power cooking may have started in Grade 3, when she went up to her mother and volunteered to cook for their big family.

The Manila-born graduate of Food Technology at the University of the Philippines moved to the US at age 23, and later trained in French classical cooking in Vienna, Austria specializing in ethnic and American cuisine.

In 1995, she started in the Clinton White House as an assistant chef to Walter Scheib after more than two decades of experience in fine dining restaurants in France, Chicago, California, and Washington DC.

She was later personally handpicked by former US First Lady Laura Bush in 2005 to become the first woman and Asian to rule the White House kitchen, from where she continues to serve President Barack Obama and his family.

1st Filipino painter in the 2009 Florence Biennale

This is an interesting article that was posted from FB – The Philippines – written by Philip Paraan for Good News Pilipinas – there are so many talented Pinoys all over the world that I am proud to say that I belong…I do miss the islands and i think its beckoning for me to come home!  Its all in the works and with God guidance and my parents, I think i might be coming home soon!  Read this story about the 1st Filipino painter to be part of the 2009 Florence Biennale recognization – HOOORAH…to be a filipino!  😀

Heres the story:

Artist Maxbal Balatbat also known as Maxbal is bound for the 7th Florence Biennale and it is certainly a cause for celebration in the art community and the whole country.

Florence Biennale is an international art fair showcasing a select number of artists from all over the world. In 2007, Chati Coronel, a writer poet was the first Filipino to have joined event. However, this time Maxbal will be the first painter to display his work.

According to Maxbal, ” his representation in the event is not just for himself, but a triumph of struggling Filipino artists like him” . He said while he feels elated and very humbled to have been extended an invitation as only few artists get the chance to be part of the said event.

“Avenida Manila”, his massive canvas on the poignant life in the teeming red life district in Manila will be Balatbat’s exhibition piece.

A visual artist with an actively engaged practice for more than a decade now , Maxbal has been figuring in his unique style called architectural abstraction, which are esthetic interpretations of storied edifices and structures.

He earlier this year, he won two major art prizes in row, the grand prize in GSIS Art Competition’s Non-Representational Category and grand prize in the 2009 Art Association of the Philippines – AAP-ECCA Abstract Painting Competition.

Throughout the years, his art has been exhibited in many galleries and art venues, among them the Cultural Center of the Philippines, GSIS Museum. He is also one of the forces behind the art group called Sininggang Art Collective whose members are all alumni of the University of the East, College of Fine Arts.

Meanwhile, Florence Biennale is a prestigious international art event held every two years in Florence, Italy and is being sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the United Nations. As a cultural institution, it has the trust ” Dialogue Among Civilizations” which in years has been venue of meaningful cultural exchanges and international friendship and solidarity. The exhibit is participated by artists from all over 80 countries. For individual artists, it is a great platform to celebrate and promote their art.

The seventh edition of the Biennale Internazionale dell’ Arte Contemporonea of Florence will be held from December 5 to 13 in the historical Fortezza de Basso. As part of the event, achievements are conferred to artist who have made seminal contributions which delivered impacts in the in their respective and the

This year’s honorees will be Marina Abramovic from Yugoslavia, a pioneering figure in installation and performance art and Chinese artist Shu Yong. Previous awardees include Gilbert and George Christo, J. Claude, Anuszkiewicz , David Hockney.

Oprah finds second Filipina talent

Found this article which caught my eye from the FB – The Philippines – if you’re not a fan, you should! I found it very exciting that we are all popping out all over the world!  Watch out for her to come on Oprah soon!  This story was written by Bayani San Diego Jr., Philippine Daily Inquirer.... See the story below!

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MANILA, Philippines—Now, it’s time to give back.

Julia Abueva, the 13-year-old singing prodigy who was featured in the “Search for the World’s Smartest and Most Talented Kids” on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” has signed up as creative consultant for Encore, a school for the performancearts.

The granddaughter of two UP presidents puts a premium on education. (Paternal grandfather is former UP presidentJose Abueva; while maternal grandmother is current UP president Emerlinda Roman.)

Julia believes in the importance of starting kids early in the arts.

She herself began singing at family gatherings at age 1 and went professional at 7.

“Some kids may want to perform but are scared. I’m here to encourage and inspire them to attain their dreams if they believe in them,” she said.

Julia has appeared in nine musicals, released two singles in Singapore, and shared the stage with two of the country’s “Miss Saigon” leads—Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson.

She picked up quite a few pointers from Lea and Monique, Julia said.

“Monique really internalizes her roles,” she related. “When I do musicals, I study my role, too. I research and Google it.”

On the other hand, Julia described Lea as an “amazing singer … with a powerful, beautiful voice. She told me I should focus on the job at hand, not to worry about socializing when I’m working.”

She’s putting these lessons to good use in her own career and is sharing them with other child performers at the Encore school.

After all, not every teenager gets to sing on “Oprah.”

After her YouTube rendition of “The Prayer” was featured on the TV show, friends and family in the US and Singapore (where she’s based) flooded her with e-mails and text messages.

Julia, however, has yet to catch her own “Oprah” stint. “But my friends told me that Oprah said: ‘Watch this girl … she blew our socks off!’”

She was invited to appear on “Oprah” last November, but was in the middle of preparations for her first solo concert at the Esplanade in Singapore. “I’m still keeping my fingers crossed … to get another invitation.”

She’s also hoping to record her debut album next year—“a mix of Broadway and pop tunes.”