Balamban Liempo, Oh My!

FEAST your eyes on this divine embodiment of porktastic pulchritude, because I already feasted on it after taking this shot:

After a friend had recommended that I try this spit-roasted gem from Cebu, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the company had opened a branch at Kamuning, en route to my son's school. Bingo.

According to some reviews I've read, the product costs Php180, but upon reaching the store I found out that the price was jacked up to PhP220 for a whole slab. A half-slab costs PhP120 but it was a dinky little 3- to 4-inch cut that would only be good for about a meal and a half. So a whole slab it was.

At first glance, the slab didn't look much, but when the server started hacking at it, there was plenty of meat. Juicy, pink, succulent meat. And this meat was stuffed with a special herb mixture, one of which was spring onions. Their rich aroma wafting from the chopping block was to die for.

Lugging the pack of liempo during my 45-minute ride home was sheer torture -- I couldn't wait to tear into it. I may as well have been subjected to an EQ test.

Pork me now!

Finally, after snapping a few photos (thus prolonging my agony), I dug in. It was scrumptious! The crackling rind was satisfyingly crunchy, followed by tender pork meat, bursting with warm fatty, herby juices. The fragrance of steamed onion and lemongrass leaves filled my head with each bite. If I weren't watching my cholesterol intake, I would have inhaled at least half of the lot in one sitting.

A few things, though -- the preparation is reminiscent of Ang Manok Ni Sr. Pedro, which is spit-roasted chicken stuffed with similar herbs, and is equally flavorful. The stark difference between the two (aside from the obvious chicken vs. pork contrast) is the price. Balamban Liempo is considerably more expensive, but at least you don't have to contend with bones.

Also, the liempo I purchased had pinker meat than the usual beige I am accustomed to. Although the initial tasting revealed that the flesh was indeed cooked, I felt a little safer giving it a quick turn in an ungreased Teflon pan.

All in all, the Balamban Liempo does live up to its hype and is well worth the purchase. I have yet to try the Cebu original, and only hope that its urban franchises do it justice. Will I buy this again? Yes, but not until I detox first.

If the following areas are accessible to you, and if you like pork and onions, you might want to try this crispy-juicy Cebuano delicacy. Your cardiologist can wait.

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PROJECT 4 – 20C Lakandula St. Project 4 Q.C. (beside SureSafe water station (63)9228253242

ANONAS – 76 Chico St., Project 2, Q.C. (near 7-11) (63)9237160522; (632)4827976

KAMUNING – 95 Kamuning Road Q.C. (in front of Brownstone Bldg.) (632)4847976

QUEZON CITY - 78 Mother Ignacia St., Barangay Laging Handa, Q.C.

E. RODRIGUEZ – Garcia's Supermarket, 274 E. Rodruiguez Ave., Q.C. (632)4837976

BATASAN HILLS - 12A Filinvest 1 Road 1, Batasan Hills, Q.C.(632)4827682

CONCEPCION – Parco Supermarket, Bayan-Bayanan Ave., Barangay Concepcion Uno, Marikina, Metro Manila (63)9334507430; (632)9486581; (632)9483620

KAPITOLYO - 6A San Rafael St., Brgy Kapitolyo, Pasig City (63)9188089098;(632)5848151

METROWALK – Metrowalk Commercial Complex Outlet, Pasig City (parking lot, near Pancake House) (632)8064493

GREENHILLS - 1st Floor Promenade Walkway, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan (near VirraMall) (63)9178100574; (632)2150393

UST - UST Carpark Building, Manila (63)9228787351

Inspiration Is Perspiration

Many of us are conditioned to believe that inspiration is something that comes to us. We are constantly chasing the muse. Sadly, the more we chase, the more inspiration eludes us.

Placing one's self at the mercy of sudden flashes of satori makes for a very sporadic and inconsistent output. Why? Because when we seek inspiration from external sources, we tend to substitute them for our sense of consistency and commitment. While they can provide information or place us in a state of mind more conducive to creativity, the effects aren't that lasting. We can be surrounded by a plethora of materials and references, and still produce nothing. We can have everything we need within our reach, but if our heart and mind aren't in the task, we end up with nothing.

Inspiration should come from within. When we are self-contained and self-directed, very few disturbances can shake us from reaching our goal. Many tend to overlook this basic fact: we already have what it takes to be creative, and that is our own self. 

The secret to becoming inspired is to simply start working. Instead of waiting to be motivated by an external force, you create your own momentum by pushing yourself forward. Don't complain, don't overthink, and resist the urge to criticize yourself and your work. Just stay focused on your goal and keep at it. Eventually your drive will catch on.

There will be times when you will encounter a massive creative roadblock, and the only sensible response is to step away from it for a while. Let the problem marinate for a bit on the back burner. But setbacks like such are only as persistent as one allows them to be, and as long as you are driven to overcome them with solutions, they are only temporary.

Choose your direction, start from there, and stick to it. It's that simple. So roll up those sleeves and get to work. Become your own muse.

Who Stole The Thunder From The Wonder?

Nobody wanted to see Wonder Woman. When Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley cooked up Wonder Woman 2011 for NBC TV, diehard fans railed. The original 70's goddess Lynda Carter could never be dethroned by the statuesque Adrianne Palicki, and then there were the un-American disco tights:

It was a disaster. The uproar was so vicious that NBC nixed the pilot episode outright. It never had a chance.

Recently, however, the ill-fated offline episode had somehow leaked its way around and I was fortunate enough to view it. It's not bad. Granted, it's not as spectacular as I had hoped, but neither was it as revolting as the angry fanboys had made it out to be. And yes, they had to admit that the show was indeed promising.

 

Spoiler Alert

WW2011 lost much of its predecessor's campiness and replaced it with a slightly more grounded outlook, with the heroine addressing her own objectification as a figurative and literal public action figure. Unlike with most superheroes (including the previous WW incarnation) the show blurs the lines between the stereotypical hero/alter ego persona; everybody loves Wonder Woman, and Diana Prince's entire corporation knows that she IS Wonder Woman.

It may be unsettling at first to see the Themysciran beauty running around in tights instead of the classic granny panties, but Palicki manages to rock the outfit and make it her own. (And fear not, purists -- later she changes into an updated version of the corset-and-panties ensemble as well). She was also able to pull off the character's requisite regal bearing despite her relatively girlish features.

There are a few questionable aspects of Diana's character that stand out, and one of those is her capacity to implement torture. She's uncharacteristically cruel and vindictive. On the flip side, Kelley throws in a little bit of Ally McBeal and depicts Diana as a heartbroken career girl tearing up over sappy old movies alone with her cat. These may be pushing the humanized angle a bit too far, turning a strong and confident warrior princess into a closet emotional train wreck. Maybe that's why she gets pitted against a mere mortal (Veronica Cale) in a cheekbone competition instead of a supervillain with powers equal to hers.

Of course there are your traditional chopsocky action scenes. And in this case it was thugs vs. juggs: Wonder Woman easily plows through a slew of impossibly muscular henchmen only to engage in a few seconds of mostly trash-talk with Cale. 

For me the major flaw in this episode is the lack of tension in the storytelling and editing. There is a marked absence of urgency that renders the viewer mildly curious, but not necessarily stoked enough to find out what happens next. Still, if the series manages to recover from its pratfall, with a little tweaking Wonder Woman 2011 can manage to kick serious critic ass.

Super-Awesome Pleasure Of A Lifetime: Tying The Knot

YEP. I got married yesterday. 'Nuff said

Simple LOL Of The Day: Poster Fun

STILL giddy from my Thor-induced hangover, I decided to search for more related movie posters. Looks like they ran out of blurb for the promotional poster series:

Spot the difference, kids. More after the jump.

Thor: The Movie

SINCE late last year I had been eagerly awaiting the release of the Marvel Comic film adaptation of Thor. Thor! I bellow his name like I bellow "Crom," only this guy can beat barbarian AND librarian ass any day.  

The movie definitely did NOT fail me. I was hooked from beginning to end, and walked out of the theater bubbling with praise and ready to smash heads. And since I'm still hammered with a Norse movie hangover, I downloaded a few posters which you can also save onto your hard drive. Check them out!

Simple Pleasure Of The Day: Paid Bills

RECEIVING monthly bills is never fun. But somehow, settling them on time -- or just in the nick of time -- is enough to let you breath a huge sigh of relief, at least until the next set of bills arrive.

Here's a little secret: I don't budget. So how do I keep on top of my utility payments?

Lucban Sausages

LAST weekend a good friend sent me a bag of sausages from Lucban, Quezon. Unlike the tender and sweet Filipino garlic sausages or Longganisa, Lucban sausages are salty and tend to be a little dry inside. Paired with fresh tomatoes or local vinegar and steamed rice, these garlicky and herby babies are an absolutely scrumptious treat. And today I had them for lunch.

Simple Pleasure Of The Day: Childhood Food

SAY hello to Mr. Corn.

Solace In Strangers

THERE'S nothing quite like finding solace in a familiar face. But sometimes, anonymity brings greater safety, especially from yourself. You dish out your heartaches to a neutral party, that is, neutral to you, and you receive more or less equally neutral advice. No baggage, no bias, no preemptive responses based on set perceptions and expectations from yourself or the other person.