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What's cookin' doc?

The last time I cooked for anybody on a regular basis, I was living on my own in Cagayan de Oro. Back then, I was limited to oatmeal and stuff that usually came from a can.


These days I find myself cooking more often. Ever since the parents passed away, we haven't had a (dire) need for a housekeeper, and it was simpler, and in a way, cheaper for us to just cook our own meals. And though I don't have the time or the energy to create something complex - like that sinigang that I've been planning on doing for a few days now - it's been a little bit rewarding.

It doesn't hurt that there's an abundance of content creators online who do nothing but cook. From the deliciously bastos Ninong Ry, to the macho cool kid antics of Chris Cho, you can find somebody to help you find your way through the kitchen and into your tummy.

My go-to guide for all Pinoy food, though, is Vanjo Merano. Back when social media was still an ungainly teenager, his online blog was one of the many food-related sites I would visit on the regular. When Ninong Ry calls Panlasang Pinoy the OG in Pinoy cooking tips and tricks, he isn't exaggerating. I don't know what his statistics are, but Vanjo's helped Pinoys all over the world recapture that very Filipino taste of home time and time again.

Of course there's also Simpol's Chef Tatung, the ever-affable Jacques Pepin, and the loud Italian Vincenzo of Vincenzo's Plate to draw inspiration from. Some of these guys I watch more for entertainment rather than instruction, though; Vincenzo, for example, is hilarious, and Joshua Weissman's kitchen is only something plebes like me can dream of.

But perhaps my current favorite is Tasting History with Max Miller. Miller, a former creative for The Disney Company, weaves such enchanting stories behind every recipe he has under his sleeve that it makes you want to try the recipe out yourself. Except you don't, because a lot of the ingredients he used are rare as hell.

The one thing I can't deal with at my current level, however, is how tiring cooking can make me. I have this inclination to wash immediately after some utensils or cooking implements are no longer necessary. So I'm constantly going back and forth between the sink and the stove. It's not necessary, I know, and I can just as easily wash everything afterward. But I can't help it!

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