Oysters are Dirty!

A series of food poisoning incidents in the Philippines lately made it to the six o'clock news. Fish kills from the north to the south of Luzon made consumers hesitant to buy and eat milk fish from Batangas and Pangasinan. Thus, it is better to know which food is safe and which isn't. Better to be informed which food is clean and which is dirty.

Just as I was craving for some fresh oyster, Yahoo! posted this article. Perfect. So, would this article change my mind? Definitely not. I love oysters that nobody can stop me from eating them unless there is red tide or I am pregnant.

There is no warning against red tide and I am definitely not pregnant as of the moment. So, it's safe.

But eating oysters have benefits, too. According to experts (again! Experts have something to say on almost every thing.), eating oysters may help in the prevention of prostate cancers. And for some, oysters are great aphrodisiacs.

Here's the Yahoo! article I was telling you earlier.

The dirt: Oysters' power as an aphrodisiac is overblown, but their power as a diarrheic when slurped raw is not. They can contain the norovirus (a pathogen notorious for nixing ocean cruises), Campylobacter, and Vibrio vulnificus. University of Arizona researchers who studied oysters from so-called certified-safe beds discovered that 9 percent were contaminated withSalmonella bacteria. Still hungry? "We found E. coli in 100 percent of Gulf Coast locations, and in high amounts," says Lynn Joens, Ph.D., the study author.

At the supermarket: Buy from the same beds that a chef stakes his reputation on. Sandy Ingber, executive chef and seafood buyer for Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City, buys Blue Point, Chincoteague, Glidden Point, Narragansett Bay, Pemaquid, and Wellfleet oysters in the winter months. During summer, he buys Coromandel oysters from New Zealand. The reason for the seasonal shift: More than three-quarters of outbreaks involving raw oysters occur in the Northern Hemisphere's warm-water months.

At home: Very simple: Eat only thoroughly cooked oysters. If you must slurp, do so only after following the buying advice above.

FIX IT WITH FOOD: Did you know that oysters can help protect against prostate cancer? They make our list of 40 Foods with Superpowers—foods that, even in moderation, can improve your health.

BE INFORMED. READ.

xoxo,

C

Kilawing Talaba (Fresh Oysters in Spicy Vinegar)

I love raw foods. Well, not all raw foods. But I would exchange a burger for a salmon or tuna or uni sashimi at any time of the day or night.

Lately, I have been craving for fresh oysters in spicy vinegar. Actually, it is oysters soaked in vinegar with onions, red chilis, ginger, salt and pepper. I think the scarcity of lemons in the Philippines was the reason this dish was invented. (*now I'm drooling) The sourness of the vinegar and the taste of oysters go really, really well with the chilis and the ginger.

Here's the recipe for "Kilawing Talaba" as we call it here in the Philippines:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 c. of shucked oysters

1/8 c. of strong vinegar

1 tsp. of salt

1 tbsp. of finely chopped onions

2 chili peppers, cut into thirds

1 tsp. finely chopped ginger

Procedure:

1. Place the fresh oysters in a large shallow basin. Pour enough boiling water to cover all of them. Let stand for 3-4 minutes or until shells are slightly opened. Using a pointed knife, pry the shells open and remove the meat.

2. Place the oysters in a bowl.

3. In a different container, mix all the other ingredients. Pour onto the oysters and mix until all the oysters are covered with the vinegar mix. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Serve chilled.

Today's Weather.

‘Dodong’ dumps rain in Luzon; Signal No. 1 up in 7 provinces

PAGASA-DOST MTSAT-EIR Satellite Image for 1 p.m., 09 June 2011
MANILA, Philippines – Signal No. 1 has been raised over seven provinces as the low pressure area west of Luzon has intensified into a tropical depression.
In its first weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that the weather disturbance, tagged as “Dodong” was seen as of 12 noon at 60 kilometers southwest of Iba, Zambales packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour.
Dodong is expected to move north northwestward at 15 kph.
Signal No.1 has been raised over Zambales, Pangasinan, Cavite, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Metro Manila.
Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas in provinces under signal number 1 are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides, the state-run weather bureau said.
This weather disturbance is also expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rain over the western sections of Central and Southern Luzon, Pagasa added.
By Friday morning, Dodong is expected to be 210 km west of Laoag City and by Saturday morning, it is forecast to be 440 km west northwest of Basco, Batanes, Pagasa said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/13487/%E2%80%98dodong%E2%80%99-dumps-rain-in-luzon-signal-no-1-up-in-7-provinces?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

London Photos. Part 1.

Houses of Parliament, London. 07 January 2011. My boyfriend and I.

London is, by far, my most favorite place of all the places I've visited in the UK.

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot... But what of the man? I know his name was Guy Fawkes and I know, in 1605, he attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But who was he really? What was he like? We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed first hand the power of ideas, I've seen people kill in the name of them, and die defending them... but you cannot kiss an idea, cannot touch it, or hold it... ideas do not bleed, they do not feel pain, they do not love... And it is not an idea that I miss, it is a man... A man that made me remember the Fifth of November. A man that I will never forget." ~V for Vendetta.

V.

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot... But what of the man? I know his name was Guy Fawkes and I know, in 1605, he attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But who was he really? What was he like? We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed first hand the power of ideas, I've seen people kill in the name of them, and die defending them... but you cannot kiss an idea, cannot touch it, or hold it... ideas do not bleed, they do not feel pain, they do not love... And it is not an idea that I miss, it is a man... A man that made me remember the Fifth of November. A man that I will never forget." ~V for Vendetta.

One of my favorite movie quotes aside from those in "A Few Good Men". What is your favorite movie quote, by the way?

Just write.

I will write just about everything and anything that strikes my fancy. So bear with me.