Torn

I am so excited that I cannot sleep again. I am so excited that I have been planning what I should be doing for the DLSU Bazaar this coming August 8 to 12. I am really scared how it will turn out and what my fellow Lasallians will say about the food. I am still planning how I am going to do the preparing, the cooking, the packaging, and the manning for those 5 days but I am really scared but happy. I am so happy I still have not slept again and I am still not yet fixing my thesis up.

Yes, I am torn with fixing the thesis and fixing the bazaar. But after a few more minutes with the bazaar, I will finally focus all my attention on finishing this thesis proposal. Whatever happens, I will do both. I may be torn but I won't give up.

Hope you guys will support me! Take care and thank you all!

Beside Kuchen and Game Day Fun

 
Last Saturday was great. It was the first time I had to cook for two events on the same day. It was really just supposed to be food for our game day event but my Uncle called me to order food for his wife's, my Aunt obviously, birthday.

My Uncle also ordered from another catering service, Kuchen. It was an absolute thrill to actually cook beside one of my most favorite catering services. It was really one of the days I could just really be happy that someone really loves my food that they would order mine along with a great catering service. Not to mention, their roast beef is awesome with my mashed potatoes. Speaking of, I should try making roast beef soon.

Anyways, it was a very tiring day. Whoops! That's an understatement. Game day finished around two o'clock in the afternoon the next day so it really was very tiring. The Hearty, Cheesy Taco Beef was a hit for the Game Day event. I need to tweak it a little bit but it was great.

But before that, people are asking me to do fish first. Cream Dory with Cheese Sauce here I come. He he!

Anyways, that was my weekend. I had my much needed rest and it's back to my thesis for the moment. Bye and take care, guys!

Thesis and Double Cooking

I know I am not supposed to write it down here but I really, really want to thank the people who made yesterday possible.

I don't know if it was because I looked so sick because of my allergic rhinitis yesterday and they just looked at me with pity or was it really about the way I handled myself in the defense and the panel was a bit nicer than usual but I passed my topic proposal yesterday. In the six years I have been in college, it would be the first time that I really felt fulfilled. I know it's just a topic proposal but it's really hard to pass a topic because that's what I have been doing every term for almost 2 years.

For all the people's prayers, support, and love, thank you! It was a scary experience especially when I was just telling my friends that I think it may take another term. January (or is it February?) graduation, here I come!

I really want to thank The Edge's creative director, Ate Rory, and director for development and web marketing, Ate Ailene, for putting up with my nuisance calls every now and then. I would especially love to thank my mentor, Sir Brucelas, for helping me get my thoughts straight and the panel for letting me defend my topic. For the other supporters, you know who you are.

The feeling kind of reminds me what I felt after cooking for a hundred people two months ago. This is awesome!

Okay, now back to and moving on to cooking, I have two events today. I think this would be harder than cooking for a hundred people because, this time around, I have to cook in the morning, deliver it there before lunch, eat lunch with them because it's a family event, go back here, cook again, and deliver again before dinner.

Things to cook for today: Hearty, Meaty Spaghetti, Soulful, Tender Roast Chicken, Hearty, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and Hearty, Cheesy Taco Beef.

Short post. Will expound on it after everything is done. Ha ha! Love...

Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods with The Food Scout

Last night, I was really looking forward to today. I almost could not sleep and really had a hard time waking up when it was time. It was because this was my first time to cook for a person who tastes food for a living or for passion. I was able to let Jill Bantang, Food Blogger - The Food Scout, try out my food. I am pretty anxious for what she has to say about the food so I will just have to wait for her to blog about it.

She was able to taste my spaghetti, roast chicken, and mashed potatoes. That would be my whole menu as of the moment so a lot of questions pop into mind. It's like cooking for my mom, who by the way is somewhere out there cooking something for somebody (It's because she's a sous chef for a restaurant somewhere out there, hehe!). She has been a food judge and critic, an awesome cook, and, as known by some, a mother (Some people actually thought she was around the age of 20 and were surprised that she has sons the eldest being 27.) and all my recipes has to pass her acid test before I even put it out for others to taste.

But, this is my joy and passion. Going back, I hope she really likes the food. Ha ha! Anyways, next on the Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods Menu, Taco Beef with Mushrooms and Cheese Sauce. Or, Hearty, Cheesy Taco Beef... What do you guys think?

Agricola Mornings and Breakfasts

The past two weeks have been fun except for my thesis. I have enjoyed creating this blog, cooking food, and playing board games. For some of you who may know, I am a board gamer. It has been a really fun experience, not to mention the new friends that I have been playing with. It is a very rewarding hobby because it gets to test your brain in all aspects and gets you to bond more with your friends and family.

Anyways, for the past two weeks, we have been playing this game called Agricola and I just want to tell you guys about it before telling you all about my meal that I cooked for breakfast just a while ago. Don't worry it's somewhat connected.

For some of you may know again, I host an event at least once a month called, Game Day and Food Day, here at my house in Katipunan. We usually play board games starting after lunch until past midnight. You guys who are interested in gaming and/or food should really come and try it out. For the past two Saturdays (or Sunday) and just yesterday (or a while ago), we played Agricola. Except for a while ago, we started playing the game early morning and finished in the morning, thus the title. Ha ha ha! For our first game, we started at 4 AM and ended around 8 or 9 AM. The second game started at 2 AM and ended at 5 or 6 AM. A while ago, the game started at 11 AM and ended at 2 or 3 AM. Agricola Mornings everyone!

The gaming is great but the food is really the point. I was not able to take a photo of my breakfast because I was really hungry. Anyways, we all know that people love cheesedogs, right? So, I decided to do that with good sausages. Instead of stuffing the cheese inside, I just decided to cook sausages then create a simple cheese sauce over the top. Butter, milk, cheddar, and parmesan is all it takes for me to be happy. I know people might think I must really love cheese sauces but, then, who doesn't?

It was a really simple dish but it was really divine. Nothing to get you full in the morning than great sausages, perfect cheese sauce, and rice. Anyways, I'm full and sleepy so until next time!

Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods is coming to DLSU-M!

Hi, guys! I have just confirmed that Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods will be having a concessionaire stand inside De La Salle University - Manila for the bazaar this coming August 8 to 12, 2011. Please help and support me by sharing this to your friends and family that are studying in DLSU-M. I am still fixing the prices and the dishes that I will be serving week long but there will surely be the Hearty, Meaty Spaghetti, Soulful, Tender Roast Chicken, and Hearty, Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

Thank you and, for all the Lasallians out there, see you!

Where It All Started

This is too much. This would be a class picture in the sixth grade. Anyways...

As I said in a previous entry, Cooking, for me, started back in my third or fourth year in high school. I was the "burden" of the girls' Home Economics group back then. My cooking experience was close to zero and I was supposedly the all around kitchen helper. I was the last to cook my dish because mine would be served first and would be the easiest to cook. My dish was... *drum rolls* garlic mushrooms! Ha ha ha!

From the start, the girls were bullying me for my ingredients. They took most of my garlic and butter and all I had were literally leftovers from what they were all cooking. I had some extra taco beef and mozzarella cheese from the beef pocket pie (don't ask me why taco beef) and, since I did not want to clean up that much and I am the clean up committee being the boy, anything left in the table were used in my garlic mushrooms.

It turned out to cause a scene since we all know how hot butter and sizzling garlic smell like together. I had to mix them all together and it became my first attempt in creating the Mushrooms with Taco Beef and Cheese. Everybody loved it. The mozzarella was just enough to create a cheesy layer over my mushrooms. The little bites of ground taco beef just complemented the mushrooms.

This is where it all started for me. The next attempts to that were different in a sense that I turned it into a main course than an appetizer. It became the Taco Beef with Mushrooms and Cheese Sauce that most of my friends know. From then on, I started experimenting and helping at home. I remember creating three different types of burger patties at home for our breakfast. I created a cheese, a salsa, and a cheese and salsa burger but what was different about it was I incorporated the cheese and salsa into the burger patty before cooking. A style that I never knew was already being used in some burger joints around the Metro until my second year in college. I also helped in cooking buttered lamb chops and my ever favorite Vigan Longganisa.

Now, I'm here but, without studying, it was really a wonder how I was able to shift from cooking ready food to my own recipes. I guess you can call it my mom's gift to me. And, I treasure that, a lot. It may have took a while but I am glad that this is where life brought me.

Where it all started, for me, was a reminder to never overlook at the possibilities in life. I always neglected the part that I can cook because I never knew it would be something more than a hobby. It may have started because of the financial needs but it all worked out to meet what I actually want to do in life.

"Everything may change but it is all up to you if you will keep on moving towards your dreams or, at the very least, a single dream."

-Francis Fabie

Relocation Completed

I have just finished relocating the Heart, Meat, & Soul Blog from Tumblr before to Blogger now. I hope that this effort has made the blog better.

I am pleased to welcome all of you here to this new site. I hope you subscribe and follow my blog through the stories and experiences.

A few tips, you can comment on Heart, Meat, & Soul Blog, Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods, and the Cook and Owner on the About Page.

You can go to the Events and Updates Page to look at upcoming events and most recent updates on both Heart, Meat & Soul Foods and Heart, Meat, & Soul Blog in case you missed them anywhere else.

You can check out the HMnS Foods Menu and HMnS Foods Promos and Fees Pages to check the prices, fees, and discounts on our dishes.

Lastly, feel free to contact us for orders or inquiries. Details our on our Contact Page.

Reminiscing my Experimental Recipes

Whenever I’m stressed, I cook, as I said in my first entry. And when I saw a nice cut of Cream Dory earlier this morning, I knew what I was going to do at night.

I remembered last year when I was cooking at the house of my best friend. She and her three other friends were going to the beach the day after and I went along to their house because I had a headache and they were near my place. To get the headache out and as a thank you for making me ride with them, I volunteered to cook that night.

I was so uncomfortable because it was not my kitchen. I did not know where everything was. But, I thought to myself, “Just take the challenge.”

I saw a lot of things to cook but when I saw that they had mozarella cheese, cream, milk, and butter, I knew already that I had to make cheese sauce. Now, it was the matter of finding the meat. I saw a whole chunk of roast beef, chicken, pork slices, and, the worst, fish. If it was not already 11 o’clock in the evening, I would have cooked the roast beef. But since the time was short, I just thought, “Whatever, let’s try cooking fish.”

It was my first time ever to cook fish but I knew it was easy enough. I just rubbed my normal spices and seasonings, salt, pepper, thyme, and so on, and fried them for a little bit. I finished my cheese sauce by melting all the dairy in one pot. And, I just thought what could give this thing more contrast in flavor, texture, and color. I thought of mashed potatoes at first but there was no potatoes and, even if they had, it would take 30 minutes to actually to soften them. But then I saw this breakfast favorite…

It was hash browns. I just knew at that moment that I should use them.

Now, it was plating time. I had three pieces of fish so I had to find three long plates. I placed them in the middle, poured the cheese sauce, and crumbled the hash brown on top.

Funny thing was, I was the only guy there. I was the only one cooking and they were all just playing around. So without any hype, they just sat there thought it was just something simple. But…

I remembered the first reaction of one of my friends there. She just had her first bite and, then, she just stood up, cursed me, and told me how great the food was.

Going back to today, I was reminiscing and I just wanted to do it again. I just changed the fish to Cream Dory, created another recipe for my cheese sauce, and created another recipe for mashed potatoes.

In the comfort of my own kitchen, I over seasoned my fish for a bit. It was a bit salty. But, at least I know now how to do it and it still matched great with the rice, the cheese sauce, and the mashed potatoes. To say the least, the mashed potatoes are addicting, I even eat it when cold. Overall verdict, tweak the recipe for the fish but everything else was great.

So to present to you all, my Cream Dory in White Cheese Sauce with Rice and Mashed Potatoes.

Cook for Love

a m c e l   o n g   |   p h o t o g r a p h y   ©   2 0 1 1

"There is no one more passionate than a man who cooks for love."

-Francis Fabie

Team Maximus

This, for a short but life-changing time in my life, was my working family. I remember the days, that these people can never get me to talk. I remember the first conversation I had with my boss was about food. Most of the time, you can only get me to talk and even find me awake when we were talking about food. I guess I was never able to thank them for that. Two things that I really loved surfaced during that time. It was my love for sales and my love for food. Team Maximus, I love you all! Century Prestige, Number One!

Chuckie and Root Beer, Food, and Board Games

It's funny how, sometimes, all it takes is great food, a glass of Chuckie and root beer, good food, and board games with some of your friends and everything seems just fine... :)

Eat | Pray | Love

E A T   |   P R A Y   |   L O V E

Patience is Everything

"In cooking, patience is everything..."

-Lorraine Timbol

The Man behind The Food (Part II)

(continuation)

I was out of work and I was going back to school and I was just getting my life back on track. I wanted to do something that I love and I could do along side my academics. Some of you may know, I support myself through most of my finances so it was something that I both need and want to do.

So I asked myself three things:

• What do I love to do that is light for me to do along side my academics?
• What can easily click to people?
• How will I start?

And the answers were just there. I can start cooking for people because that is what I do when I am trying to release all the stress from studies, work, or business. So why not make your stress reliever your business? It clicked with my friends, relatives, and some people from work. I would guess it would click with most other people. I thought I can start it from my savings, one order at a time. But it needed a kickstart…

I was reviewing it with my mom. My mom is Lorraine Timbol, former Editor-in-Chief for Appetite Magazine. She helped me start it off. We started standardizing my recipe for my spaghetti. I started thinking of the name. She thought I could pull it off since I already have a customer base of friends, relatives, and other guests at home who I have been serving for a couple of years every time I was stressed. But there was still no kickstart…

In the middle of planning, I was talking to a mom of my friend and telling her all about it. I was telling her all about my pasta, my cooking, how I am supporting myself, and how I am planning to start this business and she just tells me, “Can you deliver this weekend?” From that question alone, what was supposed to be a month or so long of planning became a less than a week cram. Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods was started on May 1, 2011. The name was finalized. The logo was created. The recipe for my spaghetti was standardized. And, everything was just done.

The funny thing was… that week and until now, my friend’s mom still has not ordered. But that is okay.

Anyways, from that journey on, I took the leap from cooking good for 10 people to a 100 people, from cooking pasta to roasting chicken, from thinking of survival to actually enjoying life, and it has been one of the greatest feelings I have had in my entire life. I have had several orders since then and hopefully more to come. I have had the pleasure of actually trying to sell or advertise something that is close to my heart and something that really comes out from my own doing.

Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods is not just a name. It is an embodiment of my passion to give my heart, body, and soul to cooking for other people.

It started out as something that I never really thought would be my main focus in life but it has become a joy to share my passion for cooking to others.

If you are reading this and you have come this far, I thank you and I hope you keep on reading the next ones. Hope that you get to try my food soon!

Francis Fabie is an undergraduate of De La Salle University - Manila taking up AB Organizational Communication. He takes after his mom, Lorraine Timbol, former Editor-in-Chief for Appetite Magazine here in the Philippines. He puts his heart, body, and soul to put the heart, meat, and soul of his cooking. A passion he always has for the things he love to do.

Heart, Meat, & Soul Foods is a special order / semi-catering service that was started on May 1, 2011 by Francis Fabie with a goal to serve people just that, hearty, meaty, and soulful dishes that are just simple and flavorful.

The Man behind The Food (Part I)

Hi, everyone again! I am Francis Fabie and I am an undergraduate student of De La Salle University - Manila, taking up AB Organizational Communication. For most of you, you still remember me as who I was before this. I could have been the dancer, the photographer, the dancing photographer, the geek (but that’s still until now), the soldier, the annoying businessman, the condo sales agent… and for a very few, the cook.

I never was the person who normally cooks and brings food to events and parties. Heck, I was never going to volunteer to cook for anyone out of the boundaries of my home and kitchen. I was just your typical cook-when-your-stressed type of guy. I never got formal lessons and my first experience with cooking outside of Pancit Canton was a mix and mash of different left over ingredients from my group mates in Home Economics class at my third or fourth year in high school. Well, it turned out to be a gastronomic ingenuity and that was were the Taco Beef with Mushrooms smothered with Cheese Sauce was born. Even one of my group mates who was allergic to mushrooms could not get enough of it.

For people who might ask, that dish is still not being served in my menu yet. It will be soon. Anyways, getting back to the story…

After that time, I still never thought of it as my main focus in life. I became engrossed in dancing, then photography, then ROTC, then a direct-selling business, then condo sales, and many more. I just cooked at home whenever I was stressed with studies, work, or business. I mostly cooked for my girlfriend then who accuses me of getting her fat most of the time, which could have been true for the most part. I also loved to cook for my friends whenever they would go to my place. The crowd favorite was my pasta and the Taco beef and my cheese sauces were the next. It was just actually all okay but something happened…

(to be continued)