The Tale of Two Champions

Tonight, two of the most successful English clubs, Manchester United and Liverpool go against each other on the Third Round of the FA Cup. The fixture between the two clubs is one of the most significant sporting rivalries in football, referred to as the North West Derby since both clubs hail from the North West of England.

The rivalry between the two cities began since the 18th to the 19th century, during the Industrial Revolution. During this time, both were competing with each other for supremacy of the north-west, with Manchester famous for its manufacturing prowess while Liverpool was famous for the importance of its port. The battle between these clubs intensified when Manchester United became the first English club to win a European Cup in 1968. But, soon after, Liverpool won 4 trophies and was hailed as Champions of Europe during the 1970s and 1980s. Liverpool dominated English football during the 1970s and 1980s while Manchester United in the 1990s and 2000. Both have a total of 58 trophies from various competitions. Both won 18 championships for a domestic derby. Liverpool however has not won any Premier League title since it’s creation in 1992 while Manchester United already won 11 since and is currently on top of the table for this season with 2 points ahead of Manchester City. It was so intense that both players and fans cursed each other. At the 1996 FA Cup Final, an unidentified Liverpool fan spat at Eric Cantona (former Manchester United player) and threw a punch at Sir Alex Ferguson as the victorious Manchester United team walked up the steps at Wembley Stadium to collect the trophy from the Royal Box. After the FA Cup match in 2006, an ambulance carrying Alan Smith (Manchester United midfielder), who had broken his leg during the match, was attacked on it’s way to the hospital by Liverpool fans. Also, at Anfield (Liverpool’s home stadia), a fan threw an egg at Alex Ferguson in the late 1990s.

The rivalry extended to the players as well. United striker Wayne Rooney said that he grew up hating the Reds. Same feelings came out from Gary Neville and John O’Shea, both United players. Neville, also had a past with a Liverpool player Steve Mcmanam after a head-butting incident. On the other hand, Livepool’s Captain Steven Gerrard took a film crew on a tour of his home where he showed off a collection of football shirts he had swapped with opposing players and reiterated that there was no Manchester United shirts in there and that he would never have one in his house.

The two champions of England will meet again at Old Trafford (United’s home stadia), Sir Alex going for a home advantage and a no loss campaign while the interim coach and former Liverpool player Kenny Dalglish (replacing Roy Hodgson who was sacked by Liverpool this week) needs to use his magic once more and drag his team up but as a coach this time. It’s been less than 2 years now when the two clubs went head-to-head for a Premier League title , with Liverpool winning a 4-1 run at Old Trafford. What can both teams offer tonight? Liverpool’s line up seems to be a little down the wire, Fernando Torres seemed to have healed but his shots are not spot-on while Gerrard, at 30 seemed to have slowed a bit like usual. On the other side of the pitch, Wayne Rooney has been sidelined with ankle injury (again) but Javier Hernandez has been called to fill the void.

It’s gonna be an exciting match. An old rivalry relive. A tale of two champions.

Macca is out! Weiss decision?

I was out with a friend somewhere in Makati when another friend texted me of the latest news about Azkals. He said that Dan Palami, Philippine National Football Team Manager announced on national tv through ANC that they have a new coach! I went over my tweets and confirmed the news. The German Coach Hans Michael Weiss who have quite an impressive resume, will be the new coach of the National Team.

In Simons twitter account, he said, “Feels totally disrespected. No call, email, text, nothing. Been told by a friend who watched it on TV, this is not how to treat people.” He added when asked what’s going on, “…not heard a thing, reading what’s happening on Facebook….unbelievable.” He also cited in the conversation over twitter, “really disappointed..Not in being replaced, it happens in football…but the lack of respect…I don’t deserve that.”

While the social networks and media is clueless on why Dan and the PFF made the decision, Mr. Palami posted in his Facebook page as a clarification:

“Two things. First, to Simon and the other candidates, my apologies. After a 16-hr travel, finally arrived from Germany after meetings with DFB…went straight to the wedding of a family friend. In the middle of the ceremony, I received text messages that twitter is abuzz about a new coach and there are complaints about Simon not being informed about it. I was going to make an official announcement only after I had written all the other candidates about the decision taken, including Simon, but it seems Twitter beat me to it.

Second, thank you to all the Azkals supporters. Your passionate opinions on the matter show your great interest in the team’s future. Our opinions and interpretations of events may sometimes differ, but I know we’re all driven by the same love of the game. Thank you for supporting Philippine football.”

If we recall, Coach Simon is still waiting for the necessary license for the AFC Challenge Cup in which the AFC strictly monitors. He was also aware of the Germany trip and definitely cognizant about getting the help of Hans Weiss, a candidate for head coach of the team. The German, who have an admirable football experience was also featured in Ricky Olivarez’s Bleachers Brew last January 4 and I admit that reading through his qualifications i felt my blood pumping faster. I was excited to have him on board for the National Team. Although, it never crossed my mind that Macca will be replaced, thus, having Weiss co-coach the team.

But, with what had happened today, the announcement of the new coach replacing McMenemy, with his efforts, dedication and beliefs for Philippine Football, my world somehow is drowning as a mega tsunami hits the high grounds. I felt sorry for the guy. He tried to “work” on his license and still is waiting for the results. Whether or not the decision of PFF Management is right or wrong, it boils down in to the action made. I bet all Azkaleros are excited to have a very talented coach with the persona of Weiss but at the same time, we are in sympathy for McMenemy for not getting a much needed treatment to someone who contributed in bringing back the interest of this basketball loving nation to FOOTBALL.

We, in behalf of my football loving friends, are still with Azkals on whoever the coach is. We wish and truly hope that we do better in the AFC Challenge Cup as the sacrifices and effort of Macca and the team will be put into limbo once more.

Team Azkals: Up Close Part 2

As promised, here are the other members of the Philippine National Football Team and mini bio on each of them.

The Philippine Army/Air Force Crew

We are grateful to have in the team not only brilliant booters but also active and listed members of the army and air force. In the last issue, we already introduced 3 of them, Ian Araneta (Air Force), Roel Gener (Army) and Nestorio Margarse (Army). Here are the rest of these unsung heroes.

Eduardo Sacapano – Born on February 14, 1980, the 30 year old goalkeeper for the National Team was awarded the “Best Goalkeeper Award” in the 2009-2010 LBC-UFL Season. His international debut was in 2006 and represented Azkals six times. He is a member of the Philippine Army FC and a native of Bago City, Negros Occidental which is about 21 kilometers south of provincial capital Bacolod City. He attended college at West Negros University and graduated at Ramon Torres National High School in 1997.

Joebel Bermejo – An enlisted officer in the Philippine Air Force who is born February 28, 1981 who plays as a defender for the National Team and for Air Force Rider FC. He took his college degree at John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation, a private maritime college in Bacolod City in 2000. He represented the National Team in 9 international matches including the recent AFF Suzuki Cup.

Rey Palmes – Another member of the Philippine Air Force plays as a defender for both the National Team and Air Force Rider FC. The 31 year old is born on December 27, 1979 and currently has 1 cap for international matches.

Emelio Caligdong – Born as Emelio Asada Caligdong on September 2, 1982, this Iloilo footballer plays as a forward for the national team and Air Force Rider FC. Fondly called as the “chieffy”, the winger was able to make his international debut in 2004 Tiger Cup qualifiers where he scored 3 goals against Timor—Leste. He also played for the Philippines U-23 at the 2006 SEA Games and in a pre-SEA Games friendly’s where he scored against Myanmar and Timor-Leste. He is the cousin of Ian Araneta who also plays for Azkals.

Yanti Barsales – The oldest member of the Philippine National Football Team born on February 6, 1973 plays as a forward-striker for Air Force Rider FC. He was the top scorer and MVP of the United Football League’s inaugural season with 8 goals. His nephew, Ian Araneta also plays for the team.

Peter Jaugan – A native of Mindanao, this North Cotabato born booter plays in midfield for both Azkals and the Air Force. He was born July 2, 1983 and finished college at the University of Mindanao in 2004 with a degree in Commerce Major in Management. He became part of the National Team in 2002 is the only Mindanao born member of the squad.

Mark Ferrer – The 21 year old born on February 14, 1989 plays in the midfield for both the Philippine National Team and Air Force Rider FC. A native of Barotac Nuevo, Mark is a football star during high school and eventually joined Air Force to pursue his education.

There are a total of 3 enlisted members of the Philippine Army and 7 from the Philippine Air Force. Now, let’s meet some more Azkaleros who are also members of other clubs playing in the United Football League shall we.

Michael Atienza –Born on October 29, 187, this defender of the National Team also plays for Laos FC (Philippines), a member club of the United Football League.

Jerry Barbaso – Is a Filipino footballer born on April 18, 1988 and is playing for the National Team and Laos FC (Philippines) as a defender. Jerry is a B.S. Administration graduate of DMC College Foundation in Dipolog City.

Kristopher Relucio – Born on April 22, 1978 who plays as a defender for the Philippine National Men’s Football Team and Laos FC (Philippines). He has 2 international appearances for the Azkals. In the recent Long Teng Cup, he subs in for Mark at 58-minute mark against Macau in which we won by 5-nill.

David Basa – Born on April 2, 1989 and a proud member of the UST Golden Booters and the national team who plays forward. We all remember him during the UAAP Season 69 where he was awarded Rookie of the Year.

We are not done yet. We still some great talents from half Filipino booters.

Christopher Greatwich – Born as Christopher Robert Barbon Greatwich on September 30, 1983 in Westminister, England who plays in the midfield for the national team. He also played for Brighton and Hove Albion and was part of their successful FA Cup side in 2002. He currently plays for Morris County Colonials of the NPSL in the United States. He began his international career with the Azkals in 2004 making his debut for the Tiger Cup qualifiers against Myanmar. He scored the equalizer during the AFF Suzuki Cup Group Stages against Singapore on the 90 minute mark and another goal when the Azkals crushed Vietnam in a 2-nill win.

Robert Gier – This English-Filipino footballer born as Robert James Dazo Gier on January 6, 1980 plays as a defender for Azkals and is currently with Ascot United. He began his career at Wimbledon, who had been relegated from the Premier League in 1999-00. After, he joined several clubs in England such as Rushden and Diamonds, Cambridge United, Woking, Aldershot Town, and Grays Athletic. He was called to join the Philippine Team in March 2009 for the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers and made his first Philippine debut against Bhutan on April 2009.

Ray Jonsson – Ray Anthony Jonsson, born on February 2, 1979 is an Icelandic-Filipino of descent. He plays as a defender in both the national team and for the Icelandic Premier League club Grindavik. He was called up to play for the AFF Suzuki Cup qualifiers in September 2010 and made his first international debut as part of the Azkals in the Long Teng Cup against Macau.

Jason De Jong – Born on February 28, 1990, Jason Nicolas Maria Dantes De Jong is a Filipino-Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for both the Philippine National Football Team and a professionally for a Dutch club Veendam. De Jong made his international debut for the Azkals in September 2008 in the qualifying rounds of the AFF Suzuki Cup in Cambodia. There were also rumors after the semis in Indonesia that agents are scouting to sign him (together with other Filipino players) to play for an Indonesia Club.

The Manager and the Coach

Dan Palami – The most positive credit to the previous leadership of PFF was this Tacloban-born businessman with his appointment as the Philippine National Men’s Football Team manager sometime in December 2009. He also managed the RP U-19. The 40 year old who has been the chief benefactor of the National Team is the CEO of Autre Porte Global Inc., an engineering company concerned with the construction, operation and maintenance of railway systems. He was also the former President of the Leyte Football Association and has been playing football since grade school. In an interview with Sports Digest about his plans, he said, “one is to make sure that the local players are given the chance to improve so they can be ready for international competitions. And the other is to look for players outside Manila who are already capable of bringing depth to the team”. He also added after the outstanding run of the team in the AFF Suzuki Cup, “I do believe that we have a lot of football fans in the Philippines. It’s just that there was nothing to celebrate about before. Now that we have something to celebrate about, then everybody’s united. “

Simon McMenemy – Simon Alexander McMenemy, born on December 6, 1977 in Hayward Heath, England (lies 36 miles south of London) is an English Football Manager and the head coach of the Philippine National Football Team. He was previously the assistant coach of Worthing FC, a non-league English club. It was through Chris Greatwich that McMenemy heard about the vacant coaching job in the Philippines. He then received a letter from PFF after 5 weeks and signed an initial 2 months contract with the national team on August 2010. In a Sports Digest interview about the future of Philippine Football, McMenemy said, “I think passion and spirit can carry you so far, but there are certain limitations that make success in this country very difficult. There is no professional league, which, for one, gets you to ask the question ‘where do your players play regularly? Young players coming through makes it difficult if there is no kind of pathway where they can show their talent. There’s a lot of infrastructure that needs to be developed before we can take that step o. Once we have that, I think we can be up there competing every week against Vietnam, Singapore, and possibly even Japan. We need to have the infrastructure there. We have a very goof group of players, but that will only take us so far.

Team Azkals Up Close - Part 1

They are no La Roja nor Oranje but like both European teams, they do enjoy some glorious moments, they are our own Philippine National Football Team, the Azkals. They are the oldest football club in Asia but only made some unprecedented success in the early 20^th century and recently with their outstanding campaign for the AFF Suzuki Cup. Let us know more about the members of the team including the Team Manager Dan Palami and Coach Simon McMenemy.

Aly Borromeo – born Alexander Charles Luis Borromeo on June 28, 1983 in San Francisco, Californiia. The 27 year old captain plays for Kaya FC and is one of the oldest members of the team by tenure. He previously played as GK but eventually became a utility player playing midfield and forward. He first represented the Philippines at U19 Level during the 2000 AFC Youth Championship qualifiers and eventually became a strong member of the Azkals. The teams’ skipper is a versatile central back who is often deployed as a defensive midfielder and striker. He also scored important goals during the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup with his equalizer against Cambodia and East Timor.

Neil Etheridge - On February 7, 1990, a Filipino-British Neil Leonard Dula Etheridge was born in Enfield London, England. The primary goalkeeper of the Azkals is a professional player who plays as a GK for Fulham FC for the English Premier League. He began attending Chealsea Academy with the Younghusbands and eventually joined Fulham as a goalkeeper. In 2007, he received an invitation to play for the Philippines but declined the offer and in 2008 was again invited by former PFF President Mari Martinez. He eventually accepted the offer after a long talk. He made his full international debut in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers playing in all three matches. He then was called up again to play for the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualifiers but like the AFC Challenge Cup, the team was not able to qualify.

James Younghusband - born James Joseph Placer Younghusband on September 4, 1986, this English-Filipino footballer began his career when he signed up for Chelsea Academy at the age of 10. While with Chelsea, he made a number of appearances for the youth and reserve team. In 2005, he (with his younger brother Phil) was invited to play for the Philippines in the 2005 SEA Games. He once said, “I want to accomplish in the Philippines what David Beckham plans to do in America – make football bigger.”

Phil Younghusband - On August 4, 1987, a Filipino-British Philip James Placer Younghusband plays as forward for Azkals. He also started with Chelsea together with his older brother James and co-player Neil at the age of 9. He also represented Chelsea and made a number of appearances for the youth and reserved team. And in 2007, he signed a contract with a Danish Club, Esbjerg fB going on loan transfer for the 2007-08 season but returned to Chelsea during the January transfer window. In the summer of 2008, his Chelsea contract ended and eventually moved to the Philippines. Like James, he was invited to play for the Philippines during the 2005 SEA Games and eventually became an important member of the national team.

Ian Araneta – Born as Ian Bayona Araneta on March 2, 1982, this Pinoy true blood footballer from Iloilo plays as a forward for the Philippine National Football Team and a member of the Philippine Air Force FC. He made his international debut on December 2002 in a friendly match against Singapore and scored his first international goal in the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualifiers against Laos. A very strong striker and a constant threat up front with his tenacity and eye for goal. Ian scored his first international hat-trick* during the 2010 Long Teng Cup with a 5-0 win against Macau.

Anton DelRosario – Born on December 23, 1981 as Anton Edward Quimson del Rosario is an American born Filipino footballer. He was born in San Francisco (like Aly) but with Filipino parents. He plays as a right back or center back for the National Team and Kaya FC. He started playing at the age of six and eventually joined some clubs in the US until his college years where he played for Skyline College and Notre Dame de Namur University. While living the Philippines as a teenager, he tried out for the National Team and became an integral member of the Azkals through the years. He first represented the country in the 2004 Tiger Cup (now AFF Suzuki Cup) against Myanmar and made his first international goal against Brunei via a free-kick* during the 2007 ASEAN Football Championships qualifiers.

Roel Gener – Roel Jimena Gener, born on June 27, 1974, is the second oldest player of the team. The Iloilo born footballer is also a member of the Philippine Army FC and is an enlisted army. He plays midfield and already represented the country in 17 international matches, recently in the AFF Suzuki Cup. His agility makes him as a key person in the midfield. He attended school in Barotac Nuevo during high school and Western Visayas College of Science and Technology in college.

Nestor Margarse – The 34 year old midfielder born on May 3, 1976 is a homegrown talent from Iloilo and a member of the Philippine Army FC.

Christopher Camcam – The youngest member of the squad born on September 30, 1994 is playing as GK for the team. The 16 years old Christopher Joaquin Camcam, fondly called “Topher” also plays for Southridge FC. With his young age and exposure to international pitch, he can surely be one of the few homegrown talents that we can develop for the future.

These are just 9 out of the 23 members of Azkals. Next up, Part 2. Enjoy! The photos are arranged following the order of the article.

*Hat-trick: is a term used when a player scored 3 goals in a single game excluding when it's a goal from a penalty shoot-out. There are several variations of the definition:

- a perfect hat-trick is when a player scores a goal with the right foot, then with left and with a header.

- a flawless hat-trick is when a player scores all 3 goals consecutively within one period of play.

- a classic hat-trick is when a player scores all 3 goals consecutively in a single half of a game.

*Penalty shoot-out: usually occurs to break ties usually during a championship match wherein a winner must be determined. After a 90 minute and 2 extra time, when two teams are still tied, each team will alternate 5 penalty kicks (without a wall). The team who scores more goals is the winner.

My Top 10 Football Stories for 2010

2010 has been an interesting year for football. From the sounds of the vuvuzuelas during the World Cup South Africa to the laser issue on AFF Suzuki Cup Finals between Indonesia and Malaysia. Here’s what I think were the stories that topped 2010!

1. 1. La Furia Roja winning the World Cup: No sport is bigger than the World Cup and this year, the Spanish team headed by Vicente del Bosque wins it the first time after the 116^th minute goal of Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta in a 1-0 finals against Netherlands (Oranje) at Soccer City Stadium.

2. 2. FIFA corruption: Well, it’s not only in the PFF (Philippine Football Federation) that this became an issue. There were two members of FIFA who were suspended for offering to sell their votes for the 2018 and 2022 bid. There are still a lot of speculations that FIFA did a lousy job in choosing Russia and Qatar as the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 WC instead of the favorites England and USA. The Federation President Sepp Blatter said that he was delighted to bring football to the world. Russia and Qatar have never hosted any World Cup.

3. 3. The Rooney Scandal: The Manchester United Forward Wayne Rooney also had his share for the best and worst days in his career. When his reputation has gone the same level with the likes of Beckham, Ronaldo and Kaka as one of the best players of the new generation, it also went sluggish last September when a Sunday newspapers broke stories about his affairs with prostitutes while his wife, Colleen, was pregnant. He also, after the scandal, shook the world of football after his Manchester City deal which cost Manchester United a five year contract of $347,000 a week for him to stay in Old Trafford.

4. 4. US Soccer (MLS) gets bigger and brighter: With Beckham playing the LA Galaxy, it seems that other European players see that there is a future with MLS. Another footballer from Barcelona, Thierry Henry moves to New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. The 33 year old French footballer made his name as a world class footballer at Arsenal when he emerged as the Gunners top goal scorer for almost every season of his tenure.

5. 5. Liverpool sold to NESV: On October 15^th, the club issued a statement confirming the New England Sports Ventures, who own a portfolio of companies including the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Rush Fenway Racing, had completed the £300 million acquisition.

6. 6. Azkals upsets Vietnam: The recent AFF Suzuki Cup was the highlight on Philippine Football amidst all the politics and issues surrounding the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). The Azkals recorded the biggest upset in the history of the AFF Suzuki Cup last December 5^th after beating the defending champions, Vietnam, in a 2-0 campaign in Hanoi. The Philippine National Football Team headed by coach Simon McMenemy continue their run and qualified to the semis , for the first time in Philippine football history, against the in-form Indonesian squad. The Garuda’s eventually sent the Azkals home with a 2-0 win on aggregate points.

7. 7. Togo bus attack in Angola ahead of African Cup of Nations: On the eve of the African Cup of Nations 2010, a tragedy strikes. As it was reported, the Togo National Team bus was ambushed by gunmen and shot at on their way from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the team’s base in Cabrida, where they were due to play their Group B matches where 3 people were killed and 9 injured. Later, Togo withdrew from the cup.

8. 8. El Clasico 2010: The rivalry between two Spanish clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid last November at Camp Nou (Barca’s home stadia), was also an epic clash between Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both players were regarded as the modern Pele-Maradona of the new generation that fits snugly into the pantheon of rivalries. The 95-minutes kick off concludes the Catalans as the winners with a 5-0 goal making them on top of the Spanish Primera chart.

9. 9. Paul the Octopus predicts the results: The next best thing during the World Cup was Paul the Octopus. The octopus who predicted the outcome of 8 World Cup matches accurately including Spain winning the cup and Germany losing to La Furia Roja during the semis. The story amused everyone and Paul made huge fans around the world. He eventually died of natural causes at a ripe old age – for octopuses.

10. 10. Internazionale’s Treble: Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan did a treble after winning the domestic leagues, Serie A, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, EUFA Champions League in an easy win against defending champions Bayern Munich, and the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi against Congo’s TP Mazembe.

Again, this list is just my personal preference. Pardon me if something did not make it on my list. Last year was definitely a BIG one for the sport that everybody loves. Let’s hope for a better one this 2011 and wish our favorite clubs/teams to lift a trophy and spread the word of FOOTBALL.

Whatever Happened to Liverpool FC

I am 29 and have been following and enjoying watching and cheering for my favorite clubs. Third on my list is Liverpool. They are English football’s most successful club with 40 trophies, including 18 League titles (tied with Manchester United) and a 5 time European Champions. But what happens now to Liverpool FC?

With their recent and poor Premier League run with Roy Hodgson, the financial turmoil that led to the ownership of an American company New England Sports Venture (NESV), who own a portfolio of companies including the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Rush Fenway Racing last October 2010 and the poor form of the players including Fernando Torres, it seems that the future for the Reds is a bit dusky.

The Reds has not lifted any major trophy since their thrilling 2006 FA Cup win against West Ham United and 2005 EUFA Champions League against Milan both on penalty shoot outs. I wonder why? They got brilliant and talented players with the likes of Gerrard and Torres but winning a goal is hard. I am no sports analyst but I think that the things that Liverpool needs to do to bring back the glory are: First, somebody has to step up and play big to inspire the team; second, everyone who supports the club should boost the morale of each other and continue believing; and lastly, the owners and management should do sound investment with players. An addition to Gerrard and Torres backing them up to score a goal is highly needed.

Football is a derby and winning is important. We make everyone happy when we win and when everyone is happy, there will be no complications. Although, there are times that getting a goal is dull on the first half, we still need to mobilize and create a play that will work to our advantage. We need to have our best foot forward and press on defense while the ball is out of our hands.

But in the end, with everything said and done, loyalty will bring about great impact to the club. We all desire to win but hey, it’s not always Christmas is it. When we lose, we stand up and show them what a great club Liverpool is. We all need each other’s help. We made it happen a lot of times and we can still make it happen.

As the old song goes:

“When you walk through the storm; keep your chin up and high; and don’t be afraid of the dark; at the end of the storm; is a golden sky; and the sweet silver song of a lark…….and you’ll never walk alone, you’ll never walk alone.”

Tofu with Salmon and Watermelon

Ingredients: Tofu, watermelon, salmon fillet, lemon, spinach, salt and pepper

How to prepare:

On a pan, slightly sear the tofu and the fish (or you can serve it raw). Set aside and then cut the tofu into cubes. On a pan, put some butter or oil and season the spinach and cook until done, about 1-2 minutes. Sliced the watermelon in cubes similar to the size of the tofu then sliced thinly. Now, arrange all ingredients like you are making a pyramid. Placed the tofu as the base, then either the salmon or the watermelon. Squeeze some lemon juice and garnish with spinach.

Tips: You can also have beef as your meat. Make sure to season the meat first before searing.

Vegetable Tortilla

Ingredients: 6 eggs (beaten), bell peppers (green, yellow and red- sliced in little squares), zucchini (small cubes, eggplant (small cubes), paprika. How to cook: Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with paprika, salt and pepper. In a pan, saute all the veggies in olive oil and garlic and season with a little paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes and then pour over the beaten eggs on the pan. Let it cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the edges are a little bit golden brownish in color. Get a big plate and flip the pan over the plate and slide the other side of the tortilla to cook the same way the other side cooked. Serve in a plate and sprinkle some chopped greens on top. Tips: Chopped the eggplants last since it easily change colors. You can also do this dish using your favorite veggies - potatoes, pimiento etcera.

Mussels: Spanish Style

Ingredients: mussels (depending on how much do you want to cook, cleaned), pimiento (sliced), paprika, saffron, garlic (minced), white dry wine, garbanzos. How to cook: In a pan, saute some garlic with olive oil until golden brown and put in the mussels. Simmer until the shell opens and remove the ones that are close. Add in the garbanzos, pimiento and about 1/2 cup of dry white wine and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Season with paprika, saffron, salt and pepper and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes then serve in a bowl. Tips: Mussels are easy to cook, if the shells are open, they are ok while when it's still close, those are dead alrady and needs to be remove/thrown away.

Seafood and Chicken Paella

Ingredients: Rice (Thai Jasmin or Japanese rice are my favorite substitute for Spanish rice), about 7-10 pieces of shrimp, 1 big crab, 1/4 kl of chicken breast, 15 pieces of mussels, 2 medium size squid (strips), 10 pieces of clams (small), spanish paprika, chicken broth, frozen green peas, garlic, olive oil and SAFFRON How to cook: There are 2 ways of cooking Paella, one is by cooking the rice separately and the other, cooking it together with the mix. I'm more comfortable of cooking the rice separately so the rice would not be under cooked or over-cooked. So let's cook at least 1/2 kl of rice (depanding on the amount that you want to prepare) in a rice cooker. Before cooking the rice, pour some of the paprika and mix and let it cook. In a pan, put some olive oil and fry the chicken (not the usual fried chicken but just until it's cooked), season it with paprika, salt and pepper and set aside. Next put some garlic on the same pan and saute the shrimp and strips squid until cooked. Do the same with the crabs, mussels and clams. Set aside. Now that the rice is already cooked, transfer in over into a paella pan with garlic and olive oil. Mix. In a cup of chicken broth, dissolve a sachet of saffron and pour it over the rice and mix until the rice becomes yellow as a result of the saffron. Put in the frozen green peas and season with paprika, salt and pepper. On a serving dish, pour in the cooked saffron rice and arrange the cooked seafood and chicken on anyway you like. Tips: Saffron is the main ingredient of Paella. Saffron is also the most expensive ingredient in the world. It's forbidden by law to transport saffron without permit. Here in the Philippines, Rustans Supermarket sells saffrons in sachets and you can get it for at least 200 pesos (3 sachets with a lil over 0.05 grams). Yeah, that's how expensive that is but it's all worth it. Paella will not be called as such without the saffron which gives the yellowish color to the dish and the earthy essence of it.

Mushroom with Aioli Sauce

Ingredients: Canned button mushroom or fresh ones that you can buy in the market/groceries, garlic (about 5 cloves- minced), olive oil, basil, dry white wine How to cook: Clean the mushroom and slice it in half. In a pan, put some olive oil and add the garlic until golden brown. Add in the mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes. Drizzle some dry white wine and simmer for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle some chopped basil and serve. Tips: Aioli is a sauce made out of garlic and olive oil. The traditional way of doing this is through a mortar mixing the garlic with olive oil and some put egg to ease the mixing.

Thai-Style Steamed Fish

Ingredients: 1 medium size fish, coriander, grated ginger, lemongrass, kaffir leaves, fish sauce, carrots, onion leeks How to cook: Clean and scale the fish and cut it on the belly opening about 3-4 inches (depending on the size of the fish). Put in the grated ginger, lemongrass and kaffir leaves (chopped) on the opening and place the fish on a foil. Rub the fish with some more with the mix of grated ginger, chopped kaffir leave and coriander, and fish sauce before steaming. In a small pan, saute the sliced carrots with some garlic and onion leeks for about 3-4 minutes. When the fish is already cooked, about 10-15 minutes, removed it on the foil and place it over a plate together with the carrots and a cup of brown rice and sprinkle with some chopped coriander on top. Tips: When buying fish, make sure that the smell is not awful, eyes are red and the texture is still a little bit hard. Check on the gills if it's still pinkish and or close to red in color.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients: chicken fillet sliced in cubes about an inch, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, dried Thai chilis, oyster sauce, corn starch, white dry wine, onion leeks, garlic (minced), onion spring. chicken broth, roasted peanuts How to cook: For the sauce- mix the 2 tbs of hoisin and oyster sauce, about 3 tbs of soy sauce, some chopped chilis, minced garlic, 1 tbs of sugar, a cup of chicken broth in a bowl. In a pan, saute the garlic until golden brown and add in the onion leeks and chicken and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the mixed sauce and simmer for about 3 minutes. In a separate bowl dissolve 1 tsp of corn flour on a quarter cup of dry white wine. Pour the dissolve corn starch over the chicken and simmer for 3 minutes. Serve with some chopped onion springs and roasted peanuts. Tips: Kung Pao's main ingredient is the dried chilis. You can also do seafood and pork in this dish in substitute for the chicken.

Grilled Chicken with veggies

Preparation time: 15 minutes Ingredients: chicken breast fillet (no skins), 2 slices of wheat bread, frozen veggies (carrots-green peas-corn), chinese cabbage , spanish paprika, curry powder, coriander, garlic, salt and pepper. How to cook: Marinate chicken with spanish paprika and curry powder and season with salt and pepper before hand (at least 30 minutes before cooking). Grill the marinated chicken and drizzle some olive oil to keep it moist. In a pan, saute the garlic until golden brown and add the veggies and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes and add the chopped coriander and mix. Serve it with the wheat bread. Tips: When grilling the chicken, do it at least 5 minutes on each side since chicken is one of the most easiest and tender meat to cook. You might wanna slice your wheat bread into half so it would not look bulky over the plate.

Linguine with Spicy Chicken Sauce

Prepation time: 40 minutes Ingredients: storebought linguine, chiken breast (sliced very thinly into bite pieces), 1 tbs paprika, 1 tbs curry powder, olive oil, carrot (finely chopped), celery (finely chopped), 1/2 cup dry white wine, chopped peeled tomatoes, 2 tbs of lemon juice, chopped basil, chili (depending on your taste), salt and pepper. How to cook: Place the chicken into a bowl and sprinkle with the paprika and curry powder. Season with salt. Mix well using your hands, ensuring that the chicken is evenly coated with the spices. Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and add carrot, celery, and onion and saute until onion is transparent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken and saute until browned all over. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes. Add a little stock or water if the sauce dries out. Stir in the lemon juice, chilis, salt and pepper. Pour into the cooked pasta and sprinkle with some basil on top and serve. Tips: When cooking pasta, it is advisable to reserve some at least a cup of the cooking liquid. This can be added to the sauce when it dries out.