George W. Bush on Filipinos and Philippine-Americans

"I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that -- in which there's a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House.

And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President."

- George W. Bush in a meeting with Pres. Gloria Arroyo
at the White House on June 24, 2008

-Of all the possible "small talk" comments a United States President could utter to another person similar to his stature- a Philippine President, George W. Bush came up with the stupidest blabber ever! While the statement sounded 'harmless' reading from the entire transcript of what transpired from that meeting, I feel a little bit slighted and offended by this comment bordering on racism, and belittling.

Don't your minions of staff brief you about who you're meeting and tell you about the country he/she represents prior to the meet? You are reminded of our great talent every time you eat dinner at the White House? How patronizing! Please. Sorry soon to-be- former Mr. President Bush, I did not get the joke!

George Bush made the comment in reference to Cristeta "Cris" Comerford who was named White House chef in August of 2005 and who still serves as the White House chef to this day! (We will find out if the Obama's will keep Miss Comerford in the White house. We certainly hope so!)

As for this thoughtless comment, George W. Bush will truly leave a mark on this blog. Talk about leaving a lasting impression!

The Filipino-American Kitchen: Traditional Recipes, Contemporary Flavors

The Filipino-American Kitchen: Traditional Recipes, Contemporary Flavors

"How do you prepare yourself and your kitchen for a Filipino meal? Naturally you start with the building blocks; the sauce, stocks, flavor bases that form the backbone of a cuisine... A Filipino meal is hardly complete without an array of potent and vibrant dipping sauces (sawsawan), which add zest and balance to each bite..."

"Filipinos are vinegar junkies, in fact,vinegar tops the seasoning hierarchy as number three, after salt (soy or fish sauce are salt equivalents) and black pepper as a way of simultaneously flavoring and preserving many cooked and uncooked foods..."

"With over seven thousand islands making up the Philippine Archipelago, the seas surrounding the islands are the veins through which the lifeblood of the Philippines flows. It is only natural that seafood plays a primary role in the Filipino diet and is enjoyed with zeal and creativity..."

- Jennifer M. Aranas (Author), Brian Briggs (Author), Michael Lande (Author)