Pop up and packing

Our Filipino pop-up night turned out to be a success, thanks in part to the talent and hard work of an unlikely kitchen crew. First there my mother, who came for a two-week visit but spent most of her time cooking and did not let me near the stove on the night of the dinner, my partner, who spent the week before buying produce and supplies and assisted my mom with prep work in spite of having one arm in a sling, and my daughter, who displayed unmatched zeal checking the buffet table for what was missing and replenishing throughout the evening, indefatigably. Then there was our gracious host, who opened his bright, lovely apartment to our little project, and allowed the guests to enjoy a breathtaking view of Lake Geneva and the Alps beyond from the height of his sixth floor balcony. Finally, our wonderful guests, a colorful mix of International Civil servants and local Genevois, mingling and gorging on lumpia a rare feat in Geneva.

 I enjoyed very much introducing Filipino food to people who had never tasted it before. In the same way, I would like to bring new, shiny flavors and textures to the folks in Cebu. Geneva once had a Filipino restaurant but somehow it didn’t last, which is surprising givena the number of Filipinos in town. Also, given the positive feedback from the meal, I am pretty sure that a Filipino restaurant would have a clientele here. However that is not my concern any more, as I am leaving in only six weeks, off to a culinary adventure of a different sort. I do hope Filipinos respond to my pan-European fare the way this multicultural group responded to our Filipino cuisine. In the meantime, there are boxes to fill…