Isi's food is redolent of flavors such as calamansi, garlic, chilies, coconut milk and fish sauce. In her kitchen she will teach you to prepare Filipino family recipes that have been passed down through the generations. You can choose between a hands-on lesson and a cooking demonstration during which you will watch her prepare the meal. Just let her know your preference! Learn to cook the famous sour soup called sinigang or chicken ginger soup, a salad, and seafood or vegetables cooked in coconut milk.
Isi's home in Tagaytay has beautiful, scenic views of Taal Volcano. It is also situated near farms, giving her access to the best, locally grown produce all year round. Isi will be cooking a classic home-cooked Filipino meal using locally sourced, seasonal, farm fresh ingredients. She will be recreating her grandparents classic recipes and adding her own twist to it. Your menu might include dishes such as fresh salad with calamansi or mulberry dressing, sinigang or chicken ginger soup, beef tapa (smoky marinated beef jerky, fried eggs, pickles served with garlic rice), seafood or vegetables cooked in coconut milk, followed by calamansi pie or fresh buko (coconut) pie & ube (purple yam) to end your meal.
Meet Isi at her home and then drive for 10-15 minutes to a nearby market. You will either visit the Alfonso or Mahogany Market. The Alfonso Market (about 4-5 km away from Isi's home) is a farmers market that has all the fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. The Mahogany Market is a well-known market in Tagaytay (which is nearer Isi's home), here you can find stalls that sell fresh meat. Walk around the market with Isi and stop at her favorite stalls to buy a few ingredients for your cooking class.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Homemade condiments & picklesCalamansi pie or fresh buko (coconut) pie & ube (purple yam)Seafood or vegetables cooked in coconut milkBeef tapa (smoky marinated beef jerky, fried eggs, pickles served with garlic rice)Sinigang with fresh fish or chicken ginger soupFresh salad with calamansi or mulberry dressingIsi has been in the food business for over ten years - creating recipes for dairy companies and restaurants, doing food styling and photography, selling spices online and teaching culinary arts at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde. She has recently started "Chili Asylum", an institution dedicated to marketing fresh chilies and chilli products sourced directly from Filipino farmers. Isi says she learned everything she knows about cooking from her Nanay (grandmother) who she watched cook fresh lunches and dinners everyday growing up. Isi enjoys collaborating with other chefs and food lovers in the food business to create new and delicious food. They say cooler weather gives you a heartier appetite, and there is no better place to experience a hearty, homecooked meal than in Tagaytay. Famously known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines (next to the equally beautiful and chilly city of Baguio). Join Isi in Tagaytay as she cooks and serves a local, regional meal she grew up eating.
Curious to know more? Read a recent journalist's account in The Chicago Tribune of her experience with Isi here.
