Posted on June 6th
Flavor Lounge Kick Off
Last Saturday we launched Flavor Lounge, a global pop-up dining series presented by Somerville Arts Council Nibble team in partnership with PA’s Lounge. It was a tasty affair with more than 70 people tasting Venezuelan arepas. “Carolicious,” a Nibble Culinary Entrepreneurship duo run by Carolina Garcia and Carolina Salinas from Caracas, Venezuela, cooked hot and cold arepas fillings: carne mechada; shredded beef; plantains and cheese — along with four different outstanding sauces. The Latin music and the yellow, blue, and red color decoration, including the Venezuelan flag, were the perfect accompaniment to enjoy the first of four Saturdays of Flavor Lounge. Three more flavorful Saturdays are on the menu! Up next…
Basil, garlic, cilantro, and pink sauces.
“Caroliciuos” preparing arepas in PA’S Lounge
Flavor Lounge, Part 2 presents: Filipino BBQ
Next Saturday June 11th, Kulinarya chef and co-owner Ellie Tiglao will be celebrating with us the Philippine Independence weekend. Independence day in the Philippines is observed on June 12th, commemorating the Philippines’ Declaration of Independence from Spain in 1898. “Filipino food is itself highly idiosyncratic, a reflection of the history of colonization of the 7000-island archipelago… a cuisine that is deeply influenced by Spanish, American, Chinese and Malay traditions ” says Ellie, on her web page. In Ellie’s second collaboration with SAC’s Nibble program (she taught a cooking class this past spring), she will bring us a classic Philippine plate: Inasal. This event will be part of Pamangan, a Filipino American dinner series where Ellie incorporates the flavors and cooking techniques of the Philippines into dishes that range from highly traditional to loosely inspired.
Her full menu will include charcoal grilled Inasal; chicken or portobello mushroom and tofu options. Marinated with garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and coconut vinegar, many restaurant chains in Manila and the Philippines have grown their empires from this one dish. The traditional dish will be served with rice lightly tossed with crispy fried garlic and a refreshing tomato and mango salad. You can add on a soft boiled egg to soak into your garlic rice, and slices of creamy avocado for a Filipino culinary experience right in Union Square.
Each Saturday in June, a Nibble culinary entrepreneur will be cooking up homemade dishes from different cuisines that they’ve been developing in our Nibble Culinary Entrepreneurship Program. For more details on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th installments of Flavor Lounge, check out: https://nibblesomerville.com/flavor-lounge-in-union-square
If you want to know more about Ellie and her Filipino cuisine, watch the Somerville Community Access Television video below by Zoe Gregoric. The video is part of “What’s Cookin?” a series about food and culture in Union Square done in partnership with Nibble.
