Gourmands or Gourmets: The Caucus of Filipino Foodies

Volume 1, Issue No. 14

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . . . .

Our latest as of Sunday, December 1, 2019 

~ More gourmands than gourmets? A meeting of minds or a meeting of stomachs? Whatever. A loose group of people in the Filipino community answered to the name The Caucus in the last few years. The love of food brought them together for five reasons - eat, talk, eat, talk, and eat. Had it been formally organized and expanded, The Caucus had the potential to be a forum for thought leaders, politicians, the media, community organizers, the youth, and other stakeholders. 

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THE PAMPERED BOOMERS

Toronto's Caucus of Filipino Foodies

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” - Ruth Reichl

TORONTO - The occasional gatherings were perhaps the rough equivalent of power lunches, albeit on a minor scale, by friends taking a respite from the humdrum of the daily grind. 

The meetings were almost always spontaneous. Whatever came up in the course of the noisy conversation was the day's agenda, and discussions were freewheeling. More importantly, there's no dearth of volunteers to pick up the tab.

Food choices varied from Filipino to Japanese to Chinese, and it's the latter that most everybody preferred for the wide selection of buffet items at a reasonable price, particularly in the Scarborough area.

For a time the lunch meeting became habitual - twice a month, once a month, once in two months - until it became rare. Now, it seemed to have faded into oblivion for a variety of reasons, none of which is worth mentioning. 

In a general sense, the crises that had triggered it appeared to have dissipated.

The first time I called the group "The Caucus" the name attached. Since then, all the members referred to a lunch date as a caucus of The Caucus.

An informal social group with no officers, no sergeant at arms to police the unruly, no beauty queen muse, no nothing but our voracious selves, it was where we give vent to our frustrations, worries, and in some instances, announce individual achievements.

For birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations, The Caucus was the favoured venue to splurge, and why not? Who would quarrel with the generous discounts restaurants give to boomers in the prime of their senior years?

Some members of The Caucus had been enjoying the food rebate all these years, and it would be plain insanity to ignore it. Just take a look and ponder the smorgasbord of seafood, vegetables, meat, bread, pasta, soups, fruits, and desserts.

There's a bit of irony here. For example, seniors are pampered with discounts, and therefore goaded to eat more, when they have diet restrictions usually due to high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, etc. that limit their consumption of certain goods.

It's probably a misconception that seniors eat very little, or consciously watch their food intake, or they take food only to taste. That's a myth. 

The truth is Caucus members paced their meals, slowly at first with the usual appetizers. Once the taste buds are stimulated, the real action begins.

Spending years of happy eating experience with The Caucus, I'd say the belief is all fiction. I've seen food, particularly crab legs, vanished within minutes of landing on the dining table. 

Of course, with a naughty smile on their lips, our foodies made no effort to conceal their delight. In the meantime, the maintenance drugs are readied from their bags. Well, it's part of the health regimen.

I have a special liking for noodles, whatever the variety and manner of cooking. Not surprisingly because I grew up in an old-fashioned household where having noodles is seen as a feast, a celebration of life, and as a paean to longevity.

The Caucus had grown from a fellowship of thought-provoking souls challenging current thinking to a fellowship of bons vivants. I believe it was inevitable with so much food around and at a discount too.

Shall I say we're more gourmands than gourmets? (Copyright 2019. All Rights Reserved).