For the first time, a very unique cookbook that is brimming with very Palauan recipes hit the markets after it was launched early this month.
“A Taste of the Rainbow’s End”, written by Tova Harel Bornovski is a 125-page collection of recipes from Palau, Micronesia. The full-color recipe book is excellently-presented in such a way that by even looking at it gets one’s mouth water and you would itch to go to the kitchen and try one of the recipes.
“What makes this different from any other cookbook is that we really saw to it that the ingredients of the recipes are all local and suits the Palauan palate. In addition, unlike any other cookbook in the markets, all the photo shots are taken on an outdoor location to let one really get the feel of Palau,” Tova said.
“What’s very important is the book serves as an ambassador of Palau to the world, to put Palau on the map in the culinary field,” Tova added.
The cookbook, which carries an aptly-chosen intriguing title is more than enough to tease one to leaf through its glossy pages and get lost in the world of mouth-watering concoctions that would make one forget dieting and immerse oneself to savor the special blends of the unique place that is called the Rainbow’s End.
She said that the ideas for the photos are in her head, and it took her and a hired professional photographer from Manila weeks to look for certain locations where the food would be photographed.
“We saw to it that the island of Palau is depicted in every photo that is printed in the book,” Tova added.
Born and raised in the hills of northern Israel, Tova gave in to the passion and enthusiasm for cooking for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve always loved to cook, and I always create new recipes and merge them with the old ones, coming up with newer recipes,” she gushes.
Included in the cookbook are appetizers, bread and dips, soup and salad, meat, fish and seafood, side dish and dessert, all carrying the distinct savor and special blend of the Palauan palate.
Tova came to live in Palau with husband and two children in 1993. Here she gave birth to two more children. Tova is the owner and manager of a dive operation, liveboards and a restaurant in the Republic of Palau.
She said that “living on a small island in the Pacific which is far away from her childhood urged her to create new recipes and mix them with the new ones when the tastes of her childhood comes back.” A Taste of the Rainbow’s End is available in leading stores and shops for $39.95.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A peek into Palau’s past
The sun was blazing hot and burning into our skins and we were all panting. We were approaching the fifth and final historical site in the State of Ngaraard in Babeldaob. Perspiration drenched our bodies when we finally reached the the remains of a traditional village that might have existed about 800 or 900 years ago.
Still reeling from a hangover, I had to drag heavy feet and was always at the rear of the group. There were eight of us, including two archaeologists, staff from the Historical Preservation Office (HPO) and a couple of Palauans who were well versed with the oral history of the countryside. The silence of the jungle was broken only by our heavy breathing and an occasional grunt when somebody’s foot got tangled in the roots of the trees. I was getting tired, my body unprepared for the long walk we had as I was thinking we will be covering only one historical site. But Rita, our Palauan archaeologist decided to cover the five registered sites in the State.
I had been battling the urge to drink water for almost three hours, not wanting to drink for fear I might be needing to empty my kidneys and I know it would be hard to do it just about anywhere in the jungle.
We were following a stone pathway about one meter wide that our American archaeologist companion said, are coral stones. It means that the former residents of the place must have been very strong and skillful to be able to drag the huge slabs of stones and cut them to form pavements and stairs. And to think that there were no backhoes or bulldozers or electric saws then!
The stone pathway snaked its way into several directions, and here and there we could see stone platforms where the village Bai (a meeting house) must have stood. We traced another stone pathway heading towards a dsried up pool which could have served as a bathing area and saw several broken urns and bowls- remnants of what could have been used as a container for drinking water.
I could just imagine that the hundreds of years ago, the place we were treading was populated with early inhabitants and bustling with day to day activities. I saw several burial places and felt a shiver of chill ran up my spine thinking that underneath us were the remains of long-ago Palauans.
An interview with an archaeologist from the HPO previous week led me into this expedition into the jungles of Babeldaob, where only a few feet have trod in the recent past. I am not much of a history fanatic. I passed all my history subjects with barely passing grades. I mean I found reading novels and short stories much more interesting than digging into what transpired thousands of years ago and memorizing dates and numbers but I have committed myself to write something about the remains and I had to do it.
I was silent on the trip back to Koror, my hangover completely gone. I was thinking way ahead into the future- probably thousands of years later, when archaeologists and reporters and HPO staff would trod on the very place we were living in and say to themselves- “this used to be a bustling city, and thousands of people lived here, based on the relics and pieces of things they left…….” while we might be lying beneath the remnants and never hear what they are saying…..uh-uh. Next week I’ll be visiting old graveyards and stone monoliths in Ngarchelong State.
Still reeling from a hangover, I had to drag heavy feet and was always at the rear of the group. There were eight of us, including two archaeologists, staff from the Historical Preservation Office (HPO) and a couple of Palauans who were well versed with the oral history of the countryside. The silence of the jungle was broken only by our heavy breathing and an occasional grunt when somebody’s foot got tangled in the roots of the trees. I was getting tired, my body unprepared for the long walk we had as I was thinking we will be covering only one historical site. But Rita, our Palauan archaeologist decided to cover the five registered sites in the State.
I had been battling the urge to drink water for almost three hours, not wanting to drink for fear I might be needing to empty my kidneys and I know it would be hard to do it just about anywhere in the jungle.
We were following a stone pathway about one meter wide that our American archaeologist companion said, are coral stones. It means that the former residents of the place must have been very strong and skillful to be able to drag the huge slabs of stones and cut them to form pavements and stairs. And to think that there were no backhoes or bulldozers or electric saws then!
The stone pathway snaked its way into several directions, and here and there we could see stone platforms where the village Bai (a meeting house) must have stood. We traced another stone pathway heading towards a dsried up pool which could have served as a bathing area and saw several broken urns and bowls- remnants of what could have been used as a container for drinking water.
I could just imagine that the hundreds of years ago, the place we were treading was populated with early inhabitants and bustling with day to day activities. I saw several burial places and felt a shiver of chill ran up my spine thinking that underneath us were the remains of long-ago Palauans.
An interview with an archaeologist from the HPO previous week led me into this expedition into the jungles of Babeldaob, where only a few feet have trod in the recent past. I am not much of a history fanatic. I passed all my history subjects with barely passing grades. I mean I found reading novels and short stories much more interesting than digging into what transpired thousands of years ago and memorizing dates and numbers but I have committed myself to write something about the remains and I had to do it.
I was silent on the trip back to Koror, my hangover completely gone. I was thinking way ahead into the future- probably thousands of years later, when archaeologists and reporters and HPO staff would trod on the very place we were living in and say to themselves- “this used to be a bustling city, and thousands of people lived here, based on the relics and pieces of things they left…….” while we might be lying beneath the remnants and never hear what they are saying…..uh-uh. Next week I’ll be visiting old graveyards and stone monoliths in Ngarchelong State.
A night of wine & cheese
The flaring torches lighting the stairs towards the poolside restaurant of the Cliffside Hotel and the strains of music coming from a guitar filled the night with a romantic ambiance, making guests feel completely relaxed.
It was a perfect time to unwind, gaze into the shimmering lights of the swimming pool or sip wine and chat with old and new friends.
Guests had a heady time hopping from one station to another, sampling the different wines and cheeses set up by the various establishments involved in the wine and cheese industry.
Attractively-packaged baskets of assorted goodies lie temptingly on a table under the mango tree, beckoning for guests to bid on them and help fund the projects of the Belau Tourism Association (BTA).
It was BTA’s first major activity, spearheaded by the Accommodations & Restaurants committee and aimed towards improving the standard of services in the island.
The night was a grand finale of the two-day event which will become a part of BTA’s regular activities in the years to come. Bartenders and bar operators got a full dose of training from wine expert Sheila Peebles on Friday, tackling topics and hand-on workshop on wine handling, tasting, preparation and other concerns about wine.
With the success of the Wine and Cheese event, BTA is gearing for the next events this year- the Annual Bartenders Competition in June, the Cake and Coffee contest in October and the White December affair.
It was a perfect time to unwind, gaze into the shimmering lights of the swimming pool or sip wine and chat with old and new friends.
Guests had a heady time hopping from one station to another, sampling the different wines and cheeses set up by the various establishments involved in the wine and cheese industry.
Attractively-packaged baskets of assorted goodies lie temptingly on a table under the mango tree, beckoning for guests to bid on them and help fund the projects of the Belau Tourism Association (BTA).
It was BTA’s first major activity, spearheaded by the Accommodations & Restaurants committee and aimed towards improving the standard of services in the island.
The night was a grand finale of the two-day event which will become a part of BTA’s regular activities in the years to come. Bartenders and bar operators got a full dose of training from wine expert Sheila Peebles on Friday, tackling topics and hand-on workshop on wine handling, tasting, preparation and other concerns about wine.
With the success of the Wine and Cheese event, BTA is gearing for the next events this year- the Annual Bartenders Competition in June, the Cake and Coffee contest in October and the White December affair.
A beachside wedding
There are few spots on this planet as inspiring as the beaches and Palau is fortunate to get a fair share of this. With the gentle waves splashing on the white-sand beach, and the horizon that’s only blocked by the magnificient view of the Rock Islands, the scene is absolutely romantic and intoxicating, inducing many couples to decide that a beach wedding is the prefect way to begin their married life.
Sighs of admiration whizzed through the waiting crowd when the beaming bride, Vivian Tsao marched down the soft, red-carpeted sand in the arms of his father, WCTC Inc. manager Peter Tsao towards the make-shift stage where her groom, Michael Thompson waited with the rest of the entourage.
Vivian and Mike both decided that such a setting like the Palau Royal Resort (PRR) with its magnificent pristine beach and luxurious romantic accommodations is perfect to exchange wedding vows and treasured memories.
Vivian, 33 said she and Michael, who is ten years her senior worked for the Target Company, a department store in Phoenix, Arizona way back in the late 1990’s.
Vivian had been staying in Palau for the past three years while Mike stayed in Arizona but the two had been flying in and out of Palau for the past three years.
Michael has two sons Trent and Trivor and daughter Micah from a previous marriage.
“We’re happy for our father. I know there would be changes, because there’s always the three of us (Trent,18, stays with his mom) and then suddenly there will be four of us. But it will be a change for the better,” Micah told Island Times. The couple was scheduled to leave for Arizona yesterday and go on to a cruise in Alaska for the honeymoon.
Cocktails followed the brief wedding ceremony at the Breeze Bar, giving the radiant bride and groom a chance to mingle with the almost 200 guests who attended, composed of top businessmen, politicians and relatives. The buffet dinner prepared and served by the PPR staff at the beach at twilight satisfied all the guests, who brought home with them memories of a wonderful wedding by the beach.
Sighs of admiration whizzed through the waiting crowd when the beaming bride, Vivian Tsao marched down the soft, red-carpeted sand in the arms of his father, WCTC Inc. manager Peter Tsao towards the make-shift stage where her groom, Michael Thompson waited with the rest of the entourage.
Vivian and Mike both decided that such a setting like the Palau Royal Resort (PRR) with its magnificent pristine beach and luxurious romantic accommodations is perfect to exchange wedding vows and treasured memories.
Vivian, 33 said she and Michael, who is ten years her senior worked for the Target Company, a department store in Phoenix, Arizona way back in the late 1990’s.
Vivian had been staying in Palau for the past three years while Mike stayed in Arizona but the two had been flying in and out of Palau for the past three years.
Michael has two sons Trent and Trivor and daughter Micah from a previous marriage.
“We’re happy for our father. I know there would be changes, because there’s always the three of us (Trent,18, stays with his mom) and then suddenly there will be four of us. But it will be a change for the better,” Micah told Island Times. The couple was scheduled to leave for Arizona yesterday and go on to a cruise in Alaska for the honeymoon.
Cocktails followed the brief wedding ceremony at the Breeze Bar, giving the radiant bride and groom a chance to mingle with the almost 200 guests who attended, composed of top businessmen, politicians and relatives. The buffet dinner prepared and served by the PPR staff at the beach at twilight satisfied all the guests, who brought home with them memories of a wonderful wedding by the beach.
2007 countdown
Five…four…three…two…one!
Welcome 2007! The excited chorus was heard in several establishments as the precious seconds ticked from the huge clocks on screens midnight drew to a close, marking the end of 2006 and welcoming another year.
All over Koror, residents made their way to different locations to witness the countdown, taking part in the festivities that has become a way of life every New Year’s eve.
Early in the night, late shoppers can still be seen scurrying in stores doing last minute errands in preparation for the night.
The lobby of the Palau Pacific Resort (PPR) was transported into one huge feast as merry guests started to fill in the neatly arranged tables with platefuls of the hotel’s bountiful delicacies. Tables protected with colorful tents adorned the poolside of the Palasia Hotel. Very early on, guests started filling up the place and swayed and rapped to the lively beat of the music from the Myanmar Band. Palau Royal Resort came up with its own activities, including releasing thousands of colorful balloons bearing attractive prizes inside as the hotel gave out free champagne to toast the new year. Not to be outdone, Rene Menz of Kramer’s Restaurant came up with his own version of Arabian Nights for its New Year’s theme.
Other restaurants came up with special menus set for the New Year
At the stroke of midnight, people started making noise, some banging cans, blowing horns and turning on car engines to welcome the new year. Those who believe in luck wore clothes with dots and filled their pockets with coins, jiggling it to ward off the bad luck away. In households, families welcomed the year with sumptuous food
Welcome 2007! The excited chorus was heard in several establishments as the precious seconds ticked from the huge clocks on screens midnight drew to a close, marking the end of 2006 and welcoming another year.
All over Koror, residents made their way to different locations to witness the countdown, taking part in the festivities that has become a way of life every New Year’s eve.
Early in the night, late shoppers can still be seen scurrying in stores doing last minute errands in preparation for the night.
The lobby of the Palau Pacific Resort (PPR) was transported into one huge feast as merry guests started to fill in the neatly arranged tables with platefuls of the hotel’s bountiful delicacies. Tables protected with colorful tents adorned the poolside of the Palasia Hotel. Very early on, guests started filling up the place and swayed and rapped to the lively beat of the music from the Myanmar Band. Palau Royal Resort came up with its own activities, including releasing thousands of colorful balloons bearing attractive prizes inside as the hotel gave out free champagne to toast the new year. Not to be outdone, Rene Menz of Kramer’s Restaurant came up with his own version of Arabian Nights for its New Year’s theme.
Other restaurants came up with special menus set for the New Year
At the stroke of midnight, people started making noise, some banging cans, blowing horns and turning on car engines to welcome the new year. Those who believe in luck wore clothes with dots and filled their pockets with coins, jiggling it to ward off the bad luck away. In households, families welcomed the year with sumptuous food
Monday, August 20, 2007
Trekking to Lake Ngerdok
The road was so slippery and muddy and there was a slight drizzle yet this did not hamper the members of the group attending the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) quarterly meeting to venture deep into the heart of the conservation area in Melekeok State last Friday. The purpose: to plant trees at the area and to sneak a visit to the Ngerdok lake.
After planting three trees, PATA president Jonathan Salas led the group towards the lake. We trekked through the mud trails for some 30 minutes, crawling our way underneath trees and foliage and exerting extra effort to avoid slipping down before reaching the 60-foot deep lake which is the largest natural lake in Micronesia.
The lake is the only body of fresh water in Palau and is home to the endangered crocodile (ius), various flora and fauna and other species.
Edwin Polloi of the Melekeok Nature Reserve Conservation Area said Melekeok State applied for a grant from the United States Forestry a couple of years ago and was able to secure funds for the improvement of the lake and its surrounding areas. He said the boardwalks alone that pave only a small part of the lake’s pathway costs $35,000.
This work has been initiated by the Ngardok Reserve Board and is being jointly implemented by Melekeok State, Palau Forestry Section, Palau Conservation Society, the Bureau of Agriculture, and the United States Forest Service.
Polloi said that part of the plans for the lake are the construction of a nature trail and installation of a floating viewing platform on the lake.
Ngardok Lake area is 3.4 hectares and is situated in the largest water catchment area in Palau 4 kilometers northwest of Melekeok town on the eastern side of Babeldaob Island.
Ngardok Lake and surrounding areas has been proposed to be designated as a protected area and has remained in its pristine condition despite the threat of some hunting in the vicinity of the lake. The lake gets its fair share of visitors like students and other individuals for conservation and educational purposes.
After planting three trees, PATA president Jonathan Salas led the group towards the lake. We trekked through the mud trails for some 30 minutes, crawling our way underneath trees and foliage and exerting extra effort to avoid slipping down before reaching the 60-foot deep lake which is the largest natural lake in Micronesia.
The lake is the only body of fresh water in Palau and is home to the endangered crocodile (ius), various flora and fauna and other species.
Edwin Polloi of the Melekeok Nature Reserve Conservation Area said Melekeok State applied for a grant from the United States Forestry a couple of years ago and was able to secure funds for the improvement of the lake and its surrounding areas. He said the boardwalks alone that pave only a small part of the lake’s pathway costs $35,000.
This work has been initiated by the Ngardok Reserve Board and is being jointly implemented by Melekeok State, Palau Forestry Section, Palau Conservation Society, the Bureau of Agriculture, and the United States Forest Service.
Polloi said that part of the plans for the lake are the construction of a nature trail and installation of a floating viewing platform on the lake.
Ngardok Lake area is 3.4 hectares and is situated in the largest water catchment area in Palau 4 kilometers northwest of Melekeok town on the eastern side of Babeldaob Island.
Ngardok Lake and surrounding areas has been proposed to be designated as a protected area and has remained in its pristine condition despite the threat of some hunting in the vicinity of the lake. The lake gets its fair share of visitors like students and other individuals for conservation and educational purposes.
Three days in the land of promise
The smooth flight and the seemingly-distant hum of the Asian Spirit’s engines lulled most of the 61 passengers to sleep at dawn on Friday last week. When the aircraft soared over the millions of multi-colored blinking lights of Davao City which resembled fireflies on a dark night, only a few who remained awake during the entire one-and-a half-hour’s ride were able to see the city in its night splendor.
The aircraft made a smooth touchdown and the group, mostly first timers, stepped on Davao soil. They were met by the glare of spotlights from the local television stations. Special ethnic dance numbers and snacks were also prepared by the Department of Tourism X11. It was a business-mixed-with-pleasure trip for the group. Several trade and business ties were renewed and agreements reached for an exchange of each city’s advantages, all targeted to benefit the residents of both places.
The delegates, led by Senators Allan Seid and Alfonso Diaz with various tour operators, businessmen and key people in the tourism industry had their fill of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of various fruits and vegetables Davao City has to offer. The group went to Eden Nature Park and Resort located some 2,800 feet above sea level, the world-renowned Pearl Farm Island resort, the city’s various night spots, huge shopping malls offering just about everything you need, plush hotels to stay in, superb restaurants to satiate your appetites and other tourist attractions. The three-day stay was really not enough to see Davao City.
Here finally is a chance for Palauans and Palau residents to visit the Philippines minus the hassle of landing in Manila and going through a needle’s eye in the airport. A roundtrip Palau-Davao-Palau ticket via Asian Spirit costs only $260, very affordable at that and you will be spared the pains of waiting and grabbing for taxis where you will be charged exorbitantly if you don’t know how to deal with them and a lot more hassles before you can reach breath and relax at your hotel room. Beginning April 2, Asian Spirit flies to Davao from Koror and vice versa three times a week. Asian Spirit’s Palau-Davao flights leave Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the Davao-Palau flights leave Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Asian Spirit is the first Filipino carrier to open its international doors to the Palau-Davao-Manila route, using its newest advanced-technology aircraft, the 100-seater BAe 146 jet made by aviation giant, British Aerospace Systems. (Thanks to all the sponsors of the group for the wonderful accommodation and the sumptuous food during the three-day, two-night stay in Davao.)
The aircraft made a smooth touchdown and the group, mostly first timers, stepped on Davao soil. They were met by the glare of spotlights from the local television stations. Special ethnic dance numbers and snacks were also prepared by the Department of Tourism X11. It was a business-mixed-with-pleasure trip for the group. Several trade and business ties were renewed and agreements reached for an exchange of each city’s advantages, all targeted to benefit the residents of both places.
The delegates, led by Senators Allan Seid and Alfonso Diaz with various tour operators, businessmen and key people in the tourism industry had their fill of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of various fruits and vegetables Davao City has to offer. The group went to Eden Nature Park and Resort located some 2,800 feet above sea level, the world-renowned Pearl Farm Island resort, the city’s various night spots, huge shopping malls offering just about everything you need, plush hotels to stay in, superb restaurants to satiate your appetites and other tourist attractions. The three-day stay was really not enough to see Davao City.
Here finally is a chance for Palauans and Palau residents to visit the Philippines minus the hassle of landing in Manila and going through a needle’s eye in the airport. A roundtrip Palau-Davao-Palau ticket via Asian Spirit costs only $260, very affordable at that and you will be spared the pains of waiting and grabbing for taxis where you will be charged exorbitantly if you don’t know how to deal with them and a lot more hassles before you can reach breath and relax at your hotel room. Beginning April 2, Asian Spirit flies to Davao from Koror and vice versa three times a week. Asian Spirit’s Palau-Davao flights leave Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the Davao-Palau flights leave Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Asian Spirit is the first Filipino carrier to open its international doors to the Palau-Davao-Manila route, using its newest advanced-technology aircraft, the 100-seater BAe 146 jet made by aviation giant, British Aerospace Systems. (Thanks to all the sponsors of the group for the wonderful accommodation and the sumptuous food during the three-day, two-night stay in Davao.)
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