The New York Times on Doreen Fernandez
Not surprised to see her written about so glowingly in The Paper of Record--frankly it's about time--but am surprised and delighted to learn she's inspiring a whole new generation of Filipino chefs remaking the American culinary landscape with their cooking (tried Bad Saint about a year back and it's impressive food).
Surprised most of all because I knew all this since college at least--she was my freshman English professor. Loved her class, lapped up everything she could teach about writing and critical reading, helped me develop my prose to the point I wasn't too embarrassed by what I wrote.
Hell I even know the kidney she received in a transplant--the donating nephew was a year or so ahead of me in that same college.
Her Lasa: A Guide to 100 Restaurants was my bible--tried to visit as many of the places as I could. Her column "In Good Taste" was my weekly reading ritual (every Tuesday if I remember right); whatever she wrote about was immediately added to my ever lengthening list of snacks or meals or places to visit before I die.
Her passing was a shock. Her column ran for some more weeks--she wrote that much in advance--then stopped, then I *really* started missing her.
Wish I kept in contact. Wish I kept that book. Wish I could talk to her again, or at least tell her of what I've eaten, what I've cooked, what I've learned of the cuisine we share and I've since grown to love.
Anything good in my writing is her small triumph I'd say; anything bad is failure on my part to listen. Which is far from everything I want to say about her but is what I needed to say at this moment.
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