Christopher Bennetts

Getting a pedicure in the Philippines is inexpensive compared to most western countries.  The cost is typically between $1 to $2 and back home I have seen parlors wanting to charge up to $100.   There are many very good pedicurists in the Philippines but there are also some that are not.

Many of the attendants working in these places only receive on the job training and some have a tendency to try to cut too deeply into the nail resulting in ongoing problems with ingrown nails.   I suffered from this problem for a couple of years after a visit to such an overzealous pedicurist.

My advice is if you do NOT have a problem with an ingrown nail then make sure you do not let the attendant cut in too deeply.  Find one that understands or will follow your instructions and do not be shy to insist.  Watch what they do and don’t assume they have fully understood your request even if they clearly said they do.  If the parlor caters for Koreans then there is a good chance they will know as Koreans generally demand that pedicurists do not cut into the nail.

If you do get an infection as a result of a pedicure then the first line of defense is to apply an anti-biotic powder.   I was able to buy this solution over the counter in the past but it seems to have been withdrawn from the market.

What the local parlor attendants do if during a pedicure they happen to cut inside the nail causing it to bleed is use a general antibiotic from a capsule.  They simply open the capsule and then push the powder into the problem area. This normally prevents infection.   Of course an attendant that causes your nail to bleed is one to be avoided in the future.   If the nail starts to get infected later then you can do the same thing purchasing a generic antibiotic from a pharmacy and compact the power into the inflamed nail.

If the infection has progressed to the stage where it is an infested weeping wound then you need to treat that with a Betadine and hydrogen peroxide mix.   This will bring it under control very fast but you have to be careful applying this combination.  A drop or two of the Betadine solution into the woud then a drop or two of the hydrogen peroxide.  The two substances will react together causing a slight bubbling or foaming.  Be careful to try to contain the application to the infection as all uninfected areas exposed to the solution will also dry out and die.  When the infection has cleared you will be left with a lot of dead skin and it’s time to go back for a pedicure but this time find someone that will be extremely careful and be prepared to have “fixed” over a few weekly visits.

While living in Lapu Lapu Cebu we had two housemaids but I preferred to make dinner for my children and over time started to enjoy cooking and became adventures with trying out new ideas.  

In the beginning I would try to follow recipes but obtaining the required ingredients was often a challenge and required substitution. I soon discarded fixed recipes and found that it was better to trust my own instincts about what would work.

When I wanted to make a dish I was familiar with I would consult the internet and read a few different recipes for the dish and then devise my own making use of the ingredients I had.   Sometime the end result was nothing like the original dish but it always seemed to work in that it was tasty and quickly devoured by my children.

I had been making my own Salsa for a long time after being frustrated that it was out of stock one day when I wanted to have a Mexican night.  One night a followed my instincts creating a new dish that my children loved and it became a bit of a favorite. The dish is inspired by Mexican but is not like any Mexican dish I am aware of.   

The dish does not have a name but here is how to make it:

Make a bed of Corn chips on a large plate.

Brown some chicken cubes and then mix in a Salsa sauce (in this case my own home made Salsa)

Layer the Chicken Salsa on to the bed of Corn Chips

Deep fry some cubed potatoes until golden brown

and layer them on top of the Chicken Salsa

Next make the tropical fruit sauce for the final layer.  

You can use just about any tropical fruits you like.  I normally use Pineapple, Mango and Bannana.  

When making the fruit topping the order of cooking is important so start with the Pineapple which is the hardest of the three

and when its start to get soft add the Mango

 and a little later the Bannana and cook until they are start to fuse.

Layer the fruit sauce on the top of the fried potatoes.

The dish is now finished.  

Enjoy!  

There is a great infusion of flavors and is actually very representative of the Philippines but not of Filipino food.  

We have a base of Mexican corn chips and Salsa sauce.  Most people are aware that The Philippines was a Spanish colony but not so many are aware that it was actually administered from Mexico.

We have potato fries that are synonymous with American fast foods.

We have tropical fruits from the Philippines.