Spam, Spam, Spam...

This little treasure came about in a most peculiar way. At the time I had recently moved to the Philippines from Canada and I observed what my step-daughter was taking to work everyday for her meal. It was nothing out of the ordinary and almost the same every day. Being a Chef, I was feeling a little embarrassed and couldn't bare to think of what her office mates might say if they learned that I was a Chef and she was eating this "ordinary" food. I decided that I would prepare her lunch for her and asked her what she would really, really be happy with. Turns out, her dream meal would consist of no other than Spam. If I was feeling embarrassed before, nothing can describe the way I felt now. Of all the food items in the world...why SPAM???? From my mindset, Spam would be considered a "poor-man's food" in Canada and would be used very rarely, if ever. In the Philippines, however, Spam is on the expensive side to many Filipinos and is considered "expensive" food. I wouldn't have any of it. Instead, I suggested that what if I took the same ingredients that she took to work everyday but changed the dish to be something different, healthy and tasty. She was all game and I began creating my take on easy-to-prepare, foreigner-inspired lunch food, or "baon". I took a humorous approach and added in jokes and funny cartoons. Although no food pictures have been made for the original printing, I feel that a few will be added, possibly in the future under another edition.