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SALO Series // The SALO Project

The SALO Project: 50 States, 50 Filipino Feasts

// What is SALO?

SALO, in my native language of Tagalog, is a derivative of the word "Salu-salo" meaning big party or gathering.  SALO, with a different pronunciation, may mean "catch". Hence, my tagline:  To Catch and To Gather.  

SALO is presented in a way that many Filipinos, including myself, enjoy Filipino food:  Kamayan” Style.  Kamayan means to eat with your hands.  Food is served on banana leaves with no utensils, heaped in a pile in the middle of the table and everyone sits around and digs in. I believe food tastes so much better when your taste buds are coupled with your tactile senses and you are sharing the experience with other people.  There's a direct relationship with the food and its consumers.

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// Who is Yana?

Yana was born in the Philippines on the Panay Island, in a city called Iloilo.  She later moved to LA at the age of 20 and to NYC 7 years after that. It was in New York, where  her true passion was discovered.  Even after 10 years and 2 coasts, Yana still craved what home tastes like. So she decided to recreate them by hosting underground dinners featuring the flavors of all three regions of the Philippines:  Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

 Yana is a self-taught chef.  For Yana, cooking was therapy and an adventure -- it was another venue to explore creativity.  Growing up as an only child, her childhood revolved around the kitchen with her aunt and grandma who loved to cook. They say smell is the strongest sense that triggers one’s memories; so she strove to re-create and innovate the flavors of her island through ready and accessible ingredients -- keeping it as close to “home” yet local and seasonal.

 

For this project,  Yana gave up her lease in Brooklyn, sold all of her belongings and whittled it down to one backpack and her knives, actively seeking local chefs, farmers and artisans she can collaborate with in her 50-state, 50- week journey.

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// What is The SALO Project?

As Filipinos, we value the culture of sharing and gathering together. SALO is my way of bringing people together who otherwise wouldn't know one another if not for their curiosity and love for Filipino food.

The main goal of this project is to create and raise awareness of Filipino cuisine and to highlight Filipino food by focusing on the flavors of its three regions:  Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; also by providing a unique social dining experience, through the absence of tableware with my underground, pop-up dinners throughout America.

Filipino cuisine has been an underdog compared to our Asian neighbors.  My quest to bring Filipino food to all 50 states is to broaden peoples’ palates and bring to light a new cultural social dining experience.

This project also heightens the value of passionate home cooks.  Julia Child brought over her passion for French cuisine to America and encouraged people to cook.  I aim to do the same, but with Filipino cuisine.

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// How am I doing the SALO Project?

My plan is to make this a very minimal-impact journey.  We will be traveling by bus and/or train. We will be couch-surfing with people who are willing to host us.  We will be relying on the innate goodness and kindness of strangers and the beauty of the Sharing Economy.

I will be tailoring my menu according to what is local and seasonal in each state. I will be sourcing  my ingredients through local farms and markets.  I will be reaching out to local chefs, foodies and breweries to come and collaborate.  I will be compiling state-specific recipes and making a mini-cookbook for each state. This will help the diners to recreate the dishes from the dinner with the ingredients that they have locally.

I am partnering up with Feastly, an online web-based platform that connects chefs with diners .  They help me gather my diners at each state.

My good friend, Cassandra Sicre, a filmmaker and producer, will be coming with me for the entire year's worth of adventure to document every moment from start to finish.

This is her work: http://www.smilecassproductions.com/ 

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// What is Feastly?

Feastly is an online marketplace connecting passionate cooks with hungry eaters to offer homemade meals and food experiences prepared and served in a cook’s home, but not limited to – think inventive warehouse spaces, rooftops, store pop-ups and more; we’re indie meals and social dining at its best.

Feastly is a growing movement of eaters and cooks who want more from dining. Feasters seek authentic food, served around big tables with good people. They are adventurous, but remember their humble food beginnings. A  Feaster may be just as excited about an inviting bowl of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich as she is for a goat roast.

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 And, our cooks are a talented, hospitable group of food lovers with incredible abilities to turn their homes into warm, inviting spaces filled with the wonderful flavors and aromas of their favorite dishes.  

Now, won't you join us for a meal and help us to revolutionize dining?

// How does The SALO Project help?  How can you help The SALO Project?

I am from the Visayas region, where Typhoon Haiyan hit hard back in November 2013. That spurred me to find a way to give back to my country.  SALO was the best vehicle; my currency is food.  I couldn’t think of a better way to be able to maximize my skills and passions to help out and at the same time promote Filipino Cuisine.  So I have partnered with ARK:  Advancement for Rural Kids to build a school that will self-sustain itself for 3 years with their farm and feeding program.  A SALO dinner will give 15 kids lunches for an entire school year.

Through my travels, I have encountered so many beautiful samaritans that have shown generosity to me.  The generosity of these strangers have turned into kindness of friends.

I know I could not do this project alone.  I would appreciate spreading the word to find hosts, diners and spaces.  You can help connect me with them through www.thesaloproject.com or via email: [email protected].

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// What is ARK?

ARK empowers farmers in the developing world to feed and keep their kids in school.

With its groundbreaking $15/kid/year Feeding Program, ARK and its partner communities are successfully eradicating hunger, getting kids back to school, and providing new income and industry to rural communities. This paves the way for and makes ARK's $5/kid/year Supplies, $50/kid/year Scholarship, Classrooms and For-Profit investments successful and sustainable.

By focusing on education and collaborating with an empowered community, we hope to provide the critical tools that will enable every child to dream, carve new paths, seize new opportunities and create a promising future devoid of poverty.  We strive for 100% literacy; drive rural investment and economic vitality; cherish traditions; keep community and family members together; and give farmers, fisherfolks, store owners and other rural residents a chance to lift themselves out of subsistence with dignity and pride.

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// What is the SALO “End Goal” with ARK?

This partnership goes beyond the 50 States; this is direct reflection of how community can come together through food and impact lives aside from their own.

Here are the metrics:

One (1) SALO Dinner feeds 15 kids lunches for one school year.

# of  Lunches: 3,000

# of Kids: 15

Raising at least $5000 throughout the tour ensures that we can feed 250 kids lunches in a new school for 3 years.

We’re building a new school in the province of Capiz where areas hit by Typhoon Haiyan were not so publicized, but devastated the already impoverished community.

We plan to inspire, mentor and collaborate with ARK partner chefs in Capiz

to cook with local and foraged produce.  We want to educate kids and provide them with tools and give their parents much needed income to change their lives.

As a person whose currency is food, this is my way of giving back to my community and hopefully inspire others to be part of this Sharing Economy movement and do good in any way they can.

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// Tour Schedule

*Orange marks finished cities

Florida// Key West // 3/7/2014    |  Florida // Miami // 3/9/2014

South Carolina// Charleston// 3/16/2014  |North Carolina // Raleigh // 3/23/2014

Virginia// Virginia Beach // 3/30/2014  | Washington DC // 4/6/2014

Maryland // Baltimore // 4/13/2014  | Delaware // Wilmington // 4/20/2014

Pennsylvania// Philadelphia // 4/27/2014  |  New Jersey// Jersey City // 5/4/2014

New York// Brooklyn // 5/11/2014  |  Connecticut// New Haven // 5/18/2014

Rhode Island// Providence // 5/25/2014  |  Massachusetts// Boston // 6/1/2014

Maine// Portland // 6/8/2014  |  New Hampshire// Portsmouth // 6/15/2014

Vermont// Burlington // 6/22/2014  |  Ohio// Cleveland // 6/29/2014

Michigan// Detroit// 7/6/2014  |  Illinois// Chicago // 7/13/2014  

Wisconsin// Madison // 7/20/2014  |  Minnesota // Minneapolis// 7/27/2014

North Dakota//Grand Forks // 8/3/2014  |  Montana// Helena //8/10/2014

Washington// Seattle // 8/17/2014  |  Alaska// Anchorage // 8/24/2014

Oregon // Portland // 8/31/2014

Idaho// Boise // 9/21/2014  |  Utah// Salt Lake City // 9/28/2014

Wyoming// Cheyenne // 10/5/2014  |  Colorado // Denver // 10/12/2014

Nebraska // Omaha // 10/19/2014  |  South Dakota // Sioux Falls // 10/26/2014

Iowa // Des Moines // 11/2/2014  |  Kansas // Kansas City // 11/9/2014

Missouri// St. Louis // 11/16/2014  |  Indiana// Bloomington //  11/23/2014

West Virginia // TBA // 11/30/2014  |  Kentucky// Louisville // 12/7/2014

Tennessee // Nashville // 12/14/2014  | Georgia// Atlanta// 12/21/2014

Alabama// Birmingham // 12/28/2014  |  Louisiana// New Orleans// 1/4/2015

Mississippi// Jackson//1/11/2015  |  Arkansas// Little Rock// 1/18/2015

Oklahoma // Tulsa // 1/25/2015  |  Texas // Austin // 2/1/2015

New Mexico// Santa Fe // 2/8/2015  |  Arizona// Phoenix // 2/15/2015

Nevada// Las Vegas// 2/22/2015  |  California// San Diego// 3/1/2015

California // Los Angeles // 3/8/2015  |  California // San Francisco // 3/15/2015

Hawaii // Oahu // 3/22/2015

// Where has SALO been?                                   // Where can you find SALO?

CNN

EATER

The Asian Journal

Chef’s Connection

AOLOn

Bedford + Bowery

Chicago Bleader

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