Eat, drink and be moved

MANILA, Philippines - As the noontime sun played hide-and-seek among the clouds and a cool breeze glided along the gentle sloping hillside, about two dozen diners sat on wooden folding chairs at a long table dressed in immaculately white linen.

They spent the next two hours engaged in leisure conversation over dishes, consisting of fried chunks of white cheese made from carabao milk, salad, steak, red wine and dalandan juice, courtesy of food stylist Eugene Raymundo.

It was a good January day for a picnic — sort of.

Actually it was more like a field trip than a food trip. It was a one-and-a-half-hour drive to Malipayon Farms, located in Silang town, Cavite province, about 45 kilometers south of Manila. Two hours before lunch, the visitors took a tour of the farm  while getting the basics about organic farming from organic farming advocate Gerardo Jimenez.

What branding consultant Jenny Pascual wanted to give her diners was food for thought.

Have you ever wondered where the food you eat comes from and how it was grown? When was the last time you had artfully prepared food? Do you take your time to eat and enjoy the company of the people at the table? Have you ever enjoyed a meal while enjoying the beauty of nature?

Due to the demands of modern living, there seems to be not enough time for everything. Not enough for preparing real meals, not enough to enjoy them.

“Growing up, weekend lunches at home with my family would take hours. We would just sit, eat, and talk about anything and everything. With four sisters, there’s never any lack of things to talk about,” recalls Pascual, who is also a foodie and self-taught cook.

“There was also a time when we shared many meals with family friends, where we would set up our huge white table, and each family would cook and bring their specialties. We would dine under our huge mango tree in our home, which constantly bore fruit for us to harvest and use in our meals.”

In 2005, Pascual’s father suffered a stroke, prompting her to search for healthy recipes. “I wanted to make everything from scratch instead of store-bought food that had many additives and preservatives,” she said. “For example, my dad enjoyed snacking on chips and wanted to give him a healthier alternative, so I started out by making homemade granola.”

Two years later, Pascual found her calling when she came across a magazine article about American artist and chef Jim Denevan, who hosts a traveling farm dinner series, Outstanding in the Field. She still keeps the clipping.

In late 2012, she took off her high heels and quit her job at HSBC, met with farmers and chefs, and put up Moveable Feast. But there’s much more than giving the dining out concept a new meaning.

“Like for many kids and adults, the idea of vegetable stops at French fries. In many cases, we buy food without any idea where it came from, where it grew, how is it grown, how is it harvested, and how the animals are being raised,” Pascual emphasizes.

“Hopefully, as we advocate local and seasonal eating, we will teach people how to eat well again, how to actually have an appreciation for food, connect them back to the land, and have healthier lifestyles.”

The so-called “slow food” trend has been going on for a few years now in the US and Europe, brought about by consumer concern over the use of chemicals in farming and their impact on health.

“It may be labeled as one of the fastest growing dining trends, but it is more than a trend. It is a conscious act of sustainability when a community comes together — farmers, chefs, businesses, and consumers — to create a food experience like no other,” explained Pascual.

“Our intention is to create a special time that supports the connection between the farmer and the diners who come from all over city — a common place where they could come together, eat, drink, learn, and have a good time.”

Unlike fastfood and fine dining restaurants, seats at Moveable Feast events are very limited. Those who want a place at the table need to make a reservation through their Internet site well ahead of time.

Besides, the whole point behind the cozy atmosphere is to savor an experience.

“Food linked with memorable events is more likely to kick off a few reminiscences than something we eat or drink every week, which is why we probably associate certain experiences in our life with food,” says Pascual. “We wish to share the same experience with everyone who sits at our table.”