I wish relleno were a bigger joke amongst my Filipino peers. Jews have gefilte, why can’t I joke about relleno. Relleno, literally meaning filling, may be familiar to the west via latin america’s “chile relleno” or the bastardized jalapeño popper. Lo, but relleno is just a concept to which we filipinos run with into the depths of absurdist, cabaret cuisine.

Filipino relleno is generally a protein that is skinned and gutted. The guts are then mixed with fillers like a starch and some legumes then placed back into the skin. The skill of keeping the skin of a whole chicken or fish is laudable, however if one lacks in these skills you can now buy frozen relleno.

I’ve encountered frozen milkfish relleno before, and I haven’t really given it much thought. I despise relleno, because it inexplicably has raisins in the filling, but mainly I don’t like how fussy it is. There is a lot of handiwork that goes into relleno which can lead to a lot of human error or contamination. I’m only mentioning this frozen monstrosity now because it carries the label “Yummier! Chunkier!” – hardly the new and improved attribute that would make me eat it.

Eavesdropping on this conversation about sweets, I got that these are the young turks shaping the independent food scene in Detroit. [the polar opposite of the up and coming Michigan movie people I’ve seen around town (link)] The three were tasting, talking about techniques of boiling sugar, the merits of sour/cultured/amish butter, and caramel recipes.

Though I have opinions of my own about how to make traditional caramel and how to make modern twists upon them, it isn’t my place to barge in on people. I fight the inner food hipster in me all the time. I know if I butt in, I’ll come off as some snide pedantic pedagogue.

This scene got me thinking of all the possibilities of owning my own business. Creating things that people can interact with and enjoy, in a storefront where I can see them enjoying. All the experiences that I gathered over the years, culminating in a range of food stuffs made from my own hands.

Then again, I have no head for business, my wide range of interests makes me a dilettante at best, and I have grown dependent on a steady paycheck with health benefits.

still, no white iPhone…

This child’s game was the most fun at Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum – http://marvin3m.com/