Four Valentine's Days ago, I started writing Burnt Lumpia. Yup. This here Filipino food blog is now four years old.
Four years is a long time to be writing anything, let alone to be writing a blog solely about Filipino cuisine. At the time, on that first fateful Valentine's Day when I wrote some lil' test post and hit the "Publish" button, I wasn't sure anyone knew what Filipino food was exactly.
And now? Four years later?
I'm still not sure.
But despite my own uncertainty, there have been signs of increasing interest and appreciation of Filipino cuisine as of late. Adobo in the New York Times? The "next Asian cuisine to hit prime time"? "Filipino cuisine is finally entering the mainstream"? Who would'a thunk it?
Four years.
Four years of testing and developing recipes. Four years of note taking. Four years of calling my grandmother and aunties with questions about ingredients, measurements, and family stories. Four years of posting random movie clips for my own amusement. Four years of making fun of my mom's indifference and my dad's drunkeness, puppy punching prowess, and overall awesomeness(?). Four years of working towards...
Has it all been worth it?
Well. Yes.
Believe me, it's been gratifying enough taking what I've learned from this blog and executing that in real time. And at the very least, I now know a hell of a lot more about my culture than I did four years ago. And thankfully, this didn't happen in a vacuum. I've gleaned a lot from the readers of this blog, and from the people I've connected with all around the world because of this blog. And for that I am very, very thankful.
And even with all the recipes I've managed to post, there's still more to come from me and this blog. Much more--on a grander scale. I promise hope...
But until then, I just want to thank everyone out there who has read and supported this blog for the last four years, months, weeks, days, hours, or even if you've just tuned in four seconds ago.
Thank you.
Thank you for BELIEVING in Filipino food.
And stay tuned...
congratulations on your 4th year and many more to come :)
Posted by: Lala | February 14, 2011 at 10:57 PM
keep it up brother! Congratulations!
Posted by: roland | February 14, 2011 at 11:07 PM
Congrats! I love checking out the blog from time to time and experiment with recipes. Keep them coming!
Posted by: rachel | February 14, 2011 at 11:59 PM
Thank YOU, Marvin, for being such a passionate champion of Filipino food! Wishing you continued success for this blog and in all your endeavors, present and future. Can't wait to see what's next...! 8-)
Posted by: Tracey@Tangled Noodle | February 15, 2011 at 02:16 AM
Congratulations on meeting such a wonderful milestone!
Posted by: Sharlene | February 15, 2011 at 06:55 AM
thank YOU!
Posted by: Reez | February 15, 2011 at 07:17 AM
Happy blog birthday!
Posted by: Jacqui | February 15, 2011 at 07:27 AM
Thank you, BL, for writing this blog; you have a wonderful writing style. I've enjoyed so many of your stories - the memories of food and family, your take on recipes, and especially the funny descriptions of your family!
Posted by: Sandy | February 15, 2011 at 09:17 AM
Congratulations on Burnt Lumpia's 4th Anniversary ~ I enjoy your blog, very much. Your sense of humor makes me laugh, out loud. I also appreciate your sharing about the Filipino cusine and culture.
Great job! junemoon
Posted by: junemoon | February 15, 2011 at 11:33 AM
Happy 4th anniversary and congrats! I look forward to reading more of your adventures in Filipino cuisine. :)
Posted by: Row | February 15, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Love the blog! Love the truck even more! Keep up the great work!
Posted by: The Fun Foodie | February 15, 2011 at 03:16 PM
Look forward to four more years Marvin! You're probably the only Filipino food blogger who I enjoy reading. I commend you for educating people about our cuisine. As one who plans on opening a Filipino restaurant in the future, what you're doing means a lot to me. Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Beth | February 15, 2011 at 04:16 PM
Please keep writing. We'll be here!
Posted by: jean | February 15, 2011 at 09:25 PM
Happy Anniversary! Keep it up! :)
Posted by: allen | February 15, 2011 at 11:36 PM
Happy blog anniversary! So happy that I stumbled on your blog and gladder still that I got to meet you! You do our cuisine proud!
Staying tuned and at the edge of my seat... :)
Posted by: joey | February 16, 2011 at 06:10 AM
Happy blogaversay! I adore you blog and I look foward everytime you have a new post.
Posted by: Joy | February 16, 2011 at 06:44 AM
I love your writing style it is very enjoyable. I am a Meztisa always looking for Filipino Food recipes. I am really excited I found your blog!
Posted by: Veronica | February 16, 2011 at 09:07 PM
Happy Birthday! =) Wow, 4 years really is a long time, internet-wise.
Posted by: TS, eatingclub vancouver | February 17, 2011 at 03:39 PM
Congrats! I've been following your blog, and can totally relate to your experiences. Just wanted to mention also that in the February issue of Real Simple Magazine, I was totally surprised that there was a chicken adobo recipe in there. Glad to see more Filipino Cuisine making it into mainstream magazines!
Posted by: Emma | February 17, 2011 at 05:47 PM
Congratulations! THat truly is a long time to be blogging. I'm glad to see Filipino food has been getting more exposure since then too!
Posted by: Bianca @ South Bay Rants n Raves | February 18, 2011 at 06:53 AM
Congratulations! Four years is a fine accomplishment! Thank you for paving the way for a thoughtful discussion about Pinoy life and food in the interweb. I hope to meet you and enjoy your food soon!
Posted by: Jun Belen | February 18, 2011 at 08:20 AM
CONGRATULATIONS! wishing you many more blogging years to come.
Posted by: rita | February 18, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Hi Marvin - Happy 4 Year Blogaversary! Burnt Lumpia is one of my fave blogs and I'm really happy to see you enjoy your success! Thanks for representing Filipino food in a positive light and educating others about the cuisine. I also love how you mix it up and make your recipes truly unique. CONGRATS!!!!!!
Posted by: caninecologne | February 18, 2011 at 05:23 PM
Yeehaw, congrats and thanks for all your writing! Wishing you more bloggy years to come.
Posted by: Aileen@KitchenKwento | February 23, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Happy 4th Blog-iversary to Burnt Lumpia! I will continue to look forward to your posts, and I can't wait to track down the Manila Machine one of these days...
Posted by: Dee | February 25, 2011 at 11:45 AM
4 years already?!?! Congrats, Marvin!! Looking forward to more filipino recipes and joining you on your unending quest for your "pinoy-ness". Also, many thanks for playing a big part in making filipino food go mainstream via The Manila Machine. I wish you more success and blessings with BL and The Manila Machine.
Posted by: bagito | February 26, 2011 at 05:57 PM
Happy 4th year to anniversary. Your blog is really really great. I love Filipino foods. That chicken soup is very delicious. Thanks burnt lumpia.
Posted by: marion | March 04, 2011 at 07:48 PM
Congratulations for making it for four years! I hope to see more of your entries and get to learn more from them.
Posted by: contact centers philippines | March 29, 2011 at 02:42 AM