The Australian Filipina congratulates Neria Soliman on her fifth book,  titled "The Scent of Dangkalan Leaves". The book is a memoir but what makes her memoir different from others is that in addition to sharing wonderful stories from her childhood to the present, there is a  second part, which offers the readers a selection of 50 of her recipes that gave her recognition in the culinary world over the years.

Aside from chronicling milestones and initiatives she was involved with and sharing the recognitions she received, the book includes photos of these moments in Neria's life. One of these was the photo of the ten feet tall wedding cake, which was topped the model of the Albay Provincial Hospital where Neria and her future husband Dr Ernesto (Tito) Soliman met and courted.

We will let you read for yourself The Scent of Dangkalan Leaves and be enthralled by it. Then be inspired to try out some of the recipes it shares.

Q&A WITH NERIA SOLIMAN

What do you hold fondly in your heart as your achievements in life so far?

First and foremost, Tito and I have blessed with loving children now in their 40's and grandchildren.   Briefly, our eldest son Erico works in Canberra for the Prime Minister as Senior Adviser; Nectar Anne (not married), who is a Visual Artist and Teacher in the Selective School for Girls in Surry Hills; Edu (Ernesto Jr; married to Celine Angeles) International Captain Pilot in Vietnam Air lines, has one son Zach; our fourth child Emil is businessman who owns a Subway Franchise since 2003, is married to Ambee Mendiola, has four kids, Shayla, Xavier, Jacob and Nathaniel.

I love all that I do but consider having written now five books as one of my humble achievements. Also, the profession l was born with and most treasured in my heart is NUTRITION and CULINARY ARTS. From this came about my desire to impart hence my academe as teacher  and writing of books as well as columnist to newspapers since 1990 to the present, from the time of Sennie Masian's Community Herald, and now to Evelyn Zaragosa's Philippine Community Herald News,  as well as being a contributor  to other newspapers.

On the flip side, what challenges did you face and overcome?

The challenges that l encountered was experiencing some form of  discrimination in the workplace, as l rose from the rank of Diet Aide up to my retirement as Deputy Food Services Manager.  Despite my qualifications and extensive experiences, I am disappointed that I only came second in my last interview for the top post.  Sadly, my staff had called me 'snub' and other names as l did not spend time in doing small talk as we worked. In my view, the job at hand was the priority and expected  my team to be fully productive.

Another challenge was the distance between home to work.  My long travel entailed leaving my car at the train station.  Then had to take two buses to reach Rozelle. Then I did the reverse to get home.  During winter this was an ordeal,

What were the four books before your memoir?

The  Bicol and Filipino Recipes  where l researched on the history of Philippine Cuisine is my first book.  This was reprinted, with the second printing sponsored for the First Bicol Festival in Manila when l was awarded a trip to promote said book overseas.

This was followed by my, Cooking with Neria , a Love Affair with Food which is a creative writing of gourmet recipes, cooking tips and culinary tricks with Asian recipes and easy worldwide recipes. 

My third book is The Chef Best Mate, a concise Culinary Arts Dictionary with informative indexes dedicated to the apprentice chefs who will be the executive chefs of tomorrow; also useful to Nutrition, HRM and Food technology students.

Then my book Magayon, a Taste of Bicol which has a touch of class with selected biographies of the pride of Bicolandia.  This was dedicated to my four accomplished God fearing children who are my inspirations.

What inspired you to write The Scent of Dangkalan Leaves?

I was inspired and started writing the book in 2017 while on a Caribbean  Cruise as we were crossing the Suez Canal.  I called it The Scent of Dangkalan Leaves which was inspired by my memories of the beautiful tree hanging in the azotea of my parent's house, in other side of the river beside my parent's house.  The leaves represent my fond memories of my childhood, teenage years until my marriage to Dr. Ernesto (Tito) Soliman. 

The book consists of exciting stories and several delectable recipes in the second part of the book.  I am glad to have it printed on 2020, a significant year to remember a positive accomplishment.  Also I have been blessed to qualify to get an international publisher,  Xlibris of Indiana USA. 

I dedicate the book to my children and grandchildren, as my legacy to them and the generations to come.  It is also my token of appreciation of the support of those who have followed me and read my writings over the years.

 What else do you wish to accomplish in life?

There is no stopping to education.i will continue to travel and standardise new recipes for my column.

I intend to do SMOKING business like tinapa and ham. One needs discipline, commitment and stamina to write a book. It gives one sense of fulfilment which is enormous.

I appreciate the regular readers of my column, friends and associates who give me the inspiration to write books at no end.

ABOUT NERIA SOLIMAN

Neria Nidea Soliman, of Legazpi City was  born in Camalig, and now an author of five books,  She was educated by Benedictine nuns of St. Scholastica's College Manila for the college and St. Agnes Academy for primary and secondary schooling to the motto of ORA ET LABORA (work and pray).  She completed Post Graduate in Dietetics as UERM and Cornell University for Hotel Administration Diploma.

Before she migrated to Australia in 1988, her career included being a professor and assistant Dean to BS Nutrition and Hotel and Restaurant Department;  Chief Dietitian of Legazpi Medical Center and Banquet Sales Manager and Food and Beverage Manager oF Holiday Inn Mayon Imperial Hotel.

Her jobs in Australia included being a Diet Supervisor then Deputy Food Services Manager of CSAH (Central Sydney Area Health of Dept of Health) Rozelle Hospital; Civil Marriage Celebrant since 2007.

PUBLICATION DETAILS OF THE SCENT OF DANGKALAN LEAVES

As of this writing, arrangements for the public launch of the memoir are being finalised but is now available to buy online on Xlibris, Booktopia and other online platforms.

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