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Dec 11th
Cookie Jar No. 2 PDF Print E-mail
Life
Written by Nancy Reyes-Lumen / Cooks
Thursday, 10 December 2009 16:16


ANOTHER “Cookie Jar” installment for foodie friends...foodie finds to share, to make gift listing a breeze, and to connect easily. Cookie Jar is a regular feature of the monthly magazine Cook, The Culinary Lifestyle Magazine. It is a service that goes a long way for foodies who need to know about the best finds, and where and how to reach the source. It works both ways for the resource and the foodies in pursuit of the best food gifts to give away this Christmas.


Happy days!

The sweetest castañas to buy for the Christmas table, or for lolo and lola (as they tell you about their “castaniyog days”): go for the small Mandarin Chestnut variety. We discovered this years ago and wrote about it after experimenting on several kinds of chestnuts, from the ping-pong-sized to the champoy-sized...and even if the price has gone high, look for RTA Castanas usually in Rustan Supermarket outlets. Reminder: before buying ask them if they will right away change the bad chestnuts (usually burnt or plain rotten) for free. Better yet, check them one by one before you leave the counter.

The best place to buy frozen salmon in assorted cuts and sizes...and we may as well mention that it’s also the best choice for lamb cuts and huge turkeys. This is at Cash & Carry. As for whole salmon at a good price: try Makro.

The newest, trendiest sausage for Mediterranean dishes, and you do have to acquire a liking for it: lamb sausage, popularly known as merguez. This is the “meat” of Parisian delis in their Arabian quarter, and you can get it at Sänti’s (844-1154) and Terry Selection (844-1816). The subtle gaminess of lamb tempered by beef is punctuated by paprika overdrive. It gets tastier if not gamier than chorizo El Rey.

The most muscled bread: baked and enjoyed the classic way—crusty outside and tender, chewy inside. That would be L’artisan bread. From the name, you get a hint that the dough is made from artisanal recipes and methods of kneading and proofing. Their breads are truly wonderful whether taken alone or with deli meats from Mickey’s Deli (Jupiter Street, Makati). Kudos to Johnlu Koa for this masterpiece of a bread shop.

The most reasonably priced Peking duck, and much, much better if you come in a pack to eat there: Spring Deer along Timog Avenue. Lots of aquarium livestock for the freshest choice of cooked dishes. True, the place needs refurbishing, but that’s probably the price of having friendly rates. The place is ideal for family lauriats—they even have sing-along KTV in private dining rooms—complete with Chinese songs pa.

The most interesting healthy bread with ethnic appeal: malunggay bread by Paul Calvin’s place in Forbestown at The Fort. The cake loaf has the flavor base of banana loaf bread interspersed with malunggay purée, and by all accounts the texture and color of this loaf bread/cake is certainly a good deal and will make a worthy food gift. Call: 856-5900.

The best homemade buko-lychee sherbet for those who still feel the heat despite the early December chills: look for Ka Mete Hernandez at 5479 M.H. del Pilar, Barrio La Huerta in Parañaque. How to get there? According to Ka Mete: “Look for Quirino Avenue hanggang sa tulay. You will see the Municipal High School. The frontage is a hot-dog stand and a sign ‘Dental Clinic’”...are you still there? Okay, if you feel lost just getting down the directions, call Maricel, their househelp who has a cell phone: 0921-4134079 or 826-3958.

Extremely good Turrones de Pili that is proudly Filipino made-for-export quality: Felicia’s from Bacolod City. I received a box from my gourmet friend Elen Jison Golez (she of Iloilo’s famous Nelly Garden...Palace, that’s what I want to call it.) This rich nutty cake of masapan de pili is oozing with buttery taste, eggs and cream. The sweetness is not cloying and you will savor every bite and let it melt in your mouth. Call for orders: (034) 433-6586. Perfect for balik/alis-bayan!

The best chap chae in town: Korean Noodle Salad (can be enjoyed hot or cold) and no worries about spoilage. P850 for 15 servings, comes in an aluminum pan. Also embotido, made from an extra-special recipe by a senior aunt of the Jimenez clan of Silay. It is priced at P300 for an 800-gm roll. All these recipes cooked by foodie Laylay Legaspi. You can pick up your orders from The Gallery Building on Amorsolo Street (8733-3334/ 875-3316) or...on Saturdays, you can pick these up from The Salcedo Weekend Market from the Chicken Inasal stall of Melissa Jimenez.

The most convenient supply of inihaw na bangus, neatly packaged and ready to place at the buffet table: Pixie’s Inihaw na Bangus. Promise, “walang kaliskis!” says the packaging. Saves you the time to prepare this party-fish dish. Each fish has a bouquet of lemongrass tucked into it, giving it the lemony aroma. The bangus is fat and stuffed with onions and tomatoes. Check it out at www.pixiessinugba.com.









Raw food at its best and healthiest, take it from Aileen de Guzman, who has been giving workshops on raw-food preparations and delicious dips. Tahini dips, soy-based dips, sesame-seed spread and even a faux chocolate paste that is used for making her so-delicious-you’can’t-believe-it’s-vegan tiramisu. Look up the recipes and schedules of workshops for preparing lovely raw food. Her workshops are eagerly endorsed by health food guru Mary Ann Ojeda...so believe. E-mail healthspringph@gmail.com

Most promising home-style little pizza business with big dreams: Crispizas, run by newlywed techies Anthony and Elizabeth Cayetano. Their gourmet pizzas are lovingly prepared in their love nest (making it crowded) and are baked on the spot in a wood-fired brick oven. The toppings are thick and spread to the very last millimeter of the crust’s surface. How’s that for loving portions? The big dreams of this couple will reach big success owing to the tasty and unique pizzas they turn out. Call: 0908-5576106

More Cookie Jar lists next week!

Very important
Meanwhile...here’s a note of fair warning to all avid foodies on the prowl for goodies, as well as foodies who are eager to make good business this holiday season with their homemade goodies: read and read well...and warn others.

Last weekend a caterer who was featured on this page on December 4 received a huge order for her leg of hams. The order seemed too big to be true but her staff got excited about the call anyway. In the same weekend, another home cook who makes a famous bottled cheese spread also got a call for a big order of her products: 2,000 bottles needed in a jiffy! So who wouldn’t get excited at this prospect?

As both parties were counting the sale amount, they also grew skeptical. Such an amount like P400,000 is unbelievable, right? But what if...it were true?

Anyway Ms. Caterer said she would require a check to be deposited to her account on Monday and if the check was good on Thursday, she would fulfill the order by Friday for the pickup. The “customer” said there was no need for a down payment because they already had a PO signed by the purchasing manager and other managers of the big company. Still, she insisted, although she prepared part of the order...just in case it’s true.

The “customer” even faxed both parties the PO which looked good enough, signed and all. But upon double checking the background of the “customer,” the name used did not know nor had knowledge of making any such big order for food. Many other suppliers may have already fallen victim to this scam.

Be vigilant against this group—they are a bunch of professional thieves out to scam home-food businesses. DO NOT ACCEPT SUCH A BIG ORDER WITHOUT ASKING FOR A DOWN PAYMENT. Here are other important tips:

1. There’s no such thing as a cashier’s check. There are manager’s checks that can be issued, but our banker friend said it’s still best to wait for the manager’s check to clear before giving the goods.

2. Big orders that are made on Fridays or payments of checks made on Fridays are iffy. Ask for a down payment way in advance.

3. If the orders are temptingly big, send a checker to look at the place of delivery, etc. Although this is not a guarantee that the warehouse or office will still be there the next day, it is best to take extra precaution.

4. Report any anomalies to the police if you suspect that the persons ordering from you share the same modus operandi.

5. Last, remember their ploy: place a big order on a Friday and the due is next Friday, giving you only a short time to prepare. Payment will be fully paid on the day of pickup or delivery. Also, do not believe in POs or cashier’s checks as guarantees of payment.

6. Do have a prosperous Christmas...be safe and sure to sleep well.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 December 2009 16:23 )

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