Christmas in the air

The start of the -ber months (could also be the brrr… months as winter approaches in temperate countries) ushers in the yuletide season with a flurry of activities in our midst.

Dez The Halls With Boughs Of Holly …

A Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at the Captain’s Bar kicked off the Mandarin Oriental, Manila’s "Paskuhan: A Filipino Heritage Christmas," officiated by Tourism Assistant Secretary and Philippine STAR columnist Edu Jarque, Makati Rep. Teddy Locsin Jr. and hotel general manager Helmut Gaisberger last Nov. 17.

This was followed by the staging of the "Panunuluyan," a time-honored Christmas eve tradition in Bulacan and Iloilo, under the direction of Bulacan’s illustrious son Dez Bautista. The production had a cast of 40 from Koro Bulakeño, Ginoo at Binibining Bulacan Theater Company, and the Don Antonio Bautista Banda Republika. The performance featured beautiful Filipino poetry written by Dez.

The hotel’s "Christmas Heritage" theme is also behind the hotel décor (also executed by Dez) depicting Philippine folk and rustic art via a splash of colorful fruits and flowers, alongside antique portraits, prints, and tassels. A weekday buffet lunch, available Dec. 16, will feature cuisine adapted from old family and other treasured recipes, including rellenong pavo (stuffed turkey), sardinas en escabeche, roast chicken stuffed with chorizo (a traditional holiday recipe of Nancy Reyes Lumen), pata negra with chestnuts and prune sauce (Dez Bautista), embuchadong pato (Bautista family of Malolos), sweet longganisa with grapes (Margarita Fores), and jamon bulakeña (Enriquez family of Malolos), to name a few.

For inquiries, call the Mandarin Oriental, Manila at 750-8888.

Vamos A Comer Y Bailar …

The following day, Nov. 18, El Comedor reopened with a bang at its new location at the Magallanes Commercial Center, which is fast becoming a restaurant row. A sumptuous spread of its signature dishes served in tapa portions was served. These included chilled gazpacho, paella valenciana, arroz negro, paella de bacalao, sandwiches of jamon en dulce, pepitos (steak a la pobre) and roast turkey with Spanish stuffing, and its famous cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig), a three-week-old pig so tender it can be cut with a plate. A live flamenco number by Frannie Lopez Manotoc, niece of second-generation owner Marilen del Rosario Lopez, from the Grupo de Baile Andaluz entertained guests.

The blessing was officiated by Bishop Chito Tagle, who, in spite of his busy schedule, took time off to bless the restaurant of his Tita Lourding del Rosario, Marilen’s mother from whom she learned the rudiments of cooking. Since it first opened in 1975, El Comedor has earned a reputation as the benchmark for authentic Spanish-style homecooking.

El Comedor is at the Paseo de Magallanes, Magallanes Commercial Center, Makati City. For inquiries and reservations, call 855-7229 and 855-2665

To The Rescue

If the guest turnout was any indication of how popular and well-liked the honoree is, then Reggie Aspiras must be the mostest and bestest chef-instructor in town. The jampacked reception and book signing, held at the topmost floor of the Discovery Suites in Ortigas Center last Nov. 21, was attended by her family, colleagues in the cooking industry, friends, and students and alumni of her culinary school.

Her first book, Kitchen Rescue, is a compilation of her popular column of the same title. It is replete with easy-to-follow recipes, cooking tips and tricks, and has a directory of stores and related services. It is a veritable resource book for the expert and novice alike.

Fabulous food and wine flowed freely into the evening. Discovery Suites executive chef David Pardo de Ayala kept the passed-around platters filled with canapés of curried onion empanada, salmon tartar with chive crème fraiche, and Italian salami with black olives. The buffet spread featured linguine with mussels in creamy saffron sauce. Also served were Paella Cirkulo, with duck, pork and chorizo, and Paella Montaña with Portobello mushrooms, both prepared by chef J Gamboa of Cirkulo. To complement the carbs were a to-die-for sugar-and-spice roasted Angus short plate slab (super tender with layered fat!) prepared by chef David and a whole leg of ham from Purefoods, all carved by the tableside. Luscious desserts like espresso panna cotta and chocolate terrine with pistachios and vanilla custard sauce were also passed around liberally.

Kitchen Rescue is published by Emerald Holdings Corp. and is available at all National Book Store branches at P599.

For The Love Of Doreen Fernandez

Slow Food – Philippine Culinary Traditions, edited by Erlinda Enriquez Panlilio and Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, with illustrations by Manuel Baldemor, was launched at Le Soufflé at the Amorsolo Tower in Rockwell. The book is published by Anvil Publishing Inc. and is available at all National Book Store branches at P575.

The book is a compilation of articles written by members of the IWFS (International Wine and Food Society) Manila Ladies Branch, founders of the SFMC (Slow Food Movement Convivium, which the late dean of food writers Doreen G. Fernandez seriously advocated before her demise), and winners of the Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award.

Food And Kisses

Hershey’s, the world’s most beloved confectioner and maker of those irresistible Kisses, signed recently a delicious partnership with Via Mare to bring its line of chocolate products into its menu at the Via Mare Oyster Bar and Café at Greenbelt 3, Makati City.

The promotion, which will last for three months, marks Hershey’s official entry introduction into the Via Mare chain, plated and served with the restaurant’s well-loved dishes. The fine chocolate products will appear not only in the desserts but also in special appetizer, soup and main dishes concocted by the grand dame of Philippine fine dining herself, Glenda R. Barretto. Barretto just returned from a very successful stint at the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, Japan (Ay! Nag-japayuki, we teased her.) earning for her the reputation of having the most popular restaurant in the whole exposition, say some friends who were there. The Japanese just went gaga over her halo-halo.

On hand during the signing ceremonies were Glenda R. Barretto, Hershey’s Philippines Inc. president and regional general manager Jerry Santiago, group product manager Erick Ampil, and Via Mare franchisees Ruby Diaz Roa (Alabang Oyster Bar and Café), Ditas Lerma and Maritess L. Lopez (Rockwell Café), Joseph Ong (Rockwell Oyster Bar), Annie Bautista (Shangri-La Edsa Oyster Bar and Café), and Celestino Palma (Sta. Rosa Total gas station).

By the way, have you ever wondered why those delicious little choco mounds are called Kisses? (Sidetrack: Kisses are my Darleng’s fave comfort food, which she carries everywhere. I bring her home Kisses on occasions when she’s upset with me, pang-ayo ba, as I shower her with my own kisses, as well.)

Jerry Santiago says it’s what the mechanical spout looks like it’s doing when it presses out the soft chocolate mix into those little mounds (just like coming out of an icing bag), kissing the conveyor belt ever so lightly. Mwah, mwah!