Narra market revisited

It’s been quite a while since we were last at the Saturday market in Ayala Alabang village. But since Parañaque city officials opened the BF Homes gates to every Pedro, Juan and Maria, the peace and order situation has turned into something very alarming. We needed to look for an alternative place where we can peacefully buy food stuff, etc. The Narra (corner Dao) weekend market came to mind and we were very pleased, not only to see some former selling associates but to enjoy the pleasant ambiance brought about by the new set up of tables, which gave shoppers more elbow room in the process of choosing and paying for merchandize. It was drizzling, but people are now well protected by tents that cover the whole expanse of the selling/eating areas.

By the entrance, we at once found familiar faces–Mina and Terri del Carmen, with their baked goodies and a new line of dips and spreads. Going under the labels PattiCakes and Red Ginger, the best sellers are their fluffy ensaymadas with creamy butter and cheese topping and the chocolate-y cinnamon rolls (a pack of three of either at P300). The gourmet flavors of their dips include smoked ham with parmesan cheese and spices and tuna with black and green olives and artichokes. Perfect for breakfast crackers or pasta topping, P120 a bottle. Call 809-3737 or 0927-4933808.

We renewed our exchange of food notes with Nieves Jacinto Santos whose table is a few paces away. She is the lady of the most delicious puto ube and the to-die-for brazo de mercedes, but that morning they were all gone. But she still had her empanadas and cooked food, an easy way for housewives who want to take a break from their usual Sunday kitchen chores. Get any of her specialties–all from P160 to P220 a tray–Lengua Estofada, Pork Adobo, Chicken Salpicao. For more, visit her or call telephone 812-1049/0917-8250756.

We then moved to say hello and get fresh herbs from the gentle Pinky. She knows her herbs very well, and gave us some pointers as to which variety to use for specific dishes and which to use immediately after purchase. For P55, we brought home individual packs of Italian basil (whose flavor is akin to licorice), Mexican cilantro (which keeps longer), fennel leaves which is an ideal flavoring for fish fillet fried in olive oil, and rosemary to rub on a chicken ready for roasting.

Our former next-store neighbor Ellen is still there, selling her fresh vegetables but we missed Pelican, our mango suki. The prices–tomatoes (beautifully red, firm and of salad size) between P35 and P50, big white onions (sweetish variety) at P80 a kilo, leeks and celery for P80 and P90, mangoes (jumbo size from Pangasinan) at P90 kilo and sweet watermelon at P120 for a big one. There’s also a table selling gourmet herbed meat–chicken, rib eye, US roast turkey, pork, from P115 to P250 per 100 gms. We also got re-acquainted with the perfectly done American ham of our friend Evelyn, which is now priced at P900 a kilo.

While on the subject of ready-to-heat and -eat food, our friends in the Greenhills area are happy that BF’s Conti’s has spread its wings to their place with dining and catering facilities and an extensive array of cakes (mini or regular) and pastries plus a wide selection of frozen dishes. It was a very wise decision that our group made after a very satisfying but perhaps MSG-filled multi-course lunch at Sun Moon in the shopping complex. We opted for dessert and coffee at Conti’s on Connecticut Street. Most of us went wild after savoring all sorts or pies (including sugar-free) and cakes–Frozen Banana Torte, Tiramisu and Choco Walnut Torte, among others. We all took home our favorites: ensaymaditas, the very popular chicken pies, rellenong bangus (P270 each), callos (P495), tubs of a variety of salads, plus more. It gets crowded so it is better to call ahead–744-4184. We are lucky indeed that the original Conti’s is in our area.

Here’s a modified sarsiado recipe for leftover fried fish or even a slab of salmon. Make a sauce of crushed garlic, minced onions, chopped fresh tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes, plus fresh basil (chopped) in a generous amount of olive oil. Add salt and pepper and a little sugar. Let simmer, then add the fish and mix so that the sauce covers every bit of the seafood. Try this, your family will enjoy the new taste.

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