Soft and chewy

Ever bought those delectable brownies sold in a popular bake shop in Manila? Well, if you live south of the city, there’s this lady who bakes them soft and chewy. In fact that’s Marlene’s brand name. This homemaker represents today’s housewife who does not stay idle or go socializing. She has made herself productive, going through many cookbooks and attending cooking classes. The result is a huge kitchen in her home and a collection of offerings baked to perfection. She has only three products–plain brownies, walnut brownies and food for the gods. She uses imported ingredients, personally attends to her staff and designs the boxes. They come in 20s and 28s and cost from P140 to P260. A combination of products can be arranged. Other than that, she has 8 pieces for P95 which come in an elegant box of creamy yellow and chocolate brown with a slide-on cover. For Tsokolate Eh fanciers, she has jars of chocolate paste (P350 in a gift basket). Simply mix according to your taste with equal amounts of water and milk and boil. Sweet and Chewy is located at 18 Ozamiz, Alabang Hills and can be reached at telephone number 850-7609.

Good customer service was what we got recently from Bobby of the Monterey meat shop in Unimart, Greenhills. A day before, we bought what they labeled as rib eye steak. Unfortunately they were not as perfect as we thought they would be. The following day, we informed the girls behind the counter and Bobby came to our rescue. He immediately replaced the meat and we could not be more satisfied. They were tender and juicy. Now, if only all supermarket staff (and of course management) can have people like Bobby, there’d be more happy return customers.

The Rustan supermarket chain has changed management, but it is retaining the prestigious name. Now under the umbrella of Shopwise, we are confident regular customers will not miss the efficient and gracious service that they have been used to, after all both organizations have established a good reputation in the industry. It is at Shopwise Alabang that we find well-seasoned and tender beef tapa, under the house label. Our recent discovery here is Purefoods-Hormel’s ready-to-cook and serve specials from Mom’s Kitchen. Packed in microwavable tubs of 250 gms., the line includes Adobo, Callos and Pata Tim with no MSG or preservatives. Cost is less than P59 each. We tried the Adobo and our discriminating brood gave it a rating of 8; good enough, right?

Our price watch brought us to the realization that indeed the Christmas season does affect the cost of everything. Over the weekend, frozen chicken was tagged at P108 a kilo, onions (the big white ones, which we presume are imported) at P85 a kilo, mangoes from P85, but refrain from this fruit, since practically all those in the market are either sour or spoiled inside even while they are attractively yellow outside. Pork goes from P135 a kilo depending on the cut, and beef from P235 with tenderloin commanding a stiff P600-plus tag. If you are thinking of spicing up your festive table with queso de bola, scour the market for the best price. Shopwise has it own (which also carries ham balls), there’s Anchor and Magnolia, or you might want Pato and Piña, the latter two are at nearly prohibitive price. if you’re counting calories even in your salad, look up fat-free mayonnaise in most stores. There’s hardly any difference in flavor.

Our dining adventures brought us one day to Portico 1771 at the new Serendra in The Fort. When you go there, avoid the long walk from the front of Market!Market! by going to the other side, which is actually the entrance to the complex, now teeming with lots of restaurants offering various cuisines. Chef Vicky of Sentro and Chateau 1771 is the resto’s kitchen expert, thus one is assured of a satisfying meal, as we had that day. They call their cuisine Asian Global, ingeniously combining traditional Eastern cooking using herbs and spices and executed with French culinary sophistication. Such as the starters Spring Tofu with spring onion tempura–lovely!–and the Shrimp Cracker Salad. The lady chef has woven magic in the gindara with crispy pata bits with aromatic vegetables. Who would have concocted such a perfect dish? Don’t give up easily, because there are heavenly desserts. Now all you need is a big appetite and real appreciation for innovative food.

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