Gift suggestions

Food gifts are practical to give since they are meant for whole families.

In these days of tight budgets and constantly rising prices, we are aware that it is quite a challenge to come up with meaningful presents. Yet there is a way. Look around your respective neighborhoods. It is likely that some housewives have come up with homemade delicacies, tagged at affordable prices but good enough as Christmas gifts. Most of all, food gifts are practical to give since they are meant for whole families.

About two years ago, we met Christy, the mother of our Apo B’s classmate. She presented us with her bottled pickled ampalaya (bitter gourd) nicely packaged in holiday trimmings. It was good! We had favorable feedback from our relatives and friends who got them. Well, this enterprising mother is at it again! She is now busy in her kitchen, making her ampalaya. She is one of those homemakers who have gone into small entrepreneurship during the holidays. They do have a ready market – friends and parents of their schooling girls and boys. We commend them for their initiative.

Christy has expanded her list of offerings to include pickled papaya  (P150 a bottle of 160 oz); gourmet tuyo and gourmet tinapa for P530; garlic crunch and chili sauce and many more. Call Christy at 0918-9062506. They come in bayong-type bags or boxes. Items can be mixed and packaged.

Here is a bonus recipe which can be served to balance meat-heavy menus.

Cream Dory in Mustard and Fennel Sauce

Ingredients:

2 pieces cream dory fillets

2 tbsp prepared mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

10 gms fennel seeds

Juice of 2 calamansi

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

Season cream dory with salt, pepper and juice of calamansi. Set aside.

Mix all ingredients and marinate the cream dory in this mixture for an hour

Grill. Serve with a green salad.

Have a healthy Sunday meal!

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