Sweet treats, inspiring stories
(Part 1 of 2)
MANILA, Philippines - There’s always a good story behind a successful chef, a promising business, and even a great-tasting dish. This I learned as a food writer who has met some of our country’s passionate cooks and home bakers, each of whom contains a volume of inspiring stories (at least). Here are four who willingly share the tales behind their businesses and their bestselling treats.
Cream cheese cookies (P170/dozen) from Marion’s Goodies
Business beat: “I didn’t know how to bake back then, but I’ve always loved sweets,” says Marion Bernardo. That’s why, when her sister asked her to attend a tea party on her behalf, she didn’t hesitate at all. The desserts at the event were so beautiful and delicious that it inspired her to bake her very first batch of cookies (semi-sweet chocolate chip). She shared them with her mom and officemates who loved them so much that they requested more, prompting Marion to bake many other pastries and launch her own baking biz.
Best-selling bio: “I came across an article on the Internet about cream cheese cookies before. I wasn’t too happy with the recipe when I tried it so I did a lot of experimentation. My cookies are very rich and creamy. I’ve had customers ordering every single week for months because they got so addicted to it.“
Contact info: For orders, you can reach Marion’s Goodies at 825-3494 or 0927-7063370. You can view her products at marionsgoodies.multiply.com.
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Frozen peanut butter mousse (P750) from Dessert Fairy
Business beat: On nights when parents would read storybooks to other kids, Karla Barrera’s mom would read her recipes from a food magazine. “And I’d end up dreaming of them!” she says.
The first recipes she tried were lifted from the holiday issue of Gourmet. She was nine years old then. While in the US, she took cake-decorating lessons at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. “Neighbors and friends took notice and I was soon busy baking custom cakes.” She has been back in Manila for more than a year now and has been building her biz through word of mouth.
Best-selling bio: “Our frozen peanut butter mousse came about as a variation on our popular marquise au chocolat.
We took it one step further and created a dessert based on the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup — a creamy peanut butter mousse on a crunchy choco-peanut crust and a rich ganache topping.”
Contact info: Visit www.dessertfairymagic.com for their list of goodies.
You can also drop them a message at 0928-5241166 or e-mail them at dessertfairy@mac.com.
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Lemon walnut torte (P1,200) from Homemade by Roshan
Business beat: Like her mom, the then eight-year-old Roshan Samtani was always found in the kitchen. “I wasn’t interested in cooking, but I loved to bake and I learned the basics from her.” In place of teen novels, Roshan buried her head in recipe books. As a practicum for her entrepreneurship course in college, her group put up a company called Chocoholics, Inc., which produced and sold chocolate truffles and brownies. “It was successful. And I guess I just took it from there, making desserts for family and friends, then friends of friends.”
Best-selling bio: “The lemon walnut torte was a dessert I first made when I had to make a birthday cake for a friend who asked for something tart and tangy. Everyone enjoyed it. And it has gone on to become one of my popular offerings, as it provides a great play of contrasts — rich but light, sweet and sour, crunchy and chewy.”
Contact info: For orders, you can call Homemade by Roshan at 631-7786. For her complete list, you can visit www.homemadebyroshan.com.
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Cookie Monster cheesecake (P1,000) from Symphony of Flavors
Business beat: Baking was originally just a hobby for the mother-daughter tandem of Margie and Daisy Tan, but demand eventually turned it into a home-based business, which has been supplying sinful sweets since 2000.
Their Symphony of Flavors has been coming up with more items come Christmas, developing family favorites such as coconut macaroons, revel bars, cheese cupcakes, and boat tarts.
To date, even if orders keep piling in, it’s still the undeniable mother-daughter team that does the pastries, guaranteeing the same baked goodness in every bite.
Best-selling bio: “For Christmas of 2009, we experimented with the cheesecake. The idea was to come up with a crust different from the usual crushed graham cracker. We used cookie dough for both the crust and the topping and came up with a cheesecake that’s velvety smooth, creamy, a little chewy and crunchy.”
Contact info: Visit www.symphonyofflavors.blogspot.com for their products.
Contact them at symphony.of.flavors@gmail.com, or 0922-7173737 or 563-3029.
