PIAYAS, THE ALL-TIME favorite from Bacolod, has not been spared by the changing times.

What we once knew as little flat, flaky pastries stuffed with muscovado has morphed into something modern?in taste, texture and appearance.

Casa Carmela, owned by Millie Locsin Kilayko, a Negrense who traces her roots to people who loved good food, says that her treats are ?inspired by the richness of her heritage, propelled by the challenges of a dynamic contemporary palate.?

Her version of the piaya is fine and crisp, not sweet, perfect with a cup of coffee. But her repertoire goes beyond the traditional as her love for experimentation has luckily produced new and interesting piaya flavors: mango, calamansi, dalandan, ube, rum and espresso.

One of her most notable creations are the bite-sized minis called Piayitos, which is served onboard our flag carrier, Philippine Airlines. Other renditions include: Cocktail Piayas?low-salt with various crusts, perfect for dips; After-Dinner Piayas (dark chocolate with mint); Piaquillos (crispy piaya rolled like barquillos?this is Kilayko?s fusion piaya, putting two of the most popular pasalubong items of her province into one creation; Piaya Cones?muscovado-filled cones for ice cream and low-salt, sesame seed-encrusted cones for savory fillings. They even sell beautiful wire holders for the serving of cones.

Kilayko?s other creations are as interesting, though in truth, I have not tried them but will do soon: Chicken Inasal Pâté, Turron Imperial, Pitaw and Baked Polvoron with Organic Muscovado Sugar.

Her goodies make for perfect gifts since their packaging is fantastic.

It is wonderful to know that our age-old delicacies are making a comeback in a big way. And we have people like Kilayko to thank for keeping our gustatory heritage alive.

Thanks, Vivian, for introducing me to Casa Carmela Piayas.

Casa Carmela will be at the Baker?s Dozen Fair, Power Plant Mall in Rockwell every weekend of November and December. On Dec. 8, Casa Carmela will open its Manila outlet at Estrella St. (The shop is close to the Zodiac gate of Bel-Air 3 and across Palm Village gate). Call 0917-3008736.

Meltique beef

I first discovered Meltique beef in 2006. Just when I was beginning to enjoy it, the supply became erratic. Eventually, the beef was nowhere to be found. Good news, it is now back for good.

What makes this meat so different is the highly developed method of inserting soluble oil (in the case of Hastings Meltique Beef, the Australian brand that is available locally), canola or beef tallow (rendered beef fat) into lean meat cuts?a process similar to the traditional French process of ?larding.?

The soluble oil bastes the meat internally during the cooking process to ensure that all the natural juices are retained, which results in full-flavored, tender, moist and succulent beef.

According to Hastings, ?The ingredients of Meltique beef work using a combination of different starches to hold together beef tallow and water mixed in suspension. It does not contain tenderizing agents or phosphates. All residues of the injected material are cooked out of the product during the process.?

Since meat production is affected by so many factors, consistency is a problem especially for dining establishments. Meltique has eliminated many of these problems and guarantees products that constantly meet client specifications and demands.

Meltique can be cooked frozen and some people claim that it makes no difference, though I always thaw mine.

The beef has a nice burst of crunch on the initial bite, is juicy and is in fact, a very decent piece of manipulated meat.

It behaves best, I found out, if the steak pan is heated to almost smoking. The steaks are then seasoned with salt and pepper just before they hit the pan.

I dribble the pan with a bit of oil then lay my steak. I lower the heat to low, then count 30 seconds. I then flip the steak and put the heat back to high and count another 60 seconds.

I give the steak a last flip, lower the heat to medium/low and count to 30. After which, I lift the steak off the pan and rest for a minute or so before consuming.

Yummy! Of course, cooking times may vary depending on whether your range is gas or electric and the thickness of the pan or the steak. The cooking time I gave was for a strip loin which is half an inch thick.

A must-try. Meltique is now available at SM, Shopwise and Rustan?s. For bulk orders, call PTC at 256-8831.

Get discounts for my Thanksgiving and holiday cooking class promos.

I will be teaching in Davao and will be conducting my Mindanao Culinary Heritage Tour in February.

For inquiries: 9289296 / 9273008/ 6474744 / 0908-2372346.

E-mail the author at raspiras@inquirer.com.ph