Food remains the highlight of any Christmas celebration. Our yearly list of holiday food-to-go gives you ideas on delectable dishes and what to pair them with, for a more memorable Yuletide spread. Enjoy!
E-mail the author at vbaga@inquirer. com.ph.
EMBOTIDO NI APUNG LULU
What: Not your typical embotido, this one steamed and packed with flavor—cheese, ham, carrots, onions and chorizo bilbao, topped with creamy white sauce—a well-kept recipe of June Rodriguez’s mom-in-law Lulu Rodriguez.
Price: Embotido, P450/loaf style. For pick-up only. Call two days in advance.
Maker: June Rodriguez
Where: 56 Mahusay Street, UP Village, QC; tel. 0917-4697309, 0932-2452643.
CALLOS
What: This Spanish dish is sweet, spicy and thick-sauced. The ox tripe is slow-cooked to tenderness with Portuguese chorizo, beef, garbanzos, ham, bacon, olives.
Price: Callos, P600 for half a kilo (good for four persons). For pick-up only. Delivery within Makati area for a minimum fee. Call two days in advance.
Maker: Maga’s Kitchen (Maria Lourdes Cinco)
Where: Makati City; tel. 0916-4795378, 0917-5386747.
TURKEY TREAT
What: The smell and aroma of freshly baked turkey, plump and tender, makes for a lovely holiday treat. Maggie’s East Coast Turkey, served with buttered corn, cranberry sauce, gravy and a flavorful stuffing, will surely lend lip-smacking magic to every Noche Buena table. You can pair your turkey with either Salmon Salad or Meat Lasagna. Then, finalize the indulgence with a slice of Red Velvet Cake, Dark Caramel or Peach Walnut Torte. Nic’s Gourmet also has a wide range of gourmet spreads for all occasions.
Price: Turkey Package (good for six to eight persons) with Vegetable Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Maggie’s East Coast Turkey and free whole Dulce de Leche Cake, P7,750; Salmon Salad, P950; Meat Lasagna, P1,250; Peach Walnut Torte, P1,300; Parmesan Melt Pimiento, P295/bottle; mini cakes: Red Velvet, Dulce de Leche, Dark Caramel, P70 each. Order two days in advance. For pick-up and delivery.
Maker: Nic’s Gourmet Desserts (Rina Go)
Where: 172 A. Mabini St., Addition Hills, San Juan City; tel. 5711818, 3549081, 0999-9933231; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.facebook.com/nicsbakeshop.
DESSERT BUFFET
What: Young entrepreneur Marge San Diego takes pride in using only the best ingredients for her desserts. Take your pick from the creamy Caramel Symphony and Jazzberry
Cheesecake to the Double Chocolate Caramel Symphony and Nutella Chocolate Cheesecake. Apart from desserts, San Diego can also dish out a delicious Korean Beef Stew and Kani Salad with Wasabi Dressing to complete the holiday package.
Price: Caramel Symphony (8-inch), P650; Soulful Chocolate (8-inch), P580; Jazzberry Cheesecake (8-inch), P800; Double Chocolate Caramel Symphony (8-inch), P750; Nutella Chocolate Cheesecake, (8-inch), P950; Food for the Gods, P200/dozen; Revel Medley Bars P200/dozen; Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie, P220/dozen.
Kani Salad with Oriental Wasabi Dressing (good for 8-10 persons), P900 with two bottle of dressing; Korean Beef Stew (8-10 persons) P1,100. For pick-up and delivery within Bulacan; Manila delivery for a minimum fee.
Maker: Symphony of Desserts (Marge San Diego)
Where: Garden Heights Condominium, E. Rodriguez, Quezon City, tel. (044)7950170, 0927-3253994, 0917-5349966.
CHICKEN GALANTINA WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
What: Enjoy the homey flavor of Filipino cooking with this Chicken Galantina served with raspberry sauce. It’s a deboned chicken stuffed with ground pork, raisins, carrots, green peas, cheese, chorizo de bilbao, mushrooms and secret spices.
Steamed for an hour and a half, it is traditionally served cold and can be eaten with toasted bread, presented as an open sandwich or with rice.
Price: P1,650 for whole chicken, P850 for half chicken. Three days advance notice requested to ensure product freshness. For pick-up only.
Maker: Dorothy Ferreria of Dorothy’s Cooking School
Where: Panay Avenue, Quezon City (pick-up point), tel. 0919-5669977, 9618682.
HOLIDAY HAM
What: What is Christmas without the traditional ham on the dinner table? Chinese-style Leg of Ham offers tender and juicy meat with a nice sweet-salty-sour taste. Its fat simply melts in
the mouth. The honey-cured American Ham is just perfect for cocktail parties—either skewered or as sandwich filling. The Chicken Ham is ideal for those who cannot eat pork, but want something that tastes like the real thing. The holiday hams with golden brown glaze are cured with special herbs and spices, and naturally smoked.
Price: Leg Ham Chinese-style, P850/kilo (available in three kilos and up); Chinese-style Boneless Christmas Ham, P650/kilo (available in one kilo and up); American Ham, P450/kilo (available in one kilo and up). Order two days in advance. For pick-up and delivery for bulk orders (two weeks in advance).
Maker: Josefina’s Ham (Josie Sioson), Jolly Boy Best Foods Corporation
Where: 87 Kanlaon St., Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City; tel. 7402024, 4140109, 5144448, 4049616.
PREMIUM PASTA
What: Penne Rosa and Bacon is a blend of bacon, pomodoro and béchamel sauce sautéed with mushrooms, garlic and onions.
Spaghetti Ai Tesori Del Mare, meanwhile, comes off as a mildly spicy feast of spaghetti tossed in fresh tomatoes, scallops, clams, mussels and chili oil.
Then there’s Linguini Al Prosciutto E Tartufo, a tasty mix of prosciutto, truffle oil, porcini and shiitake mushrooms. If you haven’t had enough of pasta, go for Pollo Arrostito, baked rosemary chicken with veggies on the side.
Price: Penne Rosa and Bacon, P252; Spaghetti Ai Tesori Del Mare, P336; Linguini Al Prosciutto E Tartufo, P294; Pollo Arrostito, P300. For pick-up and delivery.
Maker: Amici Restaurant (Philip Moran)
Where: Greenhills, San Juan City, tel. 7244804; Don Bosco, Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, tel. 8184444; Tomas Moratio, Quezon City, tel. 3766458; Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City, tel. 6216111; Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Taguig City, tel. 5551000; SM Megamall Atrium, Mandaluyong City, tel. 6361340; Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City, tel. 4039373; and UP-Ayala Technohub, QC, tel. 7090999.
GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS
What: Tender chicken wings marinated in a special blend of spices with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, then fried to perfection and tossed with toasted garlic. This homemade dish tastes so much better than all the commercial varieties we know.
Price: Garlic Chicken Wings (10-12 pieces), P700 with two free packs of homemade dinner rolls. For pick-up only. Call two days in advance.
Maker: Jane Lim
Where: G. Masangkay St., Sta. Cruz, Manila, tel. 09157578507, 2547561.
LECHON DE LECHE DELIGHT
What: This is chef Jessie Sincioco’s rendition of a truly festive holiday delight. Turkey is stuffed with sage, onion, apple and chestnuts, and served with creamed corn and spinach, caramelized sweet potatoes and cranberry compote. The lechon de leche, meanwhile, has extra-crispy skin and an appetizing golden color. To complete the spread, have a serving of Smoked Salmon Caviar Pie, Heart of Palm Salad and Crème Brûlée.
Price: Roast Suckling Pig with sauce, P1,200/kilo; Smoked Salmon Caviar Pie (good for 2-4 persons), P1,000, for 10-15 persons, P2,500; Heart of Palm Salad in Tamarind Vinaigrette Dressing (for 10 persons), P3,000; Roast Tom Turkey in Giblet Gravy, P1,200/kilo (minimum of five kilos per order).
Crème Brûlée (for 20-30 persons), P2,500; Baked Cheesecake (plain), P1,500, with toppings, P2,000; Premium Roast Coffee, P500/250 g; Freshly Baked Ciabatta Bread, P100/loaf. Special Herbed Dip, P395/bottle. Call three days in advance.
Maker: Chef Jessie Sincioco
Where: Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, G/L, Amorsolo Square, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City, tel. 8906543, 8907630, 4502996; 100 Revolving Restaurant, 33/F, MDC 100 Bldg., C5 cor. Eastwood Drive, Quezon City, tel. 9621016; Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie, 34/F, Citi Bank Tower, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, tel. 7505810.
LUSCIOUS LEMON SQUARE
What: A perfect sweet finale to your heavy holiday meal. Light, refreshing and with just the right amount of sweetness and tartness, these lemon squares are best eaten straight from the ref. The buttery crust provides a comforting base for that lemony flavor. It’s a welcome change from the usual holiday desserts that are just too rich.
Price: P400/box of 16 pieces or 25 pieces. Order two days in advance. For pick-up only.
Maker: Fran Syquia-Villaroman
Where: Greenhills, San Juan City and Makati City, tel. 0917-8991203.
MACARON DE PARIS
What: ’Tis the season to be extra sweet. These Bizu desserts, especially the Macaron De Paris Pyramid, can double as your table centerpiece. The macarons are soft and not too sweet. The
Chestnut Cake is a combination of chestnut cremeaux, moist Speculoos cake and caramel glaze, topped with chestnut cream. Pot De Crème is a soft French crème encased in cute glass containers with flavors like Madagascar Vanilla, Valrhona Chocolate, Sugar-Free Gianduja Hazelnut and Burnt Caramel. Rudolph is a Christmas chocolate ornament ball with crème caramel filling and a moist, chocolate brownie base. If you want your dessert heavy in the tummy, have some cheese tart, which is a smooth and flaky dense mascarpone cheesecake over flaky puff pastry.
Price: Macaron De Paris Pyramid (holds 40 pieces of macaron), P2,500; Chestnut Cake (midi), P1,195; Pot de Crème Valrhona Chocolate, P100 and Sugar-Free Gianduja Hazelnut, P135; Gourmet Popcorn-Salted Caramel Popcorn P185/can, Dark Chocolate, Almonds and Pretzel, P245/can; Rudolph, P195; Cheese Tarts, P75/piece; Dark Chocolate Ensaymada, P115/piece; Almond Praline P85/piece, Italian Pistachio and White Chocolate P115/piece. For pick-up and delivery.
Maker: Bizu Patisserie
Where: Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati, tel. 7572498; Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa, tel. 8092498; The Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan, tel. 7242498; Concession Area, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Taguig, tel. 7897700; One Rockwell-West Tower, Rockwell Center, Makati, tel. 4787755; and Robinsons Magnolia, Quezon City, tel.4670670.
SEAFOOD GALORE
What: Make your Christmas feast healthy and fun with these seafood specialties and, of course, a bit of steak on the side for variation. Chef Peter Ayson’s holiday spread consists of crabs, shrimps, salad, barbecue and chips. The Typhoon Shelter Crab is fried crab with an overload of crispy fried garlic and egg noodles. Fisherman’s Steampot offers white cobbler, crispy calamari, white shell clams, South Pacific mussels, Manila clams, green mussels flavored with seaweed, onion leeks, herb and spices. Bucket O’ Shrimps has sweet Vannamei white shrimps served with potato chips on the side. Charbroiled Steak and Lobster is a combo of charbroiled 11-oz rib-eye steak seasoned with sea salt and black pepper with a split Pacific lobster smothered with lemon butter, served with western green salad and thick-cut herbed potato sticks. To balance the meal, there’s the Oriental Salad of Lollo rosso lettuce, red cabbage, water chestnuts and citrus fruit salad dressed in a light Asian plum dressing.
Price: Typhoon Shelter Crab, P1,240/800 g; Barbecue Sampler, P1,495 (good for 4-5 persons); Fisherman’s Steampot, P1,125; Oriental Salad, P315; Charbroiled Steak and Lobster, P2,985; Bucket O’ Shrimps, P995. For pick-up and delivery. Available daily.
Maker: Clawdaddy Restaurant
Where: Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, tel. 8564785; Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City, tel. 6374582; SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, tel. 5501440; and Robinsons Magnolia, Quezon City, tel. 9615711.
TOMATO AND MALUNGGAY LASAGNA
What: It doesn’t hurt to have a healthy holiday spread, right? Enjoy Malunggay Lasagna, a four-layer pasta with tasty malunggay filling, topped with cheddar cheese and white sauce.
Christmas Ham in Whole Cranberry Sauce is another vegetarian treat with its fruity sauce, served with Spanish potatoes and whole wheat bread. Vegan Callos, on the other hand, consists of gluten, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garbanzos, olives, ham and smoked sausage.
Price: Malunggay Lasagna (8×10 inch), P900; Baked Ham (22 slices, good for 4-6 persons), P700; Callos (8×10-inch), P800. For pick-up only. Call three days in advance.
Maker: The Vegetarian Kitchen (Tita Soliongco)
Where: 62B Mother Ignacia Ave., Quezon City, tels. 3555622, 0906-4362533, 0915-8300511.
MACAU CHORIZO BITS
What: For a pica-pica holiday party, you won’t go wrong with Macau Chorizo and Cheese Tidbits, a unique twist on everyone’s favorite spring rolls. This is mini lumpia filled with Macau chorizo, shallots and queso de bola. Kids will love this, too.
Duck Pancakes, on the other hand, are Peking pancakes filled with strips of native duck slow-cooked in beer, rum vinegar, soy sauce and muscovado sugar.
Price: Macau Chorizo and Cheese Tidbits (good for 10-12 persons), P840; Duck Pancakes, P450.
Maker: Sentro 1771 Restaurant
Where: 2/L, Greenbelt 3, Makati City, tel. 7573941, 0917-8660449; Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, tels. 7190955, 8560581, 09178147794.
BABY BACK RIBS
What: Tender baby-back ribs and cheesy lasagna for Noche Buena—Who can resist the combination? The ribs are seasoned with Cravings’ special mix of spices and herbs and slow-cooked to tender perfection, while the four-cheese lasagna is more delicate than the usual versions. Includes four cheese, marinara and white cream sauces.
Price: Baby oh Baby (baby-back ribs), P420; Lasagna Supreme, P320. For pick-up only.
Maker: Cravings Restaurant
Where: 287 Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City, tel. 4334498; 5/L, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City, tel. 6356087; 3/L, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City, 4703500; 2/F, Il Terrazo Lifestyle Mall, Tomas Morato, QC, tel. 6685845; 14 Cluster 2 Molito Lifestyle Bldg., Alabang Zapote Road, Muntinlupa City, tel. 5560927; 31/F, Fraser Place Serviced Residences, Valero St., Makati City, tel. 8154271.
SLOW-BAKED BEEF BELLY WITH MUSHROOMS
What: Amp your Noche Buena feast with this Slow Baked Beef Belly with smothered mushrooms. It’s a slab of US beef belly baked in au jus sauce for five hours after a 24-hour marination. The result: unbelievably soft, flavorful meat that almost melts in your mouth. It’s placed in aluminum container with extra sauce on the side that can be easily heated over and over again.
Price: Baked Beef Belly (good for 8-10 persons), P1,300. Order two days in advance. For pick-up only.
Maker: Nico’s Food and Catering Service, Omee Heritage Cusine
Where: 5 Cecilleville St., Brgy. White Plains, 1110 Quezon City, tels. 9115228 (Margie de la Rama), 0949-6791997 and 09155073648; Salcedo Community Market (Saturdays only).
PHOTOS BY ANDREW TADALAN
