It’s that time of the year again when most of us will dig into our pocket of excuses or justifications to indulge in festive eating. Let the diet take a backseat while we enjoy the wonderful food that various parties will offer.
This year, we did a feature of some treats on this list in our food show FOOD PRINTS, which airs on The Lifestyle Channel every Monday, 9 p.m., and replays a few more times during the week.
Every year, I come up with a list of suggestions of food we can bring to a potluck party, or to give away as gifts to bosses or foodie friends. I believe you will find in this list something your recipient will most certainly compliment you for. They’re also a good alternative for someone who you feel has everything.
Baby Phat Ensaymadas. Heavy, moist and delicious, these ensaymadas are now being exported. I personally love the ube. Call 0917-7901127.
Bob and Ninay’s Roast Turkey. Moist, plump turkey with mashed potato and gravy with cranberry on the side. Sarap! They also make very good boneless lechon, which is crunchy, very flavorful and delicious. Call 0918-9098850 or 9840065.
My Cookie Lab. Located at the Rockwell weekend mall, it offers scrumptious cookie sandwiches of various kinds. Call 0906-2260276.
Felicia’s Ensaymada from Bacolod. One of the best I’ve tried. The makers can send them to you. Call tel. 4436586 or 0918-5514638.
Valrhona Chocolate Cake by Dolchelatte. Simpy the best among the many; not too sweet and quite a masterpiece in my book. Call 0917-5563374.
Amaretto Cake and Prune Cake. Beauty in simplicity. I love these upside down. Made by chef and badminton star Tani Bautista. Call tel. 5346359 or 5322495.
Chicken Empanada. Moist ham and cheese bread made by Cris Ompaoco, who I hear makes super lasagna. I hoard her chicken empanadas. Call tel. 9200927 or 2341990.
Crème Brûlée Cake. Uniquely crunchy on top, it never ceases to get compliments. Made by Camille. Call 0916-7457729.
La Tasca Bibingka. Something that sounds so simple but never fails to elicit appreciation in any potluck event. I’ve been bringing this around since the early ’90s. Call tel. 8979749 or 8965543.
Chef Heny Sison’s Fruit cake. With cheese, perfection! Call tel. 9228558.
Chef Jyn’s Super Mediterranean Chicken. Very flavorful, and perfect with her flavored basmati yellow rice and chili oil. Yum! Call 0917-5280563.
Delicious Eclairs in variety of flavors and colors, made by chef Sunshine Pengson. Call tel. 5680917 or 0917-7047118.
Czars Apple Pie, winner at Great American Cookfest—Best Apple Pie. Call tel. 6220830 or 0917-5411167
Kitchen’s Best Chocolate Plaisir Cake and Turtle Pie. The place also makes a mean mango sansrival. Call 0917-8966248.
Crunchy and chewy macadamia or pistacio sansrival made by chef Jill Sandique. Call tel. 4978811 or 0922-8262673.
Chef Penk Ching’s package of various coffee, carrot and walnut loaf, banana walnut loaf and apple walnut loaf. Call 0917-8122676.
General’s Lechon. The best I have ever tried. This Negros Occidental-style lechon comes in 4 flavors: regular, garlic, curry and chili garlic. The chili garlic variant has a sudden burst of spice on the tongue that immediately disappears. Yum! Call 0917-8975966.
Double Fudge cake. Makes for a divine dessert. Call tel. 9139875 or 4393069.
Giant Ensaymada made by Meliss of Pampanga. Moist, huge and such a winner. Call tel. 4046582 or 0920-9478819.
Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken package, complete with rice and 3 sauces. Call 0906-5084155.
Sansrival by Guy Vasquez—very good. Call 0917-3010615 or 6310125.
Catherine’s apple pie, which is perfect with vanilla ice cream or a la mode. Call 0917-8409598.
Torta Torrejon. This is a sansrival-like crunchy cake with brazo filling; out of this world. Call 0919-9964989.
Chef Sam’s peanut butter cake. It’s made with Reese’s and Butterfinger candy bars. Call 0920-9207268.
Queso De Bola Cheesecake— again, the best version for me. Call tel. 8284474 or 0920-9278188.
Gateau Crepe made by chef Mara De La Rama—simple, delicious and one of a kind. Call 0917-8116272.
Tiny De Guzman’s Cochinillo— very flavorful and cut with a platito tender. You will most certainly plan a diet after eating this. Call 0917-5251025.
Rico’s Cebu Lechon. You deposit your payment, he sends it by freight, you pick it up and it’s still crispy when you get it. Call 0917-4072033.
Estrel’s Caramel Cake made by chef sensation Gina Navarro, a favorite by everyone since 1946. Call tel. 3722965 or 3717938.
Bucky’s Chocolate cake—not a brownie, just something not too sweet but delicious. Call 0917-8445104.
Wooden Spoon Siopao. From the freezer, microwave the siopao for a minute and a half and, voila, it’s like you steamed it. I did something to the dough to have this result. Call 0917-8707958 or 6245674.
Catering by Match Point. This, if you want a stress-free party. Call 0917-5225450.
Catering by Peachy, with her delicious dishes. Call 0917-6261006 or 0918-9081006.
And for a healthy, a bit pricey but most effective gift, Kangen water machine. It neutralizes acids in the body which cause most of our sicknesses. Call 0917-3100958.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!
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