By now, only a few days before Christmas, many chefs and home cooks would have already maxed the number of food orders they can take. Here are items—edible and nonedible—one can give away as presents or serve at holiday parties.
Sophisticated starters by Taste By Grace Home
Grace Baja has bottled goods for home entertaining—honey spiced with pink peppercorns and rosemary, chimichurri made with organic spinach and mushrooms, chutney composed of kaffir lime and organic tomatoes, and a spread of manchego cheese and almond olive tapenade. They go with cold cuts and cheese.
Tel. 0906-3618374
Sandwich starter kit by Mr. Delicious
Mr. Delicious lets you craft your hefty and hearty sandwiches with starter kit made up of thick-sliced applewood-smoked bacon, Wagyu pastrami, smoked ham, a jar of naturally fermented sauerkraut, and Sweet and Sour Bread & Butter Pickles.
All you’ll need is bread and a big appetite.
Tel. 0947-9903747
Flavored Popcorn By Chef Tony’s Popcorn
Chef Tony adds two holiday variants to its already wide range—the Strawberry Cheesecake and Midnight Mocha popcorn. There’s a gift set for the whole family.
Apart from the two new flavors, the pack includes White Chocolate Parmesan popcorn, Sour Cream Cheddar Potato Chips, and a Chef Tony tumbler.
Tel. 0926-7230830
Food basket By Wildflour Cafe + Bakery
Everything in Wildflour’s basket is made in-house—a bag of granola, polvoron you can eat straight from the jar, strawberry jam, biscuits, cookies, pannetone and pasta.
Wildflour or Little Flour, Rada (02 8339799), Salcedo (02 8087072), Rockwell (02 8505503), Salcedo (02 8087072), Podium (02 5718588) and Greenhills (02 9462005)
Durable cooking pan By Scanpan
Danish brand Scanpan introduced nonstick pans made of stratanium that is built to last and allows for cooking without oil. Apart from being safe and sustainable, the pan is easy to clean, its solid coating lets anyone cook with metal tools without scratches and damage.
Gardenbarn Inc., tel. (02) 6549068
Gelato tubs By Manila Creamery
Manila Creamery is now selling gelato in pints, so you can enjoy the frozen delights right at home. The insulated bags let you mix and match flavors—Mangga’t Suman, Tinutong na Kanin, or Biko.
Shops at UP Town Centre, QC; ATC Corporate Centre, abalone; 2nd Floor, Urban Turf, Vertis North; or 3rd floor Megamall, Building B, Ortigas
Handmade stoneware By Aleth Ocampo Pottery
“I wanted to create vessels for my food which are unique so as to complete the presentation of my food,” says Aleth Ocampo, who hosts delicious dinners at home.
Hers is a range of functional ceramic pieces that have been molded by hand, bisque-fired, and painted. Ash glaze is applied, then fired a second time. The process takes about four to six weeks.
Aphro at The Alley in Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ext., Makati, Tel. 0919-9908679
Family recipes in jars By Sau-Sawan
Chef Sau del Rosario has bottled goods inspired by his family’s recipes. “A big part of my success is mainly because of my Kapampangan roots,” the celebrated chef says. “And I want to share some of my mom’s and lola’s recipes with all.”
Cleverly named Sau-sawan, his goods include buro (fermented rice), atchara (pickled vegetables) and balo-balo (fermented rice with shrimp).
Tel. 0917-5560927
Food-theme shirts By Lazy Sunday
Young couple Patrick Go and Pamela Simbulan have a clothing line that combines his love of food and her love of design.
“Sunday was our only rest day,” says Pat. “As people tend to dress up on that day, Pam and I tend to dress in chill, relaxed clothes, and so we thought of this, inspired by life on Sundays. It’ll be all about food, culture and art.”
From food sketches to slogans, the shirts are original, witty, and handy for any lazy day.
Tel. 0917-5109757 or 0906-4126951
Healthy snacks By Honest Junk
Giving new meaning to snacking is Honest Junk, with its junk food made healthy.
It has gummy bears made with natural juice from calamansi and guyabano; cheese barks or gluten-free cheese crackers using artisanal cheese from Malagos Farms and fortified with superfood; and vegan cookies infused with superfood like cinnamon, chia, and green tea.
Aside from being proudly local, none of their products use artificial colors or flavors.
Tel. 0966-8612634
Spanish Bicolandia fare By ¡Buen Provecho!
Pili Laing Pesto Jam, Wild-caught Bagoong Fresca, Tuyo con Picante, Spiced Green Mango Jam—these are among the creations Kat de los Angeles introduces under her new brand ¡Buen Provecho!, a line of natural gourmet dips and tapenades with ingredients sourced from small farms across the country. It’s a most welcome expansion from her well-loved local homeware brand, Oliver & Maude Home.
Tel. 0917-1277979 or 6189513
Reusable towels By Gourmandise by Sunshine
Apart from baking delectable cookies and fixing charcuterie and cheese grazing tables, Sunshine Puey is also into crafting elegantly designed items like grocery bags and insulated cooler bags.
Her most unique and innovative product from this line is her “unpaper” towel, which is an eco-friendly alternative to regular paper towels. They are of the same size and shape, but unlike the paper variety, this can be reused. It’s more absorbent, earth-friendly and fun to use.
Tel. 0917-8832432
All things cacao By True Chocolate PH
PR consultant slash chocoholic Treena Tecson started with made-to-order, handcrafted gourmet chocolate bars, truffles and bonbons under her brand True Chocolate PH.
She has created a gift set that satiates a chocolate lover’s desires. In her box is a True Chocolate PH handcrafted dark chocolate bar, cacao nibs coated with coconut sugar, cacao tea, and chocolate tablea made with 100-percent pure cacao for a traditional hot chocolate.
Meals in minutes By Mom Made
Happy Ongpauco-Tiu is a busy restaurateur and mom who knows what a mother will be happy to get this Christmas—the gift of convenience. Her Mom Made products, frozen gourmet dishes, are ready for reheating. There’s Herb-Crusted Roast Beef, Beer-Battered Fish and Chips, and Cebu Lechon Belly. Her gift set also includes flowers, oven mitts and a bottle of champagne. —CONTRIBUTED
Tel. 0917-8990536
