Here’s part two of my Christmas food gift suggestion list.

People throwing a grand party often look for a great variety of good food. But they often forget that, at times, simplicity still works.

For a large get-together of friends, I once prepared a huge kaldero of pochero and the guests loved it. Another time, for dinner, a friend from our Bible group, Yvette Mapua, prepared a simple “hit the spot” breakfast spread.

I love kare-kare. Each Filipino home makes this dish like adobo. One version I tried took the standard to a whole new level. This version had tender morsels of flabby, sticky, tender and delicious ox tail.

The balance of the fatty tail and the tender meat worked well. The orange sauce was slightly thick and sticky from the gelatin of the ox tail. Delicious!

It was one of the best, if not the best, I had ever tried. It also had the typical veggies and went perfectly well with homemade bagoong. This is an example of a simple, straight dish that could make a successful dinner.

For a kare-kare party, tel. 0916-5905630

Chinese roasts

Eat Fresh is known for affordable Chinese roasts. It has branches in San Juan, BF Homes Parañaque, Banaue and Marikina.

I always order soy chicken, barbecue roast pork, roast duck, lechon Macao, and especially the braised noodles with beef tendon. I cannot eat the roasts without a bowl or two of piping-hot steamed rice.

Torta Torrejon looks like an unfinished sans rival. It’s a creation of the family of Manny Torrejon of the famous Manolo’s Kitchen, which offers Spanish cuisine.

In a sans rival, I love the chewy and crunchy baked egg-white part with the toasted almonds. Sometimes, the buttery frosting can be too sweet.

There’s also the sweet and delicious filling between the chewy layers. I am sure it will be a favorite at any party. (Tel. 0919-9964989)

Food for the Gods by Flor Jimenez is a family recipe. This version is well-made and pretty hard to beat. A must-try. (Tel. 0917-5704678)

Pastry chef Sunshine Puey’s flavored éclairs and chocolate chip cookies are winners. But I put the wrong cell number last week. (Here’s the correct one: tel. 0917-8832432)

I love pies with savory fillings. Rina Andrews makes a variety of delicious ones. (Tel. 0917-8381218)

Japan food tour: Jan 22-27, Hokkaido; Feb. 16-21, Kyushu. E-mail [email protected].

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