A fabulous taste of Manila’s signature dishes

Moi truly enjoyed the company of the hard-to-match, fabulous Unilever famille and the equally spectacular cuisine during the book launch of Unilever’s special cookbook, Food Solutions’ “Signature Dishes 2011” that has pages of the darlings of culinary inspiration, delectable recipes, and stories from 11 of our town’s top international chefs, headed by the talented chef Cyrille Soenen of Restaurant Cicou, palanggas, who recreated three recipes in the book exclusively for VIP invitees that included moi.

“‘Signature Dishes 2011’ is Unilever Food Solutions’ way of giving back and touching the lives of food lovers and professionals in the Philippine food service industry, by providing them with inspiration every day in the most enticing and creative way, to create signature dishes that will satisfy and excite their guests,” said brilliant Pinky Laurena, Unilever Food Solutions managing director.

The cookbook also offers tips in wine pairing for the perfect epicurean experience, and pointers in developing that signature flair that will continue to draw in diners. The UFS’ “Signature Dishes 2011” will be available exclusively for UFS’ partners in July and out in leading bookstores nationwide this August. Pick up a copy and start mixing sophistication, flavor and inspiration in every dish served.

Chef Cyrille Soenen and his wife, French-educated southern belle Anna Ascalon, entertained me endlessly, letting me sample his to-die for pamora farm egg cocotte with duck liver and leeks and mushroom sauce, along with another southern belle, one of Unilever’s movers and shakers, Stratworks, Inc.’s account manager Grace Bermejo.

“A signature dish of any good chef holds the potential to captivate the palate and fascinate the imagination. From the selected ingredients to the chef’s culinary zeal, it’s the inspiration that truly makes a signature dish unique and well-loved by the most discerning guests. With this cookbook and Unilever Food Solutions, any restaurateur can be on the right track to crafting their trademark flair,” says the chef par excellance.

For more info, check out foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com or call tel.no. 588-8855.

Grab a copy of the marvelous “Signature Dishes 2011,” palanggas, as it hits bookstores nationwide this August. You’ll love the awesome, totally divine recipes. I know I did.

Fashion all you can at Greenbelt

The Greenbelt 5 Gallery was magically transformed into a glammed-up fashion fair housing the renowned namedropables in the design world, dahlings, who showed their hip trend-setting pieces and specialty items available exclusively for all you shopaholics like me, with incredible marked-down prices, no less. These merchants dished out unique treats to lucky shoppers during the event. There was also on-the-spot design sketching by Dan Duran and styling consultation and fashion tips from Alyanna Martinez.

All those ready to dish-out their credit cards and cash had a ball, while getting buzzed with overflowing cocktails from Belvedere Vodka and hors d’oeuvres from yummy Bizu, while gorgeous host Bianca Valerio went around enticing mall-goers to visit each merchant’s booths as DJ Mike Bolante infused his music mixes for more fun while spending, palanggas.

Moving on, the second installment of the Style Souk was at Greenbelt 3, Ground Level. This time the big spenders enjoyed unique activities, items, artists in action, and more shopping, natch!! from Gymboree, House of Obagi, Bratpack, Puma, Marks and Spencer, Urban Athletics, Bayo, CK Jeans and Springfield, plus Swatch and Segnatempo. To set the party vibe, local bands Techie Romantics and Taken by Cars played party grooving, electronic rock music.

July really hit a high point, palanggas, with sale prices at down from 50 percent to 70 percent, and stories from women who shared their memorable moments through the clothes.

It’s not too late to load up on fashion like you never did before at the Ayala malls, palanggas.

Mags on the catwalk

The popular and super successful Mags boutique is known for its yearly event called “Mags on the Catwalk,” a fashion show where the models were all the valued customers of Mags, palanggas. This year, a few months before its vivacious achiever and owner Mags Calpito Cue opened her latest Mags outlet at the ultra-modern Abreeza Mall in Davao, she had a full-house fashion presentation at SM City Davao with 46 models—teenagers, professionals, businesswomen, young mothers and even super-game grandmamas, joined by Mags celebrity endorser, the alluring Cristine Reyes, no less.

You’ll find Mags Boutiques in your nearest malls, including Robinsons Place Ermita and Iloilo, Ayala Center Cebu, Abreeza Mall Davao City, and Pavilion Mall, among others. Check it out.

CWC at 90

The Catholic Women’s Club, founded in 1921 by a group of women with a common vision to help the poor, is celebrating this year the 90th anniversary of its continuing caring and sharing.

To commemorate the milestone meaningfully, president Mimi Valerio announced a list of events for the whole year, starting last June with the Annual Tea, a traditional event meant to foster unity and fellowship among the members.

The second activity is the Extravaganza 2011, a spectacular dinner-dance presentation featuring the world famous Bayanihan Dance Company with the special participation of CWC members and their families. It will be held at the Shangri-La Hotel Makati on Sept. 3, 2011, at 6:30 p.m., dahlings.

A raffle of 10 pieces of jewelry donated by generous patron and member Imelda Cojuangco will highlight the ball. Cats Motors’ Mercedes Benz is co-presentor of the grand event, which is chaired by past president Nonie T. Basilio.

The final activity this year is the “Clothes for a Cause,” palanggas, that will be held at the Glorietta Activity Center on Nov. 18, 19, 20 and 21, through the generosity of Ayala Land, Inc. and Bea Zobel, a committed benefactor and member.

This is just the beginning, dahlings; there’s more to follow.