Quality Suffers

We will endeavor to keep a price watch as much as we can. As the cost of gas and cooking fuel continues to escalate, the quality and quantity of commodities have suffered, surely due to business profit and loss situation. Take the case of our favorite Italian-influenced restaurant chain; our most recent lunch was actually a disappointment. The flat bread sandwich we ordered had salmon that was so thinly sliced we could hardly taste it. It didn’t even cover the bread. The Pasta, while perfectly al dente, had a small pinch of anchovy and was so dry, the kitchen must have tried to save on olive oil.

At a Chinese restaurant at the Shangri-La Plaza, street level, no house tea is offered, not even if one were willing to pay for it. The waiter instead suggested flavored tea, which surely would cost much more. This outfit should also train their staff to be more discreet and speak in lower tones.

Is this smuggling or ‘contracted’ business? A recent trip to Divisoria revealed that some snack foods are selling at prices much much lower than in regular stores and supermarkets. These are imported items that find their way to Chinese-dominated Divisoria after some sort of "arrangement" is made between the merchant and the government arm in charge of clearing them. We gather that even without an inventory of a shipment (no matter how large), a ‘fixed’ amount is paid and the merchandize is soon out in the stores. Where does the money go?

Wet market prices–pork is still at P145 a kilo, beef kenchi at P170 and two pieces of medium size bangus cost P240. Small saba bananas (Tagalog) sells at P1.50; the bigger ones at P2 each.

Good news: A new Dizon’s Farm outlet is open at The Fort, right by the popular donut store. At a recent Food Expo, Dizon was approached by importers interested in their bottled sauces (which are very good). They have this Special Bagoong, always requested by our second daughter who lives in Cairo. The company is awaiting final approval from the BFAD, which should hurry up, so this Filipino company does not miss the opportunity to go international.

Speaking of Go Nuts Donuts, the pila is still there. At five minutes before opening time (8 a.m.), a short line had already formed. By the time we got out of the place, after approximately 20 minutes, the queue was that long.

Per readers’ requests, here are two Quick and Easy Recipes. Korean-inspired Stir-fried Beef. You need one fourth kilo of tender beef (either sirloin, rib eye or tapadera), sliced thin and in squares. Marinate in a combination of soy sauce, crushed garlic, sesame oil, oyster sauce and sugar. Let stand for about an hour. Stir-fry and when nearly done, add slices of spring onions. Serve at once.

Stir fry medium sized prawns. Heat olive oil, add prawns and cook until they turn pinkish. Add crushed garlic, left over wine, salt and pepper and then a small can of tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Do not over cook. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley a few minutes before serving.

There’s currently a very strong campaign to promote coconut oil. Homemakers may not be aware but from advertisements in media, one manufacturer announced their use of coconut oil in producing their product. We have heard two diverting opinions regarding this, one pro and the other con. We noted that our friends at the San Miguel-PureFoods Culinary Center recently demonstrated the use of its new product, the Magnolia (coconut) Nutri-Oil in fried ice cream! This oil has good cholesterol and helps the digestive system, hence is ideal for frying. It must be available now, in two sizes ,500 ml and 1 liter. While we need a little more convincing, we feel we must try this soon. We will have to check the price, compared to canola and corn oils.

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