Choices

That’s what one would have shopping at Cost-U-Less on E. Rodriguez Avenue in Libis, Quezon City. That means when you don’t want to spend much, you can control yourself and do it. When there’s more money in your pocket, you can splurge. Not that we would advise you to do that often, but just in case, there’s a lot to suit one’s fancy in this warehouse-type store.

To start with, there are what are called cobblers, frozen ice cream bars and fruit juice bars in separate coolers located on the left side of the entrance. The former is much like what we get from the more popular brands, and they cost as much as the high-end ones. The label is Happy Indulgence and indeed, indulge one would, with such flavors as cappuccino. The former costs P89.75 per while the latter goes for P59.75. For the health-conscious there’s yogurt. Alongside this display are the Bounty Fresh grillers, where roasted chicken costs P199.95 a piece.

There are lots of shirts and blouses, towels and trousers, but we were past gift-giving time. Neither are we replenishing our wardrobe. We were more concerned about how cheap or expensive their food items are. So we headed straight to the edibles. For rice, there’s Farmer’s Choice with Intan at P274.75 for a sack of 10 kilos, Dinorado at P282.75, a few pesos more than our usual supplier charges us. When buying your rice, do not be content with the tag Whole Grain; examine it very well because in most instances they are not 100% whole. More honest suppliers label theirs "85% whole".

Cook with olive oil a lot? Be cautious, it costs much more these days, even in other outlets. A 2- lite virgin olive oil bottle is tagged at P739.75; extra light is the same price. Get the latter for cooking, anyway. The imported items are where the pocket would hurt the most. We had good company in our kitchen assistant–she made us stick to simply doing research and nothing more. An extensive inventory of Durkee seasonings might tempt gourmets, but they cost a lot starting at P229.75 a bottle of 13 oz. You might want to settle for McCormick products, which are just as good as enhancers.

One good buy we made was canned Sun Lee bamboo shoots, made in Thailand (they have gone past the Philippines in manufacturing and marketing indigenous products, making us wonder how much revenue are we losing to them) for P32.75. They don’t have the rather unpleasant smell of the fresh kind in the markets. We did a good pork in labong with this. The produce section of Cost U Less is not much better than elsewhere. Mangoes were at P99 a kilo (against P85 at Pelican and Dizon), red onions at P87.75 while the white were at P44.

The meat products were not quite to our satisfaction. We got the sinigang cut pork (P176.25 a pack of more than a kilo) but if we did not cook it immediately, it would have spoiled. Sirloin goes for P277.25 a kilo. We stayed away from all the imported ready-to-cook packages, because we are convinced that making our own lobster bisque and lasagna would be cheaper and healthier, as they’d be freshly-made.

Lately we have taken to canned iced coffee as a refreshing drink in the afternoons. Locally produced (Universal Robina) Great Taste and that of Nescafe (manufactured in Singapore) are priced at least P2 less here than in other commercial outlets.

A point where the store scores big is in the attitude of the staff. The young men and women there are gracious and accommodating. Certainly something that must be emulated by some other outlets we know.

We missed Brother Bakers on President Avenue in BF Homes, Parañaque but eventually found them, under a new name, Baker’s Bread Box on Aguirre, near the church. Now we can continue to enjoy our favorite foccacia bread.

Those who started baking and subsequently selling their cakes and pastries during the past holiday season should continue, if they have the time and if they take pleasure in it. Del Monte has come up with a quartet of products that would make baking much easier, without the tedious chores of peeling, cutting and mincing ingredients such as bananas and pineapples. These are Instant Piña Filling, Banana Puree, all-purpose light syrup and maple syrup, easy to use and easy to store. Can you imagine Ensaymada de Piña and Choco-Banana Mousse? The experts at Del Monte say you can make them. Interested homemakers can call Del Monte Food Service Group at tels. 810-7510 to 06, 848- 1896 or log on to [email protected]. Bake and earn!

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