A most gifted artist

Time was when cakes came only in the usual shapes – round, rectangle, rolls – decorated with flowers and small figurines. They were either one-layered or tiered. Over the years, bakers have come up with varied innovations and motif-centered decor. But a notch above today’s legion of pastry makers is a lady by the name of Penk Ching. Her fame spread fast and far after she started producing very creative wedding/birthday specials. But her artistry soared even higher when, for a famous drink, she designed and executed the likeness of the massive Olympic stadium built in Beijing for the Games. Not a few plaudits were thrown her way.

Recently, another masterpiece came out of her oven and creative hands, a number called “The Vases of Luck,” which proudly won silver during Asia’s First Culinary Cup organized by the World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) held in Bangkok recently. The beautiful piece is a work of art, consisting of ornately designed sugar crafted vases, one inside another. Others who made an impact in the event were Peachy Juan and James Antolin.

We have noted various victories of Filipino culinary delegations in regional and international competitions. The pastry chefs in country have banded together to form the Pastry Alliance of the Philippines (PAP), aimed at being the most dynamic advocate of Filipino talent in baking and pastry art. Those interested in the group can contact PAP president Buddy Trinidad at 0917-801-0038.   

Our search for Pomace olive oil led us to Q&H Foods Inc. , importers and distributors based in the Campos Rueda Building at 22 N. Domingo, Quezon City (tel. 671-7549 to 50 and 672-2600). As they do bulk sale, if you and/or your families use a lot of their products, you can order by the carton and divide the contents among yourselves. The Olivena brand of extra virgin olive oil costs P1,550 a bottle of 5 liters. They come in boxes of four. Sansur’s, also Spanish, is at P1,500 per 5 liter bottle while the 2-liter pure oil is sold at P550 each. Other products they carry include pitted olives (green and black), whole peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, parmesan cheese, cherries, mayonnaise, even catsup and relish.

We did not realize there was more to coffee than grinding the beans, blending and serving it in a cup. While we all have enjoyed this beverage for years and years, the session on coffee cupping held recently by the Philippine Coffee Board was an eye-opener, the better for us to cherish every sip. What is called ‘cupping’ is a laborious process involving smelling, slurping and remembering flavor notes. The ‘cuppers’ (there are few in the country) taste or ‘cup’ each sample harvest before proceeding with roasting. It’s quite a sight, witnessing the process, especially when the slurping is done.

The recent floods brought havoc to the coffee-producing Mountain Province, Benguet, Ifugao and Kalinga. It is now an uphill battle to harvest enough to meet demands and for the tillers to survive. The farmers need help. Thus the Philippine Coffee Board, in celebration of Coffee Month, held the Coffee Origins event during which proceeds from sales were diverted to the relief fund meant to rehabilitate the farms in Northern Luzon.    

A new player at Greenbelt 2 in Makati is Conti’s Pastry Shop and Restaurant, offering the food, cakes and pastries that have gained the approval of diners who want delicious food in a friendly and pleasant place plus value for money. They have gone a long way indeed from their beginning in BF Homes, Parañaque City. The Greenbelt restaurant is much bigger with a function room on the second floor. On the day we visited, we stayed away from our usual favorites and tried pumpkin soup, the Pilipino paella and the salmon salpicao. Of course we did not miss dessert, a generous slice of oreo cheesecake and brought home a box of assorted brownies. Like always, we had a good meal.

Price watch – can you believe a bunch of kangkong now costs P15, a hundred per cent more than what it was before the calamities hit the country? And about six strings of sitao are P21? Mangoes are between P100 and P110 a kilo, tomatoes, although they are big and beautifully red, have gone up to P60 a kilo. Sirloin in a supermarket is tagged at P368 a kilo. There are quite a lot of seabass (apahap) in the market at more than P300 a kilo. Even galungong is now quite pricey.            

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