Eleven and still counting

About ten years ago, a brother brought home a loaf of bread with an unfamiliar brand. He was so enthusiastic about how tasty it was. It was Gardenia, at that time only starting their operation after having entered into a business partnership with a Singapore-based company. Today they have just marked their 11th year, with the launch of the newest plant, the 6K in Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna. They have come a long way indeed – with the capacity of 6000 loaves a day (thus the 6K) and a 60 percent share of the market in Metro Manila and Luzon, plus expansion in Eastern Visayas and a vision to hit Mindanao. Quite a record. For five straight years, Gardenia has been named Outstanding Bread Manufacturer by the Consumers’s Union of the Philippines.

The new plant, sitting on more than two hectares, includes three loaf plants, a pan de sal bun plant and a snack cake plant. We were guests at the very organized tour where we were amazed at how not a single grain is touched by human hands. For about half an hour, we passed through the various sectors – one, where the dough goes through a machine leading to where the moulds are; to baking; then to the two towers (each we calculated as being two-storeys high), a duo that impressed us with thousands of loaves on each level, leading to the packaging section. Quite an engrossing way to make bread. 

The company has innovated on a selection of variants, while keeping the original white bread, the newest being the nutty cinnamon loaf topped with frosted sugar and choco cranberry, an ideal partner to coffee or tea. The bread is versatile, it can be a frozen delight, sticks, pizza or caesar. It’s the homemaker’s option to do what pleases her family. Put your imagination to work.

When great cooks converge, nothing else would happen except a day of fine dining, even away from 5-star hotels and restaurants. When our friends Bingle and Conchita invited us to take a break and join them at Kawayan Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas, we dropped everything and hopped onto the van with them. Kawayan Cove is a haven, a paradise of lush foliage and white sandy beach, private and secluded. This is the place for a peaceful retreat. It has the most beautiful sunset, rivaling that of Manila Bay. When lucky, fresh catch is offered by native fishermen.

That day of our arrival, we had a most soothing pospas with all the condiments and puto that was so ideally warm, we could not help having more than two pieces. Dinner was definitely 5-star! We have not seen ulang that big – about half a foot each, with the flesh from the head enough to fill a strongly-craving hungry stomach. The following day was another feast as Kit, the hostess’ niece, did her thing in the kitchen. We could not help asking for the recipes of her dishes. The amazing thing is she did not use salt. To start with, she served a salad with a special wafu Japanese dressing she brought. While still not available locally, maybe we can get an alternative from Japanese groceries in the city. This is actually Japanese vinaigrette, smooth, creamy with a nutty flavor brought about by roasted sesame seeds. Then we had baked salmon topped with spring onions, slices of celery, round cut ginger, drizzled with sesame oil. Perfect after baking on low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Her creativity showed even more when she skewered lemon grass stems through chicken thighs. The dressing consisted of green curry powder, mirin wine, tamari sauce and roasted sesame seeds, grilled then garnished with cubes of ripe mango. There, we got two new recipes – and so did you, dear readers.

On the way back , the pit stop was at Robinsons along the highway. Here we found a tent of various food items, from fresh fruits to juices. Mangoes, sweet and big, sold at P85 a kilo, lakatan banana at P45. New to us are the Mango Marsmallows, 5- in-1 powder of turmeric, ginger, sambal and pandan from P60 to P70 a bottle, Delfa’s Coffee Alamid at P600 for a pack of 100 grms., Pat and Kat’s chips. Inside the supermarket, the Saturday crowd was milling about the meat and fish sections. Price tags are as follows – cream dory, P320 a kilo; salmon belly, P390; shrimps, not so big at P590; beef rib eye at P400; caldereta cut at P206; and ribs at P206.

It is good to keep in mind that there’s such a stop going to Tagaytay, an assurance that anything that could have been missed in the preparation for the trip is readily available at this pitstop.

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