Order in Confusion

There’s too much of everything this Christmas season that one is likely to be confused. Indeed it is the time for giving and feasting. Ask anybody what he or she is busy with these days and the likely reply is “I have not finished my Christmas shopping.” Shopping, of course, means buying presents as well as getting the ingredients for the various dishes that must be prepared for the many gatherings that will certainly happen during the holidays. As one goes around looking for gifts and food items, she or he would be overwhelmed by the massive selection of items everywhere, almost begging to be bought.

The solution? Be organized. Make a list and a roadmap. Categorize your list – for gifts, consider the age group, gender, family, friends; for culinary needs, make specific groupings such as meat and fowl, seafood, seasonings, sauces and mixes, etc. Let there be order in your confusion. Check your budget, keeping in mind that prices are likely to escalate as C-day nears. If your pocket allows, buy items you can store well in advance. Schedule your shopping trips. Remember petrol is not cheap. When on the road, do not get diverted or tempted. Focus.

For the homemaker, the major concern is what to put on the holiday table. Finalize your menus. Which gatherings are you hosting, considering families normally take turns giving lunches, dinners, etc. Consider the shelf life of what you are buying. If you have a freezer or a big refrigerator, you can purchase meat and fowl weeks before you need them. Seafood is better fresh, so get them closest to serving date. Canned goods and those in tetrapacks normally show their expiry dates. Be sure they’re still good when you use them. Fruits and vegetables are perishable, although you can keep some of them in the refrigerator for a few days. Wines and beverages must not worry you, they will not spoil.

Meat and fowl: turkey always lends that special grand and festive element to any table. Practically every supermarket sells this from P264 a kilo. If it is a crown roast of lamb that you plan to serve, some butchers would be willing to make miniature chef’s toques to place on each rib. Pretty! There are capon chickens available as well, but they cost almost like the turkey per kilo.

Hams: If you hurry, you can buy an 800-gm King Sue cooked sweet ham and get a 100-gm luncheon meat for P278 at Shopwise. CDO, an amazingly progressive food manufacturer, has the Pista ham, while Purefood’s Fiesta ham continues to be popular. For the more discriminating, there are jamon serrano and parma ham. Of course, Santis has an extensive selection, including honey-cured ham in four sizes from 1.25 kilos to 3.50 kilos. Consult them for gourmet baskets. Housewives will be happy to note that the chain has opened a store at the Molito Mall on Madrigal Street, Ayala Alabang. They have sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil at P85 for 100 gms, a very good price.

What is Christmas without cheese? Australian gouda and edam are available. Some may contest this, but we find local brands Magnolia and Che Vital good enough to serve and to give away. For the Piña and Pato queso de bola fanatics, you will have to pay the price. Quite new is Danes cheeseball, still selling at a more expensive price than the locals. If you cook using a lot of chorizo bilbao, grab those you would chance upon in any outlet as they have started to disappear. We wonder if suppliers are keeping them for a higher selling price nearer Christmas time.

Cakes and pastries abound everywhere. It seems like all the women, homemakers, career ladies, even students have invaded the domain of the professional bakers. Visit any tiangge or food fair and you’ll see them there with their sweets and desserts.

The middle aisle of Power Plant in Rockwell has not been spared. We know some people who satiate their cravings, walking by such places, taking every tasting that is offered. Costa Brava is there with its yummy butter cake with sugar icing. There’s Flor’s Gold frozen food for the gods (original, choco chip and half and half, from P130 to P480). There’s The Kitchen of Fina Formoso Quimson selling cookies, jams, breads and pre-ordered food like Ed Quimson’s Iberian chicken, Marta’s fabada and beef lasagna. There’s even Gourmet Pao, selling a variety of siopao with unusual fillings, including pork sisig and bacon and cheese.

So there, you will not find it difficult to organize your holiday table. Go around, they are all available. You might even find truffles.

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