Everything Spanish

Should one want to cook Iberian or give various Spanish food items as gifts this Christmas, the store to visit is La Tienda (43 Polaris, Bel-Air, Makati). Here one finds everything Spanish, from unique ingredients to kitchen utensils. Upon entering the store one is delighted by all the goods on their display racks. The temptation to cook Spanish overwhelms.

To start with, there are El Cid paelleras made of authentic standard granite, in various sizes, costing from P595 to P1,500. They also come non-stick with teflon. Quite convenient. Casuelas are ceramic casseroles, also in different sizes, which can go from stove to table. They are lovely in earth colors. They need to be soaked in water for about 2 hours before use so the clay bottom will firm up.

As for food, name it, La Tienda has it. Special paella rice sells for P80 a kilo pack; mild paprika at P225 per bottle of 200 gms; yellow food coloring, which we use for a lovely hue, is at P90 a bottle of 100 gms and will go a long way. Their Sansur brand olive oil costs a few pesos less than in other stores – from P250 to P450 for the extra virgin, while the pure variant is at P300. Azafran (saffron), the ingredient that spells the difference among all paellas, comes in packs of three for P100. They have herbal flavor at P125. Canned fava beans, ready-to-serve, are available.

More canned items are available, including olives, peaches in syrup, bonito (fish) flakes. A selection of wines is offered, like the Rioja from Marques de Caceres. For those with a sweet tooth, choose the turron alicante. Check out their holiday gift baskets that start at P1,400 each. The deli items include Chistorra chorizo, good to serve as appetizer,  jamon serrano, and manchego cheese (our fave).

Visit La Tienda, go Spanish – you’ll find a lot that would suit your budget and your taste.

Ed Quimson is one chef that is so creative. One of his most recent creations is paella tinola. Eh what? Yes, he has turned chicken tinola into paella, a dish he introduced at the launch of Mandarin Hotel’s “Paskuhan sa Paseo Uno” which goes on regular run from Dec. 5 to 18. The hotel has decided to go Pinoy this season and who better to explore the many flavors of our food than Ed and his partner Booj Supe? We delighted in his version of the chicken dish, which is devoid of the soup but retains the original taste in a dish that is moist enough to savor the broth it was cooked in.

Within the “Paskuhan sa Paseo Uno“ run, there will be three menu cycles. Call the Mandarin to time your visits. Featured dishes include bangus relleno, balut paté, ginataang sugpo sa piña, fried chicken sampaloc, binagoongan sa calamansi at iba pa.

Charisse, our friend at Mandarin, told us about their new offering during dinnertime at Paseo – free beverages (unlimited) for those who will take their evening buffet.

Likewise, to help their clients with their gift-giving needs, here are some suggestions from the Mandarin. Their signature items and long-time favorites include duck foie gras terrine, paté de champagne, paté de canard noilly peat, liver paté, homemade jams in pineapple, cinnamon, mango and lemon. They all come in festive packaging. Any of their gift baskets will also bring cheers of joy from those who receive it. Aside from the hotel’s deli and cake shop, Mandarin also has a display at Power Plant Mall, Rockwell. Executive chef Roberto and Tivoli executive sous chef are there every Saturday.

Having been born and raised amid modest circumstances, beauty queen Venus Raj appreciates that underprivileged children need help. She supports the UN World Food Program (WFP) and Yum! Brand’s hunger relief campaign, which was launched recently at Pizza Hut in SM Cubao. 

WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Yearly they assist more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries including the Philippines. Pizza Hut has turned over P4.5 M to their school feeding program in Central Mindanao. Each customer is a potential donor to this campaign; every taco meal bought gives P10 to the program, while buying a postcard yeilds a P40 donation.

E-mail comments and questions to [email protected]