“Think heart,” Maya says

Liberty Commodities, producers of the best selling Maya flour and mixes, celebrates the 50th year of their introduction in the market. Recently, they joined the campaign for healthy nourishment, thus the new tag on their boxes. To this end they offer a new a selection aimed at helping us attain wellness.

By using whole wheat in the pancake and carrot cake mixes, it is hoped that benefits derived from this grain would help reduce the risk of certain diseases. The new boxes come in attractive colors, retaining the old signature hues of Maya and injecting the color green.

We remember the beginnings of Maya, which to our mind was the company that pioneered the Culinary Exchange program among Asian countries decades ago. The young couple, Ernie and Nining Fajardo, organized cooking demos in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Tokyo, where the respected Nora Daza herded the young aspiring cooks and bakers who joined the “Great Maya Cookfest” for five consecutive years. Our neighbors hailed the exchange which was a two-way endeavor – we brought Philippine cuisine to foreign shores and we took in their culinary treasures in return.

Most participants have found their respective niches in the local food industry. Some have established their own restaurants in big and small cities in the country. A most prominent “graduate” among them is Jessie Sinsioco who rose from the ranks to successfully manage a much-patronized chain of restaurants.

On our recent visit to the Fajardos, we were happy to find Rory Subida, still holding the position of head of the Maya Culinary Center. Rory laid out for us an array of delicious and creatively made “Think Heart” snack foods. Congratulations to Maya for an enduring presence in a lot of Filipino homes.

Price Watch – Depending on where you buy your chicken, the price ranges from P122 to P134 a kilo. Take note that it is much cheaper to get the whole bird  than its parts, since the latter comes out more expensive. Olive oil, which certainly most of us will need to prepare our holiday food, is priced differently as well, in different outlets. Do not indulge in the extra virgin variant if you are using the oil only for cooking. Paella rice is not available in all stores, even supermarkets. It is sold in La Tienda in Makati. You have some alternatives for chorizo bilbao. Other less costly substitues, like the norenense,  can be found at Makati Supermarket.

To those doing spreads, paté, etc. to sell or give away, there are at least two sources for containers. We always go to SM for the ramekins to bake our chicken liver paté and to Robinsons for the ideal bottles for our cheese spread. Santi’s is the best place to get olive oil-immersed sun-dried tomatoes at P100 for 100 gms and imported biscuits (from P102 per) to go with your personally created holiday baskets. To date, Metro still has fresh cherries. The French items at Shopwise, especially the biscuits and cookies, are ideal to incorporate in your food baskets. It also has Filipino pasalubong items that you can give to your balikbayan visitors.

Don’t panic, pace yourself. Make a plan and calendar of what, when and for whom particular items are. Schedule your gift distribution. You can start as early as this week. Then when Christmas Day comes, you are free of stress and will enjoy the parties, merry making, and all the gifts.

It is great to work, always, on a plan. Do it now.

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