New deli in Alabang

Makati Supermarket in Alabang has a new deli named Pacifica, carrying items imported from Spain, Italy and France. Very timely for those wanting to have premium cheeses, chorizos, etc., for the coming holiday season.

The items come canned, frozen or packed. There is canned paella for P255. This is practical for those who have no time to do the dish from scratch. There is red sweet pepper at P178 for a 280 gm can which will be good for cooking caldereta. The lentil con salsa at P155 as well as the chick peas with pork at P140 are good to store up for an emergency snack or meal. Then there are the hams – Iberico at P2,000 a kilo, Pechuga de Pavo for P1,026 – and the chorizos – mild at P295, Pamplona and Chistoria and yes, Bilbao for P290 a pack of four pieces.

The cheeses will definitely delight any gourmet (or gourmand) and any discriminating home cook/hostess – among them gouda with pesto for P165 a hundred grams; aged pecorino, P130; parmegiana at P170 and brie at P160. Feast on Pacifica’s offerings and allow the family to enjoy a good selection of premium European deli specials. They’ve got sauces and spreads too – tapenade, café and almond, Moroccan mango chutney, mayonnaise and various other dressings.

We have wondered what slow food was really about. We thought it consisted of slow-cooked food, like allowing beef, pork or chicken to cook slowly over low fire to tenderize and to infuse its flavors. Now comes the Slow Food Movement, which our good friend Chit has enlightened us about. It has existed for 25 years, founded in Italy and has spread through the US, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan and now the Philippines. It believes in good, clean and fair practices. In its various events, such as that held in October in Turin, Italy, the Philippines joined the exhibit of heirloom varieties that are near extinction, such as Kalinga rice. It is regrettable that modern farming has endangered life seeds of the likes of siling labuyo and the barako, which has been replaced by the Robusta. The Batanes garlic and the Davao pomelo, like many others, also need to be protected. The farmers must be given support (by the government). It is a big job, but it can be done.

The battle cry is “celebrate local food, save endangered species.” There is going to be a slow food gathering, Terra Madre Day or Mother Earth Day, on Dec. 13 hosted by Slow Food International. This will be a worldwide celebration of local food.

We got this clarification from Bawai’s the Vietnamese Kitchen – it’s a branch of the main restaurant in Tagaytay which continues to welcome guests from Friday to Sunday.

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