Monster cookies and other sweet discoveries
There are so many delightful things to eat, and they are found everywhere, made by people just like me—people who love to eat.
Meet chef Oliver Isidro of Oye Sabor (Instagram: @oye.sabor; Facebook: Oye Sabor).
Isidro has been a fixture in their kitchen since he was a boy. His greatest influence was his aunt, Edie Isidro, who owned a bakery in Marikina. It was there that Oli spent hours to watch the panaderos bake assorted breads and cakes all day.
Isidro took his interest further by studying at the New York Restaurant School, where he first delved into pastry arts and later explored the wonders of the hot kitchen.
Isidro found his way home 12 years ago, and has since caused quite a stir—for his cookies!
The size of your palm, Oli’s cookies are not just monstrous in size but also different, and curious. His cookie collection is a marvel. Oli is a self-confessed “Cookie Monster,” who likes his cookies done a certain way.
He described his perfect cookie as not too sweet, made using quality ingredients, and a perfect balance on the palate.
His cookie menu consists of Classic Chocolate Chip, Pistachio Dark Chocolate, Macadamia Chocolate Chip, White Walnut Cranberry, Quadruple Chocolate, and the Croissant Cookie.
All his cookies are sprinkled with Maldon sea salt, because of the baker’s penchant for sweet with a tinge of salty.
Aside from cookies, Oli has savory offerings that range from Marinated Kesong Puti (his bestseller) and a sandwich tray, to hot dishes like Bagnet Truffle Shiitake Pasta and Red Wine Pares. And since the “ber” months are upon us, he just launched his Salmon En Croûte.
By glancing at Oye Sabor’s menu, it is clear to me how those who take delight in discovering new ways of interpreting old-time favorites find it interesting.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
There’s a new home-based baker, with no prior baking experience, yet whose cakes have been satisfying plenty.
Marcelina de Guzman (Instagram: @craftedbycg) is another pandemic wonder. Her specialties are olive oil-based cakes kissed with citrus. Her business narrative is akin to that of many pandemic-born food merchants who had a tasty product and later decided to sell, upon the clamor of the people.
De Guzman sent her cakes to her loved ones during the lockdowns, doing so as a gesture of love, and a reminder that she was thinking of them, despite the isolation. What she strove for was a cake that was light and fresh, exuding the taste and flavor of every ingredient.
Her Lemon Olive Oil Torta is that type of cake. I had a slice of it, and I found it divine. Her vision of how she wanted her cake to be was achieved in one perfect bite.
She described the cake as inspired by the enchanting Amalfi Coast, made using the freshest, highest quality ingredients, handcrafted with love and passion.
Drizzle lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil before serving, she said, to further enhance the experience. The cake is best enjoyed with a cup of Earl Grey tea, or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Pouilly Fumé, she added.
I had mine with nothing, and it was still, as claimed, quite a delight. I cannot wait to have a slice of her Orange Cake.
‘Macapuno’ balls
One more! I couldn’t quite capture the taste of it! “One last”—This was me, going through the bag of macapuno balls that was gone before I knew it.
JM and Iya Lagdameo (Instagram: @iyasjpastillas), makers and innovators of the jumbo pastillas, came up with something as delightful and memorable to the bite as their pastillas: macapuno balls!
The Lagdameo macapuno balls are delicious, even for non-macapuno lovers. It is soft, chewy, rich and milky, with the right sweetness to it. They are simply addicting.
When I asked Iya what the back story was to their macapuno, she said, “There’s really no special story behind it. We just make it!”
The Lagdameos have indeed become masters of Pinoy confections.
DIY ‘ensaimada’
‘Tis the season of cheer! Why not try making your own ensaimadas?
A seasonal ensaimada-making workshop will be conducted next week by one of the most talented chefs, a genius in laminated breads, Kris Edison Tan, owner and head baker of Masa Madre and Amylase (Instagram: @masamadrebakeshop).
Tan will teach people how to make Three-Cheese Ensaimada, Traditional Mallorca (made with pork lard), and his own creation, the Sweet Crusted Ensaimada.
People think that ensaimadas are hard to make, especially when it gets to the cooling and shaping process. Tan disagrees. He said that the secret to it is to use a lot of butter. He assured that his ensaimadas can be duplicated at home, with minimal baking tools.
The classes come in three parts. First is the making of the sponge. Then comes the mastery of the coiling method, and finally, the proofing and the baking of the sweet bread.
Make Christmas extra special by learning how to make this classic.
