Chocolate Encounters: Parvati and Med Chef

Down with the sugar-free diet this December! With all those red and gold boxes filled with chewy and chocolate surprises, it would be sad not to partake in the holiday binge. Horrible even, letting glorious food in the fridge and the cookie jars go to waste.

And so, even before the month begins, I’ve started my stash. Let the season begin!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (by Vine’s Bakeshop, bought at Parvati Trinoma at P165 for 1 dozen).

The cookies are topped with a gigantic chocolate cube that nearly covers the entire diameter. The cookie itself is mildly sweetened, giving the chocolate the center stage for sweetness. Mindlessly, I could probably finish half a box in one sitting. Good with tea, better when heated. I tried eating one straight from the fridge and the chocolate put up a fight with my incisor. Okay, in the oven you go, you stubborn little cookie.

[caption id="attachment_1020" align="aligncenter" width="819" caption="Clockwise from back left: Cream Cheese Brownie, Almond Brownie, Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, Crinkles"][/caption]

Chocolate Crinkles (by Joanne’s Kitchen, bought at Parvati Trinoma at P65 for 4 cookies)

Crinkles are barely baked wrong, unless they’re burnt crisp and turn into biscuits, so these crinkles make the cut for being fresh and moist. At roughly P16 per crinkle, there’s a reason why there are only 4 in a box: each crinkle is filling enough, one is all you need for that chocolate high.

Med Chef Brownies and Revel Bars (bought at Mercato Centrale, P3 for 100)

That gigantic tub holds an assortment of flavors, even my photographic memory could not keep up with the chatty vendor—brownies, that thing with almonds on top, peanuts on top, cream cheese brownies, revel bars, etc. Truthfully, I stopped at revel bars because that’s all I wanted, but the vendor just went on until the very last row, and by that time, we all needed a drink. However to reward her memory skills, I bought a revel bar, cream cheese brownie and that light brown pastry topped with almonds (Was it caramel? Food for the gods? I’ll never know.)

The cream cheese brownie and the almond brownie (Okay, I’ll just call it that.) were on the crumbly side. I tasted them during a football match, and no matter how carefully my fingers picked at them, they broke easily and left crumbs all over my seat. The revel bar was terrific and oat-filled but yielded sticky chocolate residue and so, lesson learned: Be civilized. Do not eat with your fingers!

The recourse for the crumbly brownies was to bring them home, leave them in the fridge and eat them 1) really cold, or 2) after being reheated in the oven. The revel bar never made it home, but they must taste great after reheating as well.

Ah yes, I seem to be wholly dependent on the oven toaster for improving the taste and texture of most to-go items, as it does a wonderful job of bringing back that “freshly baked” goodness.

For those who haven’t decided on what to give me for Christmas, forget the food and the sweets, I think I’d very much like a new oven toaster. :)

Brunch at Mercato Centrale

Last time we visited Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio Global City, it was Aubergine or nothing. The aubergine-tomato dip spiced with turmeric was simply amazing and even for a minute, I considered making eggplant my new favorite vegetable. Cheesy potatoes and Hungarian sausages filled up the meat eaters and the sugar-free Carrot Cake was a no-brainer for dessert - that was one Mercato feast that made it in my mental gastronomic moments.

The recurrence of the Mercato craving got us to brave Saturday EDSA traffic (on a November) in pursuit of our other favorites: ravioli, truffle fries, fish and chips and of course, the aubergine-tomato dip. Unfortunately all seemed to be in hibernation on that scorching day.

We ended up with lesser delights: Spinach and mushroom lasagna (P115), Beef tacos and tuna on malunggay taco shells (P100 per tray), Schueblig/Hungarian sausages (p150 for 2), and Med chef desserts (3 for P100).

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

"Vegetarian lasagna!" was what the vendor screamed when I inquired about meat content of the Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna. True to her words of foodie wisdom, the dish contained no meat but was filled with loads of cream. No one wanted to taste my lasagna and I was left to finish all the mushy portions on my plate, which left me "creamed" right after.

Buy 1 Take 1 Sausages

 The sausages were nothing extraordinary, but are a steal for buy-on-take-one at P150. Available in 4 variants, including cheese, sausage-lovers would find this deal quite enticing. Now if only there were nachos around.

Tuna on Malunggay Taco Shells

The malunggay tacos were wasabi green and had an odd mayo sauce that would've tasted better without it. But without it, there would've been nothing left because the tuna was merely a dollop which I barely tasted. For P100 I suppose we're better off with real tacos or nachos that would at least warrant an authentic burp!

The Med Chef brownies (photos in my next entry) were dry and crumbly and left oil marks on the paper bag, probably on account of the heat wave. I just wonder how long they've been baking in the heat or if all those desserts ever get purchased in a day. The revel bar tasted better though, eaten 8 hours later - but that must've been the sun's work. For 3 pieces at P100, my advice is bring them home, pop in the toaster and enjoy with tea!

As a person who normally eats slow, this was one brunch that ended in haste, in my opinion. The heat did nothing but make the dining experience more uncomfortable, and there was one recourse to this: Jamba Juice.

Should I be obliged to return to Mercato in the future, I've decided to plan my meals and purchases. It may not be the healthiest option, but I'll live: Green Tea Mochiko, Cupcakes by Anita and that sugar-free Carrot Cake by Low Cal. Sugar high, here we come!

Oh, and don't forget, H2O!

Who's Afraid of the Big Bread Monster?

Not me. I’m actually rather fond of it, and I bet you would too, if you give it a pet, errr… taste.

First spotted in the Ateneo de Manila University cafeteria, Bread Monster roared into existence as a school-based kiosk that specializes in cookies, cupcakes and pastries. Famous for its Blue Eagle Brownies and other thematic goodies, Bread Monster has clawed its way to the mainstream trade, finally showering its treats outside the Eagles’ lair.

A mainstay stall at the TriNoma Ground Floor (near Mercury Drugstore), Bread Monster offers the same set of sweet treats, sans the penchant for blue. Bestseller S’mores Cookies (P130 per pack) dishes out everyone’s favorite in a chewy cookie form, made more gooey with its marshmallow infused batter. Other cookies in the fare are just as luscious and chewy—from chocolate chip cookies to the traditional oatmeal cookies.

Not to be outdone, the Chocolate Cupcake is just as divine—not the best way to describe a monster but taste it and lash out words such as heavenly, blissful and indulgent. The chocolate cupcakes are moist and rich but without the excessive sweetness that would make you reach out for your toothbrush. It may not be leviathan in size, but it’s monstrously packed with chocolate goodness; even just one can take you straight to Cloud Nine.

Last but not the least are the best tasting bars the Bread Monster has hatched for our snacking revelry. Seek no more, Bread Monster’s Revel Bars (P160 for 8 pieces) are guaranteed to unleash our predatory instincts, no matter how hidden they stay, no matter what diet you think you’ve pledged yourself to. Rich in chocolate and oats with its delicate sweet base, each bite is sure to bring you to a delectable high. Watch one box sink into a mouthful abyss. Heat it up and pair with ice cream and get that dessert kick. Unlike other commercial revel bars that crumble even before they’re halfway near your mouth, this is one monster you’d want into keep in your pantry, fridge and bedside.

Don’t be afraid of the Bread Monster. It’s cheap, conveniently located and bellowing with baked goodness.

And best of all, it’s wicked!