My Secret Veggie Source

In the Philippines, where almost all food is laced with some form of animal-based ingredient, if not made entirely of flesh, vegetarian options are hard to come by. From the usual fish sauce (Patis) or fish paste (Bago-ong) commonly used for dipping or cooking, to the roast pig (Lechon), eaten in its entirety, rarely will you find a savory dish in this country suitable for vegetarians, much less for vegans. Although there are many dishes that can be decently prepared without meat while remaining fairly true to its original flavor, it is rare to find them readily available.

So, with our usual family fare of pasta, pakbet, labong, adobong kangkong, pansit, fritters, munggo, lumpia, torta, curries and oh so many more, all eaten as-is or with rice, and prepared with absolutely no meat or animal-based products, it is nice to break the monotony and try something different now and then.

There is this place I go to in Makati, where I secure practically all of my vegetarian products from. The place is called Veggie Boutique and the reason I choose to go there instead of the other shops deep in QC, Binondo or Laguna is because of two important factors: Accessibility and Price. The products I get there allow me and my family to prepare something out of the ordinary.

It is there that I get my fresh tofu, magic meat, mushroom sauce and other supplies. They have frozen items too, my favorites being the barbeque (P50 for 4 sticks) and mock corned beef (P60/200g pack), which are both home-made. Other home-made items are also available, such as frozen ham (P130/500g) and ready-to-eat chicharon (P20). They likewise carry imported vegetarian products, mostly from Taiwan, and organic products such as brown rice (P80/2 kilos), mascovado (P80/Kilo) and virgin coconut oil (P120/500ml.). Condiments available include home-made catsup (no onions or garlic), vegetarian seasoning, mushroom oyster sauce, veg patis and a whole lot more. Take note, as a meat replacement, Gluten costs just P90 a kilo, much less than flesh meat but more filling and definitely healthier, unless of course you are allergic to it. Another wonderful alternative is Meat Magic, a dehydrated protein-rich mix of seaweed, wheat and other ingredients that, once rehydrated, is good in stews and other dishes we all but grew up with. At P130/500g dehydrated, that is cheap. Try rehydrating some and see how much more they weigh out.

With all these, I am able to add that little new ingredient to Kare-kare, or prepare adobo sans the meat, Paksiw na Veggie-fish, that little something extra to Sinigang, Pochero's slew of vegetables + 1 new entrant --- I know, it may sound weird to most people, that someone would go veggie but look for meat dishes. I say, look at it from a different perspective, and that is partaking of the traditional dishes of your country, taking in the flavor, less the flesh. After all, isn't it the peanut sauce that gives flavor to the Kare-kare, vinegar and soy sauce to the adobo, onions and soy sauce to the Bistek, Sampaloc to the sinigang, Gata and dahon ng Gabi to the Laing, Suka, luya and bawang to the Paksiw, Tomato sauce to the Kaldereta and so on?

Which is why I always keep some of their products in stock at home, also because Veggie Boutique's prices are comparable to those at source, as I have been able to benchmark with other shops. More than just a business, I believe that this is an advocacy of theirs, which is why the prices need not be exorbitant.

They also offer vitamins and supplements such as Fern-C and Homeopathic first aid alternatives. A health drink made from pure Noni juice is also available there.

Pleasantly, it is run from a home in Palm Village, Makati, near the corner of EDSA and Estrella Streets and is also a stone's throw away from Rockwell mall. Being located in a village, I have never had problems with parking, usually able to pull my car right in front. It is open practically all day, even during weekends. I usually call though, before dropping by, just to make sure.

Veggie Boutique is located at 532 Camia St., Palm Village, Makati City. Tel. No. +632.896.1215.

For Love of Manny (pun intended!)

I stepped out into a busy part of town yesterday, the day of the Pacquiao-Barrera fight, and let me tell you: It was barren! Save for Christmas eve, or the wee hours of the morning, it was the most desolate I have ever seen the city. (yes, I have pics...I will post them as soon as I get them out of my brother's camera).

It is uncanny how we Filipinos, so polarized as a nation mostly by the provinces we hail from, can stand united for...a boxing event. Well, okay, it was not a mere boxing bout, it was the embodiment of the Filipino spirit, the fact that one of us is a global sensation. Ah yes, it was all about the respect, the honor and of course, we wanted to see if a Filipino could stand up to yet another Mexican, another "Kastila". Ouch, huh?

Personally, I don't get it.

We wage wars on each other down South, we cheat each other out of a few pesos, we sell dishonest products to our countrymen, and yet we suddenly band together for nothing more than a boxing match? To date, it is probably the single most adhering factor for us as Filipinos, on a massive nationwide scale. Mind you, I live in the burbs of Luzon, and it was a spectacle. Sunday is usually Family "pasyal" day, and it did not feel or look the least like it.

A friend of mine recently told me of how his sister was duped out of $25 in Canada by a fellow pinoy who was into money lending. The amount was supposed to be some sort of "processing fee". She was never granted the loan, for no apparent reason, and the $25 was never returned. Imagine already being in dire straits and having your last penny taken from you. My friend's sister is a doctor.

When I was in Singapore recently, I took fancy in a small device that could play music, videos and take pictures. It was called a portable media player. I liked it because its LCD size was larger than that of most other devices available out there, being a wonderful 4 inches. I employed my usual untrusting method of shopping by looking for a warranty, seeing the device and co-relating every claim and promise the vendor verbally described against that outlined on
the user's manual. I suddenly caught myself when I noticed that my demeanor was visibly insulting the lady behind the counter. It was then that I remembered that I was not in the Philippines (or Hong Kong, for that matter!) and that I needed to lay off on this poor lady. I was operating on shopping auto-pilot mode, but different rules applied here, for my settings were configured for a different environment.

I couldn't be blamed if I were elsewhere, though. I mean, how many times have we been duped in our own backyards? Honestly, I bet you have your own story to tell.

Why can't we be more like the Japanese, who reserve the very best items for their own country's internal consumption? They keep the best and import the best. Sure, they are a rich country, but why do we have to short-change ourselves when we already have the very best to begin with. We give them our very best okra, nata de coco, onions, chicken, coffee, footwear, marble, garments, jewelry, precious stones, furniture, wood, fruits, patis, cocoa, chocolate, pineapples or honey. We don't even keep the best for ourselves. (You know who you are!)

Believe me, I have seen and tasted some of our products for export and they are miles ahead of what we see in our local groceries and shops.

Where then, is our national pride? Where is our love of country? What about our love of self? At least that. Where is it? Without love of country, how can we claim to love ourselves?

Mga kababayan (OMG, even that term smacks of regionalism), My fellow Filipinos! Let's start that change we have all been yearning for! Let's start with a change in ourselves, let's start by loving our country!

Now, don't get me wrong. I love Manny! I just wish it would take not just Manny to let us, at least sometimes, stand up and cheer another Filipino on.