Did somebody say potluck? If you're not sure what to bring or just want to dazzle your friends with your foodie prowess, we've scoured the home-kitchen market and whittled that list down to the best! Here are 12 homemade eats that'll surely satisfy everybody's appetite.
Lead time: 3 Days
Sisters Georgina and Kim Ramos created Dial K for Kitchen as a fun outlet for their culinary creations, and so they could share their treats with people who also enjoy feel-good-food. Kim created a frozen version of a campfire treat: Ice Box S'mores (P320). It's sold in boxes of 15 bite-sized pieces. We dare you to try and not to finish it all in one sitting!
2. Red Hot Oven
Lead time: 1 day
Some of you may have heard of the (in)famous Momofuku Milk Bar Crack Pie, a golden, gooey, ultra-rich pie of pure indulgence. The main ingredients are basic: butter, sugar and vanilla, but one bite and you are hooked. A 9-inch pie goes for P750. This is highly addictive. You have been warned.
Lead time: 1 day
Who knew that fashion designer Puey Quinones can cook up a storm? He specializes in Samar cuisine and imports most of his ingredients from Samar for dining guests to get the full dining experience. Don't miss the Humba (P2240/10 pax), a dish with tender pork belly cubes, simmered in soy sauce, vinegar, tablea, and herbs and spices.
Lead time: 2 to 3 days
If you want your dish to be the life of the party, choose one of the yummy stuffed lechons by Pepita's Kitchen. The pugon-baked (brick oven) lechons has been winning over hearts since its debut at the Ultimate Taste Test. We're in love with the herby German lechon (P6500), the truffled French lechon (P7000), and the seasonal Chinese lechon with chestnuts (P7000). There's nothing like the sound of crisp, crackling pork skin and some rice stuffing. The lechon stays crunchy for up to 6 hours.
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Lead time: 2 days
It's only been a year old but Fog City is churning out one of the creamiest artisanal ice creams in town. We love the Vanilla Malt with Maltesers (P300/pint), it tastes like a thick vanilla milkshake with chunks of Maltesers in every spoonful. Watch out for their limited edition, sugar-free and Paleo-friendly flavors.
Lead time: 2 days
Here's a dessert that'll surely impress, the Gateau de Crepes (P1200) is made up of 20 paper-thin crepes with a light vanilla creme between every layer. It's a very delicate dessert, so it's an instant crowd-pleaser. There are other flavors: Chocolate (P1300), Nutella (P1300), and Low Sugar Vanilla (P1300).
Lead time: 2 days
Thanksgiving is months away but that shouldn't stop anybody from having a turkey dinner. Omee's Roast Turkey (starts from P5500) comes with Garlic Cream Potatoes, Spanish Meat Dressing and Cranberry Jelly. The smallest order of turkey can feed a hungry army of 10-12 people.
Lead time: 2 days
Maria Pedrosa's Paella Catalana (P2700) is a hearty mix of chicken, pork tenderloin, 2 kinds of ham and chorizo. Her love for Spanish cooking shines through the ingredients she imports from Spain. She uses a blend of rice and 2 kinds of paprika to make the perfect paella. The best part of this paella is the right amount of socarrat (that's the toasted crust at the bottom of the paellera).
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Lead time: 2 days
Kate Baked Cookies are freshly-made goodness that are chewy, moist and intensely delicious. Try the malted assortments, such as the Milo (P250/dozen) or Maltesers (P475/dozen) since they have a chewier texture and goes great with a glass of ice cold milk, too.
10. Simply Pie
Lead time: 2 to 3 days
Mini quiches make great starters for a party and we love the Mini Quiche with Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomatoes (P350/box of 9) in an egg custard base baked in a flaky, puff pastry shell. For impromptu gatherings, Simply Pies have frozen versions of their products so they can keep longer!
11. Il Piccino
Lead time: 2 days
Formerly known as the Ravioli Queen in Mercato Centrale, Natalia Moran now operates a private dining and catering business from her San Juan home. She makes hand-made fresh pasta such as ravioli (from P250) and flavored fettuccine (from P48), as well sauces and desserts. We love the Ravioli Spinaci (P275), it goes really well with some fresh tomato sauce.
12. Stevie's Dishes
Lead time: 1 day
We're all familiar with Stevie's Hainanese Chicken but he also prepares some new dishes as well. We didn't forget to put a healthy option on our list, we just saved it for last. The Black Pepper Tuna Salad with Asian Dressing (P1700) is a refreshing salad with mesclun greens, black pepper-crusted tuna, topped with cherry tomatoes and crisp potato strings.
