We had only one small informal dinner for close friends before our annual staff party and Christmas Eve meal this year. That is extremely unusual as we normally have 3-4 dinners at this time of year, but it just didn’t seem like the year to do that… and many of our would be guests have opted to head abroad or to the provinces for Christmas this year. So it was a decidedly quiet and calm run-up to Christmas Eve.

The decor for this tablescape included some real pine cones from Baguio and the surrounding mountains, some unglazed bone china pinecones made in Laguna, some pine cone candles purchased at deep discount from Crate & Barrel, and some sprigs of pine. I placed the pine cones at different heights and used various sizes of pine cones as well.

Large and small pine cone candles seemed to blend in perfectly, some guests without they glasses thinking they were actual pine cones! Everything rests on a woven table runner from the Mountain Province. It looks festive yet environmentally friendly and local at the same time.

The tablescape is meant to last at least two weeks, and for this one dinner with friends, we added some red roses to some of the vases to brighten it all up. On days without flowers, we have candy canes or foil wrapped chocolates to keep with a holiday vibe.

Some of the smaller pine candles were lit for dinner, but the larger ones are being saved for Christmas Eve. Overall, it is a toned down tablescape from those in previous years…

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We have spent 20 out of the last 21 Christmases in our home. The one year we were away, we spent the holidays with family in New York in their home, along with a wonderful trip to snowy Vermont for a hit of that very New England White Christmas of the songs, movies and greeting cards. We have floated the idea of taking a trip abroad during the holidays, but our daughter nixed that notion quickly and said there is nothing like celebrating the holidays in our home (this coming from someone who is at school in frigid weather at the moment). Mrs. MM and I take that as a compliment, and understand that we have tried hard to build family holiday traditions and memories…

When December rolls around, a lot of STUFF comes out of the cupboards, some of it seen only around the holidays. We inevitably place many items on a sideboard, and inevitably one ends up arranging things so it doesn’t just look like just additional storage space. This is what it looks like this year on a typical day in mid-December. The only styled thing about it is the addition of foil wrapped Christmas chocolates, to add color for the photo up top. Otherwise, this was how it appeared. From left to right, are everyday items like an olive wood salt cellar, a peppermill, silver bell and toothpick holder on one of our molave boards. A pressed glass bowl from the 1930’s or earlier(?) from my grandmother holds some cheery holiday chocolates. Some red wine glasses on a silver tray. Behind that some new additions from a recent trip, olive oil canisters and a beautiful parmesan cheese grater from Alessi.

A sterling silver drink strainer in case Bond, any Bond, wants a martini, shaken and not stirred. :) Some silver chopstick rests, for those dinners with an Asian twist. A bowl filled with more chocolate christmas “ornaments”. Glass candlesticks in the background (forgot to buy tapers for this Christmas, anyone know where to get good ones in Manila?).

A silver gravy boat, inherited. Two wine buckets, a gift from Sister. Several bottles of red wine out at the ready. A white poinsettia in the background and under the table.

Two types of candy canes round out the table at this point in time. It isn’t Christmas without candy canes in our household. And those two silver tea infusers almost always seem to be exclusive to holiday use. Only two infusers out until our daughter arrives just before Christmas. It’s a relatively quiet run-up to the holidays this year, but the house is still filled with the aroma of baking gingerbread, several kinds of cookies and cakes, pine incense and scented candles. There’s nothing like being home for the holidays… :)

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The draw was first the gorgeously restored Michelin building housing the Bibendum restaurant, and second, the massive Conran shop behind the landmark building. We didn’t eat at Bibendum, which I regret, but we were just walking around and window shopping at the time.

The windows were a cheery Christmas red with fake snowmen… this was two years ago, not this season.

Inside were all manner of doodads and kitsch for the holidays. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed how kitschy it had all become. I somehow remember a finer selection of items at Conran’s several years ago. But it was colorful, festive and seasonal in a young, modern kind of way.

The decor for trimming trees looked almost disposable, and it wasn’t that cheap either… I wonder if folks change the trimming on their trees every year. A lot of this stuff screamed China, if you know what I mean.

The way goods were displayed and merchandising was brilliant. Things of all colors on tables with different levels and it was just visually assaulting.

Items often grouped by color.

A terrific selection of wrapping paper.

Classic books in attractive modern bindings and covers.

There were several tablescapes set-up throughout the huge store. But I wasn’t a fan of many of them. Not sure why I was getting a “not like” vibe, I am normally quite happy to browse through a housewares store but somehow this just wasn’t my type.

Another tables cape..

…and another. Are you getting the same feeling I am? Or am I just getting old?

Uh?

Double uh?

Glass jars and bathroom dispensers.

Bath towels and bubbly stuff for baths…

…a wall of colorful soap.

More soap in jeweled tones and shapes.

Stockings.

.

Beautifully designed graphics/coverings for card cases, game table items, etc. After just 15-20 minutes in the shop, we left empty-handed. But that Michelin building next door… Wow. :)

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Roughly PHP500 or USD11 and it will last you up to a month! Take a large round tray or basket, line it with hay or dried cogon leaves, purchase 2.5-3 kilos of unusual gourds locally from the biggest source/supplier Puentespina or if you are in North America, from the grocery or nearest farm stand (for peanuts I would imagine) and pile them on, taking care to mix up colors, patterns, shapes, etc. So easy, so practical, so pleasant to look at and it will grace your home for much longer than a bouquet of flowers. This is the sign that the hectic holiday season ahead is creeping up on a Marketman household that is increasingly, from year to year, caught unprepared… :)

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Mrs. MM and I were at the “Maarte Fair” at the Rockwell tent over the weekend, and I was thrilled to find so many beautifully made local products. The fair, arranged by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines was a charitable event, and part of the proceeds of all sales were given to the sponsors… so one had to spend to help. Gotta like that once in a while at least… I managed to find several small ceramic bowls and this wonderful woven table runner from Balay ni Atong, which is a native Ilocano weaving process called inabel.

We got another of their table runners before last Christmas, here, and loved it, so acquiring this one, in what appears to be a really modern pattern, but is in fact a very traditional pattern that is just magnified several times, was a no brainer. It was more expensive at this fair, but that’s the cost of funding a worthy cause.

The pattern on this one is somewhat mesmerizing, or is it hypnotizing? It appears to move when your eye wanders over it, but I think once several platters of food are laid on top, it doesn’t risk distracting from the food… It’s bazaar or fair season coming up in full force, and I hope more and more folks focus on locally sourced materials and products like this one.

Curious? For more information, visit Balay ni Atong’s website, here.

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One of the absolute, and not necessarily expensive, joys of Paris is simply strolling through many of the different neighborhoods that make up the city. We had based ourselves in a small rented apartment near La Grande Epicerie last November, and explored quite a bit of the 6th and 7th arrondissements from there. One of our favorite window shopping streets has to be Rue du Bac, starting from the epicerie and walking towards the other end, nearer the river.

We were drawn to this attractive fabric store near the Conran Shop, and stopped in to look at bolts of brightly colored canvas and outdoor-proofed materials originally meant for your terrace or garden in the South of France. They had also crafted totes, tablecloths, placemats, etc. with smaller remnants of fabric.

The items were beautiful, practical and very appealing. We picked up a few placemats that we used a few weeks later for this New Year’s Eve dinner, an informal get-together with good friends.

It would be really nice to do a beach umbrella over using this fabric, assuming you could find someone with a fairly industrial sewing machine. Re-upholstering chaise lounge cushions would also benefit from a few meters of this stuff. Hmmm, just another reason to go back, hopefully when they put their summer lines on sale. :)

For more information, and more of their products, see their website, here.

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A cheery, whimsical and liquor laden New Year’s Eve Dinner. Some colorful placemats and bright dishes and candles.

Some silver and gold foil wrapped chocolate coins for good luck. This was a last minute attempt at gussying up a small family dinner at home.

Gone is the stuffiness of a formal setting for our Christmas dinners, in is a casual and light mood.

On the side board, a selection of drinks from wine to champagne for the midnight toast and bottles of the serious stuff if you are so inclined.

The colorful candles or votive candle holders continued the theme. Parols outdoors add to the festive setting.

And the wine? It’s a bottle of “James Bond” wine from South Africa that we lugged back last summer, of course. :)

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Our annual Holiday Dinners are a big deal in the Marketman household and it takes a lot of effort behind the scenes to pull them off well. Here are some of the snippets and tips that may be of help to you in your future special celebration meals… Our main Christmas tree was mostly decorated by the crew this year while we were away on a trip until early December. One of the HUGE advantages of having staff who have been with us since our daughter was born is that they know the drill almost better than we do, and hundreds of ornaments were unpacked carefully and hung on the tree beautifully. They also took care of wrapping most of the gifts under the tree, 90% of whom were for their families and other guests to our annual crew and family Christmas party (this year with a guest list of 45 and counting!!). I have said it many times before, and I’ll say it again, we couldn’t pull off these dinners by ourselves, I wouldn’t even attempt it. :)

Our dining table is first covered with a thin layer of foam (taped to the underside of the table) to provide a little cushion under the tablecloth. The large tablecloths (12-14 feet long, almost all courtesy of Sister) are laid flat, moistened with water from a spray bottle, then ironed directly on the table, with a towel underneath to protect the foam and table. We find that if you iron the tablecloth elsewhere and bring it over, you inevitably end up with some creases…

The cutlery is laid out according to the menu, and the widest plate is used to gauge where to put the cutlery… That was important for these dinners as I used an unusual appetizer plate that was extra wide.

The crew actually set the table with the widest round plate first, and when we put the rectangular plate, we had to adjust all of the cutlery to ensure that there was enough space when the appetizers were served. Details, details…

We spent several days in the kitchen preparing items for the menu, but I managed a quick early morning trip to the Dimasalang flower market on the day of our first holiday dinner for some simple arrangements of red roses massed in low vases. Red tapered candles and dried pine cones completed the simple setting.

Mrs. MM laying the glasses for the dinner. Based on the seating plan, a few guests that don’t drink wine (but would enjoy a glass of champagne for a toast for example) were not given wine glasses so waiters wouldn’t mistakenly pour wine where they shouldn’t.

The buffet table was home to this year’s Jamon Serrano, and was laid with serving utensils for the main course that would be served buffet style.

An acacia cheeseboard was set beforehand with cheese knives and labels so that the crew were aware where to put what cheese, and to do that some 30 minutes before the cheese course, so that the cheese would warm slightly.

In the kitchen, the menu, plates and plating was posted so everyone knew what to use with what course.

The pantry was raided and several large bottles of Volvic (Mrs. MM is convinced it’s better than Evian), bought at a huge discount at the Duty Free shop a couple of months back were put on the bar, along with several bottles of San Pellegrino, so guests could have either sparkling or still water with their dinner.

An hour before dinner, Erick, who has served at special holiday dinners in our home for 14 years, briefs a second waiter about the meal, guests likes and dislikes, wines and other beverages, etc. They light the candles and let them burn for a minute or so to ensure they light quicker at the start of the dinner. The candle wicks are straightened and clipped to an even length. Erick is now a manager at Zubuchon, but he flies to Manila for these dinners to help us out and to visit his kids who live and work here.

The napkin rings are silver plated angels, a gift from Sister, and perfect for the Christmas season. And small place cards indicate where guests should seat themselves.

Menus were prepared and placed on the table so guests could read what was in store and to hopefully help them pace themselves. But apparently, the font was a bit small (too many dishes) so folks asked that I explain each course anyway. One guest amusingly took a magnifying glass from a side table and used that all night to see what was going to be served next! Dinner menu up next… :)

The post Behind the Scenes Preparations — Holiday Dinners a la Marketman & Family appeared first on Market Manila.

This was a bit of a “wacky” autumn holiday dinner for close friends. It was after Canadian Thanksgiving and well before the American’s celebrate their holiday. We are neither American nor Canadian, but have almost always had a turkey sometime in October/November for the last 20+ years. At any rate, we decided to have a “festive” meal recently and I consider it the first of our holiday get-togethers, albeit much earlier than usual.

I left for the wholesale flower market at 6am on a Friday and got there by 625am, traffic wasn’t bad at all. I walked up and down the entire length of the market to see what was on offer, and quickly realized there were almost no roses at all, recent storms perhaps having wreaked havoc on supplies from the North. But there were lots of other flowers on offer, and they were a curious, colorful smattering of flowers that you might get in Spring, Summer and Fall in more temperate climates, in other words, a real miss-mash.

A good friend was also hosting a dinner party of her own that evening, and she was crazed, and asked that I pick up some flowers for three arrangements for her dinner as well. So I was buying for two, and if you have been reading the blog for a while, I tend to overdo the blooms, and go lightly on the leaves, for the most part. I started off trying to keep an orange and purple range of colors, but that kind of got waylaid by purchases of orange, yellow and other blooms.

It all seemed a bit chaotic, and in retrospect, I should have avoided those carnations and maybe the bright yellow snapdragons as well…

…the problem with mixing this many types of flowers, some with soft stems, others with woody stems, some that will wilt faster than others is that you might end up with arrangements that are total disasters.

One way would have been to put just one type of bloom in each vase, but of course that seemed to simple. I just took a deep breath, took out my clippers, put water in some vases and mixed in some flower food and hoped for the best.

When we got back home, I put all of the flowers in copious amounts of fresh water for at least 3-4 hours before I started to work with them. This gives them time to settle and drink up and that should help make them last longer, not to mention look better.

The first of five arrangements on the long dining table, this one at the end, and the smallest or lowest in height.

A second arrangement, slightly taller than the first.

And the arrangement at the center of the table, with the tallest height, but still low enough for nearly all guests to easily converse across it.

A lush but only medium height arrangement on a side table in the living/dining area. I also made 3 arrangements for the friend with a dinner party, but forgot to take a photo of those!

Ornamental gourds were scattered around the flowers. And a few votive candle holders added as well to light the arrangements from below with a gentle yellow light.

That’s what the dining table looked like…

…and all in all, the flowers seemed to mirror the colors of the abstract painting in the living room. I didn’t plan it that way, it just seemed to happen. Considering that we told guests it was a “casual come as you are” dinner, the arrangements turned out a bit fancier than intended. But then again, getting everything just right on the first holiday dinner of the season would probably be too much to ask for.

P.S. If you are wondering why a didn’t name all of the flowers in the photos, it’s because I don’t actually know what half of them are called. :)

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Presenting food directly on natural wooden boards seems to be all the rage on recent television cooking shows. Add to that the frequent feature in food magazines and cookbooks of natural wooden chopping boards made by some Ivy-league grad gone woodsman in the far reaches of Vermont or the Appalachians or even Oregon and suddenly au naturel is the latest and hottest thing. Everytime I see such products, I covet but inhale deeply when I see the price tag, as they are almost always way too expensive for me… So here’s how I get the same look, if not the same product, for far less money…

Driving up to Tagaytay one day, I wondered if all those furniture shops would sell me a raw log… so I stopped, picked out a medium sized (say a meter and a half long) cut acacia tree trunk just strewn on the side of the road and bargained until we reached a mutually acceptable price of PHP3,000. The vendor agreed to saw them into ten board lengths roughly 1.5 inches thick, then sand them down until smooth. I wanted the bark to stay on, but they took it off. I picked up the boards a few days later on our way back from the beach. The wood was rather fresh, despite it looking like it had been there for ages, and I knew it would be prone to warping in the months ahead. Those are the boards hours after we picked them up, in photo up top.

For the next 3-4 months, I stacked the wooden boards and weighed them down with roughly 40 kilos of tiles, hoping to dry them out naturally (I don’t have a kiln) and keep them as straight as possible. For the most part it worked, except that I grew some mold on the wood, due to the compressed moisture… So on the 5th month, I removed the weights, dried them individually under the hot sun for several days, sanded off much of the mold and let them air dry for another month or so. I think the next time I do this I might dry them on the edges of our lechonan, in a smokey kiln like dry environment…

Each piece is unique, and the grain of the wood really shows itself when you rub the boards down with food grade mineral oil. I just poured copious amounts of mineral oil on the dried and sanded boards and wiped them with a clean towel. Repeat this twice with a week’s time in-between to make sure the wood is nicely oiled.

For the holidays, I used them on our appetizer table to great effect. Several guests commented favorably, and three of them ended up taking an acacia board home (in some cases, carted all the way back to South Korea, and if they pass customs, one to the U.S.) as a Christmas gift. I can see them being used as chopping boards for roasts, or to serve charcuterie, or to display vegetables, fruit or even desserts. Once they age and seem really stable, I suppose I could put food directly on the wood, just like they do on those snazzy cooking shows…

If you put three boards on each other in the center of a long dining table, you could put a whole array of tapas, or a centerpiece of fruit and nuts, etc. At PHP300 per board, I thought they were brilliantly well-priced and I will keep my eye out for more felled tree trunks in the months ahead. There were tons in Northern Cebu after Typhoon Yolanda, and I thought to buy some of them but the Teen thought that was inappropriate (I didn’t see why, better to pay good money for their wood, rather than locals turning them into firewood) so I hesitated on our first day up North. On our second trip, I stopped to try and buy mango and acacia trunks and someone had gotten there days before and BOUGHT every single large tree trunk in sight… bummer.

Over the years, we have added mango wood bowls, narra bowls, langka wood centerpieces, acacia boards, sampaloc chopping boards, molave lechon stands, ironwood pieces, etc. to our collection… and after this recent experience with the boards, I think I will be actively seeking to expand our cache of wooden pieces.

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