Comments on: Christmas Eve Setting…

By: RV Escat

RV Escat — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:22:45 +0000

the mother of pearl shells are show-stealer! love it!

By: aisa

aisa — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:11:18 +0000

Thanks MM! I’ll try to go to balikbayan handicrafts.

By: Marketman

Marketman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:59:58 +0000

sunflowii, egads, I completely forgot to do Seattle! Have to dig those photos up! Thanks for reminding me!

By: sunflowii

sunflowii — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:52:14 +0000

love the plates – both types!
MM, will you be posting about your months-ago Seattle trip soon? =)

By: Marketman

Marketman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:58:02 +0000

aisa, Balikbayan handicrafts have MOP plates, usually up to 7-8 inches in diameter, the bigger ones not as consistently nice. the 9-10 inch diameter ones are the spectacular and most difficult to find. I once visited the Davao market eons ago and saw several large MOP plates on offer there…

By: aisa

aisa — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:23:23 +0000

Hi MM! Wow! I love your large mother of pearl shells! Where can I get them kaya? I have been looking for some time na eh…

By: PITS, MANILA

PITS, MANILA — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:20:21 +0000

this is so nice, MM! and a happy and content daughter … even better!

By: lee

lee — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:52:46 +0000

Mother of Pearl! For someone like me who tend to utter cuss words from time to time, this is a decent replacement. I love the Laguiole knives :) Mother of Pearl!

By: cwid

cwid — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:54:12 +0000

Love it!

By: Marketman

Marketman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:33:34 +0000

ami, no forceful cutting on the MOP plates, and don’t drop them… You also shouldn’t put vinegar or acid on the plates for long, the lacquer will suffer. They are best as a presentation vessel for light food, like canapes or stuff on bread. The best way to serve caviar too. For Asianfood, small fried lumpia or fresh vietnamese rolls would work on them, or shrimp cocktail perhaps, with sauce in a separate vessel. The MOP plates are special as they were a gift from my mom some 20+ years ago, given when I moved into my first studio apartment in New York, as though I would be hosting fancy dinners for 8 in less than 50 square meters… she was looking ahead, and in fact, I did use them once or twice to the awe of Western guests having cheap caviar on wickedly nice MOP plates. :) They are also special as they are mostly 9+ inches in diameter, quite hard to find nowadays. Though there does seem to be an abundance of smaller MOP plates as a result of it being a byproduct of the cultured pearl trade, I gather. I have always thought them to be supremely elegant, and I try to use them at least a couple of times a year. They make very elegant wedding presents, think of it as the tropical equivalent of silver… :)