Virus can't stop Germans getting their baguettes

Volklingen, Germany - German gourmets refuse to let a virus keep them from their favorite French pastries, with one even resorting to a fishing rod to reel in his baguettes.

Residents in the German border town of Lauterbach are fond of popping across to neighboring Carling in France for their daily croissants. 

So when the border slammed shut to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many were bereft at no longer having access to their favorite boulangerie. 

But baker Myriam Jansem-Boualit is going the extra mile -- or at least, the extra few meters to the border -- to make sure her German customers can still have their daily loaf. 

Hungry customers can telephone ahead with their orders, and Jansem-Boualit will meet them at the border crossing in the street outside her shop with the fresh baked delicacies. 

"There used to be a lot of Germans who came here to buy bread," she said. "They don't dare come any more because... there are checks. So what I can do now is bring the bread to them... across the barrier."

Hartmut Fey, 52, is one of her happy customers.

"It has to do with tradition. We've been buying our baguettes and bread here in France for decades," he said. 

Fey has even published a video on social media showing himself retrieving his baguettes with a fishing rod. "It was an idea of mine to create awareness," he said.

Fishing tackle is not compulsory, but with a steady stream of customers at the barrier, it seems Fey is not the only one who is hooked. 

str-fec/hmn/spm

Agence France-Presse

Kumori opens full cafe, launches delivery service

MANILA -- Kumori Japanese Bakery, known for its “bite-into-clouds” pastries and breads, continues its expansion in the Philippines by opening its first full-scale Café Kumori branch, as well as launching an online-ordering service.

Partnering with popular app Zomato, diners can now have their instant Signature Hanjuku Cheese fix any time. Deliveries come in a pretty carry-on box, with individually wrapped breads and pastries.

Try the new service by ordering from the Rustic Bread line. Choose from a crusty ciabatta for your sandwiches, or for something different, try the Cranberry Yuzu bread, filled with tart cranberries and flavored with a slight yuzu tang.

To satisfy your sweet tooth, the Apple Cheese Danish is a cream cheese-filled flaky treat with caramelized apples on top. The Custard Butter Bun, meanwhile, is all about soft bread hiding custard and buttercream.

Looking for a quick savory snack? There’s the Crabstick Bun, same soft bread but with a topping of crabstick and Japanese mayonnaise gratin.

Last February, Café Kumori opened in SM North Edsa. Here, diners can have their fill of Kumori goodies while sipping on their beverage of choice. The drink menu includes various iterations of coffee -- from the standard brewed at P85 a cup, to a six-hour cold brew -- as well as teas that can be enjoyed hot or cold.

It also offers milkshakes like the Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshake, or the more interesting Japanese Sweet Corn variety.

Kumori Japanese Bakery counters are located in SM Makati and Landark Makati, while Café Kumori is located at the ground floor of the Block at SM North Edsa.

It will open a branch at UP Town Center this July.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gardenia denies collusion with flour millers

MANILA - Gardenia Bakeries has denied that there is collusion between bakers and flour millers amid an investigation on why bread prices have not declined despite lower flour prices.

Gardenia said it can't reduce bread prices because "the reported decline in the prices of wheat from the world market has not been reflected in the prices of flour in the Philippines."

The firm also said competition is tougher now because some bakeries are owned by flour milling companies who may have access to cheaper flour.

"The baking industry is also faced now with increased competition with bakeries owned by flour milling companies who might have immediate access to preferential prices from their own flour mills," Gardenia said in a statement.

"There is no collusion between bakers and flour millers as mentioned in some news reports," it added.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) suspected that bakers and flour millers have violated the Price Act for failing to reduce prices amid a 30 percent decline in wheat prices in the world market starting January.

DTI said the results of the investigation will be turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Food finds: Japanese bread, pastries at Kumori

MANILA -- One does not immediately think of Japan when craving for pastries and breads. Perhaps it's time that you do.

Japanese baking has long taken the best of Western techniques and imbued it with its own culture and tastes. Kumori Japanese Bakery was borne of this tradition, using only the best and freshest ingredients with no preservatives and additives to create unique Japanese pastries and breads.

Now with two stores in Makati (at the basement levels of Landmark Department Store and SM Makati), Kumori promises to deliver "Japan baked daily" to Filipino consumers. Here are six items that you should not miss.

1. Signature Hanjuku Cheese

This is Kumori's version of the almost ubiquitous Japanese cheesecake -- a half-baked cheesecake with a cream cheese center. It has the perfect blend of textures -- crumb and cream -- with just the right sweetness, rich without being heavy. This is available in both cheese and chocolate. The cheese version, eaten a bit cold, is near heaven.

2. Soft Matcha Bun

The "kumo" in Kumori means clouds, and biting into the Soft Matcha Bun feels like biting into a cloud. The soft bread has as a matcha filling that definitely tastes of Japanese green tea, but not overwhelmingly. A sprinkling of snow sugar powder and matcha powder finishes this treat. You can also try the Fuwa-Fuwa Cream Bun, a custard-filled cream bun.

3. Salmon Bonito

There are various savory baked goods in Kumori Bakery, but the Salmon Bonito is one of its bestsellers for a reason. The twin buns are "umami bombs," with Kumori's signature soft bread, a salmon filling, a drizzling of teriyaki sauce, and a topping of bonito flakes.

4. Pudding

Pudding is gaining quite the traction here in the Philippines, as we see various bakeries offering their own versions. Kumori's Japanese version of pudding has a beautiful texture -- soft and creamy without any hint of gelatin (although you know it's there). It's just extra smooth, silky and creamy. Try the original (cream and caramel, similar to our leche flan), and green tea versions.

5. Krone

Always freshly filled are Kumori's Creamy Custard Krones. Combining cones and croissants, this pastry pleases young and old alike, as it hits points on texture and taste, with its crispy tube of flaky pastry especially against the filling of luscious custard cream. Not to mention the fun factor of eating a tube of cream.

6. Tofu Cheesecake

Let's face it, the idea of tofu in a cheesecake seems downright weird at first. Perfect for those looking for a healthier dessert alternative, Kumori's Tofu Cheesecake was a revelation, as it just works. It had a light crust and the "cheesecake," even though a bit heavier in texture, was still very light and airy. It also has this nice interplay of sweet and a barely perceptible hint of saltiness.

Covered in whipped cream that adds just the right amount of sugar, and sesame seeds that add texture (as well as a nutty taste), eat this blindfolded and you'd never guess that its main ingredient is tofu.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bread shop Danish Bar opens first branch in PH

MANILA - It's no secret that Filipinos love their bread and pastries.

Take a stroll down any street in the country and you are bound to come across a local bakery, enticing onlookers with a freshly baked batch of pandesal, a small bread roll that is a local breakfast and afternoon snack staple.

Dozens of specialized pastry shops, many of which are international franchises, find their home in malls -- arguably the most popular destination for Filipinos, especially on the weekends.

There, hundreds line up to take home boxes made up of an assortment of bread and pastries of different shapes, sizes, and flavors.

So it came as no surprise that Danish Bar, an affiliate of the Japan-based Little Mermaid Bakery, has decided to whiff together its first batch of mini-sized pastries in the country.

"Always just-baked freshness," is the motto of the brand, which has branches in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Bangkok.

Among its specialties are Danish balls and bars, which are bite-sized pastry rolls made rich with the taste of marzipan.

The store also sells stick-type pastries, with flavors ranging from green tea, red bean, sugar crunch, and ham and cheese.

Danish Bar's first branch is located at the ground floor of SM North EDSA Center Mall, beside National Bookstore.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New bakery specializes in NY-style bagels

MANILA – A small bakery in Fort Bonifacio aims to give Filipinos a bite of the Big Apple by offering a selection of New York-style bagels and flavored cream cheese.

Located in Tuscany Residences in McKinley Hill, LES Bagels is probably the only bakery in Manila today that specializes in the bagel and cream cheese combo, which has been closely identified with New York.

LES stands for Lower East Side, a trendy neighborhood in lower Manhattan.

“I wanted to capture classic flavors from New York and bring them here,” said chef Cuit Kaufman, one of the bakery’s owners. He and his partners – Patrick Santos and Albert Besa – are also behind two other New York-inspired restaurants in Manila, Nolita and Borough.

Unlike most bakeries and coffee shops in the metro which only offer plain bagels, LES Bagels also offers variants such as Sesame Seed, Pumpernickel, Black Russian, Salt, Onion, 100% Whole Wheat and Garlic.

For those with a sweet tooth, there are bagels flavored with cinnamon raisin, and even blueberry.



The line of flavored cream cheese is even more extensive, with New York favorites such as Lox (fillet of brined salmon), Scallion, Garlic and Chive, Vegetable, Herb, Jalapeno Cheddar, Bacon Cheddar, Sundried Tomato and Basil or Olive, Blueberry, Strawberry and Apple Cinnamon.

“The only cream cheese there that I feel I’ve never seen before is probably the Caramelized Onion and Raisin, which I actually really like,” said Kaufman, a New York City native. “It’s kind of sweet, but there is actually no added sugar.”

Those who are not a fan of cream cheese may opt for other sandwich combinations – they can add butter, butter and jam, egg and cheese, and egg and cheese with sausage, ham or bacon.

There is also the option of ordering an open-faced bagel sandwich with tuna salad, vegetables and cheese (Tuna Melt), or with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese (Pizza Bagel).

“Originally, we had a small menu, like half the size, but I felt like people kept wanting recommendations. So it’s like, if you want recommendations for a sandwich, then you can try these,” Kaufman said.

What Pinoys like

With its small space, LES Bagels works better as a grab-and-go joint – you order from the counter, a staff member assembles the sandwich and wraps it in no-nonsense white paper, and you can enjoy your sandwich as you rush off to work or school.





Kaufman observed that their Bacon and Cheddar cream cheese is quite popular among Filipinos, as well as Lox, Jalapeno Cheddar, Herb and Blueberry.

“Filipinos love bacon,” he said. “And the thing with bacon and cheddar is it looks good just from the name of it, and then it actually tastes good with that smoky, fatty flavor.”

And unlike New Yorkers, Filipinos are huge fans of cheese and mayonnaise in their sandwich, Kaufman said.

“Here [in the Philippines], people love, love, love cheese. And they love mayonnaise, which I love, too. But in New York, people would be like, ‘whoa, too much mayonnaise.’ Or ‘no mayonnaise.’ But here, it’s like heavy on the mayo, cheese it up. So here, all of my sandwiches have mayonnaise. So if you don’t want it, you have to say it,” he said.

Aside from bagels, LES Bagels also offers sub sandwiches such as The Wall Street (tuna salad, pickled onion, lettuce and tomato on rye bread), The Bronx (ham, mozzarella cheese, pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce, sliced banana on a hoagie pressed on a griddle), and The Waldorf (Waldorf chicken salad, brie, lettuce and mayonnaise on a croissant).

There is also an array of American and Jewish pastries such as the Rugelach, which resembles a croissant.

“I definitely wanted to have a good amount of Jewish pastries and high-quality brownies that are New York-style,” Kaufman said, noting the Filipinos’ sweet tooth.

Asked if he is planning to jump on the cronut bandwagon, he said: “I wont… It’s good, I just don’t think it’s worth all the hysteria.”

“I say keep buying them if you like them. I’m not a hater, but I’m not going to jump on that bandwagon,” he added. “I’d rather have a croissant, like an almond croissant.”

Great for sharing

At P40 each, the bagels are a steal, especially the pumpernickel and other savory variants.

The price goes up by as much as seven times, however, when it is ordered with cream cheese. A bagel sandwich with lox cream cheese, for instance, is priced at a hefty P280.

A similar sandwich called the LES Addiction which has scallion cream cheese, lox, tomato, red onion and capers, on the other hand, costs P400.

But for bagel lovers, this may be a small price to pay as they have yet to find a similar concept in Manila. All the items on the menu are also big enough to be shared by two persons.

Taste-wise, the bagel offerings hit the spot with their rich but not overwhelming flavors. It’s hard to go wrong with LES Bagels’ cream cheese selection, but the dessert offerings may be a little too sweet for some.


LES BAGELS
Tuscany Residences, Upper McKinley Road
McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio
Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday to Tuesday, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com