Thursday, November 03, 2005
Magsaysay: Precious stuff from memories
By Jo Magsaysay
Whatever
A deadline to beat before the holidays sends me rattling the dustbin of my mind for long-forgotten bits and pieces to joggle my memory. Little things, trivia, bits and scraps, but aren’t they the precious stuff that memories are made of?
* * *
A sketch of a beach house done by an architect—-a cousin twice removed, blessed with the name Santos “Boy” Alfon, and starting to make an important name for himself as an artist—-a tattered clipping from the Philippine Free Press of a controversial short story about letters to Our Lady of Perpetual Succor by internationally acclaimed writer, Estrella Alfon. Both fond memories were triggered by an invitation to dinner by Yvette “Ivy” Alfon Simon who so felicitously happens to be Boy’s daughter and Estrella’s niece. Who happens, serendipitously, to be my neighbor across the street and who, halleluiah, is beautiful, smart, cultured and fascinating, with the incandescent personality of a multi-faceted kaleidoscope.
* * *
Having lived in Paris for the past 30 years Ivy, who had been married to the former French consul assigned in Manila, Jean Marc Simon, speaks French like a native, speaks English, Spanish and Cebuano with a deliciously piquant French accent. So excellent is her intonation and quality of her French, so highly conversant is she in art and literature, she should make a perfect French consul. Not so. She is not a native-born French citizen and therefore, not qualified for the honor. She would have been an excellent choice, otherwise.
However, even better is her appointment, soon to be formalized as charges de mision, something like a cultural attaché, which I suspect is infinitely better than the honorific title of consul. Whereas the charges de mision has a tidy honorarium, not that Ivy, who is shamefully rich, needs to become shamelessly rich!
* * *
An unerring flair is quite evident in Ivy’s new house. Her decorating style is exquisitely minimalist, where less is better than more. She converted what appeared to be dark, gloomy and cramped into a magazine illustration of bright, airy and spacious.
White on white, furniture against wall, an indoor swimming pool with a waterfall splashing into blue waters, a Jacuzzi in the bathroom, a woodland scene of lush plants and the trickling water against a stone wall. She lives alone, practically alone; her mother, Marsing Aballe, confined in a wheelchair since her stroke, stays over on an occasional visit. Her three daughters, gorgeous creatures with long hair, model’s figures and smart like their Mamàm, will be coming over for Christmas from Paris where one works in the production staff of Stiletto, the French fashion copy of Vogue, and the other in London with a finance department and the other, oops! I forgot! Never mind, more about these lovely girls when I meet them next month. Dinner prepared by Ivy was served on a dining table, plain unvarnished, unpainted; and the most comfortable wooden chairs with cantilevered backs that ever supported my sacroiliac. They were also unvarnished and sculptured by artisans in Barili, and were designed by Ivy.
Cream chicken, cheese and wine, French of course and a devastating apple dessert. I must get the recipe.
* * *
Speaking of which, a must-have recipe book not only to display with pride in your kitchen shelf but also to read and learn from as a veritable bible for cooking and life is The Reynoso Flair. It is not just about the heirloom recipes of Africa Valdes Reynoso who, for the past 80 years, has “filled the bellies of family, friends and satisfied customers” (Rina Jimenez David) but also about the biography of “Lola Afric” who, according to Julie Yap Daza, “even if (she) did not produce a ton of well-loved recipes and a history of sweet, sentimental, momentous, monumental, grand, private, intimate or otherwise noisy events built around a dining table, even if she was not the mother and grandmother of younger, just-as-famous chefs sprouting on the family tree...she would still be a force to reckon with.”
Lola Afric’s Sizzling Plate and Pinoy Toppings have always ranked among the high five of favored food places; her children and grandchildren carrying on the legendary dishes in Lola Afric’s tradition. Sylvia Reynoso Gala, the best known among them and closer, much dearer to home grounds, virtually home, is grandson Mike Reynoso Anton. He is married to Cebu’s own Tricia Zosa, Francis and Tita’s sweet and lovely Tricia, former top marketing manager of Ayala Cebu; whose wedding to racing car enthusiast and third generation Pinoy Toppings entrepreneur created a big splash in local society pages having Fernando Zobel for wedding sponsor. The cookbook-cum-biography is available in local bookstands.
* * *
Speaking of books, while Pura Kintanar luxuriated like a plenipotentiary amidst the opulent amenities of The Ambassador of the Waterfront Hotel, I had a royal time in the company of the toothsome threesome Renee Villasin, Vicky Mah and Debbie Murphy, my favorite “cooking character” Nestor Alonso and Marco Protacio whose snappy repartee put me in proper perspective. Seems Nestor doesn’t only have a library of cookbooks for reference, a collection of DVD’s of more than 1,500 tapes, including classical music from the old masters to all Broadway musicals, he has a precious and priceless copy of War and Peace in Russian. Does he read and speak Russian? Nyet! But he’s got the book anyway.
A revelation from Renee who twinkled, “Marco is challenging me to read the other book by the author of Fountainhead, Ayn Rand!”
Yes. Atlas Shrugged, Marco helpfully supplied the title. Now I look at the GM of Waterfront under a new light, where I thought he was cute and cuddly like a teddy bear (he must have hated me for saying so!). Marco smiled, “Now I’m an intellectual?” Gently, he put me in my place. In a corner. Humbly.
* * *
“I have gooseflesh,” confided Lolly Du Diez as she looked at the image of Our Lady of Manaoag being borne, resplendent in her finery on a flower-decked palanquin in a procession. Devotees and the many friends of the Ouano sisters, Olga Villa, Edna Toral, Vilma Olano and Happy Miranda who have dedicated themselves to the propagation of the devotion to Our Lady attended the Memento honoring the miraculous Lady. They were treated to a sumptuous dinner at the Casino Español, a performance of Our Lady of Manaoag choir and excerpts from various receptions accorded her during her journey in the Visayan provinces and towns; faithfully recorded on tape and escorted tirelessly throughout the journey by Edna Toral. I am always moved to tears whenever there is a procession, added Lolly who, with her ever-devoted Den, has been to Lourdes, France, four times. Inveterate travelers Den and Lolly have since the 60’s joined every religious pilgrimage and luxury cruise all around the world.
Discovering new places, making new friends is Den’s special passion. Of a rare and vanishing breed of gentleman in this new age of brusque barbarians, Den makes every woman feel like a grand lady all the time.
(November 3, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
