Mommy memories

May is Mother’s Day month, and while my Mom passed on 17 years ago, there still isn’t a week that passes when something I encounter, attend, or read about, brings back a flood of memories. Missing her will withstand the test of time, and while the pain of loss can recede, the heart does grow fonder; and in my case, many are the moments when I wish she really was still around.

THE ROYAL GROCERY LIST, Mommy Memory Part 1

When I left for England to pursue my A Levels and university degree, there were the times my Mom would make my studying abroad the convenient excuse to travel to London, and I’d hop on a train to meet her. Besides being a bulk shopper, she was also one for dragging me to supermarkets on the pretext of supplying me with “provisions” to last the term, and even back then in the late ‘70s, her favorite “English grocer” was Waitrose. So it was “memory flood #1” to be invited to a Rustan’s Supermarkets event announcing that Waitrose items were now exclusively carried in the Philippines by Rustan’s. And just had to blurt that out to Frances Yu, how seeing the Waitrose brand just brought me back to my “salad days.”

A division of renowned retailers, the John Lewis Partnership, Waitrose dates back to 1904, founded by three friends. Considered one of the high street grocery chains in England, Waitrose has an enviable royal warrant, and supplies groceries, wine and spirits to both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. In fact, the brand’s connection to the British Royal Family also includes being a godsend to Prince Charles’ once-struggling organic farming project, as Duchy Originals are exclusively carried at Waitrose.

Food blogger and chef Erwan Heussaff was on hand during the event, with host and foodie Issa Litton providing the introductions, demonstrating how a selection of Waitrose items, including the spaghetti sauces and sandwich spreads, were now his ready favorites. As for me, even a month ago, I was excited to see the Waitrose brand on the Rustan’s Supermarket shelves, happy that the rich Tea Biscuits and cereals would be locally available. But most of all, happy how a feeling of warmth was generated, recalling the days back in London, when I’d be literally dragged by my Mom to enter its doors.

SCENT OF A MAN, Mommy Memory Part 2

When one speaks of men’s luxury fashion houses, the name Ermenegildo Zegna will be one of the first names mentioned. From the time it opened its Paris and Milan stores in the 1980s, my mother was a frequent visitor, insisting I use its shirts, suits and jackets on very special occasions. In fact, the year she passed away, 1996, when I was visiting her in San Francisco where she was undergoing her chemo sessions, on one of her better days, she accompanied me to Neiman on Union Square, adamant that she get me a Zegna suit — what turned out to be something of a parting gift from her, and it’s a suit I hold on to — to this very day.

As with most retail brands that expand into other retail categories such as fragrances, bedding linens and skin care, Zegna signed up with Estée Lauder in 2011 to now handle the fragrances and cosmetics lines. One of the outcomes of that signing is the new Zegna Uomo, created by renowned perfumer Alberto Morillas. The concept is to extract the best from both nature and science — the top notes being the Zegna Bergamot and the laboratory-created Violet Leaf essence. The bottom notes are Cedarwood and Vetiver, making this a very masculine, fruity-woody scent. Of special note is the TV material that was shot at the architectural marvel, Casa Malaparte, situated on the rugged cliffs of Capri. Created by famed writer Curzio Malaparte, the residence is described as “part palace, part temple and part prison.”

Another Zegna Men’s fragrance, Z Zegna, was re-launched for Spring, with top notes of white pepper, bergamot and casuar fruit, heart notes of iris and nutmeg, and bottom notes of cashmere wood and patchouli, a singular woody watery scent that also worth checking out. They’re great new additions to the iconic Zegna brand, one that my mother was the first to make me notice and appreciate. So while it was a fragrance launch, the Zegna logo once again had me in a reverie, thinking back to days when my mother was subtly instructing me on “the finer stuff.”

Saying it with chocolates

Villa del Conte is one of my all-time favorite chocolates. Based in Padova, Italy, this three-generation, 75-year-old, story of artisanal chocolate-making was a great discovery a few years ago, and am happy to see outlets sprouting all over the metropolis. For Mother’s Day, a special, limited edition floral gift box of Neapolitans is being offered. The chocolate squares found within are either milk or dark chocolate, made form premium quality handpicked cacao beans. The last Manila visit of Enrico Cattapan, who now heads the factory, is still a vivid memory, as I totally loved the “cioccolato shots” he surprised us with!