Chef Wannabe: holidays

Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

Friday, September 06, 2013

A Christmas eve tradition

Christmas is a time when family traditions are observed and passed on to generations. For so many years since I was little I helped my mother prepare Christmas dinner for family, relatives and friends. Moving forward with my own children now, Christmas dinners would still be with my family although this time my mother prepared the feast with her own helper. Picking up from this, I started my own tradition, preparing Christmas eve dinner for my helpers. It's that time of the year when we reverse our roles. My girls set the table and I do the cooking. It's our way of thanking them for helping us with our household throughout the year. So on this occasion, they are our guests and dine in style on our very own dining table before heading off to their own families.

A White Christmas collection

A white Christmas is associated with images of snow filled holidays. For me, it evokes elegance. For the year 2011, I produced a limited line of food and gift items, all enveloped in white. Packaged in the same color with touches of gold and silver, they were simply elegant.

Creme de Menthe chocolate truffles with white candy sprinkles

in silver boxes with white and gold ribbon

White bean dip with Italian parsley and pita chips with oregano

packaged in white serving dish and tureen with hand made embossed serving instruction cards

Starburst cupcakes - chocolate cupcakes with chocolate glaze and mint flavored buttercream frosting

and Smoked Salmon Cake - layered bread cake with salmon and capers wrapped in cream cheese, cucumber and caviar for that special Christmas eve dinner

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

2010 Christmas Special

I like to create new products every holiday season to accommodate my regular client, my sister. While keeping my signature dessert, a licqueur flavoured mini chocolate mousse, for those who can't get enough of it, I like to do something special each year for my very discriminating sister. With the market flooded with commercial gift food packages, she always likes to give something created not by just any home cook or baker but one with a more personal touch. That special product is always done by me and always comes in a serving dish for the recipient to keep. Disposables have no place in my private kitchen except for stylized barbecues. For this year, it's Humus with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil with a pack of crostini.

Humus with sun-dried tomatoes and basil

packaged with Crostini in a white serving platter

Monday, August 19, 2013

An Ermita Christmas tradition dinner

"I can still remember Christmas eve in our family home in Ermita. I helped my mother prepare our annual holiday dinner since I was a child. I would mash sausages for her galantina until they were very fine, dice potatoes and cut chicken inch by inch and chop onions until tears fell from my eyes. Then I would mix them with other ingredients until my arms ached, careful not to mash them for that perfect chicken salad. I patiently drained each can of fruit cocktail and watched her prepare her own natilla, mix them together and crown her salad with swirls of cream and bright red cherries.

I took the challenge of recreating some of these family recipes, styling and plating the same dishes to brighten your visual and gustatory senses. I have recreated our family Christmas tradition dinner for you to experience and enjoy. I hope you do so as we have over the past many years."

I wrote this story to include on the left side of my menu booklet. Again, it gives it a personal touch, something to transport you to the many years we enjoyed having this dinner.

Festive colors of orange and purple - a break from tradition

My hand crafted menu booklet shares our story

Chicken Galantina

Chicken potato salad with mustard mayonnaise dressing - a favorite!

My lighter version of Callos served with garlic and parsley bread

Lengua with mushrooms and capers now served in a puff pastry

Beef and eggplant lasagna

A lighter glazed fresh fruit salad with creamy natilla

Private Kitchens in Lifestyle Asia

Who would have thought that I would be featured again in such a short time by another magazine. Lifestyle Asia decided to do a feature on a new dining concept in Manila, private kitchens for their November 2010 issue. It was just as timely as I was conceptualizing my holiday dinner for the season. Such a great pleasure to prepare my dishes and enjoy them with the photo shoot crew.