Regina turns 20 with a Bacolod feast!

Birthday milestones from childhood are traditionally celebrated on the 1st, 7th, 13th and 18th year.  For one living in the United States however, it is the 21st year that calls for a celebration.  My daughter, Regina moved to New York not even when she was 18.  So, home for the holidays before her 20th birthday which is just a few days after the new year, we celebrated somewhere in between with a Bacolod feast.  No cooking for me this time, it was all about styling the tables with a very festive look of Negros, with shredded colored Japanese paper mixed with the very famous Bacolod sweet delights.

A Spanish Tapas and Paella Dinner

Spanish food embraces a world of sun and color. This served as my inspiration in preparing and styling this dinner to start the new year, 2012. To my twin sister, it brought back memories of the orange trees and flowers in Seville, Andalucia, Spain.

Baked aubergine, red pepper and anchovies

Jamon Serrano and manchego cheese

Pan fried scallops and chorizo with parsley salad

Meatballs in red sherry sauce

Paella Valenciana

Mushroom Paella

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 very special private dinner for two

You'll never know what you can do unless you just do it!

On November 20, 2011 with much hesitation, I prepared a very special private dinner for my aunt and her husband who were visiting in Manila. Not only were they to attend a wedding, they too were celebrating their first wedding anniversary. So what could be more special than a surprise private dinner in their own studio apartment they rented for their stay.

Going back to the planning stages, I received an email message from my aunt asking if I could do this for her. As I had not done any dinner outside my home since I started my private dining, I politely declined. Not wanting to take no for an answer, she told me to think about it as she really wanted to surprise her husband. As this was something new to me I wanted to make sure there would be no hitches, so off I went to my first task, an ocular inspection of the studio unit. Okay, this could be done I thought to myself but keeping in mind that this was their first wedding anniversary, I wanted to give the couple privacy while having their meal.

There was just no way this could happen in a small studio unit. Voicing out my concern to my aunt, again she wouldn't take no for an answer and found a solution to this. I could use the kitchen of another unit in the same building that another wedding guest had booked. Sounds easy enough but the unit was on another floor. But by this time, I had already agreed to do it so everything was in my hands now. I had to find a way to access both units easily. You see, all residents and guests could go only to their floors with their elevator cards. I could have borrowed from both of them but I was able to get a one day elevator pass that could get me to both floors. Little did I know that I would still have to go down to the lobby each time I went to the other floor!

But no worries, if that was the only way, then it will be done! Having figured this out, I set out to do the rest of the planning. I did a mock set-up and chose a three course menu that was quite easy to execute. I personally selected music that would be compiled in a disc as a souvenir together with a box of home made chocolate truffles. I chose every single item that would contribute to the ambience, from flowers to candles and created a personalized welcome card.

On November 20, 2011 while the couple was out all afternoon, I beautifully set up a table for two, created a lovely ambience and delivered the rest of my equipment to the other kitchen above.  At 7:00 pm, the couple walked into their unit and with that, my aunt called me down.  Seeing her husband in tears, I knew that this would be a very special evening.

Yes, I did it and to my own surprise, I was able to pull it off.

Another wedding anniversary dinner for my dear sister

Since I started my private dining venture, my sister has celebrated her wedding anniversary twice in my home. Here is another dinner I lovingly prepared for her in 2011 choosing again pink flowers to go with her wedding color motif. With this I added another special touch, chocolate truffles in silver boxes tied with a very light pink ribbon as giveaways. Another addition to this year was a special guest, her youngest niece! Too bad I'm unable to do this anymore for her as I am now based in New York.

White bean dip with Pita chips

Roasted tomato and basil soup

Roasted beef tenderloin with caper sauce

Lemon poached pears with caramelized mangoes and Limoncello chocolate truffles

Creme de Menthe chocolate truffles in pretty boxes for giveaways

And the evening's special guest, who's no longer a baby now!

A Birthday Barbecue

March is a big month for birthdays, with four celebrants in the family. On March 6, 2011 we decided to do something different. Out with the sit down dinners this time so we had a barbecue instead. No formal table settings, no special menus, just plain old simple burgers and hotdogs with the usual side dishes of baked beans, corn, potato salad and spaghetti. But flowers always add a nice touch so I chose a bundle of spring flowers to complement two special birthday cupcakes I prepared - citrus cupcakes with buttercream frosting and red velvet cupcakes with marshmallow icing and candy sprinkles. Blessed with gorgeous weather, it was all sunshine and cheers!

Cheers to the birthday celebrants!

An Aphrodisiac Dinner for Valentine's Day

What is Valentine's without surprises? This is one dinner I truly enjoyed planning with two men for their Bible study group of seven couples. As I was told, each year these men look for a new restaurant to take their wives for a special dinner. This year (2011) however they wanted something more special, more private and with more surprises. So having found my private dining venture, they booked me and we carefully planned this evening. Bouquets of roses were delivered in the morning and kept in my house for each of them to give to their wives. But for that special surprise, I asked my driver to stay for the night and pretend to deliver them just after dinner and was never discovered by the women. To top it all, to their amusement a guy came to serenade the wives!

Let's not forget though that food and ambience are the most important for the success of a special event.  I went on to research on aphrodisiac ingredients and created a menu with each dish having one of these ingredients. Three single red roses were held by vintage wine bottles on each table strewn with rose petals and illuminated by candle light. And to cap the evening, special giveaways of chocolate truffles I prepared in simple gift boxes tied with a red ribbon were given to the women.

It was indeed a wonderful Valentine's surprise!

To start off, here are my two table settings, each with three roses in vintage wine bottles and menu cards framed by dinner napkins

The menu

Crostini with cream cheese, chives and CAVIAR

OYSTER soup with frizzled leeks and cayenne pepper

Roasted chicken with GARLIC confit, saffron scented couscous and pine nuts

Wicked hot CHOCOLATE mousse

GINGER tea

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