Just like anyone else, Christmas break is my most awaited time of the year due to anyone else’s reason (or whatever!). But this year is a little bit different, yet special, especially for the media noche’s menu, since I became a big part of the whole preparation; from planning up to serving. I can’t say I have applied all of the things I’ve learned from school, but it was such a big help, particularly the techniques. What helped a lot, in my own perspective, is my addiction to cooking shows scattered all over the free TV. Name those, and maybe I have watched it once.
We don’t really cook much for Noche Buena, unlike for Media Noche’s. It has always been during the New Year that we are more extravagant with regards to the food and menu prepared. But this year, we opted to prepare more than what we use to do. All of the recipes we’ve used were taken from the most reliable source: the internet. The menu was composed of classic macaroni salad, roasted whole chicken, and pineapple upside-down cake. I would admit, this set was not that successful. The salad was a bit salty since I cannot really grasp the degree of iodized salt’s saltiness. The garlic-basil roasted chicken was pretty much fine, except that it was a bit bland. No doubt, I had a trauma with the salad. I was too afraid to put much salt especially that I used salted butter instead of the plain one. Strike two! And the cake, I don’t know how to rate it. It was my first time to bake… without an oven. I used our turbo broiler instead. I guess I’m too excited, so it turned out 50:50. Aesthetically speaking, it was not really appealing. It didn’t rise and the caramel did not turn the way it should be. Poor thing. But to my surprise, when my mother tasted it, she noted that, though it doesn’t look like a cake, it tastes really good – “almost perfect”. Those phrases put a smile on my face and relieved me as well. Though I hit strike three there, the complement regarding the taste is more than enough to spell away the exhaustion brought about by cooking it, and to pay as well the efforts I have exerted. But then again, the Christmas menu was a bit “palpak”!
For the New Year, as every Filipinos do, almost all of the things that should be prepared will be something lucky or will give good fortune for the family. The menu should be a big part of it. Due to practical reasons, some of the foods that we prepared were due to excess supplies of pantry regulars that my mother wants to be out as soon as possible: flour, cornstarch, sugar.
I promised myself, I will not cook maja blanca for New Year, since they I already made those in the past few months and that they might not like it anymore. But to my mother asked to make some, first to use the leftover cornstarch, and second, for her to devour as many as she can, because I only leave a small portion for them whenever I make some and give the remaining to others. “Sarap!”, she said. One point for me there!
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Flour = puto. The excess flour from the baking adventure, I made into special puto. With some coconut milk, sugar, and evaporated milk, viola! Cheese and salted egg as toppings completed the song. It tastes best when we chilled it in the fridge. It was so dense and rich, sweet and just right for the palate. Two thumbs up and a point again!
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Due to hearsays and stories, pata or pork knuckle, and palitaw are secret ingredients for luck and fortune. The recommendations: prepare these two for Media Noche. My mother was the one who cooked these two. Her inspiration: cooking shows too! (I have a gut-feel I have influenced her with my addiction). For the pata, she made pata tim, with banana blossom, black beans, peppercorns, laurel leaves, and star anise. It was tender, with the right blend of sweet and salty, and with a kick of star anise, that is so aromatic. I am not a big fan of that spice, but I managed to eat dish since it is delicious anyway. Mom also created a special palitaw that is, ube-filled. She was too liberal in putting ube-halaya as the palitaw’s filling. It was good, something new and fresh for the taste. She put butter on top of it while hot, then sprinkled with coconut, sugar, and toasted sesame oil, to make it more special.
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We also cooked barbeque marinated in special sauce. I put chili powder to give it a little kick, and the result was a good as we expected. But the problem is, it became a bit dry after grilling. I was not able to include oil in the marinade, that’s why it dried out.
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The star of the menu was the pasta. I just formulated the recipe for this, but inspired by many other factors I have mentioned before. It was supposed to be a two-sauce fettuccini, but due to shortage of supply in the grocery, half of the pasta was spaghetti. Haha. The red sauce was tomato-based with ground pork, ham, pickles, and basil. I opted to make the white sauce cheesy and creamy to make it blend well with the red sauce. I used evaporated milk instead of cream in making the sauce and used a roux as base. I incorporated some mushrooms, cheese spread, and grated cheese to make it creamier. When I’m preparing some for tasting, my mom was so worried that I’ll mix the two sauces together. I told her to calm down, and taste first before she complains. After tasting , two-thumbs up again, and a three-point shot! She said it was very good. Yum!
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Fruits were also there, though not complete. The table was filled with too much food, as if there is a huge number of a visitor coming. Though we celebrated the year with just the three of us at home, it was still a feast that should be thankful of. We prayed and thanked the Lord for the overflowing blessings that we have received. After all, we will not be here and taste his goodness if not because of Him.
The year ended well, and started good too. Cooking was so tiring, but the fulfillment is something that cannot be replaced by anything else. I dosed off to sleep fast after the feast; too full and too tired. But passion will always be there. Tedious and demanding it is, but love is there, how I can resist it? May this year teach me more in this fiel.! There are hindrances, of course, but I will make a way to make it happen, or should I say, God will make a way! Happy 2010 everyone! Cheers and happiness always!
PS: I let my lola try the dishes I prepared. To my surprise, she liked it so much.
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