This week’s newsletter is an announcement and an update.
The announcement is that I have introduced a new section called Snapshots. Divided into Today and 10 Years Ago, these are short posts that do not get sent out as newsletters. They are available for your viewing though. Often, they include notes about our daily meals (for which I did not bother writing a recipe).
Now, about why Christmas figures in the title of this week’s newsletter.
For the record, the photo above is from 2009. December 19, 2009, to be more precise. We like real fir tree so we usually wait until it’s available before we start decorating.
Unlike us, however, many Filipino families start their Christmas decorating and shopping much earlier — as soon as the first “ber” month begins but, for the truly obsessed, it’s even earlier. The “ber” months are September, October, November and December. That’s the duration of the Christmas celebration in the Philippines.
And part of the Christmas spirit is planning the menu. If you’re an early planner, I just republished three recipes that you might consider for your Noche Buena meal.
Roasted pork belly with ginger, garlic and scallions – Inspired by the flavors of Hainanese chicken, a slab of pork belly is seasoned, rolled, tied and ateamed before it roasts is a very hot oven. Get the recipe.
Pork hock stewed in balsamic-pineapple sauce – Inspired by the Filipino paksiw na pata, this sweet and sour pork hock stew is fruity and spicy with the addition of pineapples, ginger and chilies. Get the recipe.
Whole shrimps with lemon garlic butter sauce – Head-on shelled shrimps are seasoned, pan fried shortly in butter and arranged on a plate. In the same pan, more butter is added, and chopped garlic is stirred in and cooked until aromatic before lemon juice and chopped parsley are whisked in. The lovely sauce is poured over the cooked shrimps and the dish is ready to serve. Get the recipe.
